Kate: Chrissy Metz

[Guest]

This week's People has Metz revealing she's dating a cameraman from the show. 

[methodwriter85]

Good for Metz.

My mom can't stop going on and on about how fat Kate is whenever they show her, and how it's a shame because she has a beautiful face. Ugh. Really annoying. Unfortunately my mom is completely tone-deaf with this stuff no matter how much you try to tell her it's wrong.

I really want to see how Sophie and Kate were friends.

Edited February 8, 2017 by methodwriter85

[chocolatine]

2 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

My mom can't stop going on and on about how fat Kate is whenever they show her, and how it's a shame because she has a beautiful face. Ugh. Really annoying. Unfortunately my mom is completely tone-deaf with this stuff no matter how much you try to tell her it's wrong.

She's probably from the generation that thinks pointing out that kind of stuff is "helpful".

[Guest]

I glanced down at this week's People on my counter this morning and thought, "Who is that on the cover?  She looks a bit like Melissa McCarthy or Chrissie Metz."  It's Metz in a head shot but she looks much thinner to me.  I don't know if they doctored the photo or what but the rest of the article, the photos looks like the usual Metz, possibly with some weight loss but not anything drastic or unrecognizable.  

Now that I look at other pictures of her, I think it just really matters if she's got her head shoved forward to reduce the chin.  I think that's the same thing with the pic of Sullivan where he looks so much thinner.

 

Edited February 13, 2017 by Guest

[OtterMommy]

3 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I glanced down at this week's People on my counter this morning and thought, "Who is that on the cover?  She looks a bit like Melissa McCarthy or Chrissie Metz."  It's Metz in a head shot but she looks much thinner to me.  I don't know if they doctored the photo or what but the rest of the article, the photos looks like the usual Metz, possibly with some weight loss but not anything drastic or unrecognizable.  

Now that I look at other pictures of her, I think it just really matters if she's got her head shoved forward to reduce the chin.  I think that's the same thing with the pic of Sullivan where he looks so much thinner.

 

I had the same reaction when I saw the People cover..."Who is that?"  It's a very lovely picture of her.  And, yeah, the chin trick does work (Oprah has been using it for years....), but People is known to do a little, ahem, touching up on photos--nothing like what you'd see in Fitness or the like--regardless of who the person is.  

That being said, I do think, based on pictures I've seen of her at events, that she is having some success with her weight loss efforts.  She's not dropping the weight BL style, but that's not healthy.  Slower weight loss is more likely to be long term, so good for her.

[SlackerInc]

BL style?

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, SlackerInc said:

BL style?

Biggest Loser style, I think.  As in 10+ lbs. a week.  

[OtterMommy]

25 minutes ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

Biggest Loser style, I think.  As in 10+ lbs. a week.  

Yes, sorry...that's what I meant.

[topanga]

I was someone who didn't mind that the character Kate was always talking about her weight and that her weight is the main aspect of her character arc. For super obese people like Kate, being overweight is central to every aspect of your life.

However, an unfortunate aspect of her character's focus is that when Chrissy does real-life interviews, most of the questions focus on her weight: is your character going to lose weight? If so, how do you feel about losing weight over the course of a TV season? Will you have surgery? 

I did enjoy her recent interview on Live with Kelly. Kelly Ripa and her guest co-host spent most of the interview asking her about her childhood, how she got started in acting, and how she landed the role on This Is Us. Quite refreshing. She still spent some time talking about her weight, however. 

[luna1122]

Chrissy cohosted a segment of the E! Red Carpet shows on Oscar day...she looked pretty in a vivid green dress, and her hair looked longer and redder. She was basically there just to critique red carpet arrivals, which was probably fun for her. And unless I missed it, not a single word about her weight, which has to be refreshing.

[qtpye]

This is going to sound like a weird question, but do you think it is harder to be the overweight sibling of someone who is considered very attractive?  My friend's parents could not have anymore children after they had her, so after a long process they adopted her brother.  Her brother had grown up to be extremely good looking.  My friend is quite attractive, but she said sometimes it can be tough for her.  After, meeting her brother, people often expect her to look like a model and she says sometimes she can see the disappointment in their faces.  If they ever find out her brother is adopted, then it's like a light bulb moment goes off in their eyes...like, oh, that makes sense.

Anyway, she is married and very happy.  It does not bother her and she has a great relationship with her adopted brother.

