In defense of normal-looking people

How many of you reading this watch a lot of TV? I have to admit that I do. In fact, I'm addicted to many shows. However, none of them are "reality" programs. I can't imagine calling them "reality" when, in my opinion, they're way out there.

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The Bachelor and Bachelorette shows, for example. Where do the producers find these people? They're all perfect! It must take months of rejecting others before they find just the right look for their needs. Can you imagine a plain Jane or average Joe (who are, by the way, the norm as far as I'm concerned) applying for one of these programs? Yeah, right. Save your time and effort.

I mean, give me a break. Just look at the picture on top of this column, the one with the triple chin. Are you just a bit overweight? I'm more than a bit. Does that mean we're not good enough to be on TV? I'd go on TV. I could be the next Roseanne. She was more the norm to me, except for all the griping about everything. Well, wait a minute; a lot of my friends complain. I complain. I guess it's pretty normal.

Look at the Biggest Loser show. After a year, even these people are perfect, or almost perfect. But look at the two hosts of the show. They are beyond perfect. I wonder if I could get on that show or if you have to have perfect criteria to qualify?

Think about what all this is doing to our young people. Some of them truly believe they need to starve themselves and work out all the time to look just right. It's not fair to them. It's not fair to the parents who are trying to raise healthy children, not perfect children.

I guess if I had the money and really hated the way I look, I could have plastic surgery and get rid of those two extra chins. I could have liposuction and rid myself of that roll in the middle of my body that makes my jeans so hard to button. Come to think of it, I'm really tired of lying on the bed to zip and button pants. Sometimes I wonder why they just don't split on me.

No, I'm not going to a bigger size. My size is big enough as it is.

I know, let's all go on strike! More pizza! More chocolate! More fries! Let's all walk a picket line in front of the gyms. People walk picket lines for everything else. We could picket health food stores. I don't exactly know what our signs would say: "Keep America happy and normal!" "No more stir fry! Just steak and gravy!"

I think I'd better quit while I'm ahead.

(Pat Fickle is a Martinez resident.)