Marvel’s ‘Fat’ Avenger
Note: Spoilers. Obviously. Read at your own discretion.
I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to dig into this gripe I had with Avengers: Endgame, partly because the entire spectacle and hype of the occasion was so exciting, partly because I didn’t want to look closer at something that would dampen the magic of something I enjoyed so much. What I have to say will perhaps be fairly similar to what others may write, as experiencing fat hate is something universal that all fat people will inevitably experience. However, a few days after letting it sink in, and having seen it again, I felt compelled to air my grievances about the treatment of ‘fatness’ in the newest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
After the excitement and exhilaration of seeing a deeply anticipated film at a midnight showing, it is custom to debrief with friends who are also idiotic enough to ruin their sleeping pattern for the love of cinema. My best friend Michael is one of these idiots. Below is a screenshot of the very first messages he sent me after the film had finished:
In this moment I felt so blessed to have people in my life like I do, like Michael, who are made uncomfortable by fat hate and fat shaming and fat jokes in the media. Another friend Will sent a similar message after he saw it the next day:
I am so proud to have friends like this.
If you’ve seen Endgame already then it is more than likely you know about the ‘fat’ Avenger I am referring to. ‘Fat’ here in quotation marks indicating the eyeroll that accompanies the word ‘fat’ when you see Chris Hemsworth in a fatsuit because well, he still isn’t actually, technically, very fat at all. He’s still a very traditionally attractive man who would likely still have no problems moving through and operating in the world. He’s hot as hell. In the car on the way home I described the new look as ‘Dadbod Thor’, and ranted about the issues with that, ‘Dadbod’ itself a shining example of a term laden with gender inequality, which I won’t go into now. Google it.
The premise, for those who have not yet seen the film, is that in a world coping with the aftermath of Thanos’ genocide which has wiped out half of the population, Thor is suffering. He isn’t the only one. We find all of our surviving Avengers struggling in their own way with the tragedy. Thor, however, has ‘let himself go’. We get it. We get the point. We get what Marvel were trying to do here. Thor, instead of the ripped and chiselled god of thunder we have known in previous Marvel instalments, can be found indoors, in the dark, drinking heavily and playing video games. His hair is long and unkempt, his beard much the same, and his stomach is no longer rippling abdominal muscles but a big belly. A beer gut. A muffin top. Insert any number of demeaning terms for a stomach that isn’t perfectly flat.
And of course this is hilarious…isn’t it? Most of the people in the cinema thought so. Because fat people are hilarious, aren’t they? It’s just incredibly funny when people are fat. The other characters are horrified to find their friend in such a state, and are clearly worried for him, and show their sympathies and support by making numerous jokes about his weight and his appearance which are greeted with raucous laughter from the audience. Rocket actually is physically repulsed and shoves the King of Asgard off him when he is greeted with a hug. This continues throughout the film, as characters meet Thor for the first time, the same jokes being renewed and redesigned and then thrown out all over again, different words but the same meaning: Thor is fat now and fatness is awful and bad. And hilarious, of course. It was actually worse seeing it the second time round because I knew when the hits were coming, bracing myself for them and then feeling deflated as they landed, everyone cackling away.
It’s a real shame because Thor’s journey in the film is actually quite touching. He’s in a bad way. He gets to see his mum again, and has a heart to heart that helps to heal his soul in a way that only his mum could have, and then he has to leave and they hug tightly, tearfully exchanging their I love yous and goodbyes, before she absolutely ruins the moment by suggesting he eat a salad. The guy is never, ever going to see his mum again, and these are now her parting words to him. Rocket says he looks like ‘melted ice cream’ and calls him ‘tubby’ and ‘airbag’. When Thor bravely volunteers to risk his life to be the one to use the infinity stones, Don Cheadle’s character James Rhodes suggests he should not because he has ‘cheez wizz’ running through his veins.
In Infinity War, Thor was responsible for some of the most epic moments. He literally takes the full force of a star before summoning the bifrost and crashing into Wakanda like an absolute don. He is an unadulterated badass with a heart of gold. And Marvel have honestly done him dirty. He deserves better. And after all the mocking and the jeering received throughout Endgame, he still summons thunder and lightning and suits up and takes on Thanos because he is a damn hero.
I feel as though many will defend the humour and say well, it’s funny because Thor is arguably the Avenger known most for being an invincible God, a beacon of masculinity, aesthetically perfect, muscular and athletic, and this contrast with new Thor, who has put on some weight, is a juxtaposition that’s just too amusing not to laugh at. The careless messy vibe with the beer and the sunglasses is an amusing take on the mythical representations of Thor that modern culture has become accustomed to, yes, and I can see why that aspect is amusing. Run with it. In fact I actually encourage the subversive nature of this creative avenue, please pursue it. It’s new and interesting. That’s not my problem.
The problem here is that fatness is being demonised, as it always is, held up as something horrifying to be feared. I have often said that one of the strangest things I personally find about being a fat person is the way in which many people vocalise that some of their deepest darkest fears are about becoming fat, and do so right in front of me: a very fat person. ‘Can you imagine it? How could someone let themselves go like that? Can you think of anything more disgusting?’ Thor has let the worst happen to him: he has committed the crime of becoming a fat person. The film reinforces stereotypes of fat people being lazy, being unhealthy, lacking discipline, making poor choices, not being able to look after themselves, being undesirable, unwanted, not useful. The negative connotations are countless and fat people like myself have to work against those misconceptions of ourselves and try to disprove them on a daily basis. It is a constant struggle because you are constantly fighting against assumptions people make about you based on snap judgements about your appearance. No, you aren’t worried for my health, or you’d also treat smokers as people who are lazy, unhealthy, or lack discipline. Next.
