It’s sad to say that Insecure is coming to an end, but the show had a great run. Over the years we’ve seen the Black queen Issa Rae go from self-proclaimed YouTuber to a successful award-winning filmmaker.
Insecure gave us tears, laughs, and frustration though one thing we’ve yet to see is Kelly getting the storyline her character deserves. Kelli has carried the comedy on the show alongside Issa and sadly continued the “fat girl trope” that Hollywood refuses to rid itself of.
The infamous “fat girl trope” can be defined as an overweight female character in a show or movie that is placed for comedic purposes. Some may argue that this is a step up and a more positive role than “fat girl trope” roles like precious or the minor character bullied in ‘Heathers’.
Characters in this role are often known for owning their body, exuding body positivity and confidence, and either being the butt of the joke or supplying all the jokes. These roles are often written under the guise that we’re laughing with the character when many times the jokes are at the character.
This Hollywood trope is tone-deaf and does not promote diversity in the industry, it still perpetuates the shallow sick mentality that fat women or people, in general, deserve less because they’re not skinny.
Five seasons and we’ve delved into the personal lives of every major character, but Kelli why is that? I hope this last season we get a little deeper than the surface with Kelli. The actress Natasha Rothwell writes her own jokes which makes her more authentic. It makes you wonder is her character type not meant for this vulnerability with the audience and if so why? How does that alter the storyline?
If you can’t notice I’m extremely excited about this last season and Insecure is one of my favorite shows, along with Kelly being one of my favorite characters.
