Joy Nash interview:
If you have been paying attention to YouTube in the last few months you've probably come
across “A Fat Rant”. Wherein a young actress Joy Nash pours over the wretched treatment
fat people are subject to by the film and fashion industries, and by society as a whole. When I
saw it I thought it mirrored the sentiment of “Aesthetically Worthless” and would be cool to
interview her. Lucky for me Joy thought so to.
I hear you are shooting a pilot; what can you tell me about that? Or are you sworn to secrecy?
Hahaha!! No, no top secrets in regard to the pilot :) It’s called “Fruit and Fly” and it’s a
scripted sketch comedy show I’ve written with my friend Michael Mullen. He’s the Fruit, I’m
the Fly. We’re shooting for a gay Little Britain if that paints any pictures for you. :)
What is the social climate regarding fat people in Hollywood? Do you feel like it is changing?
Well, I’m not exactly in the thick of Hollywood just yet, so I personally haven’t felt too much
pressure. It is kind of understood that if you’re going to be fat and an actress, you need to
expect best friend/ sidekick/ supporting character roles. If you want to play the ingénue,
unless you’re Tracy Turnblad, you need to be prepared to create your own opportunities.
I definitely feel like the climate is changing though. With every Mo’Nique, Marissa Jaret
Winokur, and Mia Tyler on TV, there is one more reason for the fat kid at home to feel a little
less alone.
Conversely do you feel like certain groups of people are more 'allowed' to be fat in the
industry?
Like men? I definitely feel there are more positive images of fat men in film and TV- Philip
Seymour Hoffman, John Goodman, Drew Carey, Jim Belushi, Chris Farley, that guy from the
King of Queens… there are tons. And their size isn’t really their calling card- so to speak.
Women, thin women included, seem to be known for their physical appearance before
anything else. I mean look how we freaked out when Britney picked up a pair of clippers.
How long have you lived in LA? Was it a culture shock from where you grew up at all?
I’ve been in LA since 1998. Hoooly CRAP it’s been a long time. My hometown is about 60
miles East of LA. Pretty close by, but definitely a world of difference. It’s kind of funny, I didn’t
notice a change moving to Los Angeles, but I definitely notice it today when I go home to
Redlands. In general, the people my age in my hometown are starting families, becoming
more established in their careers, things that don’t revolve around their new highlights or
spending $600 on a pair of jeans. It’s a more relaxed atmosphere… I don’t feel like everyone
is frantically comparing themselves to each other in a desperate attempt to come out on top--
although they probably are… just in ways I’m clueless to! Haha.
How long have you been modeling/acting? Do you ever have trouble looking at your photos
or watching your performances?
I’ve been acting since I was 14... modeling for only a year or so. I used to HATE watching
myself. I’ve definitely gotten over that. Of course, I don’t always love what I’m doing, but it’s
an invaluable learning experience. I don’t see any other way to get better at this than to be
able to look critically at what I’ve done in the past and think of ways to make it better.
Do you think we will see society's view on fatness change in our lifetimes?
Absolutely. Our biggest obstacle is ourselves. Feeling like we deserve this treatment.
Where do you think people should differentiate between acceptably fat and unacceptably fat?
Oooh that’s a touchy subject. I don’t think there is such a thing as unacceptably fat. A person’
s body is their own business. It’s not a moral issue… which is what a lot of people try to
disguise as being concerned with a fat person’s health. I think people should be striving for a
life as full as possible- starting today. Not 5 pounds from now. Not 500 pounds from now. My
friend Marianne wrote an incredible blog on body autonomy and body politics: http:
//onceupon.livejournal.com/834602.html You should check it out if you get a chance.
Has the success of "A Fat Rant" given way to more opportunities?
Yeah! Believe it or not these 2 weeks have been crazy!! I’ve been lined up to perform at
FatGirl Speaks in Portland in June as well as participating in a book on body image. We’ll see
what else happens
Have you fallen prey to backlash from skinny girl enthusiasts?
No WAY baby!! I’m guessing you’re talking about the comments people are leaving on
MySpace and YouTube. Not at all. :) I’m really excited that people are watching. I’m thinking
like this: a) It’s the internet. People have complete freedom to be as hateful as they please
because they’re hiding behind computers and know that there is no repercussion for anything
they do or say. b) The weight bigots only make themselves look stupid, and c) It’s really
exciting to watch other fat people and fat allies stand up for themselves and comment back!
