Entry tags:

Big Girls: Hot or Not?
Last Friday, on Jezebel (a Gawker blog about Celebrity, Sex, Fashion, for women. Without Airbrushing), blogger Slut Machine posted a clip from the Today Show, where Mika performed his latest hit, Big Girls (You are Beautiful). " We love him for this shiny, happy performance," she gushed.

Now, as we all know, there's nothing more offensive than a skinny (possibly gay) man claiming that he likes big girls.

Reactions ranged from back-handed compliments:

I never understand why a man so effeminate turns me on.

sulking with a side-order of entitlement:
I always feel there's something vaguely patronising in a gay going onabout how great big girls are. Its like yes you are beautiful andhurray for you, but I won't fuck you anyways cos I like peen, so whothe hell cares?
I want Backstreet Boys to reform especially for a song about normal looking chicks. Then I'll rest in peace.

(The Backstreet Boys have broken up, hon, but maybe we can ask the Chinese Backstreet Boys?)

Exactly. I'm a big girl and I find this song so patronizing. Fuckyou, I know I'm beautiful, so stop trying to capitalize on fat chick'slow self esteem.

to outright bitchiness:

i'm thinking more george michael at most smarmy than freddie mercuryhere. but what do i know. also, he's gay. also, lay-day. ew. just ew.and now this shit's stuck in my head forever. ARGH. you're right in twomonths i'll be oh yeah 'big girls' -- the brilliantest thing since the'ignition' remix. i'm such a late adopter

Meanwhile, skinny women don't want to be left behind:

how dare any man tell us how we should look?! A real woman is onewith curves in all the right places ? Fuck you Mika. Am I not a realwoman if I happen to be pretty flat-chested and slim? I was sodisgusted the first time I heard this on British radio, this guy isjust playing upon women's insecurities to sell a record. And it worked.He got to no.9 in the charts last week....how could this irritatinglittle man make any larger woman feel good about herself?!?

Other people keep to comparing him to Freddy Mercury and agree that Fat-Bottomed Girls was much better and more appropriate (I don't know why Mika, as a gay skinny man, can't say he likes big girls, but Freddy Mercury can. Maybe it's the moustache?).
Me? I'll agree with the commenter who says " Mika's music can put a smile on my face and a bounce on my step in 2.5." Now if you'll excuse me, I want to watch that video again.

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

	cavernous_soup 2007-08-13 08:42 pm UTC (link)
	I always thought that the song was meant to mock fat girls. I mean, why would a gay guy sing about how much he likes women's bodies if not to poke fun? Think of how a song about loving fat men would be taken if it was sung by a lesbian. (Reply to this)(Thread)

lysana
2007-08-13 11:32 pm UTC (link)

At the time, he was a bit closeted. Also consider the cover of the album that song was on. Bevy of topless women, none of whom look like modern fashion models (but at the same time, none of whom were what most people would agree were fat), sitting on bicycles.

What I finally noticed about "Baby Got Back" is he isn't talking about fat women. Just very curvy ones. A 5'2" woman with a 36" butt isn't buying from the plus-size racks.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	the_clichemoth 2007-08-14 01:30 am UTC (link)
	I think Freddie just liked meaty asses no matter who they belonged to. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	fevered_ego 2007-08-14 02:13 am UTC (link)
	yeah, he gets an erection when a girl walks in with 'an itty bitty waist' and a 'round thing in your face.' Hell, I don't blame him. Wilma Flintstone is the shiiiiit! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	miss_arel 2007-08-14 07:36 am UTC (link)
	Yeah, he stresses multiple times in the song that he only wants women with big butts and small waists. I'm kinda like, "...great, one arbitrary beauty standard traded in for another! This is progress...?" Still a fun song, though. Especially the Gilbert and Sullivan version. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	visp 2007-08-14 08:03 am UTC (link)
	Damn, but I love the Gilbert and Sullivan version. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	evanwaters 2007-09-14 11:03 pm UTC (link)
	Isn't that relying too much on the listener's knowledge of the singer in real life to work? I mean, if you hear it in passing on the radio not knowing who he is, the joke would sail right over. (Reply to this)(Parent)

(Read comments) -