The Biggest Loser - Winning by Losing For discussion of the NBC tv show The Biggest Loser and the book Winning by Losing, by Jillian Michaels

 
 
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Old 02-12-2008, 10:26 PM   #646  
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After reading more of Kai's blog about TBL during her season there, and watching the show more carefully, I'm more convinced that we can't believe that anything is remotely what it seems. It seems that the producers may be behind more of the contestant and trainers behaviors and the outcomes of the challenges and weigh-ins. It almost seems like they thought "wouldn't it be cool, if we have one of the trainers get to pick what seems like the team with a huge advantage, and then have the underdog team win two weeks in a row - wouldn't that be cool?"

Trent was the biggest loser so far, and even tonight they didn't really clarify why he was going home, but his friend pretty much spilled the beans when he mentioned that Trent had to have his knee "worked on." Ah, now this makes sense - and last week makes more sense too, except that the "bait and switch" kept him on another week despite his needing knee surgery?

While I was watching, I channel surfed during commercials and saw that Big Brother House (which I normally wouldn't watch five minutes of) announced that they were pairing up people for Big Brother Couples - and the real hook - the contestants did not know they were being hooked up. A pair of ex-fiances were hooked up. Also a girlfriend and boyfriend were both put on the show and were assigned different partners. The rest were strangers paired up with strangers AND they have to share beds like "real" couples (Two couples per bedroom. I did not get to see whether girlfriend/boyfriend are sharing the same bedroom with different bed partners). So much for the theory that a reality show wouldn't assign co-ed strangers to the same a bedroom.

Reading more about reality shows in general, it seems that you literally can sign away all of your rights against everything but intentional murder. Parents of kid nation particpants promised among other things, not to hold the show responsible if their child became seriously injured, got pregnant, or got an STD on the show (weren't some of those kids like 10?)

I think this is finally the last straw for me. It's going to be hard, because I really want to see what happens next week, but I know that these shows are going to get worse and worse as long as people are watching. The shows keep pushing the envelope and people keep watching. We are going to end up with a Running Man scenario where people watch specifically to see someone die.
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Old 02-12-2008, 11:04 PM   #647  
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Kaplods: I sincerely hope we never get to the point of watching Running Man in real life here. I am a bit frustrated with this show so far because they literally leave you guessing, as in the case of Trent needing his knees worked on. If it hadn't been for his teammate mentioning that, we would still never know. Mainly I'm watching this show for inspiration, to see folks lose the weight and feel good about themselves. And by the by, I can't stand Big Brother myself...ugh...

I was really ticked with Bob's behaviour in walking out like that. His team really did bust their butts here, and it's just a fluke that they only lost by one pound. It's not like they GAINED here! This show is supposed to be about helping folks lose the weight, not about gameplay. In the end, all the money in the world ain't gonna make you happy if you're not happy with yourself.

As for that whole therapy, I missed the first hour of it due to running errands, but what little bit I did catch, I was a bit uneasy about watching. For one thing, this is all incredibly private, and I felt like I was intruding on someone's elses pain. While I understand the show's intent in showing us this, I also would've never said anything on TV if that had been me....

And finally....Kelly....is she ever gonna stop the waterworks?
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Old 02-12-2008, 11:28 PM   #648  
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I am really trying to like Bob this season but GRRRR come on! Walking out on your team because they fell short by 1 pound? I know he was they lost again but come on...he needs to stand by his team no matter what. It makes it feel worse for his team, he needs to think a bit more about them, and a bit less about his wanting to win.

I thought he walked off upset that one of his guys will be leaving, not so much that they lost. And I also think his speech earlier was said basically to see where these guys heads are at, their reasons for being there. I can't see Bob in the "win at all costs" light. He's more invested in the people than that.
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Old 02-13-2008, 12:07 AM   #649  
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In some ways, I think we're already at Running Man. While I've watched Project Runway, Top Chef, and other contest shows including a couple episodes of Fear Factor, TBL is the only "life in a bubble" reality show that I've watched. Except for Project Runway, it's the only unscripted show I've watched on a weekly basis. But the glimpses of some of the other reality shows and pseudo-documentaries are pretty disturbing. Celebrity Rehab, the Juvie Detention show (don't remember what it was called) and the Brookhaven clinic one (with the super morbidly obese), they all delve into people's very, very personal lives with little regard to the consequences. The juvie show disturbs me the most, because the kids may not fully grasp the ways in which having their faces on national television could impact on the rest of their lives. Imagine applying for a job interview at 25 and having the intevierwer ask "Didn't I see you on Juvie Jail, weren't you the girl with the crack-whore mother?"

