Hairspray

I went to see the movie “Hairspray” with a mate last night. It was a good night and a good flick. We went to a 9.10pm session. I love that time, it allows me to feed the family and tidy up afterwards and then go in a civilized fashion rather than a mad rush. It’s a bit of a late finish but if I don’t do it too often it’s perfectly manageable.
I’m not usually a fan of musicals but this one was a bit different. I enjoyed the music, the dancing and the costumes.
I saw a review that said the movie was about the outsider who followed a dream to become a star. It also said that there were sub-themes about appreciating diversity. I’m going to be pedantic and say that I thought the major theme was about appreciating diversity, and more particularly about ending black/white segregation in the context of 1962 Baltimore.
What took my attention though, was the fact that the villain of the story (played by Michelle Pfeiffer) was a very thin woman. In a story about the triumph of the underdog it’s no surprise to see that the heroes are large women but I was struck with just how incredibly thin the villain was. She was obnoxious and mean in direct contrast with the heroes of the story who were remarkably generous, good humoured and alround better people. There is a stereotype of the fat and happy person but I started wondering ….is there an opposite stereotype of the mean thin person?
Is the villain always thin?
If there is a thin and mean stereotype is there any truth in it?
And if there is there is truth in a stereotype like that, which came first, the attitude or the shape?