DISNEY & PLUS SIZE CREATORS: an Essay.
To love something so much is to sometimes take its pains. My mother said that a lot to me when I was younger and for a while, I never understood what she meant. Now as an adult who’s labored through jobs loved that I lost, heartbreaks & more I get it. You can love something and find faults in it. You can love something and want it to be better. This is the case of my love of Disney but it’s clear lack of plus-size representation on social media.
It’s no secret. I made it clear from day one what this site was built for. Plus Size people who want to be stylish but still have that Disney flare. It’s no secret that the national average size of a woman in America is a 16/18. It’s no secret that plus-size people face a type of oppression not seen by our thinner counterparts. It’s no secret that the clear majority of people going to Disney Parks do not look like what you see on their social media most of the time. A simple Google search will do. So it boggles the mind that when I log into Instagram or Twitter and see people that look like me are underrepresented at an alarming rate.
About an eighth of the clothing options offered online by U.S. department stores are in plus sizes. While the average U.S. consumer spends 934 dollars per year on non-plus-size clothing, buyers of plus-size clothing only spend about 637 dollars per year on clothing, on average. - www.Statista.com
So if this is the case, and we and the plus-size industry is worth 24 billion by the end of 2020, why on earth won’t Disney convert followers into clients on their social media by featuring plus-size creators more? Why is there even more money left at the table?
Below are screenshots (as of September 22nd, 2020) I took of the official Disney Style account on Instagram. 1.2 MILLION people follow this account. 5 pages worth of screenshots. I count 3 women who could be considered plus-size and one of the three is VISIBLY a plus-size woman (keywords there). That’s a lot of posts and a lot of missed opportunities to work with plus-size people.
HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE?
We all know that Disney is amazing at sizing their branded clothing. We go into a park and our sizes are available and it’s all fine and well. Those plus-size mannequins are still at Hollywood Studios yes? So it becomes a matter of WHO is preferred to be seen in their clothing on social media. I can’t be the only person wondering why someone who looks like me is hidden from various social media accounts.
Follow Brittany on Instagram @bajanprincessbirttany
Follow Molly on Instagram @mollykaynelson
Follow Robin on Instagram @robinnerdynixon
MORE TO NOTE:
It takes a shocking number of posts before you see someone who’s a 16 or over on Disney Style sister accounts too (using Instagram data).
Disney Princess Style: A whopping 56 POSTS! Before you see anyone considered to be plus-size on their Instagram.
Minnie Style: It takes 64 posts before you see anyone remotely plus size on this page, and another 12 before you see someone else plus size.
Plus Size people are simply hidden from view on these accounts. So, I decided to start asking questions. Some creators who did give me an opinion chose to stay anonymous which is well within their right but the gist of what I got is as follows:
Marketing doesn’t cater to or like fat people
Disney looks for a certain “type” of person to represent them
Fat people don’t drive sales
So riddle me this, a company that knows very well what their clientele really looks like, that is well aware of the average size of women in America is actively choosing to promote their magic with slender women and men of a certain “type” for what looks like just profit.
That was a hard thing to type out. I love this brand very much, but that is a very hard pill to swallow. You don’t see yourself because the vision of the type of person they want at their parks isn’t you.
All throughout this blog post, you’ll see photos of various creators with followings big or small that are very popular with a lot of people. These people should be working with Disney media a lot more often than not. Period. I’ve left their links under their photos…FOLLOW THEM!
Some of those creators had an opinion on this:
It makes no sense that they ignore us when there are so many plus sized creators here! Part of me wonders if they are trying to evade backlash (since there are always those rude commenters who believe showing plus sized individuals promotes “unhealthy” lifestyles)? Either way it’s unfair and there is more money to be made if they show people who look like the majority.
