It’s crappy to be sick, especially when a fever hits and you
already suffer with hot flashes.
Bad combination! You might
say I get just a little bit cranky.
My husband might say more than that. So, when I’m sick, the only things I want to do are lie around,
be pampered and watch TV.
But this time, I’m not the only person sick in my house; my
husband, Tim, is sick too.
As-a-matter-of-fact, he is much more sick than I am. Neither of us have any energy, and
walking to the bathroom is like high endurance exercise followed by
gut-wrenching coughs. So, no
pampering…we have just taken turns making each other meals, so we can stay
alive.
And, this weekend, we have both taken in much more TV than
any one-person needs in a year.
Fortunately for Tim, there is something called “playoffs” on TV, and he
is in couch potato Heaven. For me,
not so much!
There are very few shows that make me say, “Good Lord, that
is a TV show?” But, that has been
in my head all weekend. I love
reality shows, so I typically frown when some Debbie Downer says reality TV is
foolish. I get that reality shows
are not known for their educational moments, but I have an MBA and educational
moments are not what I am looking for.
I am looking for entertainment.
However, after this weekend, I am starting to lean toward the Debbie
Downer dark side.
Why, you ask?
Well, up until yesterday, my idea of reality shows were waiting week to
week to see who got voted off “American Idol” or “Survivor.” Or, when I really feel daring, I watch
“Sister Wives.” (My husband hates
this show, but I have fallen in love with the Brown family.)
But, this weekend made all of my past reality TV viewing
seem more like I was watching Nick at Night. I could not believe how far television has taken reality
shows. For instance, the first two TV reality shows to grab my attention were
“Little Women LA” and “Big Women: Big Love,” both on the Lifetime channel. (I
had just watched a Lifetime movie and these shows immediately followed.)
Let me begin with “Big Women: Big Love.” Oh where to begin? This show is all about 5 women who are
overweight and follows their adventures in dating. The name of the first episode is, “Curly Fries and Creepy
Guys.” And, the episode lives up
to its name.
One of the characters, Jenn, went on a first date with
someone she had met online. They
went bowling. This guy
obviously thought he was better than her with all of the comments he was making. He was just rude to her. While they were bowling, an attendant
comes around to see if they want to order anything to eat or drink. Jen orders curly fries, and her date’s
response was, “really?” He ordered
a purple Gatorade.
Another cast member, Mar, stated she did not like to date
men who were fat. Hmmm. You hear the women say many times in
the first episode that men should like them for who they are…size shouldn’t
matter. Hmmm again. And, did I mention the scene where one
of the ladies asks this guy, on their first date, if she could put her hand on
his inner thigh? Did I say, “Hmmm?”
Let’s move on to, “Little Women LA.”
This one made my jaw drop. The women involved are dwarfs, and the
show attempts to create a “Housewives of Beverly Hills” aura with little women. The first episode is full of important
issues related to dwarfism. Let’s
see…there was the divorce party with a penis cake. And, I cannot forget Christy, who while shopping in a
furniture store, laid down on her stomach, on a coffee table, and twerked as if
she were having sex. She was,
“trying it out.” Uh huh.
Do these women not get they are being exploited? This includes women from both shows…big
and little. The cast members
on both shows talk as if they want to educate viewers on the plights of life
when you are either big or small people in society. But, the cameras catch them in situations that are in no way
meant to educate, but rather to entertain…and entertain it does. As appalled as I felt watching the
shows, it was a like a train wreck, you can’t look away. The best thing I can do for myself, and
those women, is to never turn those TV shows on again. It’s just sad.
I will say one cast member, Elena, of “Little Women
LA,” seemed to get it. And, she
admitted to knowing she was being exploited. She did not admit the exploitation as a cast member of
the show, but of the work she did in the real world.
This topic started a heated conversation while soaking with
the other ladies of the show, in a hot tub. Elena said she was going to be a midget Lady Gaga at a
midget bar. The other ladies were
appalled that she referenced the word, “midget.” Hence, the title of the first episode, “The “M” Word.”
The other ladies said it was like calling a black person the
“N” word. Elena did not
agree. She said her work, and the
work of another cast member, Terra, who was also in entertainment, was meant to
be funny and entertaining to others.
She went on to say if the others did not agree with this, they were
basically fooling themselves.
I hope all of these women and all other people on reality
shows, who are made fun of because they are what society deems “different,” get
they are being exploited. If they
know this, and are willing to put themselves out there for money, more power to
them. If they don’t, shame on
those who produce the shows.
For now, I will fill the remaining hours of my sick weekend
with TV shows I have recorded on my DVR. Time
for hot soup, hot tea, and “I Love Lucy.”
That has to make me feel better!
Can you say, “Vitameatavegimen?”
May your hot flashes be mild and your wrinkles even milder.
Kim York
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