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MY RANT
December 2009
Archive MY Rant
Makeover Madness
I don’t actually watch a lot of television. And with the notable exception of “Top Chef” I don’t watch any so-called reality programs. But every time I make a personal appearance, I get an earful from members of the audience who rant about how much they despise the numerous “makeover’ shows on the air. So I decided to watch as many of them as I could over the course of a week and see for myself what all the buzz was about.
And boy, what a week that was! Now I’m not going to mention any specific shows or networks, because quite frankly there wasn’t much difference in the style or approach from one show or one network to the next. Basically, I thought all of them were awful. The hosts were just that – long on looks, as if they might have been news reporters before getting their current gig, and short on smarts, to the point where I wondered if any of them had ever actually planted a tree or turned a compost pile.
In terms of meaningful content, there wasn’t much to offer. Most of the time the focus of the shows was on creating and building drama, not offering worthwhile information. Well I don’t know about you, but if I want drama, I can think of a dozen other shows to watch (“House” comes to mind).
Another thing that really annoys me about these shows is that rarely does anyone mention the cost of the project. It’s as if the $150,000 they spent on the stone retaining wall, patio, outdoor kitchen, pool, and spa was incidental. Hey, we’ve all got an extra 150 grand to blow, right? That attitude is brazenly insensitive, not to mention inexcusably elitist.
But wait! There’s more! Or more correctly, there’s less. Less in the form of production values. Call me old-fashioned, but I still think things such as good lighting, good composition, good camera moves, etc. are important. And on my show, we spent a fair amount of time addressing those issues. Why? Because whether you consciously realize it or not, they compel you to watch. Nowadays, when a host walks from full shade to full sun and the photographer makes little or no adjustment for the change in exposure, my reaction isn’t to watch. My reaction is to change the channel. Or turn the television off.
So who watches these shows? Clearly a lot of people do or the networks wouldn’t continue to air them. And I suppose I can understand (barely) how some people might choose to watch them purely for their entertaining value.
Although I think staring at an aquarium would be more satisfying.
