Mainstream twitter was enraged when Netflix released their newest original series; "Insatiable." The show stars Patty Bladel's (Debby Ryan) journey as she returns to school after an accident that caused her to lose seventy pounds. Patty was walking on the street one day when a homeless man called her fat so she pushed him, then he that in turn broke her jaw, forcing her jaw to be wired shut for several months. hence, the mass weight loss.
Twitter was angry because upon her arrival back to school Patty was being treated differently because she was skinny. The platform's users went on a rampage about how insulting the show was. How backward and unhealthy it was to promote that all you had to do in order to be popular was be a certain size. However, the problem with this narrative of rage is that Patty not only hated the way she was being treated, but she hated it. In fact, she wanted to get revenge on all the people who had treated her badly for all these years.
That aspect of the show was not what angered me, oh no. I was mad because it was portrayed as a norm for the fat girl to have little to no friends, no boyfriend, and no aspirations. At this point I know I shouldn't be surprised by the media constantly recycling the fat girl trope, but it just gets old.
Like, really?
There are so many better things to make into a television show that is legitimately entertaining and not offensive. Growing up this type of content was all I had to represent women that looked like the women that I held in high regard and the woman that I was becoming. Never seeing yourself in the media when you are growing up can be seriously hurtful and confusing. Or when there are people like you, they are always skewed in a negative light or to be the "fat girl" that nobody likes.
Then even when she does become skinny she is still a shitty person. Her friends can't rely on her. All the boys she has an interest in or dates she only does it if there is something she can gain from the situation. Then as soon as she gets what she wants she drops them and leaves them in the dust. The worst part of it all is that she never admits that all of the horrible stuff she has done is her fault.
See what I mean by the negative light?
The entire show is supposed to be based on her getting revenge for being bullied, but in actuality, it is just an excuse for her to bully others and take it way too far. Therefore the message that they were trying to go for: Fat girl is skinny and mad that people are treating her differently because of the way she looks; became : the Skinny girl that is using her newfound skinniness to have leverage in getting away with things that she would never have when she was on the outside. So at that point how is she better than any of the people that bullied her?
Overall Insatiable is a trap for young girls like me that are craving an outlet to see themselves in. Ultimately it sends a message that no matter how genuine they are or how good of a friend they are if they are not a size 2. This show is going to stem a generation of girls desperately trying to change their bodies in a vain attempt to feel like they belong. If you are one of the girls who watched this show and now feels angry and misrepresented; know that you're not alone.
