Meghan Trainor’s “All That Bass”: body-positive anthem?

I’ve been seeing a lot of hype for this song as the “body-positive anthem of the summer,” and my feelings about it are pretty mixed. First off, the song is fun and catchy, and I love the pastel outfits and set design. So many flower crowns! So much tulle! It’s incredibly aesthetically appealing.

I think it’s great that there’s a fat guy dancing, even doing a split near the end of the video–hell yes for fat athleticism!–but I wish there was even one genuinely fat woman featured. The singer and her backup dancers are only slightly larger than the media ideal, maybe in-betweenies at most. It’s just one of many, many “body-positive” projects that focus on smaller fat or not-even-fat women, and I’m so over that.

I’m also so over the song’s heteronormative focus on appealing to men, with lines like, “Yeah, my momma she told me don’t worry about your size/She says, boys they like a little more booty to hold at night.” Really? In 2014, we’re still supposed to base our self-esteem on what men (supposedly) like?  And the reference to “skinny bitches,” sigh.

Personally, my body-positive anthem will always be GabiFresh’s #everyBODYisflawless.