November 8, 2007 3:13 PM
What Not to Wear and a couple other TV favorites
Our TV was turned off for the last five months, but we just had it turned back on.
We don't watch the major networks or sitcoms or dramas. I did watch House for a while, but got tired of the same old schtick. I don't let my kids watch sitcoms because they are just vile in terms of modeling human relationships and breaking down morality.
There are several shows we watch together. Tripp and the Downzers watch football. The girls love TCM, where they play all the old classic movies. I'll tell ya, Maddy knows even more old movies than I do - and I thought I knew them all. I Love Lucy is a family fave.
It helps that we have a DVR, so we can record the shows we want and fast forward through all the commercials, too - because sometimes even when you're watching a decent show, the ads are offensive - if not boring and a waste of time.
Anyway, one show I really love - does anyone else? - is What Not to Wear.
In response to at-their-wit's-end friends' request, Stacy and Clinton show up and surprise the subject with an opportunity to spend $5000 on new clothes in New York. The only hitch: they have to chuck their old wardrobe and be willing to take S&C's advice on shaping up their image.
I really love that they can take someone whose lack of confidence or sexy self-image is driving their wardrobe and keeping them from presenting themselves well. Though most change really comes from the inside out, I do think there are times when if you work on the outside, it brings inner change. In Alcoholics Anonymous, they have a maxim:
Bring the body and them mind will follow.
I saw a reunion show on WNTW where they caught up with women they'd helped a year before and the women talked about how they'd changed. One woman who'd always worn scandalously low cleavage and thigh high skirts talked about how she'd realized she was more than a sex object. One woman had lost about 60 pounds. Although the show is amazingly accepting - they work with all body types and women from all walks of life and weight is never mentioned as something you need to change - it's all driven by what looks best.
Anyway - if you haven't watched the show, you might want to. It's a good mother/daughter show. I was checking it out at the TLC site and saw you can actually download shows here.
Oooh - and there are also downloads of Meerkat Manor - which I love too.
Our TV was turned off during the Planet Earth series - but I hear it's rerunning on Sunday nights beginning 11/11. I've heard such great things about this series - I'm already there. Or at least our DVR will be recording it so we can watch it without commercials when we have time :)
Posted in Entertainment, My life | Permalink
Comments
Wow!!! Thanks for sharing the tidbit about downloads. I LOVE Meerkat Manor! Lately, I've been missing a lot of my favorite "after the kids are in bed shows" (Heroes, ER, House) because I'm in a musical and have been rehearsing every night...and unlike you, we don't own a DVR. I've been missing Meerkat Manor, too...
I was so sad when Flower died, and then Mozart....I realize this is REAL LIFE, but I do wish they had been able to intervene....
Posted by: Linda | November 8, 2007 4:46 PM
We've not had a TV for our four years of marriage,but Matthew recently set up a projector so we could watch DVDs big on the wall. He got a little TV tuner to play a few TV Channels through his computer on the projector so he could watch the Red Sox win the World Series, and now the Patriots sweeping football. We also started watching "America's Next Top Band." He is a musician, so the guy who formerly hated reality shows is eating this up. I think your family would enjoy it since you like American Idol so much.
Posted by: Becky Miller | November 9, 2007 2:32 AM
Just so you know...Denver and The Mile High Orchestra on The Next Great American Band are actually a Christian band. My husband went to college with a couple of the band members and we watch just to see them perform. They are a great group of guys.
Posted by: Elaine | November 9, 2007 1:29 PM
I'm a little late but had to chime in that I love WNTW! I try to limit TV now but before kiddos and then while nursing my first, this was my favorite show. My husband is just puzzled because I am totally not into fashion, but it really is more than that. It's about transformations- making the most what you already have. Hubby much prefers the vehicle to robotic killing machine tranformations ;-)
Posted by: purebillow | November 18, 2007 11:06 PM
