First, I will admit that I am sensitive about this subject being an overweight person myself, but television shows are notorious for making fun of overweight people and being less than sensitive to the issues we face. Case in point: "More to Love," Fox's version of the Batchelor. Don't even get me started on that show. Notice it only lasted one season. And how many times has there been a fat character in a movie or TV show who was the brunt of all the jokes? I've never understood why being fat is funny. Why is it funny when a fat person falls down? Actually, why is it funny when a skinny person falls down? Most of the nation is overweight...most of us don't actually look like the malnourished, heroin-chic actors that usually grace the screen. So why aren't there more people like the rest of us on TV? And when they do put normal people on TV, it's either The Biggest Loser (which is a great show, don't get me wrong) or something like "More to Love" or "Dance Your Ass Off."
When I first heard about the Lifetime show "Drop Dead Diva," I was skeptical. The premise of that show is a skinny blond model dies and her soul accidentally ends up in the body of a plus-sized (or normal-sized, if you ask me) lawyer with brown hair. People tell me that I look like the main character, Jane. I take this as a very big compliment because I think she's gorgeous. They've actually managed to treat the issues with grace and some humor, without poking fun at overweight people, all the while showing that Jane actually lives a normal life. She's not a freak of nature like most overweight people are portrayed on TV. I really like "Diva," so maybe "Huge" will surprise me. I hope it does. And I hope it's the kind of show that will give a voice to the millions of teens - and 38 year olds like me - who struggle with being overweight. It's about a lot more than just being lazy and fat. Trust me.
