Makeover Television Programs - Assignment Example

Makeover Television Programs Since its emergence, television (TV) has become the most powerful source of mass communication and entertainment. Undoubtedly, television has become an integral part of our lives and has successfully claimed a spot in our homes. Ordinary television includes game shows, docusoaps, talk shows and other infotainment programs that are concerned with mundane issues. These shows normally have presenters and involve ordinary people. Lifestyles, makeovers and reality are the main genres of ordinary television. Reality television can be quite interesting as it presents unscripted humorous, dramatic situations of actual events that involve ordinary people instead of professional actors. During 1999-2000, reality shows such as Big Brother and Survivor were a boom in the silver screen. Watching real people competing with each other or struggling against a personal battle can be great entertainment as well as inspire and motivate viewers. Makeover programs are a significant sub category of reality television where home, garden, behaviour, appearance, wardrobes are drastically transformed to meet certain standards. There is a wide range of makeover programs such as Swan, Queer eye for the straight guy, How to look good naked, Amazing Race, etc. that project peoples personal struggles with relationships, career, sports, fear, weight and physical appearance. Similarly, home improvement makeover programs such as BBC’s Divine Designs or ABC’s most popular Extreme makeover: home edition are some of the most popular programs highlighting home improvement struggles. TV ratings have proved that people love watching makeovers or transformations undergo in the matter of an hour (reality-TV. find the best). To viewers at home anything seems possible when they watch ordinary people achieve their goals. On the flip side, beauty makeover programs have also created a culture where beauty is seen as a commodity ,that can be bought and sold, and that a perfect physical appearance is important for self-confidence, happiness and sense of belonging. This paper will delve into two of the most important makeover shows in the history of television – ABC’s Extreme Makeover and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Differences and similarities based on identity, appearance and transformation will be discussed in details. ABC’s Extreme makeover and Extreme makeover: home edition ABC’s Extreme Makeover series, first started airing in November of 2002, offers both female and male contestants a complete physical transformation that centers on thousands of dollars’ worth of cosmetic surgery. (Davis, Rogers and Bryson 12) By far this is the most widely circulated American cosmetic surgery makeover that has also been imported and adapted by British, Flemish and Dutch television channels catering to a young and predominantly a female audience. Comparatively, Americans have been seen as more open and willing towards plastic surgery than their European counterparts. For Europeans going under the knife for a physical transformation is something intimate that may involve criticism from friends, family and society as a whole. (Franco 471) Through the expertise of a group of doctors, a plastic surgeon, a cosmetic dentist and an eye surgeon, along with a dream team of personal trainers, stylists and hair and makeup artists, "Extreme Makeover" aims to transform the lives of participants and eventually redirect their destinies. A woman can go through liposuction, tummy tuck, face-lift along with fashion consultations and highlights. One of the main reasons for the popularity of this series is that the transformed look is more natural rather the plastic look as seen in other beauty makeover shows such as Swan. The latter is perceived as more drastic and gives the strong feeling of ugly ducklings has been forced into their heads. A viewer of Swan comments, “I thought the young girl was reasonably attractive before they operated on her. After, she looked almost freakish with the pinched shaped nose and big mouth which looked too big. Poor girl looked better before!”(Franco 474). Whereas, the Extreme Makeover has proved to be more empathetic towards the viewers and the participants. Web sites, such as www.fansofrealitytv.com, give opportunity to ex-contestants and candidates share their emotional stories and encourage each other to apply for the show. By focusing on participant’s personal life, intimate stories, reality makeover television has turned intimacy into normalcy (Skeggs, Beverly and Wood 563). This has eventually normalized cosmetic surgeries, thereby creating a cultural shift. Even the American society for Aesthetic plastic surgery has revealed that makeover shows on television have boosted 44% increase in surgical and non-surgical procedures performed in United States since 2003. Women in general have become convinced that a perfect physical appearance is necessary for inner happiness and professional achievements. Anybody who desires cosmetic surgery is not a candidate for Extreme Makeover. To be the chosen one, participants must sufficiently prove that they are in need of cosmetic intervention. Considering the fact that the show is about making over participants’ visual aesthetic, it can be assumed that the basic criterion for being selected is the applicants’ appearance. “Using this approach, the ugliest are the neediest. While it is unclear how producers actually went about selecting participants, the narrative established throughout each episode centers on explaining why a particular recipient needs and deserves an extreme makeover”.(Heather 13) In some of the epiosdes of Extreme Makeover, women have also mentioned in their “before surgery confessionals” that the hopes of having more secure and stable love lives is the major drive for a physical transformation. The participants themselves made these critiques despite the fact that these women are considered “whole and “good” human beings—with families and friends who cared about the “real” them, not the one that was constructed through plastic surgery”. In one of the episodes, a husband commented that he sent away 5 and got back 10. Husbands never mention missing their old wives rather enjoy their trophy wives. Apparently, husbands welcome makeover as much as their wives. Gradually, extreme makeover has impacted the viewers by creating a sense of insecurity and an urgency to get a quick fix to their body and looks for more acceptance and love. (Gallagher and Herbert 60) Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Extreme makeover: home edition, premiered in December 2003, is one of the top rated shows in ABC, surpassing the original extreme makeover in terms of ratings. This Emmy award winning series has gained respect and attention for helping families in distress. Families affected by natural calamities, or deaths, or unavoidable debts due to illnesses are the best candidates for this show. Families that apply for home makeovers undergo tight scrutiny by the team who filter out the most deserving candidate based on their necessity, the authenticity of their situation and if they can give back anything to the community. This show is aired once a week for 1 hour