TBL Season 4 Weekly Show Discussion - *SPOILERS*

[Jen]

Yes I'd be quite thrilled to lose 1 or 2 lbs a week and have it stay off let alone lose 3.5lbs!

My perception of the show has changed, I have to admit that but that doesn't mean I still won't enjoy watching it.

[kaplods]

I think what spoils it for me to a degree is the deception. If the show were more upfront, or if there were big news headlines or stories on the nightly news "exposing" the truth, I think I would watch completely guilt free, especially now knowing that the safety of the contestants is probably minimal.

It does seem wrong though to watch the show and just keep quiet, knowing the dangerous myths it perpetuates. I wonder if one of the biggest reasons weight loss attempts have such a dismal long-term success rate is that people who are actually being wonderfully successful give up because they believe they are failing, because their losses are inconsistent or slow (even if weight loss is as low as 1 lb a month - you're so far ahead of the game in terms of statistics if you don't give up).

I desperately would like THAT news to get out, as I know it would have made a difference in my life. I didn't just give up so many times in the past because I thought I was failing (when I was actually succeeding), but because important people in my life (parents, grandparents, teachers, doctors, school nurse...) were telling me that I was failing when I only lost 1 or 2 lbs a month. If I had known better, and had been told how amazingly successful I was actually being, maybe I wouldn't have ended up in a cycle of weight loss and gain for the last 36 years.

[Hun.e.B]

I guess its where you get your facts and education from. Me...I dont believe what I see on tv because its there for entertainment. you have to consider the source and a scripted tv show is not exactly a reliable source for information. I dont understand how anyone would watch the show and think that is even possible in real life. My perceptions havent been changed at all. All the article did was confirm what I already thought. Just seems like common sense to me. I still love the show. I still get inspired to see the people shrinking...yes its weekly but it takes a long time to film a show. Wouldnt it be great if you could lose that much a week...but ya cant! Take the show for what it is...entertainment not education.

[LondonJulz]

Originally Posted by kaplods

I think what spoils it for me to a degree is the deception. If the show were more upfront, or if there were big news headlines or stories on the nightly news "exposing" the truth, I think I would watch completely guilt free, especially now knowing that the safety of the contestants is probably minimal.

It does seem wrong though to watch the show and just keep quiet, knowing the dangerous myths it perpetuates.

Degree of deception?? wow..... Big news headlines or stories "exposing" the truth??? Kaplods, you FOUND your truth in that lawyer on that webpage. You know your truth....

If you think it seems wrong to watch the show and just keep quiet.... then just don't watch it. Simple as that. And, you aren't keeping quiet (I'm not being rude or disrespectful at all), but you have more than shared your opinion on the matter in more than one thread (as have I and others).

As far as the safety of the contestants being minimal, they make no secret at all about the contestants being given physicals, blood work, EKGs, stress tests, etc etc etc... they are given rigorous tests before they can get ON the show.... and they are monitored while on the show.... and AGAIN - there is a warning before the show to consult a doctor before beginning any exercise program... Jillian has said in interviews that the show IS EXTREME weight loss and she only recommends doing 4 hours of rigorous workout a WEEK not per day but because it is "REALITY" tv.... it is extreme...
(the link to THAT interview is here.... http://www.nowloss.com/Jillian-Michaels-Online-Diet.htm) If NBC was so secretive about stuff that goes on, do you think they'd let their trainers talk so freely??? You aren't being decieved... as much as you think you are..... you're really not.

"The Real World" (on MTV) ... MANY MANY cast members have said how the producers just "happen" to leave tons of Alcohol in the house they are living in.... WHY? Because more alcohol = drunkenness = RATINGS! Is that being sneaky? SURE... but I bet that there are a lot of teenagers out there who watch that show who think that drinking is "cool" because the people on the Real World do it...(I know of 2 seasons where people on the show have gotten alcohol poisoning and had to be taken to the hospital.... and I only watched 3 seasons of the show) and I think that Alcohol abuse by teenagers is a little more worthy of a cause to go after than people who watch a weight-loss show and want to emulate it (and I mean people who want to emulate the shows aggressive weight-loss approach - I am NOT saying that weight loss is not a worthy cause.... why would I even be on this site if it wasn't?).

Again..... it's reality TV... ALLLLLLLL reality TV shows are scripted or manipulated in some way to make bigger ratings.

[kaplods]

"The shut up if you don't like something" argument has never fazed me. In the United States, it is our cultural ideal and right to speak up when something seems wrong, even if it's on a small issue. As I stated in the other thread, if you can't tolerate discussion and debate a small issue, how do you expect to be able to do so on a larger one.

The debate here hasn't been on the issues, but oddly, on the right to discuss and debate the issues. I find nothing wrong in disccussing and even arguing the positives and negatives of this show, even if it is only a television show.

I believe TBL is different from other reality shows, because it does present itself in a different way. There's even encouragement on some level to "play at home" by going to the website... It is meant to be, and presented as inspirational. I think that increases the show's responsibility to be a bit more disclosing. If the show is just to be taken as fiction, and enjoyed as such, then I don't think "inspirational" would be an appropriate word to describe it. I certainly don't find Fear Factor, or Big Brother inspirational (and in fact don't watch them). If it is meant to inspire, then how is inspiration accomplished through lies and half-truths.

