Respect Authority

More to Love indeed. How a show that’s gotten a tepid response at best managed to command a two-hour season finale is beyond me, but hey, I’m not complaining. Somehow over the past few weeks, MTL has completely reeled me in — something about the mix of poignant fat-girl observations and otherwise predictable reality fare has turned this into a Fox masterpiece. And it helps that our bachelor Luke’s ultimate choice also becomes his fiancee. Not that engagement necessarily means marriage, or even that marriage matters for anything these days, but still - even VH1 stays away from betrothal.

There were two ladies left in the championship round. The first was Melissa A., about whom you should know this: blond, gigantic boobs, pretty, and gained her weight — the prerequisite for being on this show — in the last few years. Her immediate connection (read: sexual attraction) with Luke has made her a front-runner since Day 1, but her lack of fat-girl childhood is actually why she’s been the other girls’ nemesis. In a melodramatic confession last week, Luke told Melissa she is the one he’s most afraid will break his great big steak-filled heart. Truthfully, I think he’s right. Bitch is shady.

The other remaining lady: Tali, a surprisingly normal decorator who slipped completely under the radar until there were so few girls it was impossible not to notice her. Tali, who sometimes looks beautiful and other times like a witch—think the leading lady in My Big Fat Greek Wedding—has one recurring character trait: She’s from Israel. Not like…born Jewish but can’t resist those cheese-filled hot dogs. I mean she moved to the states all of four years ago, and her family–who still live in Israel–is none too welcoming of “outsiders.” (I’m pretty sure a 300-pound white former football player from California falls into that definition).  So she and Luke have a sort of Romeo and Juliet thing going on, which at times seems fairly sincere.

But okay, here’s why I really think this show is so interesting. Of all of the VH1 dating shows I’ve spent multiple hours watching, the word “love” is conspicuously absent about 93% of the time. The women competing for Real, Chance, Bret, or Ray-J may think their man of choice is in fact Mr. Right, but most of them are smart enough to keep it to themselves. Moreover, I don’t think too many of them really believe they’re going to end up with someone who actually makes a living by dating on television — these are, after all, strippers. They’re familiar with life’s harsh realities.

On More to Love, by contrast, the word “love” is used more often than Spanx. Everyone lovessss Luke, everyone lovveesss the way Luke makes them feel, and the last two girls fall hook, line and sinker for the fact that Luke says he is “in love” with both of them, simultaneously. Perhaps this is where the weight issue really comes in—Ladies, you may have stumbled upon a decent–if moronic–guy who happens to like bigger women, but you still stumbled into him on reality TV. Take a look at the other instances of fat people on television (Dance Your Ass Off, Celebrity Fit Club, Half-Ton Dad) and tell me whether you think Fox has your best interests at heart. Read More ›

Stop the daggone presses.

Fox, who, to be frank, doesn’t usually seem this concerned with the caliber of its television, said this week it will not renew long-running animated show King of the Hill, instead airing the final episode sometime during the 2009-10 season.

Shockingly, King of the Hill has already put out some 250 episodes, despite the fact that show was never actually that funny. Perhaps more shockingly, while Fox was quick to put the kibosh on Family Guy (ultimately a move they regretted and retracted), a contract for American Dad WAS renewed this week, no questions asked. At least I understand why longest-running-animated-sitcom The Simpsons was given another season — whoever drops the axe on that one is going to Hell on principle.

Although I suspect the decision had more to do with ratings than national sentiment, perhaps this could be a sign of good things to come. Fewer Americans being entertained by cartoons about rednecks, beer and unwanted pregnancies? Are society’s values changing? Are we really starting to understand the lunacy of putting our country in the hands of people who list “big-game hunting” and “Miller Lite” among their hobbies?

Methinks not. Instead, the bar on inane television has simply sunk lower.