Weighing in on NBC's The Biggest Loser: governmentality and self-concept on the scale.
Previous analyses (i.e., Bernstein & St. John, 2006; Sender & Sullivan, 2008) of the television show The Biggest Loser have detailed its negative presentation of the obese body, potential consequences for viewers, and its role as a technology of governmentality. However there has been little exploration of how audience members conceptualize and enact the messages communicated in the show within these intricate frameworks. The current research used information from semistructured interviews with 40 dedicated viewers to capture the salient meanings they ascribed to The Biggest Loser within the themes of governmentality and self-concept. Overall, the group experienced the program as a transformative, entertaining, and inspirational event that produced little change in their exercise behavior. Thus, the role of reality television in creating healthy behavior change is potentially limited.
Division of Kinesiology and Health, University of Wyoming, Laramie 82071, USA. rreaddy@uwyo.edu
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001828:Body Image; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D011287:Prejudice; D011639:Public Opinion; D012649:Self Concept; D012928:Social Desirability; D013690:Television