WWTBAM Bored

Hope I'm not opening a can of worms, but here goes:

So, this nice family here in Billings got their 'former chicken coop' home made over. The mom and three daughters are afflicted with Chiari Syndrome, and the mom has done a lot of work helping other with the same problems. I learned several weeks ago that the family owns a local Baskin Robbins ice cream shop. Their new house is lovely. I don't really have a problem with any of that, although when I see some of these houses I think, wow, spend that same amount of three not-quite-so-grand houses, and you change the lives of three families instead of one. Anyhow, I digress. A few days ago, I'm driving home past the strip mall where the B-R is. And out pulls a big black Hummer. It's the B-R 'corporate car' apparently. Somehow, this struck me wrong. I personally know several at least equally deserving local families, some of whom depend solely on public transportation to get their kids to school and get themselves to work. Makes me go hhhmmmm. Maybe the show gave it to them. We'll see soon, as their show airs this Sunday. The incident makes me question the selection process, and wonder how 'need' stacks up against things like telegenics when making their determinations.

I'm just saying...



t.

tlynn78 wrote:Hope I'm not opening a can of worms, but here goes:

So, this nice family here in Billings got their 'former chicken coop' home made over. The mom and three daughters are afflicted with Chiari Syndrome, and the mom has done a lot of work helping other with the same problems. I learned several weeks ago that the family owns a local Baskin Robbins ice cream shop. Their new house is lovely. I don't really have a problem with any of that, although when I see some of these houses I think, wow, spend that same amount of three not-quite-so-grand houses, and you change the lives of three families instead of one. Anyhow, I digress. A few days ago, I'm driving home past the strip mall where the B-R is. And out pulls a big black Hummer. It's the B-R 'corporate car' apparently. Somehow, this struck me wrong. I personally know several at least equally deserving local families, some of whom depend solely on public transportation to get their kids to school and get themselves to work. Makes me go hhhmmmm. Maybe the show gave it to them. We'll see soon, as their show airs this Sunday. The incident makes me question the selection process, and wonder how 'need' stacks up against things like telegenics when making their determinations.

I'm just saying...

I've often wondered about the selection criteria - every story they tell is a heartwrencher, but I'm sure there were others equally as heartwrenching. I hope it isn't telegenics that makes the decision.

I've also often wondered how the families are doing after the fact - I'd be interested in seeing a show in which a family that was helped during the first season was shown again to see how things are going.

tlynn78 wrote:The incident makes me question the selection process, and wonder how 'need' stacks up against things like telegenics when making their determinations.

I am shocked--shocked--that you'd believe TV producers would ever allow telegenics to enter into their casting process!

I've also often wondered how the families are doing after the fact - I'd be interested in seeing a show in which a family that was helped during the first season was shown again to see how things are going.

I'd like to see some of the families revisited, too. It would be good to see a sustained change in their circumstances.


t.

I'm sure that need plays a role in selection, but it may be in approximately the same proportion that I.Q. plays in the selection for Millionaire contestants.

Most of the stuff is donated for advertising purposes so all the expensive extras are for show. If the sponsors were told to trim back on the high dollar items so they could help more families they would probably back out.

The show came and helped the Walswick family, who live a few miles from me in Yorba Linda. The family have nine children and the dad died of cancer.

I heard rumors that the family was going to sue the show because everything the show did started to break, but I don't know if this is true. A few weeks after the show aired, there was a sign outside which asked for visitors to respect the privacy of the owners. Apparently people kept coming by wanting to tour the house.

I think that they should do followups regarding the tax consequences of appearing on the show.

I'm sure the more heartwrenching, the bigger the family, the more dire the circumstances, the cuter the kids, whatever...the more likely they are to get picked. Sad, but probably true.

I have always wondered how some of the families handle moving into such big houses. Their expenses probably go way up...bigger house=more supplies, more heating/cooling, higher taxes, more maintenance. And do they have to pay income taxes on the retail value of the home? Seems like quite a burden to lay on cash-strapped families.

I've always wondered about the tax, financial and social aspects after the house is finished, but I don't like the way they redo the houses now. In the first season on ABC, they would leave the frame of the house, and then renovate from that. Now they just knock 'em down, and start over. I know it's easier to do that, and in some cases it's necessary, but I enjoyed watching the design team meet the challenge of working within the boundaries of the original house.

Last weeks edition was from the next town over. Bridgeport has some really bad sections of town. The family had moved out of the 'projects' to a house in one of the worst neighborhoods. They rebuilt on the same plot of land.

It looked like there was a little clean-up in the neighborhood for TV. And they did show the oldest male in the family how the security system worked.

But there has been no negative comments about the family not being deserving. And they paid off the mortgage so the income can go to the other expenses.

The Hawaii versionhad some controversy about the family not being the 'poorest' one but there was a strong story of community service and a second building was renovated to help that cause.