what does "thin is in" mean for black women?

Is 90s thinness back in? Is the BBL era over? Cynthia Erivio underwent dramatic weight loss, and Ice Spice is fighting Ozempic allegations, today I discuss what the "thin is in" narrative means for black women.
~socials~
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~sources~
Trend Snapshot: The Ozempic Weight Loss Craze Continues as Shortages Persist
www.komodoheal...
Minority Women: The Untold Story
www.pbs.org/wg...
“Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia,” by Sabrina Strings, Book Review
csw.ucla.edu/2...
The Fear of Fatness was Originally a Fear of Racial Integration
omstars.com/bl...

[@nicolechampeau8432]

When people say " ballerina body" they mean thin. It has nothing to do with actual ballet or dance technique.

[@iyanutookoo]

I connect it with being slightly tall too. Long legs are a staple.

[@astralyeti]

yeah but ballet is also notorious for shaming girls into being tiny

[@iamataldi]

It means lean muscle. You need those strong calves for ballet

[@vanillavania.]

@@iamataldi Yeah, sure. Sounds like “greenwashing” thinness (this is coming from someone who has a low BMI).

[@vanillavania.]

@@louis-marieokolo41 No worries! Your unsolicited opinions are music to my ears!!😃

[@kuromislayypink]

like south park said "rich people get ozempic, poor people get body positivity"

[@AlliterativeAtheist]

Dramatic analogy

[@ileanamuntean7338]

Rich people get implants, poor people (like me) get dentures. As my daughter said: if you look bad over 45, it's because you are broke.

[@godhimself1128]

​@@AlliterativeAtheistI bet you're fun at parties 😂

[@Gamegamegame445]

@@AlliterativeAtheist it's south park

[@notntsiki]

I can't believe body types can even be a trend I think we just have to learn to love the different bodies we have

[@MsDesiree39]

lizzo's size isnt healthy but keep heading towards diabetes, enjoy

[@CutiePatutie_SmookiePookieBear]

​@@MsDesiree39 Being super thin isn't healthy either, but when is that ever the main discussion? Huh?

[@nobilityjudah5303]

Body type trend exist for centuries. During the Renaissance like Italy. Plus side body type was the beauty standard during the time periode from 1400's to 1600's

[@Doc27901]

​@@MsDesiree39Not really up to date on celebrity stuff, but hasn't Lizzo been losing weight?

[@FarofaBiladeira]

​@@MsDesiree39 womp womp

[@kylagray1631]

This is literally just endless cycle of chasing something that really doesn’t even exist. Especially chasing when after celebrity beauty standards, famous people literally are STRANGERS who most likely don’t even love themselves if they are willing to change their appearance with EVERY LITTLE CHANGE. I’m not promoting obesity nor thinness, but making sure you are healthy and happy is truly the only thing you’ll remember 20 years from now.

[@keiracarmichael9430]

This I can agree with 💯.

[@zumewang646]

This is so true!

[@joepiekl]

I'd be interested to know the impact that the rise of K-pop has on this too.

[@cindywa2721]

Same with skin tones too. Sadly

[@ami-el7dg]

I'm waiting for someone to make a video on this because people overlook this a lot!

[@MirueYT]

I feel the answer is obvious. Korean( and other Asian cultures) often idolize thin and pale appearances. And while there are very few idols who push the standards (Jeongyeon from Twice for ex) they get A TON of hate for it. Plus black women in Kpop still have their bodies policed by the industry. If they can’t be pale, they’ll at least have a shot at a career by being skinny and talented. (Fatou, Nvee, Manon, and more)

[@nehalilisays]

When I first got into Kpop I was suddenly much more at peace with being skinny & pale (and with buying stuff that I don't really need ...). And that's when I realized how much an online bubble can influence how you feel about your body (and your behavior). Over the years I only kept up with BTS and OMG, they talk about dieting and their specific weights so often! And that's just the guys. Apparently, Kpop beauty standards negatively affect a lot of fans. And yeah, technically you're not supposed to compare yourself with them but how realistic is that on a subconscious level?

[@aahana4931]

kpop being the body dysmorphia final boss

[@angelr5694]

Listen what I'm about to say may come across as matter-of-fact or kind of rude, but that's not my intention. When thick was "in" black women may have benefited but weren't the BIGGEST beneficiaries of that trend. Literally the Kardashians were everywhere as were other white women. When it was in style back in the early 2000s and while there were black women who benefited from that there were also a lot more black women that didn't. I think black women need to stop looking at trends and validation else where and start worrying about ourselves and creating our own spaces.

[@indigostvr]

💯

[@MsDesiree39]

your own spaces in a country tht's not yourbown head to Africa, the whole continent is your own

[@eriks7998]

@@MsDesiree39what are you even saying? Black Americans are American. Stop trying to white wash America it has always had brown people. By your own logic shouldn’t you go back to Europe.

[@mintymilka9400]

​@MsDesiree39 Are you really so racist that you don't understand how socializing works? You've never heard of people having support groups and communities?

[@antoniacapellaborges6566]

BW always did but the community keeps opening the door to others and it ends up starting again

[@DeeKM12]

You nailed it immediately 1:33. As if it were ever in to NOT be thin 😑 even the bbl phase, the waist, and everything else, had to scream Barbie, aka THIN. Also, very well explained and interesting info presented. Bravo!

[@MiamiPush2theLimit]

Yessss!! If you want to improve your chances at a great career or better dating opportunities, you must be thin.

[@Nonyah123]

​​@@MiamiPush2theLimitwell... I mean duh? Jobs aren't going to want to hire someone that doesn't appear to have enough physical discipline to maintain a healthy weight. And a man is not going to want to invest in a woman that does not take care of herself. You definitely not need to be "thin", just a fit body with a healthy weight . Seeing a fit, toned, physically balanced person makes such an impression

[@Nonyah123]

@@MiamiPush2theLimit of course? I mean who would you date/hire? The person that physically appears to struggle in maintaining the balance between food and activity? or the person who appears to have found that balance?

