Body-positive activists are not happy with the trailer for Netflix’s new show, Insatiable
The trailer for Netflix’s new series Insatiable dropped on Thursday, July 19th, and the internet has thoughts. Within hours, the “dark, twisted revenge comedy” was met with major backlash on Twitter for its “fat-shaming” plot.
Many are arguing that Insatiable reinforces negative stereotypes and the notion that “thin” equates desirability. Others have taken issue with the fact that the show’s lead, Debbie Ryan, dons a “fat suit” for the role. It also seems to assume that curvier women should naturally aspire to be thin.
Ryan plays Patty, a high schooler who’s been bullied her whole life because of her looks. But after she loses a significant amount of weight over summer break and is suddenly “hot,” she vows to get revenge on everyone who had made her life miserable.
"Having my jaw wired shut lost me more than just my summer vacation," Patty says in the trailer. "Now, I could be the former fatty who turned into a brain. Or an athlete. Or a princess. No — I'd rather have revenge."
Here’s the trailer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-81WVD8xTs?feature=oembed
The response has been overwhelmingly negative, with many saying that this seems like a major misfire from the usually self-aware Netflix.
The show Insatiable on @netflix looks like a piece of utter trash. Don't watch shows where people wear fat suits. Don't watch shows where they try to turn fat phobia and hatred into a joke.
— Amanda Levitt (@FatBodyPolitics) July 19, 2018
false
Can we get a show where a fat character gets Revenge on everyone who’s shitty to them while still being fat, and is recognized as badass and funny and super hot, because that would be something actually fresh and cool and not the lukewarm watery oatmeal that is Insatiable
— 🌈Announcement Pinned!💜 (@RoAnnaSylver) July 19, 2018
What in the absolute fuck is this. Honestly, did anyone who worked on this show talk to a fat person? Like ever? This pushes disordered eating AND the fact that you have to lose weight to be "better". Shame on everyone who was involved with this project.
— Zina (@ZiRightNow) July 19, 2018
you have a chance to make creative, engaging, original content from fat people about fat people's lives and you choose to … put a skinny person in a fat suit and make jokes about how sad her life is and about what a crazy bitch she turns into. That's so lazy and pathetic.
— Angie Manfredi (@misskubelik) July 19, 2018
As of right now, Netflix has not commented on the controversy, but Alyssa Milano, who plays Patty’s mom, defended the series, writing, “We are not shaming Patty.”
We are not shaming Patty. We are addressing (through comedy) the damage that occurs from fat shaming. I hope that clears it up. Also, this article does a good job of explaining it more: https://t.co/WoR8R7TjqR #Insatiable https://t.co/GFkDdsn1uh
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) July 19, 2018
Meanwhile, Ryan hasn’t addressed the backlash directly, but she retweeted the same Teen Vogue article, which says the comedy is “taking aim at teenage bullying, society’s warped beauty standards, and the monsters that live inside all of us.”
We, of course, haven’t seen the series yet, so we’ll save our thoughts for when it comes out on August 10th. Perhaps the ultimate message won’t be body negative…only time will tell.
