I don't really follow reality television, but I've heard a lot of buzz around "The Biggest Loser" so last night I watched the premier of the new season. By the end of the first half-hour I was hooked.
This show is what reality TV should be all about. Real people with real problems trying to overcome real obstacles to fix them. Good television is really about telling a good story, and on TBL you get 16 stories. Every person in America is going to be sympathetic to at least one of those contestants. They are real. Imperfect and unpolished. It's the opposite of everything else you see on reality TV.
As you watch these people go through not just the workouts, but the medical exams and the testing, if you're carrying extra weight yourself you inevitably start to think about how it might be affecting you like it does them. When you hear them being so open and honest in their confessionals, you start to get emotionally invested, and before you know it you're thinking, "Alright, I gotta' do something." That may be the greatest value of this show; it inspires others to action. You can see it just by visiting Twitter and using "biggest loser" as a search term. People are tweeting about the show and discussing how it's making them want to get themselves together.
I'm going to keep following this show. I think there's something to be learned from the experiences of the contestants. If you haven't watched the show, give it a try.
Comments