[@aprilclover2429]

Thin has been less in than during earlier eras. Some of y’all are just too young to remember Twiggy. Curvy and full figured models were not featured in magazines or commercials until recently. So, thin has been less in, in recent decades.

[@applefarm6126]

It was a couple years ago, thick was in

[@RoseEyed]

As a “skinny” black woman I’m always wary when we attach specific body types to specific races. You can argue certain builds may be more likely in a given race (due to systemic, cultural, and genetic factors) but that doesn’t mean one race “owns” a body type. By acting like they do it ends up reinforcing stereotypes and implying people who don’t fit it aren’t really a part of the group because they don’t have the group's “build.” I don't have words for how much I appreciate you explaining WHY that reflexive cultural norm/expectation is there INSTEAD of defending it or assuming it's fact because I've never understood it. We come from a diverse continent while being mixed with even more things in a diverse country. Our bodies reflect that and should be celebrated.

[@iamataldi]

This!!

[@ChoRen]

That's not what she does in the video

[@shanellmiller-c2t]

Black women tend to be on the thicker side where ever we are in this world of course there are skinny black women but even they tend to have curves .

[@Heena6790]

All of this.

[@Heena6790]

@@shanellmiller-c2t Absolutely not true. Not every black woman has curves.

[@picklejarmonsterfanboy9367]

i don't need standards to know amanda is 10/10

[@DSR505]

FACTS

[@amanita1964]

yep !

[@directorforplastic7929]

So true

Stop SIMPIN'

[@amanita1964]

Stop being jealous and be a man

[@CyrinaSwanston]

This is such an interesting take, especially the part about how black women who want to be upwardly mobile/have more deeply assimilated into the prevailing culture face higher levels of eating disorders. I felt very seen in a way I wasn't fully prepared for, but it helped me understand my relationship with my own personal struggles a little better. The way I grew up, my friends, my mom's friends, the school I chose and the jobs I've had have all played a role in shaping how I think about myself and my body in relation to the world I live in. Thank you for the video!

[@shesamazinglyhappy1]

Yes! Black women may not suffer with bulimia or anorexia as much as their counterparts but they certainly struggle with overeating. I know for a fact that a female should not be consuming a 15-20 piece wing meal with ranch fries 2-3 times per week. I know that there are many black women that I know personally and are family members of mine who quite simply put....eat like dogs. I am thinner than the vast majority of them at a size 10. They are largely single, disenfranchised with men and lonely. I exercise regularly and try to educate them on the importance of taking care of their bodies but to no avail.

[@kalisworl]

⁠@@shesamazinglyhappy1I see the angle you’re taking but this just feels kind of like ur shaming ur family. Idk u or ur family but ik a lot of ppl overeat usually as a coping mechanism or because it’s a lot easier to overeat smth quick and fried than it is to get a healthier and balanced meal (barriers of price and time). Education alone usually isn’t enough. It is hard to change ur habits too. 🥲

[@purplelove3666]

​​@@kalisworlit is, bad either way,sometimes shaming is good,where have cuddling people got them? this is about their health, if people can afford hairstyles,then they can afford to prioritize their health

[@_kaleido]

@@purplelove3666 body shaming on either side of the spectrum is largely negative. That’s why you shouldn’t bring up how skinny an anorexic person is in a shameful way because it just pushes them further into it, same goes for overweight people

[@justimani4]

@@purplelove3666 shaming has never healthily helped anyone , especially in the long run .

[@drae815]

Wish people could say slim or thin instead of ballerina body. I’ve seen ballerinas from the age of 3 and my sister was a ballerina, they are athletic, even muscular depending on the dancer.

[@janethefriend-awakened33]

right. at 49 years old i'm 5 foot 3 and i've never weighed more than 138 pounds and that was during pregnancy. however, i was a gymnast and had a muscular frame in my youth.

[@noonesishome]

I've been casually in the ballerina algorithm and I'm amazed at the muscles in their legs.

[@Lladmdub2107]

Maybe it’s not in my spaces but I can’t say I’ve ever heard it used as a term.

[@kalisworl]

I see people saying being thin is shamed more in the black community. But I think the key things are being skinny and not curvy. Like I think u won’t get teased for being skinny if u have a larger butt or hips and boobs.

[@Lisalewha]

No maam. Apparently you are not paying attention to the black men on the internet. They are very much champing thin over thick. Take the pop balloon show. I have seen numerous male podcasters dog out the women for having a small bit of weight. Some of those women were not even big and they dragged those women.

[@lisaa8313]

@@Lisalewha her comment still stands you have to be a certain type of skinny to not be shamed. she said community not JUST men

[@Heena6790]

@@Lisalewha No one cares about what black men on a pixelated screen have to say, skinny black woman's experiences in real life have resulted in shaming and bullying for being thin by multiple members of the community.

[@CutiePatutie_SmookiePookieBear]

​@@Lisalewha You're watching that toxic show?

[@siyakhonakanjalo1769]

I agree. As as South African black women and thin in nature whenever I lose weight. I get asked if my health is in order. I am 5'2 and my dress size is between size 6 and 10 when I have gained weight. In my country, being thin is associated with sickness. I am 42 years old and look younger than people my age who are thicker.

[@tamaraslaughter8349]

What do folks mean "in"?!! Love yourself as you are regardless of the current standard. As a Black woman thin was never really in ...slim, slim thick, thick and super thick but never thin

[@andpeg]

Thin without curves and a butt is definitely not the black beauty standard. Just look at how Ice Spice’s male fanbase dragged her for “losing her butt.” Megan (and Cynthia) wasn’t dragged like that because her body wasn’t the defining factor in her stardom. I truly cannot say for Ice Spice’s😅

[@uzernamex]

Hmm interesting.. can’t relate, must be nice 😂

[@uzernamex]

@@andpegyeah, they used to say “ what’s the point”.. good times 👍🏾

[@jadacampbell9331]

Well make rook for us! Get out yhe way bug butts jk jk 😜

[@MsDesiree39]

bw come in big and small sizes

[@kme9861]

I’m fit AF and healthy and will continue to be so regardless of what’s considered “in”. Idk why we don’t emphasize health but we can’t even seem to agree on what that is.

[@IBPco]

I agree. Being healthy should be our top priority

[@brookesargent8249]

It's because "healthy" looks and feels different for every single person, and it's no one's business but that person and their doctor. The idea is to get AWAY from using loose generalizations to judge peoples' appearances.

[@ms_memealot2763]

What "Thin Is In" means to me is that society's standards are fake and unimportant. I never bought into glamorizing body types, and this new event is just the cherry on top. At this point, body image is just politics, cause why is my body type all of a sudden BACK in style like...? Everyone was just raging over balloon bottoms (not natural thickness and beauty, just bbls and other implants).

[@user-dv3kq3rm4h]

I'm puzzled that BW are even following this nonsense. We always had our own ideals within our own communities which have a range. Social Media and the Kardashians are giving BW body dysmorphia and an aspiration to mainstream beauty ideals- when in previous decades, WE set our own trends amongst ourselves and others copied.

[@gingerbreadgreeneyes]

@@user-dv3kq3rm4hright??? no judgement to other people but culture vultures like the kardashians will never be the standard for me

[@PrincessLioness]

Do black people really hate thin people? Some of the most celebrated black female celerities for their looks from the 90s were thin. Aaliyah , Halle Berry, Naomi Campbell etc. Watch old black movies and the fatphobia is rampant.

[@chaaaargh]

honestly like... i'm not saying skinny black women don't get bullied, they do. and yet they're still the standard.

[@nagisa9147]

I think the black community is not immune to western trends. Beyonce was still talking about her "jelly" back in the 00s so a good sized bum and small waist was still coveted in our community, even if on the slim side.

[@JeauxiiJuh-zeeLemayian]

This is only relevant for Black Americans because you live in proximity to whiteness and, therefore, will assimilate more than other groups of black people. Also, these are media personalities, their experiences aren't those of the general public. I hate that black people and black feminist rhetoric constantly gaslight thin women who aren't models or athletes (the only ones justified in occupying a thin body according to black culture) about their unfair treatment.

[@antoniacapellaborges6566]

Halle Berry was hourglass shaped. She was not thin, she was slim. Aaliyah and Naomi were skinny. If you look at early 2000s Black media, the video vixen body was glorified. And in movies they’d mock BW "built like roads" or "NAAA” no a$$ at all or itty bitty t*t girls

[@purplelove3666]

Halle Berry is biracial not black,I think these girls were kids in the early 2000's, so they think skinny women just started existing,back when I was a teenager in the 2000's ,you mostly saw skinny black women on TV

[@samyahknotts4728]

My body is not a trend. I’ve always been skinny, always got made fun of. Thinner, heavier, curvy, bodies aren’t a trend. Be your best you, and you’re beautiful in your own skin.

[@amirose873]

Youre gorgeous

[@XOMIANI]

Yes I always been skinny too and been bullied

[@oneiione]

Thank you so much for talking about this. It speaks to me because although im not black, im a mixed latina and I feel like the beauty standard for us is to be curvy, big butt tiny waist big boobs. My examples are Selena and Kali Uchis, like their bodies are tea, they are gorgeous and talented. But I have a very skinny, flat body, which is desired in the white mainstream, but I get made fun of my my family and people at work or school. I don’t think its oppression the same way fatphobia is, but it still messes w my body image and im just glad to hear someone talk about how beauty standards differ in different cultures within America.

[@elizabethrose6943]

If you really feel that way. Which I’m really sorry about by the way. It’s ok to compare it to fatphobia because at that point it’s the same.

[@estheraiyelabola6933]

Girl i'm West African and I feel the same way! Please don't let the words of other affect the way you perceive yourself. Although this is easier said than done, NO ONE in this whole entire world has the power to pass any judgement on what type of body is beautiful or not because bodies ARE NOT trends. They are a part of human anatomy and show all the beautiful life experiences we go through!

[@NB-nh2sf]

Yes I think it's so prevalent in Latina culture bc they literally own those surgeries. Kalis had one.

[@avianbirdflu]

No matter what the beauty standard, the only standard I will have for my body is to just be healthy.

[@JanaeJohnson96]

THIS. The most important thing💕💕💕💕💕

[@elysianemily]

At this point I'm just gonna lean into my propensity toward contrarianism to get me through this new era. I am a survivor of an***xia and I just cannot even fathom going back to that point ever againl

[@Sister-d4p]

It seems like it's our children's turn now.

[@user-sf4fy8bq1h]

If that's you in the pic you look great...don't listen to trends like this. Idk if you're straight or if you even care what guys like (some girls do, some don't, both are okay) but fwiw most guys definitely prefer ~15 lbs over versus ~15 lbs under. It's just more feminine looking to have that little bit of softness. Btw I'm not a guy I just know what they like haha. But yeah you look great, very cute.

[@OCDandme123]

I binge purged for a bit

[@rosieposie9564]

@@user-sf4fy8bq1h I disagree, most white men who are the mainstream actually like the child like look with very skinny bodies and that is why so many of them are into Asian women (not brown Asian women btw who tend to be more curvy). For most white men, you can never be skinny enough.

[@giselioliveira630]

As a Brazilian Black woman I always felt bad for being too skinny and at the same time not being a beautiful flat tommy skinny. The body beauty standards have always been curvy and voluptuous around here

[@BarbiieDee4life]

As someone who is not on most social media platforms, I can say that who you are surrounded by also shapes how you view yourself. As a Mexican American, initially living in South Philly and West side of Chicago as a teen, the push to look "thick" was always the goal. Now as a 31 year old, living in predominately middle class Wisconsin area, I feel pressured to look thin. My body really has been on a roller coaster ride and quite frankly I have lost how I want to view myself. I can admit that I have body dismorphia but don't quite know how to deal with it.

[@c2rdelz18]

this, I go to an art school in London and feel drastically bigger but once I come back to my multicultural working class area I'm now on the smaller side. its so relative to class and culture

[@Nina-n7v]

Bro the “ballet body” makes so much sense. That’s what Ariana has been reminding me of. She went from trying to be cool and cheeky to this overly classical, hair pulled back in a high bun, overly thin to a point it looks unhealthy persona. It reminds me so much of theatre people or ballet teachers.