I just think it must of been hard for Kate, while growing up to be Kevin's sister.  I mean Kevin is not regular people good looking, he is almost like freakishly good looking, though YMMV.  Young Kevin, though is more regular kid good looking, though maybe he grew into his glamourous leading man on a tv series good looks later?

Randall is also nice looking, but he went to a different school, so probably not the same thing.

Edited March 31, 2017 by qtpye

[ChromaKelly]

11 minutes ago, qtpye said:

This is going to sound like a weird question, but do you think it is harder to be the overweight sibling of someone who is considered very attractive?  My friend's parents could not have anymore children after they had her, so after a long process they adopted her brother.  Her brother had grown up to be extremely good looking.  My friend is quite attractive, but she said sometimes it can be tough for her.  After, meeting her brother, people often expect her to look like a model and she says sometimes she can see the disappointment in their faces.  If they ever find out her brother is adopted, then it's like a light bulb moment goes off in their eyes...like, oh, that makes sense.

Anyway, she is married and very happy.  It does not bother her and she has a great relationship with her adopted brother.

I just think it must of been hard for Kate, while growing up to be Kevin's sister.  I mean Kevin is not regular people good looking, he is almost like freakishly good looking, though YMMV.  Young Kevin, though is more regular kid good looking, though maybe he grew into his glamourous leading man on a tv series good looks later?

Randall is also nice looking, but he went to a different school, so probably not the same thing.

I have two bio daughters and one adopted son. My daughters are not overweight, they are only 11, but they are not thin either. My son is eye-catchingly cute. Like people cross rooms to tell me how adorable he is. I'm sure he is going to grow up to be quite handsome. One daughter struggles with the amount of attention he receives. It does border on ridiculous at times. He is very cute, outgoing, and he's a show-off. She was in fifth grade and had people come up to her and ask if she was C's sister and then coo about him. He was in first grade. She's like seriously WTF? 

[qtpye]

2 minutes ago, ChromaKelly said:

My son is eye-catchingly cute. Like people cross rooms to tell me how adorable he is. I'm sure he is going to grow up to be quite handsome. One daughter struggles with the amount of attention he receives. It does border on ridiculous at times. He is very cute, outgoing, and he's a show-off. She was in fifth grade and had people come up to her and ask if she was C's sister and then coo about him. He was in first grade. She's like seriously WTF? 

Lol, my brother was considerably younger then me and pretty adorable.  He was six when I was thirteen, so he was still cute, when I was going through my "puberty hit me with the ugly stick ten times phase".  I once accompanied my mother to work and all the ladies were like "Oh you brought her...we were hoping to see our little sweetheart" (referring to my brother).  Some of them were so disappointed they did not even say hi to me.  Remember, these were grown ass women that should have known enough to at least be polite.

However, I was able to laugh about it and it probably made me a more grounded person later in life.

[chocolatine]

I have a female cousin who's the same age (we were born three weeks apart), who is stunning. For most of my childhood and until my late teens, my own mother (this cousin is from my father's side) never missed an opportunity to tell me how much thinner and more beautiful than me "Julia" was. I remember learning how to write English at age 8 (it wasn't my first language and was the first time I was using the latin alphabet), and I often made the mistake of writing the letter "m" in place of "n". My mom told me "how can you possibly confuse the two, the 'm' is chubby like you, and the 'n' is slender like Julia".

She only stopped making those unfavorable comparisons when I grew out of my awkward phase and became pretty enough for her standards. It really has nothing to do with my cousin (who is still gorgeous), and everything to do with my mother.

[luna1122]

chocolatine, what a rotten story. Moms can be mean! My mom wasn't exactly like this, but she did find it hard to compliment me, and not hard to compliment others. I can count on one hand the number of times she told me I was pretty, up til this day, even, which indicates how powerful the omission can be, I guess, and also how powerful the need for approval from a mom can be.

I would think it would be very hard to have Kevin as a twin. You can just imagine the side eyes and catty remarks that must have engendered over the years.

[OtterMommy]

56 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

I have a female cousin who's the same age (we were born three weeks apart), who is stunning. For most of my childhood and until my late teens, my own mother (this cousin is from my father's side) never missed an opportunity to tell me how much thinner and more beautiful than me "Julia" was. I remember learning how to write English at age 8 (it wasn't my first language and was the first time I was using the latin alphabet), and I often made the mistake of writing the letter "m" in place of "n". My mom told me "how can you possibly confuse the two, the 'm' is chubby like you, and the 'n' is slender like Julia".

She only stopped making those unfavorable comparisons when I grew out of my awkward phase and became pretty enough for her standards. It really has nothing to do with my cousin (who is still gorgeous), and everything to do with my mother.

