This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
So what do you want to see on Tuesday nights? Skinny Utahns who dance or fat Utahns who work out?
That's the choice the major networks have given us, with their casting of two reality-competition shows: NBC's "The Biggest Loser" and CBS's new Paula Abdul-starring vehicle "Live to Dance."
On "The Biggest Loser," Logan's Rulon Gardner — the former Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling — tipped the scales at 474 pounds. He and his friend Justin Pope weighed in as the heaviest of the 11 teams in the competition.
Another Utahn, Deni Hill of Bountiful, is competing with her daughter, Sarah Nitta, who lives in Las Vegas. There's also a father-daughter team from Shelley, Idaho, Moses and Kaylee Kinikini.
"Six out of 22 [contestants] are Mormon," Gardner told the Tribune's Scott D. Pierce. "It was kind of like, 'This is cool. It's almost like back home.' But reality sets in. You're not here to hold hands. You're here to work out."
All six survived the first week's elimination.
Over on CBS, a dance group based at a dance studio in Lindon, Utah, called The Vibe survived their first audition on Abdul's "Live to Dance." Here's how the entertainment website HitFix described the group's size: "The entire state of Utah is in The Vibe."