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Insatiable on Netflix: fat shaming or good entertainment?
Replies
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Its entertainment. You choose to watch or not. Excited to watch it. I saw Extinction. Twist at the end. lol1
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The show is very "Meh" It has a couple good punch lines. Hubby and I love the main character Bob is always adding a hilarious nickname to Bob Barnard "Bob Backstreet Boy Barnard" Lol. As for fat shaming, it definitely has some, for sure. But it also shows that even though Patty got skinny, her life is NOT perfect and she doesnt miraculously get everything she wanted. So, it also shows that skinny wont solve your problems and/or make you a different/better person. Some of the writting is plain hideous and feels very out there. But I'd definitely say its satire. The cast is amazing. That's why I started watching it, for the cast. But, I wouldn't suggest it as a good show to watch. It was ok, but there are tons of better things to watch (regardless if it's shaming or not)6
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I read somewhere that Kimmy Schmidt has a feminist agenda. I was like, wait, what? It just makes me laugh, I don't think about it that much. I guess if I was sensitive to that sort of thing, or perhaps I thought preachers should be allowed to kidnap teenage girls under an apocalypse ruse, I would be offended. I don't know.
I thought it's agenda was to preach the awesomeness of anyone named Kimmy
A couple more people I know watched the first couple episodes of Insatiable and their review was "Meh". So it's pretty much off my radar. I watched the Netflix movie Extinction over the weekend. It was also "Meh".
That was on my to-watch list
Oh well...
As agendas, I don't really think it matters. Dumb and dumber is not the only form of entertainment. Hot topics sell and engage, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it's just entertainment. Taking a hot topic and building a show around it is a very common formula (that has proven profitable in the case of Netflix). This is more so the case now that people are chronically offended. No one batted an eye when Monika from Friends was fat then stopped being fat and got hot.4 -
Ok, so I had to watch this to know what people were talking about. It’s freakin hilarious! The blatant subtext. The tongue and cheek cheekiness! It doesn’t take itself at all seriously. And homegirls is a MESS. Hahaha.5
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I have a crazy notion...just bear with me here it goes. Even if there was a show whose premise was offensive to a given group of people or that relied on rather crass humor then either no one will watch it and it will get cancelled or other people will find it entertaining and it will stay on....and that is okay. If we required that every show contain no material that was offensive to anyone just think out censored and bland and monontenous what something that is supposed to be entertainment would become. I know, crazy idea, but quite often what we find to be entertaining is things that are edgy, or culturally insensitive, or that push boundries.
Now I haven't personally watched this show, no idea if I would find it entertaining myself or not...no idea if I would actually find its portrals offensive (I honestly might I don't know)....but so what, not all media and entertainment has to be crafted to fit my particular tastes and there should be no compulsion for the public to "not offend" me.
I know this statement is so cliche at this point but it remains true....if you don't like the show, then don't watch the show.9 -
MsHarryWinston wrote: »Ok, so I had to watch this to know what people were talking about. It’s freakin hilarious! The blatant subtext. The tongue and cheek cheekiness! It doesn’t take itself at all seriously. And homegirls is a MESS. Hahaha.
I agree. Pretty entertaining show. C'mon, bikini dog wash? That's just silly.2 -
Aaron_K123 wrote: »I have a crazy notion...just bear with me here it goes. Even if there was a show whose premise was offensive to a given group of people or that relied on rather crass humor then either no one will watch it and it will get cancelled or other people will find it entertaining and it will stay on....and that is okay. If we required that every show contain no material that was offensive to anyone just think out censored and bland and monontenous what something that is supposed to be entertainment would become. I know, crazy idea, but quite often what we find to be entertaining is things that are edgy, or culturally insensitive, or that push boundries.
Now I haven't personally watched this show, no idea if I would find it entertaining myself or not...no idea if I would actually find its portrals offensive (I honestly might I don't know)....but so what, not all media and entertainment has to be crafted to fit my particular tastes and there should be no compulsion for the public to "not offend" me.
