We adore Lizzo so much. We truly think she’s an amazing artist and unapologetically herself. Her willingness to be so open and honest with her fans about any and everything, including her mental health and struggles with loving the person she saw in the mirror, makes her so relatable. What we love most about Lizzo is her mission to keep body positivity a constant. Being a plus-size entertainer, she’s in the spotlight all the time, which leads to continued scrutiny from the public.
Lizzo understands just how difficult it is for other plus-size women to find themselves in certain spaces. That includes the dance world. Tired of seeing plus-size women constantly being overlooked in the entertainment industry, and not getting what she asked for from certain agencies when looking for dancers, she decided to create her own show.
The seven-episode series, titled Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls, follows a group of women from all walks of life as they “work their asses on” to become one of the next Big Grrrls, which is what Lizzo calls her dancers. If chosen, the winners would be able to join Lizzo on stage at the Bonnaroo music festival and possibly get a spot dancing on her tour.
With Lizzo’s reality competitio,n she is working to show people that plus-size dancers do exist. Not only that, that they are just as good as someone who is “average size.” What we love about Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls is how inclusive the show is. The contestants are all from different backgrounds, and the fact that one of the dancers is a trans woman is also important because it’s a reminder to viewers that representation matters. It’s not often people can find themselves in someone they see on screen, but Lizzo is making sure viewers can.
Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls is not just a dance show. Lizzo is also working on getting these women to love themselves and to know their worth. It is incredibly difficult to put yourself out there for the whole world to see when you know there will be judgment. And we all know the plus-size community is one that is constantly judged. Episodes three and four, which are my personal favorites, really give us a glimpse at some of the things that the ladies have had to endure in their lives. In episode three, the ladies work with Rashida KhanBey, who specializes in body movement. They attend her class on sensuality, and I was not expecting it to be such an emotional episode at all.
Isabel, one of the contestants that I love, learns a lot about herself while taking the class, and I found her to be extremely relatable. In the sensual body movement class, the ladies are learning how to touch their bodies and feel sexy while doing it. It sounds like something simple, but it isn’t. Rashida has them feel every curve of their bodies slowly, and the goal is to make them feel present and know that they are, in fact, sexy. Isabel struggles a bit with that because some past traumas creep in.
During the class, Isabel recalls a memory when she posted herself doing K-Pop dances because it is something she loves. After some cruel person took her video and posted horrible comments about her weight and re-shared it for others to join in on ridiculing her, she lost confidence in herself. The Sensual Body Movement Class is difficult for her to get through because she has never felt sexy before.
As someone who has struggled with weight all my life, I felt her emotion so deeply. I have personally never felt sexy at all. That’s because society has told heavier women that we can never be sexy and that nobody would ever find us attractive. Like Isabel, I’ve never touched my own body the way that Rashida taught them to. The competition in Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls is obviously what this show is about, but those moments off of the stage are just as important.
Dance is hard — especially dancing in a 90-minute show. Lizzo and her team put these women through the ringer. The rehearsal schedules are rigorous. And rightly so. Lizzo has to know that who she brings with her is going to be strong and able to maintain that strength — not just onstage but off as well. When Lizzo says something, she means it. She is a fun-loving free spirit. But when it’s time to work, it’s time to work. When she says there is no time for toxicity, which is her number one rule, she is not playing around. It doesn’t matter how good of a dancer you are, if you don’t have humility, you are out.
Throughout the series, Lizzo brings in all of the experts she works with, and trusts, and they put the ladies through various challenges. Every single one of the challenges is a way for Lizzo to see just how well these women work under pressure, how well they follow directions, and how much stamina they have. Seriously, I can’t do half the stuff they all did in this competition. I was exhausted watching episode seven. At the end of each challenge, she gives out what she calls the “juice” award and the “100% That Bitch” award. The cool thing about the “100% That Bitch” award is there is a special perk with it, like a trip to New York Fashion Week or getting to be in one of her music videos.
Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls culminates with the remaining contestants preparing for the final round of auditions, which is where Lizzo ultimately decides who is going to Bonnaroo. Once the winners are chosen, they realize there is still more ahead that they are going to have to overcome. This was just season one of the show, so I know season two is going to be even more intense. Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls is a high stakes dance competition with a whole lot of heart and positivity.
We admire Lizzo for creating a series like this. We know that the haters and body shamers are going to come out, but we love that Lizzo doesn’t give a fuck. People need to realize that plus-size people deserve to be seen and heard just like anyone else. These women matter, and they are working hard to achieve their goals. Instead of judging them, we should be showing them support for being strong enough to put themselves out there like they have. I really hope this series makes people realize that size doesn’t determine your worth.
Other Thoughts
- We love Lizzo. That is all.
- Isabel, Arianna, Kiara, and Sydney were immediate favorites.
- Jasmine is too much.
- I want to stay in that big house.
- NEVER hit on the music video director. Just. Don’t. Do. It.
- All those cartwheels, back flips, and splits the ladies were doing, I could never. Also, it just goes to show skinny does not equal flexibility. I know a lot of skinny people who could not do what these women were doing.
- Tanisha Scott does not fuck around.
- Episode six had ME exhausted.
- Plus size in Korea starts at a size eight. WHAT?
- Seriously, fuck that person who took Isabel’s video and did what they did with it.
- Jasmine said she didn’t care about winning any of Lizzo’s awards. Why bring it up then? Sounds a little salty to me.
- “They don’t want big girls to be sexy or happy.”
- “Work your ass on!”
- NEVER walk in front of Lizzo while she’s performing. BIG NO NO.
- I was not expecting to cry as much as I did watching this show, but here we are.
- Watching this show made me want Lizzo’s new album now!
What did you think of Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls? Share with us in the comments below!
