Yes, It’s A Thing: #BigGuyTwitter Gets Praise, #BigGirlTwitter Not So Much
So, you’re a guy hovering at around six feet or more, weighing in at over 200 pounds — do you qualify for #bigguytwitter?
Men, often with big muscles, are popping up on Twitter feeds currently, with the hashtag #bigguytwitter becoming a trending topic. The interesting thing is, #bigguytwitter is featuring all kinds of men with muscles — or not — and they are more or less positive posts. Would #biggirltwitter get the same action?
Many people believe probably not. In fact, there are claims that #biggirltwitter would result in a whole lot of body shaming, among other things. While some have suggested that #biggirltwitter might attract fetishists, the reality is that there are more who might find #bigguytwitter more appealing than a corresponding hashtag for women.
When #BigGuyTwitter & #ShortGirlTwitter unite???? pic.twitter.com/omsFgyxAah
— honey dip (@NayBossin) May 10, 2016
Whitney Way Thore of My Big Fat Fabulous Life learned just how destructive body shaming was. According to Toronto Star, Thore gained 100 pounds in a year while unknowingly living with polycystic ovarian syndrome. She said that she lived with being publicly ridiculed for her weight while teaching English in South Korea, and it was when she returned stateside and was called a “fat a**” by a group as she left the gym that she was tired of being the butt of the joke. As a result, she founded No Body Shame, an organization devoted to helping people learn to overcome the effects of societal-induced shame for a variety of reasons.
So why would #bigguytwitter trend while #biggirltwitter would get ridiculed?
Tall and muscular men — or even taller men who are broad shouldered but may have something of a paunch — represent power and the ability to look after themselves and support their family. It’s instinctive, to an extent; women are drawn to bigger men in large part because they look more capable, according to Venusian Arts writer Prophet.
“The basic survival value calculation is that larger = stronger = more capable of surviving,” he writes. “So this is an advantage to us bigger guys once we have a woman attracted as it will be easier for her to feel safer and therefore more comfortable when she’s with us.”
Jezebel unintentionally discussed why #biggirltwitter would never be as popular as #bigguytwitter when they looked at the episode of Louie called “So Did the Fat Lady.” Sarah Baker, who plays a self-professed “fat girl,” who asks star Louis C.K. out twice, but is turned down, puts Louis in his place perfectly.
“Look, I really like you, you’re truly a good guy, I think,” she tells Louis in the episode. “I’m so sorry. I’m picking you. On behalf of all the fat girls, I’m making you represent all the guys. Why do you hate us so much? What is is about the basics of human happiness, feeling attractive, feeling loved, having guys chase after us, that’s just not in the cards for us? Nope. Not for us. How is that fair? And why am I supposed to just accept it?”
I’m 6’5? 235lbs next to my 7? tall cousin Travis & next to my normal-sized cousin Chris #BigGuyTwitter pic.twitter.com/bWXnmTYzO8
— Ben Myers (@BenMyersOnline) May 10, 2016
Somehow, we celebrate #bigguytwitter and when it comes to #biggirltwitter, we are expecting slander and hurtful comments. We are all part of the human race, regardless of size; unfortunately, #bigguytwitter has become something that countless men are looking to post to while big girls continue to be insulted when they should find equal support.
Unfortunately, we continue to be drawn to bigger men. Perhaps it is instinctive, but why are people denigrating big girls as #bigguytwitter continues to trend? As of this writing, the hashtag has hit roughly 63,000 tweets; #tallgirltwitter has recently hit as well. By comparison, though, #tallgirltwitter is seeing people post both height and weight. The bottom line is, why can’t we just respect people for who they are, regardless of whether they are big or small?
[Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]
