Unless you have a tween at home, you may not be familiar with Demi Lovato, the 19-year-old singer and actress who entered rehab last year seeking treatment for bulimia, self-injury, and other issues. Lovato is the former star of Disney’s Sonny With a Chance, one of many sitcoms marketed towards pre-teen and teenage viewers, and last week, she made headlines when she called out her former employer on Twitter.
What got Demi all riled up? A line in another popular Disney sitcom, Shake It Up, where a model quips to the show’s lead actresses “You’re adorable. I could just eat you guys up. You know, if I ate.” After which, the model and her entourage burst into hysterical laughter.
This prompted Lovato to take to Twitter asking “What are we promoting here? #notfunnyATALL.” Followed by “I find it really funny how a company can lose one of their actresses from the pressures of an eating disorder and yet still make a joke about it.” She then sent a tweet directly to Disney saying “Dear Disney Channel, EATING DISORDERS ARE NOT SOMETHING TO JOKE ABOUT.” Lovato also retweeted a response from a fan stating that a similar joke was made on another Disney sitcom, So Random, a spin-off from her original show.
When the folks over at Disney saw the angry tweets they responded “we hear you and are pulling both episodes as quickly as possible & re-evaluating them… It’s NEVER our intention to make light of eating disorders!”
When I learned of the exchange, I felt compelled to write about it in this space. A teen pop star publicly opposing a major network’s promotion of unhealthy eating habits to young girls? I couldn’t wait to virtually high-five her. However, when I started to do a little background research for the story, I couldn’t decide what appalled me more — the joke which made light of eating disorders, or the way the story of Lovato speaking out against it was being portrayed by some.
Headlines and articles included statements which seemed to shed a negative light on Ms. Lovato, saying she “attacked,” “lashed out at,” and “blasted” Disney. Some accused her of throwing a “twitter tantrum” or going on a “twitter rampage.”
The predominance of the articles I read were fact-driven, reporting only the exchange between Lovato and Disney on twitter. Very few chose to admonish Disney along with Lovato for incorporating such an irresponsible and insensitive remark into a show for young girls.
Further digging revealed that the offending episode premiered in December of 2010, airing countless times in re-runs before it was called to Disney’s attention by Lovato, which left me wondering…would the joke have given me pause if I watched the scene when not framed in controversy?
If I’m being completely honest, as a grown woman, probably not. The scene would likely have glossed over me without further thought, but here’s the problem: the show isn’t for adults. The show is for tweens, teenagers, young girls and even boys who are still learning how to be comfortable with their bodies, who are impressionable, who, whether we like it or not, make role models of the characters on their favorite television shows.
If I were to watch that same scene as a young girl, a scene in which an attractive, thin model brags about not eating while her doting entourage laugh along with her, would my response be the same? Would I be mature enough to recognize it for what I assume was it’s intention, a joke playing on the stereotype of models? Maybe, but what if I didn’t. What if making light of an eating disorder made it seem more accepted, more appealing even?
Imagine for a moment that instead of making a joke about her unhealthy eating habits, the actress was, instead, nonchalantly smoking a cigarette. Would we have allowed it to go unnoticed for a year until a pop star who suffered from lung cancer denounced it? I’m betting no, but why? Both smoking and eating disorders can result in serious health problems and even death.
Networks that cater to our youth may not be obligated to promote a positive body image. There are no regulations in place stipulating that they cast actors and actresses of all shapes and sizes, but when they choose to openly mock and make light of a disease that is rapidly becoming an epidemic, it is our responsibility to call them on it.
Bravo, Demi.
Amber Doty is the managing editor of Go Mighty, as well as a slightly eccentric wife and mother of two. Her interests include eating meals she had no hand in preparing, making formerly professional business meetings awkward, and perfecting the emotional outburst. One day she hopes to travel to all seven continents, but for now she lives in North Carolina happily equidistant from the mountains and the beach. You can read more from Amber on her blog, The Daily Doty.
image courtesy Idolator.com
I’m glad she spoke up, too. I have a 12-year-old niece who LOVES Disney and the types of shows Lovato was on. And she regularly walks around talking about how fat she is. She has been taking gymnastics and cheer since she was about 5 or 6, and she is tiny and muscular. My sister said that’s just what the girls in her class say to each other and about themselves, and that she has to think that way to fit in. It’s just sad.
Your comment absolutely breaks my heart and makes me worry about my own daughter. Self-loathing as a means to fit in? That’s awful.
Great article.
I think what’s important here is this. It’s all cumulative.
