Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is sad though. There are two shows with fat characters this season, this one and American housewife and in each one being fat is the sum total of the characters identity. Apparently fat people do not have any other hobbies or interests. And it's interesting that Kate has no girlfriends. In both these shows other people relate to the fats in this one dimensional way, if they are friends then the fat is the fat friend or they are ostracized. It's like it's impossible to have a work friend or pat friend who is funny and talented and also happens to be fat. Nope if you are fat you are just fat. That is all that matters.

I think she does have another story line -- how her life was basically consumed as an adult in working for her brother and making her brother successful. Admittedly, that is interwoven with the weight thing, but I think that's pretty realistic - she hasn't been comfortable standing on her own and being the focal point. Her relationship with her boyfriend is also a separate story line (again, weight is tied up in that... because when you're that size, it impacts everything you do). Her relationship with her mom is still a bit of a mystery, but there are hints that will become a story line too.

I said this upthread, but seriously, being fat does not consume everything you do. The fact that you think that is really offensive.

You can be offended, but it did (and sometimes still does) influence everything I did and I was never really free of it when I was 330 lbs.

I'm glad you said that, because being "offended" by some crappy tv show seems very much out of place, generally. Its NOT personal. Everyone is different etc.

Why does this thread feel more like "Off topic" or " family relationships" than TV and Entertainment - oh, well, its become very personal. arrgghh!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is sad though. There are two shows with fat characters this season, this one and American housewife and in each one being fat is the sum total of the characters identity. Apparently fat people do not have any other hobbies or interests. And it's interesting that Kate has no girlfriends. In both these shows other people relate to the fats in this one dimensional way, if they are friends then the fat is the fat friend or they are ostracized. It's like it's impossible to have a work friend or pat friend who is funny and talented and also happens to be fat. Nope if you are fat you are just fat. That is all that matters.

I think she does have another story line -- how her life was basically consumed as an adult in working for her brother and making her brother successful. Admittedly, that is interwoven with the weight thing, but I think that's pretty realistic - she hasn't been comfortable standing on her own and being the focal point. Her relationship with her boyfriend is also a separate story line (again, weight is tied up in that... because when you're that size, it impacts everything you do). Her relationship with her mom is still a bit of a mystery, but there are hints that will become a story line too.

I said this upthread, but seriously, being fat does not consume everything you do. The fact that you think that is really offensive.

You can be offended, but it did (and sometimes still does) influence everything I did and I was never really free of it when I was 330 lbs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last thing on the binging... another thing is that sometimes the first slip when you're on a diet is that you're "just going to have one." We know we can't control it and will end up binging, but it starts as having a reasonable treat... then devolves into a binge. We may have been seeing that first step over the line.

This is a very good point! Also, there are lots of people who can eat sweets in moderation and be happy with one cookie. How I wish I were one of them!

Not to derail the TV thread, but this makes me think that overeating can sometimes be a mental disorder, a type of OCD.

Without a doubt. When I was being evaluated for binge eating disorder, my therapist also looked at if it might be OCD. She determined it wasn't, but there were very similar components.

Anonymous wrote:Complaining about Kate's storyline constantly revolving about being "fat" is like complaining that Randall's storyline constantly revolved about him being adopted.

Those are significant parts of how the characters are written to make the show come together.

No one's saying that fat people don't have other dimensions to them in real life (or adopted kids), but TV characters have to have plots. Don't project yourself onto them.

I think there are definitely elements of our childhoods that definitely shape who we become as adults. They give the backstory, then try to show how that affected the character as an adult.

Kate's character definitely needs the most work to move from the one note story line. For her character this is the first relationship she's ever had, but her character comes off as more whiney/mean than anything else (insecure, naive, or maturing). Maybe that's just the personality of the actress coming through.

The most real moments are the ones between the parents. But I really did chuckle at the scene where the principal is recommending a different school for Randal b/c he's gifted, and the dad responds with something like, "All our children are exceptional..." Such a Lake Wobegon moment.

But the point is that fat people are portrayed in a one-dimensional way. It would be like having a black character, or gay character or Muslim character for whom that was their sole identity. Not a gay doctor or a Muslim student but just a Muslim Muslim, or a Gay gay person. On that American housewife shoe, the woman doesn't have a job, or any hobbies, etc. She's just fat. It's kinda sad.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is sad though. There are two shows with fat characters this season, this one and American housewife and in each one being fat is the sum total of the characters identity. Apparently fat people do not have any other hobbies or interests. And it's interesting that Kate has no girlfriends. In both these shows other people relate to the fats in this one dimensional way, if they are friends then the fat is the fat friend or they are ostracized. It's like it's impossible to have a work friend or pat friend who is funny and talented and also happens to be fat. Nope if you are fat you are just fat. That is all that matters.

I think she does have another story line -- how her life was basically consumed as an adult in working for her brother and making her brother successful. Admittedly, that is interwoven with the weight thing, but I think that's pretty realistic - she hasn't been comfortable standing on her own and being the focal point. Her relationship with her boyfriend is also a separate story line (again, weight is tied up in that... because when you're that size, it impacts everything you do). Her relationship with her mom is still a bit of a mystery, but there are hints that will become a story line too.

I said this upthread, but seriously, being fat does not consume everything you do. The fact that you think that is really offensive.

