Thursday, February 10, 2005 AD Charitainment Note: I Googled and found no other instances of "Charitainment" in English, so I claim credit.
I plugged my TV back in about a week and a half ago, and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (EMHE) became my instant new favorite. The first week I watched, they redid the home of a family with 8 kids, the youngest of whom has lots of health problems, including immune issues. Of course her illness has been financially draining on the family, and their current house wasn't the healthiest environment for the little girl. So the EMHE folks came in and, in a one-week span, majorly renovated their house.
This week's episode featured a recently widowed woman with two kids who was streakingstruggling (I have no idea where "streaking" came from...there was no nakedidity in this show!) to keep a farm afloat.
Anne of Keel the Pot has recently blogged (1, 2, 3) about an episode they've filmed in her neck of the woods -- a family with sextuplets who had come close to losing their home through foreclosure.
I cried during the two episodes I watched. I'm sure I'll cry If I see the third. I mean, showing mercy to the sick, visiting widows and orphans, welcoming the little children...what's not to love?
Well, I can think of a few things:
First, is looking to Hollywood to provide for their needs isn't any better than looking to Washington (or Berlin)?
Third, isn't it creepy to make someone's real and deep misfortunes the centerpiece of an entertainment product? Why not have a game show for contestants to win kidney dialysis? Or free brain surgery for the person with a tumor who can tell the biggest sob story?
I'm thinking No, Yes and Yes. And I sold both my TVs to co-workers today at lunch. Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 2/10/2005 02:58:00 PM
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