Weighing over 250 lbs, she is very hard to miss. While its presence takes on numerous variations, it can be easily recognized by a handful of defining attributes. Aside from his enormous size, he is more often than not of a darker complexion, usually takes part in a conversation that is confrontational or awkward, and his best line is often little more than a sassy "Mmmm hmmm". This caricature, which plays on stereotypes of large black women as boisterous and sometimes aggressive, has appeared for some time in black television sitcoms like "The Parkers," and films like "Norbit" often have directors and writers who are black themselves. With black directors and producers giving the character more acceptability, she is starting to appear more and more often. Despite the popularity of such characters among blacks themselves, some find these images of large black women disturbing because they are exploiting a cultural gap that still exists between blacks and whites. For decades, stereotypical portrayals of blacks have drawn criticism from civil rights groups. . Some of the earliest and most iconic examples of blacks on television such as Florida Evans, the mother of Good Times; Louise Beavers as Beulah showed blacks in passive, submissive roles reminiscent of the days of slavery. Black women who had leading roles on television sitcoms were often dark-skinned, brash, loud, and overweight. These images have been toned down over the years and are no longer as overtly stereotypical as they once were. Today, the freer use of overweight black women in comedic situations suggests a positive change that reflects a broader acceptability of people of color in the media. But others find the recurring u... in the center of the card... people are diagnosed with type II diabetes every day. It is important that people try to educate our young people about the risks of having a poor diet and being severely overweight. I believe that the way great black women are portrayed on television and in film actually has an effect on how they are viewed in the black community. Images of large black women and the roles they play in television sitcoms and films fuel many stereotypes that evolved hundreds of years ago during slavery. It is very sad to say that we black people, in a way, prevent ourselves from moving forward by continuing to accept these demeaning characters into our homes every day. Not all great black women are desperate, loud, casual, and overly dramatic; but unless you have or have had a personal relationship with a large black woman, you wouldn't know.