It’s no secret that Khloé Kardashian has been on a fitness journey since separating from Lamar Odom. “The gym was my only refuge,” she told People in April 2015. At the time, she wanted to be clear: She was doing this for herself, not to please or impress anyone else.
Then came the trailer for Revenge Body, Kardashian’s knockoff of The Biggest Loser:
If the title wasn’t obvious enough, the trailer proves that Kardashian wasn’t getting fit just to be stronger and healthier. It was her way to get back at Odom, to show him what he’s missing. (And to be fair: Khloé isn’t alone in this pursuit. You don’t have to look very hard to find dating advice that says getting a revenge body “is the best thing you can do after a breakup.”)
The show seems to promote two totally different narratives. On the one hand, Kardashian says, “It’s not about a weight number. It’s about how you feel.” This had us ready to stand up and cheer (yes, Khloé, that number on the scale is bullsh!t), but then she asks, “This revenge body, who is it for?” And she tells the contestants (and presumably the viewers) to “make our haters our biggest motivators.”
Um… what?! Getting in better shape and eating healthier are admirable goals, but it’s super messed up if your reason to make such serious lifestyle changes is to get back at an ex or prove a family member wrong. What about doing it for yourself, your quality of life, your future?
There are glimmers of hope here (like Kardashian saying, “Sometimes you gain weight because you’re now gaining muscle”), but if the trailer is any indication, this show won’t be anywhere near body-positive. Maybe let’s just agree to get rid of the idea of revenge bodies altogether. Deal?