My Mad Fat Diary is a British television show and it's brilliant. About a year ago I discovered the show's existence and I immediately went to town trying to figure out a way to watch it. If you're interested in watching it, I believe the show is available on Hulu. However, I do not have a Hulu account, so watching this show was not an easy task.
First, I pretended to be a British and attempted to log into the E4 channel's website because they have episodes available to watch. However, the internet is smart and knew I lived in America. So, that failed. Then I discovered that the show is available on Hulu, so I tried to make an account on hulu, but realized I had no money. I also tried some shady websites that were definitely illegal, but I still couldn't find it. In the end, I watched the entire series on YouTube. It was a blurry experience, but oh-so worth it.
The show is based on the book My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary by Rae Earl. It's based on her real life diary. Rae is a boy-crazed, music fanatic who's humor makes her company enjoyable. Oh, yeah and she happens to be fat. Fun fact: you don't need to be fat to identify with this show. The series revolves around Rae and her friends, each having to deal with their own difficulties.
*SPOILER*
Rae eventually dates a boy named Finn Nelson. Finn Nelson stole my heart and I admire him dearly. He is well beyond good-looking and kind of a bad-*ss, in the best way. His hobbies include: playing football (also known as Soccer for us American folks), riding his motorcycle (hot, I know), listening to cool music, and being a proper, good boyfriend. What makes him a good boyfriend you ask? Maybe it's the fact that he's just a good person in general.
(Finn Nelson is played by Nico Mirallegro)
Finn is a good friend, especially to Rae and Archie. I don't want to spoil why and how he proves to be a great friend, so you'll have to see for yourself. More-so, I admire him for a deeper reason that goes beyond just being a good person.
It is often frowned upon for a good-looking person to date a fat person because for some reason, some person somewhere decided that a human being cannot be both fat and attractive. Silly person. I think we know as intelligent, open-minded individuals that everyone has their own set of standards. We all desire different things, so attractiveness shouldn't be generalized.
We know that Rae is fat and Finn has an average, athletic body. Society tells us that they can't be together. A guy like Finn would never be with a girl like Rae. He's way too good looking for her. This is why I like their relationship. I'm not commending Finn for dating Rae because she's fat and it doesn't bother him. I'm commending him because he is honest with himself. He is fearless in the sense that he doesn't care what anyone thinks about him. Finn likes Rae because he simply likes her. He likes talking to her and being with her, like any other healthy couple.
(Rae Earl is played by Sharon Rooney)
Why is this a big deal then? Why am I making such a big deal out of something so normal? Boy likes girl, girl likes boy. Seems normal, but normal relationships are rare in my generation. People hide their feelings these days. Sometimes it's because they don't want to seem vulnerable, but, overall, the reasons are truly endless.
Both girls and boys are confusing when it comes to relationships. As a girl, I only know confusing boys. So, as I watched Rae and Finn's relationship develop, I grew to admire it. Yes, they both made mistakes. Yes, they were both confusing at times. No, they weren't both honest with themselves. Rae had a lot of insecurities and rightfully so. She has had a rough life. However, Finn was always pretty straightforward. He knew he liked Rae and he didn't hide it. He wasn't embarrassed to be with someone who society didn't label as "attractive." I honestly don't even think he gave it a thought at all.
There are people out there who will think, "Oh, he's just a weird dude who likes fat chicks" or, "he must have some sort of fat fetish." No offense to people with fetishes (you do you), but Finn wasn't that type of guy. His dating history consists of average sized girls. So, we know that his feelings for Rae are genuine.
People and relationships like this do exist obviously, but we rarely see it in the media. Fat people play the funny friend who people crack jokes with. My Mad Fat Diary goes beyond this. Rae Earl is not only a brave character, but a real person. Her diary holds so many truths and it's fascinating to watch it be interpreted through a television series.
The show deals with many relatable topics other than a relationship that I admire. It involves having divorced parents, being troubled teens, having mental illnesses, abusing drugs, struggling with friendships and coming to terms with self-acceptance and self-love. It is a heavy show, but the characters keep it light, funny and quite amusing.
Truly, I recommend watching this series any way you can. It will be so worth it.
