Lauren Zizes.
I have been struggling with you, my friend.
On one hand, I want to rejoice. At last, a chubby girl with a role of substance on a hit television show, who finally dresses like she isn’t buying fat old lady clothes from the Women’s section of JC Penney.
Raise your moonpies, ladies, we have arrived!
But, here’s the thing. I want to love everything about Ashley Fink’s portrayal of this rubenesque scene stealer, but I don’t.
In fact, I can’t stand her.
I hate that she’s become a member of the Glee Club, not because she’s fat, but because she’s a dick. She represents a horrible perception of chubby girls in high school who are bitter and do dirty deeds for candy bars.
Really, Lauren…bugging the Glee room for Mallomars and Snickers bars? Where’s your self respect, because you know when mousy Rachel comes to me for a favor, little girl is paying me in cash. Wide calf boots don’t buy themselves.
Now you’ve gone and brought Puck into the picture. I’m going to try not to switch into mom mode here and lecture you about the risks of making a sex tape with the school manwhore who fathered a baby, went to juvie, and had better not ever pass out near me, because I swear to God, I’ll shave that mohawk off his head and dip him in Bactine from the waist down.
Instead, I’m going to address the reason why the thought of a Lauren and Puck sex tape makes me want to vomit. And, it has nothing to do with the fact that Lauren is overweight and everything to do with the fact that I want to see two cringe-worthy school bullies bone about as much as I want to let Charlie Sheen give me a bikini wax.
Lauren could take a cue from Mercedes.
(Aside from her wardrobe, but that’s just my strong personal aversion to colored skinny jeans.)
Mercedes plays a strong, talented young woman on Glee. Not curvy Mercedes on Glee. Not slow motions shots of me devouring cake Mercedes on Glee. Just Mercedes, playing the role of a person, not her weight.
You have an amazing chance to instill a sense of confidence in so many overweight teenage girls, Ryan Murphy. Please don’t blow it by spewing out a poor man’s version of a crass and bitter teenage Roseanne Barr.
Oh, and for the love of God, get her better musical numbers. “I Know What Boys Like” was painful in ways so far beyond the metallic early 90s prom dress she stole from my closet.
I Know What Boys Like was awful. She can’t sing.
Beauty comes from within, right? That’s probably why she is looking so ugly to you.
Could be. I don’t like her, as a person. Period.
Love this. I hate their relationship for so many reasons.
I Know What Boys Like….was…really bad. Out of town, awful and screechy. I love that there are people of all shapes and sizes on Glee, and sure the occasional discussion about looks or size is authentic (hi, we write for a site that discusses these topics fairly regularly…as they are topics EVERYONE discusses from time to time) but the cliches have GOT TO GO. I’m looking at the “I’ll join Glee for impossible to find Cadbury eggs” line in particular.
*Right so “out of town” and “out of tune” are not interchangeable. WHO KNEW?
You could totally pay me in Cadbury Eggs if you want to…I love those things!!!
::nodding:: with meredith. what she said, exactly!
TOTALLY 100% AGREE!!! I find her repulsive and not because she is curvy but because she is a total dick. She needs an intervention.
I loved the I know what boys like bit… to me it was about feigned self confidence that so many girls wish they had when they were in high school!!
You know, I could get behind that, if the rest of her actions outside that moment weren’t so full of bitterness and bullying, which, in my opinion, having been bullied, think is born of insecurity itself.
Here, here! I don’t even notice her size. I just hate the character. Ryan Murphy insists he chooses only ppl that can sing… prove it (and make he stop being a dick, too.)
The Roseanne Barr reference (early Roseanne) is right by on when she was whiny as fuck.
But can I hear it for Beist, though?!
Oh I am SOOOOO Team Beist. I think she is the best thing to happen to Glee, I have loved every story line with her in it.
OMG have you seen any of the interview’s Dot-Marie has done? I love her so much more after having seen her talk about the show and growing up and bullying (When she was at college a mother in a supermarket pointed Dot-Marie out to her daughter and commented about how mean she looked–I was sobbing for that interview)
She is just…an amazing actress and I love her character. you know, yes, THIS is what I am talking about.
They had so many chances to just….cartoonize every stereotype about her, but she plays that character with such beauty and humanity. I can connect to her.
I am not connecting to Lauren. She is one dimensional and mean.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Beist! I was so sad that she only had a small cameo in this week’s episode. Brittany, have you seen it yet? I’m still trying to find a cameraman for my youtube re-enactment…
You are making me that youtube video REGARDLESS.
Amen!!! I agree with this entirely! I hate her character.