I know this statement is so cliche at this point but it remains true....if you don't like the show, then don't watch the show.
I still watch Married with Children........
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Tacklewasher wrote: »Aaron_K123 wrote: »I have a crazy notion...just bear with me here it goes. Even if there was a show whose premise was offensive to a given group of people or that relied on rather crass humor then either no one will watch it and it will get cancelled or other people will find it entertaining and it will stay on....and that is okay. If we required that every show contain no material that was offensive to anyone just think out censored and bland and monontenous what something that is supposed to be entertainment would become. I know, crazy idea, but quite often what we find to be entertaining is things that are edgy, or culturally insensitive, or that push boundries.
Now I haven't personally watched this show, no idea if I would find it entertaining myself or not...no idea if I would actually find its portrals offensive (I honestly might I don't know)....but so what, not all media and entertainment has to be crafted to fit my particular tastes and there should be no compulsion for the public to "not offend" me.
I know this statement is so cliche at this point but it remains true....if you don't like the show, then don't watch the show.
I still watch Married with Children........
Neanderthal.
(me too)2 -
I'll give it a go. i like dark humor and sometimes the brain likes young people entertainment.
extinction...predictable. i figured it out right away and i kept praying thru the whole movie it wasn't that easy3 -
Aaron_K123 wrote: »I have a crazy notion...just bear with me here it goes. Even if there was a show whose premise was offensive to a given group of people or that relied on rather crass humor then either no one will watch it and it will get cancelled or other people will find it entertaining and it will stay on....and that is okay. If we required that every show contain no material that was offensive to anyone just think out censored and bland and monontenous what something that is supposed to be entertainment would become. I know, crazy idea, but quite often what we find to be entertaining is things that are edgy, or culturally insensitive, or that push boundries...
Is anybody else here old enough to remember "All In The Family"?8 -
Aaron_K123 wrote: »I have a crazy notion...just bear with me here it goes. Even if there was a show whose premise was offensive to a given group of people or that relied on rather crass humor then either no one will watch it and it will get cancelled or other people will find it entertaining and it will stay on....and that is okay. If we required that every show contain no material that was offensive to anyone just think out censored and bland and monontenous what something that is supposed to be entertainment would become. I know, crazy idea, but quite often what we find to be entertaining is things that are edgy, or culturally insensitive, or that push boundries...
Is anybody else here old enough to remember "All In The Family"?
yes, yes, i do0 -
Aaron_K123 wrote: »I have a crazy notion...just bear with me here it goes. Even if there was a show whose premise was offensive to a given group of people or that relied on rather crass humor then either no one will watch it and it will get cancelled or other people will find it entertaining and it will stay on....and that is okay. If we required that every show contain no material that was offensive to anyone just think out censored and bland and monontenous what something that is supposed to be entertainment would become. I know, crazy idea, but quite often what we find to be entertaining is things that are edgy, or culturally insensitive, or that push boundries...
Is anybody else here old enough to remember "All In The Family"?
Yup.
Meathead!1 -
Those were the days...3
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All great comedy has a element of truth. People clap to compliance - they laugh at truth. Keep an eye on this when in a crowd or watching a show.
All in the Family, Married with Children, South Park...
Comedy Gold!6 -
MsHarryWinston wrote: »Ok, so I had to watch this to know what people were talking about. It’s freakin hilarious! The blatant subtext. The tongue and cheek cheekiness! It doesn’t take itself at all seriously. And homegirls is a MESS. Hahaha.
That's what I think it's just so trashy, it's one of those 'so bad it's good' types of things. My partner and I like to watch light things once in a while as a form of escapism from all the serious stuff in life. 3 -
WorkerDrone83 wrote: »MsHarryWinston wrote: »Ok, so I had to watch this to know what people were talking about. It’s freakin hilarious! The blatant subtext. The tongue and cheek cheekiness! It doesn’t take itself at all seriously. And homegirls is a MESS. Hahaha.
