Where are you on Monday nights at nine? Are you relaxing on your couch watching the ABC Family series ‘Make It or Break It’? Some viewers already have some popcorn and a blanket and won’t miss an episode. On the other hand, as for some, they aren’t satisfied or can’t stand the show. Reasons for disapproval can vary, but gymnasts tend to find it hard to watch, due to the messages the show gives. What are the realistic aspects of the show versus unrealistic aspects?
‘Make It or Break It’ is a teen drama show based around the sport of gymnastics. The show puts a lot more emphasis on the drama and does a horrible job with the portrayal of gymnastics. The main plot revolves around girls all competing for a spot on the Olympic team. Along the way they struggle with relationships, catty girls, injuries, and money.
As far as relationships go, the television series shows issues with boyfriends, teammates, and coaches. Some girls were affected by boyfriends cheating with other teammates, maybe a best friend could no longer be trusted, and the show even went as far as having one gymnast become pregnant. Although the pregnancy may have been due to the actress’s unplanned pregnancy in real life, this in no way is comparable to actual elite gymnastics. However, gymnasts do create strong bonds with coaches, and it can be devastating to have a coach leave, for whatever the circumstance may be, for example taking a new job, but what’s not realistic is a gymnast crushing on and then kissing her coach. Something like losing a coach occurs often in real life, although developing feelings does not.
Some viewers may wonder if the commitment to gymnastics does put a real strain on family as in ‘Make It or Break it’. Competitive gymnastics comes with a great amount of fees. Fees for monthly tuition, the competitive leotard, the competitive sweats, the competitive season meet fees, individual coach’s fees, and also individual traveling and hotel fees, along with many others. Money can definitely cause conflicts and stress on families as they try to make ends meet and support children in high level gymnastics. Also, commuting to practice an hour or more away has families separated a lot.
Gymnasts are famous for injuries and especially rare injuries, but does the show take it too far exaggerating their injuries? It’s not the injury that is shocking, but the recovery time. The girls aren’t shown going to physical therapy after a severe injury, and they don’t ease back into gymnastics. They get up and throw the same skills perfectly as they had before. Competitive gymnasts know how difficult it is to build up the same strength and skills after returning from injuries that put them out of gymnastics.
Another thing gymnasts are known for, is their great strength and body type. Being that the cast in ‘Make It or Break It’ are in their twenty’s, they don’t quite pull off the teenage, elite gymnast body. The actresses are pretty fit, but I think the leotards they wear are cut to have the girls feel more comfortable and covered. In an article written on gymnastika.com, they wrote, “Of the four main girls, only Kaylie looks remotely like a gymnast.” In actual competitive gymnastics, the leotards are cut higher in the hips. The reason for this has nothing to do with showing off, but it’s to create the illusion of longer legs, which gives your gymnastics nice lines.
‘Make It or Break It’ also makes it seem as though gymnasts have huge rivalries or can’t get along with other gymnasts. There may be a few here and there at meets, but mostly everyone is friendly to one another, we keep in touch and have friendships, and also we cheer on new girls we have just met that are in the same rotation at meets.
Reviews for ‘Make It or Break It’ vary as far as emotion and opinion toward the show. Editor Dwight Normile wrote in International Gymnastics Magazine Online, “Just when you think you’ve seen enough, which is any time after the opening credits, the implausibility multiplies.” The show is not geared for diehard gymnastics fans because it’s purpose is not really to portray realistic elite gymnastics. Gymnastics fans are unhappy mainly because the skill level is the most unrealistic of it all. For example, a vault that was competed on the show would never be acceptable at a national meet, nor the Olympics.
Recently ‘Make It or Break It’ was announced that it would be cancelled. Besides those that are unhappy with the show, some are disappointed that the series won’t air again. The series keeps viewers watching for the entertaining drama. A pleased fan, wrote a year ago in her review about an episode she had just watched, “It featured probably some of the best acting performances by the girls on the show as each character dealt with their own looming set of problems.”
‘Make It or Break It’ is a drama series purely for entertainment. If you are expecting something more realistic, like a gymnastics documentary, this is not the show for you.
