I know you're not supposed to judge a piece of work by a measly three-minute clip, but come on, y'all.
If you haven't heard, Netflix just released an original series starring Debby Ryan called "Insatiable"—and you only need to make it a couple seconds into the trailer until you're full on fat-shaming bullshit.
The show follows Patty Bladell, an overweight high school student who is bullied relentlessly for her weight—called "Fatty Patty" on multiple occasions in the trailer alone—until an incident that results in her mouth being wired shut for three months and being unable to eat food.
Patty comes out on the other end of her hospital visit thin and beautiful and ready to live out every dream she was seemingly unable to live out when she was overweight. And herein lies the problem with this show.
First of all, I don't know why we're all ignoring the fact that she loses the weight after having her mouth wired shut.
The implications of her life-changing weight loss resulting from not being able to eat food for three months is incredibly problematic.
But the bigger and more obvious theme within the show is that Patty is only able to live out her wildest fantasies once she loses the weight. She is only able to be happy and fulfilled and loved and worthy after she loses the weight. The story isn't about a triumphant girl. The story is about a triumphant skinny girl. The only option.
Because how could a fat girl love herself? How could a fat girl be happy with her life and not want to change? How could a fat girl see herself as anything other than a before picture?
A lot of people are speaking out in defense of the show, saying that it gives a real look into the issue of bullying and fat-shaming that goes on in schools and in the world at large. A lot of people are saying that as fat people or formerly fat people, they can confirm that yes, life is harder, and this show is simply telling that story.
The biggest issue with this perspective is that sure, when it's looked at through a critical lens by someone a lot older and wiser and at a more comfortable and stable place in life, maybe it makes sense—maybe.
But that's not the target audience of this show and that's not who will be watching.
These are young people.
These are little girls.
These are kids who don't have the ability to think so critically and don't have the life experience to take everything with a grain of salt.
I would like to say that I will be watching this show to give it a fair shot and encourage you to do the same. But as someone in recovery from an eating disorder who has struggled with my body image my entire life, I know that I, like many others, won't be able to watch the show without being triggered and going back into dangerous territory.
That's the reality of the power of media. That's the reality of the responsibility that media companies and content creators take on when they decide to put out a piece of work. Netflix continues to create and market content for young people without understanding the possible ramifications of the message behind the media.
This is "13 Reasons Why" all over again.
We put out irresponsible content depicting suicide and then we wonder why suicide rates are rising. We put out irresponsible content depicting disordered eating and fat-shaming and then we wonder why eating disorders are starting younger and increasing in prevalence. We cry tragedy and epidemic after the fact but capitalize on it anyway.
We can do better.