Media Review #1: Izzy

“Dumplin” Review by Izzy P.:

Words: 377

Being a woman in today’s world of social media and body standards is frightening and concerning. Body standards are something Women and young girls have to deal with on a daily basis but movies like “Dumplin” challenge those ridiculous body standards. Movies like these are so important and make women and young girls know it is okay if you do not fit the ideal standard that social media pushes on us. I am proud that people are finally realizing these body standards are toxic and challenging them. 

The movie “Dumplin” takes place in Texas with a teen who is plus sized named Willowdean, but people call her Dumplin. This nickname is important because her own mother and school bullies created it to torment her. Her mother is a part of a big beauty pageant and has won multiple times when Dumplin was her age. Dumplin figures out that her aunt who is also plus sized backed out of the same pageant that her town and mother love so dearly. She enters the pageant to protest and encourages other girls who do not fit the ideal body type for the pageant to enter. One of the girls named Millie wins runner up in the pageant who followed in Willowdean’s footsteps which starts an empowerment for the small town in Texas. 

This movie shows young girls and women that just because you do not fit society's ideal body type does not mean you are not as beautiful. Dumplin helps women realize they need to have self-love and understand it is okay to not fit the high beauty standards. Millie who was not keen on the idea of joining the pageant at first because “I’m not the Joan of Arc of fat girls” (Dumplin) also realizes she is worthy and loses her fear of being bigger than most girls. This quote makes me laugh but, is sad because Millie and other girls that are plus sized look down on themselves all the time. Body standards are ruthless and tear down a girl's self-image, but this movie is so important for women’s empowerment. “Dumplin” helps young women realize they are beautiful no matter what size they are and should not be embarrassed by the way their bodies look.