BBW Literature: Veronica Hardy's Take

Veronica Hardy of Veronica Hardy's Erotica recently tackled the issue of BBW literature. For those of you who don't know, BBW refers to "Big, Beautiful Women," typically focusing on women a size 12 or above. As the average size for a woman is now a 14, this classification applies to a slew of readers around the world.

So, why isn't it very popular?


While BBW literature is gaining ground in the realms of romance, erotic romance, and straight-up erotica, we are still bombarded on a daily basis with images of rail-thin women fitting perfectly into their size 0 - 2 clothes. Runway models seem to be getting thinner every year, and within the past five years, certain countries have gone as far as to instate weight rules to make sure the models aren't being starved beyond what amounts to a healthy BMI. The heroines of our favorite TV shows are thin. The love interests of our favorite movies are thin. And even the protagonists of the novels and short stories we read are - you guessed it - thin. Comic books in particular are pretty awful about this, as their superwomen are not only thin, but possess racks that are truly out of this world, leaving the more level-headed among us wondering: just how do they support that on such a tiny frame?

Although a small movement toward pushing away body image boundaries as emerged, it has been decried as "fat acceptance" and "enabling the obese" by Redditors, journalists, and politicians alike. It can sometimes - oftentimes - feel like there is no place in anyone's world, real or imaginary, for women above a size 6.

The only thing that means is that it is up to authors and writers of all varieties to create a new world.

A world where a person's value is based upon their inner beauty just as much as their outer.

A world where hot guys like curvy girls not because they're taking pity or enacting some "fat feminist fantasy," but because those curvy girls are hot, too.

A world where men with a little softness to their bodies are also valued and admired, both without and within, for their inherent sexiness.

A world where no shape is the wrong shape, as long as it is a healthy one.

There are a variety of authors who do this, and Veronica Hardy's blog sums it up better than I can, so why don't you take a stroll on over there and read her wonderful article 3 Reasons Why BBW Literature Beautiful and Necessary! right now. Not only is it a pretty comprehensive editorial for only being a list of three items, but it highlights some incredible works from some amazing authors - including yours truly!