Skip to main content

Posts

Ask Candace - Why Do I Still Struggle To Love My Body?

Ask Candace Is Back - #2 There’s something powerful about questions that linger. A while back, we invited readers to write in, about love, bodies, confidence, boundaries, and the quiet thoughts that don’t always make it into group chats. The responses came. Some arrived quickly. Others trickled in over time. And a few sat with me for a while, waiting for the right moment. That moment is now. Ask Candace was always meant to be a space where honesty could breathe. Not perfection. Not performance. Just real conversations about navigating life in a body, and a world, that often has too many opinions. Since our last column, so much has shifted. Bodies are being policed again. Thinness is being repackaged as “wellness.” Dating feels heavier. Many of us are healing, unlearning, starting over, and redefining confidence on our own terms. So we’re bringing Ask Candace back, not because I have all the answers, but because sometimes what we need most is to be reminded that we’re not alone, not bro...
Post a Comment
Read more
Recent posts

Lizzo, The Epstein Files & Why Folks Just Aren’t Taking Her Seriously

Lizzo, The Epstein Files & Why Folks Just Aren’t Taking Her Seriously By Candace L. Smith Let’s talk. And I mean REAL talk. Last week, the internet went into full-on chaos mode after millions of pages tied to the Jeffrey Epstein case were released by the U.S. Department of Justice. These documents — dubbed the Epstein Files — are a mish-mash of materials: some are official reports, others are unverified tips, and many are raw notes or intake calls logged by law enforcement over years. That’s key: being named in these files doesn’t equate to guilt, charges, or even investigation — sometimes it’s just someone’s claim, nothing more. Context matters.  Into this fire stepped Lizzo — the Grammy-winning musician who’s no stranger to controversy these past couple of years. In a now-viral TikTok clip (which many say she deleted after backlash), Lizzo seemed to lean into defending Jay-Z and even pushing back on folks connecting high profile names to the Epstein documents without context....
Post a Comment
Read more

Dr Pepper, Baaaaaby! How One TikTok Jingle Turned Romeo — and the Internet — Into a Creative Community

Dr Pepper, Baaaaaby! How One TikTok Jingle Turned Romeo — and the Internet — Into a Creative Community I still remember the first time it popped up on my timeline. 🎶 “Dr Pepper, baaaaaaby, it’s good and nice… doo doo doo.” 🎶 I watched it once. Then again. Then again. And like any good jingle, it refused to leave my head for days. Not in an annoying way — in a wait, why is this actually perfect? kind of way. https://youtu.be/jL0G_QOQVOU That’s the magic Romeo (@romeosshow) tapped into when they impulsively hit record just days before Christmas and shared a playful love letter to a drink they genuinely enjoy. What started as a quick TikTok clip turned into a viral moment with tens of millions of views, a creative ripple effect across the platform, and eventually… a national Dr Pepper commercial aired during the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship. Talk about trusting your intuition. Ozempic Culture is Here, But What Happens to Body Positivity? (Opinion) Watch Now From T...
Post a Comment
Read more

Am I Asking for Too Much? - Ask Candace - Advice Column

Am I Asking for Too Much?  Ask Candace - Advice Column Hey Candace, I’m a plus-size woman in my 30s and I’m tired. Tired of dating men who say they like me but won’t claim me. They enjoy my body in private but hesitate in public. I’m starting to wonder if I’m asking for too much by wanting consistency, affection, and to be seen. Am I expecting too much? — Tired of Almosts Hey Tired, Let me say this clearly and slowly so it lands: You are not asking for too much. You are asking the wrong person. Some people are very comfortable benefiting from your softness, your body, your laughter—without offering you safety or pride in return. That has nothing to do with your size and everything to do with their capacity. Here’s the truth many of us weren’t taught early enough: If someone can only love you in pieces or in private, they are not loving you at all. You deserve a love that stands upright. One that doesn’t whisper. One that doesn’t need dim lighting or secrecy to survive. Wanting cons...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ozempic Culture is Here, But What Happens to Body Positivity?

When Thin Became Trendy Again: Who Gets Left Behind? By Phatabulous Magazine Staff Ozempic Culture & the Quiet Rollback of Body Positivity For a brief, shimmering moment, it felt like the world was finally catching up. Plus-size women were visible. Fashion brands expanded their sizing. Campaigns spoke the language of “body neutrality,” “health at every size,” and “confidence without apology.” Fat bodies weren’t just tolerated—they were styled, centered, and celebrated. And then, almost overnight, thin became trendy again. Not because the science changed. Not because fat bodies suddenly became unhealthy. But because Ozempic culture arrived. Watch Commentary Video GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound have reshaped beauty standards at record speed. What began as a medical intervention for diabetes and obesity has quietly morphed into a cultural reset—one where shrinking is praised, staying the same is questioned, and opting out feels like rebellion. Plus-size mod...
Post a Comment
Read more