The Biggest Loser: Spoiler Warning!
Ok, it was bound to happen- someone asked for my opinion on the new 'reality' show, The Biggest Loser. I watched the first (and only, so far,) episode and really didn't feel that it was as offensive as I expected it to be. **tangent warning** For example, there's this other 'reality' show about this woman who supposedly wins $5 million from Ed McMahon, but she is supposed to be real mean and selfish about it towards her friends and family- if she succeeds in alienating everyone who means something at all to her, they get to share $25 million. Come on! What ‘reality’ is that?! **end of tangent**
The Biggest Loser is a game show about 12 overweight/obese people who are challenged to lose more weight than each other. There are initially two teams of 6 people each, and the team who loses less each week has to vote off one of their own members. The person who remains in the game the longest is ‘the biggest loser’, and wins, besides a new body/lifestyle/etc, $25,000.
The contestants’ weights ranged from 167 to 436 at their initial weigh-in. (Please remember that no heights were announced during the show, and 167 can be a completely healthy weight for some people). Each team has a diet to follow, and a personal trainer. Basically, it seems that they work out all day, and are provided with healthy food options. Note, healthy options… there are some not-so-hot options on the table, also. There was one ‘reward’ challenge the teams competed in- though I think they would have been better to call it a ‘penalty’ challenge. The team that won the challenge got to add 5 pounds to the other team’s weigh-in. (Why couldn’t they just have said they get to take 5 pounds off their own weigh-in? That’s a reward, rather then essentially penalizing the other team. Whatever- 6 of one, ½ dozen of the other- sorry there was no tangent warning.)
In the end, the team which lost the least weight during the first week voted off their smallest member- mostly because she had less to lose and therefore less to offer the team in a competitive sense. It’s a game, people- and these people are playing to win. Get over the offensive innuendos- it’s a freaking game!
So, do I think it’s offensive? Some people have said they’re just parading fat people around on TV. I don’t think so- Jerry Springer parades half-naked fat people around on TV; This show parades people losing weight on TV… I feel there’s a difference. Some people have suggested that it’s unfair to put people in front of the foods they love, when they’re trying to lose weight… In that regard, this show is reality. Life does not hold back- McDonald’s is around every corner, there’s a vending machine in every office, and there are twice as many junk food options which are kosher than there are healthy ones- get over it, temptation is in your face no matter what. If these people were not tempted and were only fed what they should eat, once they left the sheltered environment they’re currently in, they’d go right back to their previous habits without having learned anything.
The one thing I can concede even a bit is the team thing going on… Being a big Survivor fan, I know that sometimes the ‘wrong’ person gets voted off because of strategic alliances. Contestants will bring someone along because they’re stupid, they’re predictable, they’re not a threat, etc. In Survivor, so be it! In this game, however, I just don’t know how fair it is to people who earnestly are trying to lose weight. It’s a bit more personal. I’m just kinda holding onto the fact that this is a game show. I don’t think three more weeks will go by without there being at least one voting alliance based in strategy formed. Honestly, the ‘kindest’ player never wins these games- the person who wins The Biggest Loser, I predict, will not in fact be the biggest loser- he/she will be the person who played the game best, and that involves strategic voting, not weight loss.
I’m in for the next episode (Tuesday)- if I get disgusted, you guys will be the first to hear it!
**UPDATE** I just read the recap on the show's website- now that's offensive. The show in itself isn't, but the hyping of the show is another story. Sheesh!
posted by Becky @ 8:54 PM
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