Pregled posta

Marketing

Went to see the filming for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition today. I admit I didn't know much about this show before going today, but I saw an opportunity to do something I’ve never done before, so I went. I don't want anyone to think that since I went I'm a fan of the show, very much the opposite actually; now that I've seen it up close, talked to volunteers and read about what happens to many of the families a few years later.

Since I didn't want my friends and family picturing me cheering with the rest of the people, holding signs, and being giddy over Ty Pennington and the other minor celebrities, I felt the need to include some ranting below. Also, so I wouldn't feel like that by posting the photos I was praising the show, or in any way publicizing it to anyone.

It wasn't just having a director telling the crowd when and what to cheer at or the multiple takes of the most tear-jerking of scenes. And no, it's not just the fact that D-bag Ty Pennington is a make believe philanthropist, who leaves town before doing any real work (but taking with him a lot of credit and admiration.) Those aren't the reasons I don't like the show really.

I found the whole thing phony, depressing, and ridiculously materialistic. It is just a way to for companies, using the great marketing tool of fake philanthropy, and taking advantage of good people and the sweat of hundreds of volunteers, to sell their wares.

I used to think, who cares, of course companies are doing it to sell their product; nothing wrong with that. At least they are helping people right? Are they really helping anyone really? Are there better ways to alleviate poverty? Are we really doing anyone any good by handing over a low quality mini mansion complete with gas-guzzling SUVs in the garage to someone who can’t really afford it? The property taxes, insurance, and extremely high utility bills will far exceed what they were having trouble paying for before. Not to mention the potential of constant home repairs on an inefficient rushed home build. The house certainly looks good on TV, but is built so quickly that its quality was under question even by the volunteers on the build site.

The show preaches that salvation for those in need is found in bigger homes, bigger vehicles, and new gadgets and appliances. Don’t get me wrong, I hope the best for the family, but if many of the previous families on the show are any indication it is likely that this will be a burden in disguise.

These poor families often times find out later that their new mini mansion is incredibly inefficient. In one episode they built a home that included a bedroom for a girl with cancer that was more like Chuck E Cheese than a child’s bedroom. Today that poor girl can’t even sleep in it because the inefficiency is so bad the family can’t afford to heat it properly. Another person's free home cost him $10,000 per year for utility costs, even though he kept it at 82 degrees in the summertime. Many of the homes which are only a few years old are already looking worn down with wall paper pealing and overgrown landscaping that was too much for the family to maintain.

The one positive thing I was left with, however, was that much of this work was done by the community, not the companies involved. This circus proves that we have in our capacity the ability to come together in groups in the hundreds, raise dollars in the hundreds of thousands, with the purpose of helping good people in need (perhaps with a modest but high quality home that they can afford to live in?) and we don't need a corporation selling their wares, d-bag alcoholic celebrities, and 14 million viewers nationwide looking at us to do it.

Above is the newly constructed (in progress) weird home. Owned by the same owners, the former 20's art deco home torn down due to electrical and plumbing problems. Too much cost to repair for little return.

The above home when complete will most likely feature, music, mannequins, colourful displays and unusual accessories. Thus the house below was featured on TV "Weird Homes".

Kind of miss the old house, it always captured my attention. Curious as to what next would be displayed in the window.