Ever since Issa Rae’s Insecure sadly concluded, I’ve been on the hunt for a new show to get me that fix. Survival of the Thickest definitely has a fun black heroine giving you the laughs and drama we love to see on our screens. Now, it ain’t no Insecure, but it definitely is a great watch for the summer. Starring the fabulous Michelle Buteau, the show is currently streaming in the top 10 TV shows on Netflix.
Here’s our review of Survival of the Thickest, mild spoilers ahead!
Some Background
Survival of the Thickest is a comedy-drama show based on Michelle Buteau’s memoir of the same name. She is a comedian, TV host, actress and creator of this show. You may have seen her comedy special Welcome to Buteaupia on Netflix, or her acting roles in gems like First Wives Club. Now, she plays the lead role of the character Mavis Beaumont who is based on Michelle herself.
Mavis is a self-professed “thick” stylist’s assistant struggling to get better work. The series opens with her breaking up with her cheating photographer boyfriend, which forces her to restructure her life. The show sees her and her friends tackle changing careers, relationships, black identity and being a plus-size woman in today’s world. As your resident curvy mom, I’m always up for shows that tackle body positivity for plus-size women. Let’s hear it for the big girls!
Here are my 5 biggest takeaways from the four-hour binge-worthy show:
- Body Positivity
The entire show is a big love letter to curvy baddies and bodies. Buteau spoke in an interview on Today with Hoda & Jenna about how important it was to her for the show to include body positivity, sex positivity and people of different gender identities. The diverse representation on this show can help us all embrace our unique identities, and have a good laugh while we’re at it.
- It’s Okay to Forgive but not Forget
Early on in the show, Mavis chooses to forgive her cheating ex Jacque, but not forget what he did to her. The moment Mavis finds him cheating, the breakup is immediate. There’s no pause for unnecessary contemplation. Quite often in black media, we see women valuing their relationship with men over themselves, and constantly running back to cheaters in the name of “forgiveness”. It was refreshing to see Mavis put herself first and move on.
- Know Your Worth Even with High-Paying Clients
Mavis turns down working for Lizzo in a big shoot with Essence that would have involved her working with her cheating ex. Another time, she turns down a client’s offer of $10K a month to be her personal stylist, just because she didn’t want to share her with others. Mavis, on both occasions, had to put her boundaries first and say no to the opportunities because her self-respect was worth more than money.
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- Have a Support Circle
Mavis teaches us to surround ourselves with friends who will love us through our decisions whether they agree or not. From the start, she has her friends Khalil and Marley by her side. Good friends will support your dreams even if you find yourself uprooting your life to move into a Brooklyn apartment with a cat named Cocaine Xavier and a roommate who has a serious olive oil fetish.
- Chase After Your Dreams
Mavis shows us that you must not settle, even if there’s an easier road. For a minute, she thought she wanted the easier route, because it would give her a better life immediately. On second thought, she realized that she didn’t want the easy road, she wanted her dream and didn’t want to settle just to have it. Neither should you.
Grab the Remote!
This is a fun binge-worthy watch to add to your List. Turn on Survival of the Thickest on Netflix, and tell us what you think!