[@melodi2036]

How did theatre people get in this 😭

[@TheeRobynAlexis]

I feel like the label “ballet body” is an insult to actual ballet dancers. The ballet dancers I’ve seen have all been muscular. Lean, but muscular; they’re all lithe muscle and long limbs. These skinny “ballet body” ppl have no muscle tone, they’re just super thin 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@Nina-n7v]

@ yea if you don’t train like a ballerina you won’t be as strong as a ballerina. But the aesthetic and the thin-ness does remind of it

[@Alisha-d9b3w]

@@TheeRobynAlexis yeah they usually have “dancer legs” which are toned. Usually the only ballerinas that have untoned and super thin legs are children since ballerinas usually start in their 1 digits. Which makes me wonder 🤔

[@BeverlyBevHamilton]

I think what we'll see moving forward is a divergence of the type of thinness that is desirable within our respective communities. I think in the black community we'll see more of an emphasis on "curvy slim" once again while in white communities rail thin may once again become more common. *sigh* this is all so cyclical it makes my head hurt.

[@neonexodus8745]

I actually think athletic/lean thin with dancer body like Tate McRae’s will become the more popular standard since it signifies wealth and leisure to afford working out etc

[@PrincessBlanket]

Trends change like the tides that's why ima do my own thing

[@Hannah-y2z]

exactly, thin was never out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! was always a status symbol throughout the slim-thick era.

[@consulargeneral8136]

@@Hannah-y2z most white and asian women have a rectangle mini fridge body build it was never about being skinny.

[@viviennebaptiste]

@ Have you notice that most rich men or celeb men, have thin ladies never thick thick? Whether slim thick or just slender, they rap about big butts, but actually wife up the slender shapes

[@consulargeneral8136]

@viviennebaptiste this is a massive cope name one rapper who isn't married to a yellow bone with a big butt I'm waiting....

[@rosieposie9564]

@@viviennebaptiste That is because men are mostly mindless drones and so they marry what mainstream society and other men say they should want instead of having their own tastes and preferences and seriously owning it.

[@Wonda447]

​@@viviennebaptisteSo true

[@Jenna_Wicca]

As someone who consciously thinks about my body, I just want to look good

[@brooklynforever1990]

Facts 👆🏼

[@Rhamnousia.]

I want to be healthy. The byproduct of being healthy is looking good.

[@mari98_]

As someone who was skinny skinny flat chested my entire lifeand teased because of it because Latinos culture is about slim thickness, but gained significant weight for health issues, thin people have GOT to stop comparing themselves to fatphobia. Being teased is nothing near being systemically ostracized, medically abused, unemployable, and subject to real ass violence. I know both sides and it is absolutely not the comparable.

[@trixwoman]

In other words being teased is okay? Being asked to eat more so you don't get blown by a wind is okay??? Being told by your Aunties you won't be able to bear children cause you don't have child bearing hips is okay?? Oh please

[@Kerem-mf9oy]

What' violence you've gotten from gaining weight? Elaborate on that.

[@louisachalarca6494]

@@Kerem-mf9oyshe just stated she hasn’t received any violence and is not to be compared to fatphobia

[@Kerem-mf9oy]

@@louisachalarca6494 Again, my question still stands. And if she hasn't, then I'm asking you: what violence do overweight people get from being overweight? Well?

[@sideshowmob]

@@Kerem-mf9oy constant harressment in all forms of media and in person?

[@CycleCalm]

14:00 please don't throw in some AI nonsense image when talking about a historical topic!

[@gloriagonzalezdelatorre8853]

i was literally about to comment about that, it sucks for artists and it’s not an accurate historical depictions especially considering all the ones made during the era

[@DoraWinifred]

How can you tell that its an AI image, genuine question since AI is being used more a lot of images will start to shown in image search results.

[@thepaintscraper]

@@DoraWinifredthe tree the peoples bodies. just look closely

[@Blu3Monsoon]

​@@DoraWinifred AI images have these polished look and a larger uncanny vibe.

[@prettyrat.]

@@thepaintscraper some of these people got three legs and melted faces 😭😭

[@danderson8431]

It’s meaningless for me. I’ll NEVER be thin. It’s fine, I’m old now too so nobody’s checking for me anyways.

[@henriettebopda5895]

I love your mindstate 😂😂😂😂

[@kameralkutie5594]

Thin has never left. It depends on the culture. Unfortunately weight also involves classism. So thin will always be an over ideal body type.

[@Sara-jd4gi]

I live like 30 to 45 minutes away from the town where Sarah Baartman was born and grew up. They are actually building a cultural heritage center down here, dedicated to her life and memory. One thing I love about being South African is that body size is literally no one else's business and its really lame to be judging others for that. If you want to be "beautiful" for whatever reason you declare, then typically you would just try be an hourglass shape. I think this "thin" trend is really only going to catch hold in the global north - Asia, Europe and the USA. This is because their ambient "beauty standards" seem to be predicated on this type of frame.

[@AminaPhilosophy]

African women need to maximize their gorgeous bodies and keep their waists small, skin flawless and hair thick. African women will always be the true standard of beauty.

[@mimiodiachi1227]

Likeeee Women in Africa so do not care😂😂😂

[@Sisi-Isis]

@@AminaPhilosophyAgreed, full lips, no wrinkles, high cheekbones and a healthy body is what they all pay big dollars for and we have this genetically!

[@SpiritVines]

This video reminded me why I’m not having kids willingly bcs people are fucked up and will treat you like trash for not looking the way they think you should

[@tuffguydoe7937]

They do the same if you decide you don't want to have kids.😃 For some reason a woman that decides to be in shape and not have kids is a double whammy in the black community.

