Update note, 12/2018: This post remains one of the top-viewed posts on my blog. I’m not sure why, but I’m going to say it’s because of the great love/hate relationship the gymternet has with this TV show. As a result, I’ve gone through and cleaned up the layout, getting rid of broken links and making things look nicer. Also, please remember that this post was written in 2012, so it refers to things current to that time.
Make It or Break It was a television show that aired on ABC Family from 2009-2012. It ran 3 seasons. The season finale aired last Monday, May 14, 2012. The show was about four gymnasts—Payson, Lauren, Kaylie, and Emily—who were in training to go to the 2012 Olympics and the foibles, obstacles, and pitfalls that happened along the way. It ended, quite naturally, with the Olympic team being chosen.
If you watched MIOBI, it’s probably because you either a.) like gymnastics, b.) like other ABC Family shows, or c.) both. I fall into category c—I do watch other ABC Family shows and I do like gymnastics. When I found out that ABC Family was doing a show about gymnastics, I was ecstatic. Finally, a TV show about a sport that I love!
And then I watched it.
Let’s just say the reason I kept watching MIOBI wasn’t because of the gymnastics.
MIOBI is not a work of art. It’s not even a good television show. But there is just something about it that kept bringing me back every week. I’m sad/mad that it’s over, that I’ll never get to see Payson and Lauren and Kaylie at the Olympics. While not a good show, MIOBI had some good things going on.
First of all, if you’ve never seen this show, watch this recap (even if you have seen the show, watch this recap. It’s hilarious), which nicely sums up/explains/makes fun of everything that happens in the first two seasons.
Now, you might assume that MIOBI is all about gymnastics. You want to watch it because it has gymnastics. You think gymnastics is the best thing in the world and you want to watch a TV show that features gymnastics.
Tip number one: If you want to watch gymnastics, watch real gymnastics.
The Top Two Things that MIOBI Got Wrong About Gymnastics:
1.) Gymnastics. For a show about gymnastics, MIOBI might have the worst, most unrealistic portrayal of gymnastics. Ever. Now, I’m not an expert on elite gymnastics (I only got up to Level 6 myself), but I’m fairly sure that MIOBI got a lot of things wrong. The skills were cool to watch, sure, but the layout of competitions, the policies, and pretty much everything else was all wrong. There was the appearance of gymnastics stereotypes, such as “eating disorder gymnast.” There were also several erroneous claims, such as “if you have a baby, you can’t come back to gymnastics because it messes up your hormones/body.” Um, not so. Just look at Oksana Chusovitina. Not only did she have a baby and come back to the sport, but she’s 36 and still competing and medaling (although recently she has announced plans for retirement).
Tip number two: When you watch MIOBI, remember that there are two types of gymnastics: MIOBI gymnastics and actual gymnastics.
Needless to say, I don’t watch this show because of the gymnastics. But it’s fun to poke fun, so here’s my top three favorite gymnastics fails in MIOBI:
3.) Jordan’s “triple-back” dismount off of bars
Every time Jordan/Jordan’s stunt double did a “triple back”, it was quite obviously a double, and they just edited it. This can clearly be seen by the jump in the flip; as she starts her “third” flip she suddenly is three inches higher (they try to hide this by changing the camera angles. It doesn’t work).
2.) Kaylie’s Worlds floor routine
First of all, the music. You’re not allowed lyrics/words in your floor music (I mean, it’s appropriate and all, but no). Second of all, since when do floor routines only have two tumbling passes? I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to have at least three.
Also, Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci are the announcers. And look, it’s Simon Tam!
1.) Lauren’s Worlds beam routine
Just…why?
The beam is about twice as wide as it’s supposed to be. Since the stunt double is an actual gymnast who can actually do tricks on an actual beam, I’m pretty sure they just made it that wide so that the actress could do a split. And, you know, stay on during her dancy parts. It’s really too bad, because I quite liked the part before this between Lauren and Sasha. Then the prominent display of the fat beam ruined it.
I could go on and on, because there are so many other examples besides these, but it’s time to move on and go to the second major thing that MIOBI got wrong.
2.) Drama. So. Much. Drama. So much drama it’s unrealistic. I mean, what are the chances of everything that happens to those four girls happening to those four girls? Some of the issues I’m pretty sure ABC Family just threw out there just to acknowledge that they existed.
Tip number three: When you watch MIOBI, remember that there are two types of drama: MIOBI drama (which can be generalized to ABC Family drama) and real drama.
There is not that much drama in one gym. There is not that much drama in one gymnastics team. The second half of season two especially was just wham after wham of drama, so much that it was hard to take seriously. I could go more in-depth, but I don’t want to get too spoilery. Let’s just say it was love triangle after love triangle after Lauren being a manipulative brat and ruining everybody else’s life (and then Wendy in Season 3).
Okay, now that I’ve pointed and laughed at MIOBI and the stellar example of great TV it sets, tomorrow’s post will deal with the top two things that I think that it did right,the top two reasons I kept watching this annoying, frustrating, wonderful show.
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