Happy To Be Fat?
Below is a casting call from MTV, in case you’re looking for your very own fifteen minutes of fame. It’s for an MTV show called True Life. I got an email from Alicia at the casting office, and she says that interested parties should contact her directly, rather than going through the network. Alicia says:
The show is Called “True Life” and is on MTV. I work for a company called LeftRight, and we’re doing the production of the show. We tackle issues faced by young people today, from coming out, to politics, racism, health, and, obviously self image. The show has been nominated for 2 GLAAD awards, and won one in 2005. It has also won an Image Award and, this year, a Prism Award for Best TV Teen Series / Special.
And this is the casting call (there was some confusion over the ages, but Alicia has confirmed they are looking for people who appear to be between the ages of 16 and 26):
True Life: I’m Happy to be Fat
Are you overweight but comfortable with your body type? Do friends and family urge you to lose weight but you don’t listen? Do you appreciate the feeling or appearance of being fat or do you like to date men or women who are overweight? Do you want to increase your weight? Have you set a goal in bodyweight or size that you’re trying to reach? Have you encountered health problems or risks while trying to reach your goal?
If you appear to be between the ages of 16 and 26, and are happy to be fat, please be sure to include your name, location, phone number and a photo, if possible.
So there you go! If you make it on the show and get famous, feel free to plug this blog! Hee.
Posted by mo pie
Filed under: TV
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Sounds like there is a not-hidden agenda and an intention to portray fat not-so-positively after all:
If their casting call lists health problems and deliberately increasing one’s weight, it sounds like they are trying to find ill feedees. Just my opinion.
Ehh, I hope they don’t totally focus on the feederism/gaining thing. Or at all, ideally. You can be fat and happy without making it into a fetish. I wish they’d focus more on that.
“If their casting call lists health problems and deliberately increasing one’s weight, it sounds like they are trying to find ill feedees. Just my opinion.”
Yep. Or maybe they’re just angling to portray overweight people in a negstive light. I pity the people who sign up for this in the belief that the show is about acceptance then find they’ve been edited into another “let’s laugh at fatties” show.
I saw the feeder vibe in there, but I hope that it’s not a “let’s laugh at fatties” show and I was assured it won’t be. I haven’t seen the show, but it’s won a lot of awards from good places. You’re right, though: caveat emptor. If you’ve seen this show and it seems mean spirited, please let me know.
Mo Pie, I’ve watched many shows of the “True Life” series and have found them to be very good. There are no mean-spirited comments from any presenters and no biases – the teens and their families do the talking. IMO the series is quite serious, unlike other (shallow) shows on MTV.
“True Life” has shown weight-related topics in the past, e.g. regarding weightloss (pageant contestants, athletes), weight gain (a college football player who was too thin) or eating disorders, but doesn’t pass any judgement. It’s up to the viewers to form their own opinion.
On the other hand, Susan is right: You have to keep in mind that it’s a matter of editing. The viewers see what the producers want them to see. I really do hope that the show is not just focused on feeders/gainers.