I was at Rockefeller Center on Saturday and saw a huge line on the sidewalk of Forty-ninth Street. I knew Saturday Night Live was on hiatus, so I asked, "Why the crowd?" They were holding auditions for The Biggest Loser.
A few minutes later, while standing on the plaza, the entire crowd started cheering for me and taking my picture. I thought, "Sure, why not?" until I discovered three former contestants had walked up from behind me.
Pictured here is the winner of this past season. Several people took photos with her and then told her how much they hated her while watching the show. (How sweet.) She was apparently very nasty and kept winning immunity, so she couldn't be voted out. She explained that some of her bitchiness was because of the editing and part of it was because she had been very unhappy and hungry.
My favorite auditioner was one of the first in line. She had been there since the night before, having taken the bus from Pennsylvania after work on Friday. She was charismatic, bonded with those near her, and was briefly taken out of the line to be interviewed with last year's winner. Not only was she comfortable in front of the camera, but she was able to break down in the middle of the interview. (And let me tell you something: if you want to get a spot on this show, you better be able to burst into tears on cue.)
I've seen a few episodes and do think it's an important show that offers great advice and tips for a healthy lifestyle. I have to say, and I don't mean to offend, but despite the hundreds of overweight people in queue for the auditions, Rockefeller Center didn't look much different from a typical afternoon during the tour season.
That said, I did start to think that everyone in the area was auditioning for the show and when I saw a very obese man downstairs on the concourse level headed towards the restroom, I almost told him, "Good luck!"
But then I thought, he might not be here for the auditions and I imagined him telling the security guards, "There's a freak downstairs wishing people good luck on their way to the bathroom."
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