The Unseen Fat Woman

Fatness, Stigma, and Invisibility in Mrs. Wolowitz from The Big Bang Theory

Abstract

In The Big Bang Theory, Mrs. Wolowitz is the
only fat character on the show but is also the only character to never have her entire body shown to viewers. This essay analyzes the implications of removing the fat body from visual displays and how the show situates Mrs. Wolowitz within the contexts of the freak show, fat stigma, and corrective health narratives, which ultimately demands
that fat bodies never be displayed to viewers.