Why wasn’t “Huge” a huge ratings success?
This summer I watched a show called Huge on ABC Family. It was about teenagers at “Camp Victory,” a weight loss camp. Leads were played by Nikki Blonsky, who was previously Tracy Turnblad in the movie musical Hairspray, and Haley Hasselhoff, David’s daughter, who plays “the prettiest girl at fat camp.” The show was created by Winnie Holzman, the mind behind my favorite show of all time, My So-Called Life, and her daughter, Savannah Dooley. While the dialogue isn’t quite as memorable as that of MSCL, it’s still an amazingly interesting show with intriguing characters with fascinating inner lives.
Photo of My So-Called Life from Ew.com
Unfortunately, MSLC ended in its 19th episode of a planned 22, on a cliffhanger, and it looks like Huge may also end unresolved, since the final episode of the “summer season” took them only through parents’ weekend at the camp (which one might assume would happen halfway through a given summer), and introduced a new couple and some heartbreak for the lead.
Ratings were not terrible. ABC Family is not on all cable systems and I don’t believe that a large portion of the audience either knows they have it or would watch shows on it if they did. Secret Life of the American Teenager is by far the most popular show on that network.
You can watch at least one online episode here: http://abcfamily.go.com/shows/huge?cid=afm_psg_comsearch_Huge&kmed=ppc
Photo Credit: ABC Family. Huge
While some fictional shows have the occasional heavy character, and reality shows like The Biggest Loser (which I have never watched) have a large number of heavier people, it is really quite startling to see a show full of nothing but heavy teenagers. It simply doesn’t match the vision normally shown in teen shows or family dramas, in which nearly everyone is spectacularly beautiful, quite thin, and perfectly dressed and coiffed.
The director of the camp is played by the slender Gina Torres, and all the counselors are “normal” sized people who could appear on any television show, except for the camp cook, played by Paul Dooley, who as an older man can be heavier, and who has appeared on many TV shows including My So-Called Life, Ellen, Grace Under Fire, ER, and Desperate Housewives. He is married to Ms. Holzman and father to Ms. Dooley.
Photo Credit: ABC Family. Huge
Most ABC Family shows are run in mini-seasons, so that, for example, The Secret Life of the American Teenager (a show I loathe but watch for research purposes and because it is amusing to watch such a train wreck), runs around eight episodes in the summer, takes several month break, and then picks up again in the winter or spring. Huge ran for 10 episodes, and, although I’ve been monitoring web sites such as www.thefutoncritic.com and www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com, both places that would announce such a thing, no subsequent season has been announced, nor has the show been announced as on hiatus or canceled.
Most of the other shows on that network seem to at least make it through a 16 episode season, so I have to wonder if Huge is not getting renewed because people don’t want to watch fat characters. Despite the “obesity epidemic” we read so much about, is there really acceptance of different body types in our “escapist media”?
There might be other reasons it didn’t get a large enough audience for renewal. Way too much time was spent on the camp director and her eating disorder and issues with her father, Nikki Blonsky’s character was too angry, the show dealt with homosexuality and potentially transgender issues that might turn off some viewers or their parents. A lot of people found My So-Called Life too “talky” and the lead character too whiny, and this may have some of the same issues for audiences.
Blair Waldorf of "Gossip Girl". Photo Credit The CW.
However, it does seem as if we are probably used to watching pretty people on our TVs, particularly pretty young women. The cast simply does not look like the cast of Gossip Girl. Having the most desirable boy on the show be heavier than average, and the most desirable girl be at least a size 14 might just be too difficult for viewers to accept. I think getting audiences, especially young audiences to watch Huge could do a lot for the self-esteem of teenage girls of all sizes.
kheckman76 replied:
It’s so sad that television shows are now mostly recognized for the “pretty faces” and not the underlying messages thet might be trying to convey. I agree that girls of all shapes and sizes should have something on television that they can relate to and hopefully allow them to build their self-confidence. After all doesn’t beauty come from within?
