'I like big butts and I cannot lie...' Poetic words, first uttered by the iconic Sir Mix-A-Lot in 1992, that went on to become a #1 hit, at the same time the waif model was in vogue. Who knew then that this funny little song would become the harbinger of a change in what mainstream culture finds attractive. Since then, Hip Hop songs and music videos have injected the booty into mainstream consciousness, affecting beauty standards and redefining the aesthetics. According to Dr Anthony Griffin, world-renowned plastic surgeon and regular participant on the hit reality show, “Extreme Makeover,” requests for his pioneering Brazilian Butt Lift Surgery have surpassed all other surgeries, despite its $15,000+ price tag. Bootyful World explores social attitudes towards the booty, from Sarah Bartmaan--a South African woman exploited for her oversized rear end at the beginning of the nineteenth century--to the present, where the popularity of larger-bottoms has sprung a redesigned mannequin -- one that necessitates a significantly larger buttocks than that of the traditional stick mannequin. The world has changed. Or has it? As the world seems to be shifting towards this more liberated standard, 'Bootyful World' asks if this is truly liberation or merely another mold that we are forced to fit into. Our film follows several women dealing with these issues as they exist in what has become a Bootyful World, and, through the aid of subjects and experts, examines society's changing attitude towards the booty.

Forms: Documentary, Short
Genres: Educational, Hip Hop
Niches: African American, Black, Women, Student