To say the #bopo community is pissed about the Insatiable TV series in an understatement. Influencers in the movement that promotes body acceptance and positivity are blowing up Twitter with scathing remarks about the Insatiable Netflix trailer, and there’s already an online petition to have it pulled from the streaming service. So is the Insatiable TV series cancelled?
There’s certainly support to pull the plug on the Insatiable TV series which features Debby Ryan as Patty, a bullied teenager looking for revenge. What’s the problem with the series, exactly? Those calling for its cancellation claim the series promotes fat shaming.
The main character was bullied in school for being fat, but lost the weight after having her jaw wired shut after being punched in the face. After losing the weight she’s suddenly considered attractive by everyone at school and enters beauty pageants and plots her revenge. The online petition, which now has over 143,000 signatures, claims the story perpetuates the damaging idea that “in order to be popular, have friends, to be desirable for the male gaze, and to some extent be a worthy human…that we must be thin.”
The Insatiable TV series stars stand up for the show
Stars of the Insatiable TV series have been part of the dialogue online and claim the series is satire. Debby Ryan posted a long response on Twitter that touched on this, saying, “Satire is a way to poke fun at the hardest things, bring darkness into the light, and enter difficult conversations.”
“As someone who cares deeply about the way our bodies, especially women’s, are shamed and policed in society, I was so excited to work on Insatiable because it’s a show that addresses and confronts those ideas through satire,” she explained. “I have to laugh at my pain, otherwise I’ll dissolve and weep and get stuck instead of working through it. It’s a coping mechanism and, for a lot of people who are telling these stories, a healing mechanism.”
Ryan’s co-star Alyssa Milano also posted a response on the social media platform. “We are not shaming Patty. We are addressing (through comedy) the damage that occurs from fat shaming. I hope that clears it up.” Followers didn’t seem to take this comment well, though. They pointed out that the character Patty doesn’t have any “useful” qualities until after she loses the weight, which perpetuates negative stereotypes about being fat.
Is the Insatiable TV series cancelled?
While there are certainly plenty of calls for Netflix to cancel the Insatiable TV series, they’ve yet to announce a cancellation. The online petition is quickly surging toward its goal of 150,000 signatures. It’s a wait and see how the popular streaming service will respond, but Metro will update you with news as soon as it does. For now, you can watch the Insatiable Netflix trailer below to form your own opinion. So far all signs point to Netflix upholding the Insatiable release date.