I think this whole line of posting about being bored with the Kate-is-fat storyline is offensive. I'm not overweight and even I can see that Kate is bored with it, too, (hello, the meetings she goes to are intensely annoying and it's impossible to empathize) but she can't gripe a bit and then say she's done with it. Nor can she show up at a job interview for which she's well qualified and not have her weight be a factor in whether or not she's hired. It is NOT the sum total of her identity but it's a factor in every part of her life.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is sad though. There are two shows with fat characters this season, this one and American housewife and in each one being fat is the sum total of the characters identity. Apparently fat people do not have any other hobbies or interests. And it's interesting that Kate has no girlfriends. In both these shows other people relate to the fats in this one dimensional way, if they are friends then the fat is the fat friend or they are ostracized. It's like it's impossible to have a work friend or pat friend who is funny and talented and also happens to be fat. Nope if you are fat you are just fat. That is all that matters.

I think she does have another story line -- how her life was basically consumed as an adult in working for her brother and making her brother successful. Admittedly, that is interwoven with the weight thing, but I think that's pretty realistic - she hasn't been comfortable standing on her own and being the focal point. Her relationship with her boyfriend is also a separate story line (again, weight is tied up in that... because when you're that size, it impacts everything you do). Her relationship with her mom is still a bit of a mystery, but there are hints that will become a story line too.

I said this upthread, but seriously, being fat does not consume everything you do. The fact that you think that is really offensive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last thing on the binging... another thing is that sometimes the first slip when you're on a diet is that you're "just going to have one." We know we can't control it and will end up binging, but it starts as having a reasonable treat... then devolves into a binge. We may have been seeing that first step over the line.

This is a very good point! Also, there are lots of people who can eat sweets in moderation and be happy with one cookie. How I wish I were one of them!

Not to derail the TV thread, but this makes me think that overeating can sometimes be a mental disorder, a type of OCD.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is sad though. There are two shows with fat characters this season, this one and American housewife and in each one being fat is the sum total of the characters identity. Apparently fat people do not have any other hobbies or interests. And it's interesting that Kate has no girlfriends. In both these shows other people relate to the fats in this one dimensional way, if they are friends then the fat is the fat friend or they are ostracized. It's like it's impossible to have a work friend or pat friend who is funny and talented and also happens to be fat. Nope if you are fat you are just fat. That is all that matters.

The show Mike and Molly was able to move beyond the weight element. That was the initial focus but the actors and comedy were strong enough that they were able to branch out.

Ha! You mean the WRITERS could look beyond it. Nothing happens without the writers!!!!

Yeah, but Randall's character is kind of quirky and interesting. Kate's character is just kind of whiny (and why is she so mean and passive aggressive to her boyfriend?).
I think it's really odd that the writers set her and her brother up to have this weird totally co-dependent relationship, but then he moved to NY and it's like they now just occasionally talk on the phone like normal siblings. I don't really get where they're going with that. Kevin is just the worst --he's so whiny and boring.
I keep watching because I like Randall and his family (except for the idyllic wise old birth dad, which is starting to grate on me), and I like the Milo/Mandy storyline. But this show better improve in the next few episodes or even that won't save it for me.

Complaining about Kate's storyline constantly revolving about being "fat" is like complaining that Randall's storyline constantly revolved about him being adopted.

Those are significant parts of how the characters are written to make the show come together.

No one's saying that fat people don't have other dimensions to them in real life (or adopted kids), but TV characters have to have plots. Don't project yourself onto them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is sad though. There are two shows with fat characters this season, this one and American housewife and in each one being fat is the sum total of the characters identity. Apparently fat people do not have any other hobbies or interests. And it's interesting that Kate has no girlfriends. In both these shows other people relate to the fats in this one dimensional way, if they are friends then the fat is the fat friend or they are ostracized. It's like it's impossible to have a work friend or pat friend who is funny and talented and also happens to be fat. Nope if you are fat you are just fat. That is all that matters.

The character on American Housewife is not fat!!!

She's really not!

Anonymous wrote:It is sad though. There are two shows with fat characters this season, this one and American housewife and in each one being fat is the sum total of the characters identity. Apparently fat people do not have any other hobbies or interests. And it's interesting that Kate has no girlfriends. In both these shows other people relate to the fats in this one dimensional way, if they are friends then the fat is the fat friend or they are ostracized. It's like it's impossible to have a work friend or pat friend who is funny and talented and also happens to be fat. Nope if you are fat you are just fat. That is all that matters.

The show Mike and Molly was able to move beyond the weight element. That was the initial focus but the actors and comedy were strong enough that they were able to branch out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I too have lost 150 lbs without surgery, we need to form our own support group!

For real. There's a website/Facebook group called Half Size Me that has a private group, but it's $20/month and I didn't get enough value out of it to stay subscribed. There's also a blog called Refuse to Regain I really like, but the posts are once a week at most. Other than that, I haven't found a lot of resources/community for those trying to maintain weight loss.

I used to be on Half Size Me as well but agree that there just isn't enough there to justify the expense. I like Dr. Berkely's blog (Refuse to Regain) but do wish she would post more often.

No wonder so many people struggle with regaining weight. Lot's of resources to lose weight but so little support for those of us maintaining. No money in that I guess!

Anonymous wrote:As someone struggling to lose weight I like Kate's storyline. I find her more interesting than Kevin right now.

I find Kevin's character to be the least interesting.