Dawn French on Big Women - Part 3

Dawn French featured on the documentary series 'Fat', in 1998. The programme looked 
at the advantages and positive aspects of being big, including a profile of a female 
photographer who specialises in exploring the beauty of large women.  Dawn French 
spoke about her personal experiences relating to her weight. The programme also 
included clips from 'Sex and Chocolate', and the French and Saunders sketch 
where Jennifer interviews 'Dr Eleanor Wood' (Dawn) on the radio. 

Dawn said that when she was going through the process of trying to adopt her daughter, 
the adoption agency went through over 6 months of investigation into her marriage, finance, 
home, etc.  After this time, Dawn was eventually told that she was the wrong size for 
a woman of her height and so was therefore unfit to be a mother. Reluctantly, Dawn 
had to diet again.

Dawn said that it was "a disease to think it's OK to marginalise big women ...People do 
not ask you to play a central role unless it is required [to be big]."  She spoke 
about the fact that her profession was especially to blame for the discrimination of 
people because of their weight. "It has to be in the job description", either fat and 
depressed, or with an eating disorder, or "retarded". Even in her reviews Dawn said 
that she is always described as 'Fat and Funny', 'Rolypoly Dawn French' - there's 
always the adjective.

Ending on a positive note, Dawn told of how her daughter has recently become interested 
in her own self image, and likes to take her clothes off and look at herself in the 
mirror. She'd look herself up and down, and then one day she said "Oh, I hope 
I get fat soon".  Dawn glowed at this point, saying "It was so great, that she can 
value me as her fat mum".
© Copyright 2000 Caroline Marshall
The Dawn French Website
dawnfrench.tripod.com