Disney Channel is hardly known for making tasteless or insensitive commentary on their shows, and while they should never have approved those lines and their action was extremely late, they acted appropriately.
But, the problem I have with this is, it’s just one more drop in the bucket.
One more place to hear one more joke/comment/dig at beauty and body size.
Was it an isolated incident? Yup. But when we are already getting schooled on what our bodies are supposed to look like to be attractive or have value at every other turn, even isolated incidents add up.
At what point do we start holding companies and marketers and media accountable for the very real effects they are having on girls and women? I say it’s now.
What Brittany said. I literally didn’t say it better myself.
It IS cumulative and it has to stop.
I don’t watch the Disney channel (we don’t have cable and boyo is still too young for those shows), but this doesn’t inspire me ever to do so. I recall reading something by Dan Savage (I can’t recall if it was an article or a segment of one of his books), who mentioned that he’d heard use of the word “gay” as a pejorative on “The Suite Life of Zach and Cody”, another Disney show, and I was appalled at that. I am further appalled at this casual use of disordered eating as a punch line. As an adult, I get that it is mockery of stereotypes. But at 11 or 12? I don’t think I would have understood that larger cultural context. Disney needs to remember that they are aiming for a specific audience and do a better job of tailoring their content accordingly. (Or not. I suppose they don’t *have* to do any such thing, but if they choose not to, then parents who are unhappy need to take action themselves and avoid the product Disney is producing.) And bravo to Ms. Lovato for speaking out. It takes courage to publicly call out a behemoth like Disney – especially one for whom you used to work – at such a young age.
I love this article because some might see it as her supposedly throwing a tantrum I had to suffer through a sister and a cousin from 12 to 17 years old dealing with eating disorders.My whole family suffered with my sister and cousin who almost died twice because she felt like she was too fat ,A sister who wanted to look the girls on TV making it seem like this the way we all should look.You might not be so ignorant about the situation when you or someone you love goes through that.That’s why there are so many young ladies and boys in treatments centers like Ms.Lovato was in because people wait to late to speak up and take action and bemoaned people like Demi because she Dare speak about on her twitter where girls look up to her.She’s been through it and weather you like her or not her being who she is may have saved a young person’s life or mind just because that someone they admire makes them feel and know there are others to be beautiful and that starts by being just you .This is Disney not HBO OR THE CW PEOPLE IT’S A PROGRAM MADE FOR KIDS! Thank you Demi Lovato!
Disney Channel PULLED and RE-EDITED an episode of Hannah Montana for the way that it portrayed Type 1 Diabetes a few years ago. BEFORE it aired. Because they felt that it was insensitive.
However, THIS didn’t catch their attention? The last thing little girls (and boys) need is to hear role models making jokes about eating disorders. I am so proud of Demi for speaking up, and while I’m glad that Disney has said they’ll do something about it, there is no reason for anyone to claim that Demi attacked Disney – she pointed out a flaw that needed to addressed.
To make matters worse? If it aired last year, that’s when they had a star in rehab for the very thing they were making jokes about.
Absolutely loved this article. After trading it, I’m wondering to myself, how can we conquer these issues?
This past summer I attended a pool party for a high school student’s birthday. There were probably 15 other high school students in attendance and none of them would eat cake, not even the guys. In addition to this, they made extremely small portions on their plates for the meal. At that age I don’t think they were just being conscious of weekday they were eating. My point is that this goes beyond girls and beyond the young age groups. It’s a huge problem and I can’t think of a solution for it. I hugely applaud Demi for standing up, she did what should have been done to begin with.
Well said. I wasn’t aware of the brouhaha but I’m glad it’s getting this kind of attention.
both of my girls (8&7) have issues with their body images. it is waay too early and young to be thinking of anything like fat on a thigh or a belly.
Demi is such an inspiration to me and many other people who suffer from an eating disorder.
Im 17 and have suffered for almost 5 years.
She made me realize that what i was doing to myself is not alright and that IT IS okay to speak up about it.
I think that her speaking up may shed some light on those that are still hiding in the shadows of an eating disorders.
I sure hope so anyways
-brittany
There was a point at which several Disney shows addressed body image issues, including The Suite Life and That’s So Raven, and I remember watching and loving those episodes what they aired, but of the re-run episodes, they were never shown. If they were, it was late at night.
There was a point that these were perhaps more “mature” topics, but now, all kids’ entertainment is somewhat more mature in terms of plot, so why shouldn’t more pro-body episodes be produced?
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