If you can get past the title of the show, Dance Your Ass Off, premiering tonight on Oxygen at 10 p.m., you might find some meat here. Or you may not.
The show is basically a combination of So You Think You Can Dance with The Biggest Loser, Marissa Jaret Winokur as host. The idea being that dance is an excellent way to get fit and healthy – which it is.
Personally, I can do without the elimination/competitive aspects, but they do work. And there is an interesting twist to “The Bottom Two.” The last two dancers are the ones who have lost the least – in terms of percentage of body weight – and they dance last. It certainly ratchets up the suspense.
My only other complaint is that, especially for some of the contestants, there is far too much emphasis on weight as an aspect of appearance – they want to lose weight to look better. The good news is that there is some sense that the contestants are often told they’re beautiful even before they lose the weight. And one, I suspect, didn’t lose as much weight because she put on some muscle, which weighs more than fat.
Weight is a tricky issue these days. There is some compelling evidence coming out recently that being thin is not an automatic ticket to good health. But you don’t want to be too fat, either. And another good thing about the show is that they’re pushing leading a healthy life-style, with lots of exercise and good food.
Ultimately, it’s more inspiring than not. Do be aware, this is a 10p.m. show and there is the occasionaly inappropriate allusion (one of the judges, in fact, flat out said he knew where one of the contestants could earn some money if she didn’t win it). Oh well. We’ve all heard worse and nobody was suggesting she actually do it.
Anne Louise Bannon
Your Family Viewer