As you may know, the Netflix original television show “Insatiable” aired in mid-August causing controversy and upsetting a majority of the viewers. On September 12, we were informed that “Insatiable” would, in fact, be returning for a second season. As a Netflix user and binge watcher, I give second chances to shows and push through the seasons because each show has their downfalls, but I truly couldn’t even watch two episodes of this show. When the trailer came out, it became viral on Instagram. That’s how I got a taste for this show. Tons of people were enraged that this show was getting as much attention as it did. Shows like these should be removed and forgotten. With Debby Ryan as the main character in this show, it was sad to see my childhood star throw so much of her talent and reputation down the garbage disposal by choosing to accept this role. Now, I’m sure when all of this started, the writers had a good idea to raise awareness for bullying and fat-shaming, but it never truly appeared in any of the episodes. The storyline and trashy dialogue are honestly hard to watch. I felt like I was reading a Wattpad story written by a clueless 12-year-old. Enough about the show itself -what I’m trying to understand is how this show possibly got renewed for another season?

The fact that this show is being renewed despite the controversy is just disturbing. This show is sending the wrong message to so many people and messing up kids’ brains. Getting revenge on the people that hurt you on top of the many underage sex scenes, is just wrong for a kid to watch. Did I mention Patty (Debby Ryan) murders her ex-boyfriend? Yeah! That’s a great message to give to kids!  Of course, bullying is definitely not okay and years of hurt pile up, but there should be no excuse to hurt others. I thought Netflix would’ve responded to all the hate by either taking the showdown or denying a renewal, but they decided to go on! So, how did all this happen? Apparently, Gussis, the writer, had written a personal message on social media saying, “when I was 13, I was suicidal. My friends dumped me, I was bullied, 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 that kind of rage makes you want to do dark things…please give this show a chance.” With that all said, I feel for Gussis. The pain that was inflicted on her must have been brutal, but wouldn’t you want to make it into something beautiful for someone who struggles with those problems then? Give the viewers some positivity or a good message. Not everything has a happily ever after, we all know that. With such a platform like Netflix and actors like Debby Ryan and Dallas Roberts, make something that will be respected and remembered. Instead, “Insatiable” will be remembered as a fat-shaming, ill-messaged, jumbled mess.

With all the disagreements and petitions, Netflix still allows “Insatiable” to continue! Any news or attention is their cue to make more unwise decisions. Sure, you could choose to not watch the show, like me, but that doesn’t mean others won’t. It’s your choice to watch the show. I don’t know what to tell you if you don’t believe scientifically proven facts, but it’s been proven that obsessive binging negatively effects us. So, if we’re filling our minds up with negative messages, sex, and screwed views obsessively, our brain will start to believe these things. In this time of growing our minds and finding ourselves in our teenage years, we don’t need more TV shows influencing negative behavior and slowly impacting our generation to fat shame or to be unforgiving. We need storylines that will help and inspire others in these hard situations of life. This show has such a misguided storyline, and its hard to understand what’s going on. I’m just praying that since this show is returning, that the storyline will be worked on and created with the hope of making a difference. The dialogue is cringe-worthy and in my opinion, not funny. This is supposed to be a comedy! This show is categorized as – and is returning – as a comedy.

This show is supposed to be based on Lauren Gussis’ (the writer of Insatiable) personal story in high school. I have no disrespect towards Gussis for the fact that she wants to share her story. I stand by her for that. Her story is deep and traumatic and if she truly wrote about her feelings and the experiences she went through, I would be so down to watch it! The comedy aspect to the show just doesn’t fit, especially for a serious topic such as fat-shaming and bullying. It’s not a joke, but the show uses it as a punchline. According to Gussis, through her experiences of anorexia and bullying, she grew to think in demented ways; that’s what this show is supposed to be based on. I definitely see the demented part of this show, but a person has other feelings besides rage and revenge. People are more complex than that; however, the show’s portrayal is one dimensional. I want to see that in the show! So, as season 2 renews in 2019, let’s hope the storyline improves!