It was "Makeover Week" on this week's The Biggest Loser (NBC, DISH Network 241, Tuesdays, 8 PM), a welcome herald which signals that the season is drawing to a rapid and blessed end. The seven remaining contestants were trotted to Macy's (a show sponsor? Naaaaaaah. Oh wait, let's get one more shot of the entire cast standing with full-size Macy's shopping bags at their feet, purportedly necessary to hold... a Macy's gift card.)
It wasn't just haircuts and shaves. Standing near the makeup counter to greet everyone was... reality television star Tim Gunn! Gunn, a reality world double dipper who has both Project Runway and Tim Gunn's Guide to Style to his IMBD name, was on hand to dress the contestants for their rapidly shrinking bodies.
What would have been truly outstanding was for Gunn to wander from contestant to contestant, mildly asking “How are we doing here?” as the cast member stood dejected amidst piles of accessories and cotton- polyester blends. But as he wasn’t in Runway mode, Gunn settled for nodding at a weeping contestant who was fitting in a regular women’s size for the first time in years and saying, “I’m going to help you with this.”
The addition of Gunn was a wise move on the part of producers; last year’s contestants were offered the services not of the progam’s voice of fashion authority, but those of a recent Project Runway winner, Christain “Fierce” Siriano. While Siriano is quite the designer and made for some snarkilicious viewing during PR’s fourth season, his talents lie on the drawing board and on the mannequin rather than as a makeover maven.
As for Gunn? Elegant, tactful, and kind. And also responsible for putting one male contestant in a mauve velvety pimp jacket, and another still-plus-sized woman in horizontal pleats. Well, there’s only so much you can do within the confines of a Macy’s shopping bag.