Additionally, the gesture made here by Marvel is that Thor’s struggle to deal with the emotional tragedy he has experienced is also nothing but fodder for laughs. He’s lost his family and friends. He feels as though he has failed both himself and those he loves. One could argue Thor is depressed, perhaps even suffering from PTSD. The fat jokes in this instance therefore also double as tasteless jabs at Thor’s mental health. While the film does delve deeper into the Thor’s emotional wellbeing, culminating in Thor eventually coming to terms with being happy with who he is, this could have been done without such ignorant and idiotic wisecracks littering the script. The character development really is a nice touch and would be far better if throughout the entire film the joke wasn’t: Thor is sad and also he is fat now, lol.
The fact that there is some deeper emotional journey at play, as discussed here in Vanity Fair’s article, does not excuse the fat hate. It does not excuse the poor form. The Vanity Fair article, whilst making some good and valid points, seems to suggest that while the fat jokes are mean and bad and while some people are kicking off about them, it is actually kind of okay because it serves a larger narrative purpose. Strongly disagree, here. It is absolutely not there for a larger narrative purpose, it is there for cheap laughs, and I now don’t care as much about this journey because for me it’s been tainted. ‘I just came out to have a good time and I am honestly feeling so attacked right now’, etc.
Marvel could have explored Thor’s emotional landscape without tasteless jokes at fat people’s expense. It is sad to see a beloved character lose himself, to feel broken, to lack basic self-care. But all of that could be done without cheez wizz jokes. You could have had fat Thor and no cheez wizz jokes. Or salad jokes. It’s lazy writing and it’s cheap and it’s just disappointing. In a universe where there are talking raccoons, immortal gods, multiple dimensions, sorcerers and now time travel, there are still fat jokes. Great. More please.
So often in the media fatness is a cautionary tale. Incoming doom, looming foreboding, a caricature mocked and leered at as a warning to us all that we must be ever so careful not to become this person. So often fat people are sidekicks, included just so fat jokes can be included. It’s a real shame to see Marvel include this type of rhetoric so carelessly (though it’s not the first time, see comments about Chris Pratt’s physique made by fellow Guardians of the Galaxy, for example). The word ‘fat’ does not just mean that, ‘fat’, but instead carries a multitude of meanings. It is not just a word but a condemnation. It means ugly, it means lazy. It is not just an aesthetic judgement, but a moral one. You have been judged, and measured, and found less than.
To some, it may seem like just another light hearted joke to get over and lighten up about. But to me, it’s yet another painful jab to add to the endless painful jabs that are endlessly always painfully jabbing me. Just give me a break. @yrfatfriend wrote ‘my body is a debt that can never be paid’ and I feel the burden of that phrase every time I have to roll my eyes at another fat joke in this film. Every time I watch something in the media where fat people are the big joke, it is as though the debt collectors are knocking at the door again. I pay for my fatness constantly, and the debt will never be paid.
I have wanted to write several things about fatness in the past and have not been brave enough. The risk is that the majority of people, as articulated very well here, just do not care about fat people or the fat hate rife in the media. There is no doubt people will read this, and read that, and many other articles or pieces about fat shaming in this film, and scoff and roll their eyes. People are infuriated when fat people ask not to be the butt of jokes. People are often livid when fat people ask to be treated like human beings. The absolute cheek of it. I will receive numerous messages and perhaps even have real life conversations with people I know that say I need to loosen up and chill out and not take things so seriously and just get on with it. Enjoy the movie.
I did enjoy the movie. And I’m not saying you shouldn’t enjoy the movie. It’s great. It would just be brilliant if one of the biggest cinematic events in my lifetime didn’t cheapen itself by using fat hate for quick laughs. It would be brilliant if more people looked inwardly and actively thought about whether the fat hate was necessary, whether you laughed, whether you were with someone who laughed, whether you asked them about it. You can enjoy something and also criticise elements of it. The two things aren’t mutually exclusive. Please, for the love of Thor, criticise the media you consume. I am absolutely not saying we should boycott Marvel and never watch anything ever again. I’m just speaking out against something that actively oppresses me and countless others, against discourse that validates and reinforces fat hate in everyday life. We should be encouraging our friends and families to be more sensitive and to challenge this abusive rhetoric as and when we see it. Let’s make fat acceptance #Endgame. Ha ha. Get it.
If we were to cut the humiliating jokes and look again, we would be left with quite a wholesome storyline for the bearded goofy version of Thor we have all come to cherish. I love that he decides to embrace who he wants to be and who he really is. In fact, the one saving grace of fat Thor is perhaps Thor himself. He still remains a formidable and brave warrior, a force to be reckoned with. He grows and evolves and after the final battle graciously hands over rule of Asgard and joins the Guardians of the Galaxy, just as chubby as he was at the beginning of the film and as gorgeous as he always has been. He really is very very awesome. It’s a powerful moment when he reaches for his trusty weapon, Mjölnir, and the hammer comes flying into his hand, proving that despite everything he has been through, he is still worthy. He is not letting other people’s expectations define him. And he is not letting his fatness define him either. Thor knows that fat people are people too. Why don’t the rest of you?
