Rant When will Brits TV program makers follow the Yanks?

I have notice that more and more American TV programs which we are getting more of on British TV positively encouraging obesity particularly among the men.

The guys so often are not just fat but obese yet young attractive women be it girlfriends or wives are shown finding this attractive. Even cartoons and animated films have this depiction. Food is often mentioned where it really has no need. People are offered something to eat when visiting friends where we would offer a coffee or something stronger. One program that springs to mind and where food plays a major part is Everyone loves Raymond loop repeated for some years by Channel 4 where food or eating is a constant and totally unnecessary. And we have others where overeating is encouraged, Man Against Food or Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives springs to mind.

It seems that American TV program makers are not only making obesity acceptable but positively encouraging it as after all you will still be able to pull a cracking looking woman.

 

Can't say I've noticed myself, could it be you're noticing it more?
Kind of like when i tried giving something up and seemed to notice what I was giving up all over the place.

 

Nope, I am not trying to give up anything. The reason I posted to today as there is a dark comedy horror animation on the TV at the moment ParaNorman and the father is obese and my first thought was why would the program maker do this?

And if you have never seen Man Against Food or Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives then I suggest you do and you will see that these programs are all about encouraging over eating.

 

I just googled the dad and he doesn't look as bad as you're making out. I was expecting some bed ridden super fatty, not, just some guy with a beer belly slighty exaggerated to fit the art style.

 

In regard to Everybody loves Raymond the food was poking fun at the Italian culture of food and the mother taking care of the family making sure everyone was well fed. The running gag off the back of it being that rays wife couldn't cook. So it wasn't glorifying food as such, more creating a caricature of Italian culture.

 

There's hope for us all then! Awesome

Perhaps it's the target audience? Men who are fat(ish) and want to pull young and fit women?

 

Those buggers have been at it since Fred Flintstone.

 

Paranorman is a great film. The animation is superb and you only have to look at his other films (Coraline and Boxtrolls) to see that it isn't a commentary on today's society but caricatures that look great in keeping with the style of the film (the ladies played by French and Saunders in Coraline).

I will agree that the Man vs Food style of program celebrates gluttony and waste - I have pretty much given up on Television apart from a few select shows...



Ian

 

Eh, I don't see why we should want this though? I'd rather hey just choose the right cast or character designs to fit the required roles, be them fat, thin, beautiful or ugly.

Good example of this for me is Game of Thrones. Loads of very attractive people in there, but loads of normal and also unattractive (usually to do with how their characters are made up rather than the actors themselves). Their images just suit the characters and descriptions in the books, and it works. Same deal with Breaking Bad, there's just a solid mix of people, which made it feel like real life.

A show that does a bad job IMO is Agents of Shield. To me it all just seems fake as everybody is too attractive, it makes them seem too cherry picked if you know what I mean. I mean look at real intelligence operatives (whenever they're exposed etc) they're just normal people from the outside, which I guess is why they were in that position to begin with, they blend in.

Turns out intelligent casting is actually rather hard. TBH I think our TV is much better at this than in America generally.

 

I'll happily admit there are some spectacular local restaurants here where I'll gladly stuff my face until I'm uncomfortably full.

Stop right there. You're trying to make a point about realistic casting in television, and for your examples you picked a fantasy show with dragons and one with a setting in a comic book universe. Agents of Shield is about a fictional secret government agency that is known to deal with Norse gods superheroes. In that context, I wouldn't expect it to feature bog standard government agents. Actual government work is extremely tedious and filled with bureaucracy, and it wouldn't make for an entertaining show.

Let's take a moment to remember that we're talking about television. The very medium itself shouldn't be taken too seriously.

 

I'm so tired of people using this excuse. A setting doesn't have to be remotely "realistic" for it to work. It's all about suspension of disbelief. I can watch GoT and really get into it thanks largely in part down to the clever casting. AoS is set in the Marvel universe, so immediately it's going to be a bit tough getting that right, but there's no reason why it can't. I mean I'm not a huge fan of The Flash either, but that show does a better job IMO.

I mean where in the book does it say all superheros have to be model material? Nowhere, they can be superhuman in all sorts of ways. Hell I like looking at attractive people, i don't just want shows filled with unattractive stars for some weird reason. I just want careful casting that helps to allow my suspension of disbelief, and IMO AoS doesn't achieve that.

 

I'm not sure they encourage overeating, they simply celebrate food, unless you always feel compelled to copy what you see on the telly. For every Diners, Drive-ins and Dives there's also another show that does the opposite and celebrates the healthy lifestyle.

If we're talking about a referential picture of British or American society, I would suggest that obese people are under-represented as a whole in TV and film.

Perhaps you're just a little more sensitive or impressionable on the matter for some reason?

 

Of course they encourage overeating as I can see no reason to stick an obscenely large plate of food in front of someone as a celebration given that the camera shots of the patrons of the restaurants also had plates of food that are large by our standards but I assume not by American eateries standard.

This is possibly the most ridiculous comment I have ever read. An impressionable 61 year old LOl I love it.

 

Of course you can have an impressionable 61 year old.

A prime example of this, has been UKIPs ability to prey on the older generations fear of change to increase their voter margins.

 

Oh so there are loads of us? That is good news I was concerned it might be just me.

 

Maybe some people find it entertaining just like some people find the Jack Ass type films/programs entertaining, ultimately the choice of media you consume is exactly that, a choice.

Wasn't that the gist of your OP?
That you're concerned about the portrayal of obsess people in the media and the influence that maybe having.

 

Obesity is a major issue in society and we should not be encouraging it by glamorising overeating or making it appear acceptable and it is hardly escapable as obese men with their devoted attractive wives and girlfriends are all over American TV. I did not realise how much until confined to a hospital bed and flicking through the Freeview channels on the TV.

Sorry don't understand the point you are making here.

 

So then, what shall we do about this?

I guess, after the police have solved all of the murders, we could look to enact some sort of law against fat people being shown on TV. We’d probably have to extend this to cinema too which would be a little bit frustrating because I was very much looking forward to ‘Big Mommas House 3’ starring Martin Lawrence. I wonder if the BBFC would let it through the newly implemented ‘fat filter’ if I wrote them a letter? Technically ‘Big Momma’ isn’t actually fat – I’m not sure if all of you will get this when you watch it – but it’s secretly a body suit.

What do we think about overweight people in music too? Adele has a great voice so it would be a shame if she was no longer allowed to perform because she is overweight. Maybe she could just do all her gigs behind a curtain, or maybe have a size 10 mime the words while she does the actual singing. Radio would be ok though wouldn’t it.

Also, I was in the Victoria and Albert museum the other day, and there were a number of statues of rather rotund looking fellows. These would definitely have to be destroyed. It should be pretty easy, since some of them are a couple of thousand years old.

People in public too – what if children saw a happy looking fat person out and about and were so weak willed that they decided to change their entire outlook and lifestyle because of it? I’m not saying it should be legal to murder them, but maybe some kind of ghettoisation might be a good shout?

 

I wouldn't say the media is encouraging it or glamorising it, in the same way I wouldn't say the Jack Ass film/programs encourage or glamorise doing really dumb things, or Tom & Jerry cartoons encourage or glamorise violence.

The point is that the influence something has on you is ultimately down to a choice you make, the fact that you noticed or are concerned about the influence that the portrayal of obsess people has shows you have been influenced by it.

Otherwise it wouldn't have registered, it would have just been another part of the background noise that we choose to tune out everyday.