ABSTRACT
The discussion on (mis)representations of black women's bodies often focuses on their hyper-corporeality and hyper-sexualisation, with little attention paid to the women thus represented and their views. Reality shows are roundly criticised for objectifying women, being unAfrican and offering little to Africans. This paper contests this perspective by drawing on interviews with 19 contestants in a dance reality show in Ghana. We demonstrate that African participants in this show have a much more affirming view of the show. For them, the show offers benefits including celebrity status, training and employment opportunities. These benefits were not lost on family and friends who supported the candidates in various ways. Given the economic conditions in Ghana, this reality show offers obese women an opportunity to turn their condition into an asset and to do so largely with the backing of friends and family.
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the Mellon Foundation for providing the funds for conducting this research.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
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Notes on contributors
Akosua K. Darkwah
Akosua K. Darkwah is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Ghana. Her research interests centre primarily on the ways in which global policies and practices reconfigure Ghanaian women's experiences of work. Her papers have appeared in journals such Media, Culture & Society, Women's Studies International Forum and International Development Planning Review. She is co-principal investigator on a Carnegie-funded project exploring the nature and character of precarious work in Ghana.
Rashida Resario
Rashida Resario is a lecturer of Drama and Theatre Studies at the School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana. Her research interests include the interaction of cultures through performance, dramaturgy of playwrights, creative industries, mediated performance, and gender in performance. She has published in top-ranked journals such as Media, Culture & Society and Cultural Trends, with a forthcoming publication in Information, Communication and Society. She is currently a co-principal investigator in a collaborative research project, “Advancing Creative Industries for Development in Ghana,” funded by DANIDA.