I agree. Pretty entertaining show. C'mon, bikini dog wash? That's just silly.
I see your bikini dog wash and raise you the use of a spirit board to make contact with her demon teratoma twin.
Seriously, I was so shocked when I watched the first episode of the show because the comments on this thread lead me to believe the show was something COMPLETELY different to what it is.
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MsHarryWinston wrote: »WorkerDrone83 wrote: »MsHarryWinston wrote: »Ok, so I had to watch this to know what people were talking about. It’s freakin hilarious! The blatant subtext. The tongue and cheek cheekiness! It doesn’t take itself at all seriously. And homegirls is a MESS. Hahaha.
I agree. Pretty entertaining show. C'mon, bikini dog wash? That's just silly.
I see your bikini dog wash and raise you the use of a spirit board to make contact with her demon teratoma twin.
Seriously, I was so shocked when I watched the first episode of the show because the comments on this thread lead me to believe the show was something COMPLETELY different to what it is.
The terratoma twin was a glorious moment.3 -
WorkerDrone83 wrote: »MsHarryWinston wrote: »Ok, so I had to watch this to know what people were talking about. It’s freakin hilarious! The blatant subtext. The tongue and cheek cheekiness! It doesn’t take itself at all seriously. And homegirls is a MESS. Hahaha.
I agree. Pretty entertaining show. C'mon, bikini dog wash? That's just silly.
Hah! I watched this show and thought it was quite good, but I am a big fan of dark comedies with terrible people in them. The bikini dog wash made me cringe so hard as a former dog groomer though! Most dogs hate to be washed and I got more scratches than I could count grooming
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"I saw Alyssa Milano on a talk show and she said she felt the criticism was all coming from the trailer, and that it is actually satire and not fat shaming at all. I've heard mixed reviews from people, someone at work said it was "charmless" and all the characters were stereotypes and unlikable. "
The show is actually quite funny. It is all about how damage from being fat shamed sticks with you. She find s a positive way to get revenge through beauty pageants. It is about her finding her voice and becoming confident. It is actually not fat shaming at all. It is very accurate of high school and how society is today. Sad but true. I am overweight and was teased in school. My weight issue is due to a hormonal imbalance. It is very difficult to lose and even maintain weight. Kids don't care. They just see chunky people and tease them because that is how society is. Parents don't teach their kids that it is not ok.
This show is great! I thought it would be stupid and so I watched the first episode, and i have watched a few since then. I like the show alot. Alyssa Milano would never be in a show with fat shaming. She plays a character they refer to as "trailer trash", turned debutante. Her husband shows her she can be more, and the messages are just fantastic. Every one has insecurities and this show hits on some of them.
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nutmegoreo wrote: »estherdragonbat wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »I don't do high school/drama/romance stuff, so I haven't watched it. I did watch the trailer and my thoughts were "meh". I didn't read too much into it, entertainment is entertainment and nothing more. I don't expect any shows I watch to be factual, representative, politically correct, or have some deep message or philosophical stance. Some do have some of these elements, but that's not why I watch them. I watch them to be entertained, and the premise of this one didn't grab me. Simple as that. People usually read too much into stuff.
Well actually it seems like every single netflix show is trying to push some sort of agenda. They always include something "controversial" or a "hot topic", something that would piss off a hard-core conservative. Not trying to be political but I find it odd that every netflix show that I've watched is pushing an agenda. It can't just be entertainment for entertainment.
Some of the cooking shows APPEAR to be agenda free. (Or maybe they're just that subtle and insidious...)
They are steeped in consumerism selling pots and pans and utensils.
(Tongue in cheek here, I don't watch cooking shows)
As for the OP, I watched the first episode after reading the OP. It's not something I found particularly entertaining. Might watch the second episode, just to see if that changes, but I doubt it. I'd much rather watch some good old fashioned violence. I rarely sit and just watch anything so any undertones of agenda typically aren't noticed. It's not often I have something on that grabs my attention enough for me to actually sit and watch it.