That is a heartbreaking story.  I'm so sorry you had to grow up with that.

[BoogieBurns]

5 hours ago, qtpye said:

do you think it is harder to be the overweight sibling of someone who is considered very attractive

I am the less attractive sibling between my sister and I. Well, she's thinner and I am cuter yet rounder. But it didn't matter to me at all until she started dating her now-husband who was so embarrassed of me that he gently asked me to lose weight before being maid of honor in their wedding. I am not even in plus sizes, but my sister is 115 lbs sopping wet, so he was worried about what people would expect her sister (me) to look like. 

Dude, no one cares except you. I gained 5 lbs and was the best maid of honor ever. I started dropping weight after the wedding.

All this to say, yeah, it sucks to look like the "before" picture version of your sibling. But it's not the end of the world. 

[OtterMommy]

8 minutes ago, BoogieBurns said:

I am the less attractive sibling between my sister and I. Well, she's thinner and I am cuter yet rounder. But it didn't matter to me at all until she started dating her now-husband who was so embarrassed of me that he gently asked me to lose weight before being maid of honor in their wedding. I am not even in plus sizes, but my sister is 115 lbs sopping wet, so he was worried about what people would expect her sister (me) to look like. 

Dude, no one cares except you. I gained 5 lbs and was the best maid of honor ever. I started dropping weight after the wedding.

All this to say, yeah, it sucks to look like the "before" picture version of your sibling. But it's not the end of the world. 

You rock!

But, yeah, back to the show...I do think that being Kevin's twin did have an impact on Kate, especially when you add in the fact that he married her friend and that cause some sort of yet-to-be-determined stress for Kate and/or Sophie.  I mean, it isn't that Kevin is good looking.  Kevin' *thing* is being good looking--didn't the TV exec say something like that, about how he was just a pretty face?

[chocolatine]

3 hours ago, luna1122 said:

chocolatine, what a rotten story.

 

2 hours ago, OtterMommy said:

That is a heartbreaking story.  I'm so sorry you had to grow up with that.

I could write a whole "Shit My Mom Told Me" book about it. When I grew up I realized that it was all about my mother's messed-up ideas of perfection, and not about me, so I've made peace with it.

2 hours ago, OtterMommy said:

But, yeah, back to the show...I do think that being Kevin's twin did have an impact on Kate, especially when you add in the fact that he married her friend and that cause some sort of yet-to-be-determined stress for Kate and/or Sophie.  I mean, it isn't that Kevin is good looking.  Kevin' *thing* is being good looking--didn't the TV exec say something like that, about how he was just a pretty face?

His agent told him he was the least funny person she's ever met. Which is undermining in its own way. The person in charge of his career didn't believe he was capable of anything other than being pretty.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, chocolatine said:

I could write a whole "Shit My Mom Told Me" book about it. When I grew up I realized that it was all about my mother's messed-up ideas of perfection, and not about me, so I've made peace with it.

Good for you.  I showed up at my mother's door last week and she opened it and said, "Oh, you look like you've gained weight."  I said, "Thanks, mom.  You look older.  I haven't gained weight since you saw me five days ago.  It's just a new dress that's loose fitting."  Which I'll never wear again now, most likely.  I'd like to say it's her dementia from strokes but she's never really had a great filter. 

[methodwriter85]

I'm the stocky little brother of two sisters that have always had boyfriends and people interested in them. I once had someone tell me straight to my face, "Wow, I would have never guessed she was your sister. She's hot and you're ugly."

It stings, but I don't know, I think it's different with guys. Unless you're a guy who looks like Kevin, there isn't that much emphasis given on how you look. You're just invisible and just another guy as opposed to girls who aren't hot, because they get enormous pressure to be beautiful. And I don't know, I've never really been comfortable with the idea of being physically attractive, anyway.

Quote

I just think it must of been hard for Kate, while growing up to be Kevin's sister.  I mean Kevin is not regular people good looking, he is almost like freakishly good looking, though YMMV.  Young Kevin, though is more regular kid good looking, though maybe he grew into his glamourous leading man on a tv series good looks later?

Justin Hartley was cute when he played Fox Crane on Passions but he really got into leading man shape when he was Arrow on Smallville.

Back to the character...I really hate that they had Kate dump her job with Jamie Gertz. That was interesting and had a great amount of storyline potential. Her voice is pretty enough but it's not something you can pursue a career with, not when you don't fit into a mainstream mold.

