‘Insatiable’ leaves a pretty bad taste
Netflix’s “Insatiable” stirred up rage days before its premiere.
Over 218,000 people at press time have signed a petition on Change.org demanding that the show be canceled because of its alleged fat-shaming.
“It perpetuates not only the toxicity of diet culture, but the objectification of women’s bodies,” it claims.
Some predict the show’s message — that you have to be thin to be liked — will lead to more eating disorders.
It’s true its teenager, high school senior Patty (Debby Ryan), starts out as overweight and abused by her peers, who never miss an opportunity to humiliate her. “Fatty Patty” is the oft-heard, utterly unoriginal refrain.
Creator Lauren Gussis (“Dexter”) claims Patty is based on her and her experiences as a teenager — which ultimately begs the question: Is she the sidekick in the story of her own life?
Patty is important — but she’s not “Insatiable’s” main dish. Strangely and crucially, her viewpoint often gets lost, ignored or brushed aside, at least in the early episodes.
The focus of this dark comedy is Bob Armstrong (Dallas Roberts, “The Walking Dead”), an attorney who shares in a voiceover that he has a wardrobe to rival Bravo’s Andy Cohen — and whose true calling in life is coaching young women on the beauty pageant scene.
When one contestant confuses ISIS with Italian ices during one round, her mother goes ballistic, and accuses Bob of touching the girl. Bob finds himself labeled a pervert and loses clients in both spheres of his life.
After a homeless guy punches Patty in the face, her jaw is wired shut. Fastforward three months, and she has lost 70 pounds and seems to the new world a new woman. Inside, she’s the same gal: spiteful. Patty vows revenge on all those who wronged her.
When Patty and Bob’s lives intersect, Bob sees her as his salvation, his redemption, the queen who will take over the pageant world.
“Skinny is magic,” he tells her.
Patty views Bob as the great love of her life, introducing a major “ewwww” factor to the story.
“He’s a child molester,” she is told.
“Which means I might have a shot,” she replies.
Complicating this teen’s path to forbidden love: Bob already has a wife, Coralee (Alyssa Milano, “Charmed”), who was once “trailer trash” years earlier until Bob made her over.
For reasons that seem inexplicable, Bob is like catnip for women.
In his performance, Roberts seems to be channeling Todd Chrisley of the reality show “Chrisley Knows Best.”
“Insatiable” has a taste for stupid jokes, as when Bob and Coralee host the “Gala for Anal Cancer” — complete with brown ribbons.
“All the other colors were taken,” Bob says.
Much of “Insatiable” is just indigestible.