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Bringing Sexy Back on Netflix is an Australian reality show that follows people as they attempt to bring an aura of sexiness back to their lives. They don’t do this with a Queer Eye-style feel-good makeover or a tantric sex class. It’s all about people who have gained a significant amount of weight working to lose said weight. It is, in essence, The Biggest Loser with an insidious twist. By tying weight to sex appeal, the show morphs what could have been compelling journeys towards positive fitness into an uncomfortable descent into fatphobia.
Each episode follows one person’s journey to, sigh, “bring sexy back.” The first episode features Ned, an affable 28-year-old truck driver who’s put on 70 kilo (or about 150 lbs) in two years. This weight gain dismays his girlfriend, Beck, who misses being able to wrap her arms around him, but more seriously has ruined his chances at his dream job.
The beginning and end of the episode are all about fat, pounds, and physical appearance. There’s an uncomfortable intro to the process where Ned has to lay on a space age-like medical device that informs him that he is “morbidly obese.” There’s a banner of a younger, fitter Ned that’s supposed to inspire him. Later in the episode, Ned gets a style makeover to match his svelter frame. The message is that his worth is all in conforming to societal expectations about his appearance. There’s even a big reveal party that feels almost like torture.
What’s so shameful about this is there’s a more interesting show hidden within Bringing Sexy Back‘s own flashy framework. Ned rediscovers his love of hiking, swimming, and his journey connects him to his family. Exercise inspires him to realize that he can do more than he thought he could. Moreover, Ned’s fitness journey suffers an understandable hiccup when fires devastate his hometown. It’s fascinating and inspiring, not because he’s losing weight, but gaining self-belief.
Bringing Sexy Back is so consumed with the exterior, though, that they miss the fact that the most important transformation a person can undergo is the journey to self-love. So maybe it comes as no surprise that the show was a huge dud in Australia. It was canceled before the last two episodes even aired. (Also, this show has nothing to do with Justin Timberlake, and that in itself feels like some sort of crime.)
