[NumberSix]

I swore off reality shows about two minutes before they became All the Rage and have maintained that attitude even now that they've become So Five Minutes Ago...with this exception. I've been addicted to The Biggest Loser ever since the first episode last year. In fact, it's one of the few TV shows we watch together as a family. That's largely due to the fact that the show started airing right after I began my own diet last year. By pure serendiptity it became one of the assorted worldly things that kept me going.

I pop into this forum every so often to see if anyone's started a thread about it, but so far, nothin'. I'm sure there's a variety of reasons, but rather than take blind guesses, I'd like to know what YOU, the viewers at home think.

Follow-up elaborations on your answers are highly encouraged for my own curiosity. Thanks in advance.

[szero]

I went with Reality Shows Suck! because, they do. A lot.

I'd rather stab myself in the face than watch any of these shows.

[Primbud]

I went with 'Never Heard Of It' but I'm sure I have heard of it somewhere along the way - I usually don't pay any mind to reality shows so szeros choice would be valid for me too.
My next closest selection would be 'It's insensitive, offensive, or condescending to its subjects' because it probably is just based on what I know about the 'genre' and the title.

[Denman]

I hate reality shows. Nevertheless, I watch this show every tuesday. I love watching morbidly obese people trying to lose weight. The only way they can top this show is if it was starring a bunch of obese retards. This season is even better than last season because it is the Men against the Women. The Women just can't stop crying every episode. Its GREAT!

Also, the Men operate as team where the Women are in cat fight after cat fight. Finally the Women lost a weigh-in (I think they lost in week one as well) and had to vote off one of their own. This series is pure gold. PURE GOLD I TELL YOU!

[Primbud]

I despise reality shows - but it's more personal than most. I thought of this ****ing idea over a decade ago! I loved any rendition of being stranded on a desert island (Robinson Crusoe, Lord of the Flies, heck even that Chip N Dale's Rescue Rangers episode) so I suggested to a friend if it wouldn't be cool for them to take cameras and people (I wrote a paper on The Open Sea and that also played a part in this idea) to some island and just leave people there, and see how they survive and what happens. He actually suggested that it could be like a contest and the worst person would keep getting kicked off until the winner is there, and the winner would get the island or like a million dollars or a lifetime supply of a bunch of life-sustaining products or something. I didn't like the contest idea because I thought it'd take away from the purity of it all, so I barked at my friend, and so we dropped the idea. Then, when the first reality shows started showing up and taking over the scene, I got in touch with him and I was like wtf? You see this ****? So he figures 'yay you're idea is there' (and it wasn't the first time) so I should be happy - I was like NO WAY - GIMME MY ****ING CREDIT! Then he suggested that they could really take this down to varying levels, a contest for who can survive in the ghetto, or in a house without plumbing, or stuff like that, but I reasserted my dislike for making it a contest, and we dropped the idea again. shrug

[DESTINY]

Never heard of it

[xdflwr]

i don't watch it because it makes me want to order a pizza and eat it all by myself.

[Good God a Bear]

i watched it last night...pretty good...

[Avenger]

I've been watching it and it absolutely gets on my last nerve because they're losing like 17 lbs a week and I either a) don't buy it for a second or B) am really angry that they lose 17 lbs in a week. I haven't decided which.

[NumberSix]

I dunno what kind of diets they're on, but they appear to work out, like, for hours and hours every day. I also suspect that there may be more than seven calendar days elapsing between each "weekly" weigh-in, but I have no evidence, just a hunch.

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Denman:
Also, the Men operate as team where the Women are in cat fight after cat fight. Finally the Women lost a weigh-in (I think they lost in week one as well) and had to vote off one of their own.

Each side's lost two weigh-ins now:

Week 1: Guys lost, voted off Ruben apparently because he was a loner, whereas the other six guys were dying to be team players.

Week 2: Girls lost, voted off Kathryn because her injured foot slowed her down and because she refused to play nice with everyone. (After a full episode of Blue Team lovey-dovey summer-camp harmony, her kiss-off line earned her some pretty appalled looks: "I didn't come here to make six new best friends.")

Week 3: Guys lost, voted off Nick because he didn't seem to work out a fraction as hard as the rest of Red Team, if he even exercised at all. Never mind the fact that he was still losing weight as quickly as, if not more quickly than, some of his teammates. And never mind that in season 1 we saw Dave go through the exact same motions as Nick...and get the last laugh on everyone (except Ryan, anyway) in the end. A dumb alliance between Nick, Mark, and Matt very nearly got young li'l Seth voted off instead, but weepy go-getter Matt came to his senses and switched his vote.