September 22, 2010 at 9:37 pm. Permalink.
sward02 replied:
I agree that there are almost no popular TV programs with heavier lead characters, and certainly not an entire cast. I have never watched any of the shows on ABC family, but I have heard some things about the girls from “Gossip Girl.” When I read your post about a show with heavy people at the center, I thought of another show. It’s called “Drop Dead Diva.” It’s about a shallow wannabe model who suddenly dies in a car accident and somehow finds herself inhabiting the body of a smart lawyer – who just happens to be plus-size. I heard that it got good reviews – but it just seems odd to me. Like it’s a sort of “hell” that this skinny woman is forced to live inside the body of a larger woman.
September 24, 2010 at 1:07 am. Permalink.
iloveaphysicsgeek replied:
You can watch episodes of Huge at http://www.hulu.com. I remember seeing an ad for Huge and thinking that it was a reality show about kids surviving a fat camp. I am not a fan of reality shows and I decided to add it to the “stay away” list along with The Bachelor. I am trying to remember my initial reaction to seeing an overweight girl as the focus of the advertisement. Did I cringe and remember my primary school days of wearing large t-shirts over my bathing suits? Did I shrink away because I found the sight of a person of different stature to be repulsive? I want to be honest with myself throughout this course because honesty leads to discovery. Maybe it was a bit of both.
Our perceptions of overweight people are shockingly ignorant and hateful. As of this writing, What Would You Do, a television show that explores ethical dilemmas with its hidden cameras, portrayed a scenario that unearthed some of these perceptions. Actors were asked to say hurtful things to an overweight woman (in a very public place) and the reactions of the people walking by were captured on hidden camera. Watch 11:27-19:10 http://www.hulu.com/watch/170011/what-would-you-do-tue-mar-25-2008 to see some common beliefs come out in the language of the actors – are overweight people stupid, out of control, lazy, unhealthy, and to blame for their own problems? We say that we do not believe these things, but are these thoughts ingrained in us? Do we show that we really believe these things by glossing over a show like Huge and embracing Gossip Girl? I know when I see pictures of myself 47 pounds ago, I feel disgust – but I was still Becki! If I can’t even see myself through eyes of truth and love, how much more distorted must my views of others be…
September 24, 2010 at 9:18 am. Permalink.
iloveaphysicsgeek replied:
*I want to clarify that the television shows I commented on were italicized, but the formatting was obviously lost in my cutting and pasting. I try to be thorough about things like this in order to encourage the younger readers following my comments.*
September 24, 2010 at 11:06 pm. Permalink.
Lisa Anderson replied:
Despite the fact that TV is full of people who are thin, society is not only that way. Studies show that more and more people are becoming overweight. But because people watch TV, mostly, to escape, I think that people want to see their idealized selves, the people that they wish they could be instead of seeing who they really are. Many TV viewers want the pretend aspect of TV, not the true reality they live. And that is why I think HUGE wasn’t a success. People didn’t want to see the people they know or the people they live with. It’s no fun that way because it is like looking in a mirror. That is the funny part about TV or a movie. A realy good show will take you away from reality but a great show will make you look at it more closely. Yet the more closely the show examines reality, the fewer people can handle it.
September 24, 2010 at 6:36 pm. Permalink.
liberatingdesiree replied:
You would think that a television show depicting obese teenagers would have a specific target audience but I think you are right on target. Viewers don’t want to see their problems on TV, they’d much prefer to watch dramas featuring unrealistic events and situations. I actually have never heard of the the TV show mentioned but I have watched My So Called Life. It often dealt with some of the pressures teens faced but again, some felt it was to wordy. This also reminds me of the television show Freaks & Geeks, which featured young geeks and social outcasts maneuvering through high school and hosting a whole series of teen related problems, although done comically. Both these TV shows have reached a cult like following and perhaps that is what will happen with Huge. That’s what seems to happen to television shows that focus on real problems.
September 29, 2010 at 1:22 am. Permalink.
dcarangelo replied:
Have you watched the new show Mike & Molly yet? The one where both of the lead characters are overweight and which uses their weight as part of the story. I haven’t seen it and really didn’t plan on watching it, but perhaps something could be learned from it. I know the media was making a big deal out of it because there really aren’t a lot of shows where the main characters are overweight, I know I can’t think of one off hand. I’m not staying away from the show because of the characters, I just don’t have “room” for another new show, my 2 DVR’s really can’t handle anymore!! Do you think a show like that has any hope of surviving in a society where thin is in?
