With VH1 and E! churning out so many premium reality shows these days, it’s was starting to look like MTV was stuck with shows like Yo Momma, Next and the ever-trashy reality TV veteran The Real World.  Then I saw the commercial for Rob and Big and I knew my life would be changed forever. Uncharted territory has been revealed. 

Rob and Big is a new MTV reality series about pro skateboarder Rob Dyrdek and his bodyguard Chris “Big Black” Boykin. They become friends and decide to live together in Rob’s L.A. bachelor pad, while we get to watch all the crazy shenanigans as they spend tons of Rob’s money and do lots of irresponsible things that only a ghetto white guy from Ohio and his big black bodyguard would do.  It is amazing how much these two unlikely BFFs enjoy each other’s company. I throw the phrase “BFF” around loosely, and as much as much as possible, but in this instance…I think I really mean it. Rob and Big just might be Best Friends Forever. 

I love to watch supermanly men do really girly/gay-ish things, tossing them off as if they really are totally macho, and then immediately try to compensate by doing something tough. It might be sexist but it is a little silly to see two grown men buy a puppy together, especially when one is a scrappy little skateboarder and the other is a 400-pound black guy.  They go to the pet store together, buy the thing $400 of little puppy outfits and toys, pick out an adorable, cuddly little pug dog…and then decide to name it “Meat.”  Because, obviously, if they give it the most caveman-ish name possible, people will totally disregard the fact that they are, oh, raising a puppy together. 

In one episode, the heterosexual life partners decide that Big’s weight is getting to be a problem.  This is an interesting development, because as you can tell by Big Black’s name, big black guys are often praised in the media for being powerful, strong, macho, ex-football player types.  But it turns out that even though Big is strong, his health and athleticism are severely suffering. 

The footage of watching Big trying to go for a light jog is not exactly great for his image.

So what does Rob do? He takes him to a nutritionist, stays for the meeting and motivates Big to buck up and get in shape like a good wife would. Oh, the compassion!

Big tells the nutritionist he doesn’t really eat that much. Rob points out how he just ate a cheeseburger while cooking breakfast.  Big defends the nutritionist’s nice easygoing, lifestyle-adjusting attitude towards fitness (after she said it was ok to eat a burger once in a while). Rob tells him to be a girlyman and stop eating crap. I’m telling you, what would these two do without each other?  

The reason that the show is so great is how much these two are willing to do for each other.  They love together, work together and play together.  They teach each other their favorite hobbies, laugh at each other’s jokes and are not afraid to show the world their friendship. They’re like ying and yang.