( Rogge 304 ). These characteristics of civilized oppression are faced by the fat body on a day to day basis and each time they occur , more and more of the fat individual ’ s agency is removed , exposing them to further othering , and eventually , oppression . It is civilized oppression that is the foundation of the “ War on Fat ” in which Western culture is currently embroiled .
The seventh season of Supernatural serves as a powerful allegory to this type of oppression . The Leviathan , with their attractiveness , brains , and power , represent the dominant thin discourse that exists in today ’ s society . The humans , especially in the later episodes , represent the societal perception of the fat American , one who flounders his or her way through life , oblivious to everything except the next meal . The relationship between the Leviathan and humans , with the skewed power dynamic between the two groups , mimics the relationship between those who accept the idealized body size in society and those who do not , because they are either unwilling or unable to do so . If that were the end of the story , it would not be ideal , but the seventh season of Supernatural takes the relationship a step further by asking the question , “ What if society were to press the development of a truly othered population within society ? Is that possible ? What would it look like ?”
Foucault ( 135 ) stated that the human body has entered a machinery of power that explores , dismantles , and rearranges it . This power defines how one may remove another ’ s agency so that they may do what one wishes with the body perceived to be “ lesser ”. In the episode “ The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo ,” the Leviathan represent the literal manifestation of this statement . The Leviathan have insinuated themselves so deeply into the fabric of human government and control that Dick Roman ’ s plans to build a slaughterhouse disguised as a biotechnology lab that will be used to develop a cure for cancer will go unnoticed , much like the oppression of the person in the fat body . This revelation highlights the ever-increasing power dynamic that exists between the Leviathan and the humans . They want to gain control over the humans , make them a “ perfect , docile herd ” and have slaughterhouses on every corner while , most importantly , not having to explain their every move . It is this type of insinuation into the bodily lexicon that the thin body discourse has accomplished . The thin body discourse and its distaste for the fat body have now become enmeshed in media representations , medical opinions , and the healthy lifestyle industry , thus becoming so naturalized as to be invisible .
The Leviathan extend their control over the humans by performing their own surveillance in order to achieve their desired goals , thereby circumventing the humans ’ agency by taking away
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