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Netflix’s new show Insatiable isn’t even out yet and is already being called for cancellation. The reason why? Based on the trailer (below), viewers are calling the show toxic and harmful.

The show stars Debby Ryan (Jessie), as a plus-size girl named Patty who is bullied due to her weight. When Patty has to have her mouth wired shut for all of summer break, she loses a lot of weight. She returns to school and now that she's thin, she's considered pretty and is treated better by her peers. After realizing this, Patty decides to get revenge on her former bullies.

This narrative—that a girl is undesirable and worthless unless she is thin—is a tale as old as time, and a hazardous one.

As soon as the trailer was released, people recognized the dangers of the story line and began to fight it. A petition titled “Stop the Release of Netflix's Body-Shaming series 'Insatiable'” has accumulated over 115,000 signatures and is gaining more by the minute.

Florence Given, 19-year-old artist and social activist, the creator of the petition, believes that the show will cause young girls to think that they need to lose weight to be happy and worthy. This is a dangerous notion that could cause eating disorders.

Despite the show being marketed as a satire, critics are asserting that impressionable young girls will take it to heart and it will inspire serious, real-world consequences.

In a statement to Teen Vogue, Debby and show creator Lauren Gussis argued that there is much more to the show than one would think. Lauren created the show based on her own experiences with bullying growing up. She wants viewers to be able to relate to Patty the way she does.

Debby has also been defended Insatiable on social media She explains that she joined the show to confront body shaming in our society and that they are "not in the business of fat shaming." She hopes that fans will wait and watch the show before judging it.

pic.twitter.com/XEbJnyjmei

— debbyryan (@DebbyRyan) July 21, 2018

Insatiable is currently set to drop on Netflix on Aug. 10. 

What do you think of the Insatiable trailer? Let us know in the comments.

Photo credit: Instagram

by Deanna Schwartz | 7/24/2018