My Mad Fat Diary is a show that tackles many stereotypes about weight, mental illness, and the teenage experience. It's one of my favorite shows right now for its relatable characters and 90s gimmick, but I think the show also offers a lot in terms of discussion. The show reaches a wide audience- not only teenagers and young adults in the UK (where it airs), but also adults who were teenagers and young adults in the 1990s. Beyond that, the show already has a cult following online all over the world. Unlike fellow British cult drama Skins, My Mad Fat Diary doesn't attempt to be shocking for the sake of showing what teenagers are "really" like- instead, I think the show is successful in showing real problems, and encouraging better outcomes, akin to My So-Called Life, or Freaks and Geeks.
A moment that stood out to me in particular during season 2 so far is in Episode 3. Rae's best friend Chloe has recently started hanging out with the popular clique of girls, and Rae has also been accepted into their group. She faces the realistic struggle of being forced to fit it, having to buy certain "labels," and then facing ridicule when the other girls find out she's wearing knockoffs. Rae witnesses Chloe being treated like a lapdog by Stacey, the leader of the group, and she doesn't understand why Chloe isn't sticking up for herself. What Rae eventually learns is that their group dynamic is an act and a game of power.
At 37:00, the girls are out at a restaurant for Stacey's birthday. Stacey invites Rae and purposefully doesn't tell her they're going for a meal, knowing that Rae can't eat in front of people. Rae begins to panic, but orders a pizza, not ready to back down. Stacey asks Chloe (in a very calculating manor) to get her some spare napkins. Throughout the episode, Chloe is the only person Stacey asks to wait on her. When Chloe asks Stacey, "why me?" Stacey responds that she was only asking "a favor," and, faced with the pressure of being judged by the rest of the group, Chloe agrees. After she comes back with the napkins, one of the other girls, Amy, gets up to go to the bathroom. While she's away, Stacey immediately begins to talk about her behind her back: "Guys- is Amy serious about wearing that trackie top on a night out? I mean I know she's got this whole keeping the street cred thing going on, but seriously, she just looks rough." She then says her trademark phrase throughout the episode, "Someone should say something."
Rae, who felt conflicted about the group throughout the episode, has an epiphany: "That's when I realized- these girls weren't friends. Stacey just wanted people around who had vulnerabilities that she could exploit to make herself feel better. That's why I was there." Rae also realizes that she'd also been pretending in order to be accepted by these girls, in particular, Stacey. She tells Stacey that she doesn't want to be there, or around her. "You're mean," Rae says. "You're not a nice person. You manipulate everybody." Stacey attempts to do exactly what Rae knows she does to keep control of any situation, saying, "This isn't about me, this is about the fact that you can't eat in front of people." Rae takes a bite of her pizza in defiance, and storms out.
At 43:00, Rae and Chloe are sitting at a table at school, when Stacey and the girls approach them. Stacey tells Chloe that they aren't hanging out with Rae anymore, to which Chloe responds, "Sorry, Rae." For a split second, the audience thinks that Chloe is going to side with Stacey, but then Chloe surprises everyone and calls Stacey out on her manipulative behavior, effectively dethroning Stacey's power over the other girls.
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