What Hollywood accepts is what we accept when it comes to body image...that's the way it is, and it's the way it will continue to be.  So it's no surprise that there's so much hype surrounding (supposed) larger women on television these days (and I'm writing this with Sara Ramirez and America Ferrara in mind).  What I do find surprising is the fact that a lot of people seem to think this signals some great change in society.  Would they be so accepted if they didn't look the way they do?  I seriously doubt it. 

More than once I've come across statements about Sara and America only being accepted because they are women of color.  The perceived consensus seems to be that big is beautiful among Latinas and African American women.  Really?  I beg to differ, and so would...I don't know, Nell Carter?  Countess Vaughan (pre weight loss)?  Margaret Cho?  Let's face the facts here; Hollywood is as shallow as it has ever been...and putting Jennifer Hudson or Queen Latifah on a magazine cover doesn't change that.

Other than being "full figured", these women have a couple of other things in common...each is undeniably beautiful, and exceptionally talented (Hudson, Ramirez, and Latifah could blow our collective eardrums out).  Sara Ramirez is gorgeous.  Period.  If she didn't have that hair, those eyes, that nearly flawless skin...would she have still gotten a feature on AskMen.com?  Nope.  The same goes for America Ferrara--Ugly Betty isn't so ugly off set...in fact, she far from it.  Let's be really honest with ourselves, neither Ramirez nor Ferrara--nor Hudson for that matter--are actually fat.  I think we have become so used to seeing what Hollywood has forced down our throats for so long that we no longer recognize a healthy and (for lack of a better word) normal body type.  

The fact that these women are being put in the spotlight as if their size is the only thing worth talking about is several levels of sad.  That bothers me more than the stick-figure Barbie image Hollywood so lovingly embraces.  Can someone please talk about how intelligent and phenomenally talented Sara Ramirez is?  This is a woman with an actual functioning brain in her head.  Who cares about her dress size...what's her favorite book?