Ugh! We love the Plus This! Podcast. Have you heard it? They recently hosted our homegirl, Renee Cafaro (Foxy Roxy Fashion), the NY Editor of SLiNK Magazine on their show. And, they have tons of other awesome guests on there, too! Did you know that 67% of our US female population are plus sized and underrepresented? Well they do! And, they are ready to fix it with their voices! Eva and Kathy are a riot and so much fun to chat with! Aren’t you glad we brought them to your screen? Check out the great convo we had with them below!

 

Bold Magazine: Okay, it’s clear what “Plus This!” is all about. But, in your own words…. what are you hoping to accomplish?

Plus This! Peeps: We started Plus This! to give more visibility to the 67% of American women who are rarely represented in media. We personally have experienced growth as a side product and then realized that’s what we want plus-size women to have – a transformation – not of their bodies, but of their self-acceptance, self-care and self-love. We want women across the globe to have the tools to do just that!

Bold Magazine: Love it! So, how did it all start?

Plus This! Peeps: Kathy approached our mutual friend Pauly David about how he started his internet show (The Pauly and Monks Show) and he was the one who suggested she meet Eva. Since we’re both actresses in Hollywood, we connected fiercely over the massive lack of roles for plus size women in the entertainment industry.

Bold Magazine: Actresses! We knew something was up with you two! So Dynamic! And, what has the response been?
Plus This! Peeps: We have had such a great response from both our guests and our fans. We’ve realized that almost everyone has some kind of issue with their body because of society’s bias sowing fear of fat in everyone. Dismantling that weekly on the show and having vulnerable conversations about the personal damage it has done really gets people thinking about bodies differently.

Bold Magazine: So, we noticed you do the show from two different locations… or at least the ones we’ve seen. Do you get to hang out in person a lot?
Plus This! Peeps: We’re both here in LA and are in the same studio when we shoot! Hahaha – just different paintings behind us and camera angles.
And YES, see each other so much that it feels at times like we are in a throuple (yes we’re making up a word!!) with Eva’s husband, Peter, hahaha. 

Bold Magazine: Amazing! Throuple, that’s too funny! Don’t give our readers any ideas! Now, who have some of the coolest guests been?
Plus This! Peeps: Of course we’ve loved our fellow actors who are just so comfortable in front of the camera are naturally cool. But specifically we’ve loved Kenya Parham, a political strategist was incredible after the murder of Heather Meyer in Charlotte; casting director, Felicia Fasano was really forthcoming about how she deals with body diversity in television, and Ragen Chastain who is a triathlete is a powerhouse. And hilariously cool.

Bold Magazine: Awesome! So, what goes into putting a show together? They are almost a full hour each! And so well produced!
Plus This! Peeps: Well, thanks so much! We obsessively comb through the news during the week, see what’s being discussed in the Fat Acceptance & Body Positive communities and pull things that we feel are real hot or get us worked up. And we have such great guests, we want to know about the work they’re doing. We always want to have a real conversation, not just sound bites.

Bold Magazine: Do you have day jobs? What are they? If you could quit them and do this, full time, would you?
Plus This! Peeps: Like most artists, we dooooo. Eva is a fit model and is a studio manager for a photographer; Kathy teaches music at a BFA program and after school theatre programs. We think that doing activism full-time is an option was are keeping open for ourselves- there is so much to do!

Bold Magazine: Well we will be here when you do! So, what’s next for the show? for you as a pair? What can we expect during Season 3 and beyond?
Plus This! Peeps: We have a lot of goals, some short term, some long term. In the month of June, we are having a closet sale at The Plus Bus in Glassell Park on June 2nd and we’re hosting a screening of a documentary called “Fattitude” on June 26 with gift bags and a talk back after that is like our second annual Love Yo’self Day. Season 3 has been really about elevating the conversation to trying to figure out how to get plus size women to get on board with the cause because there is a lot of resistance to changing thought systems about fat. And beyond – we want to tell the stories of the 67% of women practically ignored in TV, Film and Media though every means possible. Keep an eye out for us taking over the world!

Bold Magazine: Hah! We look forward to that! What do you think it says about the plus size community that nothing like this existed before you? How can we do better?
Plus This! Peeps: We wouldn’t say that there haven’t been others before us; the Fat Acceptance movement has been happening waaay before our show hit the air. Def come and see Fattitude! We all can do better by reading books, listening to podcasts, watching films that take apart the frames that make people accept falsehoods regarding fat and health, beauty and morality. And check your own feelings about the word “Fat;” try using it as a neutral descriptor, without negative connotation. Shake up the status quo!

Bold Magazine: Lastly, ladies, what makes you BOLD (unique, amazing, you!)?
Plus This! Peeps: We’re pretty sure we were born this way – ha!