Courtesy of mlive.com

The Bachelor has produced its second marriage born out of the popular reality TV show, and perhaps the most scandalous. Last year’s Bachelor, Jason Mesnick, is set to marry contestant Molly Malaney in a two-hour TV special on ABC next month. There’s just one catch.

As devoted watchers of the Bachelor might know, Malaney was Mesnick’s second choice. In the post-season finale wrap-up episode, it was revealed that Mesnick dumped his first choice, Melissa Rycroft, for Malaney (it is shocking how un-classy that reality television can be!)

The first Bachelorette to get married, Trista Rehn, criticized Mesnick’s 180-flip on Access Hollywood last fall, condemning him for being fickle in matters of the heart. And perhaps she has a leg to stand on – Rehn has been married to her first choice contestant since 2003. Mesnick and Malaney might want to take notes.

Will you watch the second Bachelor wedding?

The stars of TLC's new reality show.

TLC, home of popular reality television shows and documentaries, is coming up against a brand-new kind of controversy. Their new show, “One Big Happy Family”, features a family of four in North Carolina struggling to lose weight – and it’s coming under fire from bloggers and TV critics who say the show exploits the family for entertainment value.

The Coles, the African-American family featured in the show, weighed a combined total of 1,377 pounds when the show began. And unlike other reality television shows about weight loss, they weren’t given help from trainers or nutritionists; the show depicts the Coles struggling to adopt healthy habits on their own.

Critics of the show have said that the show exploits the family by painting them as exaggerated caricatures, making it easier for viewers to treat them like characters rather than real people facing real struggles.

What do you think of reality TV shows focusing on weight loss? Are they inherently exploitative or are they an educational tool?