Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Sacrificing yourself for someone else.

There is one thing that bugs me about reality competition shows: people giving up their chance for someone else. This comes up after watching last night's episode of The Biggest Loser: Couples. In a shift from being the strongest team on campus, the black team decided that the oldest members -- Marci, Deni and Jesse -- should throw the weigh-in and each gain weight. To my absolute show and dismay, Deni gained 8 pounds to protect "the young kids" from going home. This included a member on the red team, Jen, from being eliminated (she gained 2 pounds and was set to go home before the black team's weigh-in). 


Biggest Loser Couples 4, 2011
What bugs me about The Biggest Loser is when they play in couples or teams, because someone always gives up their chance for another because "they need it more." Often the people who make it to the end of The Biggest Loser have convinced others that they are more deserving of being there than someone else. But shouldn't you be making the call whether you're more deserving of being there than someone else? Isn't the point of this show to lose weight and become the biggest loser by staying on campus? Shouldn't you be taking advantage of the resources provided to you, making the other thousands of obese people in America mad they don't get the same chances? How do you determine that your needs aren't worse than the needs of someone else?


This problem of sacrifice extends beyond this one weight-loss show to other reality competition shows. On Survivor, many people have determined that they will be the martyr and give up their chance for someone else to win. Where's the competition in that? During the tenth season in Palau, Janu Tornell quit the game because she had enough, but later changed her tune to say that she was giving up her chance so Stephenie LaGrossa (the one who outlasted the rest of her former tribe to be the last person left before the merge) could stay in the game and fight to win. I don't call these sacrifices; I call them orchestrated quits.


An orchestrated quit is taking the control away from the game and exiting the game by your own wishes. Most contestants who orchestrate their own exit are tired of playing the game, miss home and want out of the confines of the show. To those who have done it, you just took away the chance from thousands of others (hundreds of thousands in Canada) to get the chance to play the game. To CBS, I won't ever quit Survivor, Big Brother, or the Amazing Race for anyone. 


Maybe it's just me who wouldn't do that, but would you sacrifice your chance for $1 million pay out or the chance to save your own life for someone else?

6 comments:

  1. Some people may not be able to fathom this idea. I am one that is more than willing to give up myself for someone else, or even money. But, there has to be limits and conditions. I guess it has to be in a situation. In reality T.V. sure. Real life situations, that is different.

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  2. That's one thing that lots of people forget about these shows is that affects real life after the show is over. The contestants on the Biggest Loser are on the show to change their realities, so why would they give it up for someone else? Lots of the former contestants have gone home and failed maintaining a routine to keep losing weight, or keeping the weight off. Most of them have this happen to them because they left the show for someone else or were not taking the show seriously.

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  3. Ron,

    I completely agree with that your saying, each person goes into on the show because they are doing it for themselves. After alliances are formed people begin to give up there chance to succeed for others. This does not make sense to me and I for sure would not be one of them
    Good insight!

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  4. If I went through the trouble to audition for a reality show and actually get the chance to be on a show for a chance to win a big prize, I would be as competitive as possible. Real life situations are compeletly different, but in terms of contests, what's the point in being involved if you're not going to give it your all?

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  5. The Biggest Loser is one reality show I have actually become a big fan of. I like that it's not just about money, but also making yourself better. I agree that the people on the show need to fight for themselves and not protect others. I think in the case of this show it is not selfish because ultimately it is about the persons health.

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  6. I need to watch the show Heavy on A&E. It's the same concept of the Biggest Loser but no competition, no teams and no reward at the end except for having your health back. The money is a motivator, but shouldn't being told that you won't have health issues at the age of 25 be enough?

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