A TV addicts paradise – The NBC Experience Store

After appearing in the audience on The Today Show, we wandered over to the NBC Experience Store soon after it opened at 8 AM. The store is located to the north of West 49th Street on Rockefeller Plaza. Rockefeller Center is also a stop on the Subway where it exits into an underground mall. The Center also offers tours, ice skating (in winter), a restaurant, and art gallery.

All I can say is, “WOW!”

The store is huge at 20,000 square feet and is lit up with lights and neon. Greeting us were two extremely helpful sales people who knew the entire inventory by heart. Lauren and Bobby both gave us the tour of everything we can buy that’s “NBC TV," from past shows such as Friends, to current shows such as Psych, House, Law and Order, Friday Night Lights and The Biggest Loser. It even carries soon to be cancelled show collectibles from The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (soon to be with Conan O'brien), Late Night with Conan O'brien (now with Jimmy Fallon), and Monk, which is sadly ending this summer.

I was on a hunt for spoons for a friend who collects them. Sadly, no spoons…

However, we were able to walk out with tons of other booty. A huge fan of The Office, my friend bought a Dunder Mifflin “World's Best Boss” mug for his boss and a Michael mug for himself. I bought a Dwight t-shirt (Drop Beats, not Bombs), Dunder Mifflin bag, and shot glass for a friend who was turning 21. I got a pretty NBC peacock pin for my mom, who collects pins. A few shirts and magnets made my shopping trip complete.

Only $130 dollars later, we were happy TV addicts! There was so much to buy, we could have easily spent much more.

The store also carries a huge assortment of candy.

Why “The Biggest Loser” is Such a Loser Show

NBC’s Biggest Loser finale is about to air tomorrow. This is one TV viewer who refuses to watch!

Like the majority of women in America, I’m constantly watching my weight. Perhaps it’s that northern European, famine-surviving, sturdy stock running through my genes, or maybe mom simply fed me way, way too much formula as a kid to keep me quiet. Whatever the reason, staying thin is a constant battle. So, when NBC decided to air the show “The Biggest Loser” in 2004, where 12 men and women compete to lose weight, I tuned in to witness the heart warming successes and cheer on the contestants.

However, by the end of Season 1, it was clear that the deck was stacked against the women:

1. Scientifically, it’s much easier for men to lose weight than women because women have significantly lower metabolisms.
   
2. Mathematically, men can eat more calories per day than women. However, to lose a pound, both have to cut or burn the same 3500 calories from their regular diet. Since men eat more, they can cut more per day and lose weight faster.
   
3. Medically, one out of every 10 women suffers from inherited hormonal disorders which cause obesity and make it nearly impossible to lose weight.
   
4. Casting – The producers cast thinner women than men on average. It’s no secret that the more out of shape and overweight you are, the faster you will lose weight once you start a weight loss plan.
   

Other aspects of the show have bothered me. Why should contestants be eliminated each week? Shouldn’t they all continue to receive great training and supervision until the end and then get weighed and measured? Shouldn’t they all win the same great prizes just for sticking with the program and bearing their bodies and souls on national TV.

Despite more recent attempts in the latest seasons to even the playing field by considering body mass index; percentages; body fat losses; and even pitting families and couples against each other; it’s still a loser show to me. I’ll consider watching it again if it’s women vs. women and contestants are not eliminated. (That’s not to say someone shouldn't be ejected for bad behavior.)