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| Am I a dummy for watching? |
In defense of all the personal shoppers in the world, and to paraphrase Shakespeare, we come not to praise "Million Dollar Shoppers" but to bury them. Please. Whose idea-of-a-Lifetime was it to depict a profession of genuinely hard-working (if a little fashion-obsessed) persons and turn it into a mockery of the service, the clients and the product?
There is such a thing as a guilty pleasure and another thing entirely to be guilty by association. Watching this show is like surveying the scene of a car wreck; you can't tear your eyes away but you should.
Far from being a self-help offering with which to improve ourselves, "Million Dollar Shoppers" offers only the worst kind of tv voyeurism. "What Not to Wear" (now in its last season I believe) set the tone for feel-good-learn-a-little tv. Although an episode could be frightening (how could one let oneself get that way????), the transformation was always a happy one. Lessons learned? Clean out your closet, get a 3-way mirror and listen to your friends.
I feel bad wasting energy even ranting about "Million Dollar Shoppers". It paints a sorry picture of the good things a personal shopper can do, the problems she can solve, the ability to share her knowledge and love of fashion in a helpful, constructive manner.
Instead we have a bunch of crass, money-hungry egomaniacs clashing with a bunch of crass, monied egomaniacs. And we are supposed to care? Lesson learned? Take this off my DVR schedule immediately.
I don't watch that kind of TV. I frankly found What Not To Wear rather cruel and only saw it a few times. It didn't make the hosts look any cleverer to make fun of the "victim". As an image Professional, I think they missed the mark in that one. This one sounds even worse. Yes, delete.
ReplyDeleteNot sure which version of "WNTW" you saw. The British original was indeed very snarky with too much cruel humor. The US version with Stacy and Clnton is kinder/gentler, but I guess it has run its course.
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ReplyDeleteWhat Not To Wear was on the BORING side for me. Then the more contrived it became trying to make it interesting by finding people who supposedly were street walkers etc and change them it all became to hokey for me. At least this show is IN YOUR FACE blatently hokey. I like the PS because they are funny and I love to laugh but it OFFENDS me only because they try to portray it as REALITY! All the REALITY shows are the epitimy of phoniness and once that is okay with you then you can watch it until like me I feel my mind is wanting REAL food and I have to turn it off!!!
ReplyDeleteI just watched for the first time last week. Yes, some clients were over-the-top ridiculous but I enjoyed seeing the clothes and some of the stylists' style. I do wish the sessions with the client appeared to be more helpful, though, instead of just showcasing big personalities. I'm sure there'd be lots to learn from the stylists if they didn't have to play up so much for the camera.
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