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Post by fluffernut - now Jannie on Jul 23, 2009 16:44:47 GMT -5
I like the shows as a curiosoty, but I do feel sorry for the poor homeowners. I wouldn't let someone in to film the scum around my toilet or my stove burners. And they make the clean up look easy. Everybody pitches in and the house is clean in a matter of minutes. Well, that's TV. They do have some good, green cleaning products. Like ammonia for dog urine on carpets. Who'd have thoght it would get rid of those stains?
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Post by clutterfree on Jul 23, 2009 16:56:23 GMT -5
Hey CLSS, I think it was once explained on Squalor Survivors that you were allowed to use the word L-A-Z-Y but you needed to carefully spell it in a different way.I remember the explanation from SS. I think my gripe moment came more from realizing that ti was the same way here, and seeing all the askterisks in my post. I understand the idea behind it, and I'll remember that it's that way here also, and type the word in a way that it will show up. I still think it's a shame, though. I'm not pointing fingers (at least not at anyone but myself), but having that word asterisked in every instance is a way to not take responsibility. Not everyone has heard the explanation about why it's done. It could all too easily be seen as saying that no one here has ever been !azy, so it's all just someone else's fault. Accepting a situation and taking responsibility for my part in it is necessary to move beyond it. When !azy is treated like a dirty word and has to be spelled different like it's some sort of exception to the rule, the responsbility part can get short shrift in the mind of someone who's good at putting responsibility for her (MY) situation solely on other peoples' shoulders. I'm not campaigining for a change or anything. It's just niggles me and I felt like saying why.  |
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Post by limegreen on Jul 23, 2009 19:22:53 GMT -5
I hated the Life Laundry show, the one where they put everything on the lawn and have the big crusher, it made me hyperventilate. Problaby because my main problem is clutter and I know I have unreasonable attatchments to my stuff. Even the stuff that gets in the way of me living my life.
Kim and Aggie I like, they have great tips, and they're not afraid to show everything. They do swoop in and rescue the householder, but they give out tips and suggest routines for cleaning. In real life, I'd probably be terrified of Kim, and her own house cleaning routines strike me as beyond crazy, this lady vacuums the hall carpet as she leaves the house to go on holiday. Seriously, the house is gonna be empty for a fortnight, who cares? And they do use the L word far too often, they always say the homeowner is L... not overwhelmed, or deppressed or sick or whatever.
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kiz
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Post by kiz on Jul 24, 2009 2:05:43 GMT -5
I can't stand these shows. Those two crazy ladies are so damned patronising. They just don't care, they are just after ratings. Which is fare enough, in it's own way, but you'd think they could at least FAKE caring a little better. It's TV... what's up with a little acting... just acting as if they care? There is no WAY I could have cameras in my house... how awful.  |
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Post by wyoming on Jul 24, 2009 9:48:43 GMT -5
I actually found How Clean... refreshing. I thought the attitude that people seemed to have about the mess in the UK was better than how people in the US would react. Maybe this is a fantasy I made up in my mind, but it seemed like the humor they were able to put on it was a much better attitude about it - in the US I feel like a comparable show would be all down and serious - talking about violations, etc, etc.
I did notice that some of the more recent episodes they make the person take on more themselves, which I think is good. "Clean Sweeps" don't always work, and they've gone back to places to find it just as bad as before. Have you ever seen Kim's Rude Awakening? I don't like it as much because Aggie is a good soft counter to her harsh comedy, but in that show they really do make the families do their own decluttering.
Before I found this place, I would watch How Clean.. because it showed me that I wasn't alone and also made me laugh, which would motivate me somewhat. And I like the cleaning tips.
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Post by howardsgirlfriend on Jul 24, 2009 10:09:21 GMT -5
I love their homemade cleaning recipes. I never wonder whether I'm using the right product, or fear that I'm going to run out of product before I finish a job.
For those of us who get anxious watching these shows here's a little DIY therapy: sit as far away from TV as possible, record the shows if you can, then as you watch, use your remote to pause, mute, or turn it off, before your emotions boil over. Do this frequently at first, until you start to notice a sense of control over your emotions.
If your keep this up, you'll probably be able to desensitize yourself a bit; that will carry over to real life.
For me, the most helpful, least distressing show is Neat, with Helen Buttigeg. She's very kind and considerate, and focues on decluttering and organizing. I can watch her when I'm at my most fragile.
