Insatiable star Alyssa Milano is speaking out in response to backlash over the new show, which many people think fat-shames its lead character, played by Debby Ryan, promoting the objectification of women’s bodies.
In the dark comedy series, set to debut on Netflix on Aug. 10, Ryan stars as Patty, a high school girl who lost a lot of weight one summer and sets out to get revenge on the classmates who previously mocked her over her figure.
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After the trailer was released on Thursday, many took to Twitter to denounce the show.
“This is a good example of why I grew up insecure and thought I would never be loved because of my size,” one Twitter user wrote. “Give us a story where the fat girl stays fat, struggles but learns to accept her body and overcomes societal standards.”
Another user added how “it promotes fat-shaming, teaches young people that if you don’t eat you’ll become skinny and desirable, romanticizes revenge fantasies, [and] shows that you’re only deserving of love and popularity if you fall into society’s definition of beauty.”
Many users then directed their irritation at another key figure in the project: Milano.
“Really…..so she wasn’t able to take revenge until she was ‘conventionally attractive’?” Twitter user @thecursedempath wrote to Milano, after she shared a link to the video. “This is disgusting! You are the face of the Women’s Movement and THIS? Shame on you!”
“We are not shaming Patty,” Milano tweeted in response. “We are addressing (through comedy) the damage that occurs from fat shaming. I hope that clears it up.”
We are not shaming Patty. We are addressing (through comedy) the damage that occurs from fat shaming. I hope that clears it up. Also, this article does a good job of explaining it more: https://t.co/WoR8R7TjqR #Insatiable https://t.co/GFkDdsn1uh
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) July 19, 2018
Milano plays the role of Coralee, the wife of Dallas Roberts’ male lead character Rob, and has been heavily promoting the Netflix original series. The Charmed alum is known for being a strong advocate for positive female imagery in media, so her inclusion in the project rubbed many the wrong way.
While many of the critics kept on, some decided to wait until the show’s first season is released on Aug. 10 to pass judgement.
Let’s talk about that #Insatiable trailer! https://t.co/LlntnVYy1K
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) July 21, 2018
“I understand people feeling maybe a bit uncomfortable at how they’re advertising insatiable, but you have two women, Alyssa Milano [and] Debby Ryan, who are advocates for human rights [and] other women,” one Twitter user wrote. “Alyssa is one of the most vocal celebrity females in politics. They got this.”
Show creator Lauren Gussis based the series on her own experiences being bullied as a teen, according to Teen Vogue.
“This is my expression of my own process. My own pain. And so I would never mock myself in a way that wasn’t loving,” she told the magazine. “It’s my way of sharing my own experience with the world. So it’s not coming from an outsider’s perspective pointing a finger, it’s from inside.”
“There is so much more to [the show,] and definitely trust that we’re doing it and it’s there,” Ryan said, adding that it highlights “everything from the complicated mother-daughter relationships, dating in high school, finding yourself in sexuality, and different boundaries within relationships. And I think if you do take a second to get to know it, I think you’ll realize that Patty’s complicated, these people are complicated.”
Will you tune in to the new Netflix dark comedy?
