I have a sad secret little confession to make. I watch Work Out on Bravo. I know, I'm ashamed.
Anyway, last weeks episode has raised quite a controversy. Jackie (the owner of the featured gym) fired one of her trainers after he came to talk to her because she and the office manager had been making fun of the breast implants on one of the trainer's clients (apparently the office manager was the one who made the jokes - but Jackie was laughing). The blogosphere seems outraged that she would be part of making fun of a cancer survivor and that she fired the trainer for refusing to drop the issue. While I agree that's not good, I have to say its pretty terrible any way you cut it. I would be horrified if I knew that the owner and manager of the gym I pay very good money to get trained in were sitting in their office watching my workout and MAKING FUN OF MY BODY!
I don't care whether that woman was a cancer survivor or just had breast implants because she wanted bigger boobs. I don't care whether she had every part of her altered with plastic surgery. If there is one place where a woman should feel comfortable that the people she pays aren't going to making fun of the way she looks, it should be at an exclusive gym. I'm sorry, its disrespectful no matter what.
Also, I don't really care whether Jackie was making the jokes or not, she was laughing at them. And, appologizing to the client's boyfriend and apparently, not repremanding the woman who made the jokes - not cool. Jackie is trying to get obese people on board with her "Sky Lab" project, but what overweight person wants to work out in a gym knowing that the gym manager very well might be making fun of them behind the glass wall - and knowing that the owner is laughing right along? Not me. Women have enough body issues. We don't need to have gym staff laughing at us as we try to tone up.
So, yeah, the boob jokes were unacceptable whether that girl had cancer or not. And, as the owner, Jackie should have told her employee so without being prompted by the boyfriend. I think I am far more offended that she apparently didn't see anything wrong with making fun of the way a client looked as long as she didn't know that client was a cancer survivor.
Still, I'm not boycotting the show, yet (though I would NEVER go to her gym). I used to like it, and I'm hoping that it get better again.
1 comment:
It is really not good tv! Continuing to watch is no differet than being in that same gym and laughing along with them. I too was appalled by the comments and how everything has been handled. I commentd on the Bravo blogs (none of which were posted) and I emailed the sponsors of the show. Gatorade at least responded and assured me that they were pulling their ads and no longer sponsoring Work Out. I am glad that so many of us will NOT watch Work Out any longer and actaully made the effort to contact other sponsors to get that show pulled off the air.
In my research of the situation I learned that they did know who the woman was! Which makes it all the more horrible! Jamie Eason had to sign a waiver to be on the show...and if you watch the replay you will notice Lisa says "Hey Jamie" when she went in to hand Brian his "uniform" T-shirt that Jackie wanted him to wear. So again, Jackie lied, remains unaccountable, and the train wreck continues.
As a business woman, cancer survivor, and lesbian, the show has crossed its very last line for me...and I hope others will stand up as well and say "No More Work Out."
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