Miranda Devine - divine in her own opinion!

[Frazzled]

Did anyone else read this today?
http://www.smh.com.au/news/miranda-devine/biggest-losers-could-be-the-viewers/2006/02/18/1140151847400.html

She constantly makes me angry with her so-called journalism, but this one has to take the cake! I personally found this article appalling and contradictory. Does she not think that the majority of viewers of the biggest loser are watching because they are interested and wanting to see these people do well and find their happiness and good health??? Maybe the so-called humiliation of being on reality tv is the motivation they need to lose their weight after trying all other avenues...

I personally am not watching the show cause i get off on watching 'fatties' as she calls them.

What a cow.

[rynosmum]

She seems to epitomise all of the unfeeling Australians who are out there, and they are out there. She is the sort of person who will enflame racism and discrimination of all types.

Unfortunately, whilst the majority of us will watch the show to see how the contestants achieve their goals, there will always be those who can only see the negative.:(

[Mummabear]

Geez Louizze - do you think she told us what she really felt??? I understand the point she was trying to make, in that the Biggest Loser is (hopefully) humanising people that up until now have been ridiculed by some people (I'm one of the 'fatties' she refers to in society and I do feel that ridicule, it's sad, but it's the way society is, and I accept it because no one else made me this way, I made my bed I have to lay in it), but she painted a rather distasteful picture to get to her point!

[Barry]

I personally don't see the problem/big deal.

You've got a group of people who want to lose weight.

You've got a heap of money that's going to be given away.

You've got professional trainers who for that length of time would cost a small fortune to retain the services of.

You've got access to a well maintained & well stocked gym.

Hmm yeah hard to see why the people would want to envolve themselves with that.

If I was in their shoes I've be all over the chance to a) turn my life around like they all seem to want too, b) use the services provided of the trainer/gym) c) love the chance of winning a sizeable slog of prize money and d) be ecstatic if I left a few kilo's lighter with the tools to do the rest of the job myself.

Does she not realise that there may be people out there who want to watch the show so that they can pick up some of the same tools to do the job at home? It's puzzling really.

I personally watch the show to see how the people are doing, I think the 'blue team' are a bunch of arrogant people however. Love Shane the geologist on the red team with his death stare the other weigh in episode.

[only1mica]

What a slack-@rse!!!

I have read alot by this woman...on lots of different issues...and I honestly think she doesnt know where to draw the line.

[the_queen]

"Body image fascism is the last acceptable form of discrimination left to hate-filled people. But, surprisingly, rather than adding to the problem, The Biggest Loser may end up performing the social good of humanising fat people and shaming their tormenters instead."

I agree with this statement she made.

[Frazzled]

Yes i do too, but do you find the following at all necessary or at all in line with the point she is making?

"IT MIGHT sound mean but there is something grotesquely fascinating about the bodies of very fat people. More Picasso than Rubens, the lard ends up in the most peculiar places: men get pendulous breasts, women get curtains of flesh draped over their backs, tummies are like watermelons, bottoms wobble, chins triple."

[the_queen]

I think she's trying to convey the fact that, if this were a show about thin yet unfit people who were competing to become fitter, then it wouldn't have the "must-see-TV" quality about it.

Everyone watching the show will either be going "ew gross look at the fatties, how disgusting" etc, or they'll be going "oh wow, how brave are those people to get up on national TV, how strong are they in their conviction to lose weight, I wish I was that strong/brave/committed." etc.

I am a "fattie" (although I prefer the term "boombaladah" :p) and while I'm not overly offended by Ms Devine's article, I do appreciate that a lot of people would find it offensive.

Just for the record, who is Miranda Devine? I have heard the name, but can't think who it is. She's obviously some kind of journo, was she on any TV shows?? Like Beauty and the Beast, or something like that??

[Frazzled]

She writes opinion columns for the SMH (sydney morning herald), she could ahve quite possibly been on tv. She is often in hot water for her 'approach' to matters.