‘Insatiable’: Petition To Cancel “Body-Shaming” Netflix Series Gathers More Than 120,000 Signatures

The list of signatories on a Change.org petition calling for the cancellation of Netflix’s upcoming series Insatiable continues to grow. As of Tuesday morning, the petition, which accuses the series of “body-shaming”, has gathered more than 120,000 signatures. The petition was started in response to the trailer for the series, released last Thursday. The series has not yet aired.

The dark comedy stars Debby Ryan as Patty, a high school student who has been bullied, ignored, and underestimated by those around her because of her weight. But life changes quickly after she has her jaw wired shut following a punch in the face, and finds herself suddenly thin. A trailer released earlier this week shows Patty with and without a fat suit to represent her sudden weight transformation that brings first-ever positive attention from her classmates. Patty then seeks to exact revenge on those who wronged her.

“For so long, the narrative has told women and young impressionable girls that in order to be popular, have friends, to be desirable for the male gaze, and to some extent be a worthy human…that we must be thin,” the petition reads. It accuses the series of perpetuating “not only the toxicity of diet culture, but the objectification of women’s bodies” and calls for its cancellation. “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,” the petition continues.

When reached by Deadline, Netflix said it had no comment. Series creator Lauren Gussis released a statement Friday on social media, titled “This is my truth” in which she reveals her own painful, personal experience and asks viewers to give the show a chance.

It reads: “When I was 13, I was suicidal. My best friends dumped me, and I wanted revenge. I thought if I looked pretty on the outside, I’d feel like I was enough. Instead, I developed an eating disorder…and the kind of rage that makes you want to do dark things.

I’m still not comfortable in my skin…but I”m trying to share my insides – to share my pain and vulnerability through humor. That’s just my way.

The show is a cautionary tale about how damaging it can be to believe the outsides are more important – to judge without going deeper. Please give the show a chance.”

This is my truth. @insatiable_pic.twitter.com/xbs3YtueCQ

— Lauren Gussis (@GussisLauren) July 21, 2018

Insatiable is set to premiere on Netflix on August 10.