A Quick Update

Up to this moment, all of my "Research Log Entries" have been in the recorded presentation style format. To give a little variation and provide a sense of nostalgia, I decided that for this entry I would return to the original website-style format originally intended for this digital archive. I hope you all enjoy and following along as I give you some updates regarding the progress on my research paper.

Outlining

A Screenshot of My Outline

So far, I have created a relatively in-depth outline for my research paper where I divide my paper into sections (introduction, summary of the film, analysis of specific scences, etc). Whether I not I will officially divide and title these sections in my paper is an uncertainty but as of right now it has been helpful in being able to focus on a particular topic and avoid veering off into a rant that has nothing to do with my thesis. This outline has also given me a more well-rounded idea of what secondary sources I will incorporate/directly cite into my paper based on my annotated bibliography. So far, there is maybe only one source I am likely won't make it into the paper. In the subsequent sections, I will be giving a brief overview of what my paper outline looks like and in specific what scenes I plan to analyze as well as a rough working thesis.

Guiding Questions

The following questions are what I would label as my "Research Questions":

1) Does Netflix’s To The Bone, accurately represent eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa?

2) How does Netflix’s To The Bone compare to existing films and TV shows, excluding documentaries, that tackle eating disorders?

3) Is it any different or groundbreaking from what’s already out there?

This has ultimately led to the formation of what I call my "working thesis":

A Screenshot of My Thesis from My Outline

This may change as I go finish writing my paper and make edits.

Scenes I Plan to Formally Analyze

In each of the following scenes, I plan to formally analyze as either fitting into the 'skinny white girl' eating disorder narrative perpetuated by Hollywood in film and TV or not fitting into the narrative.

FAMILY THERAPY SCENCE

This scene doesn't fit into the 'skinny white girl' narrative. It shows the audience that eating disorders are not simply a diet gone wrong or a girl just looking to become thin and pretty. It shows that like Ellen's eating disorder, it can stem from issues with control, a dysfunctional family amongst other factors.

"CALORIE ASPERGERS" SCENE

This scene begins and ends at the 0:00 to 0:10 time mark. It fits into the 'skinny white girl narrative by showing Ellen as someone who's calorie-oriented and food obsessed.

GROUP THERAPY SCENCE

In this scene we get a sense of all of the side characters also suffering from eating disorders. Some of the side characters suffer from a binge eating disorder, bulimia, etc. They are also diverse both gender wise, racially and in body size. It goes against the 'skinny white girl' trope by showing eating disorders aren't limited to racially white and thin teenage girls.

THE WEIGH IN SCENE

This scene arguably fits into the 'skinny white girl narrative because Ellen is extremely thin, a common narrative and stereotype of eating disorders in general. At the same time, it goes against the trope because Ellen recognizes that she is 'too thin'.

ELLEN'S NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE

This scene begins and ends at the 6:20 mark. It's the film's ambigous ending scene where Ellen decides to return to treatment. It goes against the 'skinny white girl narrative' given that its unknown whether Ellen truly recovers or decides to continue to struggle with her disorder. Oftentimes in films dealing with this subject, it ends in death or recovery. This film does neither.

A Secondary Source

Martin, Kacey (2021): Pro-ana engagement with representations of eating disorders in film and television: agency, resilience and vulnerability. Macquarie University. Thesis. https://doi.org/10.25949/21331098.v1

The following is a secondary source I will likely heavily rely on and source consistently throughout my essay. It is a multi-chapter thesis that analyzes eating disorder representation in film based on films that cover the exact subject. The author, Martin, analyzed such films by race, type of eating disorder and several other categories and compares them to real data on eating disorders. The author then looks at the responses on pro ana online discussion forums to such films to see how eating disorder sufferers respond to its representation.

A Screenshot of The Table of Contents from the Secondary Source

A Screenshot of the Title Page of the Secondary Source

The following is a secondary source I will likely heavily rely on and source consistently throughout my essay. It is a multi-chapter thesis that analyzes eating disorder representation in film based on films that cover the exact subject. The author, Martin, analyzed such films by race, type of eating disorder and several other categories and compares them to real data on eating disorders. The author then looks at the responses on pro ana online discussion forums to such films to see how eating disorder sufferers respond to its representation.

While this particular secondary source doesn't discuss any eating disorder film in particular, it assesses the genre as a whole. I in particular will be extracting the data gathered in the thesis to determine To The Bone's accuracy as well as the establishment of the "skinny white girl" trope.

This is just an example of how I plan to incorporate one of my secondary sources into my paper as well as enter a very specific existing conversation of the eating disorder film/TV genre.

My Next Steps...

Writing my research essay, particularly my introduction and potentially a few body paragraphs
Finding another secondary source, if possible and necessary
Writing claims for each body paragraph/sub argument