Abstract
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | International Communication Association Annual Conference 2010: Matters of Communication |
| Place of Publication | Eugene, Oregon, USA |
| Publisher | All Academic |
| Pages | 1-26 |
| Number of pages | 26 |
| Publication status | Published - 2010 |
| Event | International Communication Association Annual Conference 2010: Matters of Communication - , Singapore Duration: 22 Jun 2010 → 26 Jun 2010 |
Conference
| Conference | International Communication Association Annual Conference 2010: Matters of Communication |
|---|---|
| Country | Singapore |
| Period | 22/06/10 → 26/06/10 |
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'That's not reality for me': Australian audiences respond to The Biggest Loser. / Holland, Kate; Blood, Warwick; Thomas, Samantha; Karunaratne, Asuntha; Lewis, Sophie.
International Communication Association Annual Conference 2010: Matters of Communication. Eugene, Oregon, USA : All Academic, 2010. p. 1-26.Research output: A Conference proceeding or a Chapter in Book › Conference contribution
TY - GEN
T1 - 'That's not reality for me': Australian audiences respond to The Biggest Loser
AU - Holland, Kate
AU - Blood, Warwick
AU - Thomas, Samantha
AU - Karunaratne, Asuntha
AU - Lewis, Sophie
N1 - Select title hyperlink then PDF to access full text
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - This paper focuses on how Australian audiences who meet the BMI criteria of being obese or morbidly obese read the television program The Biggest Loser. The study consisted of 152 semi-structured interviews in which people were asked about media representations of obesity in general and The Biggest Loser in particular. Four central themes emerged from our analysis of the interview data: Showing the struggle; Watching the transformation; Creating unrealistic expectations; Reinforcing misconceptions and exploiting people. Many people were reflexive about their complicity as viewers in a process in which obese people, like themselves, are ridiculed and humiliated and, while many challenged the contrived format of the program, very few questioned its underlying assumption about the importance of losing weight. These findings are discussed in relation to previous research with viewers of The Biggest Loser and situated in the context of theorising about obesity, and reality and makeover television programs.
AB - This paper focuses on how Australian audiences who meet the BMI criteria of being obese or morbidly obese read the television program The Biggest Loser. The study consisted of 152 semi-structured interviews in which people were asked about media representations of obesity in general and The Biggest Loser in particular. Four central themes emerged from our analysis of the interview data: Showing the struggle; Watching the transformation; Creating unrealistic expectations; Reinforcing misconceptions and exploiting people. Many people were reflexive about their complicity as viewers in a process in which obese people, like themselves, are ridiculed and humiliated and, while many challenged the contrived format of the program, very few questioned its underlying assumption about the importance of losing weight. These findings are discussed in relation to previous research with viewers of The Biggest Loser and situated in the context of theorising about obesity, and reality and makeover television programs.
UR - http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP0878805
M3 - Conference contribution
SP - 1
EP - 26
BT - International Communication Association Annual Conference 2010: Matters of Communication
PB - All Academic
CY - Eugene, Oregon, USA
ER -