Reality shows make us feel better about ourselves. Let’s say you have a day from hell -- you know the kind I mean. You get diagnosed with an STD, can’t seem to get your parole officer off your back and the DVR somehow misses your “Degrassi” series recording. Well, you can just turn on an episode of “I Love New York” or “Cheaters” and instantly feel better about your lot in life.
This does not apply to all reality programming, though.
There are those shows that actually provide -- surprise! -- wholesome quality entertainment. I’m speaking of shows like “Extreme Home Makeover” and “Intervention.” OK, maybe “Intervention’s” not that wholesome; still, these shows remind us of what’s truly important in life (hint: it’s not getting wasted at the Jersey Shore) and inspire us to strive for the best in our own lives.
Falling into this category are two of my favorite reality series, “The Amazing Race” and “The Biggest Loser,” both of whose finales aired this week.
Sure, the winners of “The Amazing Race,” Meghan and Cheyne, won a million dollars. But like winners of past seasons, they cited a closer relationship as the real prize. In that respect, even the losers are winners on this show.
Gay brothers and interracial couples everywhere were, no doubt, beaming with pride as they watched this season. (Sneaky female poker players? Maybe not so much.) The contestants may not have gotten to see as much of, say, Estonia as they would’ve liked, but, I mean, really ... how much of it would one really like to see?
Tuesday night’s finale of “The Biggest Loser” also provided tears and inspiration.
In fact, I was so moved while I was watching that I thought twice before emptying my can of Pringles. Then I reconsidered and decided that my new life starts tomorrow. Nevertheless, it was mind-blowing to see the transformations in the contestants. (I’ve gotta hand it to that casting director, too. She really knows how to pick fat people who are super good looking.)
The theme of the night was surprises. For one thing, did anyone else think that our favorite sea witch, Tracey, looked better as a fatty? While everyone else looked amazing, I thought that her face was rather gaunt. Don’t be offended; if you watched the show, you know she’d compromise her ethics to win.
I was disheartened when it looked like she might take home the $100,000 lose-at-home prize. It seemed like it could be more of her black magic. But she must’ve missed a toad’s eye or a newt’s tail in her spell, because Rebecca ended up winning with a total weight loss of 139 pounds.
Rebecca has been gorgeous from the beginning, but now she looks like a superstar. (Though, I must say that I preferred her as a brunette, and I feel that even skinny girls should wear Spanx when they are appearing on national television in a mini-skirt and walking down stairs.) I was surprised that there was no mention of the love affair between Daniel and her; I hope that they’re still together.
