Monday, October 31, 2011

The Scene: "Chelsea Settles"...Are You Watching?

Chelsea Settles airs at 10pm ET on MTV.
A few weeks ago, I told you about a new reality series coming to MTV entitled "Chelsea Settles". Since it's debut on October 11, the plus community is buzzing with commentary about the show and it's new heroine.
For those unfamiliar with the show, it follows 23 year old Chelsea Settles as she makes the decision to leave her family behind in Pittsburgh, PA  and move to Los Angeles to follow her dreams of working in the fashion industry. While the show begins with her worrying about her weight, it has, in just three epsisodes transformed to a show featuring a twenty-something young woman learning exactly who she is, and exactly how much she can do if she just believes in herself.

A lot of people have been trying to compare "Big Sexy" with "Chelsea Settles", and I am not sure I'm liking the idea of doing so. While both are shows about plus size women, I connected so much more with Chelsea Settles. When I watch her struggle with how people view her, when I see her crying because of people making fun of her, when I see her struggling with very difficult life decisions, I see so much of myself in her. I remember being the only plus size one of my friends in High School. While I myself cannot relate to wanting to be a model or working in thev plus modeling industry, I can relate to wondering if I am not getting a job because of my size.  I also, however, do think that while it is easy to paint a "oh, it's LA, and they won't hire anyone plus size to work in fashion retail out there" picture on the situation, I do agree with one sales associate when she said that Chelsea needs a bit more "polish". Going to an interview with black nail polish is a no-no that one learns with age and experience, and has nothing to do with size. Overall, it is refreshing to see a young woman going for her dreams, and even when she feels fearful of a situation, she pushes through it and does it anyway. Bravo for Chelsea!
Have you watched Chelsea Settles? What do you think of the show? If you are liking the show as much as  I am, be sure to like the offficial Chelesa Settles fan page on Facebook and let them know how you feel about the show. Check out this exclusive online clip, and be sure to tune in when Chelsea Settles airs on Tuesdays at 10pm ET on MTV.

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