How Euphoria Is Reshaping The Idea of “Self-Acceptance” in the Plus Size Community

Kat Hernandez, Euphoria, Season 2: Episode 2

DISCLAIMER: Spoilers may arise!

Fans are happy to be back in the world of Euphoria. Kicking off season two, we see each character’s desire for a fresh start as the new year rolls in. However, to everyone’s surprise, we get hit (no pun intended) with several huge shockers that seem to put these characters back into even crazier situations. Despite the best-friend betrayals and brutal beatdowns between the crew, there is one character that’s only fighting herself, Kat Hernandez. 

Kat Hernandez is played by the beautiful Barbie Ferreira. We were first introduced to Kat in the pilot episode of the show. As soon as I saw Kat, I knew this was a character that I would quickly connect with. Viewers have witnessed Kat’s development as she began to come out of her self-conscious shell in the first season. She became a dominatrix, which helped her take control of her body and sexuality. She even started changing her appearance with more rebellious clothing and fierce makeup. From the viewer’s standpoint, Kat was finally becoming confident, or was she? 

Now in season 2, it seems that Kat is slipping back into her old ways. She starts to become more distant, spending most of her time in her bed. This leads me to one of the most important scenes in Kat’s discography. A scene that empowers and reshapes the “self-love” ideology. 

Season 2: Episode 2: The “Love Yourself” Scene

During this scene, we get Kat laying in her bed once again, possibly dealing with a depressive episode. She is having second thoughts about her relationship with Ethan and realized that she doesn’t love herself. As she states, she “f*cking HATES herself”. She then gets bombarded with a bunch of (imaginary) conventionally attractive girls that scream at Kat to “boss up” and to “channel her inner warrior”. Kat is overwhelmed and she simply feels unheard. Instead of trying to confide in Kat’s worries, the girls are forcing self-love quotes through her ears; all phases that she's heard before. She tells the voices to shut up as she throws herself into a frenzy. She lets out one final scream and begins to take deep breaths as she stares at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. 

I think this scene was done incredibly. It not only gave us a glimpse of Kat’s mental state as of now, but it also revealed an existent idea of self-acceptance. In today's age, the Internet uplifts all aspects of “loving yourself”. It’s been clear since the start of the series that Kat’s weight plays a big role in her confidence. Just like many others in the plus-size community, the concept of being comfortable in your skin and #bodyposivity has been dragged through social media for so many years. I think it’s important to look at this scene from Kat’s perspective. It’s easy for a slim-waisted woman to tell a size 18 woman to “love yourself”; like it’s just that simple. She is constantly wanting that validation from others, while simultaneously trying to seek the same validation for herself. Kat understands how powerful confidence is. She even admitted to playing in her facade during the first season. She doesn’t love herself. She doesn’t even like herself. This is a real thing that so many women go through, especially plus-size women. Yes, you should love every inch of yourself, but many of these movements fail to ask the million-dollar question. Why would someone hate themselves? Where does it stem from? American beauty standards have made plus-size women seem like a problem. It's uncomfortable to simply exist in a society that condemns you for being bigger than the next person. Being confident in your body doesn’t happen overnight. We all have moments where we don’t feel adequate and that’s okay. It’s okay to accept that you’re not okay. The idea that you have to have this “boss bitch mentality” 24/7 just isn’t realistic. 

What’s Next for Kat? 

As season two moves forward, I hope that we get to see Kat get out of her funk and find her confidence. Once Kat is certain that she’s in love with one who she is, the easier it will be for her to navigate her relationships; whether that be platonic or romantic. I absolutely adore Kat. She remains one of my favorite characters on the show. I think she is beautiful, creative, spontaneous, humorous, and so much more. She also reminds me a lot of myself. I, too, have dealt with body image issues during high school. It can be difficult to hear people tell you how pretty you are, how smart you are, or how talented you are if you don’t believe it. You don’t wake up with confidence, it’s built. Simply telling someone to become something doesn’t work. It starts with you. No matter how many people try to convince you, it starts with you. 

I am so excited to see where Kat ends up by the end of Season two! I have too many questions that are itching to be answered. I guess I’ll just have to keep watching to find out. 

Haven’t seen Euphoria? Check out full episodes on HBO Max!