Monday, June 16, 2008

** For HGTV's Rate My Space On TV


I was looking forward to the first installment of HGTV’s Rate My Space on TV. I fully realize that this admission places me in the tragically un-hip category of wanna be designer chicks. I am OK with that.

After several seasons of coma-inducing programming, I was counting on HGTV to see the error of their ways and veer from the predictable: one scary designer, one hunky carpenter, one color blind homeowner, tents in the driveway formula. They did not.

There are over thirty thousand rooms uploaded to the Rate My Space website. Homeowners from all over the country (and beyond) post pictures of their spaces, and ask other members of the community to judge them using a five star system. They ask for comments to justify the rating. One star=You Suck. Five Stars= (Will never happen, but if it did) You are a Rock Star.

If this sounds benign, I can assure you it is not. Emotions run high.This is serious business. People have their hearts and pocketbooks invested in their homes. They may ask for opinions, but what they really want (with few exceptions) is a pat on the back, "Atta' girl, Good job." What they are not looking for is honesty, unless of course honesty means, "You are a Rock Star".

There are plenty of (****) Rock Stars on RMS. Plenty of homes we want to see more of. Plenty of homeowners that find good advice amidst the barrage of Mean Girl comments at Rate My Space.

The point is, HGTV ignored the culture of their own website. They missed an opportunity to do something (anything) ground breaking, and instead, predictably, took yet another contemporary ranch home, put a tent in the driveway, and tried to turn it into a faux Tuscan Villa (yak).

Regrettably, in the process of the tragic Tuscan rifare, HGTV thought it wise to use homeowners who have high rated spaces, and make them look like ventriloquist dummies via web cam conference calls. Hello? HGTV? These are the people we want to talk to. These are the homes we want to see!

I should not have to tell you, Home and Garden Television, that it is in the DNA of every human with an interest in Homes or Gardens, to want to peek beyond the walls of other people's homes. Good or bad, we do not care. Let us see them! Enough is enough already.

I am giving Rate My Space on TV a generous ** (two Stars). There will be no consolatory "good try" comment to accompany my rating.

HGTV, until you buy Angelo S. some hair, or at least a hat, and a new on-camera personality (as well as some interesting content, and a less tired format) to accompany his scary, too-white teeth, I shall not be back.

Where is Sara Richardson or Linda Reeves when we need them?

Out-T.

Image: http://images.search.yahoo.com

karey m. said...

i cannot wait to spend a month in the states this summer so i can catch up on all the hgtv shows.

are you serious? i haven't seen anything in over two years, but wouldn't you think SOMEONE would be more in touch with the audience?

i mean, we've all grown up. no need for ty the carpenter. right?!

man, i've got to get back.

Anonymous said...

Tobi, I appreciate your review. I am cableless, no satellite dish, no friends who'll let me come over just to watch design shows.

I don't think I missed much. I did see "the reveal" today on the web - yawn. There was absolutely nothing personal about the room, could have come from a Tuscan-style page in any home furniture catalog. I, too, was hoping for more.

Perhaps it will improve. I for one would like to see if some of these rooms from RMS look as good in real life as they do on the site. I'd like to see one of the posters recreate a project they did in the room that's the inspiration. Oh, well, I'm neither writing nor producing.

Keep me updated, if it gets better I might splurge for cable this winter.

oldhousejunkie

Tobi said...

Karey- Back at home for a month!? Good for you! After seeing pictures of your latest va-ca, I felt homesick for a place I had never even been. It was breathtaking! Miss.G is quite right. As for HGTV, I'm boycotting. Ty the hunky carpenter is too old for me now anyway!

OHJ- I sort of like the RMS website, even with all its issues. HGTV as gotten tons of free material handed to them. I cannot understand why they did not make better use of it. I swear one more "flip this house" show I will jump.

Teresa Meyer said...

Aaaaaamen!!

Tobi said...

tsw- Have you seen Design Star this season? I have to admit, surprisingly, I do not think it is awful.

Whatsapp Button works on Mobile Device only

Start typing and press Enter to search