TV Rant: Supersize vs Superskinny

[andygates]

Wow, what a foul programme.  Under the thinnest of "health is good, hm'kay" veneers we get two poor individuals who are paraded as physical and psychological freaks ("she eats a cake every hour!" - "she runs a marathon before a breakfast of coffee and dexedrine!") before being made to spend time eating what the other one eats.  We get to watch the inevitable skinny person's distress as they run out of internal space (their mental issues notwithstanding - this is pretty much torture if you've got food issues) and the fat person's distress as their digestive system, rigged to fuel a hefty body, runs on empty (and if you've never been fat and hungry, you've no idea *how* hungry that can be, srsly).

I mean, why not just set fire to some kittens or something? 

There's a line between interesting (if prurient) health telly and torture porn.  "Freaky Eaters" is the good side; "Supersize vs Superskinny" is the bad side.  It's gratuitous and cruel.

Comments

[ravenbait.livejournal.com]

Oh I agree, absolutely. It's the difference between Trinny and Susannah and that SS Oberführer of self-esteem-shredding on Ten Years Younger.

She needs to die. That's some fucked-up shit on there.

[arabis.livejournal.com]

Apparently horrible Ten Years Younger woman is being replaced by Myleene Klass. She may not die, but at least you won't have to watch her anymore.

[ravenbait.livejournal.com]

It's still fucked up.

"You look horrible. You look like an ancient crumbly hag. You look so bad we're going to inject you with poison, put acid on your face, replace your teeth and cut you up."

I hate that show.

[arabis.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it is a grim show.

The thing that gets me most is when they talk about giving people a 'beautiful natural smile' and then take their real teeth out and giving them false ones! It's just wrong.

[andygates.livejournal.com]

And ten years later the veneers and crowns need replacing!

[skean.livejournal.com]

I've been up since too early. Everyone else is either ill in bed or stuck at a snow bound airport. I've been cajoled into staying an extra night here. Its cold. I'm dragging a trolley and lugging a laptop. Took me half an hour to find the sodding hotel. Man was I grumpy.

One piping hot kaftas, that Kebab in Lebanese appaently, nom nom nom, and the world is a better place. I hadz hungr. Srsly.

[andygates.livejournal.com]

Yes, but there are good ones and bad ones. Freaky Eaters is the good side: you get the nutter who looks funny, all the pleasure of not being them and the vicarious squick of someone analyzing their poo, but the guidance they get is positive and self-affirming and actually helps.

Someone could watch that and then think, "maybe I won't have pizza again tonight, that green stuff isn't really my deal but it worked for tellyboy."

That won't work with the torture-n-humiliation method. I swear, they'd never get that past an ethics committee if it was a psychological trial.