eternal
New Member
Joined: September 2008
Posts: 57 
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Post by eternal on Jan 19, 2010 11:57:50 GMT -5
In each episode, Gutted sets out to prove less is more and gives one unsuspecting hoarder the fright of their lives. Nominated by their family (and with their help) the junk lover returns home, puts their key in the door and walks in to discover that everything they own has been removed. All that remains are the bare walls of their house and presenter Mark Durden-Smith, who gives each hoarder 48 hours to get their possessions back.
But it's not as simple as they think. They can only win back their possessions if they answer a series of question correctly. Each correct question means that a group of possessions is saved; each incorrectly answered questions provokes an impromptu car boot sale in the drive way.
Has anybody been watching this?
I caught some of an episode yesterday. The woman on the show was definitely not living in squalor. She had a really lovely house, and all her treasures were carefully displayed. I couldn't see a speck of dust anywhere and there was loads of clear floorspace. The stuff that she had did not look like junk at all.
I found it difficult to watch. I thought she would be devastated when she walked in and found her house empty, but she seemed to cope. Then she had to do various tests to see if she was allowed to keep the items. For instance, she had to walk past a selection of items, then name as many items as she could in a short time. She failed to name some of her treasured items, including reminders of her dead husband, and they had to go. By the time I stopped watching she had only been able to keep one item, a guitar that had belonged to her dead husband, which was displayed on the landing. I didn't see the end of the programme so I don't know it turned for her, but looking at the site, the participants (nominated by family members) seem to be pleased with the end result.
At first, I was horrified. The show particularly targets hoarders, and I thought it was considered the wrong thing to do, to just clear stuff out - that a hoarder would find that traumatic (I would!) and would quickly revert back to hoarding. It bothered me that the woman wasn't allowed to make any decision about which items were of value. In the programme I saw, there was no "junk" at all - these items seemed to have real value (i.e. could have been sold) and from what we saw, sentimental value (her grandmother's watch, a surprise gift from her dead husband). I was shocked, and very surprised that the programme "worked".
Then I started wondering about why the programmme worked. Why these people didn't have the screaming ab-dabs and call a halt.
Now at the point when the house was cleared, the woman was asked if she was happy to continue. For all I know, some people say no at that point, so the ones that go on to make the programme are a selected group of people who have chosen to take part, knowing that they will loses some of their stuff. The other thing that struck me was the complete lack of decision-making. However, it wasn't as if the things were just taken away. Instead, the decision-making process was replaced with a different process - the tests. Although the tests were related to the "stuff", there was a lot of chance in whether the person knew the answers. I wondered if that actually made it easier - that the person could feel they'd done their best to keep the items, but chance had taken them away? The choice was to take part in the process, and after that they were able to give up responsiblity.
I'm not sure what to think. I'll try watching another episode and see if I think there's anything there that could work for me.
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Post by puppybox on Jan 19, 2010 13:07:55 GMT -5
that is crazy!
I would have a fit. I guess if they aren't realyl hoarders they may enjoy they "game".
I would quite possibly punch somebody.
however as a tv show I think I would totally enjoy it, I like trashy reality tv.
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Post by Rory on Jan 19, 2010 13:32:08 GMT -5
Well were it to happen to me it would be Police, civil legal action and if I caught anyone in a quiet place I would have a firm word with them.
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Post by 60isolderthanithot on Jan 19, 2010 13:57:31 GMT -5
I'm with Rory, this sounds like a home invasion robbery! What a gross violation of personal space.
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Post by anonymoose on Jan 19, 2010 14:00:22 GMT -5
I actually lost my breath for a second when I read that. They'd have to put me away somewhere if someone did this to me. That's NUTS.
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Post by clutterfree on Jan 19, 2010 14:27:22 GMT -5
Gosh, I'm not even a hoarder and if someone had emptied my house and was going to "allow" me to "earn" certain things back, well, them's fightin' words.
What a rotten program. But, I'm sure they have to give permission to participate at some point early in the process, otherwise we're talking breaking and entering and then theft. So they're willingly doing it.
More crappy false-drama reality TV.
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Post by howardsgirlfriend on Jan 19, 2010 14:37:45 GMT -5
I'll quote my DH, after he watched an episode of "Clean House" with me: "Promise me you'll NEVER allow anyone like that in our house!"
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Post by zen on Jan 19, 2010 21:13:20 GMT -5
Oh my, that show sounds terrible - I don't know if I could watch that one. Sounds like they will get sued if you ask me. have you guys heard about the new reality show Live Like your Dying? I dunno, this just seems to be in pretty bad taste to me - opportunistic, taking advantage of people - going for the most heartwrenching stuff just to get ratings. Heres a link: hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2008/10/20/probst-creates/ |
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Post by rickie on Jan 19, 2010 21:35:10 GMT -5
clutterfree is right, they've given permission beforehand... even if they don't know exactly what's planned, they've agreed to be on a show where there's the possibility relatives might empty out their house.
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Post by mellowyellow on Jan 19, 2010 23:05:15 GMT -5
Even if they sign an agreement... is it enforceable?
I mean.. what if a person changes his/her mind?
What if they arrive home and have a total psychological break down?
I don't see how this could possibly be legal, even if they do sign up for the potential of their house being emptied. It's not exactly a "makeover show" where you can grow your hair back, or go back to wearing the sloppy clothes from before. Once these things are gone/donated, there is no retrieving them.... if someone has a change of mind.
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Post by moggyfan on Jan 19, 2010 23:14:35 GMT -5
This sounds like some kind of crazy game show. Surely Monty Hall must be standing just behind the curtain with a $1 million check, else why would anyone want to play?
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Post by mellowyellow on Jan 19, 2010 23:28:44 GMT -5
Okay, so I read a little more, and it seems to imply that many people nominate themselves, but believe they are getting a home makeover.
The kicker for me was the sentence that said that nothing was safe from possible elimination, Not Even Pets. !!!!
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Post by CourageouslyLion SeeksSerenity on Jan 19, 2010 23:32:09 GMT -5
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expletive deleted.
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Post by lostagain on Jan 20, 2010 0:04:14 GMT -5
I would freak out - while I could probably let go (at least logically speaking) of 60% of my things, for instance my father died when I was a child - I have exactly three things of his, two things that he gave me and one book that was his - I would be devastated to lose these kinds of things. And nobody better be touching my cat! She is queen of this house, I only her humble servant.  |
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Post by clutterfree on Jan 20, 2010 1:21:03 GMT -5
I'm sure it's not enforceable, but given that the people are willing in the beginning then they're most likely going to go along with it. And maybe they think they have to. Who knows. I'm sure there's some getting back going on once it's over, or else the company might as well be prepared to be sued. One can only hope the show is cancelled very quickly.
It's just trash TV. Really potentially disturbing trash TV. I could never watch it--I'd be ill within minutes, really.
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