Does 'Wall-E' Hate Fat People?

Does 'Wall-E' Hate Fat People?

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Some say the Disney/Pixar movie sends the wrong message about obesity.

Wall-E was almost universally loved by critics. But there is controversy brewing over Wall-E's on-screen treatment of fat people. In the movie, the people of the future are portrayed as heavy, Big Gulp-swigging blobs who can't even walk. The New York Post says this makes Wall-E anti-fat. "It turns out that large people have been blogging angrily about Wall-E since at least November," writes Lou Lumenick.

Daniel Engber of Slate agrees: "Puffed-up bodies are played for cheap laughs. What happens when the movie ends and the lights come up? Does the rest of the audience stare at the lone fatty as she waddles her way toward the theater doors? Do they see in her body a validation of the film's 'darker implications'--a signpost for what we might become if we don't change our ways? Or do they just scowl at her, convinced that she's part of the problem?"

One mom, Christine, had this to say: "I am hugely disappointed in Disney/Pixar. This movie had my kids walking away saying, 'Hey, mom, fat people are lazy coach potatoes.'"

Attrice, on the blog Big Fat Deal, disagreed: "I just got back from [Wall-E] and I really really loved it. To me, there was no suggestion that fat people were the cause of all the problems. In fact, when humans first leave the planet, they are mostly thin. There were a few fat gags, but not as many as Get Smart even."

What do you think: Is Wall-E really anti-fat...or are people just being overly sensitive?

9 comments so far | Post a comment now >>

I am overweight and considered obese by my physician, however I did not take offense in the overweight people in the movie. I know the reason why I’m overweight…I eat out of convenience and the movie only portrayed the truth……..if we spend our lives looking for the “easy” and “convenient” way to do things, then we will end of overweight. Funny, you don’t mention the movie’s obvious problem facing the USA, how few corporations own EVERYTHING.

- Jacqui

Posted 07/13/08 09:08 AM

I’m very disapointed in disney for how they portrayed “fat” people. An adult might understand what they were trying to say but a child will look at all “fat” people as lazy and they are NOT ALL LAZY!!!! Shame on disney!!

- Kim

Posted 07/13/08 12:09 PM

This is moderately insane. If you sit there and don’t do anything, you get fat, so what? How many countless movies mock fat people? (with fat actors consenting to portray this no less) The people in the movie are fat from nearly 700 years of neglect against their bodies, it makes sense. It’s tiring that anytime something becomes popular, there’s an activist group waiting in its wings to find the problems they have with it.

- Wilson Matua

Posted 07/13/08 06:01 PM

Well if a child doesn’t understand what it means isn’t it our job as a parent to explain that? I loved the movie too. It was a perfect portrayal of what happens to you if you sit and do nothing for 700 years. DUH! Sheesh lighten up!

- Lisa

Posted 07/13/08 09:27 PM

I don’t understand why there is any fuss- it is safe to assume that if a person eats more energy than they use they will gain weight unless there is some metabolic disorder. This movie pokes at consumerism, not obesity. I don’t know why people are making such a stink about this. Opportunists?

- xioxin

Posted 07/19/08 03:47 PM

I have been obese since the age of 5. I have heard and dealt with all the same things as others that are obese. I have not had the good luck of most of the obese people in society as I am also 6’8” tall and this makes me not only a big target but also a “BIG” target. I watched Wall-E with my daughter and we both came away with the same message, you must think for yourself. My daughter who is six said to me, “Daddy, why didn’t they just stop doing what the TV told them?” This made me proud. She hit the nail on the head when it comes to the theme of this movie. To think it is about making fun of fat people is ridiculous. I am sick and tired of people getting upset about everything every day. Wall-E hates fat people, Hancock hates gay people, etc. Get a grip and worry about something important. These are movies. Abuse towards children, the sad state of our educational system, etc.

- rashuge

Posted 07/19/08 08:53 PM

I loved this movie! I never even thought about it making fun of people and had no idea till I saw this article right now. It is stupid! Its not making fun of fat people it is telling the truth of what will happen if we let technology do everything for us. No matter what someone will always be offended by something but I enjoyed the movie exactly the way it was :)

- emma

Posted 07/29/08 04:12 AM

Children wouldn’t get that concept. They’d just enjoy Wall-E and Eve’s characters. That’s the great thing about kids. They don’t think about petty things like fat people in movies. I think Pixar is amazing for putting this in the movie. They put out a good point of telling people the consequences if everything in the world just gets easier and easier. The more technology is used, the morel lazy people will become.

- daphne

Posted 08/10/08 04:32 PM

This is stupid people taking offense to stuff like this I mean come on.I am also a fat person and sometimes I do wish I was skinny but I mean seriously taking offense to a movie because in the far distant future theres fat people? I don’t look at this and go oh my gosh I can’t believe the portray fat people as being lazy I look at it as one day fat people will no longer be looked at as a bad thing.Fat people will no longer be looked down at.They will finally be found as socially acceptable not as something to look down at because we like to eat or because we don’t like to get out as much as the skinny people do.I’m glad disney finally put some big people in a movie I mean look at all the other stuff there pushing out now a days like High School Musical,where all the stars of the movie are beautiful,perfect skinny people.I believe Disney is finally acknowledging that fat people do exist and they need to be put out there not kept in the dark not like some outcast.I don’t believe a kid is gonna look at that and say oh well we should make fun of these people now.I believe people are looking to much into this.Always trying to find a flaw in something that is good.I mean honestly…

- JJ

Posted 01/12/09 01:29 PM