Why viewers want this fat-shaming Netflix series cancelled
The trailer for 'Insatiable' has been widely criticised
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TV Netlfix
The trailer for the latest Netflix original series, ‘Insatiable’ has received widespread backlash and even a petition calling for its cancellation is amassing thousands of signatures.
The forthcoming show follows an overweight high school student who suffers bullying and ridicule purely because of her weight. After she has to have her jaw wired shut over the summer, the main character returns back to school looking much thinner. The lead character is played by former Disney actor Debbie Ryan, who is clearly not overweight in real life, and her dramatic transformation in the series has audiences outraged.
A Change.org petition to have the show removed from Netflix is currently at 117,547 signatures.
“For so long, the narrative has told women and young impressionable girls 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 petition states.“This series will cause eating disorders, and perpetuate the further objectification of women’s bodies. The trailer has already triggered people with eating disorders. Let’s stop this, and protect further damage.”
Ryan responded to the overwhelmingly negative reaction by posting a message to Twitter where she defends the show's themes. Dubbing 'Insatiable' as purely a satirical series, Ryan urges her viewers to wait until it is released before passing judgment.
— debbyryan (@DebbyRyan) July 21, 2018