Why a Netflix dark comedy sparked a massive petition before it even aired
In short: Before its 2018 debut, the dark comedy Insatiable faced a massive backlash, with over 230,000 people signing a petition to cancel it. Critics accused the show of fat-shaming, while the creator argued it was a satirical look at the damage caused by such societal pressures. The controversy defined its legacy.
Created by Lauren Gussis and based on a 2014 New York Times Magazine article, Insatiable follows Patty Bladell, a teenager who loses 70 pounds after her jaw is wired shut following an assault. She teams up with a disgraced pageant coach, Bob Armstrong, to seek revenge on those who wronged her. The series, filmed in Georgia, premiered on Netflix in August 2018.
The show became a lightning rod for criticism almost immediately. A Change.org petition launched in July 2018 accused the series of promoting fat-shaming. While star Alyssa Milano defended the project as a comedic exploration of the harm caused by such behavior, critics remained unconvinced. Reviewers like Linda Holmes and Roxane Gay argued the show failed as satire, labeling it lazy and insulting. Gay specifically criticized the show's inability to imagine a narrative where a character could be happy and healthy without conforming to traditional beauty standards.
Despite the intense scrutiny, the show ran for two seasons before its cancellation in February 2020. Critical reception remained largely negative, with the series holding an 11% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics frequently cited its reliance on broad stereotypes and clumsy social commentary as major flaws. Even the show's attempt to engage with body-positive discourse backfired; when star Debby Ryan mentioned listening to a body-positive podcast to prepare for the role, the podcast hosts publicly rejected the association, calling the use of a fat suit harmful to the community.
The series serves as a case study in the friction between creators attempting provocative satire and an audience sensitive to the portrayal of marginalized identities. By attempting to use dark humor to address complex social issues, the show instead became a symbol of the very tropes it claimed to critique, ultimately failing to find a balance between its narrative ambitions and the realities of its subject matter.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Insatiable (TV series)
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