Will The Public Rally Around the First Ever Female Fat Superhero? And Should They?

Titled “Blubberella,” this is one movie that may finally put director Uwe Boll in the spotlight, at least temporarily. The German director, famous for low budget films mostly based on video games, has made a movie that introduces the world’s first female fat superhero. The only available footage is the recently released trailer, but based on Boll’s previous body of work, this film will likely be decidedly lacking in story or subtlety.

That being said, those looking for an obese role model will almost predictably be disappointed as this will probably not be a fat empowerment movie by any measure. The trailer seems to imply that the only plot is one where Blubberella somehow defeats Nazis through endless eating, and the occasional shooting of guns. The food jokes appear to supply most of the ‘comedy’ alongside the heroine’s weight.

Although this movie won’t be seen on a wide scale (straight to video is its likely fate), it will be interesting to see what even the limited audience captured by this movie ultimately thinks of it. Will those who are overweight see this film’s message as empowering or demeaning? Time will tell.

But even a straight to video film begs an important question. Is belittling this health crisis, and the people most affected by it, in anyway productive? The rising level of obesity in the Western world, including Boll’s own country, is alarming to put it lightly. Should we not instead find ways to constructively address this epidemic in such a way that we can spur positive change, rather than reduce those suffering from this crisis to nothing more than the butt of bad jokes?

I’m not saying we need to hand-hold anyone here. We’re all ultimately accountable for the lifestyle decisions we make. But reducing obesity to a cheap joke doesn’t seem like the direction we should head either. A medium like film can be used as powerful commentary, inciting positive discussions and movement toward addressing and creating real solutions. While this movie will not likely be considered a powerful art experience, it seems a shame that even C-grade movie fare is content with simply and solely preaching that fat people are funny.