The E! Network continues to amaze us with how much justification it has to be renamed the Kardashian-Jenner Network because, let’s be real, that’s all they broadcast.
So when the latest offering, “Revenge Body with Khloé Kardashian," premiered on Jan. 12, I was very skeptical. I did not have a lot of interest in watching it as I had thought it was another easy paycheck for another member of "America’s First Reality TV Family".
However, after watching the premiere (100 percent by accident, mind you), I realized it’s actually kind of okay. Is it promoting healthy values? No, I don’t think so. Does it push people towards self-loving? I would argue yes.
In the first episode, we are introduced to two people: Stephanie (“The DUFF”) and Will (“Muscle Cub”). Both of these two want to achieve revenge bodies for different reasons: Stephanie’s ex-best friend called her fat for years and Will’s boyfriend broke up with him after he gained nearly 40 pounds. So naturally, Stephanie wants to lose weight and be fit to show her ex-bestie that she’s amazing, while Will wants to show his ex that he is better off without him or totally wants him back (hence the “revenge” part).
Over the course of two weeks, these two people would utilize Khloé’s connections and for 12 weeks train with big time personal trainers, change their diet, alter their look, and ultimately get revenge on those who made them feel less of themselves. This would be done at a reveal party where they would invite this person, among other friends and family members.
So naturally you could see why people would be turned off by this: you shouldn’t want to lose weight for a person or change yourself for someone other than yourself. Or rather, you don’t need a revenge body in order to feel better about yourself.
But here is the other thing I noticed while watching the first episode: Stephanie and Will realize this by the end of the episode.
Stephanie’s ex best friend? Turns out she would say negative comments to feel better about her own body image struggles.
Will’s ex? Turns out he did not even bother to show up despite Khloé calling to invite him to the reveal party.
At the end of the episode, Stephanie and Will both realize the people they wanted revenge against weren’t worth the time. However, the fact that they put in the effort to better themselves is what really matters.
Through the journey to her revenge body, Stephanie found a core group of friends who wanted to be fit and refrained from judging people who want to achieve the same goal. She found people who share her passion for fitness and after the episode, she continued to keep on working out because she saw the health benefits.
The same thing happened to Will, who following the episode’s 12 week period became even more fit and is dating someone who used to date his ex. Although his ex did not arrive at the reveal party, Will’s mother did and she could see the confidence he radiated.
The point is, yes the premise can be shallow if not downright unhealthy. However, fact is, based on this first episode, these people can come to realize while the people they wanted revenge against may be trivial, they still went great lengths to achieve optimal health. They continued to work hard to be fit because that’s where they found their confidence and core support group.
So is it without flaw? Of course not. But does it teach viewers the importance of how powerful critics and self-worth are? Absolutely. As for those of you who still find this ridiculous, consider this: there’s a reason why we say it’s always about the journey and not the destination.