October 1, 2010 at 4:38 am. Permalink.
elizabetheleven replied:
Apparently, TV shows are not given much time to “make it or break it” these days. I see that two new shows for the fall 2010 season have already been cancelled – Lone Star and My Generation. I usually do not see much logic as to why some shows are cancelled and others are renewed way past their prime. Perhaps it was cancelled for some of the reasons you list –the obese main characters and homosexuality issues. Or perhaps one of the TV execs was just having a bad morning and decided to pull the plug. Who knows?
I do watch shows on ABC Family, but I did not tune in for this one. You make some good points about why it could have been a positive viewing experience for teenagers, so I’m sorry it’s not in the line-up anymore!
October 4, 2010 at 10:19 pm. Permalink.
tcutter76 replied:
Let us face reality and say, “Thin is in, and being fat is not.”
Well unless you are a pudgy man like the character on ” “.
Unfortunetly you can be a heavy man and gain acceptance from television veiwers. Look at real life situations. Chubby men are considered, “cute and cuddly”. I have even heard people say big men look, “strong and masculine.”
October 11, 2010 at 12:20 am. Permalink.
tcutter76 replied:
Let us face reality and say, “Thin is in, and being fat is not.”
Well unless you are a pudgy man like the character on “Kind of Queens”.
Unfortunately, you can be a heavy man and gain acceptance from television viewers. Look at real life situations. Chubby men are considered, “cute and cuddly”. I have even heard people say big men look, “strong and masculine.”
Ask these same people what they think of a heavy woman and their answers are mean and uncalled for.
So yes maybe they did cancel “Huge”. Why would they want to portray heavy characters who are not going to lose the weight any time soon. They are considered unhealthy.
Do you sense the sarcasm in my response? Of course you do I am an overweight woman! I also know however, it is my fault I am this way. I cannot blame it on thyroid problems or genetics.
So each day I try to choose healthy foods and stay active. I have lost 36 pounds since my daughter was born last March.
Maybe they could have a television show that has the heavy characters lose weight as the season goes on. Not like the “Biggest Loser” they are losing a lot of weight very quickly.
Losing weight gradually will help you keep the weight off forever.
October 11, 2010 at 12:31 am. Permalink.
WOMEN, SEX AND THE MEDIA replied:
When I was a teenager, I used to buy and read all these women’s magazines such as “Cosmopolitan”, “Vogue”, “Girl” and so on. However, with time I made the same conclusion as you: these magazines made me feel somehow bad. First of all, I could not afford most of the things presented in f.ex. “Vogue”, secondly, I could not identify myself with the issues they were writing about. Every time I bought such a magazine, I noticed that it is all about beauty, looks, thinness, sex etc…. Basically they were constantly giving tips what to do and how to do, making the reader feel useless. Approximately two years ago I stopped buying such magazines, actually I do not buy any magazines at this time due to the fact that they and the written texts and presented images make me somehow angry: who are “they” to tell ME how I am supposed to look or how I am supposed to behave in bed!?!?!
When speaking about tv shows and films, it is definitely true that the majority of main characters present idealized people. However, I do not think that any extreme is good, e.g. neither too thin and perfect girls nor chubby or corpulent are healthy. Hollywood movies should choose more often realistic characters, females and males who are average without being too idealized or too big in order not to confuse the mass audience.
October 21, 2010 at 11:07 am. Permalink.
shaden1984 replied:
I also way he’d this show! I thought it was a great concept, they dealt with eating disorders and body image and confidence, three of theain issues with young teen girls. I think that the shows true downfall was the writing and content. Just be aide you are doing a show about “fat” kids doesnt mean that it can’t be just as entertaining as other shows. True, they did have the usual love triangle and girl wants boy,bit boy wants other girl, but I felt that they focused on not portals stuff and really didn’t make the show that appealing to viewers. I mean if you’re show is already unappealing by having fat people on it, you need something great to draw the audience in!!
December 30, 2010 at 7:11 pm. Permalink.