Alyssa Milano defends Netflix's "Insatiable" against fat-shaming accusations
Alyssa Milano on Friday defended the upcoming Netflix series "Insatiable" after social media users accused the show of fat-shaming. The dark comedy focuses on a teenager named Patty, who has been bullied over her weight, but gets revenge on her bullies after she becomes thin.
Milano, who co-stars on the show, addressed the critics and said, "We are not shaming Patty. We are addressing (through comedy) the damage that occurs from fat shaming. I hope that clears it up." The actress linked to an article about the show in Teen Vogue that talks about the nuances of the series.
The trailer for "Insatiable" was released Thursday. It shows Patty, a high schooler who classmates call "Fatty Patty," played by actress Debby Ryan. After Patty gets her jaw wired shut during the summer, she returns to school "hot." In a voiceover, Patty refers to herself as a "former fatty," and the teen is ready for payback against anyone who was mean to her.
On the show, disgraced attorney Bob Armstrong (played by Dallas Roberts) sees Patty's potential as a beauty queen and takes her under his wing as he coaches her for beauty pageants. Milano plays his wife, Coralee.
Twitter users voiced their disdain for the show, especially because the trailer shows Ryan in a fat suit.
Two thoughts about Netflix’s Insatiable:
— Avery Edison, Basic Attention Economy Grifter (@aedison) July 20, 2018
1) You don’t get to defend any part of your show as “body positive” if a single second of it features an actor in a fat suit.
2) Hollywood is convinced that they’ve perfected “fat suit” technology, but they have not and will not.
Just saw the trailer for Insatiable. I hear the actors and team behind it are asking us to look beyond the trailer but trailers are supposed to entice us - this trailer repelled me. How in any world is weight loss from a jaw being forced shut inspiring? Do they know what implies?
— Nabela (@Nabela) July 20, 2018
There are so many stupid and awful things in that Insatiable trailer but also: if you lose that much weight in a couple months from having your jaw wired shut you don’t like, get a six pack? That’s not how weight works
— Kate 💖 Leth (@kateleth) July 20, 2018
Netflix describes "Insatiable" as "a dark, twisted revenge comedy" in which Patty's rage runs "deep." The press release claims "revenge is sweet, and if you cross Patty, you'll be her next treat."
Ryan also responded to the criticism with a screenshot from the aforementioned Teen Vogue article with a highlighted passage that says, "When she returns to school, everyone's stunned by her physical change. Problematic? You bet. After all, if someone's treatment of you is rooted in how your body looks, that says a lot about them, not you. Attuned to that, Patty sets out on a quest to make everyone pay for how they treated her (even if you really should just let karma deal with the wrongdoers in its good, sweet time)."
https://t.co/UIxiUYL2jp pic.twitter.com/Irkek4j22e
— debbyryan (@DebbyRyan) July 20, 2018
But Franchesca Ramsey of MTV's "Decoded" responded, "the highlighted piece seems to suggest the show is meant to comment on how society is cruel to fat ppl which...we already know. but you're participating in that cruelty bc you're thin & boiling down a characters happiness & success to their being thin. so yea, people are upset."
the highlighted piece seems to suggest the show is meant to comment on how society is cruel to fat ppl which...we already know. but you’re participating in that cruelty bc you’re thin & boiling down a characters happiness & success to their being thin. so yea, people are upset
— Franchesca Ramsey (@chescaleigh) July 20, 2018
See the trailer for yourself below.