I have to disagree. I like her because she’s not that “I’m a strong girl but on the inside I’m really sad and wish I were skinny” fat girl. We don’t all wish we were skinny. We’re not all trying to be thinner. Not every fat girl is happy and funny and bff’s with everyone so no one hates her. Just like any other body type, some fat girls are rude, or mean or sure as fuck that they are hot.
And the fact that she doesn’t drop her panties as soon as Puck looked at her twice makes me cheer for her. So many people think fat girls are lucky to get any guy that they give it up easier (don’t even get me started on the myth that fat girls give anyone BJs just cause they like to have things in their mouths). Plus I think her character is evolving and helping Puck evolve.
Ok you have points I am nodding my head to.
*we don’t all want to be thin.
*the Puck panties thing
But, I’m sorry, I HATE that she is a bully. I just do. I hate how nasty she is. I hate that the entire first season consisted of her being an asshole and then doing shit in exchange for food.
Why can’t she be all those things, confident, happy with her weight, not out to please everyone and NOT be a crude dick who lives for shoving cake in her mouth? Why can’t she just act at the same level of normalcy every other sized character does on that show?
HOWEVER, I like your point about her character helping Puck evolve.
I see both sides of the coin here. I, too, like that she’s so sure and confident of herself. And that she makes Puck work for it because she knows she’s not “lucky” to have some baby daddy juvie loser make a play for her. I love their dynamic.
However, I also see why people would be disappointed with her character. The whole food obsession thing is ridic. But as for the bully part, bullies come in all shapes and sizes. If the problem is with bullying, what about Santana being a bully? Because she definitely is. She is uber nasty & I do not like her AT ALL.
Oh don’t get me wrong, I despise Santana on the same level as I despise Lauren, they behavior is the same.
I guess it’s my fault, I put my eggs in the basket of a plus size leading character, hoping she would be a great, commanding role model for overweight teens, and she is just not there for me.
I’m torn. Yes she can’t sing. And yes she comes off a little bitter.
But, on the other hand:
She has self esteem. She’s not sleeping around to feel better about herself like teeny, tiny, super cute, Santana. She’s confident, even if she’s a bully.
And my God, the one thing I worry about with my daughter is that she has more self esteem than I did. So although her little first grade self can be a little attitudey, I try not to take it away from her, because I still want it to be there when she’s 16 and boys are smitten with her long eyelashes and what I can only assume will be huge boobies! Part of me wants her to have Lauren’s attitude!
I also have trouble with her character. But I don’t think it’s the actress’ fault. She plays the character she’s given, and unfortunately, that character is more like a caricature. I am happy to see someone like her on the show, but I wish the writers took her character more seriously.
For sure, it’s not her fault. It is 100% how they are writing her.
I’ll offer a few “likes” about Lauren: Puck (yes, without the mohawk he would be better looking) is a hot kind of guy. And I like that he is attracted to the bigger girl. I agree that her singing I Know What Boys Like was not that good but did you seem how hesitant she was until Puck nodded encouragement to her?
I liked it when she got the best of Santana & didn’t take her crap. Many girls that size don’t stand up for themselves. So I like that she stands up for herself with confidence.
I like that she has dreams to be famous like Kim Kardashian. Her size isn’t going to hold her back.
Just a few random thoughts.
Puck helping Lauren sing that song was cute, it reminded me of Coyote Ugly, when Violet was helped with her stage fright.
And, I did love it when she stood up to Santana, but I mean, so that’s the message? Beat the crap out of every snotty ass teenager who calls you fat?
I just want the focus to be on why someone like her is normal and beautiful, not why she acts a gladiator and eats like a viking. It’s trite.
I’m with you on most of this. The idea of screwing Puck… there’s not enough rubbing alcohol in the world to make that sound safe. That said, I think it’s important to show that fat girls can be JUST as awful as skinny girls. Mercedes is a rockin’ diva – Lauren’s a self important bitch. The fact is that both types of people are out there, so I’m cool with both sides of the coin getting shown. I just want them to get back to giving our girl Mercedes some more screen time. It’s good to focus on the positive
Maybe that is it. I understand both those people exist, but are we seriously squandering a great talent and a great opportunity to showcase a confident plus size girl by turning her into a bully? It just seems….like a disappointment.
It is the leftover fat girl in me, but I have to say I was so surprised when she turned Puck down…I never would of in high school! Of course, we never had Jewish boys that looked like him at synagogue, either…
OMG-When Zizes sang I know what boys like, I had to leave the room until it was over. Horrible.
