Plus-Size Women, Reality TV: Is the Exposure Always Good?

Here, the answers aren't simple at all. Take "More to Love": While on the one hand, it's refreshing to see, from a fairness perspective, that women who are not stick-thin size zeros can play the same courting games as their counterparts on "The Bachelor," listening to contenders in the introductory episode sniff and snivel, "I just want people to love me for me" and "I don't want to be alone, I really, really want to have that love story" makes them all seem pretty pathetic.

Luke Conley will whittle down the batch of contenders through the course of "More to Love."

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"There were a lot of tales. It was very weepy," Emme, the plus-size model who hosts "More to Love," conceded about the show's premiere. "But I think that's reflective of what's going on -- the frustration, the self-loathing. It's a travesty that women above a size 12 feel like they can't find love."

"I wish that there were more self-esteem-infused girls on the show. They are not reflective of all full-figured women," Emme added. "I can't wait to see the 'Bachelorette' version of this. I would love to see a very confident woman owning her curvaceous body and trying to find a wonderful guy."

The problem may be that until such a woman graces reality TV with her presence --former, feisty "America's Next Top Model" contestant Toccara Jones may be her closest cousin, though despite her curve confidence, she ended up on VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club: Boot Camp" shortly after the competition -- the market is flooded with full-figured females bemoaning their pant size and/or lack of dates.

"Dance Your A** Off" aims to make contestants have fun while losing weight.

To Feministing editor Mukhopadhyay, that perpetuates the impression that these women are to be pitied and fetishized for their size.

"On one level, it's good to have more images of larger women on TV because that act alone changes the way we look at people," she said. "But so many of them have low self-esteem, they're self-loathing, they talk about how no one loves them. It becomes this sort of spectacle. You really do wonder if all the stereotypes you've heard of fat people are true. On that level I do think it's exploitive."