The guys over at Fox are really patting themselves on the back right now. They’ve created a new reality-dating show focused on overweight people. And they’re pretty proud of themselves, if their interviews are any indication. That’s right, it has nothing to with ratings or being too lazy and cheap to create scripted television. They’re doing this for you. For me. For the common (wo)man. They want to help the average American get a date, or at least put a show on the air that proves we can.

Fox is teaming with “The Bachelor” producer Mike Fleiss for a new dating-competition series that casts “average-looking” people. The series, titled “More to Love,” is billed as the first “dating show for the rest of us,” throwing open its doors to overweight contestants.

“For six years it’s been skinny-minis and good-looking bachelors, and that’s not what the dating world looks like,” Fox president of alternative Mike Darnell said. “Why don’t real women — the women who watch these shows, for the most part — have a chance to find love too?”

The project has a similar format to “The Bachelor,” where a group of woman compete for one man (producers describe him as a “Kevin James-type”).

“This show is going to get a lot of people talking,” Darnell said. “It may be a little controversial, but I think it will mostly be positive. This is so simple and so obvious, yet it has never been done.” Broadcast reality-dating shows such as the CW’s “Beauty and the Geek” and NBC’s “Average Joe” have featured less-than-handsome men but paired them with model-esque women. “Most of the country isn’t a Size 2,” Fleiss said. “It’s the dating show for the rest of us.”

Contestants will do the sort of activities seen on “Bachelor,” but producers suspect Jacuzzi or massage dates will take on a different perspective. “More to Love” will have makeover aspects — when contestants wear ballroom gowns, for instance — but Fleiss said the focus will not be on physical improvement.

“We want to send the message that you can be the size you are and still be lovable,” he said. “We aren’t going to thin these girls down so they can find love — that’s a backwards message.”

[From the Hollywood Reporter]

This has exploitation written all over it. More than the average reality dating show. That part about the Jacuzzi and massage dates made me especially uncomfortable. Like it’s supposed to be, “Look, he likes her despite all the jiggle!” “He loves her even though she’s disgusting!” Not that I think overweight people are disgusting – far from it – but instinct tells me that’s what this show will focus on. Something along the lines of, “Sure, person X is hideous, but they still need love.” If there’s some way the producers shock me and actually do this with a touch of humanity, I’ll gladly eat my words. But reality television is about as lowbrow as you can get. I’m not hopeful.

Here’s “More to Love” producer Mike Fleiss (far left) with reality show bigwigs Lloyd J. Schwartz, Sherwood Schwartz and Steve Koonin at the premiere after party for ‘The Real Gilligan’s Island’ on November 30, 2004 in West Hollywood.