Edited April 1, 2017 by methodwriter85

[ShadowFacts]

22 hours ago, chocolatine said:

His agent told him he was the least funny person she's ever met. Which is undermining in its own way. The person in charge of his career didn't believe he was capable of anything other than being pretty.

In those scenes with the agent and then the Hollywood party, I was seeing the brutality of that business, where talent is secondary to appearances.  I suppose they could make it interesting with Kate's singing ambitions, but I don't really get too excited about seeing a Susan Boyle-type story.  I don't know where they're heading, the whole possible surgery/fat camp thing just sort of fizzled.  She had a breakthrough of sorts with drumming, she was ready to tell horse dick where to stuff it, she got thrown out, and now she's back in L.A. with Toby and wants to sing.  I should hold off judgment but I'm not very intrigued. 

P.S.  I'm sorry for all of the tough things some of you have had to endure from family.  It made me think you don't realize how important acceptance is until you don't have it. 

[methodwriter85]

The problem with doing a Susan Boyle story is that unless Kate/Chrissy was holding back, she doesn't have those kind of pipes. And incredible pipes are pretty much the only thing that would get Kate past how she looks.

It's like the problem with Kevin's story. Justin Hartley is fine and I've enjoyed him in most of his roles. But I get the vibe that we're supposed to see Kevin as an Oscar-caliber actor hiding in the body of a hot sitcom star just waiting for a chance to prove he's better than his image. But Justin doesn't have those kind of chops.

[debraran]

I read an article where Chrissy said she wanted to lose weight and although it is in the story line she didn't have to sign anything to promise. It reminds me of the Jenny Craig or Nutrasystem actress's that got "in trouble" for gaining weight while saying how their product worked. It must be a little stressful. She said she doesn't wear anything as the actor Toby does so she can't just 'lose the prosthetic" and lose weight.  She mentioned once that the Biggest Loser would be fun, just exercise all the time, but looking at the results years later, didn't work for many. We all like quick, but it doesn't work for long.

I wonder if they ever tested Kate for a metabolic disorder? I had cousins who were always overweight but one didn't eat much more than her siblings, she had something wrong with her, but medicine only helped a little. She would work so hard and see so little results, she cried way too many tears.

I hope they move away from everything being just weight though, Kate isn't just her size and has opinions and thoughts and dreams and I hope she becomes more than "her weight issue".

On 3/31/2017 at 6:37 PM, Winston9-DT3 said:

Good for you.  I showed up at my mother's door last week and she opened it and said, "Oh, you look like you've gained weight."  I said, "Thanks, mom.  You look older.  I haven't gained weight since you saw me five days ago.  It's just a new dress that's loose fitting."  Which I'll never wear again now, most likely.  I'd like to say it's her dementia from strokes but she's never really had a great filter. 

Yes, that filter gets worse as they get older, but my Mom never held back about weight.  Even when I went from a size 8 to 10 she said something but it was always " mrs. so and so said she noticed you put on a few pounds" Never wanted it to be her. I remember in my 40's before I lost weight and started to run for fitness, I had put on 40 pounds. I was going to a birthday party for me at a Chinese restaurant with people I hadn't seen in a while and siblings. I'll never forget walking in and my mom said, "What are you now Deb, a 14?" Happy birthday : )  You just have to consider the source, it's their issue and move on. Still stings, but you move on.

[methodwriter85]

13 hours ago, debraran said:

I read that filter gets worse as they get older, but my Mom never held back about weight.  Even when I went from a size 8 to 10 she said something but it was always " mrs. so and so said she noticed you put on a few pounds" Never wanted it to be her. I remember in my 40's before I lost weight and started to run for fitness, I had put on 40 pounds. I was going to a birthday party for me at a Chinese restaurant with people I hadn't seen in a while and siblings. I'll never forget walking in and my mom said, "What are you now Deb, a 14?" Happy birthday : )  You just have to consider the source, it's their issue and move on. Still stings, but you move on.

My mother told me that she wanted me to lose weight for my sister's wedding, and then said, "But now, I don't want to hear any of this again", miming putting a finger up her throat to induce vomiting. (I had bouts with bulimia throughout my tweens and teens.)

Another time, she gave my larger sister a pair of underwear that was for someone that would be at least 400 pounds. (She's probably about 250.)

[OtterMommy]

1 minute ago, methodwriter85 said:

My mother told me that she wanted me to lose weight for my sister's wedding, and then said, "But now, I don't want to hear any of this again", miming putting a finger up her throat to induce vomiting. (I had bouts with bulimia throughout my tweens and teens.)

