I spent the day watching America’s Best Dance Crew and The Biggest Loser.  I love these two shows because of how they show you people’s accomplishments and the powerful journeys they take.  From amazing physical skills to amazing physical transformations, it really is inspiring.  I’m not much of a TV watcher (in fact, I only watch things if someone else is watching it already), but there are certain shows I really like.  Reality shows can be good or bad, depending on if it’s all about people being dramatic with each other or if it’s about learning, growing, and improving yourself.  And these two, in my eyes, are really nice shows to watch to feel good about things.

ABDC is just so cool to watch.  The stunts these people pull, the unbelievable talent they possess, and the creativity and versatility they exhibit… really, it’s astonishing to me.  I have always respected people with such mastery of an art, sport, or academic discipline.  I especially admire those who can dance, sing, or create art, because that is something I have never quite had a knack for.  I can write, I can run, I can swim, and I can excel academically, but the fine arts baffle me.  So, I love to see a show like this, where it’s not just intense skill, but also so much more.  Dance forms are so expressive, so beautiful, so entertaining!  I really can’t describe what it is – perhaps it is because I wish I could do it myself.  Whatever the reason, I absolutely love watching dance performances!

A few things I’ve noticed from the show:  First, I’m just a little concerned that so far the all-female groups haven’t won ABDC yet.  In fact, not a single girl has been in the groups that have made it to the top so far.  Some have gotten close, but not quite there.  So I’m still sitting tight, waiting to hear of the first female team to launch themselves to the top.  Second, most of the guys who won (or even all of them?) are an ethnic minority.  Finally, they all hail from the Western states (namely, California and Nevada).  I don’t know if this is all a coincidence, a byproduct of the circumstances, or if there’s something to be seen in this, but it certainly intrigues me for how upcoming seasons will pan out.

Now Biggest Loser is great to see because the change is so drastic and so inspiring to watch.  It makes you reevaluate your own life and if things are satisfactory for you and how you treat yourself.  Although much of the show is centered around weight, it is important to remember that there’s more to it than that.  Overall health is extremely important, from other measures such as BMI and percentage body fat to things that cannot be measured, like increased self-confidence and a more positive mentality.  Plus, there are so many other health factors that aren’t always related to weight, including cholesterol and cancer.  The show often talks about how it’s not just about losing weight, but it’s the whole life-changing experience and new outlook, which is good.  However, physical health is far more complicated than weight lost, so I wish the show had a more sophisticated measuring system that takes other factors into account in judging the contestants.

In watching this show, I noticed that as the people got smaller, they also got tanner (which makes sense, what with all the time they spent working out outdoors) and, for the men, grew more hair!  At first I thought it was a curious thing, but then Marylin reminded me that hair does not grow as well through thick layers of fat.  So, as they slimmed down, the men also started to regain some of their chest hair.  Very interesting.  It also seems that women win this significantly less than men, though a lot of that has to do with how much you have to lose to begin with.  Granted, they measure percentage loss, but still, it gets harder and harder to lose weight as you get smaller (until you get to a point where you just shouldn’t be losing any more).