2.5 million viewers watched the premiere episode of “HUGE”, ABC Family’s brand new show about fat teens at a fat camp. It stars Hairspray’s Nikki Blonsky, a young actress historically outspoken about liking her plus size body. According to the ratings, HUGE was the ABC Family network’s most watched series premiere ever among 18-49 year-old women (a very important demographic to TV execs and advertisers). Watch first episode here.
And CBS has just started running promos for a new fall show called, “Mike and Molly”, about two people who meet at an Overeaters
support meeting. Watch preview here. Is this a sign that Hollywood is moving an inch or two in the direction of size acceptance, as some news headlines queried this past week? Is this a sign that the earth is shifting on it’s axis and we might actullay see smartly written and entertaining shows without cheap fat jokes and the common assumptions that, 1) weight loss should be everyone’s goal, and 2) weight loss will provide the fastest possible route to uncomplicated happiness?
My opinion…shared by many who have weighed in this week, is that [private_membership circle]it is just too early to tell. Some who read the book that the TV Show “HUGE” is based on , Huge by Sasha Paley, hope that the TV show, like the book, will focus on the day to day angst, challenges, and experiences of teenagers coming of age, without making “weight loss” the main character.
As far as this being a Hollywood trend, here’s what Deb Lemire, President of ASDAH; the Association for Size Diversity and Health thinks.
“It is a positive thing seeing so many different shapes and sizes of characters that all have different personalities, opinions and baggage (just like characters on other TV shows.) Unfortunately most of these talented fat actors are only cast because it is about fat people. Every other TV show doesn’t cast thin people because the show is about thin people, they cast thin people because that is the perception of what is “normal” or acceptable. It will be great when characters in TV shows represent a wide variety of shapes and sizes and abilities, just like the real world.”
At the very least, maybe “HUGE” will offer us all a brief respite from shows like NBC’s “Biggest Loser” and “Losing it with Jillian”, “Celebrity Fit Club”, and “Dance Your Ass Off”! But come fall, I’m sure they’ll be back to remind us all that we’re not OK just the way we are!
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Ellen Shuman is a Life Coach who specializes in emotional and binge eating issues. She is the founder of A Weigh Out & Acoria Eating Disorder Treatment, Vice President of the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA), and Co-Chair of the Academy for Eating Disorders Special Interest Group on “Health at Every Size”, ellen@aweighout.com
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