Another time, she gave my larger sister a pair of underwear that was for someone that would be at least 400 pounds. (She's probably about 250.)

Ugh...

My mother-in-law would always get on my husband's case when he was a kid (starting when he was about 8 or 9) about him having to go on a diet.  My husband was into all sorts of sports and didn't have an extra ounce on him at the time.  But, SHE thought SHE needed to lose weight and therefore told this very slim kid that he needed to lose weight.  Whatever.

She also bought me a pair of pants about 4 sizes too big once.  My husband had previously told her several times not to ever buy me clothes (I hate it when other people buy me clothes--it is one of my weird "things") but she ignored him.  She told me to take them as they were a gift.  I told her they were not a gift, they were a hint and then I handed them right back to her.

[debraran]

Ottermommy, that is similar to my mom and sister insisting, even if they hadn't seen my husband in months, that they were going to get him a sweatshirt for Xmas, I said fine, he's XL and they ended up getting an XXL that looked even bigger, in red. He looked at it and just put it back in the bag. She said to me, "well, I remember him bigger" and I was like "you didn't believe me?"

His weight has gone up and down and I think that is one reason, although he wont say it, he avoids holidays and works (cop) There is such an unhealthy obsession with weight, even when not a large amount. It does more damage than most people realize.
 

Edited April 3, 2017 by debraran

[qtpye]

On ‎3‎/‎31‎/‎2017 at 6:19 PM, chocolatine said:

I could write a whole "Shit My Mom Told Me" book about it. When I grew up I realized that it was all about my mother's messed-up ideas of perfection, and not about me, so I've made peace with it.

If you ever need a co author, I am here.  I went back to my home town and actually had a man take a place of cake away from me, "because I was getting fat".  I spent too much of my twenties trying to look the way I thought everyone else wanted me to look and, believe me it is never enough.  If you lose too much weight too skinny and your features protrude unattractively.  If you have too much weight "supposedly, well meaning" older people remind you about it constantly.

I unhealthily dieted to a size 2 and that is when my mom finally thought I was the right size (way too fat at a size 6).  Now, that I am in my thirties, I probably will never be close to either of those sizes ever again.

The thing that I finally did for myself that actually made me much more attractive then I had ever been was accepting and loving myself for what I am.  That does not mean it is okay to be unhealthy, just know that what you are on the outside is not the only thing that defines you.

My husband thinks I am the sexiest thing in the world.  He would not have looked twice at me a miserable size two, trying to my best to please my mother with her impossible standards.  That person was not attractive and full of self hate.  I know it is a cliché, but we women place too much power in the hands of other people.

[SlackerInc]

On 3/31/2017 at 2:46 PM, BoogieBurns said:

I am the less attractive sibling between my sister and I. Well, she's thinner and I am cuter yet rounder. But it didn't matter to me at all until she started dating her now-husband who was so embarrassed of me that he gently asked me to lose weight before being maid of honor in their wedding. I am not even in plus sizes, but my sister is 115 lbs sopping wet, so he was worried about what people would expect her sister (me) to look like. 

Dude, no one cares except you. I gained 5 lbs and was the best maid of honor ever. I started dropping weight after the wedding.

All this to say, yeah, it sucks to look like the "before" picture version of your sibling. But it's not the end of the world. 

Jesus, this and a bunch of the other posts are making me lose faith in humanity.  :(

[BoogieBurns]

8 hours ago, SlackerInc said:

Jesus, this and a bunch of the other posts are making me lose faith in humanity.  :(

Don't you worry. I'm a happy person! My brother in law is an idiot, but that's his hang up. I feel like he wouldn't have married my sister if I looked like Kate. 

[Guest]

9 hours ago, SlackerInc said:

Jesus, this and a bunch of the other posts are making me lose faith in humanity.  :(

Look at the bright side... So many of us had fairly shitty parents or shitty others in our lives and we turned out awesome regardless!  ; )

[Guest]

There's a picture of Metz in this week's People and to me she looks even larger than she did padded in AHS.  Too bad, I was really hoping she'd shrink in this role, for her own health and because I love a weight loss success story.  I quit Empire long ago but Sidibe is looking great, with her recent weight loss.  

[aw86]

On 5/14/2017 at 10:20 AM, Winston9-DT3 said:

There's a picture of Metz in this week's People and to me she looks even larger than she did padded in AHS.  Too bad, I was really hoping she'd shrink in this role, for her own health and because I love a weight loss success story.  I quit Empire long ago but Sidibe is looking great, with her recent weight loss.  