(Is it just me, or does Matt look like a young George Wendt?)

Week #4: Girls lost BIG because they factionalized over that stupid Vegas challenge and deadlocked themselves at voting time...so the guys got to pick and voted off Ryan because she was one of the few consistently competent players on Blue Team.

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Denman:
Never heard of it

NBC, Tuesdays, 8 p.m. Eastern. Dunno if it airs in Canada.

[Primbud]

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Avenger:
I've been watching it and it absolutely gets on my last nerve because they're losing like 17 lbs a week and I don't buy it for a second

I once lost 13 pounds (dropped from 200 to 187) in about three days worth of time so it's not impossible.

[Cloud]

This is actually one of my favourite shows, we're a week behind out here i think with the showing. It's a guilty pleasure and the only reality show i watch after top model (Shut up!), hell, you're guranteed a result with biggest loser, you can't deny it.

As to the weight loss not been believeable? For their size and the work they're doing, it is very believable to lose that amount in the first weeks of a diet as your body is put into shock and a lot of it is just fluid. Afterwards, they slow down to the more normal 2pound losses which is real weight/fat loss.

So far though, i preferred the first one, there was more bonding going on, this one, the girls team just seems in shambles while the guys have bonded. Definately my must watch show though, i find it oddly inspiring, makes you want to be active, though i hate bob as a trainer, i just don't like him.

[Avenger]

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Cloud:
Afterwards, they slow down to the more normal 2pound losses which is real weight/fat loss.

Ah...that would make sense. I didn't watch the first season, so I didn't know what to expect.

[NumberSix]

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Cloud:
This is actually one of my favourite shows, we're a week behind out here i think with the showing.

I'll try to be more careful about spoilers, then. Sorry! blush

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Cloud:
...Afterwards, they slow down to the more normal 2pound losses which is real weight/fat loss.

I ran into the same problem with my own diet. I lost something like 25 pounds in the first three weeks. After that, I had to fight to lose every pound.

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Cloud:
So far though, i preferred the first one, there was more bonding going on, this one, the girls team just seems in shambles while the guys have bonded.

I think I preferred the random team divisions in season 1 over this season's battle of the sexes. With mixed teams, everyone had to take it slowly and get to know each other over time before they really began to gell. This time, the guys pulled together in record time...but then there're the ladies. They bonded awfully quickly over the first episode or three, then suddenly *BAM* they're in cliques. I thought the women surely would've overcome their differences and stuck it out longer than they did...but according to my wife, whenever you get a roomful of strong-willed women together, this same thing is what she's seen happen too often in Real Life. shrug

Unfortunately, the producers freely admitted in pre-season interviews that they were looking for more ways to ratchet up the tension. Guys-vs.-gals is the quickest, easiest, but probably lowest way to do it.

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Cloud:
i hate bob as a trainer, i just don't like him.

Bob's mild-mannered ways would be a huge part of my "Biggest Loser" fantasy drinking game. Bob smiles while he's scolding someone, take a shot. One of Bob's tattoos is visible on-camera, take a shot. Bob tells someone, "If you give me 100%, I'll give you 110%!" three shots.

And then there's Jillian. Jillian barks like a drill sergeant in someone's face, take a shot. Jillian puts her hands on her head in disgust, two shots. Jillian gets POed and has to be bleeped, three shots.

[Cloud]

quote:

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I'll try to be more careful about spoilers, then. Sorry!

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It's cool, i'm just really glad suzy hasn't gone yet, she's got such a pretty face if she stays there, her transformation should be amazing if you ask me, she'll end up hot. I wish Susannah would get kicked off, she pisses me off.

quote:

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I ran into the same problem with my own diet. I lost something like 25 pounds in the first three weeks. After that, I had to fight to lose every pound.

---

Tell me about it, plateaus are the worst though, i've lost over 20kgs the past year, and the amount of times things have stalled, it drives you insane, i'm on the last 5kgs to getting the flat stomach and it's taking forever.


I actually thought originally that the woman would bond quicker and the men would be more competitive, ended up been the reverse. Most of the woman seem to be stuck up *****es, particularly Susannah and sharon, Ryan and Suzy are the only two i really like there and now one's gone, so, go the guys, i always liked Jillian anyway. She's tough as rocks, but atleast she gets results and half the time she's right there doing the exercises with them.

Oh, and useless trivia for Jillian, she does the voice of shippo in Inyuasha.