[@TheErikaShow]

You are not alone in that thinking. I feel like our society is too damaged to protect children. I am also starting to think that we should ban children from Hollywood. Nobody protects them, they become cash cows for their adult families, and on and on. This is one case where I say, let the AI replace young children in entertainment…..this would never happen, of course….nor would anyone else agree😂…plenty of child actors dreams would be crushed, I am sure. But it would be for their own good. But I am always extra…don’t mind me! 😅 But, yeah…folks misunderstand women like us. I am not child-free out of “selfishness”. I personally find particular parents to be incredibly selfish…bringing children into poverty, abusive relationships, failing education, and let’s not forget we still haven’t figured out how to *not* destroy Planet Earth. Why would I have a child just in time for the destruction we all knew was coming at us like a slow, horrifying train? My greatest contribution will be focusing on my mission to make the world a better place for the people who are already here by no choice of their own. All of the *amazing * parents in the world truly do have my respect and support. It takes a certain level of courage and audacity to *choose* parenthood at this juncture in time…. Unlike others who have no plan, no self awareness, but will breed and populate with no thought to how the children always get the short end of the stick. Shout out to all the *awesome* folks out there, literally shaping the future…. Like my bff who literally talks to her kid’s teachers…face to face… *every single day* , is training them about financial literacy before the age of ten, and giving them an *emotional* education and conflict resolution skills they will need out in the world….forever. God bless that woman! ✊🏾 Good luck to all of us.

[@sliflifox]

I really appreciate this videos topic. I’m slim, no curves and was teased and ostracized for my body by black men and women from childhood to the adult years. I really struggled with dating until I started dating outside of my race where my thinness plus long natural hair seemed to be attractive in a way that was clearly not white but still Eurocentric. Many things have contributed to my upper mobility in life but my thinness feels particularly valuable to me and to white women I’m close to

[@cindywa2721]

Same. I date outside because I like my skinny body, and it's hard to find like-minded men in the Black communities.

[@Odumase]

What is Your hair routine?

[@BaeSiss]

I second this! I have some curves...more of an hourglass figure but I have been through the same and, at almost 50, there are some Black women who still try it. I am not being mean but those who do are actually overweight because they want to be "thick" and have let themselves go hoping they could spot train. I have no Fs for Black women who bully, tease, and shame other Black women because they feel like we do not have the desired body shape. To me, it is all perverse and sick minded. These people have reprobate minds, unfortunately.

[@Nonyah123]

Amanda I love your work but the ai image at 14:00 was disappointing. Please don't use ai to represent true historical events, there are so many other images you can use and cite the sources for.

[@afirewasinmyhead]

+

[@vilaioking]

Dang the faces are horrifying ahaha

[@ChickenRamen]

"it's all I think about" is an alarming statement, but not enough to crash out. "Are you ok? should I call someone?" feels like a more appropriate response

[@mspino5245]

Thin has always been in.

[@henriettebopda5895]

And Will never be out

[@crestorize1631]

What about black women in Sudan and Kenya where you find some really thin women! Too much of a generalisation to be a fact!

[@Odumase]

She is speaking about the us and most Kenyans I met are not skinny

[@crestorize1631]

@ ... that's why I used the word 'some' ...!

[@crestorize1631]

@ I know she i referring to women in the US but maybe she ought to stress 'Black American' women.

[@Odumase]

@@crestorize1631 a lot of black women outside the us aren’t skinny

[@Yesitsme93]

​@Odumase, most are.

[@truplaya2010]

I Love that a significant part of this noted that thinness is low priority in black populations. I was skinny growing up and filled out in my 20s and though I miss my slimmer figure it definitely doesn’t consume me and I’ve never felt unattractive or undesirable based on my body shape. I’m grateful I was able to spend a minimal amount of my formative years worried about my weight like some of my peers were

[@purplelove3666]

Their health should be a high priority,

[@SpiritVines]

I hate the phrase big back tbh

[@Lovegodpeaceandprosperity]

I dont care we have our own culture and genetics remember that .

[@AminaPhilosophy]

Are we women going to let patriarchy keep dictating our image?! Thin is in. Fit is in. Short is in. Tall is in. Health…is in! Period.

[@thecount_1957]

It's women, not men, creating these trends

[@90ejb]

It's not just patriarchy. We women are also responsible for upholding unrealistic standards. Women are brutal each other without men's help.

[@TheresaByaFashionDesigner]

This is not the first time thin was in, and black women still had various size bodies. Black women are still beautiful then and now. Don’t get caught up in the hype, because people cannot have an apple bottom with bbl without having health problems so they are hyping up being thin. Those women who are using medicine to lose weight will have health problems.

[@Raimu_u]

Using that much ozempic will get very sick

[@Elle_TF]

As a woman who has been skinny my whole life, I'm kinda sick of people making it seem like all of us skinny girls starve ourselves or that being thin is unhealthy.

[@fionakida]

I have been feeling this topic SO hard, thank you for talking about it!!!

[@koirasikin]

I might be too old or not online enough but WHO EVEN CARES ABOUT THE BEAUTY STANDARDS?? like yeah when i was a teenager it was very important to have representation and as a thick woman growing up in the era when being skinny was the thing i felt like i was always too much something and never enough something. But as a grown ass adult I couldn't care less what body type is in and what is not since I have found my people who accept me whatever I look like. And it is so weird to see adults online being worried that they do not look trendy enough like ma'am you need to pay your bills and feed your kids!!

[@koirasikin]

and honestly trends would not exist if people did not give so much attention to them. Like I wish adults tried to understand that trends are usually just a scam to make us feel bad and spend money thinking that it will change something and sometimes you just need to go touch some grass and spend less time online, or at least try to diversify the content you consume.

[@henriettebopda5895]

You talk like a grown adult but most people never grow 😂😂😂😂

[@koirasikin]

@@henriettebopda5895 well thats very much true too 😂

[@174mars]

As a big person, being skinny is the way to go. Life just seem better for those people

[@murphybartle592]

Does make it easier to chuck a backflip

[@tamaraslaughter8349]

Don't believe the hype

[@shesamazinglyhappy1]

Aww, don't be deceived, no matter what size a person is they all have interpersonal issues to deal with. If you are unhappy with your weight let me give you one suggestion. Cut out sodas and sugars and see what happens. Bless your heart. Love the skin that you are in NOW and still strive for improvement if this is your choice.

