As soon as the two minute trailer for "Insatiable" on Netflix was released, it immediately faced insane backlash and tons of accusations claiming that it was a horrible show about glorifying the thin body image and showing fat cannot be beautiful. This even lead to the show's lead actress, Debby Ryan, releasing a statement defending the show, as well as Insatiable's writer defending it as well. There were always two sides of the argument, with one advocating against the series (even starting a petition for Netflix to remove it) and the other defending it.
After spending the past twelve or so hours binging the entire series, I'm here to say that it is far from bad, and very much a necessary show that I believe we all need in our lives.
After watching the trailer, I was quick to question the negativity being spread about the series. In my head I thought, "Are people really this sensitive? It looks like a good show!", and I was beyond excited for it to be released. As soon as I could, I added it to my Netflix list and counted down the days for its arrival, not being able to wait to finally watch it. On Friday night, I got comfy in my bed with snacks and drinks, ready to binge the whole series and pull an all-nighter determined to finish it in one go.
Don't worry, the first episode made me feel pretty sick too. I had this lingering feeling of doubt washing over me as the unbearable minutes passed on. I really thought people were right for giving the show such a bad reputation, even before watching it. It made me uncomfortable, I'm not going to lie. Nevertheless, I was determined to give it a second chance. The second episode was still bad, but less so than its previous. The third got a little less bad, and by the fourth episode, I was hooked. I had fallen in love with the show that, barely three hours earlier, had made me question my own judgement.
Hours passed on and episode after episode, I was getting more and more invested. When the end of the 12th episode rolled around, I was even disappointed to see it end. I had become attached to these characters and all the twists and turns it had taken just made a second season seem even more appealing. If I had stopped at one or two, or even three episodes, I would've missed an entire story that was brilliantly told through satire and dark comedy. I would have missed the insane plot twists and heartfelt moments shared between characters. It felt like more than a show, I felt like I was involved in Patty's life just as much as anyone else.
People who haven't watched past the trailer, or even past the first three or four episodes, can't form an accurate opinion on the series. It just isn't realistic, which may be a very bitter pill to swallow. Most of the uncomfortable issues brought up in episode one are brought to light by the end of the series. The show is very clearly meant to be taken lightly, but the jokes just seem to go over everybody's heads because of how sensitive people are.
On the surface, it looks like a harmful show. Patty, played by Debby Ryan, is the stereotypical "fat girl turned skinny". She gets punched in the face and her jaw is wired shut, leading her to lose 70 pounds in about three months and becoming skinny. She thinks her life as a thin girl is going to be the best thing she could have ever imagined, even plotting revenge against the people who have wronger her. However, this revenge plot is hardly seen past episode seven, and Patty's problems seem to get worse after she loses all the weight. Patty still deals with body image issues after she is thin, and the people around her hardly think different of her. The problems that Patty must face are heavily due to her own actions, and she definitely faces an equal amount of consequences as well.
While being a bit touchy on a few subjects here and there (i.e bisexuality, homophobia, transphobia, etc.) it is all dismissed because it is meant to be a little offensive due to the humor it is aiming at. If it is triggering, simply do not watch it. It's very simple, really, but it is funny because of the light being shed on it.
Here's a little news flash for the people making judgements and hating on the show after watching just the trailer, or even the first episode: if you don't give the entire thing a shot, your opinions just look idiotic. After watching all twelve episodes, I've come to find that Insatiable is great. It's relatable, and it brings up important topics about eating disorders, society, and the problems people face when they have self confidence issues. The dark humor and satire seems to go over people's heads because on the surface level, it is offensive. What you don't realize, however, is that it's supposed to be offensive.
The main character was written to be a bad person. Other characters were written to be a little ignorant or annoying, irritating or stereotypical. That's the point of satire, and that's the point of having a show with controversial topics. As an overweight and LGBT woman, I can say that it brings up important issues and how being thin doesn't solve all your problems. It shows how Patty's life got arguably worse after she lost all the weight, and that people are poison no matter what form they may come in. It sheds light on these topics and problems that society has while not only being insanely funny, but also entertaining. It pokes fun at the issues that everyday people, including myself, are forced to deal with. Maybe if people would stop being so sensitive and give it a chance, they'd realize it isn't half bad.
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