TLC Show Makes A Spectacle Of Black Obese Family
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TLC Show Makes A Spectacle Of Black Obese Family
By Jeanene James
one-big-happy-familyThe popular cable television network, TLC, is know for its exploitation of all things unusual. The majority of its regular prime time programming is reality TV, focused on people with extraordinary medical conditions, jobs, families and lives. Among its most popular series are the now defunct and drama filled tabloid sensation “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” which features a family with a set of twins and a set of sextuplets; “19 Kids And Counting,” a family with 19 naturally conceived children; and “The Little Couple,” which follows a newlywed dwarf couple. In essence, the station is good for train wreck television; you know you are watching something terrible, but you just can’t seem to pull your attention away.
Now, TLC is preparing for the launch of its newest series, “Big Happy Family.” This reality train wreck follows the Coles’, a family of 4 severely obese individuals navigating their way through life. The show is supposed to highlight the Coles’ decision to pursue a more healthy lifestyle, by shedding light on their immense struggle to reduce their collective 1,400 lbs, but of course, such is not the case. Instead TLC has chosen to place particular emphasis on the family’s self-destructive behaviors, making it obvious that the network was going for a more humorous approach to the family’s condition. The pilot episode shows the family at a water park solemnly taking account of the fact that their weight far exceeds the 400 lb limit on one of the rides, as they are laughed at by onlookers. They then reconcile by heading to the concession stand where they are exuberant because of the “pound of sugar” being poured onto a funnel cake, which they eventually devour gleefully, while tightly huddled in a circle.
The show appears to be more akin to “The Nutty Professor,” Eddie Murphy’s infamous parody movie, than “The Biggest Loser,” NBC’s reality show which actually is designed to help individuals lose massive amounts of weight and adopt healthier living habits.
Take a look at this clip form the first episode and judge for yourself. Is “Big Happy Family” really just an excuse for us to laugh at a big fat family, or did TLC make an earnest attempt to show this family’s plight?
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Courtesy of HelloBeautiful.com
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I may be hated or ridiculed for stressing this but maybe this is what this family needed. Maybe pity isn't what they need for a wake up call.
They have 2 kids and I think it's sad that they are pushing their habits on the kids, just as they're doing to themselves. Usually, I have sympathy for obese people when they are fighting their personal weight problems, since I've been there and know the struggle that they're going through. But I'm sorry, I can't bear any sorrow when I see a 400+ pounds individual who pleas and cries about wanting to do something about their weight but they are doing NOTHING at all.
I saw a similar documentary on MTV's "Real Life: I Am Fat" (or something like that). It showed 3 individuals who were obese. One married woman was actually fighting her habits and at the end of the show, it was reported that she'd received the gastric bypass surgery and had begun losing weight through a diet and exercise program. Another individual was a young woman who was not particularly fighting to lose weight but instead trying to work with her weight by becoming a BBW model. I actually admired her because of her perky attitude, which got her a job at a creditable model agency, among hundreds of skinny model contestants who stared at her in disgrace. But the final individual deserved no pity or admiration for he was a 17 year old high school student who weighed more than 350 pounds. He was put on a diet plan by his doctor, who vowed that the boy would not see 25 if he continued his eating habits, but he never followed it. His mom followed the doctor's diet plan by preparing the right, healthy meals, but the cameraman caught the boy driving home from school while eating a bag of cheese puffs and trying to brush the cheese powder from his fingers to hide it from his mom. Throughout the presentation, the boy was hoping to receive a gastric bypass surgery and actually assumed that it would be the answer to his fatass problem. Instead at the end of the show, it was stated that his doctor recommended it but his insurance didn't approve it. I figured that it was because the insurance realized that he had never done anything to lose the weight on his own.
Granted, I may not have the most healthiest eating habits. A cheeseburger or hot dog once in a while, sure. But sure as hell not daily, once every other week tops. Hell, one of the reasons that I quit working swing shift at my job was because they were eating out everyday. I'd quit fast food years prior and most of my coworkers were pissed because I would refuse to be their "lunch run boy" and go to pick up their crappy food. When the service leader would appoint me, I'd tell him, "Hell no, I'm not going to be the one to pick up your poison. Send someone else."
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Originally Posted by Kateraxl
