Drop Dead Diva- helpful or hurtful to big girl stereotypes?

There is a show on TV called Drop Dead Diva.
It focuses on the main character Deb who is an aspiring model (tall, thin, blond), but in the first episode, she dies unexpectedly. However, lucky for her, whilst up in heaven she presses a button that sends her back to Earth, but of course into another body: Jane's. Jane is a plus-size lawyer who was just shot and is lying in the hospital unconscious. So, conveniently, Deb gets to live, but the catch is that she is stuck in Jane's body.

This show is well written and the acting is good enough. However, the entire premise of the show kind of urks me and I will tell you why.

Jane is a big girl, but quite attractive (played by actress Brooke Elliot). However, it isn't until her body is inhabited by Deb that she starts to actually put effort into her looks (clothing, make-up, etc) and begins acting like a confident pretty girl.

Basically, before being taken over by Deb, Jane was just a frumpy fat girl. She played into every stereotype about big girls: always eating junk food, didn't put effort into her appearance, lacked confidence. My problem with this is that it makes it seem like it takes the mentality of a model (Deb) to make Jane confident and girly. It's as if no big girl could ever actually act/ feel this way on her own, she'd have to be taken over by a dead model first. It makes me wonder if the show would be successful or believable if the audience didn't know that Jane was actually Deb, which apparently justifies her confidence and extremely feminine demeanour.

As someone who has struggled with my weight and the stereotypes that go along with it for many many years, I just find it insulting that a beautiful plus size woman on TV can't be represented as confident and feminine without first being taken over by a model. I would estimate I am about the same size as Jane and I like to think I am just as attractive in the face. I think my mentality and behaviour is similar to that of Jane/Deb and I didn't need a model to take me over first!~

Now, to be fair, they also represent Deb as a total bimbo. It isn't until she takes over Jane's body (and apparently gets all of the memories/knowledge that Jane had too) that she is actually able to act intelligent, or at least recall intelligent facts that Jane retained from law school.

While I understand that in society, unfortunately a lot of bigger girls do lack confidence and sometimes give up on their appearance for various reasons, there are also a lot that embrace their size and still dress well and wear make-up and act girly and have the confidence of a model without being a size 2. I would just love to see a show that has one of those women as the main character, without needing the model takeover of the body.

Get Over Yourself

I stumbled upon this interesting read (literally stumbled upon using the stumble upon tool bar in my web browser) and I really enjoyed it. I think we all need a reminder sometimes that we are our own worst enemy and others don't pay nearly as much attention to us as we think.
I am a naturally anxious person, particularly when it comes to social situations. I don't know if it is because I am an introvert and generally shy, or if it is more of a learned behaviour. However, in social situations, I am always worried about how others view me and when I commit any sort of faux pas, the worry increases exponentially. It's nice to have this article as a reminder to cut the crap and get over myself.

Job Interviews- Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda...

I recently had a job interview for a dream job opportunity. Oddly enough, I wasn't even very nervous going into the interview. I had prepped myself during the 2.5 hour car ride by repeatedly telling myself I was "good enough, smart enough and gosh darnit, people like me".
I went in with a smile on my face and only a few butterflies in my stomach. In general, I thought the interview went well. The 2 men interviewing me were very laid-back and relaxed. The interview lasted well over an hour and I felt a good rapport with them. I even left the place thinking that I might have a shot at getting the job.
However, my confidence progressively plummeted during the car ride home and over the next couple of days afterward. I was more nervous that night thinking at the possible outcome of the interview than I had been that morning going into the interview.  I kept ruminating about what I said during the interview and the answers I gave to certain questions. All I could think about was what I should have said and all of the better answers I had come up with after hours of thinking about each question I was asked.
Hindsight is always 20/20 and it's easy to think of great answers to certain questions when you have had hours to reflect on them. I can't help but wonder if the other candidates for this position were better, worse, or pretty much equal to me in terms of how the interview went. They said they were interviewing 5 people in total. I would guess that I am more likable/ qualified than half of my competition, so my most accurate guess at my chance of getting this job would be %33.33.
I'm anxiously awaiting the verdict from the men who interviewed me, but I have prepared myself for the worst. Of course, I am still trying to think positive, but I've decided to take a realistic approach and remind myself that I might have gotten the job and I might not have. Either way, I will survive.