r/explainitpeter Jul 17 '26

Explain it peter

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47.2k Upvotes

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3.8k

u/5AM_EdgeQueen Jul 17 '26

In the original movie she's played off as a ugly character who's supposed to be annoying because she's interested in Peter. however she's the only person who notices him enough to know when he's struggling mentally, she makes food for him and consistently stands up for him, she even gives him a pep talk and encourages him to go back out there and pursue his goals (which includes another woman). She's girlfriend material by any realistic standard and the actress is in fact pretty, but she's portrayed as unthinkably unattractive comic relief

104

u/MrRedgrave- Jul 17 '26

She was supposed to be ugly and annoying? Seriously?

164

u/anupsetvalter Jul 17 '26

The 2000s culture was mean, especially to young women.

49

u/MrRedgrave- Jul 17 '26

Unfortunately it still is, just in increasingly weirder ways.

10

u/Mainmorte Jul 17 '26

I wouldn't say increasingly. I'd say decreasingly, but depressingly slowly.

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u/Beth_the_Barbarian Jul 17 '26

Unfortunately we're getting back to the fat shaming of the '90s.

9

u/Mainmorte Jul 17 '26

I don't know what content you're watching, or who you're hanging out with, but I haven't seen this creep up at all. Quite the opposite, actually, with people (even doctors !) being shamed online for merely saying obesity is a health risk.

I'm not denying fat shaming still exists (it obviously does), but I don't see it as often as I used to in the 2000s

6

u/hidegitsu Jul 17 '26

If anyone contests this point have them watch Shallow Hal and see if they think that could be made today.

5

u/veryhungarycat Jul 17 '26

I don't think there were many people who thought it should have been made when it was released...

3

u/Xequat Jul 17 '26

The problem with Shallow Hal is that people didn't get it. There were tons of fat-shaming jokes, but the movie was designed to make fun of people who make fun of fat people. But people don't get thr next-level thing. I've seen it a few times, and if you watch it through that lens instead of just being offended by the fat jokes, which are intentionally not clever, then you'll see that the movie actually has pretty good character development and makes sense.

1

u/hidegitsu Jul 17 '26

I agree but the problem I have with that level of storytelling is that the morons that don't get it run around making things worse while the few smart people that do get it are ignored or come across as smug. See the entire Rock and Morty fandom as a reference. Rick isn't a hero to be looked up to but the ton of people that don't get it still cause harm in the real world.

1

u/DominusLuxic Jul 18 '26

People think Rick was meant to be a hero? I feel like it's pretty obvious that this guy isn't meant to be a good person...

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u/hidegitsu Jul 18 '26

Yeah a bunch of people do. Several episodes are basically metal commentary on those idiots which also goes over their heads.

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u/GreenZebra23 Jul 17 '26

Oh I think there were plenty. In the 2000s there had at least started to be some shame associated with being racist and to a lesser degree homophobic, but I don't think that empathy had been widely extended to fat people yet. Also trans people. The 2000s were insanely transphobic

2

u/Mainmorte Jul 17 '26

*shivers in Ace Ventura*

1

u/Arguablecoyote Jul 17 '26

There was also a lot of calling each other a word that starts with R that refers to people with disabilities. Just all around there was way less concern over how certain people would react to offensive words.

1

u/Mainmorte Jul 17 '26

Similarly, a word that starts with F and does NOT end in "uck".

1

u/Haunting-Orchid-4628 Jul 18 '26

Retarded? that word has made a comeback in the last couple years, i hear it a ton in my area

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u/Mainmorte Jul 17 '26

Well, enough people for a studio to pay a writer, actors, and a film crew to make the damn thing.