and is hosted by Ty Pennigton - formerly a carpenter on the show Trading Spaces and a high profile TV personality. From The moment Ty gives his “good morning” wake up call he and his team gets one week to rebuild the house of the deserved family which would otherwise take several months of hard work. Ty gets bent on bringing the neighbours together and motivates and monitors his team to rebuild an entire house within a very short period of time. Indeed, it is a race against time (ABC’s official website). Depending on the condition and family’s needs, the house is either demolished or renovated and during that time the family is sent off on one-week vacation. As the family is on vacation, they receive video messages from Ty’s video camera via computer laptop. By the third season, the team used creative ways such as tanks, falling trees or even monster trucks for demolition purposes. Once they even used dynamite to blow up the house. Followed by the demolition process, one or two local home builders and community volunteers start the basic work of plumbing, electrical, roofing or framing a new one if the house is demolished. The design team comes into play after the basic work is accomplished. “You’ll see dingy kitchens get completely tricked out, spa-inspired bathrooms built where icky ones once were, and olympic-sized swimming pools installed in what were once shabby overgrown yards”(ABC’s official website). The work is done from scratch where TY and his crew adds five star luxuries and occasional theme park attraction, the kind of stuff that anybody would want in their own home. (ABC’s official website) There is always a secret room, selected by Ty, which is not allowed to be viewed prior to final reveal. The family returns after a week to see the extreme makeover and a cheering crowd. The ambience gets charged up with emotions as tears of joy and excitement roll down. Similarities based on identity, appearance and transformation: 1. Both the shows bring about drastic transformation that promises a new beginning. Extreme makeover participants are offered a head to toe makeover which involves plastic surgeons, cosmetic dentists and hair and make-up stylists. The show perpetuates the idea that a perfect physical appearance is necessary for a fulfilling life. Participants share their emotional stories make the audiences believe that their physical drawbacks are in the way of finding true love or success in their profession. Husbands, friends and family have all appeared to be as happy as the one who go under the knife for extreme makeover. In case of home makeover, the families receive a renovated or a completely new home that would otherwise be impossible to own one. “Its extremely uplifting, as the renovated home always belongs to a deserving family” (ABC’s official website). Participants in both the shows have to prove that they truly deserve a makeover. 2. Both have faced criticism by media and viewers. In case of home edition, it is said that sears and other official sponsors donate stuff and the entire community work for free and donate time and service while ABC films it and makes money out of it(Stephen 6). Secondly, it is slowly seeping into the minds of people that architectural salvation can make people play their role more efficiently. “If the home is fixed, then the people who live in that home will be fixed, as well. (Askew 10). From a personal point of view, motivation has to come within to have a functional family. The original extreme makeover has made beauty a commodity that can be bought and sold (Sender 15). The show has made women and also men even more conscious about their physical appearances and what they wear. Identity is created on a superficial level on what they wear and how they look. Rather working on a spiritual level and bringing out the inner beauty, the show has established that physical transformation is of utmost importance for a happier inner self. Differences based on identity appearance and transformation 1. Extreme makeover focuses on an individual or a couple of individuals who prove to be the most deserving candidates for a physical makeover. Self –esteem and body image play a crucial role. Mostly women participate in the shows, although men are also offered transformation. Here gender plays an important role. Men appear to be more satisfied with their appearance than women. Most importantly, it is less manly for a man to go for such a drastic transformation. whereas the home edition focuses on a family who have faced dire situations due to natural calamity, unavoidable debts due to illness, family deaths etc. “Before you start getting all jealous, the lucky homeowners always have a heartening back-story: Heroes, community leaders, and a plethora of inspirational families are truly the heart and soul of the show. Theres that saying, "home is where the heart is," and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition puts the heart right where it belongs. (ABC official website) 2. Home edition is extremely community-oriented where neighbours come together along with the makeover team to re-build a home. Whereas in the other, physical transformation is taken care of by a group of expert surgeons and make-up, hairstyles and style gurus. This is something done more privately and then aired in the television. Conclusion Since almost a decade reality TV and makeover shows have dominated the silver screen. People can get hooked to a makeover show in the matter of an hour. Makeover shows focused on physical transformation, interior decoration, gardening, behaviour or styles have become an integral part of today’s television. The impact of television on our culture and our mindset can be tremendous. As a result of beauty makeover shows more and more women are now deciding to go under knife to alter their physical appearance to become more “socially acceptable”. While cosmetic surgeons, the beauty and fashion industry are making money, we go through the dangers of surgery and become guinea-pigs of our own self-consciousness and insecurity. Undoubtedly, families who receive a brand new house have gone through distress, but viewers have become much needier for those five star facilities in their own home. The melodrama that is created in all the makeover shows makes television very interesting. People love to see the drama between the creative teams, emotional participants, real life stories, quirky results and the excitement or the sadness of the people. Bibliography Franco, Judith. “Extreme makeover: The poilitics of gender , Class and Cultural identity” 2 September. 2008. www.sagepublications.com Skeggs, Beverley and Wood, Helen. “The labour of transformation and circuits of value around reality television,Continuum, 22:4. 01 August. (2008). 559 — 572 “Makeover TV Reality Shows”. http://reality-tv.findthebest.com/directory/d/Makeover 9 June, 2011. Nathans-Kelly, Stephen. “Extreme Makeover: Home Addiction”. EventDV, 23.3 Apr (2010), 6-7. Print. Askew, Emily. “Recreating A World In Seven Days: Place, Disability and Salvation in Extreme makeover: Home edition”. Disability Studies Quarterly, 31.2 (2011), 10-10, 1 Talley, Heather. “Extreme makeover: cultural investments in Face Work”. 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