Why TV is dangerous
Over the weekend I watched a certain Gardening and Home Channel on the TV. If you've ever watched (and I'll bet you have) these shows, you know how they go into a house, repaint the entire thing (which is usually some unfortunate shade of pink to begin with), rip up the shag carpeting from the '70's, replace the tacky florescent light fixture in the kitchen, redo the countertops (granite of course), and replace all the window treatments for under $100.
OK, so that might be a stretch, but I really did see them replace some counter tops with granite for around $400 once and while it wasn't a huge kitchen it was big enough that no one outside of the industry would be able to get that kind of price legally.
Anyway, when I watch these kinds of shows, I tend to get ideas, and then I think - hey, I can do that! But about the time I start making sketches and lists for the hardware store, I realize that I actually do NOT have a crew of strong, helpful men who will do the grunt work (I do have a strong, occaisionally helpful man and a small, very helpful man, but I digress), a carpenter set up in the backyard at my beck and call, and someone to sew the huge sizes of fabrics that window treatments entail. (Yes, I can sew, but one of my biggest pet peeves at the sewing machine is wrestling with large pieces of fabric. It's fiddly and irritating to me.)
They should have a disclaimer at the start of these shows, kinda like the "What you are about to see is done by professionals, please do not try this at home without the consent of your doctor" type of things. Maybe something along the lines of "We realize you can probably do this at home, but you don't have our work crew, our access to ridiculous prices, or the actual intestinal fortitude to tear down and rebuild your house over the weekend, so put down that sledgehammer and plop yourself on the sofa with a mug of hot cocoa and watch us work." I'm just saying.
OK, so that might be a stretch, but I really did see them replace some counter tops with granite for around $400 once and while it wasn't a huge kitchen it was big enough that no one outside of the industry would be able to get that kind of price legally.
Anyway, when I watch these kinds of shows, I tend to get ideas, and then I think - hey, I can do that! But about the time I start making sketches and lists for the hardware store, I realize that I actually do NOT have a crew of strong, helpful men who will do the grunt work (I do have a strong, occaisionally helpful man and a small, very helpful man, but I digress), a carpenter set up in the backyard at my beck and call, and someone to sew the huge sizes of fabrics that window treatments entail. (Yes, I can sew, but one of my biggest pet peeves at the sewing machine is wrestling with large pieces of fabric. It's fiddly and irritating to me.)
They should have a disclaimer at the start of these shows, kinda like the "What you are about to see is done by professionals, please do not try this at home without the consent of your doctor" type of things. Maybe something along the lines of "We realize you can probably do this at home, but you don't have our work crew, our access to ridiculous prices, or the actual intestinal fortitude to tear down and rebuild your house over the weekend, so put down that sledgehammer and plop yourself on the sofa with a mug of hot cocoa and watch us work." I'm just saying.
posted by Melanie at 8:06 AM
10 Comments:
Did you see the one where they flipped the house and did concrete floors, countertops, bathtub, etc.? It was UNREAL. But it did look good. I completely LOL at your post because I am the same way; lotta ideas, no helpers.
Totally agree! I always end up getting so mad because I also want to do those stuff to my house but just don't have the resources - either $$ or man power.
And they make it look so easy, too. Lulls us into thinking we can re-do the bathroom in just a few hours.
Hubby won't let me watch those shows anymore!!
LOL, they are dangerous! We watched one where a "man and his wife" installed an ELEVATOR from the garage up one floor to the kitchen!!! Any my DH was looking wistful, just wishing we had two floor in our house. LOL
Ummm...I have the hubby who sits there and says, "They're doing it wrong. They should do thus and such first." And when he retires from the Navy later this year, I might get the hardwood floors in the living room and upstairs, and the tile in the entry/kitchen/bathrooms. And the molding put back up in the office/dining room. And the kitchen/livingroom painted.
Ha, Ha... one of my favorite channels, but DH will only watch half an hour or so before he either finds the same disclaimer necessary or falls asleep. But then he wakes up and has big ideas about us doing the floor or redoing a bathroom (or lately both). Very dangerous.. especially on a 'snow day'
We love those shows, people get carried away and realize they can't finish the job. Then they call in my husband to finish it up for big bucks. Me on the other hand, well I have him anytime I need him, lol...ciao
You may want to check out this link. It will help you decide that watching ain't so bad.
http://www.seemoresideeffects.ca/
I've got the home improvements husband, too! Really! But he works alone, or with me.
So far, we've redone the kitchen, put siding on the outside of the house and garage, redone all the windows, and a couple of doors. And the garage door, a long time ago.
But I'd like new walls in other rooms, or paint anyway, and that is what he hates to do (paint). And we talk about a new room(s) off the end of the house - there is a "lean-to" there now that is falling down. We'd need to get some new concrete poured to raise it to the level of the slab, and then do that construction. I think we can do it, but it just takes time and money.
No cable here, so we don't see those shows very often. Most of what I see, I don't like anyway, so it isn't so much of an issue!
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