Thoughts, Vol. 2
Welcome to a new element of Make It Make Sense, where I discuss a health-related moment in pop culture. Next up: Thank God Shake from Love is Blind isn’t a medical doctor.
I finally got around to watching Love is Blind and the reunion episode. It was mostly enjoyable chaos—even though this season had too many villains and too few wholesome characters for balance. Still, I loved watching the exes hash it all out because I love mess!
But that fun was snatched the minute Shake opened his mouth. It was apparent that he was still reeling from Deepti, rightfully, leaving him at the altar, and that his goal was to lean into being the boogeyman. (Fwiw, pre-glow up Gucci Mane embraced this much better!)
Shake started arguments with several of the contestants on stage as well as co-hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey. When he wasn’t interrupting Shayne or Kyle, he doubled down on his fatphobic and misogynistic views. It was unsurprising behavior from a man dedicated to being seen as an asshole for whatever reason.
But what stood out to me was Nick saying it was a good thing Shake, a veterinarian, wasn’t a medical doctor. It was a simple but astute observation made following Shake’s diatribe that humans are just animals seeking the most fuckable mate.
And you know what? I felt what Nick said in my soul.
On the show, Shake was the primary conduit of fatphobia and misogyny, two systems that run rampant in healthcare. During a conversation with Hope, one of two plus-sized contestants, Shake asks her if she works out. She peeps the game he’s playing and says she’s “not a huge fan.” He scowls and says he gets along best with people who workout. (In the next scene, he admits that he doesn’t exercise regularly or even bother to prioritize nutrition.)
Shake’s beliefs are indicative of a collective ideology prevalent in medicine. And his gross, unapologetic bluntness in expressing those beliefs provides insight into the structures that allow fatphobic doctors to ride to positions where they can actively dismiss patients’ medical concerns. One survey found that 24% of doctors are uneasy about having fat friends, and 18% are repulsed by patients with high BMIs.
And when the expense of fatphobia could be someone’s life, the last thing anyone needs is a physician like this guy.
For more insight into fatphobia on Love is Blind, check out this piece by Lily Shell.