Let’s get straight to the tea: Bridgerton Season 3 finally gave us the slow-burn payoff we’ve been screaming into our throw pillows for—Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton (Polin, if you know, you know). But just as we were preparing to rewatch that carriage scene for the 17th time, a bizarre headline crashed the ball.
Yes, dear readers, the “mixed-weight romance” discourse is upon us—and it’s as messy as Lady Whistledown’s deleted drafts.
In June 2024, Forbes published an op-ed by weight bias expert Virgie Tovar titled “Bridgerton: Are We Still Not Ready for a Mixed-Weight Romance on Screen?” The article analyzed the on-screen pairing of Nicola Coughlan (our beloved Penelope) and Luke Newton (charming Colin), asking whether audiences were truly ready to see two differently-sized people fall in love—gasp—like it’s 2024 and not 1824.
Now, before we get too pitchforky, Tovar’s intention wasn’t malicious. She meant to challenge fatphobia and question representation in mainstream media. But the headline’s phrasing—“mixed-weight couple”—sparked immediate backlash. Fans were rightfully annoyed that Penelope and Colin’s love story was being treated like a science experiment instead of a triumph of long-awaited chemistry.
As one Twitter user wrote, “They’re fictional characters in love.
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