MP Watch Party: Wall-E and Spy

Doing my drama training as a 16 YEAR OLD I was always cast as the mum. In everything. And I knew why.

Eve Moriarty

Currently reprogramming my like as an emotional support fat and it's a ride. I'd love to read and talk more to other people about the phenomenon Aubrey describes and its roots in cultural depictions of fat people because MAN it has made people angry that I no longer offer hot and cold running emotional support.

Stacy Magerkurth

So, I’ve been comfort relistening to a bunch of your old episodes, and in listening to this one, I think I might have an idea for another bonus show you could do. You could call it: My Favorite Microaggression. I was listening to the piece at the end, where Aubrey talks about only being cast in servant or teacher parts (or, in my experience, older character - grandmas can be fat and it’s ok). Just have readers/listeners write in and share theirs? I’m sure there are a ton. But, to be clear, I mean this to be more darkly funny than tragic. Like… no stories from doctors offices — those aren’t microaggressions. More like, accidental rudeness that’s funny. Example: when I was in college, a friend and I were walking into the library to work on a project together. There was a turnstile to get into the library, where you scan your student id, and an older gentleman library employee was sat next to it, just kind of supervising, ostensibly for security, I guess? And he was calling out compliments to any female students who walked by. (Note: this was sweet, rather than perverse. At least at the time) To my friend: “Wow! You look like a model!” To me: “You look like you’ll be a great…. (face contorts as he searches for any kind of compliment) teacher!” That sort of thing. Or, for example: by the time I was in my mid-to-late twenties, most of my high school friends were married/coupled off, and eventually, I was the only single adult female human at their parties. I also had a male counterpart, in that there was one guy belonging to their friend group who was still single. At one of their parties (a housewarming, I think?), he got drunk enough to hit on me. So, sad/microaggression: this guy had to be drunk off his gourd and *barely* able to walk in order for him to hit on me, but it was fun to watch him get drunker and drunker, scan the room and zero in on me like some sort of inebriated robocop. Not *that* funny, but I’m sure other people have better stories.

New here, listening to the backlog of bonus episodes, and Aubrey's discussion of SPY and how fat people will make themselves useful to feel less like an inconvenience has sniped me into immediate blubbering tears holy shit

https://slate.com/technology/2008/07/pixar-s-wall-e-sends-the-wrong-message-about-obesity-and-the-environment.html

Roxy

https://www.disneydining.com/problematic-pixar-is-wall-e-fatphobic-kc1/

Roxy

Is it perfect? Definitely not. Is it my new comfort movie? Absolutely

Olivia Milloway

I was terrified y'all were gonna be down on Paul Fieg. >.< not my Office director! lol I was also worried because I have seen Spy and didnt see anything wrong with it, glad I was right in my recollection and that you guys liked it! such a funny movie. love it!

Mollie Julius

I love Dumplin. I've watched it 4-5 times and I still cry.

I really want to watch Spy now after listening to this. I stopped watching Melissa McCarthy movies after Bridesmaids because I kind of hated how all movies seemed to feel the need to make her less attractive and hyperfocused on fatness in a negative way. There's other reasons why I don't like Bridesmaids, the big wedding dress poop joke being a big one, but I was a fan of McCarthy from Gilmore Girls where I felt like they treated her character more as a full fledged person than a trope. Side note: I love how this podcast also makes me feel seen as a disabled person.

Rachel Wilhoyte

Someone wants me to watch Dumplin’ and I am too afraid. Can you watch it for me and tell me if it’s awful 🙈 https://m.imdb.com/title/tt4878482/

Everything you said during the Spy segment about society's expectations of fat people goes triple for the autism spectrum.

Amy Veeres

I love you both so much, but please please stop using ableist words like “stupid”, especially in discussions about ableism <3

Everybody spending the whole movie convincing Melissa McCarthy that she doesn’t have any power or skill is like the karate kid in reverse, where they spent the whole movie convincing Ralph Macchio that he has tons of power and skill. And also, it’s also just like Harry Potter and all the other boy genius movies and books from the 70s onwards.

Off topic/on topic… can we talk about Monster House and how Fatphobic that garbage was?

Liz Wilhelm

Ugh!

Melody Condon

I’m pretty sure Disney+ doesn’t preface Wall-E with its patented “Oops we messed up” disclaimer. 🙄 Great episode. I had forgotten about that Gilbert Grape line. File that under “things to think about when in the mood to cry”.

i always got roles of service at school! i played frau schmidt in the sound of music, even though i was more suited to the role of von trapps fiancé! i was also an objectively better actor and singer than the person that got the role. in another play i was cast as the prince’s funny fat male friend…i am a woman. i gave up on theatre and quit the last role. my talent wasn’t enough, they needed me to be thin in order to be a lead.

tjp