“It’s Not Okay”: FX’s Starved and Eating Disorders as Entertainment

Abstract

In 2005, cable channel FX made the risky decision to air Eric Schaeffer’s Starved, a bold experiment that challenged preconceived notions about eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia, and compulsive eating. The show poses interesting questions about illness, forcing the viewer to consider whether eating disorders can ever be considered funny. The show ultimately received mixed reviews and was cancelled after just seven episodes. Through an exploration of this challenging show, the author examines what happens when eating disorders are explored through comedy rather than the more typical tragic narrative. By comparing the show to similar sitcoms such as Fat Actress as well as serious reality programming such as Intervention and made-for-television movies, it becomes clear that while Starved may push the viewer to confront the horror of the disease, it fails not only to create empathetic characters and situations but also is unable to make audiences laugh.