Also, I think the negative comments are eye opening for a lot of people who have no idea
what fat people go through. All of a sudden they can experience it for themselves, the same
way we do.
I think it’s also interesting that out of say 4000 public comments, 40% are negative, and out of
2000 personal emails, only 2 or 3 have been negative. I think the flamers are just that: acting
out in public to get a reaction. If they really felt passionately, they would approach me
privately with their concerns.
Have you heard of the other Joy Nash, the romance author? Have you been mistaken for her
as she has been for you? Ever talked to her?
HAHA! Yes! I definitely know about Joy Nash the paranormal romance novelist. :)I’ve never
met her, but I was kinda bummed when I found that joynash.com was taken. Well, bummed
and relieved, because before the sci-fi lover-lovin Joy, the only other Joy Nash I could find on
the internet was the Fantasy Wrestler who lived in Florida. Which means she made a living
wearing a bikini and wrestling men. Which is kind of awesome now that I think about it.
What do you think of other celebrities promoting fat acceptance, for example Tyra Banks'
whole "So what?" campaign?
I think anyone promoting size acceptance is AWESOME. I think Tyra is really doing good
things, even if she drives me crazy half of the time. I think she’s got an incredible platform and
has accomplished a shitload in a very short period of time, so I say good for her. And thanks.
;)
Do you think having 2 plus sized contestants on America's Next Top Model is really enough
to change anything?
Yes and no. First it’s friggin TV. It’s not real. BUT, those 2 girls are beamed into how many
million households week after week. They are portrayed as beautiful women, competing
alongside straight-size women. I think their very presence is a step in the right direction. And
kids watching that show get a slightly larger frame of reference for commercial beauty. (No
pun intended.) Heheh.
What do you want people to know about you outside of the weight issues? Do you feel like
people it's the only thing people want to talk to you about?
Haha... Yeah it’s in the top 3 topics of conversation. The other 2 being: Where did you buy
that jacket? (Target) and Will you marry me? (Yes.) I don’t know what I want people to
know… I definitely am not perfect. I have my insecurities just like everybody else, but I’ve
found that there are a lot of other things I’d rather be doing instead of obsessing over them.
It says on your myspace page that you have a bachelor’s degree in Sociolinguistics and
Theater; do you plan to integrate both into your career choices?
I actually got that second BA in Sociolinguistics because I thought on some level that it would
be a waste of all this grant and scholarship money to be going to this big fancy university and
majoring in Theatre. Doesn’t that sound awful? I thought I should take a whole bunch of non-
arts classes and really get my (or the state of California’s) moneys worth. :)
I hadn’t thought really about integrating the two… but dialect and stereotype are both really
central in both fields.
How do you feel about the legitimizing of slang languages [Ebonics, l33t]? Do you feel this
helps or damages the base language as a whole?
I think it helps. Language is mutable. It’s transient. It means whatever we need it to mean. I
think it’s fascinating to look at all the variants and find that they follow just as many rules as
the accepted forms do. I think it’s not possible to “ruin” a language. :)
What kind of social responsibility do you think rightly falls upon people in the
media/TV/movies?
That’s a good question. I’m not sure really. I think it’s important to keep in mind that it’s an
industry. A business. They don’t have to do anything but make money. They’re selling a
dream. Some fantasy life we can’t be trusted to dream up for ourselves. It’s our responsibility
to tell them what we want. Ignore, protest and boycott the stuff we don’t. Support in droves
the stuff you do. And if nobody’s making what we want to see… we gotta make it ourselves!
We don’t have to wait for permission from anybody.
What does a typical day entail for you?
Heheh. Recently it’s been work for 7 hours, go to a coffee shop and try to answer 200 emails,
meet up with some friends about what we’re gonna shoot over the weekend, play on the
internet while I’m watching Intervention, and go to sleep. :)
Does the paparazzi scare you at all?
Heheh. Are you kidding? Have you been to my myspace page? ;) I think they would be hard
pressed to take a less attractive photo than some of the ones I’ve got posted there.
What does scare you?
It’s top secret. ;)
What can we expect from Joy Nash in the future?
More videos, more shorts, and I’ve got a solo play to make into a movie! Keep your eyes
peeled for “My Mobster”!
You can check out more of Joy Nash on her MySpace page: www.myspace.com/joynash
She's also gracing the pages of SKORCH magazine, go check her out!
