Plus Sized Representation in Heartstopper

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It's no secret that the lack of positive plus size representation in media is very much an existing issue that's been around for years. If plus sized characters are introduced into TV shows and movies, 9 times out of 10 their purpose is for comic relief or to be used as a side character, that barely has any screen time let alone dialogue.

As a plus size woman myself, I've often found myself wondering why this is the case. To flat out say that there isn't any representation of plus size people within mainstream media would of course, be a lie. The main issue at hand however is how they're perceived. A typical role for a person of larger size is stereotypically shown to be lazy, villainous, or like afore mentioned, a comedic relief stand in. This sets an unfair narrative that 'fat' people can’t meet certain standards that fit into the role of 'Main Character' material.

If the rare moment happens where Plus Sized women / people are the main characters, like in the popular shows "Insatiable" and "Pretty Little Liars," there must always be a drastic change in their weight. In the show's this is called a 'glow up' but, in the real world, it’s called 'body shaming'. There was nothing wrong with the way these girls looked before. This form of storytelling can be dangerous as it is implying to the impressionable younger viewers that in order to be popular at school and liked back by the person you have a crush or even just to be noticed, you'll need to look a specific way. Endorsing these sorts of storylines can be awfully damaging not to mention, the beginning of a more serious chain reaction that could lead to eating disorders.

Though, with certain characters in movies today such as 'Fat Amy' (Pitch Perfect franchise) we are shown that plus sized people can take on much more crucial roles and still meet the audiences’ expectations. Amy is a beloved character amongst fans of the movies, and she is considered a role model. We know from her carefree attitude that she doesn’t let small, minded people gain any upper hand, not to mention her admirable confidence that she is constantly projecting. It's more characters like Amy that we need to see in mainstream media today. Which is why, when it was announced a few weeks ago by Daniel Edwards Casting & 'Heartstopper' creator Alice Oseman, that they were officially holding an open casting call for Sahar Zahid, the fans lost their shit.

[ sahar zahid : heartstopper ]

Who is Sahar Zahid?

Sahar Zahid is a character created by Alice Oseman as part of the Heartstopper universe. Sahar is a plus sized girl who is of South Asian descent. First introduced in Heartstopper volume 3, Sahar first befriended Tara, Darcy, and Elle before being officially adopted into the friend group during the school trip to Paris. Sahar then later transferred to Truham Grammar for her last year of high school.

From the books, we can tell that she is very kind, confident in herself, and observant. Sahar can be rather reserved at times, but she enjoys being around her friends more than anything, though she can be partial to her alone time-which we know that she spends, often reading. Sahar is also extremely caring, especially towards the people she loves. It's refreshing for a plus size character to exist without her body type being her whole personality. When people ask for this sort of representation, the reason is not so they can be praised for being bigger. They just want to feel like they belong, regardless of their sizing. Sahar makes us feel this way, as she encourages others to accept themselves for who they are as a person and not for the size of their bodies. If there were more characters like Sahar when I was growing up, then maybe I wouldn't have felt the constant need to compare myself to every other girl I had seen in these shows that didn't look like me. Showing characters like Sahar Zahid is a step in the right direction for plus size representation being normalised.

With a show like Heartstopper already showcasing a lot of representation for other communities, we as fans can look forward to Sahar's upcoming presence in the new seasons with great relief. Alice and the team already tackle the job of highlighting certain social topics with a great level of delicacy and there's no doubt that they'll continue to do the same for body positivity.

To show just how much this means for plus size people, I asked my twitter followers for their own thoughts and here are a few of the responses:

What does plus size representation mean to you, personally?

- " as a plus size person, it’s so important to me to see plus size actors have important roles in media that aren’t just comedic relief. when i was a kid, i would watch movies and tv shows and see all these beautiful people, and i would see them being praised in magazines and interviews for being as beautiful as they are, but none of them looked like me — none of them were similar to my body type. when i did see people who were my body type they were portrayed in a gross and dehumanising way and were used for a laugh or a gag. i was force fed plus size stereotypes for as long as i remember, and finally seeing positive plus size rep after 19 years of being alive is like a breath of fresh air. it makes me feel seen and it makes me feel human"

- " It simply means that plus size individuals get the limelight and it's actually cool for them to get more appreciation than they get since they're mostly discriminated. We need more rep for them, normalise being plus-sized on this world and not alienate them; because they're simply human."

- "Plus size rep means seeing people like me, like us, human. Movies and tv shows have always showed picture perfect people to appeal to the masses but even with representation as they put it you could never truly see yourself. And in our day and age with social media it's both reassuring (when you find the right kind of people to follow) and damaging to have that representation, there's so much out there that gets you to compare yourself to everyone on your feed thinking you're not good enough. I've never been on the thin side, and I would look at my friends or family members and didn't used to see people like me, even less online. Size rep to me means being seen, accepted, heard. It means I want what I never had growing up, real and raw representation of what a normal human perfectly imperfect body looks like, fat, jiggly thighs and tummy and all, not the socially acceptable plus size."

How do you feel about Sahar Zahid being introduced in Season 2 of Heartstopper?

- "Sahar makes me feel seen, makes feel understood, makes me feel like I am actually part of this world. There’s so little positive plus size representation, and she’s one of the few! Every time get some kind of rep, it usually involves some kind of glow up. It shouldn’t be necessary. I’m happy Sahar exists now, and that she loves herself as she is, because she’s beautiful. I’m still learning to think that way about myself, and characters like her make it a lot easier. I’m very thankful for Sahar, forever."

- "feel so relieved in a way? Happy, anxious, excited all in between to be honest, it's a first for me. I'm so happy people like me; the plus size community is hopefully getting a true inspiration of a person in a small but such an important role in our sweet favourite story. Being seen, heard, accepted, validated are such important human feelings. We need more of favourite Mental health struggles can come from many things and one of these things can be feeling left out simply because of who you are, because you feel like you don't fit those socially constructed standards. Feeling unworthy because of it can be damaging and isolating. I trust and thank Alice with my whole heart. I hope Sahar Zahid will be a true force of nature, a home and safe space for people like me, that she'll represent this beautiful community with grace and truth, I hope she'll

Be as loved as she deserves to be, I hope people will truly see her for who she is. Be I know she'll teach everyone many lessons of self-love, discovery and acceptance and how a little confidence and the right kinds of friendships and love goes such a long way in your journey to be yourself, wholeheartedly.

- "Basically cool! I just know they're not going to be this static character like in other silly shows for fake representation/diversity... we definitely need Sahar on season 2 because I’ve never seen a plus-sized character in a popular show on Netflix ever."

So, there you have it. It's more than just about feeling seen. It's about feeling accepted.

We can’t wait to meet you, Sahar Zahid!