In the thick of it: Tasha Smith as Marley and Michelle Buteau as Mavis in ‘Survival of the Thickest’. Photos: Vanessa Clifton/Netflix
From the first scene of the first episode of Survival of the Thickest, the latest offering from Netflix leaves you feeling warm inside.
Based on American comedian Michelle Buteau’s memoir of the same name, the series is about Mavis Beaumont, a plus-size stylist reeling from a breakup after catching her boyfriend in bed with another woman — and “not just any other woman, a skinny model version of me”, she says.
Beaumont, played by Buteau, moves from New York’s Manhattan to Brooklyn (similar to moving from those upmarket Kikuyu Estate developments to Braamfontein), to start over after having built a life with her now ex-boyfriend Jacque.
By her side are her friends Khalil (Tone Bell), an art teacher and reformed “fuck boy”, as well as Marley (Tasha Smith), who lives to crush white men in the corporate world.
They offer Mavis the support every girl needs when she is at a crossroads in her life.
Survival of the Thickest holds a mirror to some of the struggles of young black women, such as finding stability in a career while navigating family dynamics and expectations, as well as being a good friend who shows up when needed.
It’s a lot.
What makes this feel-good series extra special is its comedic undertone, which helps make the heavy themes palatable.
For example, there is a scene where Khalil has been commissioned by a coffee shop owner to paint a mural outside it. A passing “Karen” sees him and assumes he is vandalising the wall.
She proceeds to do what Karens do and threatens to call the cops if Khalil does not present her with some sort of permit. Khalil does stand up to her but you can see the fear in his eyes.
The owner comes out and calms the situation but the incident shows how inequality is such a serious theme in American TV that, even in a comedy series, people need reminding how the mood is between law enforcement and people of colour.
All ends well, with a joint shared between friends.
Another element of the series I appreciated is the synergy between the storyline and the characters. Often you find a series is about a stylist, yet there is very little styling that the stylist is doing.
With Survival of the Thickest, Beaumont gives the people what they want. The styling is impeccable, with each look well thought out and, most importantly, body friendly.
A lot of the time, thick women are told to wear dark tones to make them look smaller but Beaumont makes sure she celebrates women who are not skinny with bright colours and great fashion pieces. She understands the struggle around people telling you what looks good on people “your size”.
“Plus-size women are always being told to shrink. So, I just really wanted to take beautiful kings and queens and non-binary royalty and showcase them in beautiful bright, bold colours in the light,” she says in one scene.
The eight-episode series is one to binge on (you might be tempted to watch it again, and again).
Survival of the Thickest is funny and empowering in the sense that it carries the message that it is okay to start again and not have everything together. It is okay to be sad, hurt, broke, thick, black — and beautiful.