Extreme Makeover (Home Edition)
Extreme Makeover (Home Edition) is so named because it was a spin-off from Extreme Makeover which made over people by way of cosmetic surgery, make-up and changing of wardrobes, and so forth so that they were now "beautiful". That Home Edition has survived, even thrived, says something about Americans but exactly what mystifies me. Ok, not really.
The host, Ty Pennington (late of "Trading Spaces"), is a gregarious near middle-aged nutter who leads a variable cast through a formulaic show intended to hawk consumer goods directly and through product placement while doing its level best to leave you a sobbing heap on your sofa.
It begins with cast aboard their tour bus being introduced to the family through a family produced video. Inevitably, like the old "Queen for a Day" this sob story tries to hit all the buttons to get you to sympathize with these down-and-outers. In truth most could have been in better circumstances through more reasoned management of their resources. The wife and I do pull for those in hard times because they've taken in family or nearly lost it all due to the loss of a spouse in military, fire, or law enforcement service to the nation/community. Hey, we're prejudiced. Not so much for those who don't know when to step back and out of a bad situation and take another run at it from another direction.
Then the bus pulls up to the house (not home you know) in which the family lives. Ty pulls out his "signature" megaphone and yells for the family to come on out in order to "surprise them". Yeah right. The family is all mic'd up and ready to hug, cry and scream with joy at
winning the lottery being selected for this gift.
They then tour the despicable conditions of the family home (where they may or may not be when surprised) while Ty looks suitably understanding. As my wife says, Ty's crew cries constantly but not good old Ty. I'm thinking that Ty's ADD allows him some emotional separation. Actually, my oldest daughter met Ty at a couple of Washington DC "Trading Spaces" episode sites and thinks he's a genuinely nice person. So, let's just call Ty "focused".
The family is then sent on "vacation", i.e. out of the area to someplace that's a treat for them. Much better than making them stay at the local
Motel 6. Of course while at their resort they take a time out, or two, to get updates from Ty on the destruction of their structure or some special teaser. This is mostly so that the viewer remembers that there are folks being helped.
We find it interesting that throughout the show the cast of designers demonstrate their design acumen via what they came up with on the spur of the moment (at least that's the implication). However, we know that some intensive pre-production work went into the show what with all the blueprints, licenses, permits, coordination of building inspectors, etc. required. One doesn't just throw a house together ESPECIALLY in 7 days (one house was built in 54 hours or some such) without intensive planning. Also, some member of the cast inevitably goes to the local Sears for a "shopping trip" (the stuff having been pre-positioned prior to the build).
Finally we come to the house presentation. A show is made of this with the family being driven to the site in a limo and greeted by hundreds of adoring neighbors (really?) before the tour bus which was blocking their view of the house is moved to reveal their
lottery winnings new home. the contractor might even announce that their mortgage has been paid!
Now the tour commences showcasing Sears products, miracles of modern technology intended to medically assist the owners, and/or modern American excess with multitudes of bathrooms, indoor sports courts, home theaters, and celebrity donations (
Jo Dee Messina's piano in this latest show). Of course Jo Dee got to promote her latest release...
Finally, after more thoughtful talk from Ty, the show is
put down ended with a hearty "Welcome Home" from Ty.
What the heck is going on? When the show started the recipients of the new home were recommended/nominated by others and were truly deserving, self-effacing, community servants on hard times. Now it is more the "I'm such a sad case, please give me wonderful things" parasitic type submission. Yes, I realize the production team edits the family video. Perhaps they could do a better job?
What is truly amazing is that contractors are actually erecting these homes in less than 7 days. That's foundations, basements, sewer and water and driveways. Amazing. As I said one house was erected in something like 54 hours! Yep, the show does appeal to the home renovation fans out there as there is a new house build every week with a whole new floor plan, new features, and up-to-date technology for the hard-core gadget freak.
The process to be considered is involved and you can't, so far as I can see, nominate a family anymore. The process requires that the family be involved, intimately involved. It may have always been so and the producers/director just aren't as good as hiding that on the screen, but the
application/casting process pretty much spells it out.
Ok, so we're pretty cynical. Yet in the genre of "reality" TV, this one is right up there in the gimme-gimme statosphere. That is the USofA today.
Labels: Culture