Confidentiality is often an important part of treatment, and I think dismissing it so lightly has more negative impact than positive. Even with the weight loss shows, I wonder what the impact psychologically is on contestants who lose all their weight on national telivision only to gain it back. If someone suicides as a result, harms themselves or harms others, is the show (and indirectly the audience) not at least partially part of the problem if not directly to blame?

I wonder, do reality shows affect people's level of empathy, and if so - positively, or negatively?


I don't know, I'm thinking it's a bigger moral dilemma than just simple "harmless" entertainment.
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Old 02-13-2008, 07:18 AM   #650  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NemesisClaws View Post

As for that whole therapy, I missed the first hour of it due to running errands, but what little bit I did catch, I was a bit uneasy about watching. For one thing, this is all incredibly private, and I felt like I was intruding on someone's elses pain. While I understand the show's intent in showing us this, I also would've never said anything on TV if that had been me....

And finally....Kelly....is she ever gonna stop the waterworks?
ITA... And Bernie didn't do therapy (or I spaced out? ) or he did, but they didn't show it, but they never mentioned it? Anyone else think that was odd?

But yes, I agree, I was really uncomfortable watching that part. But it's like a previous poster said, these people are willing to do anything to be on this show and win the money apparently. I have some horrible deep-rooted issues but I would NOT discuss them openly on national TV. Some things are personal, some things are sacred, you know? But to some people, nothing is.

And Kelly. Man. Wah wah wah.
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Old 02-13-2008, 08:14 AM   #651  
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To be honest, with the camera angle and everything, the shot of Bob "storming out" of the weigh in could have just been a shot of Bob leaving the room after everything was done. We all know that these shows aren't "reality." I know that on some shows (The Amazing Race and Project Runway, in particular), they'll splice together reaction shots and comments. So, you'll see one thing, see a reaction shot, and you're meant to assume that it was a reaction to what you just saw. But in reality, the reaction shot was to something totally unrelated.

I also think that the producers are making a concerted effort to make Jillian more like-able. She had a contract holdout and left the show (that's why they brought in Kim). Now that she's back, perhaps she doesn't want to be seen as the "bad guy" to Bob's "good guy" anymore. And perhaps Bob doesn't want to be seen as the "weak" trainer.

As for Bernie not having a therapy session, I've got to say that, if I was on the show, I'd be kind of mad if they forced me into a therapy session that was going to be filmed and shown on national television. It's one thing to show people struggling with weight loss. It's another to air all of their long-held internal issues and problems (many, if not most, of which won't be resolved on a tv show) for the whole world to see. Plus, I don't think that a drop in by Jillian's mom to uncover all these issues is going to do jack squat to resolve them. I've visited a therapist before, but I have to say that I would have gone on the hike with Bob instead of talking with Jillian's mom.
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Old 02-13-2008, 08:39 AM   #652  
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On the therapy...we don't know that they were "forced" into anything. Bernie wasn't shown, so he might have opted not to have it shown on TV or not to do it at all, so there is no evidence they were forced to do this. I wouldn't do it either with cameras in the room...but I might without cameras, more than likely I'd have opted not to do it. there just is no proof they HAD to do it and/or HAD to have it taped. There is a reason Bernie didn't do it, so to me that goes to some proof they weren't forced to do it, or at least to have it taped.

When it comes to bingers and emotional eaters I absolutely believe that if you don't uncover why it is you eat like that, you will likely put the weight back on because you have not dealt with those issues...or, you will deal with those issues in another, probably just as destructive way. it's abuse on your body, using food like a drug, and there is a reason for that. When i started dealing with my issues the ways my past tied to my eating today amazed me. And this has been so much easier since I understood the roots of my eating problems.

