Tuesday, January 20, 2009

A BL Post

It’s funny because when I first turned on the BL tonight, I thought to myself:

I so hope Damien wins this whole thing.

And sure as shit, when the cards fell, so did Damien.

I think what frustrates me is actually something beyond Joelle (and I’ll deal with her ass in a second). No, rather it’s that there are people on there that are still so focused on playing the game.

Yeah, yeah – I get it – at the end of the day, it’s still a game. There's money involved, and that usually makes people go bat-shit crazy.

But this show has always been different. The best part of it comes NOT from the "winning" aspect, but from the "oh-my-gosh-how-did-they-do-that-it's-so-amazing-I'm-going-to-the-gym-right-NOW!" aspect.

But when you have two people – one who appears to be a source of motivation for every person on that campus, and another who can’t seem to muster up a “yes” when asked if she wants to be there – you reach a point when you say, “Fuck the game – let’s pick life.”

Because BL or not, I believe that there are people who just simply – no matter what – will never change. I know that’s not very psychologist-y of me to say, but it’s true. They just won’t. No amount of therapy, yelling, forcing, whatever. Nothing will make them change.

Why?

Simple.

Because what they know and have been doing is too easy. It’s too comfortable. It’s simply too hard to make a life change to the extent that these contestants need to.

And because people change only when what they have been doing no longer works - when what they have been doing hurts, or leaves them with nothing.

And for most of those contestants, that’s exactly the place they got to when they decided to try out for this show.

Well, most except for out little friend, Joelle.

Seems to me that Joelle (if you listened carefully during last week’s episode), has never felt discomfort to the point of necessary change. As she said, she is a grown-ass woman living with her mother and making $12,000 a year.

Now, I don’t know what she does for a living, and perhaps it’s something uber-noble like run a soup kitchen or teach illiterate adults to read on her own dime. And perhaps she lives with her mother only because she’s dying of cancer and she’s helping out.

But something tells me that’s not true – well, especially because Joelle almost high-tailed it off the BL campus with $25,000 in her back pocket and a belief that now she “can get out of my momma’s home!”

And when you put the pieces of her life together, methinks that Joelle isn’t hurting enough to change. She has gotten to this place in her life by devouring never ending plates of ranch-dressing-covered excuses with a big fat buttery side of delusion, topped nicely with a dollop of full-fat-creamy enabling. Frankly, no amount of yelling will force her to give up those excuses, that basement bedroom, that scrappy paycheck.

Because the alternative of a better healthier life is too hard. The running, dieting, sweating, changing – it’s all too hard.

I mean - how many of us would so much rather lay around in our recliners watching movies and and binging on junk instead of dragging ourselves in the cold and snow to the gym, and eating grilled chicken and spinach, with a side of string cheese for a snack?

*arm raised*

And to distract and avoid "the hard" – she uses all this yakety-yaking crap. Like, what the hell was up with the “No Fear” comment when she got on the scale? No fear? Really? That doesn’t even make any sense. No fear of the scale? The retaliation? Carla?

Or my personal favorite of the night – when Carla asked her what she’s going to do, and she talked some gooble-gobble about “revealing a goal” or some shit so stupid I can’t even hardly remember.

So yeah - the bottom line is that Game Play got Damien kicked off, and, as proving to be the case this season more then any other – Game Play can really suck when you are talking about people’s lives.

Man, I can’t wait to see Bob’s face when he walks in next week to see which member of his team is home.

Good moobaly.

11 comments:

Melissa said...

I agree with you 100%. I am tired of all the game play. There was no way in my mind that Joelle was staying especially when she couldn't even tell them she wanted to be there. I hate too that Jillian's team went to the other team and said we respect your decision and made it all out like they were with them and were going to vote with them. Very frustrating. Sometimes I just wish they sent home the person with the lowest percentage of weight loss. That still means that Damien would have gone home, but at least we wouldn't have all this game playing. I was tired of it with Vicki and her motley crew and I'm already tired of it here. UGH!! I'm so glad you wrote about BL this week. I look forward to your well written reviews. Thanks.

:) said...

Bob is going to shit a brick. I can't believe the other team walks and says "We respect your decision....blah blah blah..." and them slap them in the face with that backstabbing move. Sick.

Don't get me started with the show repeating the last 5 minutes everytime they come back from a commercial "RECAP!"...drag it out a little longer why don't ya!

LittleRachet said...

Amen! You are dead-on. I was on my trainer, doing my intervals and about fell off my bike when the first two votes for Damien hit. It is just plain frustrating!!

Eric said...

Yeah.....definitely game play last night. I was shocked!!! I was so ready for her to go home!!!

I'm glad I'm not the only one that noticed all her stupid "no fear" or "I have vision" phrases. I don't blame Bob for telling her to shut the F up :-)

Danielle in Iowa in Ireland said...

I only watch bits and pieces of BL (ha! usually on the treadmill at the gym). And I'm so confused with this season right now! But I was sad to see Damien go!

Go Mom Go said...

First,
great review you nailed it.

Second,
there are so many people, including Damien (heck me too), that want to be there and Joelle couldn't even say Yes. Truly makes me sick.

Third,
how did the show come to this? This all started as a way to motivate people. I hate what it has become. BUT I cannot wait to see Bob's face next show. Looks like from the previews the two young guys are below the line. That means Joelle's friend will be back...should be hilarious stuff. I can only imagine the "motivation" she will give Joelle.

Thanks!

21stCenturyMom said...

I only like BL because I like watching people change their lives and I love seeing people who thought that fat was a given get thin.

That having been said it is still a reality show and reality shows have several elements in common. One of those elements is keeping around the person who pisses everyone off and makes the audience crazy. That would be Joelle. So buckle in - she isn't going anywhere any time soon - she adds to much value (financial) to the show. She is the show's car wreck on the side of the road that everyone stops to rubberneck. Rubber necking gets sponsors and sponsors make the TV world go round.

Lauren Starks said...

Spot On. Joelle drives me nuts. Her mentality is so defeating. I almost wonder if it's rigged to keep people like her on. We rarely get the Damien-type personalities around very long.

The (IRON) Clyde said...

Joelle, just waiting for the checks to come from Obama...ha, you see what I did right there?

Lesser is More said...

I couldn't agree with you more. Being a resident to the DC area, we were swamped with nutjobs and celebrities this past week. I simply closed my eyes, put my hands over my ears, and curled up into a ball under my bed until this whole thing was over. Don't get me wrong...it was very exciting to be a witness to it all, but with all the phony celebs visiting local school to "give back", it was all just a little fake to me. Check back in a year and see if they still care.

Iron Krista, "The Dog Mom" said...

i finally watched it last night and I hate them all. J/K. I just can't believe how they are all SO sweet and great and trying. Except for the she-devil joelle. i do HATE her.