TV: Real vs. Reality

Okay...okay...okay...I know talking about reality television is like beating a dead horse, but I have to put this out there.

I've been sucked into the "Biggest Loser: Couples" show. A girlfriend of mine is to blame for the initial hit. Now, I'm hooked. Anyway, we watch the show religiously every Tuesday. This past week, we got into a low-scale argument.

Scenario:

Every week, the contestants work out and watch their diet, and then they have weigh-ins to see who lost the most weight. The person that loses the least is at risk of being voted off by the remaining contestants. One person is eliminated each week.

Dilemma:

There is one contestant in particular, Brittany, who has had a difficult time losing weight. On average, she loses about 2 pounds each week. Okay, but NOT good when you compare that to other contestants that are losing 10+ pounds a week. Brittany's trainer says in every show how baffled she is by the fact that her body isn't responding more drastically to workout and diet changes.

Argument Preface:

Brittany finally got voted off the show during the last episode. I felt bad for the girl. She was obviously working hard. My friend, who's wanted Brittany off the show for weeks, called for our usual post show discussion:

Friend's side:

"It's about time she got voted off," - a direct quote. She was taking away too much attention from the other contestants that lose more weight. It's not fair how the trainer gives her so much attention. She referenced a specific moment in the show where the trainer was shown in a group setting, but only talking to Brittany. This apparently infuriated her!!!

My side:

It's television!!! I explained to her that she doesn't have a clue about how that particular segment of the show was edited. In REALITY, (which she has no way of knowing via the TV show), the trainer could have walked up and talked to every other person first, and the show creators only decided to air the portion with Brittany in it.

Anyway, this little tift with "mi amiga" got me thinking....

There are so many of us, I'm guilty too, who form such strong opinions about people in TV shows, just by what we see. That is, without thinking about the fact that it's someone's job to craft shows to make you feel that way.

Just something that I found interesting. :)