At the moment there are a few TV shows like that in the UK, one in particular made me feel ashamed to be a human being. It's called "Three Fat Brides, One Thin Dress" and is hosted by none other than the Wicked Witch of the West herself ... Gillian MacKeith. If you have never heard of Gillian before, she is a self-proclaimed nutritional guru who bought her degree off the internet. Apparently she has no official qualifications to back up the rubbish that she spouts to people on her shows, but seeing as her husband is a top UK lawyer, anyone who says anything gets a court order slapped on them!
The three women are paraded around in their under ware, just in case we didn't realise they were overweight and to humiliate them even more, whilst Gillian tells them that they need to hire a tent as a wedding dress instead of trying to squeeze into that one right now. Nice one Gillian, how about I bitch slap you right here right now?
The premise of the show is that three overweight brides to be have eight weeks to slim down and fit into their dream wedding dress, or fail miserably and feel shit about themselves for the rest of their lives. Yeah I can see why this would appeal to the masses of people sitting on their couches stuffing crisps into their gobs.
My question is, why would you put yourself through such a harrowing ordeal? I could think of nothing worse that being stripped down to my under ware on national TV, God going to the beach was bad enough for me.
My other question is, why should we take advice from a woman who wears this?
That is so not a good look, I don't care if you are Kate Moss there is no way you could pull that off.
These shows demonstrate not only the completely skewed obsession with weight, but also the strange social phenomenon where society feels that it is ok to treat people with weight problems as social lepers, berating them for lacking the willpower not to eat that extra chocolate bar, or have take out food for dinner everynight.
TV shows such as these are so one dimensional, and totally ignore other mitigating factors for people's weight problems. How many people who live below or on the poverty line can afford to buy purely organic vegetables, and free range chickens? It is probably cheaper for them to go down to the local chip shop and buy their dinner - hell I can't afford to go all tree hugger when I am doing my grocery shopping. Besides that, there are the multitude of emotional, and psychological problems that go a long with people who over eat.
I am no expert on the matter, but why do we feel it is acceptable to do this to people who are obese and yet on the other hand we are sympathetic to people who suffer from anorexia or bulimia? We don't stand there judging these people for their unhealthy obsession with food and blame them for their lack of will power?
What do you think?
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10 comments:
That photo of Gillian shows that she also is a little larger around the hips than she thinks other people should be. Maybe she should take some of her own dietary advice and leave the rest of us alone.
Oh my GOD. Gillian McKeith is that chick who does the outraged camel face! That's just awful. I have to admit that I do kind of enjoy in a dirty kind of way the whole "this-is-what-you-ate-last-week-you-fat-slappy-cow" thing. Because most of them seem to have subsisted entirely on either chips or yorkshire puddings. And I'm a miserable cow like that.
BUT what is she doing going around in a Go Fug Yourself-worthy gold dress? That's just nasty.
(Not that I am, of course.)
Excellent post, however, you have to wonder about the complete retards who apply for these types of shows. Sure, they're being exploited, but why would they sign up for such a freak show in the first place?
I find it hard to sympathise with tragic famewhores who will do anything to get their fifteen minutes.
(p.s I am aware I'm a famewhore but even I have limits ;)
I think obesity and anorexia/bulemia are different. Similar, but completely different and need to be handled as such.
I've never heard of GMcK, but she looks like a pregnant mole with bad posture trying to make herself feel like she's worth more by wearing gold. Happiness doesn't come from the outside.
I avoid these shows like the plague. I don't understand the shows OR why people go on them. They must be desperate (nothing like a couple million people watching you for incentive).
Damn good expose on her Fugly outfit! Good God, who do these people think they are? Why don't they have a show where they make Ms McKeith really fat and get HER to lose weight? See how well she does then.
River - yeah I totally agree, maybe it is harder to take your own advice.
Redcap - you nasty?? NEVER! 'outraged camel' brilliant way to describe her expression.
Steph - thanks! Are people that desperate to have their 15mins of fame that they would subject themselves to this, at least have the decency and go on X-Factor so we can all have a laugh.
Phishez - I absolutely agree with you, obesity and anorexia/bulimia are different. I just feel that somehow it is socially acceptable to make fun of overweight people - when clearly some of these people have severe psychological problems.
Eleanor Bloom - I try to avoid these shows as well, but sometimes you just can't - I guess it is the whole car crash TV thing.
Yeah it's bad enough that fat people are forced to try and conform to impossible standards of beauty (just as bad for men these days let me tell you) but now people who obviously aren't from the top rung of society see TV as a legitimate arena to sort their problems out. If I were a Christian I'd don the sandwich board and start ranting about the Rapture!!!! PS. That gold dress is hideous.
This kind of reality show smacks of the bearded lady/dog faced boy circus freak thing. I'm disturbed not just by the emphasis on weight and image, but also by the obvious significance attached to the whole 'being a bride' thing. Eleanor - I also wonder why people subject themselves to these shows...both as participants and as viewers...Also - gold dress - vvv bad.
Famewhore stuff aside, I think that the opportunity to have someone wave a magic wand and make you skinny is pretty alluring for them. Assuming that these 'lucky' contestants get personal trainers and menus (or possibly even delivered food) supplied, which would normally cost a bundle, it could be pretty appealing. Plus, all of the fat to fab shows rely on putting across the idea that it's so easy 'you too could do it too', which ends up perpetuating the cycle of fat to fab programs.
Hungry Hungry Hypoctrite - You're right, it is pretty bad for blokes as well. Why must we insist on putting such unobtainable standards on ourselves - are we suckers for punishment?
femikneesm - it is like watching a strange kind of freak show, but I just can't work out why like you said people would subject themselves to this kind of treatment, maybe I just don't get people.
nai - that is true, we all want a quick fix solution don't we. It is hard not to want someone else to sort all our problems out for us. If only it were that simple.
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