[@174mars]

@@shesamazinglyhappy1 thank you. That’s my goal this year is too get healthy

[@gradientcube]

I've been skinny my entire life, but healthier is probably closer to being thin and active, not necessarily just skinny.

[@sharmainetheblackbarbie8126]

Thin was never out in my mind. No one wants diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke. It’s no wonder why one group leads in all these health issues. Do what you pls but I’ll be displaying small back behavior 💅🏾

[@SuburbanoidMisfit111]

I've been skinny all my life. Health nut, ditto. Grew up eating fresh fruits & veggies straight out granny's garden. I only drank pure artesian well water deep out the ground as a kid. I was in the Army, ran at least 2 miles every other day. Got out the Army, stayed active hiking most days 4+ miles. Still a toothpick 15 years later with 17.4 bmi. Guess what? I've always had high blood pressure since adulthood. It happens.

[@liperigonful]

you're so well spoken and i loved the references you brought to the conversation 😊 excellent essay!

[@Mystixspiral]

Me being the black woman that wants to stay skinny but with a snatch waist

[@user-bp1pu]

Yay we are back to 2004 starvation diets. I noticed diet food and fitness geared alternatives to so many foods. Not inherently a problem, a good thing really. But the tone shift doesnt surprise me. People wanting to be thick with big legs, butt etc. was better cause it made people start lifting weights. Muscle mass is necessary for good health as you get older. There was a runner on tiktok who was pre diabetic because of a lack of muscle mass. Despite being a slim person. Composition matters a lot.

[@ashaesme]

The fact that slimkim kept saying “it’s all I think about” made me think that it was more obsessive/mentally ill than just a desire to be “slim” 😕

[@JanaeJohnson96]

Highly doubt she meant that in a literal sense.

[@BriW3]

Thin or not I am confident that there will always be a complaint about a black woman’s body either she’s too skinny and needs to eat more, too big and needs to loose weight… in the middle but just needs to stop eating or eat more. Black women do what’s best for yourselves in general please ❤. I’ve experienced weight fluctuations and honestly only care about my opinion or if the DR tells me I need to start loosing some weight.

[@Black_Void_]

My girlfriend is black, she doesn't have a BBL and she's very slender. This idea that the media portrays all black women as having 5 foot wide rear ends is very weird.

[@Swameh]

not sure why you felt a need to a) portray having a derriere as undesirable and b) not capitalize Black. You must be white.

[@stevelloyd5621]

I'm a white male married to a beautiful black African woman. I'd not change her for anything, if someone can't love you for how you are what ever your colour. ladies don't fall into the trap of what you think you should look like. A good man will love you for who you are...

[@worldofmango1409]

I love being a black woman who’s thin and snatched but still got a plump bottom. I’m 5’1 and 125-130lbs. Never had issues of any race who find me attractive. And yes black men loveee my body! Fit and lean has always been in. That’s why many say bring back the 90s fine because we looked best in that era and no bbls❤

[@elani9624]

Guys nobody actually cares. men don’t care. women don’t care. stop being obsessed with these body type trends. social media over analyzes everything. truth is in real life everyday life nobody cares. Just be healthy and work out. Try to stay in shape and make yourself stronger and have healthy hobbies. No body shape is actually trending it’s just an illusion created by social media. who cares what these celebs are doing in their own echo chambers. In real life no one cares. Stay healthy and prayed up. Love you guys 🤍🤍🤍

[@AlliterativeAtheist]

This isn’t true. In real life , people do care and it is a factor. We can encourage without being misleading

[@anastasiabeaverhausen860]

Thin has always been in. For better or worse

[@chelseashurmantine8153]

Thank you for making this! Really interesting topic. Edit: You cut out the Chelsea Handler clip but she literally exposed ozempic as soon as people started showing up having lost weight and she hates when people aren't transparent about stuff like that.

[@tamiausten873]

18:06 I'm in Nigeria and I'm with Tyla😭. I want to put on some flesh, been wanting to for years. Anytime I lose weight, my butt disappears too and you know what that means as an African woman. I haven't been able to retain my ideal body since 2016. I saw a picture of me during that time, I was just 15 and I did look curvy. Now I'm 23 and though I've been told I look good I still feel like I need the bigger butt 😅. I think it's because of my mom's side of the family, everyone there is thick or slim thick

[@ami-el7dg]

I'm South African and women here are absolutely blessed but not me😭 I've wanted a big butt all my life but I'm learning to just live with my body because atp it's never going to happen😭

[@OCDandme123]

Girl I wanna be skinny lets switch

[@Cocoiland]

Being a thin black women for me it will mean I won’t have to deal with people asking me if I’m on crack , thank goodness

[@cindywa2721]

Same. I'm 5'6 "ft and 117lbs, and I'm so happy with the changes.

[@antoniacapellaborges6566]

@@cindywa2721 Aren’t you a divestor? Why do you care?

[@Katherout]

soooo well researched. loved to hear your analysis mama

[@Lily-cm3nj]

Didn't realize thin was ever out!

[@Baphomets_Kid]

I think that we had a brief moment where the “black look” was cool from the mid 2000s to about the pandemic. But now we’re back to the same Western standard… whiteness is cool again.

[@XOMIANI]

12:46 - This part right here: I’ve been bullied all my life, even by my family, for being skinny as a Black girl. “Skinny” has always been used as an insult, and I was bullied in school, with people saying I looked like I was on drugs.

[@icarlyrocks1011]

“express a desire for their body to be tea” was so funny 😂 great video

[@briesthoughts2261]

Great video!! So true that thinness and a desire to be thin has always been “in”. There was only a slight push for more coke-bottle shapes in vogue for a while but having a tiny waist was still desirable in that aesthetic. I am saddened to see Cynthia Erivo so thin and less healthy looking than before.

[@toecutterjones]

Low rise jeans used to be the bane of my existence, never again!

