Monday, May 21, 2007

Extreme Home Makeover: Some Reflections



I find it extremely ironic that TV producers took one of the "manliest" ideas possible and created the most "unmanly" show on the air. Ty Pennington and his 'tissue-bound' gang are the complete antithesis of Tim the tool-man Taylor. For every Grunt that Tim let out ('ahgahahgahhgaaa!!) there are 10 sniffles on 'home-makeover'. There are no explosions, no crashes, no one gets hurt -- every thing is a fairy tale ending. The handkerchief's used are not for wiping grease off your face. Since sunday night football ended, there is nothing to watch - thus, I am left in my chair, feet propped up, book in hand -- and my wife with the remote watching extreme home makeover. I catch glimpses here and there, but am never caught up in the story. I do have to admit that i pay a little closer attention when they are rebuilding a house for a black family. For white families, when they move that bus they all kind of hug and cry...it's supposed to be sweet or something. But when they move that bus for black families, it's like they won the Super Bowl. It's great, lot's of dancing, running up and down the street, hands upside down over the mouth---you almost don't know whether they are excited or scared out of their minds.

I do think what's going on during the show is a wonderful thing. Spending $ on people who are in a dead end in life and taking care of their needs. Our culture somewhat defines someone as being "dead" by being homeless, Jobless, and in debt. In some manner, this show seeks to "bring these people back to life" by giving them a home and relieving their debt. These people somewhat undergo a 'resurrection story'. They had a women who adopted children with AIDS and was shunned by the Church - yet this show, not the church became the means of her "redemption". I qualify that in order to ponder what we actually mean by "redemption". I don't know what the cast or producers of this show believes - but we do know that they seek to help people in need. We should be joining them in this.

However, I do ponder the nature of how this show is edited and put on the air. I don't want to take away from or assume the actual character of the cast - but much of what is done, while good, is done for effect. They are trying to draw you in with tears. When they sift through applications, they have to be wondering which story will bring out the most effect. It is ratings driven. The goal is tears.

The families speak of the show as a turning point, as an almost 'resurrection event' - referring to this event as pinnacle in their life story. They speak of their life as changed or saved. Is this show really bringing about change though?? Immediately we answer yes - houses restored, debts relieved. It's almost as if the year of Jubilee has come to them. Here is what is intriguing, when they speak of 'change' in their life - most of the families language isn't referring to what has changed their bodily circumstances. They are mainly referring to soul experiences. The house building is merely a means of what they are calling a dispositional change upon all of life. The show is then not all about rebuilding someone's house - but about rebuilding their entire life. The producers are after reconciliation in all areas. Two questions to think about: What message of Change is the show really bringing to these people? And secondly, is this really bringing about change?

If the message is happiness and some brief prosperity - why don't they ever do shows where they check in on the family a year from now - or two years from now and see how things are going? I imagine this show will be on the air for a long time, b/c there is no reason to take it off. I hope more and more of the poor get aid - it's sad it took a TV show to start this. If they got rid of that Ty Pennington and brought back Tim "the tool man" Taylor - I'd watch as a fan.


...by the way, Brian P. Sulpher - do they air this in Canada?.......

2 Comments:

At 11:01 AM, Blogger Luke said...

I hate this show. It is absolutely not about bringing change. That is the rhetoric is uses to stir up ratings. The real result is basically like the lottery...you have hundreds of thousands of people in poverty hoping that Extreme Makeover will come bail them out and so they don't do anything constructive, like asking a legitimate institution for help (like the church), but rather sit around and hope that they will beat the odds (like playing lotto).

Plus, that jerk Ty deserves death by electric chair. He is the fakest piece of garbage in the media, and that is saying something. By the way, did you hear about his recent DUI? Hilarious, I thought. ABC is, in my opinion, the most despicable network on TV (even worse than Fox), because they spew this bull crap about helping people and doing good when really all they are about is the bottom line: profit.

 
At 1:17 PM, Blogger Alex said...

There is definitely one emphatic side to the think about....thanks Luke.

 

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