Thinly-disguised Contempt On Home Improvement Shows

Aug 26, 2007 11:22

I went through a phase where I watched a lot of home improvement shows. The impetus behind this was clear: I'd moved from a nice, if rough-around-the-edges place where I was settled in and mostly satisfied with my living arrangements, to a mostly windowless basement flat. As soon as I got clear on the fact that there was nothing I could do to ( Read more... )

conformity sucks, controversy

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Comments 12

nesmith August 26 2007, 19:07:24 UTC
I'd like to invite some of these folks to my house. It would simply be a question of which one of my samurai swords would cut them down if they dared get rid of my stuff.

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britpoptarts August 26 2007, 21:20:00 UTC
I know how you feel ( ... )

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nesmith August 26 2007, 22:17:53 UTC
I have, besides the usual large collection of CDs and DVDs and a box of vinyl that I collect (because I like saying I have Mad Dog and Whistle Rymes by John Entwistle on vinyl), a closet and two bookshelves filled with books. And these are my "adult" books--I long ago weeded out all but my most "necessary" books. My poetry, included signed editions, my textbooks, my anthologies, and my works of literature that range from Beowulf to Thomas Pynchon. True, Spenser's Faerie Queene isn't exactly light before-bed reading, but I never know when I might want to read it again or reference it, especially if I go on to pursue my PhD ( ... )

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britpoptarts August 27 2007, 13:30:11 UTC
I would be wringing my hands and wailing "My precioussssses!!!" every five minutes. I completely understand.

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jeffpalmatier August 26 2007, 19:11:40 UTC
Yeah, I agree with you. They shouldn't go from one bizarre extreme to another when it comes to either saving or throwing stuff out. Actually, some of these people suffer from this: Article on hoarding syndrome, a form of obsessesive-compulsive disorder I think these people need to get help from a mental health professional, in addition to maybe having a decorator helping them to get a bunch of junk out of their house.

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britpoptarts August 26 2007, 19:29:39 UTC
Sure, and if they are hoarders, a decorating show isn't going to cure the underlying psychological issues. Filth pigs, yes; hoarders, no.

They haven't shown any full-blown hoarding yet, but some families came close to the line.

You'll see more hoarders on shows like COPS, but as an incidental thing, not as a main focus.

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kornmonkie August 26 2007, 23:24:48 UTC
You've touched on a point that we've noticed while watching those shows.

Some kid will say, "I LOVE books!" The design team will go and paint huge pictures of books on the kids wall, make their bed look like a giant book, and then give them a free Dell computer with a subscription to Aubible.

The kid will say, "I LOVE fish!" The design team will go and paint huge fish over a dark blue wall, and then place a flat screen television inside the wall which displays a high resolution screen saver of fish.

It's fairly obvious that the producers must shop only at certain places (Sears) and use only certain brands. They probably couldn't put bookshelves or books in a home, unless they were sponsored by Barnes and Noble(for example). But since they are sponsored by Sears or Target, they have an endless supply of flat screen televisions or mass produced wall art.

It's a Wal-Mart world in which we live.

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britpoptarts August 27 2007, 13:38:25 UTC
Too true ( ... )

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I can't breathe! anonymous August 28 2007, 02:03:57 UTC
This post and the replies are giving me a panic attack. I do not even have to take the test. Yet, my husband has thrown out not one, but two of our son's silver spoons and my silver infant spoon, as well. I can't let him touch anything. We are at an impasse! ~Pam

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Re: I can't breathe! britpoptarts August 28 2007, 12:13:32 UTC
Heh!

I understand.

But silver baby spoons are important heirlooms! No wonder you are wary of letting trash leave the house uninspected. :)

If you start hiding it under your bed, though, watch out! LOL

Poor Pammy. Maybe hubby should only get to feed the baby with plastic spoons!

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anonymous August 28 2007, 22:50:57 UTC
i agree with a lot of what you've written, yet perhaps you're missing one of the main points of these "cleaning up your house" shows. from what i've seen, they urge people to remember their relatives and memories, not cling onto the stuff that's left behind. it's just stuff, usually stuff getting in the way and creating clutter. living in such conditions is so stressing and depressing, and breaking that spell over "things" is part of the show, part of how these people keep from regressing once the designers go home.

i've found that they've helped me re-wire my thinking. "am i holding onto this because so-and-so gave it to me, or because i actually like/need it?" i consciously realize that i'm donating/throwing an object out, not a person or memory. i'm a packrat too, so it's difficult sometimes, but then again, i'd never call up a home improvement show to help me out.

but i have zero defense for those personal makeover shows. they're horrible, and i wonder why people ever volunteer to go on them.

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britpoptarts August 28 2007, 23:25:08 UTC
That's true. I think that most of these people have "I like it" and "it is sentimental to me" covered, it is the "I need it" that is harder to justify ( ... )

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