I O L E N TE R TA I N ME N T | Issue 4 | M arch /J un e
CELEBS CHAMPION BODY POSITIVITY OLUTHANDO KETEYI
THE recent casting of Naledi on Showmax’s popular telenovela The Wife opened the lid on the progress or lack of body representation when it comes to the small screen. Gaisang Noge's reveal as Naledi did not receive a warm welcome on social media, with many taking issue with her body size compared to the character in his book. In the book, Naledi’s weight plays a critical role in her character description, which is that of a plus-size woman. The casting move opened the conversation around plus-size
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castings on the small screen. Plus-size roles are often the “fat sister”, the “sassy sidekick” or the “funny girl” and if it’s a romantic story line, a fat girl with low-self esteem is type-cast. Progress when it comes to proper body representation on the small screens is an on-going journey and to bring progression to the journey, there are individuals who are championing body positivity on screens. It is worth noting that some TV shows are coming to the party, when it comes to how
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they are casting fuller-figured women, doing away with typecast fat girl roles and giving them lead roles. Blackbrain Production’s DiepCity' is one of those shows worth mentioning. Actress Vele Manenje, who portrays Mauren (Momo), had been cast in her fair share of type-cast roles before landing her role on the show. In a previous interview with Sowetan Live, she spoke about the struggles a “plussize” person experiences in the industry. “The weight thing has
