On Lizzo’s new reality TV show, plus-size dancers move with joy, confidence, and sex appeal

Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, starring R&B singer Lizzo, follows the formula of binge-worthy reality television.

In the Amazon Prime Video series, 10 talented plus-size women vie for a dream gig: spots on the Grammy Award-winner’s dance team, the Big Grrrls, and a chance to perform with Lizzo at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.

Like contestants on shows such as Sean Combs’ Making the Band, they are competing to be a part of a group. The photo shoot challenges are reminiscent of America’s Next Top Model. The positive affirmation gives me RuPaul’s Drag Race vibes.

But Lizzo is looking for something more: plus-size women with her same zest for life. The contestants ability to master the choreography to hits “Truth Hurts” and “Good as Hell” drives the drama. Just watching these women perform perfect splits and land somersaults is inspiring.

“Big girls are doing it, honey,” Lizzo says in the pilot episode. “I need more big girl dancers to fill the space on stage with me. I’ve asked the dance agency for big girl dancers and they gave me nothing … Girls that look like me simply don’t get representation. It’s time to pull up my sleeves and find them myself.”

In Living Color’s Fly Girls defined what the ideal hip-hop and R&B dancers should look like more than 30 years ago. The dance crew, led by Rosie Perez, performed high kicks, splits, and the Running Man between segments of the popular 1990s sketch show. Jennifer Lopez got her start as a Fly Girl, and to this day, is the most famous.

The dancers were petite with small waists and curvy bottoms. Lizzo’s show tosses out these old-school notions like a used lace-front wig. And it’s delicious to watch.

Finding dancers is just a small part of the show’s mission. Lizzo is writing a new narrative for plus-size women by treating them well, and showing how they deserve to be joyful, confident, and sexy. She moves the contestants into a plush Los Angeles mansion with a dance studio, gym, and tricked-out kitchen. The women practice yoga, enjoy Champagne, and good food. Shame has no place. Lizzo’s concern is how these women see themselves — how others see them is their problem.

“I want you to feel special. I want you to feel worthy,” Lizzo tells the women on their first day in the house.

“It’s important that they are in an environment where they can thrive, that’s chic and fly,” she says. “I want to treat these girls good. I want to treat them as good as myself.”

Although it feels familiar, Watch Out for the Big Grrrls does what no other reality television show has done before: showing plus-size women learning to live their best lives — and there isn’t a diet involved. This is the core of Lizzo’s brand.

» READ MORE: 2019 was the year of Body Positivity. Thanks, Lizzo. | Elizabeth Wellington

Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, released her first album, Lizzobangers, in 2013. It wasn’t until the 2016 hit, “Good as Hell,” that she achieved crossover notoriety. In 2019, Lizzo released “Truth Hurts.” She weighed over 300 pounds and performed her hits in the same kind of lacy bodysuits as Beyoncé. She attended a Lakers game in booty-exposing leather pants. Lizzo embraced her body. But that inner joy and peace, naysayers said, promoted an unhealthy lifestyle. I suspect the real truth was that some people didn’t want to see this plus-size woman in a bodysuit.

There were also those of us who thought it was dope that Lizzo’s self-love transcended the bad energy and were excited to see her twerk and play the flute. I cheered for her. Lizzo’s confidence is infectious.

She’s come pretty far. She’s released four studio albums. She is the voice of Lydia in UglyDolls, an animated movie about self-acceptance. She appeared in the 2019 movie Hustlers as Liz, a stripper who plays the flute.

On Tuesday, Lizzo launched Yitty, a collection of shapewear. The line, in extra small to 6X, features 100 styles in bold, nude, and basic black and white hues. Just because a big girl wants her body to look smooth under a slip dress doesn’t mean she’s ashamed of it. She set the internet abuzz this week when she boarded a private plane wearing a black Yitty ensemble that exposed her entire buttocks. Lizzo’s response: “Like what you see, Go to Yitty.com.”

“Body positivity is this brand new thing because self-hatred and body negativity was the norm,” Lizzo tells the contestants in episode 4 of Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.

Lizzo describes being teased and the boys who said she had a pretty face but criticized her body. Lizzo writes the words: Face good. Body bad on a mirror.

“I used to think that I wasn’t worthy to be an artist, to be on a stage,” Lizzo says. “I’m sick of these words. I’m sick of these memories, let’s make a break through.”

Lizzo throws a rock shattering the glass, the words, and most importantly, the sentiment. “This is me owning my truth. This is me breaking through negative words I used to say to myself to take myself down and now, I want the same for y’all.”

The women find that confidence when sharing their stories. Arianna Davis is a beautiful, classically trained dancer who doesn’t think she’s pretty because of her size. Asia Banks witnessed her father’s murder by police officers when she was just 5. Jayla Sullivan is a trans woman who experienced discrimination her entire life. Ashley Williams is a Christian who is attracted to women. By the end of the episode, all the women shatter a mirror.

Each week the best dancer is given an award for her efforts. There are surprises throughout. Crystal Williams did so well during her auditions, Lizzo crowned her an official Big Grrrl at the end of the first episode. Jasmine Morrison is one of the best dancers but she isn’t nice. Lizzo has a commitment to building camaraderie among the contestants. Morrison is sent home.

This is Lizzo’s show. She makes the rules.

J-Lo got her start as a Fly Girl. Lizzo is using her power and platform to make sure her Big Grrrls get their start, too.

“Lizzo’s Watch out for the Big Grrrls” is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.