Share and Follow
Viewers know that reality TV isn’t always real, but they have come to expect some amount of honesty from the cast and crew on their favorite shows. Whitney Way Thore’s show is a great example of a series that started out being honest and raw and now seems a bit contrived.
My Big Fat Fabulous Life started in 2015 as an inspirational reality series that focused on Whitney’s weight gain (due to a medical issue). The series showed Whitney living her best life and smashing stereotypes as a dancer. Now, though, viewers don’t think the show is as uplifting as it used to be, and that’s mostly because of the way the series is edited.
My Big Fat Fabulous Life Keeps Getting Renewed…
Since My Big Fat Fabulous Life began airing, Whitney Way Thore has changed a lot. Viewers watched her transform her body but also her life as she struggled with relationships and tried to keep the self-love to a maximum.
The show, though not as popular as TLC’s other big-name series like the 90 Day franchise, continues to attract viewers who became deeply interested in Whitney’s life and her family.
Some of the show’s drama focused on Whitney’s close friend and ex, then there was her French beau who remained nameless throughout the series, and sadly, Whitney’s mom’s illness became a plotline.
Babs later passed away due to a condition that caused brain bleeding, after suffering multiple other health issues. She was 76 at the time.
Though Babs was a big part of the show, it seems like it will go on without her. After ten seasons, My Big Fat Fabulous Life doesn’t seem to be slowing down, but something has shifted, say fans.
Viewers Think The Show Highlights Whitney Way Thore’s Bad Side
Viewers noticed something in recent seasons of My Big Fat Fabulous Life that has them not really wanting to watch anymore.
Though Whitney used to seem nice, now, fans say that she always seems self-involved and acts like she only cares about herself.
A viewer who called Whitney “toxically self-involved” claims that Whitney never asks how anyone else is doing, and only ever talks about her own life and interests.
That viewer claimed they would still continue to watch the show if only to see when Whitney finally cares about someone other than herself. Others noticed the same trend, though they don’t seem to have stopped watching, either.
Talking about one specific scene with Whitney and a friend, one commenter wrote, “What a horrible friend. Look at ME and only ME! So boring and uncaring.”
Read Related Also: Inside Bill Belichick And Jon Bon Jovi’s Relationship
One viewer claimed there was a singular example of Whitney showing that she cared about a friend, when she consoled Ashley, who was pregnant and worried about being a good mom.
The commenter explained, “Other than this one, singular time, Whitney has shown no interest in her friends other than making sure they are interested in her and that their presence benefits her.”
Another commenter agreed, but pointed out that Whitney clearly invited the camera crew along for the ice cream date with Ashley, so the “great friend” scene could have been a setup.
Of course, not everyone thinks Whitney appearing self-absorbed is a bad thing. It is a show about her life, after all. But do the negative reviews mean her show could come to an end sooner rather than later?
Will My Big Fat Fabulous Life Be Renewed For Another Season?
Even though My Big Fat Fabulous Life has earned criticism lately, that doesn’t mean TLC has any plans to ax the show.
After all, reviews have always been mixed; IMDb ratings average 3.5 out of 10 to date, with most people calling the show trash and saying Whitney is a terrible subject for a reality series.
One scathing one-star review says, “The empress of her own imagination, Whitney, pontificates about how nobody should shame her, even as she mocks, ridicules, and argues with everyone around her.”
Another wrote, “can we cry about any and everything? you’ve got it folks, big fat fabulous check.” Yet another exclaimed, “She just complains about EVERYTHING!!!!”
Clearly, TLC doesn’t take issue with any of these comments, nor has Whitney Way Thore. And some viewers did suggest that creative editing might be to blame for the way Whitney comes across. After all, what’s a reality series without a little drama?
TLC and its parent company Discovery have also been accused of worse in the past; shows like Alaskan Bush People have been said to fake their filming locations, and fans think the series Unexpected was scripted, at least partly.
But despite the criticism of all its shows, they continue to perform.
Whitney’s show, especially, continues to do well, and although there’s no official trajectory set out by the network, it doesn’t seem like Whitney’s leaving reality TV anytime soon.