- Brittany, @bajanprincessbrittany on instagram
Wouldn’t behoove someone in creative at Disney to listen more? and this is not to say the work that the marketing department does is bad in fact it’s top-notch. Selling people the magic of Disney in all aspects is tough work, but when the numbers are there or when plus-size people have proven time and time again that the need and the want for representation are ever-present why are we hidden from their style pages? Here’s another creator friend of mine with what is the clearest cut statement on this issue:
It definitely feels not great. It’s completely noticeable by the plus size community that there is a lack of representation. Disney was created for everyone and DisneyStyle should also reflect that. Not only does Disney cater to plus size people with the size run of their clothes but many items that are used to create DisneyStyle such as bags, ears, accessories, etc. are one size fits all and everyone looks amazing wearing these items regardless of size.
It would definitely not be hard to reach out to the plus size influencers in this community and immediately change this lack of representation.
- Teresa, @grimgrimmingteresa on Instagram
Follow Teresa on Instagram @grimgrinningteresa
Follow Adrianna on Instagram @bibbidibobbidi_broke
Follow Rita on Instagram @enchantedrita
We do have to play Devil’s Advocate here and ask the obvious…do they even realize they are doing this? Can we really disagree with a company that has a clear vision, is utilizing it, and profiting? They are a business at the end of the day. Do their stats show them something we don’t see? Do we just not make them money? are we so visually unappealing that marketing assumes we can’t get the proper engagement or spread the magic how they see fit? Do we call out a company for wanting to make a profit especially now with the trying times we are experiencing? How fair is it to judge a company?
And it’s not to say they haven’t worked with plus-size people in the past. The Disney Parks Blog account has several times showcased various plus size creators at their parks.
So how do we show them that we can and have spread that magic? Take the brands below who’ve mastered representation of all no matter the size.
Follow RJay on Instagram @_the_adventurous_rjay
Follow Kat on Instagram @kathleezzzy
Follow Dulce on Instagram @positively_dulce
Stitch Shoppe by Loungefly for instance. Debuting just this year the brand has taken great strides in putting the focus on real people who can wear their clothing. One look at their Instagram page and it’s clear. They sell our sizes but don’t hide our bodies. It makes a big difference to folks like me when we know that yes I could just buy from a brand but I’d love to see a woman like me shine on an advertisement or a social media post. You feel acceptance in a way that I can’t explain, but we’ve all felt in some way.
Other brands like Torrid or Her Universe also work hard to ensure all bodies are shown in the clothing they sell albeit yes Torrid is primarily plus-size so it’s natural to see just that body type.
The point is these companies make it very clear just WHO can be in their clothing. EVERYONE.
Follow Erynn on Instagram: @thegirlwiththedolewhiptattoo
Follow Renata on Instagram @mouseketeer_renata
Follow Macara on Instagram @macaras_kingdom
WHAT NOW?
How do we communicate what we need from these accounts?
A united front has to be formed on our end in order to make it clear that the lacking representation on social media has got to stop.
Follow Donna on Instagram @darlingdeebella
Follow Tiara on Instagram @justaddatiara
Follow Maddie on Instagram @maddie.from.neverland
The fact of the matter is, is that there is clear neglect of plus-size people on Disney’s social media accounts. The proof is in this blog post. The biggest thing we can do is speak up in larger numbers. Demand that we see ourselves on these accounts more than we do now. Build a network online, a community that can help boost each other when needed, and more social media pages dedicated to people who are plus size and love Disney. The more accounts there is the more opportunity it is for Disney to see just how many of us are out there who love the brand but must be seen by the brand.
DM or contact people directly in a respectful manner of course. I recommend sending this blog post to those who need to see it as well. Let them know that people are asking these questions and it’s time to either answer them or implement changes. At the very least Disney needs to open up that media list a lot more than it is now to even more plus size & smaller creators out there who work just as hard if not better and get shunned all the time. There is much work to do but it won’t start without real proper changes to the marketing tactics of their social media division. It’s about being real and honest now. The magic comes from everyone.
Do we keep taking the pain or stop it before it gets worse?
Thank you so much for making it this far! Now I’d love for you all to make sure you’re following the creators above and SHOW THEM, LOVE! They work incredibly hard to give you great content and should be rewarded!