If you have been paying attention to YouTube in the last few months you've probably come
across “A Fat Rant”. Wherein a young actress Joy Nash pours over the wretched treatment
fat people are subject to by the film and fashion industries, and by society as a whole. When I
saw it I thought it mirrored the sentiment of “Aesthetically Worthless” and would be cool to
interview her. Lucky for me Joy thought so to.
I hear you are shooting a pilot; what can you tell me about that? Or are you sworn to secrecy?
Hahaha!! No, no top secrets in regard to the pilot :) It’s called “Fruit and Fly” and it’s a
scripted sketch comedy show I’ve written with my friend Michael Mullen. He’s the Fruit, I’m
the Fly. We’re shooting for a gay Little Britain if that paints any pictures for you. :)
What is the social climate regarding fat people in Hollywood? Do you feel like it is changing?
Well, I’m not exactly in the thick of Hollywood just yet, so I personally haven’t felt too much
pressure. It is kind of understood that if you’re going to be fat and an actress, you need to
expect best friend/ sidekick/ supporting character roles. If you want to play the ingénue,
unless you’re Tracy Turnblad, you need to be prepared to create your own opportunities.
I definitely feel like the climate is changing though. With every Mo’Nique, Marissa Jaret
Winokur, and Mia Tyler on TV, there is one more reason for the fat kid at home to feel a little
less alone.
Conversely do you feel like certain groups of people are more 'allowed' to be fat in the
industry?
Like men? I definitely feel there are more positive images of fat men in film and TV- Philip
Seymour Hoffman, John Goodman, Drew Carey, Jim Belushi, Chris Farley, that guy from the
King of Queens… there are tons. And their size isn’t really their calling card- so to speak.
Women, thin women included, seem to be known for their physical appearance before
anything else. I mean look how we freaked out when Britney picked up a pair of clippers.
How long have you lived in LA? Was it a culture shock from where you grew up at all?
I’ve been in LA since 1998. Hoooly CRAP it’s been a long time. My hometown is about 60
miles East of LA. Pretty close by, but definitely a world of difference. It’s kind of funny, I didn’t
notice a change moving to Los Angeles, but I definitely notice it today when I go home to
Redlands. In general, the people my age in my hometown are starting families, becoming
more established in their careers, things that don’t revolve around their new highlights or
spending $600 on a pair of jeans. It’s a more relaxed atmosphere… I don’t feel like everyone
is frantically comparing themselves to each other in a desperate attempt to come out on top--
although they probably are… just in ways I’m clueless to! Haha.
How long have you been modeling/acting? Do you ever have trouble looking at your photos
or watching your performances?
I’ve been acting since I was 14... modeling for only a year or so. I used to HATE watching
myself. I’ve definitely gotten over that. Of course, I don’t always love what I’m doing, but it’s
an invaluable learning experience. I don’t see any other way to get better at this than to be
able to look critically at what I’ve done in the past and think of ways to make it better.
Do you think we will see society's view on fatness change in our lifetimes?
Absolutely. Our biggest obstacle is ourselves. Feeling like we deserve this treatment.
Where do you think people should differentiate between acceptably fat and unacceptably fat?
Oooh that’s a touchy subject. I don’t think there is such a thing as unacceptably fat. A person’
s body is their own business. It’s not a moral issue… which is what a lot of people try to
disguise as being concerned with a fat person’s health. I think people should be striving for a
life as full as possible- starting today. Not 5 pounds from now. Not 500 pounds from now. My
friend Marianne wrote an incredible blog on body autonomy and body politics: http:
//onceupon.livejournal.com/834602.html You should check it out if you get a chance.
Has the success of "A Fat Rant" given way to more opportunities?
Yeah! Believe it or not these 2 weeks have been crazy!! I’ve been lined up to perform at
FatGirl Speaks in Portland in June as well as participating in a book on body image. We’ll see
what else happens
Have you fallen prey to backlash from skinny girl enthusiasts?
No WAY baby!! I’m guessing you’re talking about the comments people are leaving on
MySpace and YouTube. Not at all. :) I’m really excited that people are watching. I’m thinking
like this: a) It’s the internet. People have complete freedom to be as hateful as they please
because they’re hiding behind computers and know that there is no repercussion for anything
they do or say. b) The weight bigots only make themselves look stupid, and c) It’s really
exciting to watch other fat people and fat allies stand up for themselves and comment back!
