Tuesday, March 31, 2009

size matters?

Everybody's buzzing about "More to Love," an upcoming reality TV dating show that will feature overweight bachelorettes vying for the love of an overweight bachelor.

Maybe I lost all my reality TV cred when I became a fan of "Wife Swap," but ignore that fact for a minute.

I think "More to Love" is a new pop culture low.

It suggests overweight people can be loved -- but only by someone of their own size. That feeds the superficiality that already defines physical attraction in our culture.

I'm all for a dating show that isn't only about beautiful people. But reportedly, the contestants on "More to Love" aren't "average." They're overweight. That's a real medical problem.

And by telling these contestants that they should seek reality TV fame instead of getting healthy, "More to Love" producers are subtly reinforcing the inactivity that's super-sized our country.