Survival Of The Thickest: Why Michelle Buteau's Netflix Dramedy Is Turning Heads

Anyone who's been following new releases on Netflix for the past few years is likely to have witnessed the talent of Michelle Buteau at one point or another. The 45-year-old American comedian, writer, and actress has become a staple for the streamer, whether hosting reality series like "The Circle" and "The American Barbecue Showdown," bringing her stand-up chops to "Welcome to Buteaupia," or playing supporting roles on shows like "Tales of the City" and films like "Work It," "Always Be My Maybe," and "Someone Great." Now, Buteau is finally getting a deserved starring vehicle to herself with "Survival of the Thickest."

Created by Buteau herself, alongside Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, the latest Netflix series adapts its star and writer's eponymous memoir and tells the story of Mavis Beaumont, an up-and-coming New York City stylist who is pushed to rebuild her life from scratch when she catches her longtime boyfriend and professional partner, Jacque (Taylor Selé), cheating on her. Structured somewhere between a traditional urban-friends-going-through-it sitcom — following the misadventures of Mavis as well as her best friends Marley (Tasha Smith) and Khalil (Tone Bell) — and a plotty, emotionally sweeping romantic comedy, "Survival of the Thickest" has become the talk of the town since its July 13, 2023 release. This is due both to its merits and for its contributions, whether appreciated or questioned, to the all-too-rare representation of fat Black women as protagonists in the rom-com genre.

A lot of the reactions to "Survival of the Thickest" have focused on the fact that the show comes as a representational breath of fresh air, centering, as it does, on a plus-sized Black woman. And not only that, but the central character is happy with her body and confident in her looks.

As we usher in something of a "rom-com revival," this oft-marginalized perspective is of particular importance to ensuring that romcoms don't fall back on their casual fatphobia of years past. We're talking, after all, about the genre that earnestly attempted to sell audiences on the idea that Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones ought to be perceived as a conspicuously overweight woman just over 20 years ago. 

But it's not just romcoms of the (recent and distant) past that have defaulted to the skinny-centric ideology of society at large. Said ideology has persisted, in one form or another, well into our supposedly more body-positive cultural era, as evidenced by the fact that Michelle Buteau herself had already appeared in multiple rom-com films without ever getting the chance to play the lead. And this is not for lack of stories to tell, as evidenced by the very memoir upon which "Survival of the Thickest" is based.

The atmosphere in which "Survival of the Thickest" arrived on Netflix was a contentious one, to put it mildly. It's a well-known rule of film and television that the rarer a certain kind of representation is, the more pressure is placed upon its few instances to shoulder the weight of their importance and do right by the audiences who have been waiting so long to see themselves on screen. And, sure enough, the response to Michelle Buteau's series has been sharply divided among TV critics.

On the positive side, several reviewers have commended the show for its breeziness, charming tone, avoidance of "fat angst" tropes and stereotypes, and the solar presence of Buteau at the center of it all. Defining "Survival of the Thickest" as "a welcome entry into the microgenre of New York Creative Millennial stories," Andscape's Soraya Nadia McDonald noted her appreciation for the show. 

Refinery29's Ineye Komonibo, meanwhile, said that audiences will want to root for Buteau's Mavis and that the series is a well-needed addition to the rom-com genre. "Equal parts sexy, inspirational, and downright hilarious, 'Survival of the Thickest' is exactly what the rom-com genre needs right now: a reminder that fat Black women exist and are thriving," Komonibo wrote.

In another glowing review, Decider's Joel Keller praised "Survival of the Thickest" for offering a peek behind the curtain of Buteau's established stand-up persona, showing Mavis at both her most powerful and most vulnerable, while still getting her confidence, liveliness, and self-supporting intelligence across.

Not everyone has had their socks charmed off by Michelle Buteau's star vehicle. Although the show's overall critical reception has skewed largely positive with a score of 67 on Metacritic — nothing to scoff at for a freshman sitcom — several reviewers felt more skeptical about its pleasures.

Writing for The Daily Beast, Coleman Spilde made a point of heaping praise on Michelle Buteau's entrancingly charismatic performance and screen presence, but felt that the show coasted a bit too much on her talents and long-honed comedic timing as opposed to structuring itself as a whole more efficiently as great sitcoms do. "Buteau's undeniable comedy expertise, paired with the series' rickety writing, make for a genuinely puzzling watch experience of stop-and-start amiability," Spilde wrote, adding that the portion of the series focused on Mavis' work in the fashion world was significantly more captivating than her romantic exploits.

Variety's Alison Herman, meanwhile, had a clear-cut thesis to offer: In her opinion, "Survival of the Thickest" could have been a strong series if it had been allowed to breathe and flesh itself out carefully with a longer season. However, by straining to fit into a typically pared-down eight-episode Netflix season, the show sacrificed too much of what makes great friendship sitcoms work. "Were 'Survival of the Thickest' made at another moment in TV history, it could afford a slower burn, advancing the plot in fits and starts while giving us time to enjoy the cast's company," Herman wrote.

Although critical reception has been mixed, casual viewers would seem to be loving "Survival of the Thickest," if Twitter is anything to go by. A viral tweet by @fatfabfeminist urged people to see the show. "If we want more fat rep we need to prove that we'll show up when we get it," the tweet said.

Prominent New York culture writer Shamira Ibrahim, who goes by @_ShamGod on Twitter, also praised "Survival of the Thickest" as an enjoyable watch. Meanwhile, comedian Ashley Ray also tweeted that audiences should give the show a chance. "I didnt work on it so i think i can say: survival of the thickest is so fun and so many amazing comics i love do a great job in it," the comedian tweeted. "go watch!!"

Other positive responses to the show on Twitter included @HolaCarmitooo writing, "As a big baddie I've always been a Michelle Buteau fan and this show is...everything. I loveeeee it." Meanwhile, @NotUncleJu wrote, "Survival of the Thickest is so f***ing hilarious dawg LMAOOOOO." 

So far, it appears that the show is acing the task of connecting with audiences by offering breezy, lighthearted fun with a positive take on life as a plus-sized woman, as even some of its more mixed critics speculated that it had the potential to do.