[@helenoftroy6265]

Sitting down was a dread or even sitting behind another person with low rise jeans, I really don’t need to see your crack ma’am or sometimes even sir.

[@priscillabaileymusic]

As someone thats never been ' in' and watch from the outside I say to all women to be comfortable with who you are.

[@onedirectioninfection5756]

the use of an Ai picture (14:04) seems like an odd choice

[@smelly1060]

I think it's fine that it's seemingly more athletic slim than heroin thin if you ask me

[@tthewizard7667]

Doechii got a BBL?!?!?

[@jlee902]

The most natural bbl ever.

[@tthewizard7667]

@ ATE

[@Nikki-lh1tu]

I doubt it

[@TrinityDiamond797]

​@@Nikki-lh1tu she said she got a bbl she doesn't hide it ❤

[@lmp559]

We are a African American family but I'm (64) very busty and my daughters (39) have always their entire life been bone straight.. We eat "alot" more of on the healthier side foods. Nothing we can do about it and I always told them we are perfect just the way we are made. So no operations to our perfect ❤ bodies..

[@fiveforbiting]

Yes. Thin was always in. Some people prefer rounder body types, but healthy, potentially athletic bodies were always the most attractive.

[@godofnothing428]

In no way is Ariana grande’s body healthy, girl looks weaker than a 10 year old child. And I think Ariana’s body and models of that type are what people refer to as thin

[@ameerahy5846]

Thin wasn’t desirable at some point trust me I’m thin, especially in the black community 2:14

[@Boyhead1973]

I have been slim all my life. In elementary school and junior high, I was called Giraffe because I have long legs. Then I was "NAAA" (no a$$ at all) and IBTC (itty bitty t committee) and Olive Oyl and Stick and Anorexic and on and on and on and on and on. I remember when I joined the Air Force they said I had to gain 2 pounds before basic training to even get in the Air Force... I am 5'7" and weighed 113 back when I was 18... I gained 2 pounds and left basic at 119...the heaviest ever. I was always athletic and was constantly thrown shade by both black men and especially black women. Telling me to eat more etc. Fast forward - I'm 51, weigh 141 pounds, and am fit... and still get those types of comments at church and work and in social settings. I am so familiar with the 'nice/nasty compliments'... the "fun shade" comments from my sistas .. and the adoration (sometimes) by white women. Some people will covet what they desperately desire...some will be jealous and miserable.. some will be content. It's the nature of who we are.

[@Nonyah123]

black people just naturally tend to have more ample bodies, thick thighs, wide hips and large breasts are what black men chase and therefore what black women are sensitive about

[@annawoods3120]

First video I have come across by you. Everything on point and you hit all the points.

[@mari98_]

16:09 imani barbarin has done a lot of current cultural analysis from the disability perspective that we’re basically living through Spanish flu 2.0, and part of the aftermath was eugenics and an obsession with the body. A certain German’s propaganda had a lot to do with athletic builds

[@leightonsavary7607]

Good content on the thin topic and its historical lineage. Also as s a black man Im so surprised that more people haven't mention that for that quick phase where Taylor Swift and Ice Spice were BFFs that lean stereotypical "white girl" physique is essentially what Ice spices is or was chasing like the body type Taylor Swift essentially has. Hopefully she comes on home we all appreciate thick in all the right places Ice Spice way better like we typically appreciate most women thicker than being a super thin size 0 or something like that especially if that not your natural body type.

[@ChelseaWoodsWorld]

As I became an adult, my mom would always mention my thinness (in a bad way as if I was thick in another life or schunn) As I got older only once I gained weight but short lived. Afterwards again my mom speaking on my small weight. I finally had to say it, it’s my body type and that’s all. I have to eat consistently (3full meals plus snacks)or else this is what it is. Nowadays I hear ppl complimenting my smaller shape and surprisingly my mom also. At this point I prefer just being toned in whatever size God blesses me with. 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@lisalandry140]

Being called skinny when I was in school burned so bad. But after I gained weight, struggled to lose it and finally became skinny again, I feel giddy when someone tells me I’m looking skinny.

[@dorathehoora4527]

Literally same 😆😆😆, in high school, I learned to binge eat while I watched my bootie grow. Now I couldn't care less about my bootie, just want a flat tummy 💯

[@Ferrist1]

Your essays never disappoint!

[@jazzisojazzy2642]

What size do you have to be to be considered thin?🤔 I’m tired of walking down the street and hearing “Danggg you thick”🥴🤦🏾‍♀️

[@Odumase]

I think underweight

[@hi-je7km]

Thigh gap and visible collarbones

[@AlliterativeAtheist]

Moving from areas highly populated by black males

[@cherryj1425]

Really reeeaaalllyyy depends on the audience. I was considered thick at 135 lbs at my very white high school, but probably not anywhere else.

[@madlie2452]

Bella Hadid, most white top sorority girls at PWIs, etc. There is an acceptable threshold to skinniness. You can’t have your bones showing clearly because that is viewed as sickly. But people who are considered a normal, healthy weight are like Sydney Sweeney.

[@KeishaBWell]

The way we eat is different now. It's so much hormones, gmo's, and addictives which led to bigger bodies. Lets add covid and people staying home picking up bad habits. In 90's and y2k it was decent to desire to wear a size 1 ,3 jeans. As shared I believe more celebs will master the skinny look if you aren't already naturally skinny. But it can have a postive spin if the pursuit is done healthy. I been wanting to lose weight before 'thin is in'. Seeing others reach their goals is a natural influence.

[@Voodoorai]

Seeing a really thin middle-aged woman who's gone thru menopause is like seeing a unicorn in the wild.🦄Having a healthy bodyweight holds a lot of value the older you get because it's so much harder to achieve and maintain. Thinness and youth are a currency. When it naturally starts to slip away with age...it's replaced with confidence, comfort in one's skin and feeling mentally powerful. It's a fare trade. 😉

[@ItsTaniya]

I’ve been petite all my life. I’m 24 and 115lbs at 5’1. I’ve been going to the same doctor for years and NEVER had a weight issue, I was always healthy for my height. And growing up in the black community, you get MANY comments on how skinny you are. “Eat a burger” “you need more meat on your bones” “you’re too skinny”. It’s annoying, really.

