Whether you love or you hate ‘Insatiable’, there is one thing that we can agree on: they discuss topics that no other show has really touched on or at least showcased in the way that ‘Insatiable’ does. One of the most important things that ‘Insatiable’ focuses on, though, is mental health.
And the ‘Insatiable’ stars we met in Manila this year – Debby Ryan, Dallas Roberts, and Gloria Diaz – all agree on the importance of the subject. “Mental health is so important,” stresses Debby. “I think there’s still a lot of stigma around it. We’ve had some conversations to open it up around the world, but it’s still not as publicly spoken about.” “Mental health is one of the crucial things that many of the characters are dealing with. It’s very important to discuss it,” adds Dallas.
Before the show even came out, a ton of backlash had emerged because of how being fat was portrayed in the trailer. Once you watch it, though, you’ll realize that the trailer is very different than the show itself. “I feel like everyone who gave it a shot and actually watched found us one of the most progressive shows on television,” says Dallas. “I think the irony of the backlash was it was a judgment on something without really getting to know it, which is pretty much what the show is about. Don’t judge by the first looks. Get to know what’s going on.”
Dallas does admit that the characters on the show don’t behave particularly well, though. However, he also points out that the people in it love making decisions that people don’t necessarily make in real life. “The best thing you can learn from the show is not to behave like that,” he points out.
In fact, he says he hopes people relate to Bob as the kind of person who is striving to be the kind of person who he wants to be. “I feel like that’s universal,” he says. “Everyone has an idea of how to better themselves and the feeling of the distance between who you are and who you wanna be I think is relatable to everyone.”
Debby opens up to us and shares that she actually dealt with disordered eating for a long time and reminisces about the scene where Patty eats the cake. “That was the first time that I’ve ever seen that,” she says. “I’ve never seen anyone on camera do the thing that you do in private in shame. And to be able to put all of that in there and then come back and do it again, it felt free. It felt redemptive.”
Debby also points out that Patty’s habits are destructive because she thinks she can’t be honest with herself. “Everything starts with honesty, and nothing real can happen and progress unless there’s full disclosure and honesty – even the gross, sad, scary things about yourself, so at least she took that first step.” “The way that you go about things is maybe causing the things that you don’t like and realizing that you need to change the way you go about things in order to manifest the change that you desire,” adds Dallas.
Gloria also gives some sage advice: “Give it time. Make friends with somebody who will help you, encourage you, and support you instead of criticizing you and telling you what you should be or what you can be. It’s more like having somebody who will tell you “You’re okay.” At the end of the day, you have to make the change, nobody else.”
If you haven’t seen ‘Insatiable’ yet, now would be a good time to start. As Gloria points out: “It’s very adult. It’s very different. It’s very unpredictable. It’s not a teeny bopper.” You can watch ‘Insatiable’ here.
All photos by Magic Liwanag.
On a happier note, watch us try to eat an entire Wiener Taco in one go:
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