I’ve heard such great things about the show “The Biggest Loser.” One of my family doctors even suggested that I watch so I would be “inspired” to lose weight (fortunately, my friend Shari told me about “Ruby,” who is full of Southern charm and inspiration). But it seems that “Season 8” of the show is laden with F-bombs, cruelty, and humiliation (“Biggest Loser Trainers Go Too Far“). As if we need a T.V. show to make a bunch of fat people feel ashamed…!
After watching the clip (from “Season 7”) below, I thought to myself, “Man, I don’t care if I do get a free t-shirt, I am *never* going on that show!” I mean, can you imagine these people “training” a child to walk? “Five more steps, you moron! I can’t believe you can’t get this walking thing down! $*#$! You lazy *#)$, stop crying, it’s only a little blood! Real one year-olds don’t need to hold on to the table for balance! GET UP, YOU PIECE OF )*U#$+!” Uh, yeah.
Props to a lady named Michele who commented on the article, “Biggest Loser Trainers Go Too Far.” She wrote, “It’s humiliating enough being a ‘fluffy’ person and on national TV with millions of people watching you. Then to have them “F”ing you and think it’s okay and you have to take it….NOT. I think they both should apologize to the contestants on national TV. Every human being deserves dignity and respect, skinny, fluffy, black or white. It’s embarassing enough to have to wear spandex on national TV….ya know.” ( I love that–“fluffy people.”)
Anyway, it’s true that the contestants should know “The Biggest Loser” road isn’t an easy one; I mean, it is “reality” television. But no one deserves to be treated like this, which is why you’ll never find me in spandex on national TV (or anywhere else for that matter).
She is Beloved 
So sorry to disagree with you, but the fact of the matter is this is classic military style training. You tear someone completely down and then rebuild them. If you think kids in boot camp are shown dignity you might want to ask around. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the model and direction the trainers are following.
See, I never said I agreed with boot camp style training either (re: FULL METAL JACKET). This kind of tearing down and rebuilding goes against what I believe to be a dignified and appropriate way to treat other human beings.
FROM A MUTUAL FLUFFY PERSON -AMEN!!!
Personally, I hate the show. Many of my gal pals love it, but I can’t watch it for multiple reasons. I feel the people who go on it are degrading themselves by doing so. They know they are going to get treated poorly, but they chose to go on it because it’s their shot at 15 min of fame. It’s all just entirely too sad for me.
Right on, Heidi! I don’t know if you ever watched “Ruby.” She’s weighed over 700 pounds at one point, but now she’s down to about 360. She humanizes the struggle of being obese. Through sharing her thoughts, she shows that weight is more than just dieting to take off pounds. There’s an emotional component…and she shows how she still lives despite her weight. I love the show and as a larger woman find that enoouraging. Amazing how she’s been able to keep at it without being cussed out and made to feel worthless.
I respectfully disagree with your assessment of the show. Jillian and Bob are not trying to dehumanize them at all. This isn’t military training, which does dehumanize people especially the enemy.
Bob and Jillian are trying to get these people to push themselves further than they have ever pushed themselves before. The reason why most people get to the point of obesity is because they stopped pushing themselves and instead became complacent. So Bob & Jillian are trying to show them that they can do it.
Have you ever watched a complete season or have you only seen these little snippets? Have you seen the times when Bob & Jillian sit down with these people and try to get themselves to look at themselves in a positive light? To see the good in themselves? Have you seen how a vast majority of the people who have been on the show are extremely grateful for the pushing that they got, because it helped them? It helped them do things they never thought they could do (i.e run marathons, triathlons, etc.) and it also helped them save their lives, because they were slowly killing themselves with their sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits.
Their goal isn’t to dehumanize them. Their goal is to humanize them and help them to realize that they can do it. The reality is that they were dehumanized before and Bob & Jillian helped them become something more than what they were thinking they could ever be. They gave them hope and a future.