[@bwolff7364]

You eloquently verbalized a phenomenon that i'd observed, but hadnt worked out how to verbalize. Thank you for that! Completely unrelated but your hair is eeevvvvrrrryythiiiiiing

[@Chichi-sl2mq]

I come from a society that glories big bodies, if you are skinny, you are the symbol of poverty. being slim here is tough, I find the whiteness of "skinny" very interesting.

[@BaeSiss]

I find it funny that Black people think a certain weight or body type is for White people! I am not skinny but also not what Black women call "thick"...WELL CALL ME WHITE THEN!!! 🤣🤣🤣... 🤡💩

[@izzyizv_v]

Not sure if the shift to "thin is in" from "slim thick" ever changed anything for me who also doesn't fit the latino beauty standard. I've always felt like an outsider looking in when it came to trends and especially body trends. I'm an apple shape. Itty bittty titties, all gut no butt. I'm working on it but even with weight loss I have to accept this is the body I will always have to work with.

[@Raimu_u]

Im sure lots of people find you attractive I'm not Latino or anything but be you, the more people liking their bodies will result in more people and I guess create a fad. Well whatever that doesn't matter I think be yourself

[@BZN7_]

Don't let Hollywood dictate how you should look like. Be comfortable the way you are, as long as you're healthy.

[@tgtgtgtgtgtgtg]

Hair is so cute! Always love seeing you, hope all is well friend 😀❤

[@yobaconman]

we are officially in the beginning of the hunger games

[@MyrnaSonghai]

This ultra thinness doesn't look very healthy to me. But it does boost sales for drugs and books and many other things.

[@earthmamma85]

I don’t know about you all, but I’m tired of being told how my body should look. At 40, I have switched my focus to being healthy. Having a healthy relationship with my body. Being able to move my body in a healthy manner and feed my body the nutrients it needs and have a treat when the occasion arises. Having good mental health. Having a healthy lifestyle overall. These “beauty” trends are so harmful. I use to obsess over my weight, my pants size, calories ate and burned… I quickly developed an eating disorder in my freshman year of high school. I dropped 30 pounds over a summer break and the praise I got only fueled my body obsession. No one voiced any concern about my health whatsoever. I didn’t eat regularly, I drank slim fast in water and when I ate a big meal. I’d exercise for hours. I will no longer stress my body like that again. Never. I will also never let someone tell me how I need to look. These toxic trends just create problems and divide us.

[@thomslotusflower6025]

Slim Kim was being toxic and supporting toxic tropes. Her Pickmeisha red pill parroting, with a wink a smile of course, was SO transparent. The low-key racist dog whistling of how her body type allows her carte blanche into the WW's world and I am not the big backs that these angry BM's and KS are railing about is apparent. She just gives full service ick. You can be thin and embrace it but you would have to be blind to not see what she was doing. It's equivalent to the same tired gaslighting W people give when they insist they have no privilege and it's all in POC heads. Slim Kim is more like "Slick Kim" a confidence woman who sees an opportunity and exploits it. Along with all the self hating and Pickmeisha big backs who think they curry favor when they "defend" her are just trying to be in proximity to thinness by dressing up her toxic message as a call to an individual right or preference. A dog whistle is a dog whitle, is a dog whistle. Just like there is W privilege, and pretty privilege, thin privilege exists as well. Anything exclusionary and that can promote unfair advantage is often celebrated in this country.

[@STARSAPPHIRE91]

The fact that she said "it's all I think about" proves this. I also think she was just rage baiting, to be honest. She wanted attention, and she got it. What was interesting to me were seeing a certain type of Black woman championing her post. The delusional divestors who believe you can "skinny" and "femininity" your way out of racism and systemic oppression lol. My thing is, if thin being in is such a win for Black women socially in their eyes, then just what did it do for Black women the last time it was in during the 90's and 00's? How did thin being on vogue in the dominant society benefit their skinny mothers as far as upward mobility is concerned, even though they're sitting up here in the 2020's trying to "level up" into the upward mobility their mothers apparently couldn't attain? The math just isn't mathing.

[@YogaYoga-x2k]

I think you’re taking it a little too seriously. It was obviously rage bait and people like you fell for it 😂

[@NN-fz4pd]

Too many weird phrases. No idea what u saying

[@thomslotusflower6025]

@NN-fz4pd That's okay. They may be concepts that you aren't familiar with. No harm. No foul. 😊 Ooops! I think I did it again.

[@caribanna]

Her saying “it’s all I think about” is not something to be concerned about. When you’re thin in the black community and your own people keep telling you that you need to put on weight you need to literally be affirming your body constantly in your mind so that you accept how you exist.

[@ossier2796]

I was a Black teen in the 60’s and thin was in, Twiggy was one of the top models, mini skirts were in. Our generation was very physically active, playing outside as children, we had to take physical education in school and we grew up with lots of dances. I’m 74 and I’ve always been slender.

[@Afrodizjha]

I love that you made a video on this!

[@uwantaqua]

OMG! The TikTok you used in the beginning is from me! So glad I came across this video, I am deeply concerned about where the culture is shifting around body ideals. Thank you for this video 🤗

[@ChickenxBoneless]

As someone who's black and grew up mainly in white spaces, including doing ballet, I couldn't achieve the "ballet body" even with starving myself and doing that as my main form of exercise. A combo of factors including that lead me to a life-long challenge with disordered eating. Perfectionism was high and expected of me, so I'm kind of not surprised that I developed an eating disorder now. I currently get support for it, but at least I know another reason why I started this behavior.

[@rosieposie9564]

Love yourselves no matter what and do not let men, society or anything else decide how you should be. As long as you are not undereating or overeating both of which are bad for health and exercising moderately then your good.

[@heyyahhh655]

Cynthia has a eating disorder she’s the complete opposite and happens to be getting so much attention because her and Ariana made a movie I literally had no clue who she was 6 months ago we are just more aware of extremes