I LOVE Maddie Dragsbaek - and here's why you should, too

I'll be honest: my longest-lasting pandemic hobby has been sitting on the couch in my underwear scouring YouTube, specifically for sex-ed/body-positive content. As you know (or will soon find out), these two topics are close to my heart.

My journey through the YouTube rabbit hole has led me to discover countless content creators, sexologists, and sex educators who openly share their knowledge despite the "taboo" of it all (insert eye roll here). Though I've made a conscious effort to find as many body-positive creators as I can, I can't lie - most of them look nothing like me.

Don't get me wrong - the information these folks share is valuable and important. But we'd all be lying if we didn't admit having sex as a plus-size person has its own unique set of challenges (and benefits!) that just aren't discussed. At least, I didn't think they were.

That's when I came across Maddie's channel.

All about Maddie

Maddie Dragsbaek is a 24 year old filmmaker, podcaster, YouTuber, and professional Hot Girl™ who is making the content we REALLY wanna see (and by "we" I absolutely mean "me"). Some of her most viewed videos include How to take your best nudes, A celebration of saggy boobs, and How to feel confident on top. From my first click onto her page, I was convinced this channel was made just for me.

There are countless reasons why Maddie's channel has resonated so strongly with me. Seeing a woman who looks like me on my TV screen who fully and authentically loves herself, loves her body, and owns her sexuality has been a life changer. But Maddie is also open about her struggles with self-confidence, body image, and staying true to herself. To me, that vulnerability is more important than anything else I've found on her channel.

I'd like to highlight three important reasons in particular why Maddie's work is so important, not just to me, but to folks around the world who struggle with confidence, self-esteem, body image, and feeling free sexually.

1. She answers the questions we all want to ask, but don't

It's interesting that sex is such a difficult topic to discuss, considering it's something all of us as humans will inevitably encounter in one way or another. The inability to ask questions about our own bodies and desires can lead to some deep confusion and repression. In my experience, it's been hard to find answers to the real, raw questions I've finally allowed myself to explore.

Maddie may not have the answers for each and every one of us, but she openly discusses how she found those answers for herself. Questions like: What do I even like? What feels good to me? How do I even begin to talk to someone I'm interested in, much less have a sexual connection with them?

Maddie also answered the questions I thought would magically answer themselves as I got older, but actually became even more difficult to solve: What do I feel the most confident wearing? How can I find the courage to wear that bold new outfit? How can I learn to love the parts of my body I'm uncomfortable with?

2. She gives us advice we can actually take

There are plenty of self-help books out there that try to teach us how to change the things we don't like about ourselves, and quite frankly, some of it is bullshit. The solutions are oversimplified, unsustainable, or coming from someone who has never walked a step in our shoes, and we're left feeling even worse than when we started.

Watching Maddie's content inspired me to take small, manageable baby steps towards self-love in a way I had never considered before. There's something about hearing it from a real person who's going through it with you that makes all the difference. One video in particular that stuck out to me was Maddie discussing how she used to be the most insecure about her stomach and the steps she took to overcome that. She challenged herself to take more photos showing her stomach, even if no one else saw them but her. Eventually, she grew to love that part of herself.

As someone who is also insecure about their stomach, I immediately thought, "I could actually try that." She reminded me that I don't have to make some grand gesture to overcome what's holding me back; the small steps are just as valid as the big steps.

3. Shame has no place on her channel

Society teaches us to be ashamed of a lot of things from a young age, both consciously and subconsciously. Purity culture, fat phobia, homophobia, kink-shaming... the list goes on.

Though Maddie's channel often focuses on her own personal experiences, her content is inclusive to all body types, genders, and sexualities. She encourages her viewers to like what they like, express themselves however they feel is best, and be damn proud of who they are, whatever that looks like.

All the things I've always felt were barriers to my sexuality - my weight, my body type, my "desirability" (or lack thereof) - are the exact same things Maddie loves most about herself and encourages her audience to love, too. And it's more than just tolerance - it's full, unapologetic acceptance. That's the good shit right there.

Plus, there's an extra cherry on top: Maddie is sponsored by Bellesa, my favorite sex toy retailer and ethical porn website. We were just meant to be, Maddie and I.

Maddie's voice is a much-needed one, and one that I hope you'll take the time to listen to. Check out her YouTube channel, listen to her podcast Girl Under You, or follow her on Instagram. Let me know what your favorite video of hers is in the comments.

Much love,

MB xx