[NumberSix]

quote:

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Cloud://
i'm just really glad suzy hasn't gone yet, she's got such a pretty face if she stays there, her transformation should be amazing if you ask me, she'll end up hot.[/quote]The camera focused on her so much in the season premiere, it felt to me as if the producers had voted her Most Likely to Become a Hottie and wanted us to know it. IMHO, she wasn't exactly an ugly duckling to begin with, either. (...he stated diplomatically to avoid spousal retribution.)

quote:

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I wish Susannah would get kicked off, she pisses me off.[/quote]I'd like to see the whole Susannah/Shannon/Jen alliance just...gone. Fired. Extradited to the land of Dairy Queen. Or to whatever analogous ice-cream stores you have in Australia, which would work even better because it's that much further away from the cameras.

quote:

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Ryan and Suzy are the only two i really like there and now one's gone, so, go the guys[/quote]If my whims ruled reality, the final three would come down to Suzy, Matt, and Dr. Jeff. Pete and Seth are okay-I-guess, but Officer Mark lost my sympathy after his dimwitted alliance with Nick to try and vote off poor Seth just to cover Nick's deadbeat butt.

quote:

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Oh, and useless trivia for Jillian, she does the voice of shippo in Inyuasha.[/quote]Seriously? laugh This I gotta see...

[Jedi Jami]

I don't watch it because Celebrity Fit Club is much more entertaining to me, so I didn't vote because that wasn't one of the choices.

[Cloud]

[quote] NumberSix:
The camera focused on her so much in the season premiere, it felt to me as if the producers had voted her Most Likely to Become a Hottie and wanted us to know it. IMHO, she wasn't exactly an ugly duckling to begin with, either. (...he stated diplomatically to avoid spousal retribution.)

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She was, it wasn't until they did the first weigh in and you saw her fully that her weight was evident, topwise/facewise, she doesnt' seem to show the weight, it's mostly lower.

quote:

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I'd like to see the whole Susannah/Shannon/Jen alliance just...gone. Fired. Extradited to the land of Dairy Queen. Or to whatever analogous ice-cream stores you have in Australia, which would work even better because it's that much further away from the cameras.

---

I've dispised Sussanah from the beginning, she just looks like a selfish ***** and well, lives up to it. Just send the three off to antartica I say.

quote:

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If my whims ruled reality, the final three would come down to Suzy, Matt, and Dr. Jeff. Pete and Seth are okay-I-guess, but Officer Mark lost my sympathy after his dimwitted alliance with Nick to try and vote off poor Seth just to cover Nick's deadbeat butt.

---

Ditto, those are my top three choices aswell, Matt and Mark nearly dropped it over the whole Nick debacable, man, he was way more annoying then Dave from the first seasons and that's hard to beat.

As to the shippo, according the what i've read it's her, but it's possible it's not, there could be two Jillian Michaels in the industry. If it is, it's too funny.

[Primbud]

Here's a review I just happened to come across - hope it produces discussion for your show:

Weighing In On The Biggest Loser

People either love reality shows or loathe them. Before the first season of The Biggest Loser even took to the airwaves last year, opinions had already been formed about the show. But even with its detractors, it found an audience.


Last year, NBC surprised everyone with The Biggest Loser, a reality show about weight-loss that was not without controversy. Critics of the program immediately set to labeling it as exploitative of the overweight, likening it to a torturous freak show. The twelve people in the competition had to endure grueling workouts and unintentionally comical challenges that dealt with resisting the temptation of devouring mounds of their favorite foods. But it was the weekly weigh-ins that seemed to receive the harshest condemnations, as the male contestants stripped off their shirts and bared all their girth before stepping onto a scale similar to those used in airports for luggage.

Meanwhile, advocates pointed to the health benefits gained by the contestants on The Biggest Loser. These people were not losing weight on some fad diet. They were exercising and making real lifestyle changes. They were slimming down, and personal trainers were giving them the tools to maintain their trimmer figures in the real world.

A definite divide was established. But no matter which side of the table you sat on, NBC landed a hit. The first season's finale lured in 13.7 million viewers, and the network won the Tuesday 8:00 p.m. timeslot with regular programming for the first time in three years. There was never a doubt that the show would be renewed.

The second season of The Biggest Loser is now here, and NBC tried to ensure big numbers for the premiere by launching it with sponsored viewing parties in private homes. Health-minded gifts, including gym memberships and yoga gear, were given away to those attending. All in all, more than 5,000 fans gathered at these events and the episode snagged almost 8 million viewers. Obviously, that number is off from last season's finale, but that's to be expected. The network is confident the show will pick up viewers steadily as the weeks roll on and the weight drops off. What we want to know is, are you tuning in?

