A few weeks ago, a user on X commented that she felt the latest pushes for diversity in fashion — e.g., Victoria’s Secret's decision to feature profoundly disabled women on the runway — were the modern equivalent of the freak show. The observation felt salient. In the case of Victoria’s Secret, the retailer was introducing an adaptive line specifically for people who may not fit into standard sizes or shapes.
While the casting felt appropriate for that show in particular, the user was right that many of these diversity pushes really do feel like “freak shows”: opportunities to gawk at people with profound differences, this time under the veil of representation or, in the language of so many DEI departments, celebrating all body types.
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