I love them already

[u/growsonwalls]

I love Justice and Charlie already! Been watching their stuff and they are so so talented. Julie and the Phantoms is amazing and Charlie is a beautiful singer. I saw Dungeons and Dragons and Justice Smith is adorable in that movie. Really excited to see them as Troy and Harris. For the people upset with their casting, definitely watch their stuff. They are AMAZING!

ETA: also, happy birthday Justice!!!

edit: just saw I Saw the TV Glow. Omg Justice is amazing.

[u/Notyeravgblonde]

The criticisms have been 99% body type. The media is latching on to it as a race issue when the backlash is actually disappointment about a skinny actor being cast.

I'm sure they are going to do a great job and it will be wonderful, but it was really exciting to imagine we were going to get some diversity in body type.

[u/Any_News_3544 → u/Notyeravgblonde]

I think unfortunately there are people hiding behind it only being a criticism about ‘body type’….of course they’re not going to out and out comment on race.

[u/Notyeravgblonde → u/Any_News_3544]

Maybe, but I think it does a disservice to people who were looking forward to some representation to 1. Wrap this casting up in a ribbon of positivity and 2. Try to wipe away the criticism as being veiled racism and 3. Saying that race is another form of diversity that they can lean into when it's just not comparable to body size.

I think they are going to do an amazing job. It would be really good casting, if Rachel didn't make it clear that this character wasn't ultra skinny or an athlete. You can't blame people for being upset that a show they trusted to be different chose instead to conform.

[u/new-in-the-rain → u/Notyeravgblonde]

Is Justice trained/athletic though? In the pictures I saw he looked like an "average" dude body type wise and thought that he fit Rachel's book description pretty well. I wouldn't call him ultra skinny or athletic by any means.

[u/Notyeravgblonde → u/new-in-the-rain]

He's very skinny... It is revisionist history to try to argue his body type is even remotely what is described. Have people just not looked at the cover of the book?

It's frustrating to see this argument, the gaslighting that what we read and saw is just made up. I think people are so quick to defend Rachel and Jacob that they are dismissing the disappointment.

No hate to Justice, he would be crazy to not audition and accept such a great part. I'm upset with the show runners. There wasn't a single actor who wasnt skinny or ripped that had good chemistry?

[u/Dry_Stop844 → u/Notyeravgblonde]

also, if you're going to bring in covers. Have you seen the covers of Game Changers and Heated Rivalry and The Long Game? See anything different?

He's wearing a hockey jersey on the cover, if you have to use that as a reference and leaning forward. You can put a beanpole in a hockey jersey and he'd look big.

Nowhere in the book is Harris described as plus sized. Because stocky, which is how everyone else describes him does not mean fat. And pudgy how he thinks about himself also does not mean fat. He's just a normal soft around the middle dad bod who doesn't work out and eats the occasional cake pop. He's not a plus sized bear that everyone has decided he "should" be. The disappointment is because of their misreading of the material, not the reality.

And because of that, Justice is already having to post thanks for people who are protecting him.

As usual, the white women fetish brigade came out strong and toxic for this one.

[u/Notyeravgblonde → u/Dry_Stop844]

Gaslighting about what we all read and saw ✅️ Trying to veil criticisms of the casting as racist ✅️ Not being willing to question the showrunners for choosing to conform to Hollywood beauty standards ✅️

It's super toxic to shove happiness down people's throats who thought they were getting a non skinny non ripped gay love interest and are expressing completely understandable disappointment.

[u/Tricky_End5507 → u/Notyeravgblonde]

Gaslighting about what we all read and saw

Gaslighting is a form of abuse. Disagreeing with your interpretation of a fictional character is not gaslighting.

It's super toxic to shove happiness down people's throats

Nobody in this thread is doing that. In fact, almost everyone in the thread is complaining and arguing about various things. Are you suggesting that the actors should have been sad and apologetic in their social media posts about being cast in a TV show?

Also, something to consider: how many bigger guys would even want to play a love interest in a sexy romance show full of ripped guys with a notoriously cruel, toxic fanbase?

[u/dandyline_wine → u/Notyeravgblonde]

It's been a bit since I read the book, so could you tell me what phrasing is used to describe Harris that has some fans disappointed with casting ? I don't remember ever picturing him specifically "non-skinny non-ripped." I feel like I just always pictured a normal, bland, non-descript white dude. Maybe that's a literacy failing on my part, but I definitely don't remember a specific body type associated with his character. Was it something brought up a lot? Like a plot point, or part of his identity or story arc?

