Black women, Brazilian butt lifts and body image: A qualitative study on the role social media play in promoting the thick ideal

Abstract

Brazilian butt lift (BBL) surgery is defined by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery as ‘a specialized fat transfer procedure that augments the size and shape of the buttocks without implants’. While members of all ethnic and racial groups elect to get cosmetic surgery, BBLs are especially popular among Black women. Unlike the Eurocentric beauty standard to be as thin as possible, Black women strive for an in-between weight, otherwise known as the thick ideal. This body ideal is based on the Mammy and Jezebel stereotypes of Black women and can cause women with excess or too little curves to feel a sense of inferiority or a lack of racial acceptance. Many prominent Black celebrities and influencers have either had, encouraged or drawn attention to BBLs through various mass media channels, including social media. Thus, this research aimed to understand the trend towards buttock augmentation and body concerns among Black women and examine if social media play a role in sharing information and opinions regarding the procedure within the Black community. The research was guided by two questions: (1) what discussions are Black women having about BBLs on social media? (2) Do conversations about BBLs impact Black women’s body image and body satisfaction? To explore the purpose, videos on TikTok were examined. TikTok, a video-focused social networking platform, was chosen due to its rising popularity, focus on appearance-based content and its emphasis on collaboration and conversation. The results fell under two themes: (1) motivations for having a BBL and (2) resistance against having a BBL. The themes were consistent with previous research done on the relationship between internet use and body image concerns, previous research conducted on the impact of the thick ideal on Black women’s body image and sociocultural theories of self-objectification, social comparison and body surveillance.