Insatiable: Fat-shaming Normalized

Stephanie Ballesteros, Staff Writer

Netflix produces lots of shows. Some are very good. Then there’s Insatiable. This new show is completely inconsiderate of eating disorders and self image. Throughout the entire show, the audience is manipulated into believing that being fat is a sickness; therefore, you should not be happy if your body is not thin enough. In the very first episode, one of the main characters tells the newly transformed Fatty Patty starring Debby Ryan, “You were sick, you were scared.” This is just one of the many references that romanticizes the idea of being skinny at all costs.

People are taught that their natural body shape is not enough. Somewhere in the middle of the show, there is a tiny glimpse of hope. It looks like the plot is about to change and Patty will finally be happy with herself, but no. It quickly dies down and goes back to its original plot: Starve yourself and blame all of the bad actions on your “past-self” personality.

The fact that a skinny person uses a fat suit to play the role of Patty’s former self is a bit insensitive. It almost looks like it is being used as a mockery. Also, the show does not try to promote a way to fight eating disorders, it just presents the disorders. Throughout the show, Patty never once goes to visit a doctor or a professional who could help her with her dietary needs. She just chooses to starve herself, while everyone else stands by.

This show does not seem to care about the real issues that are clearly presented all throughout, the biggest one being: eating disorders. The show takes these serious issues and turns them into comedy without offering the appropriate help.