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Post by serenitynow on Jul 24, 2009 17:42:42 GMT -5
 limegreen! They do use the l word a lot, don't they? And also "dirty buggers"! howardsgirlfriend, I've never seen Neat, but wanted to. My Dish Network plan doesn't include that channel  serenitynow- still wanting her own "crushah"
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Post by threeg on Jul 24, 2009 18:44:07 GMT -5
The british women always seemed dramatic and snobby to me also. However I did watch a few episodes back in the day. (Not many.) I used to watch Clean Sweep on H&G tv, but people on that show got on my nerves also. Peter Walsh was the worst,  with his condesending talk and saying you have to trash your real nice wood furniture, and use the cheap stuff they built instead! (that crap won't last 3 years in a house with kids!) The best part of clean sweep was seeing people actually getting stuff done! The reward was the "After" shots of the rooms. That part, along with Squalor Survivors, inspired me to start donating and tossing years ago. I'm still inspired by everyone here, and "I'm still Standing" as sir Elton John sings!    Remember;  3g |
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Post by messyang on Jul 25, 2009 2:21:49 GMT -5
I am a longtime fan of HCIYH, but I don't think it is in production anymore. The shows that Kim and Aggie did from overseas were fine, but the ones where they come to America were actually sponsored by certain cleaning products, which they were then "forced" to endorse. So the homespun cleaning tips were gone. I guess I liked knowing that other people were "dirty" too, and though squalor can be signs of depression and darkness in one's life, it was a light fluffy show, not a psychological documentary. Clean Sweep would be a good show if it weren't so campy, and the people on it are so annoying. I would never allow cameras in my home, however!
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MiSC
Banned
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,611
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Post by MiSC on Jul 25, 2009 9:13:48 GMT -5
In some ways I feel like the messie is treated paternalistically and in sort of a demeaning manner.Kind of like poor errant children. In some ways cleaning up our messes is taking our power back. I feel like these folks power is kind of taken away somehow.I don't know it just kind of bothers me. That's the reason I never watch that show. Those two b****es are so sarcastic and sardonic that it borders on verbal abuse. And I'll never forget what they did to Carol on Oprah. |
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MiSC
Banned
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,611
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Post by MiSC on Jul 25, 2009 9:15:20 GMT -5
Oh, and I'll be on tv soon.
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Post by charis on Jul 25, 2009 11:06:37 GMT -5
MiSC--hope the TV experience was a good one Home Made Simple is a new show on HGTV that I like--it doesn't always have clutterers but it sometimes does. They do organizing and recipes. The clutter is always treated clamly and as mattter of factly as someone who needs decorating ideas. There is never any patronizing or overwraught speechifying from the hosts. www.homemadesimple.com/en_US/tvlanding.do |
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Post by def6 on Jul 28, 2009 14:31:51 GMT -5
I'm so sorry to respectfully disagree with some of you. but I love, love, Love How clean is your house and I love the big lady Kim. She reminds me of a aunt or grannie that wans to help you so much that she's gonna give you a kick up the backside if you are screwing up. I would let that woman call me a dirty begger anyday!( I do realize that for some people this approach would do more harm than good.) But I have watched every episode and I really think that Kim cares about people. I'm sorry that she was abrupt with Carol on Oprah- that was "The Act."
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Hazel
New Member
Actually, still sorting it all out...
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 78
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Post by Hazel on Jul 28, 2009 15:41:41 GMT -5
I don't care much for 'How Clean Is Your House?' and I'd run a mile from Kim & Aggie, though it has its good points (their inexpensive cleaning tips and efforts made to clean the things the owner wants to keep), but I absolutely loved The Life Laundry (as mentioned by others here). My only whinge about The Life Laundry was that the clutter usually seemed manageable e.g. collections of things in boxes that were "like with like" - I thought they could never tackle a mixed-up mess like mine over a single weekend! I hope they show the repeats some time, because Dawna Waters' advice was so good ( such as "use it or lose it" or "just keep the very best one, discard the rest" - so sensible when you see it done on TV, so much harder to put into practice when it's your own stuff) and the ending, where they show the uncluttered home with that lovely music playing, so inspiring!
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Post by breakingfree on Jul 28, 2009 15:43:57 GMT -5
Hey CLSS, I think it was once explained on Squalor Survivors that you were allowed to use the word L-A-Z-Y but you needed to carefully spell it in a different way.I remember the explanation from SS. I think my gripe moment came more from realizing that ti was the same way here, and seeing all the askterisks in my post. I understand the idea behind it, and I'll remember that it's that way here also, and type the word in a way that it will show up. I still think it's a shame, though. I'm not pointing fingers (at least not at anyone but myself), but having that word asterisked in every instance is a way to not take responsibility. Not everyone has heard the explanation about why it's done. It could all too easily be seen as saying that no one here has ever been !azy, so it's all just someone else's fault. Accepting a situation and taking responsibility for my part in it is necessary to move beyond it. When !azy is treated like a dirty word and has to be spelled different like it's some sort of exception to the rule, the responsbility part can get short shrift in the mind of someone who's good at putting responsibility for her (MY) situation solely on other peoples' shoulders. I'm not campaigining for a change or anything. It's just niggles me and I felt like saying why. I agree with this. And it wasn't until I took that responsibility for myself that I was truly able to desqualor. BF |
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