I think this show and its success has given her no reason to lose the weight.  Despite being morbidly obese (which is undeniably unhealthy), she gets listed on the most beautiful people lists.  People point out that wearing a latex dress is not a flattering look for someone of her size, and they get blasted by the celebrity tabloids as fat shamers. 

[debraran]

Except I could have sworn I read that she was to lose weight for the show, it was part of her contract  but she said she wanted too, they weren't twisting her arm. Time will tell.

I'd like for the show to be not so much on her weight, I realize it effects many aspects of her life, but she isn't just her weight.

 

From 11/2016 article:

When Chrissy Metz signed on to play Kate, a 30-something struggling with her weight on NBC’s This Is Us, it soon became clear that — one way or another — life was gonna imitate art.

Kate’s journey is “parallel to my life,” the actress tells TVLine. And to realistically portray a woman working toward a major goal, that meant that Metz would have to agree to lose weight as her character did.

The actress says she happily signed on the dotted line.

“In our contract, it did state that that would be a part of it, to lose the weight in the trajectory of the character as she comes to find herself,” she says. “That was a win-win for me. Because it’s one thing to try to do it on your own. But as human beings, it’s an ego thing: We’re more likely to do something for someone else.”

She adds that a job that came with the caveat that she gradually improve her health was that “different kind of motivation, so I was excited about it.

Edited May 15, 2017 by debraran

[Katherine]

I find many of the comments about Chrissy I've come across over the past few months really frustrating and, in some cases, quite disturbing. I'm not referring to this forum; I think posters here tend to be very respectful. I just feel a need to vent a little about what I've encountered from other fans. 

People constantly criticize Chrissy for things like wearing a latex dress or for daring to talk about self-love. Invariably, their defense always seems to be that Chrissy's weight is unhealthy. I don't buy that that's their main concern, though. Is their problem with seeing Chrissy wearing a form-fitting dress really that she's "unhealthy"?  And why are some people so bothered when another individual is unhealthy? Does it bother them as much when people are unhealthy in ways that have nothing to do with weight? Or is being unhealthy only offensive if it's perceived to be completely within the person's control (which is a pretty simplistic view of weight, IMO)?

Obviously being overweight isn't healthy, and Chrissy is well-aware of that. How is it helpful to keep pointing it out? If losing weight were as simple as acknowledging that it's unhealthy and then dieting, no one would ever be overweight. There seem to be a lot of fans out there who view Chrissy's weight as indicative of her being a weak person. In reality, those people have never been in her exact circumstances, so they have no idea whether they themselves would be able to lose the weight if they were in her shoes. There are, of course, many people who are able to lose a significant amount of weight, and that's great, but every individual is different, with a different set of life circumstances, a different support system, and different genetics.

I'm just a bit baffled as to why people rush to judgment and often get up in arms about Chrissy's weight when it has no bearing on them personally and isn't hurting them at all. Like anyone, Chrissy isn't perfect. Her particular struggle happens to be her weight, which, yes, negatively affects her health. I just find it really disheartening when I see such a lack of compassion. Like others here have eloquently stated, it says a lot more about the person doing the judging than it does about the person being judged.

I'm sure there will be many people who disagree with my view of this, but I truly believe that judging Chrissy and constantly talking about how unhealthy she is isn't doing anyone any good. IMO, taking that approach to weight problems just makes the problem worse. I think compassion, including self-compassion, can go a lot further. And I think it's also important to remember that self-compassion doesn't preclude the possibility of losing weight. You can learn to love yourself while still working toward change, if change is what you desire. And you know what? If Chrissy decides that she loves her body exactly the way it is, despite the associated health risks, then that is her decision to make. Whether she is actively trying to lose weight or not, I'm glad that she seems to be receiving some support in the media, and I hope the support drowns out the not-so-constructive criticism. 

[debraran]

We live in a culture that has an obsession with weight but really health. People will do crazy things to lose weight but it hardly ever is healthy or long lasting. Pointing out others weight and issues sometimes makes people feel better, but written cruelty is just bullying in another form.

A small example of how I was shocked recently, Pierce Bronson's wife, whom he seems to adore, must have put weight on over the last few years, I don't follow tabloids, just saw an article. The comments and shaming of this woman, how dare she gain weight, how can he still like her? Very sad though, but it says more about the person saying it.

