"Fat Amy" The Funny Fat Friend

 

 

Pitch Perfect was one of my favorite films growing up and always made me fantasize about going off to college one day, maybe joining an a cappella group and having a fun, supportive group of friends, from many different backgrounds. Reflecting on the film now, however, especially as someone who struggles with body image, I find Rebel Wilson’s character of Fat Amy to be a bit problematic. Although she is a very funny and confident young woman, most of her humor revolves around her weight. 

 

 

 

We see examples of this as soon as the character is introduced in the film. When Aubrey, the leader of the Barden Bellas (Barden University's female a cappella group), meets Fat Amy and questions her name, Fat Amy says, “it used to be Medium Sized Amy, but you know… Freshman 50,” a play on the term “Freshman 15,” used to describe the weight some students may gain during their first year of college.

 

The Barden Bellas not only care about their sound as a group, but their look, as well. They want to find “eight, super-hot girls with bikini ready bodies,” to join them, and they initially seem opposed to the idea of having Fat Amy on their musical team. 

 

 

Fat Amy is notably a more progressive take on the funny, fat friend trope because she owns her size, and calls herself fat, “so twig b****es like [Aubrey] don’t do it behind [her] back.” Yet, it is still important to address how this positive stereotype of the sassy, funny fat friend can often do more harm than good.