Is ‘Baywatch’ Reboot Another Blow to Body Positivity Movement?
Guilty pleasure classic returns with buff bodies and iconic red swimwear
There’s a throwaway moment in “The Devil Wears Prada 2” that might have been culturally provocative a short time ago.
Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly is holding court with her fellow Runway magazine colleagues. The term “Body Positivity” comes up, and Miranda’s face is a mixture of disgust and confusion.
It’s like she bit into a brick of dirt, thinking it was a Cadbury bar. A fashion model is meant to be stick thin, not curvy, the expression all but shouts.
Off-camera, a “Prada 2” star sang from a different hymnal.
Anne Hathaway Pushed Body Positivity in The Devil Wears Prada 2 Casting – Claims “All Different Shapes Are Beautiful”
“I thought the scene would be so much more enjoyable for the audience if we had just a wider range of bodies on display.” pic.twitter.com/YILz2H8B5m
— Geeks + Gamers (@GeeksGamersCom) April 21, 2026
No matter. That Streep moment passes, and the story continues without any fallout or lectures. Seems the Body Positivity movement can’t catch a break of late.
Said movement took a direct hit when the culture embraced Ozempic and similar dietary drugs. Suddenly, influential stars who showcased their curves were bragging about their new, slimmer selves.
Think Lizzo, who flirted with Ozempic before embracing an old-school approach to weight loss. Or Amy Schumer, who never hid her curves but was now flaunting her skinnier self on Instagram.
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Enter “Baywatch.”
The TV sensation let viewers ogle some of the most beautiful actors in Hollywood. Oh, and there were some soapy stories intertwined with slow-motion shots of Pamela Anderson and her co-stars.
The syndicated show was a product of its time, and a monstrously successful one, to boot. At its peak, the show could be seen in more than 95 percent of the country and generated 1.1 weekly views worldwide.
In recent years, celebrating female beauty curdled into conversations about the “male gaze.” Corporations flaunted full-figure models, not just super skinny supermodels.
Even Victoria’s Secret opened up its modeling choices to trans women and rounder ladies.
Except the company’s sales took a nose dive shortly thereafter. And when woke began to recede in the pop culture space. it was suddenly acceptable to be trim and beautiful again.
Which means it’s the perfect time for a “Baywatch” reboot.
A quick peek at the new cast suggests that thin and buff are back, and Body Positivity is taking a back seat.
BAYWATCH
‘Baywatch’ will premiere in January. It stars Stephen Amell, Jessica Belkin, Shay Mitchell, Noah Beck, Brooks Nader, Livvy Dunne and more
“Baywatch is a huge, huge priority for us,” FOX President Michael Thorn noted.
More details: https://t.co/tr5ZkQ2sjT pic.twitter.com/PBoqwDQPrK
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) May 11, 2026
The cast photo could double as a Planet Fitness poster.
Will the full show feature curvier co-stars running in slow motion across the beach? Perhaps.
The debut photo suggests otherwise. The show wants bodies that are positively fit, first and foremost.