Wonderful idea. 'Putting Angel with anything makes it better' is a general rule of thumb I use. It has provided me with a very effective exercise incentive in the past -- walk a couple of miles, come back home and get to watch a episode I'm craving. (I'm really looking forward to the eventual show soundtrack, as that would make the perfect musical accompaniment.)

That's the thing about Angel that makes it special and different from so other shows, and that I keep seeing reinforced by actions from fans of every stripe: People love it so much, they let it inside their hearts and it gives them the courage to change their lives. That is so cool. Can you think of a more powerful statement for the worthiness of something to survive?

Which is why the WB are big stupidheads for whom my worst invective falls short, so I must now resort to kindergarten words to describe my bafflement. They talk all this crap about having shows with good family values and whatnot -- appealing to the kids and teaching them positive lessons for survival -- but Angel walks the talk because its characters struggle and even when things look dire, they keep trying. That's life. Not "reality". Not plastic surgery to alter the outside before the inside. It's art. And we could stand to have more art in this (lately) sad, gray world.

I'm certainly not papering the walls of my soul with inspirational dialogue from 'Charmed' or 'One Tree Hill'....

Good luck, RavenU. I'll be rooting for you, and keeping up with my Angel incentive program, too.

Wiseblood | April 28, 10:04 CET

But Angel's not fat! Hee! I just had to, sorry.

electricspacegirl | April 28, 10:20 CET

Hee @ ElectricSpaceGirl, and damn it that's right--Boreanaz isn't fat! Grr @ all those people who sit around the TV and criticize the actors proportions while viewing.

Nice idea. For me I think it'd have to be a Weight Gain challenge (the healthy kind of weight), seeing as I'm 6'1 and am constantly bouncing back and forth between 140 and 150 lbs, and according to my doctor am at least 10 lbs underweight for what's healthy for my age and height. Maybe use this as an excuse to renew that gym membership (plus the summer's starting and as it gets warmer I get more motivated...and I quit one of my three jobs, so that helps with the whole not having time thing).

Kris | April 28, 10:49 CET

Random note of obsessiveness: When I go swimming, I can swim for about 2 miles before I start to get pretty tired. Thus, I find 2 miles makes a good workout. And with a standard American pool (50-yds, I think), there are 72 laps in a mile, or 144 in 2 miles. So it makes sense to me to count by Buffy episodes rather than number. ("Yes!, 'Who Are You?,' half-way done!). :)

Invisible Green | April 28, 10:54 CET

As an underweight person I'm having my own Spike abs project. Well, it's been on it's way for a while (season 6 aired here at fall-winter), but now I can call it for what it is.

Envy makes men do miracles.

[ edited by futile on 2004-04-28 09:04 ]

futile | April 28, 11:01 CET

As someone who has also struggled with weight this is a great incentive program. I recently bought one of those Tony Little Gazelle things and have set it up in my bedroom to use and have been thinking of doing it while watching my Whedonesque dvds. I have lupus, fibromyalgia and chronic back problems so working out is something that is not easy for me to do but watching Buffy, Angel and Captain Tightpants might be a great incentive to get in there and do it. Now, if I can only get my husband out of the bedroom (not what you think, he works nights and tends to take naps throughout the day so it's hard getting into a routine).

Oh, and I personally think David B. looks great. He has an excellent body and the only thing that looks heavier on him since his early days on Buffy is his face. It is completely normal for some men's faces to fill out as they get older. Actually when I see him now in the earlier episodes of Buffy his face looks too thin.

Electricspacegirl - my first reaction when I saw this thread title was that someone was challenging David to lose weight to help the show get renewed and I thought exactly what you said - that he's not fat so thanks for the chuckle for putting it in anyway.

Firefly Flanatic | April 28, 16:14 CET

Good luck, RavenU and all who participate. You can do it!

phlebotinin | April 28, 18:52 CET

Invisible Green, I can't believe you can name all of the Buffy episodes! Swimming 2 miles is very impressive, but being able to name all the episodes is something else entirely! And here I thought I was a fan!

Good luck, RavenU! What a fantastic idea!

fate's bitch | April 28, 19:21 CET

Invisible Green - Your Buffy-swimming program cracked me up (and kinda disturbed me at the same time). ;)

Tycho | April 28, 19:26 CET

Hee. When I used to have to lug heavy objects around (like these huge honkin' 5 gallon water things, three at a time), I would name the Buffy actors in the order they were added in the credits. And then I would name the characters in that order. And then back again. :D

TheJoyofZeppo | April 28, 20:39 CET

What an excellent idea RavenU! I love that it is an incentive program and not pushing a particular diet/exercise regime. Very clever. Good luck to all who participate!

marmoset | April 28, 20:52 CET