This was me too but I watched a couple episodes not just the first one, I mean it’s ok, there’s some dark humour moments but I’ve found it to be mostly Meh so far, not horrible, not great.
You want a show with some good old fashioned violence and that will keep you interested to sit and watch I highly recommend “Peaky Blinders”2 -
auzziecawth wrote: »nutmegoreo wrote: »estherdragonbat wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »I don't do high school/drama/romance stuff, so I haven't watched it. I did watch the trailer and my thoughts were "meh". I didn't read too much into it, entertainment is entertainment and nothing more. I don't expect any shows I watch to be factual, representative, politically correct, or have some deep message or philosophical stance. Some do have some of these elements, but that's not why I watch them. I watch them to be entertained, and the premise of this one didn't grab me. Simple as that. People usually read too much into stuff.
Well actually it seems like every single netflix show is trying to push some sort of agenda. They always include something "controversial" or a "hot topic", something that would piss off a hard-core conservative. Not trying to be political but I find it odd that every netflix show that I've watched is pushing an agenda. It can't just be entertainment for entertainment.
Some of the cooking shows APPEAR to be agenda free. (Or maybe they're just that subtle and insidious...)
They are steeped in consumerism selling pots and pans and utensils.
(Tongue in cheek here, I don't watch cooking shows)
As for the OP, I watched the first episode after reading the OP. It's not something I found particularly entertaining. Might watch the second episode, just to see if that changes, but I doubt it. I'd much rather watch some good old fashioned violence. I rarely sit and just watch anything so any undertones of agenda typically aren't noticed. It's not often I have something on that grabs my attention enough for me to actually sit and watch it.
This was me too but I watched a couple episodes not just the first one, I mean it’s ok, there’s some dark humour moments but I’ve found it to be mostly Meh so far, not horrible, not great.
You want a show with some good old fashioned violence and that will keep you interested to sit and watch I highly recommend “Peaky Blinders”
I love Peaky Blinders too, but I feel like suggesting a person swap that for Insatiable is a bit off. They are COMPLETELY different. Not swapable just because they both have violence. Otherwise you could suggest basically any show on tv.
I think that a better bet would be to suggest something like The Santa Clarida Diet with Drew Barrymore. It’s another show featuring dark humor, but the characters are more mature. But again doesn’t take itself to seriously and also contains clever writing.2 -
I'm more than happy to be the low-brow Netflix viewer in this scenario
Me, too. My husband and I binged the whole season and loved it.
I'm not understanding all the criticism in the media. Is it a dopey premise...Yes. Is there some bad acting...Yes.
But it's just a fun summer Netflix comedy2 -
I'm more than happy to be the low-brow Netflix viewer in this scenario
Me, too. My husband and I binged the whole season and loved it.
I'm not understanding all the criticism in the media. Is it a dopey premise...Yes. Is there some bad acting...Yes.
But it's just a fun summer Netflix comedy
Yes. It’s very over the top0 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »Have not seen it, but then I avoid any Netflix "documentary". They are usually crap.
I think most netflix produced diet related documentaries/docuseries are crap but I could say the same about most diet related documentaries in general. Documentaries in general though? No.
Honestly, the only documentary that I watched without having to take what is being said with a grain of salt is What We Do in the Shadows.6 -
I heard of the series but have no interest in watching it. I was bullied incessantly in school because of my weight and I would rather not go there anymore.
I have to kinda chuckle, though. My daughter was overweight most of her life but nobody made fun of her. Why? She was taller and of course bigger than most of the kids in school...including the boys...and they KNEW she could very well beat the tar out of them if she wanted to. No one messed with her. And she did have a lot of friends because she was just a nice kid....and she was a good friend. Stuck up for kids that got bullied. She used her size to her advantage back then. Not every kid can do that....she just had the personality for it.2 -
stevencloser wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »Have not seen it, but then I avoid any Netflix "documentary". They are usually crap.
