It's an American series created by Eric Schaffear that ran for one series a few years ago
I stumbled across it on you tube last week and was intrigued
It's a comedy that follows the lives of 4 people with various eating disorders
Bille, a petite brunette who has anorexia/bulimia
Sam, the main character who is anorexic and also a compulsive over eater
Adam, a buff policeman who is bulimic
And Dan, an over weight over eater
Basically it is a comedy that deals with a serious issue
And it deals with it in a very blunt and graphic way
The first episode opens with Sam fishing chocolate cake out of the bin and eating it
Hands up if you've ever been there?
I know I have
Chocolate cake is Sam's trigger food
He keeps it in his brief case at all times and his secretary keeps it locked in a safe while he's at work
Billie is in recovery although she seems to be switching from food to alcohol
Adam takes bribes of food from people he arrests and it shows him purging using his truncheon to force the food from his stomach
Dan is on a waiting list for gastric bypass surgery but keeps cancelling his appointment when it comes up
First I have to say that this show is extremely triggering
But that is because it is so true to life
I could identify with every single character
They lie to themselves
Lie to each other
Some are in denial
They all attend a support group called 'The belt tighteners' where they are ridiculed and humiliated by the group leader
Obviously support groups are not really like this of course
But I think it gives an accurate portrayal of what it's like to live with an eating disorder
It does not glamorize it
It does not romanticize it
It shows it as it really is
Sad
Lonely
Disgusting
Messy
Life threatening
Obsessive
Addictive
Compulsive
Insane
All consuming
It really is black humour and I happen to love black humour so this show appealed to me
At first I wasn't sure though
Watching someone purge was almost too close for comfort
Also at first it felt wrong to laugh at this serious subject
But heck, sometimes it's my sense of humour that is the only thing that gets me through the day
I think it's so important to retain the ability to laugh at ourselves
It's something I won't let my eating disorder take away from me
I didn't feel like the show was making fun of people who have eating disorders
I felt it showed eating disorders in all their ugly glory and some of these situations are funny
Other shows that have taken on a serious subject in a comedic way are 'Breaking Bad', 'Weeds' and 'The big C'
It takes great skill to do this
To strike a balance between showing the gravity of the subject and using humour
I have seen other shows and films that just outright make fun of people with eating disorders and that is neither funny or acceptable
But something like this is funny and clever
In Starved I don't think the humour detracts from the seriousness of the issue
It's shows the lengths we go to for food and weight
I myself have found myself in many strange situations due to my eating disorder
I remember a few years ago I was totally addicted to drifter chocolate bars
I literally ate them and little else
I craved them the way I used to crave heroin
I remember my boss at the time gave me a bumper box of 48 bars for my birthday
He knew me well
I ate drifters like they were going out of fashion
And then they did
Suddenly shops stopped stocking them
One day in particular I was looking for them
I didn't drive at the time and I made my mother drive from town to town to find them
I was like a woman possessed
Or obsessed
It wasn't funny at the time but looking back I can laugh at myself
Another time I was eating a certain type of crisps
I used to buy 10-20 bags at a time
I was in a shop where they only had about 5 bags
I asked the shop keeper if he had any more
'How many are you looking for?'
'As many as you have'
'Oh, are you having a kids birthday party?'
'Eh............ yes yes, a birthday party'
I was too embarrassed to tell the truth so I found myself going in great detail about my 'nephews birthday party'
The lies just rolled off my tongue
So yes, I am able to laugh at my own situation but there is a fine line between laughing with someone and laughing at them
I think with Starved I definitely laughed with the characters
Unfortunately it only ran for one series
I'm not sure why although I can see why some people maybe found it offensive and not watched it
But if anything it would have got people talking about eating disorders and that has to be a good thing
If you do get a chance to watch it I'd love to know what you think
But be warned it is triggering
I have never even heard of this show, but I will have to find it! I love dark humor, too. Especially when it's relatable.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Breaking Bad is a kickass show and I can't wait for the rest of the final season!!
Check it out Mystic, I really enjoyed it x
DeleteI haven't seen that but maybe I'll look. Breaking Bad is a definite favorite though. AMC cranks out some good ones.
ReplyDeleteYou really do have to acknowledge the funny aspects of this sometimes. My two friends that know and don't try to force me into anything kud aroubd with me about pooping. Like it's probably gross but it's just a big joke about me failing to g because of the eating disorder. You gotta laugh.
Your food comment made me laugh. Strawberry marble ice cream by the gallon bucket. Sometimes Captain Crunch cereal lol.
My family makes jokes too about food and weight
DeleteSometimes there is nothing else to do but laugh x
Ruby I just love your posts, well your whole blog! You always write about such interesting things with great perspective.
ReplyDeleteHope you're doing alright, hang in there.
Lots of love xx
Ah thank you Melrose for your kind words, you are so sweet x
DeleteI try to always make jokes about my eating disorder around others. My mom has taken up on doing it to; making jokes about me bruising so easily. I will have to check this show out when I get home later. Thanks for the recommendation.
ReplyDeleteXOXO
Let me know what you think of it Katie x
DeleteI've never heard of it, but it's definitely going on my list! Thanks for the reccomendation :)
ReplyDeleteMy family and I joke about my ED sometimes, and the situations it puts me/us in. Nothing mean, just trying to make light of a dark situation. A lot of people just don't see how we can laugh about it, but if we don't laugh, we cry.