While I’m not entirely happy with they way that she’s being portrayed(Please Ryan Murphy can we get her new glasses? I had some like that in junior high, and..well, I spent alot of time in detention because of those ugly things.), I agree with Carrie in that she’s helping Puck to evolve. There’s got to be characters like her in order for this show to work. And, I think that she’s going to evolve as well. She’s a strong sassy girl in her own way.
I may be in the minority, but I really like Lauren. And similarly, I would disagree that she is one dimensional and lacks the same degree of normalcy of the other characters. I think her character is very human and normal and multi-dimensional. First season Zizes was one-dimensional I think, but this season really turned her from a caricature into a person.
My favorite Zizes moment ever, and one of my favorite Glee moments, was when Puck sang “Fat-Bottomed Girls” as a love song of sorts to her. She normally comes across as a strong, self-confident girl who thinks highly enough of herself not to surrender easily to any random guy who shows an interest. But in that scene, we saw her character battle internally with being touched that Puck was working to earn her affection, being flattered that Puck honestly was attracted to her, being hurt that she was being marginalized and judged on her size alone, and being strong enough to tell Puck how he made her feel.
When I see Lauren, I see a girl who loves herself enough to know that her size doesn’t define her and also at the same time battles with those inner feelings of self-hatred that I think most or all of us feel occasionally (and more than occasionally during high school). I see a girl who comes on strong (making fat jokes about herself, hedonistic eating, being loud and aggressive–to the degree of bullying sometimes, singing “I Know What Boys Like” badly and loudly, and pushing others away), but is more timid than she looks (like needing Puck’s encouragement to really get into singing “I Know What Boys Like”).
I also loved her comment this week that she wants to be famous like Kim Kardashian. Because I think that is so Lauren in a nutshell. She’s strong and self-confident and respects herself and truly does believe she is beautiful as is, but she also wants to be in the limelight and seen as a global sex symbol, even if it means not everyone respects her.
She’s complex, and she isn’t all good or all bad, and I think that is a very honest, normal, human portrayal. I was never loud, aggressive, or a bully, but I identify with respecting yourself and striving not to need others while also hating yourself and craving the companionship of others. So I like her!
I also don’t completely hate Karofsky. I find his behavior unacceptable, but I feel bad that he hates himself so much that he has to take it out on Kurt. I would not be surprised at all at a Karofsky suicide plot line.
But I do dislike Santana. She’s just so mean and until this week, there was nothing human or empathetic about it.
THANK YOU! Personally, it’s been driving me crazy that all these jokes they write in about her are about her weight. I’m not saying we can completely ignore her size, but does Puck really have to say things like, “I want to get into those enormous pants”? Do we REALLY have to sing “Fat Bottomed Girls”? I almost feel like they’re acting as if Puck is doing her some kind of amazing favor by even paying attention to her.
This post and discussion are exactly the reasons that I love this site. There are so many valid points here and strong feelings about Glee, about the characters Lauren, Puck, Santana, Mercedes and more, yet everyone is sharing their thoughts in a respectful manner while not holding back. LOVE.
For my part, I too have mixed feelings about Lauren. I want to LOVE her, but have struggled to even LIKE her. And strangely I DO find Puck hot and would love the two of them to have a real relationship but because of what I perceive as the singlular dimensionality of Lauren, it feels like a sham to me. I dislike the character of Mercedes for the same reason – I feel that of all the teens on Glee, she’s the only one portrayed as somewhat asexual, and I wonder if that this is due to her curvy appearance. I mean, Artie is a paraplegic yet he’s portrayed as a sexual person. Just my two cents. Love the show and REALLY love Coach Beiste!
I’d be pissed if they made her into a bubbly, always happy, jokester to off-set her weight. There are mean people everywhere, regardless of size. Watch “The Big C” with Laura Linney and Gabourey Sidibe. The girl packs a major attitude and can be a total bitch. She too dresses without fear. These women portray facets of the world that are ignored and for that I applaud them.
Wasn’t the whole point of Lauren joining Glee Club, though, the fact that they were desperate for another member at the last minute– a warm body to fill numbers? No one ever said she could sing. I think thats kinda the point.
They just kinda threw her into the background vocals after she saved Puck from the Porta-potty, and she all of a sudden became a Glee member. BUT, still– no one ever said the girl could sing.
I predict her character is going to make a turn-around.
I think my two favorite characters on that show right now are the two with the least screen time, unfortunately– Coach Beist and Burt Hummel (Kurt’s Dad).
I can’t stand that there is ZERO chemistry between Lauren and Puck.
I’m not a Gleek, but there are few things truer than: “you know when mousy Rachel comes to me for a favor, little girl is paying me in cash. Wide calf boots don’t buy themselves.”
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