Fats and Carbs

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With Universal's Despicable Me (7.9.10), Hollywood has produced another mainstream animated feature with another morbidly obese boy in a prominent role. (Or in the trailer, at least.) This follows the precedent begun by Up's "Russell" character, a morbidly obese young boy scout voiced by Jordan Nagai

Meaning that once again Hollywood is presenting obesity as a normal and accepted adolescent condition, certainly as far as American culture is concerned. Let's imagine that instead of one out of three American kids being obese or overweight they were instead hardcore heroin users. If this was the case would a mainstream animated feature show a typical American family kid stumbling around and getting off and scratching his face and eating candy bars? I doubt it.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on July 21, 2009 at 10:40 AM

comment #1

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

But the family are clearly portrayed as a culturally insensitive family of bad American tourists. Their fatness here is designed to make you hate them. They're not being presented as normal or heroic in any way.

Posted by BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey at July 21, 2009 11:18 AM

comment #2

Dan V. says ...

I was going to say the same thing as BoshBarnet, but... ding.

Posted by Dan V. at July 21, 2009 11:21 AM

comment #3

Colin says ...

You're comparing being an overweight kid to being a hardcore drug user?!?

If you want to knock fat people at least keep it in the context of the character of the film. But these rants are becoming really tragic. Were you a tubby kid, Wells?

Posted by Colin at July 21, 2009 11:26 AM

comment #4

Sabina E says ...

Yep, Bosh got it right. Besides, Roald Dahl and JK Rowling both had fat characters in their novels-- but they were repulsive, disliked, and vulgar, just like what the trailer is trying to achieve here.

Posted by Sabina E at July 21, 2009 11:31 AM

comment #5

Geoff says ...

He's comparing a morbidly obese kid to being a hardcore drug user.

If you've ever seen one before, usually running-correction-waddling, around Costco or Wal Mart with his fat mother not far behind, well, it's a sad thing to see and it makes me kind of pissed off too.

Posted by Geoff at July 21, 2009 11:33 AM

comment #6

Colin says ...

It's a child, a CGI enhanced one at that, and that's fine if you don't care for obese people, but to attack children...it's distasteful.

Posted by Colin at July 21, 2009 11:38 AM

comment #7

byanyother says ...

Note how no one is sad and crying about all of the hipster smokers one sees at parties, all around Europe and everywhere else. Or people who talk on their cell phones while driving...I mean, come on, are we talking about things that kill us or are we talking about things that gross us out?

Either way, judge not lest ye be judged.

Posted by byanyother at July 21, 2009 11:40 AM

comment #8

Stringer Bell says ...

Jeff: Hypothetically, if your kids grew up heavy, would you have criticized them or would you have been more likely to embrace the hefty population more?

Posted by Stringer Bell at July 21, 2009 11:42 AM

comment #9

Michael says ...

Russell was in no way morbidly obese. Get a grip, dude...morbidly obese people do not go door to door.

Posted by Michael at July 21, 2009 11:44 AM

comment #10

Ryansi51 says ...

have any of you watched the trailer or read the synopsis? this kid is not a "prominent role," just a scene in the movie setting up the pyramid was stolen.

i hate fat people by the way. I'm in shape but i also go to the gym 4 times a week to stay that way.

Posted by Ryansi51 at July 21, 2009 11:50 AM

comment #11

matt cousens says ...

you're a fucking asshole.

Posted by matt cousens at July 21, 2009 11:55 AM

comment #12

Stringer Bell says ...

Not fair to criticize kids under the age of 12 if they're fat. It's the parents responsibility at that age.

Posted by Stringer Bell at July 21, 2009 11:57 AM

comment #13

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

What the hell is this film about anyway? Someone who goes around stealing buildings?

Posted by BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey at July 21, 2009 12:01 PM

comment #14

Ryansi51 says ...

seriously- what a random trailer.

Posted by Ryansi51 at July 21, 2009 12:28 PM

comment #15

dave l says ...

The kid in Up was most certainly not "morbidly obese". Chunky, yes. Morbidly obese, certainly not. This was the same studio that made fun of fat people in their movie from last year. Calm down on the hyperbole, Wells, or people will take you even less seriously than they do now.

Posted by dave l at July 21, 2009 12:28 PM

comment #16

a1 says ...

I don't know how Jeffrey is going to get through Comicon without having a rage-induced aneurysm. I really don't.

Posted by a1 at July 21, 2009 12:32 PM

comment #17

byanyother says ...

"i hate fat people by the way. I'm in shape but i also go to the gym 4 times a week to stay that way."

Lol. It's so sad when people like this idiot and Jeff have the one thing they can feel superior about. I mean like soul-crushingly sad.

Posted by byanyother at July 21, 2009 12:34 PM

comment #18

Ryansi51 says ...

haha take it easy byanyother it was just a joke.

i have plenty of stuff i can feel superior about.

Posted by Ryansi51 at July 21, 2009 12:43 PM

comment #19

Sabina E says ...

People need to lighten the fuck up.

Posted by Sabina E at July 21, 2009 1:00 PM

comment #20

Colin says ...

I suppose if he made fun of different culture you'd join the fun, right?

Posted by Colin at July 21, 2009 1:02 PM

comment #21

Glenn Kenny says ...

Matt Cousins FTW.

But seriously...

Posted by Glenn Kenny at July 21, 2009 1:06 PM

comment #22

televisiontears says ...

i hate insecure arrogant people by the way. I'm confident enough with myself that i don't need to post how fit i am on blogs 4 times a week to stay that way.

Posted by televisiontears at July 21, 2009 2:54 PM

comment #23

BurmaShave says ...

How did this movie happen?

Posted by BurmaShave at July 21, 2009 3:30 PM

comment #24

Deathtongue_Groupie says ...

"Hollywood has produced another mainstream animated feature with another morbidly obese boy in a prominent role. (Or in the trailer, at least.) This follows the precedent begun by..."

Guess Jeff is already letting second stringers write this thing now.

Because only someone with an outsider's perspective is so ignorant to make it a collective "Hollywood," as if every morning there's a meeting at 15301 Ventura Blvd to decide what the town's agenda is.

Also, only newbie journalist with no understanding of just how long it takes any film, much less an animated one, would suggest that film that was released only a few months ago had some influence (precedent) on one deep into production currently.

Gotta be careful with those Mumbai freelancers, Wells.

Posted by Deathtongue_Groupie at July 21, 2009 4:21 PM

comment #25