Over 100,000 Signatures to Cancel Netflix series ‘Insatiable’

When the trailer for the new Netflix series Insatiable (starring Debby Ryan and Alyssa Milano) dropped, there was an instant uproar. The trailer features Debby Ryan as Patty, an overweight teen bullied by her peers, who undergoes a drastic transformation due to getting her jaw dislocated. In the trailer, a character screams “Patty’s hot!” as the now skinny Patty walks down the hallways. With her peers now fawning over her instead of ridiculing her, Patty is fueled with this insatiable desire to enact revenge on everyone that had wronged her. Although the series probably intended to be a satirical comedy, the reactions are anything but humorous.

There is a rage on social media since the trailer dropped, crying that the series engages in “fat-shaming” and is offensive. The petition, that has growing numbers, is fighting to have the series cancelled before it even releases on Netflix. It was started by Florence Given who states in the beginning of the petition: “The toxicity of this series, is bigger than just this one particular series.” She goes on to explain how the series affects women, and perpetuates the objectification of women and this desire in culture to be thin in order to be strong and beautiful. Florence Given further states:

“This series needs to be cancelled. The damage control of releasing this series will be far worse, insidious and sinister for teenage girls, than it will be damaging for Netflix in their loss of profit.”

In hopes to bring the series out of hot water, members of the Insatiable cast and crew have been defending the show on their own social media. Alyssa Milano, iconic for her empowering role in the original series Charmed, defends the series:

“We are not shaming Patty. We are addressing (through comedy) the damage that occurs from fat-shaming.”

While it is clear that the series is meant to be a satirical one, many are taking it more seriously, and that’s understandable. Making a comedy series on fat-shaming isn’t funny because the issue of fat-shaming is still very real, and still lacks any form of serious representation in media. It isn’t particularly funny because media still glosses over this issue by creating strong diverse, thin women who are great, but not realistic, nor representative of the harms of fat-shaming. With how Insatiable was marketed, as seen through the trailer, they seemed to focus on the Heathers-esque vibes of this revenge plot, rather than addressing the issue. 

Also, while it can be argued that 13 Reasons Why was just as harmful through the issue being discussed, it didn’t have a satirical take and aimed to address the heavy topic of suicide more solemnly. 13 Reasons Why wasn’t aiming for comedy, nor taking light of the situation, while the trailer for Insatiable is marketed as a comedy.

At the moment, many aren’t laughing, nor seeing the value of this series. Maybe Insatiable will get a more serious representation if the series doesn’t get cancelled, which it most likely won’t. So, while there hasn’t been any formal statement made by Netflix yet, the series will continue to push for release on August 10th.

Note: Check out the Netflix film Sierra Burgess Is A Loser, starring Stranger Things actress Shannon Purser, as a better representation of addressing sensitive issues such as this.

— Lina