But, I don't know that Jillian's mom really helped them get it out or not...one session is definitely not enough, esp. with traumatic abuse in the past, but hopefully it opened that door so they could dig deeper themselves and see the connections to their weight.
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Old 02-13-2008, 09:06 AM   #653  
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Also, for all we know, Bernie's session might have just been considered too "boring" to show! Not every overweight person has a dramatic story to tell about why he/she is fat.
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Old 02-13-2008, 09:49 AM   #654  
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I think its interesting how the viewers are so quick to make such harsh character judgements of the people on the show. For instance, bob walking off. We only know what the producers showed us. We dont know if he didnt give a speech to his team, we dont know exactly what happened. scgirl makes some very good points. And yet, Bob, who we all came to know as a very loving caring man is now labeled, cheater, poor sport, poor loser, among other insinuations. Remember how they used to portray Jillian as nothing but a cold hearted, hard nosed, B@tch. she even stopped doing the show because of it. Doesnt it seem to anyone else that the producers are changing Bobs image this time around?

I'm at the point where I dont want to see anyone go home. Well except the black team, good **** with those people! I'm so sick of seeing Brittney appear to look over at Bob everytime something happens. And Whats her Name with the crying...it never bothered me till this episode. I like Mark, and I thought he was totally justified in snipping at Allison. She was almost cheering for him to fall and thats hard on the concentration. She wasnt doing it to anyone else.

Thats all I can think of right now, I'm sure more will come to me LOL!
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Old 02-13-2008, 09:50 AM   #655  
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OH! Paul's therapy session...OMG!! Bawling here! Poor guy has really been through it hasnt he. Certainly explains alot!
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Old 02-13-2008, 10:04 AM   #656  
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Can someone tell me a quick description of the show from last night? Our power went out.

I have gathered some stuff, but it would be nice to hear more.

Thanks,

Dawn
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Old 02-13-2008, 10:05 AM   #657  
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I don't have a problem with Bob walking off, but I do with his making light of therapy. I agree that one session (OMG I hate that word now) won't fix someone but at least maybe they will become aware of situations that have caused them to turn to food for comfort. Not that everyone who needs to lose weight has issues like these, but it did get me started thinking about my own situation, and I realize there is something that I probably do need to get help with.

As for the cameras in the therapy sessions, I thought that was just odd. I guess though that if you're the kind of person who can strip down to spandex shorts and a sports bra and step on the scale on national TV, you don't think twice about outing the skeletons in your closet on TV.
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Old 02-13-2008, 10:53 AM   #658  
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I think Bob's walking off had more to do with him and less to do with any kind of disappointment with his team. I think he is just upset that his best never semms to really be good enough, and to lose a person on your team for 1 pound, that had to hurt. I just hink he couldn't watch anymore ... that being said, I think he needed to "be a man" (whatever that really means ... I think is is kind of the same as "putting your big girl panties on") and stand there with them. I also think he needed to take some ownership (not all of it) for their failing to beat the Black Team.

I also have to agree with most everyone else ... Kelly needs to suck it up and STOP CRYING! I was yelling at the screen last night.
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Old 02-13-2008, 11:29 AM   #659  
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It is so interesting reading everyone's opinion.... I suppose that is why we keep watching the show ... I enjoyed the episode last night, drama and all, even if the drama was because of editing
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Old 02-13-2008, 12:13 PM   #660  
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That thing on the right side of Bob's head is a vein??

They sure had a bad camera angle because his head looked totally crooked.

I think last week in the teaser clip the narration had something about "A trainer storming out." He was casually walking. He wasn't "storming out" in my opinion.

Jillian comes from some good, thin genes. Her mom is quite pretty.

I was proud of Dan making nice. I felt the blue team was truly remorseful for lying to him. Sometimes you just gotta fake it 'til you make it.

I would like to chase Kelly down with my big Dodge Ram and give her something to truly cry about.
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