[kaplods]

The other thread was shut down, for an apparent perception of an inability for us to "play nice." It had started to disintegrate from a place to discuss opinions to a discussion of the right to state those opinions. Too bad, because I think that forum would probably have been more appropriate than this one for criticisms of the show.

For the most part, I think it would have been more productive (and maybe allowed to continue) if the issues, rather than the right or appropriateness of voicing the issues had been discussed. As I mentioned to a poster who pm'd me regarding the shut down, there's not a single poster on either of these threads whose position I do not respect, understand, or even on some level at least partially agree with.

Something I consider one of my top strengths AND top weaknesses is an ability to see (and sometimes feel and believe) at least two viewpoints on every subject. It does make me seem like someone who just wants to argue for argument's sake, but that isn't the truth at all. It's just that through debate and discussion, I learn more about the issue, and myself. If people had been strongly arguing my "side," it's possible I would have been fighting just as hard to oppose it.

I think shutting the thread down was a great disservice to us all, and I apologize for anything I may have done to contribute to it.

[LondonJulz]

Originally Posted by kaplods

The other thread was shut down, for an apparent perception of an inability for us to "play nice."

As I mentioned to a poster who pm'd me regarding the shut down, there's not a single poster on either of these threads whose position I do not respect, understand, or even on some level at least partially agree with.

It's just that through debate and discussion, I learn more about the issue, and myself. If people had been strongly arguing my "side," it's possible I would have been fighting just as hard to oppose it.

I think shutting the thread down was a great disservice to us all, and I apologize for anything I may have done to contribute to it.

I do agree with you on this one. DH and I went for our 4 mile walk and I was planning on coming back here and telling you how much fun it's been "debating" this. I do agree that this thread isn't an appropriate place for the debating, the other one certainly was better and wasn't the thread that people come to to talk about the episodes. I, like you, respect others opinions as well... and I don't think that anyone was personally "attacked" to warrent the shutting down of the thread..... hmmm... c'est la vie!

[practiceliving]

Originally Posted by LondonJulz

If you think it seems wrong to watch the show and just keep quiet.... then just don't watch it. Simple as that.

I think this IS an effective way of dealing with this. If people are frustrated or annoyed by the show in its current form, a quick letter to the network outlining your concerns and that you will be tuning OUT might make a difference. Remember, ratings are what they are after, and if their ratings go DOWN, things will change to make them go back UP!

[Jen]

What is everyone thinking about the new host now that it has been a couple of episodes? Good or bad?

[kaplods]

It is an effective way, but it is not the only way. I agree that complaining to the network is part of the process when you want changes made to programming. Discussion and debate with other viewers, is also, as Martha Stewart woud say "a good thing."

[LondonJulz]

Kaplods - Martha Stewart? .... hahahahahahahaaa! That's a whole other debate!!!

I liked the new host personally. Caroline got on my nerves when she was on it. I think it'll take more than a couple episodes to really get used to Allison, but so far, I like her.

[kaplods]

Yeah, let's not get on the topic of Martha Stewart (it actually pained me to quote her).

As to the new host, I do like her (though I can't stop thinking of her as her annoying soap opera character. I'm not into any soaps, but my mom is, and she and my sister actually tape the episodes and watch bunches of them in the evening at a time, so when we visited a couple weeks ago - I saw more of them that I'd care to)

I liked Caroline a lot, but she kept gaining weight each season, so I'm guessing that it was an image choice (You'd think one of the perks of being on the show would be access to the gym - oops, that does sound rather catty, sorry).

[sportmom]

Actually, back to the article, I was Surprised to hear that they were not sticking to the Week 1, etc formats and would be stretching them out. It seemed pretty clear that a week is a week, I mean, i've been a fan since season 2 and have even visited the boards for TBL on NBC and read about the casting process, just out of curiosity. I think even there they say must be able to leave home for about 4 months, which would be about 13 weeks, give or take some travel there, set up time b4 filming starts, the exams, etc. Besides, wouldn't stretching things out in the beginning mean they hurt themselves on the back side bc to stay on track they would have to weigh less than a week apart? I'll go back and look but I thought the last season filmed from Feb to early June - they were back home by midJune. Doesn't really help tho unless we have exact dates. Maybe they shrink the number of weeks at home and make up for it on that end. As far as the 30+ lb weight loss the first week, yeah, I think we all are figuring most people would have a going away party/pig out meal their last nite at home, and so that's what you're seeing in the starting weigh in. So that first detoxing weigh in a week or so later could be really high. Even if it's 2 weeks, 30 is still alot. But yeah, the letters from home seemed to come really early this season and it even felt odd to watch them doing that so soon. Ok, off to the nbc boards to see what I can dig up from the casting notices! lol Clearly, I have no life!

[kaplods]

Since the time article explained some of the tactics used for strategy, during the show, I'm guessing the new contestants are aware them (or smart enough to figure them out themselves). Some of the contestants, I'm sure would have gorged on water and high volume, low calorie foods right before the first weigh-in to boost their initial weight, and thus their first loss.

[practiceliving]

Does anyone know if the episodes are re-broadcast at another time? I know that ANTM is on Weds, but replays on Sun nights... is there anything like that for TBL?

I'm not going to be able to watch on Tues nights anymore! I know that NBC sometimes puts videos online, but they won't play in Canada.