#PodcastPick – Getting Curious: Jameela Jamil
When I saw that Jonathan Van Ness had interviewed Jameela Jamil for his podcast Getting Curious this week, I knew it was going to be glorious. Queer Eye’s resident hair guru and all-round wholesome shiny star, Jonathan is an effervescent interviewer, but he doesn’t shy away from the serious. He met with the actress and activist to talk body image, self-love, and her role as the loveably snobbish and extraordinarily elegant Tahani, on NBC’s The Good Place.
Over the course of an hour, (they overran, and honestly I was glad) Jonathan and Jameela unpack the more bizarre elements of life in the public eye. Both are pioneering in their own way, being minorities in mainstream television as well as advocates for inclusion and diversity. There is some heated discussion about privilege and race, as well as the correlation between the two, which is thought-provoking in the best possible way.
Vitally, we hear both of them speak frankly about the complicated relationships we all have with our bodies. In 2018, Jameela founded the I Weigh movement on Instagram; a profile dedicated to proving that all human beings are more than just a ‘number on a scale’. It’s now standing strong at 336k followers. Women are desperate for a way out of crippling diet culture, and I Weigh is a space where you can rediscover your self-worth. This episode was comforting and engaging, but also left me thinking more about how I can be an ally. Tune in to feel inspired.
NB: Both Jonathan and Jameela inadvertently overshare, and there’s an unexpected amount of poop talk, so if you’re listening in public, prepare to snort with laughter.