Chrissy needs a thick skin and i hope she has one. She will never escape the criticism altogether and people will watch the scale go up and down (as they did with Oprah) but I hope her talent and tenacity always shines through.

[pennben]

On 5/14/2017 at 9:20 AM, Winston9-DT3 said:

There's a picture of Metz in this week's People and to me she looks even larger than she did padded in AHS.  Too bad, I was really hoping she'd shrink in this role, for her own health and because I love a weight loss success story.  I quit Empire long ago but Sidibe is looking great, with her recent weight loss.  

So, I came to see the upfront video and landed here, because it is one topic I've followed throughout the season, even when I wasn't watching all episodes. I've been wondering where Metz would be weight-wise when season 2 starts.  And, I've primarily wondered because of her comments about her contract.  First, it was that the contract included a weight-loss clause.  Then, it was a clarification from her that she essentially 'misremembered' and that there was no such clause, it's just that she felt a responsibility to lose the weight when she signed on. 

It was the whole contract back and forth as to what it really said that has kept me curious how this is going to play out this season. Given the success of the show, I couldn't really see her written out  soon no matter what the contract said and whether she met the terms thereof.  

Anyway, speaking to the character, I do think it would be interesting if they showed her failing to lose the weight despite trying...that happens a lot in the real world and it would be interesting to see here. I too love a good success story, but that's an easier story to tell.

As for the actress, I wish her all the best whatever happens. But, her talking in the press about the terms of her contract requiring her to lose weight, and subsequently seeming to retract those statements, means that folks (at least me) are going to be curious about her own circumstances beyond where we might have been if just seeing her as a character on a show.  

Edited May 19, 2017 by pennben

[Guest]

I can envision the show telling her in contract stage she'd need to lose weight because their plan for Kate was to lose weight.  And then once it hit the air and they found out people liked it as is, them changing their minds and telling her she could lose or gain or whatever she felt like and they'd write for Kate accordingly.  And I can see anyone in that position thinking, "Cool, the pressure's off, I can forget dieting AND be a star.  Best of both worlds.  Why bother losing weight now?"  (This is all just a scenario I can envision.  I have no idea what's in her or their heads.)

[luna1122]

The health-bemoaners, by and large, don't give a crap about a fat person's health, unless perhaps they're in the medical/healthcare field. Otherwise, they just want to bash someone fat for being fat without sounding like a shit about it. It's not convincing, nobody buys it. I rarely see anyone lamenting over someone for being too thin because of the health risks.

[chocolatine]

2 hours ago, luna1122 said:

I rarely see anyone lamenting over someone for being too thin because of the health risks.

And if someone does, there's usually a huge outcry of "body shaming" and the comments get deleted (e.g. the Girls boards).

[qtpye]

Do you guys find it intersting that they cast a larger size actress for adult Kate, but kid Kate and teenage Kate are really not that big?  Heck, teenage Kate is down right petite.

At first I really did not think much of this as people's metabs slow down as they get older.  Now I am beginning to think Kate might have lost herself in grief after Jack's death.  I would not be surprised if alot of Kate's happy memories with her father involved food.  I wonder if Jack used to sneak her food that her mother would not let her have?

[debraran]

14 hours ago, qtpye said:

Do you guys find it intersting that they cast a larger size actress for adult Kate, but kid Kate and teenage Kate are really not that big?  Heck, teenage Kate is down right petite.

At first I really did not think much of this as people's metabs slow down as they get older.  Now I am beginning to think Kate might have lost herself in grief after Jack's death.  I would not be surprised if alot of Kate's happy memories with her father involved food.  I wonder if Jack used to sneak her food that her mother would not let her have?

Larger or small, compared to some of her skinny friends in flashbacks, you do see a difference. They did find beautiful and good actress's that look so much like her. I saw a pic of all 3 together and it was like "family". ; )  I think they have shown some minor conversations about food and Kate and her Mom and her Dad seemed more like the one who would say, "yea, let's get an ice cream". I wasn't sure if Kate just ate more than siblings or had a metabolism disorder but I've seen transformations like that with people who went through trauma.

There was a woman at my gym who was very heavy and she worked out but never lost weight. An old classmate said she never dealt with what made her that way, she was thin and even ran track in college and then she had a sexual assault and there might have been additional factors and she gained about 200 pounds. Food was her comfort. I have a feeling in their own way they will address with Kate that her father's death formed part of who she is with misguided guilt. I don't think it was anyone's fault, but our perceptions of guilt can be crippling.

