Workout Reunion Special: Cause for Pause

First, I have to acknowledge that I’ve been neglecting to write about the Workout reunion special. Charlus over at Amuse Biatch would liken this type of behavior to child neglect. However, this child—the world of Jackie’s Sky Sport and Spa—is far from vulnerable and defenseless. Jackie Warner and her trainers have chiseled bodies and (very) healthy egos. Let’s just say these kiddies don’t need, nor do they want, any type of parental figure watching over them. Anyway, at the beginning of the reunion special, Andy Cohen asked Jackie an interesting question,

“When you watched your relationship with Mimi on the show last season, did it give you cause for pause?”

"Jackie responded, “Yes . . . the camera is a mirror."

So much happened on the show this season; seriously, we paused more times than I can remember. This season had it all—the good and the bad.



Reunions are usually supposed to be . . . warm and fuzzy. Of course, you’ll always have some obnoxious person who tries his or her best to spoil a lovely evening, but, for the most part, people are just happy to see old friends and acquaintances. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen here. As others have pointed out, Jackie appeared very distant and a bit stand-offish. She seemed somewhat indifferent to the fact that her trainers (friends?) were in the studio. Very interesting!



The one thing that really caught my attention was Jackie’s response to the “Jackie Gone Wild” clip. Andy mentioned that some straight women seem to be attracted to Jackie, and he asked her how she felt about that. Jesse offered the word powerful. And, without hesitation, Jackie agreed and added, “extremely powerful.” Is the addition of that adverb really necessary? We get the picture—making out and having sex with women left and right makes you feel POWERFUL (and adding the adverb extremely is just asking for trouble)! What exactly did she mean? Are women prizes to be won? A type of currency? Another notch on the proverbial belt? Who knows! To be honest, I shouldn’t really judge; I’m guilty of posting pictures of hot men and gorgeous women. Let’s face it; attractive people are fun to look at. I just find it interesting that Jackie would use that phrase to describe her feelings about women. Maybe that explains her odd behavior during the reunion special? Her brain must be masculinized to the point where forming strong relationships with others is close to impossible. I feel bad for Rebecca.





Clearly, I’m a huge fan of this show for various reasons. Although I don’t always agree with Jackie, I admire her strong work ethic and success. She is a smart business woman who knows what she wants and works hard to get it. She’s a great role model for gay men and women everywhere. Doug was also one of my favorites. Yeah, at first, I was seduced by his looks, but it became clear that he was more than just a pretty face with big muscles—he was a kind, gentle soul who reached out to others. While Jackie was busy adding more notches to her belt, Doug was offering hugs and advice to friends and clients in need. Allison over at Reality at Bravo thinks that focusing on Doug’s death was not respectful. I understand where she’s coming from. Using a tragedy like this for ratings is deplorable. However, I think the producers handled the whole situation very well. In fact, I was very pleased they shared glimpses of his life with us. He was a great human being. I’m not going to lie; Jesse ruffled my feathers from time to time. But, there’s a little place in my heart for Jesse Brune. He’s such a cutie. Sure, he’s often judgmental, at times immature and impulsive; but I think he’s a good person. Remember, no one’s perfect. At least Jesse is cognizant of his behavior, and that earns him extra points in my book.



Brian Peeler had me at hello. This southern hunk may suffer from occasional delusions of grandeur, but he has a beautiful heart. His love for Doug was truly touching. I guess there’s hope for straight men after all.