I’m watching both of these shows in their entirety and I don’t know why they’ve historically gotten so much backlash. One reviewer called TBL “a dumpster fire of a TV show” and others seem to think M6L is downright abusive. However, I can’t find anything particularly bad in either.

Although it’s true that in TBL the contestants are losing an egregious amount of weight each week, it’s likely (actually almost certain) that most of this is water weight and it would have been more dangerous to instead not lose the weight. The intense exercise scenes seem pretty typical for anybody who’s serious about athletics. Finally, the famous “damaged metabolism” study that shut down TBL turned out to be debunked due to “damaged metabolism” being a boring, normal adaptation under high physical activity.

And although there are tons of bare naked shower scenes in M6L, everyone knew that going in and they agreed anyway. Some also complain how the stars don’t receive enough support for things like therapy and other cost centers. I would say that would actually have been a great thing to add, but it would be impractical at scale and have a high chance of bankrupting the production with how much healthcare costs, resulting in a net loss of benefit for those who need the surgery.

So, what’s your viewpoint here?

  • @[email protected]
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    fedilink
    119 months ago

    They’re bland and people want to enjoy life - rice and beans is good enough to support life (but stingy in some nutrients) but people want to enjoy food.

    • @Hawke
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      -19 months ago

      They’re quite tasty actually with a bit of spices and seasonings

      • @[email protected]
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        fedilink
        129 months ago

        I think some of us experience food drastically differently. I would die inside if I worked a sixty hour week and came home to the same food every night - food is an important luxury for me (and I’m not even talking about high end Michelin star food). I think it’s extremely depressing to imagine a life where I put my nose to the grindstone and just exist until it ends. Rice and beans can form a good basis for stretching a good cuisine - but if that’s the only way you can afford to be healthy most people aren’t going to go for it.

        • @Hawke
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          29 months ago

          That’s very true but “bland” means it’s lacking in flavor, not that it’s repetitive.

          Personally I really enjoy good food too, but beans and rice are fine as far as flavor. And there’s plenty of other meals based on basic staples that can add variety.