Maybe non-ED people found it harder to watch. It'd be harder to laugh *with* the characters, not at them, if you haven't been through it first-hand. Anyway, I'll put it on my download list :)
Lots of love to you dear Ruby. I hope you're okay <3 xxxx
I was just thinking that today Bella, that people without an eating disorder would find it uncomfortable to watch and not find it funny. We on the other hand could see the humour as we can relate so much
DeleteI'm doing ok Bella, I hope you are too my dear x
I just got your comment - I had no idea you picked at your skin too. I don't bite, but I pick and 99% of the time I use tweezers. I have no skin around the base, sides, or even the tips of my fingers. About 5-10mm of skin all around the nail is just gone on eight of my fingers (my pinkies have survived), and they're so swollen and painful. It's a very compulsive behavior for me, not related to my self-harm at all. I spend most of the day picking on-and-off, sometimes for hours at a time. It's dreadfully embarrassing, and I have no idea how it even started. I've always been a scab picker, but one day I just started attacking my skin.
DeleteSending you love and hugs <3 xxxx
Yea, I've done it on and off ever since I was a child
DeleteLike you I was always a scab picker and because of that any cuts take so long to heal and often leave scars
I try putting plasters around my fingers to stop it but I always end up ripping them off
It is embarrassing, I hate that I do it but I can't stop
I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one that does it though
Sending love right back atcha x
Dark humor is my favorite. My husband can't understand when I joke about my ED and will get upset sometimes but its been with me so long I think I would be depressed all the time if I couldn't joke about it.
ReplyDeleteMe too Josie, I have to laugh or else I would just break down x
DeleteI love Starved, I've watched it so many times I've lost count. Definitely rather laugh WITH than laugh AT.
ReplyDeleteBlack humour FTW. I love being about to laugh with people who understand black humour jokes about the brainspaz, it makes the normals uncomfortable and makes me feel like even more of a freak. (Like the game 'Don't Starve' on steam. As soon as I saw it I had to get it. Another irony meter bites the dust!)
The part in Starved that rips my guts out every time is when the cop is having his 'lady friend' over for dinner, but the other side of the table is empty. His lady friend bulimia. It fucking kills.
Love you so much Ruby. I hope you have a good weekend. Take care of yourself, ok? You're bloody amazing.
*Hugs*
That bit broke my heart too Peri
DeleteI could identify so much with him
The lying
The loneliness
The isolation
It really got to me
Love you dear Peri
You are amazing x
The number of times I lied to Miles so I could be by myself and binge is just depressing. Ugh. We gotta fight this stupid shit!
Delete*Blushes* Oh, you! How are you so darn NICE and still alive? Didn't you know that humanity selects for sheer assholery? You're the good kind of freak of nature :)
The pony is going to join my collection of MLPs (I have a whole shelf dedicated to them, lol) and inspire me to do some more.
Sending you hugs and love from the land of sheep <3
Binging really is soul destroying
DeleteI'm trying so hard not to do these days
Sending hugs right back atcha x
I watched the whole series about a year ago, I love it. It got the balance right so it wasn't offensive like some eating disorder jokes can be.
ReplyDeleteI might rewatch the series this week in my time off school, I'd completely forgotten about it.
Hope you're okay.
Take care.
I am ok sweetie, or at least I will be
DeleteHope you are too x
YEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH I remember watching the first episode a few years back when I was ana... It was too triggering for me. Now I'm mia, somehow though, I've become immune to that. Maybe I'll get back to it.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree about the denial, suppression, lying to one's self thing - worse possible thing, esp if one 'years' recovery. I'm in recovery myself and the first step to properly recover is to face the facts.
Princess xxx
http://keepcalmdonteatcake.blogspot.co.uk/
I found it quite triggering too but I watched the whole series in 2 days
ReplyDeleteIt was funny but also very sad, so true to life x
Yes, I loved this show, and I was so disappointed that it only ran for one season. One of the reasons they cut it was because the sex scenes were too crude, which I kind of agree with. Otherwise, though, it was great. I actually heard that it was the National Association of Eating Disorders that got the show cancelled, because they thought it was bad to portray EDs in such a comical light. But who knows.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame it was cancelled but I can understand why
DeleteI'd say people who don't have an eating disorder would probably find it uncomfortable to watch x
Thanks for the recommendation! It was brilliant. I could relate to all the characters. Adam claiming to be gay instead of admitting to his bulimia was so funny yet so sad. I think I found Adam the most sad of all, the level of denial he's in.
ReplyDeleteI think we all have our 'chocolate cake', mine, oddly enough are cereal bars. I have to ration them, and only buy 6 at a time, otherwise I'll binge on them. I also can't buy chocolate, like at all, major trigger food. The ironic thing is I don't even think I like chocolate much!
Can relate to your drifter thing, mine was peanut butter kit kat chunkys. Was devastated when they stopped making them (but they brought them back! Yey!) I've also gone through phases of only eating one type of food and not being able to contemplate eating anything else.
I do laugh at myself a lot, and I like black humour. I think if I didn't laugh at myself I'd be in trouble.
xxx