I write all this as someone who has loved the show since day one and it has inspired me to put down the bowl of ice cream I was eating while watching the show and do something about my impending obesity. I was not obese, but I was headed there. I found inspiration that I can push myself and everyday I run or go to the gym I hear Bob & Jillian yelling in my ear that I can do it. And my wife and two kids are grateful that they will have their dad around for many more years, because I have chosen to do it and become healthy.
That is what Bob & Jillian want. Joelle realized that. Bob pushed her because he knew she could do it. And guess what? He was right. She did it. Sometimes we need someone to get in our faces and push us and not let us do things that are harming ourselves.
Todd, I have no problem with people being pushed to achieve, especially in the areas of weight loss. I do, however, have a problem with someone cuss at people the way Bob was in this video clip, to help them accomplish their goals. Whether or not it helps isn’t the issue, the issue is the fact that I don’t feel it’s appropriate to talk to someone like that even if you’re “helping” them. I mean, I have a friend who struggles with drug addiction. I could scream at her all the day long to get off her butt and get help, and maybe she will, and then maybe she’ll kick the habit…but do the ends justify the means? Even though I want her to be clean, I need to treat her with respect and dignity–the way Jesus would treat people in the same situation. I can hardly imagine Jesus cussing people out like Bob & Jillian are doing in these video clips. But just because I won’t be on the show and I think it’s dehumanizing to fat people doesn’t mean that other people don’t have a right to like it. I am glad it’s helped you in your life, Todd, and I do admire your work-out ethic! 🙂
I love Jillian. Well, I love her workouts that mostly collect dust in my entertainment center.
But after hearing for YEARS how fabulous the show was, I finally sat down and watched it this season. I wasn’t impressed. I didn’t like the drill sergeant tactics and I mostly was just bored. Celebrity Fit Club? Now there’s a show. . .
I think most of these reality shows are all about humiliation, anger and putting someone else down. That is why I never watch that stuff.
As far as boot camp type training…I don’t believe in such training and the fact is the armed forces just use people and don’t give a cent if the person dies or is maimed, just as long as there is another body to take up the slack.
If not for those armed forces this country would not exist and if they didn’t care about those soldiers they would train them and equip them at all. Ask most soldiers and they will tell you boot camp was hell but it taught them more about themselves than anything else in their lives. I know I have a brother that just finished it and would not trade it for the world
@Jason Boot camp is fine for the military, which is one of the many, many, many reasons I’m not in the military. Your brother is awesome and thank him for his service. However, I still don’t relish the idea of ripping someone apart to make them stronger. I think it does something to the person doing the humiliating and the person being humiliated. If you’re in the military, you better be strong enough to take it. If you’re on “The Biggest Loser,” you probably know what you’re getting in to, but still, fat people are used to being mocked, why make them feel more humiliated?
Hi Amy, I just want to thank Todd for everything he said because it was exactly what I was thinking and now I don’t have to say that. But in addition I would like to add, The Biggest Loser is not for everyone. I have seen the great things they have done for everyday people like myself. I have auditioned to be on the show twice and am preparing for a third time. I am not auditioning for the show to get my fifteen minutes of fame I would want to do this if it wasn’t on television at all but I am thankful that it is because otherwise I may not have learned everything that I have. The show has encouraged me and helped me every step of my weightloss journey. I do agree I don’t like how intense Bob and Jillian can get but in their defense it has helped alot of people. This is one reason I am not a big fan of Jillian. I am more of a Bob fan and this clip that you have included does not show how Bob is most of the time. He is much more laid back. This was a once in the history of the show that Bob has blown up like this. Bob is all about being calm doing Yoga and finding who you are on the inside. You should not make negative comments about somebody if you have not seen them on a week to week basis for so many years as I have. I am a huge fan of The Biggest loser and of Bob particularly. I hope nobody has been discouraged from watching the show because of the comments made. I invite everybody to check out my blog @ http://www.biggestloserweightlosshopefull.blogspot.com Thank you