Not wearing a fat suit like Toby, a lot more of her therapy on the show and recovery and her weight, will depend on Chrissy, she said she was supposed to lose some weight in the beginning of the show in an interview but I think they took that off the table as a contractual thing if it doesn't happen and they will work around it either way.

 

Love this pic of all 3

Edited August 9, 2017 by debraran

[chocolatine]

20 hours ago, qtpye said:

Do you guys find it intersting that they cast a larger size actress for adult Kate, but kid Kate and teenage Kate are really not that big?  Heck, teenage Kate is down right petite.

At first I really did not think much of this as people's metabs slow down as they get older.  Now I am beginning to think Kate might have lost herself in grief after Jack's death.  I would not be surprised if alot of Kate's happy memories with her father involved food.  I wonder if Jack used to sneak her food that her mother would not let her have?

I think I said the same thing when the first episode with teenage Kate aired - that she must have gained all the weight after Jack died. We were shown Jack giving eight-year-old Kate sugary cereal for breakfast when Rebecca wanted her to have only grapefruit. Rebecca's approach was obviously wrong in that situation, but I think by going against her in front of the children Jack created the unhealthy dynamic that he's the fun, permissive dad, and Rebecca is the mean mom.

[qtpye]

8 hours ago, debraran said:

Larger or small, compared to some of her skinny friends in flashbacks, you do see a difference. They did find beautiful and good actress's that look so much like her. I saw a pic of all 3 together and it was like "family". ; )  I think they have shown some minor conversations about food and Kate and her Mom and her Dad seemed more like the one who would say, "yea, let's get an ice cream". I wasn't sure if Kate just ate more than siblings or had a metabolism disorder but I've seen transformations like that with people who went through trauma.

There was a woman at my gym who was very heavy and she worked out but never lost weight. An old classmate said she never dealt with what made her that way, she was thin and even ran track in college and then she had a sexual assault and there might have been additional factors and she gained about 200 pounds. Food was her comfort. I have a feeling in their own way they will address with Kate that her father's death formed part of who she is with misguided guilt. I don't think it was anyone's fault, but our perceptions of guilt can be crippling.

Not wearing a fat suit like Toby, a lot more of her therapy on the show and recovery and her weight, will depend on Chrissy, she said she was supposed to lose some weight in the beginning of the show in an interview but I think they took that off the table as a contractual thing if it doesn't happen and they will work around it either way.

 

Love this pic of all 3

I agree all the actresses are pretty and well cast.  In this picture, teenage Kate does not look overwieght to me at all.  It is a great picture.

[chocolatine]

3 hours ago, qtpye said:

In this picture, teenage Kate does not look overwieght to me at all.

She doesn't look overweight, but she does have some baby fat. High school can be a brutal place, especially if the girls who used to mock Kate as an eight-year-old go to the same school, so I can see her being mocked for her weight even if she wasn't technically overweight. Also, even as an eight-year-old Kate was acutely aware that her mother is thin and pretty (she stealthily compared Rebecca's sweater size to her own), so as a teenager she probably felt even more pressure to be slender like Rebecca.

[qtpye]

34 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

She doesn't look overweight, but she does have some baby fat. High school can be a brutal place, especially if the girls who used to mock Kate as an eight-year-old go to the same school, so I can see her being mocked for her weight even if she wasn't technically overweight. Also, even as an eight-year-old Kate was acutely aware that her mother is thin and pretty (she stealthily compared Rebecca's sweater size to her own), so as a teenager she probably felt even more pressure to be slender like Rebecca.

She probably is larger then most of her peers.  This was the nineties, when Kate Moss was popular.  With the exception of JLo there really was not an appreciation for curvier women, yet....so I imagine she feels fat, even though she is really not that big.

[BoogieBurns]

With regard to losing weight in her contract, I am just guessing the renewal may have extended her weight loss "start date". They have 3 full seasons guaranteed to air. It's possible the weight loss for the character and the actress has been pushed back to end of season 2. They didn't know they would last more than one season when they told her weight loss was a part of Kate's story. Now they have time. 

[SunnyBeBe]

I posted on the In The Media thead just now about Chrissy and others appearing on the Hollywood Game show recently and my impression of Chrissy.  I'm confused and concerned.  Anyone know when it was filmed? 

[biakbiak]

It was filmed Sept./Oct. of last year shortly after the Emmys. They film a huge block of these then and disperse them during the year. It's why Sherry was promoting her show starring John Lithgow even though he won't be on the second season.

[SunnyBeBe]

Thanks.