Hi y’all,
I just need to vent about something, and this is probably the best way to do it.
I keep seeing advertisements for the upcoming Netflix series titled “Insatiable,” and they’ve made me so furious. I’m not the type of person to bash on a tv series, because honestly I don’t watch a lot of series. It’s not my thing to binge watch a show unless is truly catches my eye. But this, disgusting misrepresentation of a plus sized girl is actually appalling.
If you haven’t seen it, search for it on YouTube to get the full understanding of where I’m coming from. Within the first 30 seconds of the preview, the main character appears, a blonde, clearly “fat suited” girl, by the name of patty. And apparently, everyone hates her, makes fun of her, and has nicknamed herself “fatty patty.” It’s mentioned that “while all the people in high school were losing their virginity, she was stuffing another hole.”
With that comes my first point. The message that this is basically conveying, is that if you’re fat, people will not find you sexually attractive, and therefore you’ll be alone unless you fit into societies idea of what “attractive” is. Also, it makes the point that plus sized people just sit and shove their gullets with food, and do nothing else with their time. Lovely Netflix, great message.
Moving along into the next minute...
Instilling the idea that “not eating for a few months” will make you lose all of your excess weight and become beautiful. This actually made me really upset. Now, for one thing, the main character gets punched in the fucking mouth and has her jaw wired shut, and can’t eat. But this message is so dangerous, especially to younger guys and girls. “Just don’t eat, and you’ll become hot and everyone will like you” is essentially what’s being told her. Is this a fucking joke? Are you trying to trigger eating disorders? I can’t even count the amount of times in my life I’ve thought of just stopping eating to lose weight. This is incredibly unhealthy to portray.
And then...
“Patty” ponders at her desk, and tries to decide who she wants to be in her new image...choosing between “the brain, the jock, or the princess.” Like no plus size girl has ever been smart, athletic, or the star of the show. It just doesn’t make sense to me that in 2018 this is the type of smut that directors are coming up with.
But right at the end, they just sew it all up into a revenge plot. Like that’s a wonderful idea. Tell all the girls who watch this that once they’ve achieved level “pretty and skinny” to go fight other girls and set people on fire. Makes sense in a world where 15 year olds are walking into high schools with automatic weapons and wiping out their classmates. Great idea.
The thing that really bothers me about this whole fucking this, is that the actress...”patty” in the beginning, is wearing a fucking fat suit. I know the character has to stay the same facial wise, but really? You couldn’t have hired a different actress? Two different girls to portray the same role? Is been done a thousand times, but okay whatever.
I know this was long winded, but it’s been on my mind for a few days and I had to say SOMETHING. it’s fucking gross and disgusting that in a social media frenzied world where we’re all trying our best to love ourselves, this nonsense comes out. “Dark humor” is right.
What are your thoughts? Let me know
Until then,
K.