It's from that RewardTV site.

[The Maker]

Watched it for the first time last night while waiting for "My Name Is Earl." It wasn't bad. I usually stay away from reality TV (although I do find the VH1 shows to be hysterical on frequent occasion).

[NumberSix]

The VH1 nostalgia-rama parade doesn't do much for me, but I admit to chuckling at the occasional episode of Best Week Ever if only because it's aware of, and willing to undermine for the sake of comedy, its own innate weaknesses. thumbs_u

Unfortunately I missed the first 10-15 minutes of this week's episode. I tuned in just as the ladies of Blue Team were receiving a pep talk from a Very Special Guest from last season. Did I miss much before that?

As for this week's voting results... thumbs_u

quote:

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Primbud's article://
Critics of the program immediately set to labeling it as exploitative of the overweight, likening it to a torturous freak show. The twelve people in the competition had to endure grueling workouts and unintentionally comical challenges that dealt with resisting the temptation of devouring mounds of their favorite foods.[/quote]If you're the shallow type who's ever unconsciously thought, "It's funny because they're FAT! HAR!" then yeah, I'm sure some of the challenges were a real riot. I'll agree they were exaggerated and almost cartoonish, but they were no less daunting and character-building than the idle everyday obstacles these people would go through in Real Life to keep their act together. It's no more a freakshow than any given game show this side of Double Dare. Or Love Connection.

quote:

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But it was the weekly weigh-ins that seemed to receive the harshest condemnations, as the male contestants stripped off their shirts and bared all their girth before stepping onto a scale similar to those used in airports for luggage.[/quote]The larger scales are easier to read and show to an audience than a thirty-dollar Bed, Bath & Beyond bathroom scale. And anyone who's ever actually dieted knows that shedding your clothing and accessories is the best way to get an accurate scale reading. Again, one's preconceptions of fat people shape one's perceptions and opinions of the show, IMHO. I'm sure John Q. Public feels more comfortable and less indignant when society's fat people are reduced to one-dimensional supporting characters, crowd-scene extras, self-exploitative lackeys like Chris Farley, or just shuffled offstage altogether.

(Or were the alleged "condemnations" just about the unfairness of forcing the women to leave their tops on?)

[NumberSix]

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Jedi_Jami:
I don't watch it because Celebrity Fit Club is much more entertaining to me, so I didn't vote because that wasn't one of the choices.

Never heard of it...

[Avenger]

It's on VH-1, and I actually prefer ot as well.

[Jaycie]

I had heard of it but never got into it. I'm not a big reality tv person, acutally now that I think about it I don't watch that much tv in general, lol. So I went with, "I don't watch tv on Tuesdays" since the "I've heard of it but I don't watch it" wasn't an option. I couldn't vote for reality tv sucks cause I did watch "the long way round" on bravo. Also I'm a history geek and I like those history channel "let's try to live like people in the 1600's did and see if we'd survive!" shows. blush

[Thomas Alan]

I saw a fraction of it not long ago. Me and my brother were both laughing about the friction caused when some of the people gambled away their personal trainers for a week or whatever for thousands of dollars.

Seemed like a no-brainer to us.

[Denman]

Another great episode last night. The women smoked the men in the challenge. The former athlete was caught on camera snacking at 1 AM. When he went to the Weigh-in, he posted a donut "0", no pounds lost. He started friggin crying. Luckily, the men still pulled it off, and the guy confessed to snacking.

Now that the women almost gone, it appears they are going to mix up the teams now.

I'm still waiting for someone to fall on their own knife, vote themselves off for being to fat and not losing enough weight.

[King_Elessar]

I was surprised Mark only lost 4 lbs. after turning Ah-nuld all week.

[Denman]

Mark's the one that choked on the stair contest right. That was bigger shock then the weight lost. His trainer was right. If you don't eat, your body shuts down into survival mode, and you don't burn off the weight. I think Mark will be next -- he's acting like quite the jerk these days.

[King_Elessar]

I'm still pulling for Mark. Hopefully, this will be a wake-up call for him and he's learned his lesson. Same with...whats-his-name? the guy who was binging late nights.

[NumberSix]

^ That'd be Matt. He means well, but he's been the Red Team's biggest drama king from the get-go.

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Whatsername:
I couldn't vote for reality tv sucks cause I did watch "the long way round" on bravo.

See, since that miniseries was semi-educational (Ewan and Charley showed us what foreign lands look like!) I consider it a sort-of documentary and therefore forgive it.