Also, I think the negative comments are eye opening for a lot of people who have no idea
what fat people go through. All of a sudden they can experience it for themselves, the same
way we do.
I think it’s also interesting that out of say 4000 public comments, 40% are negative, and out of
2000 personal emails, only 2 or 3 have been negative. I think the flamers are just that: acting
out in public to get a reaction. If they really felt passionately, they would approach me
privately with their concerns.
Have you heard of the other Joy Nash, the romance author? Have you been mistaken for her
as she has been for you? Ever talked to her?
HAHA! Yes! I definitely know about Joy Nash the paranormal romance novelist. :)I’ve never
met her, but I was kinda bummed when I found that joynash.com was taken. Well, bummed
and relieved, because before the sci-fi lover-lovin Joy, the only other Joy Nash I could find on
the internet was the Fantasy Wrestler who lived in Florida. Which means she made a living
wearing a bikini and wrestling men. Which is kind of awesome now that I think about it.
What do you think of other celebrities promoting fat acceptance, for example Tyra Banks'
whole "So what?" campaign?
I think anyone promoting size acceptance is AWESOME. I think Tyra is really doing good
things, even if she drives me crazy half of the time. I think she’s got an incredible platform and
has accomplished a shitload in a very short period of time, so I say good for her. And thanks.
;)
Do you think having 2 plus sized contestants on America's Next Top Model is really enough
to change anything?
Yes and no. First it’s friggin TV. It’s not real. BUT, those 2 girls are beamed into how many
million households week after week. They are portrayed as beautiful women, competing
alongside straight-size women. I think their very presence is a step in the right direction. And
kids watching that show get a slightly larger frame of reference for commercial beauty. (No
pun intended.) Heheh.
What do you want people to know about you outside of the weight issues? Do you feel like
people it's the only thing people want to talk to you about?
Haha... Yeah it’s in the top 3 topics of conversation. The other 2 being: Where did you buy
that jacket? (Target) and Will you marry me? (Yes.) I don’t know what I want people to
know… I definitely am not perfect. I have my insecurities just like everybody else, but I’ve
found that there are a lot of other things I’d rather be doing instead of obsessing over them.
It says on your myspace page that you have a bachelor’s degree in Sociolinguistics and
Theater; do you plan to integrate both into your career choices?
I actually got that second BA in Sociolinguistics because I thought on some level that it would
be a waste of all this grant and scholarship money to be going to this big fancy university and
majoring in Theatre. Doesn’t that sound awful? I thought I should take a whole bunch of non-
arts classes and really get my (or the state of California’s) moneys worth. :)
I hadn’t thought really about integrating the two… but dialect and stereotype are both really
central in both fields.
How do you feel about the legitimizing of slang languages [Ebonics, l33t]? Do you feel this
helps or damages the base language as a whole?
I think it helps. Language is mutable. It’s transient. It means whatever we need it to mean. I
think it’s fascinating to look at all the variants and find that they follow just as many rules as
the accepted forms do. I think it’s not possible to “ruin” a language. :)
What kind of social responsibility do you think rightly falls upon people in the
media/TV/movies?
That’s a good question. I’m not sure really. I think it’s important to keep in mind that it’s an
industry. A business. They don’t have to do anything but make money. They’re selling a
dream. Some fantasy life we can’t be trusted to dream up for ourselves. It’s our responsibility
to tell them what we want. Ignore, protest and boycott the stuff we don’t. Support in droves
the stuff you do. And if nobody’s making what we want to see… we gotta make it ourselves!
We don’t have to wait for permission from anybody.
What does a typical day entail for you?
Heheh. Recently it’s been work for 7 hours, go to a coffee shop and try to answer 200 emails,
meet up with some friends about what we’re gonna shoot over the weekend, play on the
internet while I’m watching Intervention, and go to sleep. :)
Does the paparazzi scare you at all?
Heheh. Are you kidding? Have you been to my myspace page? ;) I think they would be hard
pressed to take a less attractive photo than some of the ones I’ve got posted there.
What does scare you?
It’s top secret. ;)
What can we expect from Joy Nash in the future?
More videos, more shorts, and I’ve got a solo play to make into a movie! Keep your eyes
peeled for “My Mobster”!
You can check out more of Joy Nash on her MySpace page: www.myspace.com/joynash
She's also gracing the pages of SKORCH magazine, go check her out!
