The Biggest Loser

I should probably explain that "I'm not a big TV person." I'm even less so "a reality TV person." I mean, life is hard enough - during the rare occasions that I do actually watch television, I'd like to escape reality as much as possible, thanks.

And then, over spring break I found The Biggest Loser. And I rediscovered it this weekend during the time not spent job-searching. (And I'm working at a liquor store this summer... I have no words that will describe this experience, and have been assured by my soon-to-be-boss that I will probably feel the same even after I start work.)

But anyway- The Biggest Loser. Wow.

I know, I know. There are more productive things I could be spending my time doing, and really, reality shows are as low as it gets. But I can't help it - I'm really into this nonsense. I'll admit, it's not something I'm super proud of, or that I'll be looking to put on resumes or anything in the near future. But it is what it is, and I said I'd be honest on here, so I am. I'm going to at least try to explain what it is about this that attracts me... mostly to justify the time I spent watching it to myself.

For one thing, it's about getting people healthy. It's not about one guy/girl picking "Mr./Ms. Right" from a bunch of guys/girls (and I won't even go into how heteronormative all of them are...), it's not about people eating scary things for a chance a lot of money, or doing dumb/dangerous things for the same reasons. It at least has a worthy goal. And while yeah, there is some competition involved, the core of the show is still about getting people (and not just the ones on the show) healthier and losing weight in a correct (and safe) way. They give tips about healthy eating, not just to the contestants, to to any viewer as generally good knowledge to have. And let's face it, even if you don't happen to need to lose a lot of weight, it's good for anyone to know about healthy alternatives.

Also, the people on that show are just SO nice (and inspiring). Some of them are working through serious issues and going through what has got to be an incredibly difficult point in their lives - and they're still so damn nice to each other. They motivate each other, cheer at others' successes and cry (real, legitimate tears) when someone has to leave the show. The trainers are also really great - they aren't playing a game and they really just want the people they are working with to succeed. In general, I feel like this showcases some of America's best, as opposed to many of these shows where people fight and swear at each other - these people are trying to accomplish something difficult and get healthy.

Is it voyeurism, as all of these shows are? Absolutely. Is it sometimes played up for drama and intensity? Definitely. But I think it has at least somewhat of a better underlying motive than a lot of the trash floating out there, and so with that, I will take (and keep) my hope for American pop culture that it sometimes has somethings that are worth getting into.