My topic for project 3 was Fatphobia in the media, but more specifically Fat-phobic Tv shows. My goals for this project were to research and understand the intent behind creating tv shows such as "My 600 pound life", "The Biggest Loser" and "Super sized v.s super skinny". Who's watching these shows and why? How are the shows meant to make fat people feel compared to skinny people.
English
For English I decided I wanted to only focus on the popular US tv show, The Biggest Loser. I chose to create an essay all about why the Biggest Loser is so bad. My essay talks about the health complications the show caused it's contestants, how the shows production perpetuates fat-phobia and promotes disordered eating. I also wrote about the issues I have with the hosts, Bob Harper and Jillian Micheals.
docs.google.com/document/d/1L8WnLbMIDNG2NmKNNJimfrQ4z5m5rSxrkiHLF6puy7w/edit?usp=sharing
docs.google.com/document/d/1L8WnLbMIDNG2NmKNNJimfrQ4z5m5rSxrkiHLF6puy7w/edit?usp=sharing
Art
For art I wanted to continue to build on my AP art portfolio. The concentration for my portfolio is Fatphobia so this project of "Fatphobic TV" fit in nicely. I decided that I was going to research the popular British tv show "Supersize VS Superskinny". This show follows around a pair of 1 fat person and 1 skinny person as they move into a house together for 2 weeks to swap diets. The producers say the intent behind this show is to show the contestants how "jarring" their current diet and this is supposed to "inspire change" *eye roll*. People who participated in the shows anti-fat messaging often come out sicker and deeper into disordered eating then they originally started.
A particular part of the show that stuck out to me was the infamous "food tube". The food tube is literally a big 6 feet tube that host, Christian Jessen, releases all food that the contestant has eating in a week, all into a mushy pile for them to look at. This is especially disturbing after Christian Jessen's calorie lessons where he tells the sick contestants that food is all about numbers and where its going to relocate on your body instead of talking about food being fuel and something people need to have functioning bodies.
I planned to recreate that food tube but swap food with organs and teeth to represent the misinformation on diet and consequently the health deteriorations (and mental health deteriorations)that the show endorses.
A particular part of the show that stuck out to me was the infamous "food tube". The food tube is literally a big 6 feet tube that host, Christian Jessen, releases all food that the contestant has eating in a week, all into a mushy pile for them to look at. This is especially disturbing after Christian Jessen's calorie lessons where he tells the sick contestants that food is all about numbers and where its going to relocate on your body instead of talking about food being fuel and something people need to have functioning bodies.
I planned to recreate that food tube but swap food with organs and teeth to represent the misinformation on diet and consequently the health deteriorations (and mental health deteriorations)that the show endorses.