This Show is a HUGE Step in the Right Direction

A few weeks ago, a show premiered on ABC Family channel, starring Nikki Blonsky. The show is called "Huge" and chronicles the lives of a group of (fictional) fat teenagers who are at a weight loss camp. And, miracle of miracles, the characters ARE REAL. They are relatively NORMAL. The lead similar lives to other teenagers (including having crushes AND EVEN RELATIONSHIPS!)

The characters in this show are not caricatures, as most fat people appearing on TV or the movies are. They do not share all of the same values. They are not lazy, or stupid. They are not used as the perennial butt of a joke. They are individuals. Some are beautiful, some not so attractive. Some are athletic, others stay as far away from sports as they can get. Some of them have loving families, some have parents who attempt to shame them into being thinner. Some are outgoing and gregarious, some are shy and withdrawn.

The show portrays the lives of fat teenagers with sensitivity. They are not presented as some monolithic entity. They are each individuals with a wide variety of characteristics. Will, the main character, is a gregarious, proud tomboy who tries to rebel against the body standards set by society (and foisted upon her by her fitness obsessed parents). She comes to fat camp with the idea of gaining weight. And during each episode she gains a little more insight into life and all that it offers.

There is one character who is portrayed as a pretty, popular, albeit chunky blonde bombshell. Another is a shy girl who comes out of her shell while LARPing. There is a boy who is gay, and who is afraid to shower in front of the other boys. Another is an athlete, who became totally obsessed with sports as a bonding ritual with his father after the death of his Mom.

I believe a show like "Huge" is a welcome alternative to all of the one dimensional fat characters that are portrayed on TV. We have all seen the fat character who is the butt of all of the jokes. Ditto for the tragic individual with low self esteem who only finds her true self by shedding the pounds. And of course, who can miss the "reality" shows which pit contestants against one another and encourage dangerous behaviors all in the name of losing weight.

"Huge" shows the realities lived by a wide variety of fat people. It shows fully developed personalities with healthy relationships, and addresses the difficulties of being fat in a body obsessed society WITHOUT making weight the center of the character's lives. I am definitely excited by the prospect of laughing, crying, and sharing in the lives of these young people each week. I hope this show has a long run, because it is sorely needed to balance the message that there is only one standard of beauty and that appearances mean everything that so much of the media pushes.