I’ve never been a huge fan of NBC’s The Biggest Loser. I’m sure the show was started with the good intention of helping people lose weight and getting their lives back on track or whatever, but after fifteen seasons, it’s become more about the game and the show’s ratings than about actually helping the contestants.
I still remember the last episode I watched in vivid detail because it was just so effed up. They had all the contestants file into a dark room, and when the lights were turned on, they were surrounded by every type of “non-diet” food you could imagine: cakes, chips, cookies, chocolate and cheese fountains (it was basically heaven stuffed into a single room…unless you’re on a weight-loss show, then I guess it’d be pretty hell-ish). They even included the foods that the contestants had previously said they couldn’t control themselves around. I thought that it would be some weird lesson in self-control, but of course I was dead wrong. The only way to win the challenge was to eat the most calories. Excuse me? You could see the doubt and reluctance on the peoples’ faces and it was just all around hard to watch. Okay, now I’ve kind of rambled on about this, but this was weird. I initially started getting bad vibes, and this new scandal just confirms my suspicions that the people behind this show are pretty much psychopaths.
This season, “celebrity” Ruben Studdard joined the pool of contestants hoping to trim down (I air-quote “celebrity” because the last time I heard his name was 2003, when he won American Idol and then immediately faded into oblivion). He was sent home after losing the least amount of weight on his team, but as luck would have it, he was brought back a week later because it was discovered that Jillian Michaels was giving her team caffeine pills, which is against TBL rules for some reason. The team was also given a whopping four-pound disadvantage.
First of all, can we discuss how dumb of a rule that is? It’s not like Jillian was pumping her team up with steroids or weight loss pills. As long as the dosage is within a reasonable amount, they should be completely safe. Maybe the producers have been watching too much Saved by the Bell?
As if that drama wasn’t enough, fans took to Twitter to discuss what happened, and it seems that one of them may have discovered what was really going on.
Jillian has since taken her tweet down, but now rumors are circulating that the whole caffeine pill debacle was just a ruse to get Ruben Studdard back on the show because he was a ratings-booster (can any of you name a single song he’s ever sung? I sure can’t).
TBL is no stranger to media controversy, though. Many say the show promotes an unrealistic approach to weight loss, and some doctors have spoken out against the show, saying that losing such a significant amount of weight in such a short period of time can be extremely dangerous. Season 3 finalist Kai Hibbard eventually gave a tell-all interview of what it was really like on the ranch. (hyperlink “tell-all interview”: http://www.bodylovewellness.com/2010/06/09/kai-hibbard-biggest-loser-finalist-part-1-of-3/ )
Overall, I’m going to give the Biggest Loser scandal 0 out of 5 donuts (it’s not like the contestants would be allowed to eat the donuts anyway). I also give the show itself 0 donuts. No donuts for anyone!
As always, remember to tweet me (@sydschaefer) any comments or suggestions about what I should consider next week. Until next time, stay classy Tallahassee.