Starved Gets Chewed Out
By Ben Grossman and John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/1/2005 7:59:00 PM
The National Eating Disorders Association has taken issue with FX's sitcom, Starved, which debuts Aug. 4 at 10 p.m.
The group calls the show "tasteless" and "dangerous" because the pilot deals with three thirtysomething men and a woman suffering from eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia and compulsive overeating.
“Eating disorders are illnesses, not choices, and certainly no laughing matter," says NEDA CEO Lynne Grefe. "For anyone who has battled an eating disorder, watched a loved one do so, or lost a child to the illness, it’s no joke. This appalling and reprehensible program Starved is starved for any empathy toward those affected by the illness."
FX spokesman John Solberg says the network had previously met with Grefe and that the association's comments were not unexpected.
"This is the way [series creator and co-star] Eric [Schaeffer] has chosen to tell the stories, and we fully support it."
He added: "We recognize there will be a segment [of the population] that may be offended and choose not to watch and we respect that decision."
In March, NEDA criticized Showtime's comedy, Fat Actress, for jokes about anorexia, bulimia and binge eating.
Showtime at the time said: "The show's emphasis is on battling societal pressures in a humorous and candid way and is in no way intended to encourage dangerous behavior or to ridicule those who suffer from eating disorders."
