Plus-size romantic leads are exhausting to come back by today, not less than plus-size romantic leads which have pursuits exterior of diets and whose primary persona trait isn’t “forgive me for being fats”. For that, I’ll all the time applaud Bridgerton’s Penelope Featherington.
I respect having a posh non-skinny romantic main woman (I’ve a little bit of a difficulty with calling Penelope “fats”, though I’ll use the phrase to make a degree; she’s visibly bigger than her costars, positive however she’s not fats by any means and her physique kind would’ve truly been the popular silhouette on the time!).
Fats girls—like Penelope is made out to be—are advanced: we wish love, we’ve been ignored, and we might be the perfect of pals and the worst of the villains all on the similar time. We’re insanely proficient and have hobbies and pursuits. It’s nearly as if (gasp!) we’re precise individuals. Who would’ve thought?
In Nicola Coughlan’s portrayal of the youngest Featherington sister, we see a fats character with depth and layers that we, as viewers, get to peel off and sit with, nevertheless uncomfortable these layers could also be. Penelope is, sadly, one of many few alternatives that bigger girls have of seeing well-rounded (pun supposed, clearly!), achieved characters on the display screen, whose lives don’t revolve round obsessing over their weight or physique measurement or discovering a husband who will “put up” with their fatness.
She is aware of she’s a catch—even when the remainder of the Ton doesn’t appear to agree along with her—and for that alone, she’ll all the time have a particular place in my coronary heart. Due to this multifaceted portrayal of a fats girl, we get to see each her “good” and “dangerous” sides. All of us have these not-so-great elements of our personalities, and I for one am glad that the nice, dangerous, and in-between of a fierce fats girl’s character is being proven so notoriously.
Associated: Our theories on who Bridgerton season 4 can be about
That being stated, I can’t stand the lady. I do know we’re alleged to root for her—particularly as a result of that is her season—however attempt as I’ll I merely can’t get previous the harm she brought on Eloise. As I become old I notice that my friendships with girls are the one factor that has saved me sane by way of all of it. For many of us, males have come and gone; we’ve had our dance playing cards full of suitors whose names we will not bear in mind.
Strive as I’ll I merely can’t get previous the harm she brought on Eloise. As I become old I notice that my friendships with girls are the one factor that has saved me sane by way of all of it.
We’ve gotten one another by way of breakups, miscarriages, dishonest scandals, divorces, weddings, despair, work promotions, graduations, new companies, motherhood… After all, I’ve written about them at size, they play such a giant position in who I’m as a lady they usually have been current in all the massive moments in my life, however it’s all the time with their consent and enter; they all the time get the ultimate phrase on what can or can’t be utilized in my writing. As a author myself—a fats author who’s felt like an outcast for a giant a part of her life, similar to Penelope—I can’t fathom the thought of utilizing the data I’ve on any of them for private acquire; not less than not with out together with them in my ploys.
Sadly, I’ve been the place Eloise is (and Marina was in season 1): I’ve been the buddy who gave her all and trusted a so-called “closest buddy” and confidante solely to have that belief and love used in opposition to me. Irrespective of how a lot I needed to be enthusiastic about Penelope and Colin’s love story, I merely couldn’t get previous her earlier transgressions.
It wasn’t simply what she did to Eloise, although. All through the sequence, she’s demonstrated that she’s not somebody that may be trusted. Her betrayal of Marina, her betrayal of Eloise, that scathing “evaluate” she wrote about Collin on S3E1 when she was offended at him… The lady has a monitor file for lashing out and utilizing her powers to crush these closest to her somewhat than to assist them navigate the complexities of being a member of a gossipy society such because the Ton.
How can she be trusted to not activate these round her and use her Girl Whistledown energy to harm extra individuals anytime she’s offended at somebody? In any case, if she’d been so careless along with her soulmate’s (I consider our pals are our true soulmates) love and belief, may she actually be trusted with Colin’s? Is somebody so manipulative, untrustworthy, and self-absorbed actually deserving of the eye of one of many Ton’s most eligible bachelors? No, not in my view.
I like seeing fats characters as romantic and sexual (fats girls love intercourse, too! The carriage scene in episode 4 led to a highly regarded FaceTime name with somebody I most likely shouldn’t have been texting once more, however the Bridgerton affect was a robust one) leads in mainstream media. Hell sure, give us extra of that please! Watching Penelope and Colin’s friendship and eventual proposal unfold on my display screen healed that previous fantasy of mine—the one each fats lady has and is pressured to push deep into the darkest nooks of our minds—of ending up with my male greatest buddy.
Do I feel Penelope deserved to get the man and have her comfortable ending (once more, pun supposed)? Completely not. Penelope deserved spinsterhood, or not less than not somebody as sort and caring as Colin Bridgerton. Not as a result of she’s fats or ugly, because the Ton appeared to contemplate (who would truly consider Nicola is something however completely breathtaking is past me), however as a result of she’s simply not a pleasant individual. I’ll die on this hill—but additionally, I can’t look ahead to half two. Can or not it’s June already?!
