A Rant and a Rave

Rant:

Watching TV with me is fun activity because I don't idly watch, I usually yell at the news and laugh (usually at them, rather than with them) at reality shows. I don't really pay too much attention to commercials, but this one makes me feel stabby:




If you haven't seen it before, or can't watch the video, it's basically a woman driving herself nuts about wanting a doughnut, then eating said doughnut while hating herself, and then going back to her desk and feeling bad about eating a freaking doughnut. If only she had some sort of fake sugar product! Truvia (a plant based low calorie sweetener) has more than one commercial like this that capitalizes on women and their need to avoid desserts and how dirty we all must feel inside when we dare eat something with actual sugar.

There are already countless messages about how we should feel guilty about eating, especially around the holidays, and when companies use that guilt as marketing it really grinds my gears. Nutrigrain did a similar campaign and got a ton of flak for it, but I guess that didn't dissuade Truvia.

Eating a doughnut shouldn't be a source of guilt and if you want a doughnut, having something else "sweetened" with Truvia probably isn't going to cut it. I know if I want a cookie, I want a freaking cookie...not a "healthy" cookie or a rice cake. I want a cookie made with real butter and real sugar and when I eat that cookie, my cookie craving is satisfied. I really can't imagine that it would be satisfying to have bitter fake sugar instead.

Yes, I do yell at the TV when that commercial comes on that I'd eat her freaking delicious looking doughnut for her since she obviously doesn't appreciate it.


Rave: 

I discovered this show about a year ago and it is one of the best things I've even seen on TV: Mantracker!

The basic premise of the show is that the Canadian Chuck Norris who is an expert in wilderness tracking tries to catch two contestants (called prey) as they cover between 25-30 miles of the Canadian woods. They are given a map and a compass and they have to navigate their way to a finish point in a set time (and Mantracker doesn't know where they are trying to go). Sometimes the contestants have wilderness experience, sometimes they are in shape, sometimes they know each other, and sometimes they don't.

Mantracker doesn't sleep. He waits. 

The "prey" are given a head start and then Mantracker starts hunting them on horseback. Watching these people flee in panic as Canadian Chuck Norris gallops on horseback while his black duster blows in the wind is truly classic TV.

One of my life goals is to be on that show. Alyssa doesn't know it, but during our last trail run, I decided that she and I could beat Mantracker. When the prey is two girls they rarely win because they can't stop talking which defeats the purpose of hiding when Mantracker is near, so that would be our main obstacle. I know we could handle the running through the woods part. :)

I drive my husband nuts every time we watch this show because I'm constantly talking about how I'd do things differently or how much fun I'd have on that show (and there is some begging for him to do the show with me because he can actually use a compass). For some reason he keeps saying no! :)

So, who wants to run through the Canadian woods with me? Keep in mind that I can't read a map or compass to save my life, so you'll be in charge that. I'll be in charge of ass kicking and bringing fun snacks.


Do any commercials drive you nuts? 


Have you ever wanted to be on a TV show?