Well, it is better to give…
…which is why I have SHaQ Attack contests! (More to follow on that.) But…did anyone watch Oprah’s Big Give last night? It’s kind of like Extreme Life Makeover….only there are winners and losers. Anything that helps people, I’m all for that, but the part where it’s a contest and people go home for doing good things, just not quite as good as other people doing good things, is just kind of….I don’t know. I get that it’s the competition that gets folks to work harder at being the best Big Giver, and I get that they don’t think there is anything in it for them except, maybe, a big shiny disco ball trophy or something, like on Dancing With the Stars… So, I’m cool with all that, but….it’s still a wee bit off for me. I’m more a Extreme Home Makeover fan, I guess, where it’s all give, and no one goes home or gets punished. But that defeats the whole reality show contest thing. Still…. Maybe we just need more Extreme Home-type shows and fewer reality show contestants. (Did I really just say that?)
But I did watch, and yes, I sniffled. My favorite help-ee was the homeless woman. I really felt they made the most significant change for her and she was clearly incredibly moved by the help and support, and not expecting anything. I think she’ll do the most with what she received. That was followed closely by the wrenching scene with those little twins writing notes to their dad and sending them to heaven in balloons. Pass the Kleenex! Also loved the woman who ran the place for disabled kids. She was also truly touched with the help she received and will also probably make a huge impact on a lot of other lives because of it.
Worst, for me, was the med student getting some of his student loans paid off. It’s not that I didn’t feel he should get help so he can go on to help others, I just felt in comparison to, well, every other help-ee, his was the least dire situation, and therefore not as readily sympathetic.
As to the Big Givers…it was kind of interesting to see how they had to just go and figure out what they could do to help. I like that aspect of the show as it does illustrate how one person can truly make a difference. (Even more so if they have a camera crew following them around, and Oprah’s name attached to their cause….) But that was a good thing to see. I was prepared to like the woman who is a paraplegic, and ended up…not so much with her. Whereas the bleached blonde I was entirely ready to write off and cringed every time her crazy hair was on the screen….and yet she was the one from her team to really come through. So…go figure. Show of hands on how many people want the scruffy beard guy who helped the widow and twins to come help them, oh, I don’t know, do anything! Cut my grass! I don’t ask for much. Okay, so I want him to do it shirtless, but really…
Judges - like Mrs. Chris Rock, will willingly watch NFL Tony do pretty much whatever NFL Tony wants to do, but what’s up with the Jaime character? I don’t know him, never watched Naked Chef (and not sure I want naked Jaime. Naked Football Camp, now that I’d watch, but not so much with the British cook.) He’s a bit of a wanker, isn’t he? Is he like that on his program, or is he just being the “standard British jerk judge?” Honestly, they’re really giving the Brits a bad name, these American reality shows.
Sadly, like Simon, I did find myself often agreeing with the Cranky Thankfully Clothed Chef, so there is that.
So….did you watch? What did you like? Who should leave next? And can we all pool our resources and get shaggy bearded guy to come cook us breakfast? Just asking!
For this week’s SHaQ Attack, you need to tell me who Delilah Hudson’s hero is. Send your entries to donna@donnakauffman.com with “My Hero!” in the subject line. One winner will be drawn from all correct entries, and announced in Friday’s blog. Winner gets a free book! Happy hunting!
Aaaaaand, dish!
