Alyssa Milano Responds To ‘Insatiable’ Backlash

Alyssa Milano sounded off today by responding to the negative response around her new Netflix show Insatiable. The show revolves around an overweight girl who loses weight and takes revenge on her bullies. Many people are accusing the show of body-shaming.

According to ABC News, Milano appeared on Good Morning America this week to promote the show and speak out about the negative press.

“I think the most important thing for us to do is to acknowledge it and say that the trailer actually hurt people and we understand that,” Milano said on the topic of body-shaming.

“But to also look at the show as a satirical look at what could happen if you are fat-shamed, if you are bullied — and I really think that it’s about appearances and what happens within our interactions with appearances,” Milano continued.

Insatiable tells the story of “Fatty Patty,” a teen who has her jaw wired shut, loses weight, and becomes instantly popular. Instead of using her popularity for good, she exacts revenge on the people who bullied her when she was overweight.

“You could feel in the subject matter when you watch the show, the vulnerability that we were able to enact due to the fact that we all felt so comfortable with each other,” Milano continued to defend the show. “And it was a very special experience and I think that’s why the backlash hurt us so much.”

People have been trying to have it canceled even before it is even released. A Change.org petition was created after the trailer was released. The petition so far has more than 200,000 signatures. The petition explains, “The release is set to be the 10th of August, we still have time to stop this series from being released, and causing a devastation of self-doubt in the minds of young girls who will think that to be happy and be worthy, they need to lose weight. This series will cause eating disorders, and perpetuate the further objectification of women’s bodies. The trailer has already triggered people with eating disorders. Let’s stop this, and protect further damage.”

Even the star of the show, Debbie Ryan, tried to defend Insatiable on Good Morning America. “I think once people watch the show and go on the journey with all of the characters, I really think there’s going to be an entire spectrum of things,” Ryan said.

The show is still scheduled to be released on Netflix on August 10.