Burnt Toast by Virginia Sole-Smith cover image

Burnt Toast by Virginia Sole-Smith

"People Read My Sex Scenes and Ask: Is That Possible for Fat Bodies?"

Sep 5, 2024
Nisha Sharma, a captivating romance author known for 'Marriage & Masti', dives into the pressing issues of body representation in the romance genre. She discusses the underrepresentation of fat bodies and the striking absence of fat male love interests. Nisha critiques the industry's biases and advocates for genuine inclusivity in storytelling. The conversation also touches on the challenges authors face with marketing fat characters and the role of societal perceptions shaped by medical trends. A refreshing take on love, identity, and narrative evolution!
43:06

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The podcast highlights the increasing yet gradual inclusion of fat characters in romance novels, challenging conventional beauty ideals and stereotypes.
  • A significant disparity in the representation of fat male love interests persists, indicating a need for broader acceptance of diverse male bodies in romance literature.

Deep dives

The Evolution of Body Representation in Romance Novels

The growth of diverse body representation in romance novels has seen a notable shift in recent years, particularly with increased visibility of fat characters. Historically, the genre has been dominated by Eurocentric ideals, often portraying thinner, conventionally attractive characters as the norm. This trend has started to change, with authors now intentionally featuring fat characters, thereby challenging the long-standing stereotypes associated with body image in romance. However, the transition has been gradual, and while more stories are emerging that positively depict bodies of varying sizes, many traditional narratives still feature the trope of a thin love interest validating a fat protagonist's beauty.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode