I am starting this week’s Tony Bennett Thursday by saying that as a general rule of thumb I do not watch reality television.  I never bought a Survivor t-shirt, nor have I lost a moment of sleep over why so and so was voted off American Idol.  But this year I mysteriously became hooked on The Biggest Loser.  Be it from a lapse in cable service or the writer’s strike force feeding me reruns, I have been watching this show weekly (lifting weights as I watch the weigh-in’s, because man that sh*t is scary). 

This week’s Tony Bennett Thursday winner may or may not be the type of looser he is hoping to be, but Dan can take comfort in the fact that he is a winner for being another kind of looser – the Tony Bennett kind.  In this week’s episode he and other members of the winning blue team, took an overnight trip to Vegas and he oozed creepy the whole time.  Somewhere along the line, someone convinced him that he is a guitar player and songwriter and he and the producers decided to force that upon us, the viewers, and spliced in little clips of some weird Vegas song into the episode. He then proceeded to get some weird tattoo on his arm with an angel and a guitar.  Between the song and the tattoo he earned him about a quarter of the points one needs to become a Tony Bennett Thursday’s winner. 

And what made him a winner?  The very uncomfortable ”Pride” thing they all keep shouting about.  Let me explain.  The Blue team is made up of all men (most of whom are married), giving them somewhat of an advantage over the mostly female Black team, but also giving them the opportunity to do that male bonding while lifting a heavy stack thing.  They are using one word, “Pride,” to pump themselves up.  Has anyone told them what chanting about pride in a single sex group usually means to people?  I am guessing not, because they probably wouldn’t have gone into a tattoo parlor as a group and told the artists that they were getting “Pride” tattoos, nor would one of them have made the comment while picking out a design that they might get something like a triangle.  And why didn’t the camera guy say anything? 

I understand that groups of men can become very close when working towards a common goal, competition draws them nearer to one another as well, but Dan implying that they were like Ocean’s Eleven while walking through the mall at the Stratosphere (one of the least glamorous on the strip) was a bit off the mark as well.  I am glad you bonded with your team mates, Dan, but delusions of grandeur and uncomfortable chanting has made you this week’s Tony Bennett Thursday’s winner.

Would anyone like to nominate a runner up?