I think most netflix produced diet related documentaries/docuseries are crap but I could say the same about most diet related documentaries in general. Documentaries in general though? No.
Ever since History channel did the fake documentary on a prehistoric shark (that never existed) I'm skeptical of any I watch.
But the netflix one's are terrible. Complete crap. But not really the point of this thread (as I now know).
Don't forget the one where the myth about lemmings committing mass suicide comes from.
NO! Don't ruin lemmings for me dammit, I call people lemmings all the time
I saw Alyssa Milano on a talk show and she said she felt the criticism was all coming from the trailer, and that it is actually satire and not fat shaming at all. I've heard mixed reviews from people, someone at work said it was "charmless" and all the characters were stereotypes and unlikable.
My "must watch" list is still long, so this will probably not get watched. I've heard better feedback on Dietland, so that one might have a chance!
I liked episodes 1-8 of Dietland, didn't like the direction 9 took, and haven't watched 10. But I would still recommend the series.
The book did have some magical thinking about dieting that I just set aside like I did for Stephen King's Thinner.0 -
estherdragonbat wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »I don't do high school/drama/romance stuff, so I haven't watched it. I did watch the trailer and my thoughts were "meh". I didn't read too much into it, entertainment is entertainment and nothing more. I don't expect any shows I watch to be factual, representative, politically correct, or have some deep message or philosophical stance. Some do have some of these elements, but that's not why I watch them. I watch them to be entertained, and the premise of this one didn't grab me. Simple as that. People usually read too much into stuff.
Well actually it seems like every single netflix show is trying to push some sort of agenda. They always include something "controversial" or a "hot topic", something that would piss off a hard-core conservative. Not trying to be political but I find it odd that every netflix show that I've watched is pushing an agenda. It can't just be entertainment for entertainment.
Some of the cooking shows APPEAR to be agenda free. (Or maybe they're just that subtle and insidious...)
It's a conspiracy to make us fatter.
Everything involving watching, rather than doing, is a conspiracy to make us fatter.7 -
Aaron_K123 wrote: »I have a crazy notion...just bear with me here it goes. Even if there was a show whose premise was offensive to a given group of people or that relied on rather crass humor then either no one will watch it and it will get cancelled or other people will find it entertaining and it will stay on....and that is okay. If we required that every show contain no material that was offensive to anyone just think out censored and bland and monontenous what something that is supposed to be entertainment would become. I know, crazy idea, but quite often what we find to be entertaining is things that are edgy, or culturally insensitive, or that push boundries...
Is anybody else here old enough to remember "All In The Family"?
I'm old enough to remember "Bewitched" and "I Dream of Jeanie" and "Leave It To Beaver" (and more) . . . the first time they were on, not cable syndication. Really old. Rabbit ears era. (If you know what "rabbit ears" means, you're old too).
Ooo, back on topic: I remember original run Jack LaLanne shows. Ya wanna talk agenda TV, boy-o-boy.
3 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »Have not seen it, but then I avoid any Netflix "documentary". They are usually crap.
I think most netflix produced diet related documentaries/docuseries are crap but I could say the same about most diet related documentaries in general. Documentaries in general though? No.
Honestly, the only documentary that I watched without having to take what is being said with a grain of salt is What We Do in the Shadows.
Having lived in Wellington for several years, I can assure you that it's completely factual.6 -
How about an option 3; Neither.
Because it is not fatshaming. At all. The weight loss is a plot device to make an unpopular girl popular. But she is still an insecure, and terrible person. That said there is more there for people who have lost a lot of weight, about how former fat people see their own bodies and their worth as people.
It's not good. It has good moments. But all in all it tries way to hard to be edgy. There is too much things just happening, and just situations that are just happening to have wacky things happen.3
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