The enduring legacy of Lost's fatphobia, 20 years later

I published a piece in The Atlantic!!

I published a piece in The Atlantic this week - a piece that might have been a Substack post if I hadn’t found out that an editor I worked with last year was recently hired at The Atlantic. Connections really matter in media!

https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2024/09/lost-20th-anniversary-hurley-fatphobia/680087/

Obviously, I’m really proud of the piece and the byline - I’ve pitched The Atlantic for years and almost always gotten no response at all. Freelance writers LOVE rejection/pass emails because at least it’s a response that allows us to move on to another editor. So many times we simply hear nothing at all and waste days, even weeks, wondering if the editor we pitched is interested or not.

The editing process at The Atlantic was long and involved, and some of my original phrasing was changed to a what I think is a “softer” version of my critique. These are trade-offs writers have to make when publishing at legacy outlets like The Atlantic. In any case, I wanted to share it here because I know a lot of you won’t be able to read it due to The Atlantic’s paywall. I’ve shared it in a series of screenshots below. For the record, I do of course believe in financially supporting media outlets, but it’s not feasible to ask most people to support more than a few. The ones I support are more local or independent (like some Substacks!).

Despite my belief that Lost let down its one fat character, Hurley/Hugo Reyes, with writing riddled with anti-fat bias, I have really been enjoying rewatching the show with my son. It still holds up as a show with an innovative premise that was also very emotionally resonant, and its impact can still be seen on TV 20 years later.

Let me know what you think! Add a comment or send me an email - would love to hear from fellow Lost fans!!