Lizzo continues to show us that she is not one of “them” by winning her first Emmy for her groundbreaking reality show, ‘Watch Out For The Big Grrrls.’
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But it’s not her numerous awards or how many of her songs hit the charts that make her the IT girl that she is. It’s the confidence she exudes in plus-sized women that let us know that our weight does not equate our worth.
1. She’s Taught Us Self-Love
When I interviewed reality star, Sydney Bell, from Season 1 of Watch Out For The Big Grrrls, she talked a lot about body shaming and how growing up as a curvy woman really affected her. She then went on to talk about how Lizzo is helping women reclaim the terms “plus-size”, “big” and “fat” and how this show has truly changed her life.
Sydney’s story sounded a lot like mine. Struggling to find your fit in the world because you don’t look like what you see on the gram.
@sydneylbell LIVE YOUR LIFE FULLY💖✨ #fyp ♬ original sound – Sydney Bell
But Lizzo’s 2021 message on self love still rings in my head every time the doubts begin to surface,
Loving yourself in a world that don’t love u back takes an incredible amount of self awareness… If you managed to love yourself today, I’m proud of you.
Loving yourself in a world that don’t love u back takes an incredible amount of self awareness & a bullshit detector that can see through ass backwards societal standards…
if u managed to love yourself today I’m proud of u.
If u haven’t, I’m still proud of u. This shits hard
— FOLLOW @YITTY (@lizzo) August 15, 2021
Which brings me to her interview from this year with People, where she continuously rejected the stereotype of plus-sized women.
What I’m doing is stepping into my confidence and my power to create my own beauty standard. And one day that will just be the standard.
Now, I don’t know about y’all but if sis can still keep her head held high with all the pressures and opinions of the world, I think we can too.
2. She Taught Us To Live Authentically As Ourselves
In March of 2022, Lizzo was the keynote speaker for SXSW, and although her, Beyonce and Meg Thee Stallion are proud natives of Houston, Texas, she took this opportunity to not only encourage self-love but address the things happening in Texas politics.
You know, I’m proud to rep Houston, but I’m not proud to rep Texan politics right now.
Her constant want and need to speak out in support of the rights of those who have faced bullying, ridicule and judgment their entire lives gives us a solace in knowing we are not alone.
But it’s not just her love to fight for the underdog, it’s seeing her live authentically as herself in real time.
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She reveals all sides of herself to her fans: the goofy Lizzo, the sex-symbol Lizzo, the fed-up Lizzo, the superstar Lizzo, and so much more. She never places herself in a box and encourages her fans not to do the same.
3. She Taught Us To Ignore The Hate & The Haters
While it’s not news that Lizzo has endured a lot of hate in the industry and from people over the past few years especially.
A recent situation that comes to mind was when Aries Spears decided to speak out on how he feels about the way she looks.
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And while his opinion about how she looks was completely unwarranted, Lizzo handled her clap back with class saying this as she accepted her award at the 2022 VMAs,
You know what, I’m not gonna say nothing.” She paused and continued, “They be like, ‘Lizzo, why don’t you clap back?’ ‘Cause b***h I’m winning, h*e.
4. She Taught Us It’s OK To Shed A Few Thug Tears
In an emotional interview with Good Morning America (GMA), Lizzo opened up about how much hate she’s received since the release of the song ‘Rumors’, and while a lot of people feel like celebrities are an easy target for hate because their life is in the limelight, they tend to forget they’re human and have feelings, too.
.@GMA EXCLUSIVE: @lizzo addresses the hurtful messages she received following the release of her song, #Rumors with @iamcardib: “I know it’s my job as an artist to reflect at times, and this should not fly. This shouldn’t be okay.” @JujuChangABC reports. https://t.co/Tqry0s1dH2 pic.twitter.com/0qAfujDByV
— Good Morning America (@GMA) August 18, 2021
She told GMA,
I don’t even mind the fat comments. I just feel like it’s unfair sometimes the treatment people like me receive.
And then went on to say,
“People are like, ‘don’t let them see you with your head down, sis’. My head is always up even when I’m upset and when I’m crying… my head is up. But I know it’s my job as an artist to reflect the times and this sh*t should not fly. This shouldn’t be okay.”
It seems like people often forget that both can be true: you can be someone who is able to move past the negative energy and stay positive on most days and you can be someone that is so overwhelmed with negativity that you just need to let out a good cry or two on other days.
And you would think since Lizzo isn’t the first plus-sized black woman to make waves in this industry, that body shaming would have ceased years ago.
5. She’s Taught Us To How To Be A Bad B—
Not everyone has the confidence and swagger that Lizzo has, but sis, wears it with ease. Breaking the innanet every time she shows off her curves, and let’s not forget the outfit that let us know she was not the one or the two to be played with.
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And whether folks agree with it or not, she is a sex symbol, a fashion icon, and just an all-around bad chick.
How many people can say that they’ve secured three Grammys, two Soul Train Music Awards, a Billboard Music Award, a BET Award, a Video Music Award, and now, an Emmy in just three years? And, that’s just to name a few!
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Please give sis her flowers immediately!
Whether it’s winning yet another award, gracing the cover of yet another magazine or making yet another hit, she continues to prove she’s 100% that chick.
In the words of Lizzo,
Big b****es winning, h*e! The best revenge is your paper, b***h!
Roommates, what has been your favorite Lizzo moment?