[xdflwr]

i didn't understand the fellow competing in the stair competition. he walked at a leisurely pace the entire way. even if you were burnt-out and out of shape, you would try your hardest to giv'er at the beginning of the race!

also, the guy cooking himself a fatty breakfast at 1 am worried me. you need to have real issues behind your eating if you can't suppress urges while on a weight loss reality show.

the pretty girl was voted off. and i ate a candy bar while i watched.

[NumberSix]

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xdflwr:
i didn't understand the fellow competing in the stair competition. he walked at a leisurely pace the entire way. even if you were burnt-out and out of shape, you would try your hardest to giv'er at the beginning of the race!

He probably thought he was, y'know, pacing himself. Like maybe he'd hold back and save all his energy until lap nine or so and then pour it on. Too bad he'd already wasted all his energy for the week on daily five-hour power-calisthenics sessions.

[Luna Lovegood]

[NumberSix]

Week seven is now over...and man, did that hurt to watch.

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NumberSix:
I dunno what kind of diets they're on, but they appear to work out, like, for hours and hours every day. I also suspect that there may be more than seven calendar days elapsing between each "weekly" weigh-in, but I have no evidence, just a hunch.

Peculiar thing: during tonight's elimination scene, Caroline Rhea congratulated them all on surviving at the ranch for the last 92 days.

Week seven. 92 days. hmmm

[xdflwr]

i've taken a shine to matt. with the uncle drama, no loss last week and not treating the girls like excrement, i was pulling for him. plus, when he loses the weight, he's gonna be a hot fox for sure.

i love this partner setup. it seems to have nixed all of that tension from last week. although they're gonna have to keep changing the format, going from even to odd to even numbers of contestants. and if there's anything better than weight loss, it's MAKEOVERS!

i hate you, six. i am so easily hooked on these shows.

also, i jogged five miles while i watched. effective tv, yo.

[Denman]

OK, it was nice to see Mark cry like a baby, especially since he lead off the night calling all the women "dirtbags."

I was utterly amazed that they voted Pete off, especially since Doc/Jeff was lobbying to be kicked off. After seeing how Pete ending up losing 137 pounds and looks awesome playing hoops, it was the right choice. My guess is Pete went around saying Doc needs to stay longer than me because I have my act together. I always liked Pete and I'm sorry he won't win the money but he definately will be the BIGGEST LOSER.


As for Seth, he's a schlub (Spelling?) and Suzy can't seem to go 10 minutes without crying. The best comment was in one of the early episodes where one of the men was commenting about Suzy and said "I wonder how much weight you can lose crying all the tim?" That may have been Mark that said that.

[NumberSix]

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xdflwr://
i've taken a shine to matt. with the uncle drama, no loss last week and not treating the girls like excrement, i was pulling for him. plus, when he loses the weight, he's gonna be a hot fox for sure.[/quote]I just hope the weight loss eventually helps his posture. Every time he stands on that scale, the way he holds out his arms like a gorilla is kinda disturbing. I think he deserved that 17-pound drop, though.

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i hate you, six. i am so easily hooked on these shows.[/quote]*cackle*

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Denman://
...and Suzy can't seem to go 10 minutes without crying. [/quote]She got so high-pitched and hysterical at one point that I'm surprised our dog didn't attack the TV.

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The best comment was in one of the early episodes where one of the men was commenting about Suzy and said "I wonder how much weight you can lose crying all the tim?" That may have been Mark that said that.[/quote]Yeah, that was Mark. And I can't believe he called them "dirtbags"! I could understand some amount of disrespect, given the drama that the women had put each other through over the last few weeks...but "dirtbags"?

[Denman]

I don't even understand where that came from. I hope Mark is gone next week because I can't stand his smugness.

[NumberSix]

Week eight is over...even though Shannon said in this episode she's been there 2½ months. All this new-calendar math is driving me batty.

(SPOILERS AHOY!)

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Denman:
I don't even understand where that came from. I hope Mark is gone next week because I can't stand his smugness.

Your wish is granted. Long live Jambi. At least he can get into his bulletproof vest now.

When Suzy started losing it in describing her joy at seeing her new friends meet her Real Life friends...I swear her chalkboard-nail squeak in the middle of the sentence had to have fractured HDTVs nationwide.

On the plus side...Dr. Jeff is, in the vernacular, off da HOOK! It's unbelievable how much he's dropping.

[Denman]

It seems Dr. Jeff's bum ankle isn't that bum. Except when he tried to ride that bike. That was embarassing.

As for Matt, its time for him to go. He's the female version of Suzy. He cries at the drop of a hat. He also has serious anger issues.

Why did it not surprise me that Mark was a cop? What a jerk.