Why do people hate TV shows like The Biggest Loser and My 600-lb Life?
Why do people hate TV shows like The Biggest Loser and My 600-lb Life?
I'm watching both of these shows in their entirety and I don't know why they've historically gotten so much backlash. One reviewer called TBL "a dumpster fire of a TV show" and others seem to think M6L is downright abusive. However, I can't find anything particularly bad in either.
Although it's true that in TBL the contestants are losing an egregious amount of weight each week, it's likely (actually almost certain) that most of this is water weight and it would have been more dangerous to instead not lose the weight. The intense exercise scenes seem pretty typical for anybody who's serious about athletics. Finally, the famous "damaged metabolism" study that shut down TBL turned out to be debunked due to "damaged metabolism" being a boring, normal adaptation under high physical activity.
And although there are tons of bare naked shower scenes in M6L, everyone knew that going in and they agreed anyway. Some also complain how the stars don't receive enough support for things like therapy and other cost centers. I would say that would actually have been a great thing to add, but it would be impractical at scale and have a high chance of bankrupting the production with how much healthcare costs, resulting in a net loss of benefit for those who need the surgery.
So, what's your viewpoint here?
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These are television shows that exploit people who have the mental illnesses which result in obesity.
You wouldn't take a bunch of people with clinical depression and make a show called "smile, ya dipshit" about them.
Biggest loser is centered around the idea that losing weight is the answer to people's problems when it's not.
The one where they have these severely ill people living their lives is just so others can watch, leer, and feel quietly superior that "at least I'm not those people".
They are just exploitative, harmful garbage.
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forced to spill entire history of childhood SA and is depicted to have it resolved after brief pep talk with coach
The same garbage humans who enjoy public humiliation porn like Judge Judy. An absolute deal breaker in a relationship, for me.
How does Judge Judy get lumped in with the exploitative shit like My 600lbs Life? IIRC, she's an arbitrator and the two "contestants" are having her settle a dispute instead of going to a real court since that would take longer and cost more and still be public knowledge you could get from the courthouse.
Because it's vicious and mean spirited shit. People don't watch Judge Judy to see her adjudicate a dispute. They want to watch her humiliate people. I don't care if you don't agree. I don't care about your opinion, period. It's plain as black and white, and I won't watch that shit, and I won't associate with people who think it's entertaining.
You know what, I completely agree, and it's the anonymity of the internet that lets us talk about these real feelings.
I personally do not like the emotional toll that most shows take on me. I find most of the things that people find wildly funny to be really mean spirited.
I watched one episode of the office and I was so revolted by the paper thin excuses to set up "situations" for racist, sexist, homophobic and generally cruel gallows humor.
I see shows like Family Guy and American Dad, and while I can give them fair praise for often having very biting commentary, again it feels like they are gratuitous in how awful they aim to be.
I too judge others based on their preferences in these shows. I know people that watch various ones, and they all sit teem with spiteful glee as they watch and discuss them. I find that quite revolting and I also agree with you, it speaks to their character.
Why anybody would want a show where people conspire against each other, or damage their own bodies, or make complete asses of themselves, or watch them get talked down to by a snappy no-nonsense judge is beyond me.
That last paragraph just made me think about It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The entertainment is seeing the horrible people done in by their own horribleness.
The thing about Sunny is you know they're all awful people. Ironically, the meanest people on The Office are the protagonists.
I don't want to see "sympathetic" horrible people in my forms of entertainment. I don't want to see the world through their lens or sympathize with them. I don't want to see them get their comeuppance.
I really think those shows are thinly veiled excuses for people to wallow in spite and delight in suffering.
You said it better than I ever could.
Sure people would watch that. Especially if some people got help and turned around. Hoarders, intervention, M600L, my strange addiction, love on the spectrum, wife swap to some extent etc etc etc all have similar themes and have huge viewerships. They are not mean spirited, though they are not super intellectual, and show different aspects of the human condition and humanize the people in those situations.
If anything, at least if you watch a show like m600L you can see how under the weight there is a real person with deep trauma, instead of just thinking "Look at this guy who can't put down the fork".
There are better things on TV for sure, but had OP said GoT the top comment would be parallel universe you saying something about it being just gore, sex, and revenge porn, or Sopranos and someone saying it's a wholesale misrepresentation of Italian Americans, or breaking bad being about glorification of drugs and reckless lifestyle. Maybe we should all just read instead.
You seem to have overlooked the exploitative part.
If these were charities, helping people manage health issues with no cameras, that would be great - but that's not what these are.
Someone is making money off the plight of these people.
It wouldn't be very engaging if it were "watch healthy normal Jane wash the dishes", would it.
Additionally, producers put significant effort into fomenting drama. Just dirty tricks like long bus rides in the early hours followed by 3 hours of standing around waiting for something with no breakfast - hoping that some poor contestant will crack and say something snippy for the camera.
You've described basically every unscripted TV show, and it is totally fine if you don't like them. Everyone is getting paid including the participants, and yes manufacturing drama where possible is what makes it better than watching James quietly eat a salad or watch Karen sort through the pictures in her extra-full house.
All that notwithstanding, there is still an audience for this kind of programming and it drives more awareness than basically any charity ever could.
Sure, but the question posed in this thread is why everyone hates them, and that's the answer - they're exploitative.