Fat Actress was a series that ran for just seven episodes on Showtime in 2005. It starred Kirstie Alley as a past-her-prime actress trying to rejuvenate her career. Many of the jokes revolved around the fictional Kirstie's struggles with her weight and celebrity culture.
Tropes appearing in the series include:
- As Himself / Adam Westing: Many, many celebrity cameos, including John Travolta, Kid Rock, Rhea Perlman, Melissa Gilbert, etc. Even the stars who aren't playing themselves are often quite recognizable.
- Big Eater: Kirstie is eating in almost every scene. Although most of the show deals with her struggles (see Weight Woe below), she's not actually all that big, considering her eating habits. She looks to be about a
size (US) 18. - Cringe Comedy: Lots, particularly relating to Kirstie doing something ridiculous or someone bringing up her weight.
- Dance Party Ending: Every episode, over the ending credits.
- Double Standard: Kirstie gives a list of male celebrities who are working and successful despite being overweight by Hollywood standards.
- Drama Queen: When we first meet Kirstie, she is weighing herself. She then throws a tantrum on the floor, and strong-arms her agent into getting her an audition. Nobody whines like Kirstie Alley.
- Dysfunctional Family: We meet Kirstie's in episode 5. Her parents are split up, and her brother is a manipulative crack addict who their mother clearly prefers. The episode ends with all of them except for Kirstie doing crack on camera.
- Erotic Eating: Kirstie's date in the first movie, followed by a You Can Leave Your Hat On performance, as a Shout-Out / Affectionate Parody of 9 1/2 Weeks.
- Inelegant Blubbering: Kirstie engages in this frequently. So does her temporary boyfriend in episode 6. Frequently, and with only minor provocation. It's all Played for Laughs.
- Little People Are Surreal: As a form of "therapy", Kirstie tries to think herself smaller. She hangs out with a room full of little people. Subverted in that they're all pretty normal and trying to help her out, while she acts like a loon and talks like a baby on helium.
- Nobody Poops: Averted. Our first shot of Kirstie is when she's in the bathroom, just before she weighs herself.
- Precision F-Strike: Usually when trying to get her way.
- Sassy Black Woman: The critical lady in the diner as Kirstie's trying to find a black man to date.
- Sleeping Their Way to the Top: The series ends with Kirstie sleeping with Jeff Zucker in order to get a multi-million dollar deal for her own show.
- Stylistic Suck: The hilariously bad take on Charlie's Angels (2000) in the second episode.
- Troll: Mayim Bialik is this. She managed to mess with one of Kirstie's assistants minds enough to make him think his penis is getting smaller and she routinely reminds Kirstie of her weight problem even when Kirstie greets her politely.
- Weight Woe: Much of the humor takes satirical jabs at people's attitudes toward a less-than-perfect figure in Hollywood. Unfortunately, it becomes uncomfortable to watch, often veering into Dude, Not Funny! territory.
- Where da White Women At?: Played with and inverted in the first episode. Kirstie decides that since, according to the stereotype, Black men like "booty," she's going to find a Black boyfriend. Includes a Black Is Bigger in Bed joke, of course.
