I have been a pretty faithful Biggest Loser viewer. (You noticed I didn't modify their name, did you?) Who doesn't love a good transformation? Who doesn't love a good miracle? I mean, here they are; overwhelmed by the challenge before them. They take a chance and apply and are chosen for one of a few spots to live apart from distractions and concentrate on healthy living without having to remember to pay the light bill.
Right?
After last night's episode, I am done.
They say it is all done in the editing. If so, NBC has allowed editing to paint the whole crowd like a bunch of jerks. After several seasons of recovery after the Heba and Vickie mess (season 6), they have again rounded up a crew of immature females to play miserable, manipulative garbage. Several seasons running, the group of contestants have linked arms and weathered the game play aspects with trust in the method and positive encouragement as the general rule. Last night's episode demonstrated that they decided to emphasize the ratings grabbing spiciness of a racy conflict.
That's right, America, where ratings are concerned, "Ignorance is Bliss."
I won't tune in to watch anymore exploitation of anyone's lack of education or home training by the network to increase ratings. I won't let my kids think that I think that bullying is good family entertainment. That is what is going on. Bullying. There is a Bully and her Toady and a Victim, and all those kids who won't shout, "NO!!!" because they are afraid that the bully will turn their aggression on them.
Symptomatic of these selected combatants is a tendency to display an attitude I am getting from my daughters from time to time, these days-- acting like if they don't get called out, caught, or corrected, that their behavior is up for grabs and it doesn't matter how they act. In addition, if they feel like they can throw a block conversationally(no matter how stupid), that they have successfully defended the behavior, and they can walk away. If they can re-direct the blame to ANYONEELSEINTHEUNIVERSE, they have successfully avoided dealing with their own business [And no, I am not ashamed to bust them out on my blog. There are rules here, too. Don't do anything you don't want someone to post on their Facebook status. Really, there are nowhere near as many people looking this as at my Facebook status, so let's re-word it...
DON'T DO ANYTHING YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO READ ABOUT ON YOUR MOM'S BLOG.].
I digress.
The attitude problems that I believe are rampant today, are super-characterized by the candid comments that get edited in and re-inforced by the editing of the trainer's comments in the weigh-in room. I went to bed before the elimination last night. We won't be tuning in, again. There is no victory, when people get recognition and greater attention for behaving inappropriately, than for being positive and fighting toward their goals. For several seasons, I have dozed through the weigh-ins because they drew them out too long, but that is no longer a problem.
NBC doesn't care about one viewer (or one tv set). The sponsors ( We sat around and thought of 7 without effort..there have to be more.) don't care about one family's purchase of their product. As long as most people keep on tuning in and buying sh...tuff. Goodness knows there is not one person on earth who needs to be watching more TV. I realize this doesn't make me very PR friendly. But I am going to think for myself and my family, first and deal with the bullet wound in my foot later.
I know no one cares, but as for me and my house...we will do something that is real and entertaining. Where the challenges are real and the victories legit.
17 comments:
Good for you. I've never watched the show. Something just seems off to me about turning fat people into entertainment. I know there are a lot of positives, but I've never been able to get past that one big negative.
"There is no victory, when people get recognition and greater attention for behaving inappropriately, than for being positive and fighting toward their goals."
That should be in the bible.
I'm guilty of it. I mean, for heaven sake I watch The Bachelor. And every time swear it's the last.
Great, great stuff here. It is a sad day when we'd really rather watch a train wreck than anything else.
I don't watch the show either, but I totally get what you're saying. It's not just this show that highlights bad attitudes and inappropriate behavior for ratings.
P.S. Your girls aren't the only ones with big attitudes lately. Maybe they've been hanging out with my kids ;)
I tried watching the show, and I couldn't stand the disrespect and dynamic... but then, I can't stand any reality television for just that reason. It gets sensationalized, and then echoed in other's behavior. Ick. Not in my house! Good for you!
I don't watch the show but I've heard other complaints like yours. I always thought it made a spectacle out of these people's problems and wasn't a long-term solution.
Good for you. They may not care about 1 viewer, but you make good points and if anyone else does the same, chances are they will notice the ratings going down, and when they wonder why... they might find this post. And hopefully change things.
It is NOT ok to prioritize "entertainment" over education or setting good examples or inspiration, which is what this should should be about!
Wow! I don't know what happened, but I'm glad to see you standing up for what you believe in. I have had shows that made me that mad, and I'm sorry but a weight loss show should not be one that is out to be a ratings whore. Why do they always have to ruin good things?
http://www.talkativetaurus.com/
We are regular viewers of the show, but we're not sure we'll make it through this season. The people are just so hateful. Sure, some of it is editing, but editing only covers up so much. We'll probably keep watching, but with some fast forwarding and lots of complaining. We don't watch it with our kids though. I wish they would get it together and be positive and encouraging.
I love watching Bob and the other trainers motivate people to be healthier. But I too am tired of the manufactured drama. I tend to "watch" Biggest Loser while I'm working on the computer and only really tune in during the last chance workout and elimination. The rest is fluff and stupid.
I've never watched but from what you described it definitely sounds like you are making the right decision not to watch. It's like me and "The Bachelor". I cannot STAND to watch a bunch of desperate, catty women stab each other in the back. No thanks.
I think it's the way reality TV is going. I've noticed the trend on other shows. Project Runway is all about the contestant with the best story than about the person with the best design skills :(
The only one that is up front about it is RuPaul's Drag Race but what do you expect from a bunch of drag queens? That's how they create their onstage characters and why we like to watch them. Everyone knows it's all fake for the sake of entertainment.
Darn, the Internet ate my comment.
New/short version: I'm here via Blog Comment Club. I read your "about" page and learned we have something in common: a child from China. My daughter has been home with us since 2006.
P.S. I suffer through some reality shows playing on the TVs at the gym. I get sucked in every time but always wonder what all these theatrics do to what shred of their private lives they have left.
I used to watch the show but once I saw Anna Kournikova was a trainer, I found something better to do with my time. I loved watching the challenges and celebrating the successes of the contestants but the bickering, game play and all of that becomes a little much.
I've never gotten into the whole reality tv thing, until recently, and that's only with shows on HGTV, LMAO! In fact, the only way I would ever watch Biggest Loser was if they featured a "Where/How Are They Now" special where they visit theri past winners and see how they are doing. Because I can bet you they have all gained back a lot of the weight they lost. Because the way they lost the weight in the first place was probably not a way that encouraged formation of new healthier habits, just quick fixes that would fall to the wayside after a few months out of the program. A REAL reality show like that would be interesting, IF they then explored what could (and hopefully WOULD) be done to help turn things around again, properly.
I was once a Biggest Loser addict - I'm sorry to hear they seem to have bought into the drama-fed ratings grabs of so many other shows.
Finally there is someone who feels the same as I do!! I really think that a lot of reality tv is like this. Let's find the people who will argue and bring drama to the situation because that is good tv which means good ratings.
I rarely watch reality tv for this factor. I don't care about the drama, really! All this does is contribute to society thinking it is okay to behave badly- because they see it on tv and those people get away with it!
Great post-- thank you so much!
I found your blog through the blogger comment group.
I don't watch the Biggest Loser, but I think anyone could relate to your sentiments about reality tv in general. I think the concept, when it first started, was intriguing but quickly deteriorated to trash, drama, and meanness. It shouldn't be ok that this is what reality we are creating, particularly for our children. Ugh.
Found you through blogger comment club too and love your style. :)
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