Eva Illouz (2007) notes that late capitalism emotionalizes everything, turning suffering into a resource. On platforms like YouTube or Reddit (e.g., r/BBWConfessions), creators perform raw, unpolished narratives. This is not passive sharing but affective labor —the work of producing feelings (vulnerability, outrage, empathy) for an unseen audience.
Sensational entertainment is defined by three features: hyperbole, moral panic, and resolution. A BBW confession (“I only date men who fetishize my size”) becomes sensational when a headline reads, “Plus-Size Woman Reveals Shocking Dating Rule – You Won’t Believe #3.” The resolution is never structural (e.g., body size discrimination) but personal and pathological. 3. Methodology This study employs critical discourse analysis (CDA) on a corpus of 50 viral BBW confession videos (TikTok & YouTube, 2020–2025) and 30 mainstream media articles that aggregated or sensationalized them. Selection criteria included explicit use of “confession” language (e.g., “I need to admit,” “Here’s the truth about”) and a minimum of 500,000 views or 100,000 shares.
The Spectacle of the Scale: BBW Confessions, Sensational Entertainment, and the Mediation of Fat Female Desire in Digital Culture
| Original Confession Theme | Sensational Headline | Affective Shift | Extracted Value | |---------------------------|----------------------|----------------|------------------| | “I love my stretch marks” | “Woman proudly displays ‘tiger stripes’ – Doctors say it’s rare” | Pride → Medical anomaly | Clickbait revenue | | “I left my husband because he shamed my weight” | “Plus-size wife confesses ‘extreme’ revenge on skinny husband” | Agency → Vengeance | Moral outrage | | “I enjoy eating alone without judgment” | “BBW’s shocking confession about food goes viral” | Solitude → Deviance | Voyeuristic thrill |