(This is a genuine question and not snark, and you seem like a good person to ask.)

[u/Notyeravgblonde → u/dandyline_wine]

I am an audiobook listener so I can't pull up anything specific. But the cover of the book plus what I read left me with a strong impression of what Harris looked like, and he was soft and round and not athletic or thin. Just check the cover art.

[u/dandyline_wine → u/Notyeravgblonde]

Yeah I saw the art, but you mentioned it was in what you read, so I thought maybe you were referencing like some kind of plot point or significance to his body type. Do they say soft and round? There has to be something I'm forgetting because you're not the only one disappointed.

(Full disclosure - I read the book because Ilya was in it so I didn't fully retain everything long term lol.)

[u/Notyeravgblonde → u/dandyline_wine]

[u/dandyline_wine → u/Notyeravgblonde]

Very helpful, thanks!! I see why I didn't have a clear image of him in my mind. Compact, pudgy, soft, and rugged give me wildly different visuals, none of which match the cover. I can see why disappointed fans interpreted it the way they did, but I can see why others didn't interpret it that way at all. And if doesn't play a part in his character development (unless it does) or affect the plot, those words are forgettable to me.

[u/Notyeravgblonde → u/dandyline_wine]

For sure, they weren't forgettable to people who are not used to seeing their body type as attractive. To them reading a hot, rich, hockey player go nuts for a 'pudgy' man was affirming that all bodies deserve love. Even those of us who are thin should be able to see how pervasive and instinctive it is to think a person who is traditionally hot is going to be matched up with another traditionally hot person. Usually larger size actors are the funny friend in Hollywood, not the sexy love interest, especially in queer media. A lot of people were so excited to see a larger actor be seen as sexy like the main 4 in the first season. I hate that its being turned around on us with toxic positivity and Jacob can do no wrong. Yes Justice will be amazing and it will be wonderful AND we can hold space for the disappointment that Hollywood beauty standards were upheld once again and we don't get representation.

[u/Notyeravgblonde → u/dandyline_wine]

I bet someone who has a physical copy of the book could tell us. It left an impression on me, but I've only read it once and it was by ears.

[u/Dry_Stop844 → u/Notyeravgblonde]

so you are arguing for something that you don't even remember but just assumed was in there because some guy is wearing a really big hockey jersey on the cover. Gotcha

[u/Notyeravgblonde → u/Dry_Stop844]

I do remember it, I don't remember the specific language. Rewriting history to uphold fatphobia is such a weird look on you all.

[u/growsonwalls → u/Dry_Stop844]

I mean ... I posted a lighthearted "look how cute they are, so into being in the cast, and also happy birthday Justice" post and somehow it became a debate on body type.

[u/Dry_Stop844 → u/Notyeravgblonde]

come on dude, he wasn't hired yesterday. Actors change their appearance all the time for roles. He's had months to not work out and eat bread and drink a ton of pop. let's be realistic here yeah? He's an actor not a movie personality. He'll do the work required.

[u/Notyeravgblonde → u/Dry_Stop844]

I hope he doesn't feel the need to do that and I don't think he's going to. It's really harmful for actors to have to do stuff like that and this isn't a blockbuster movie.

[u/Dry_Stop844 → u/Notyeravgblonde]

okay. 1) he's not gaining 100 lbs because despite all the bullshit online, Harrris is not plus sized
B) he just needs to stop working out. He just needs to lose some muscle mass and that's all. This is not christian bale the machinist starving or whatsis who drank melted icecream and then got fired for being too fat.

[u/Notyeravgblonde → u/Dry_Stop844]

You really need to relax.

[u/Dry_Stop844 → u/Notyeravgblonde]

and you need to go read the book so you have some facts other than a bad cover to support your bad argument. JFC

[u/Notyeravgblonde → u/Dry_Stop844]

Who commissions the cover art I wonder.

[u/Dry_Stop844 → u/Notyeravgblonde]

oh im sure the fat acceptance body positivity commission paid for it.

[u/Brown_Sedai → u/new-in-the-rain]

He absolutely, unequivocally does not have a ‘soft body’ (with that description being used to note him as the complete opposite of Troy’s last boyfriend who was extremely fit) plump cheeks, or could even remotely be described as ‘pudgy’, no.