Vote for why you think it jumped
Steve replaces Bob
Never Jumped
Kevin replaces Steve
$100k is not enough
Too many city tours
Shark Bytes
TOH and Hometime were pioneers in the field. The Junk that is on (Flip this house) is incredible. Bob, Norm and Tommy are legends. Yes, I admit that when Kevin came on the show it JTS. Look at the episodes when he first started. The chop breaking on him was real from Norm and Tommy. The show has run it's course and is dated.
Seems like they spend more time on city tours, local attractions, etc, than actually SHOWING YOU A HOUSE BEING BUIT OR REMODELED! I LOVE the craft of old buildings, and I want to see what made those old houses so good, and what the general contractors, and the TOH crew are doing to maintain or recreate or repair what made those houses so special. I never see plaster being repaired, for instance. EVERYTHING is drywall! Not everyone loves drywall!
Another thing is the emphasis on people who have UNLIMITED budgets, i.e. George Mabry and the Cambridge House. The guy must've spent 2 million dollars on his house. but what did we learn? not much, because most of the work was completed by people other than the crew of TOH, and more importantly, THE HOME OWNER! It would be nice to see TOH get back to its roots with a documentary style show, showing us, the viewer, how these house were made, and what makes them so special, while giving us insight into how to make the repairs that most homeowners of old houses would need.
Another thing is the emphasis on people who have UNLIMITED budgets, i.e. George Mabry and the Cambridge House. The guy must've spent 2 million dollars on his house. but what did we learn? not much, because most of the work was completed by people other than the crew of TOH, and more importantly, THE HOME OWNER! It would be nice to see TOH get back to its roots with a documentary style show, showing us, the viewer, how these house were made, and what makes them so special, while giving us insight into how to make the repairs that most homeowners of old houses would need.
There are 2 cable channels that run shows about flipping and redorating houses for the middle class. They will replace TOH in time.
This describes Bob Villa perfectly:
Narcissistic personality disorder
Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), is a personality disorder defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV-R), the diagnostic classification system used in the United States, as "a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and a lack of empathy." A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
1. has a grandiose sense of self-importance
2. is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3. believes that he or she is "special" and unique
4. requires excessive admiration
5. has a sense of entitlement
6. is interpersonally exploitative
7. lacks empathy
8. is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her
9. shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
The etiology of this disorder is unknown according to Groopman and Cooper. However, they list the following factors identified by various researchers as possible factors:
• An oversensitive temperament at birth
• Overindulgence and overvaluation by parents
• Valued by parents as a means to regulate their own self-esteem
• Excessive admiration that is never balanced with realistic feedback
• Unpredictable or unreliable care giving from parents
• Severe emotional abuse in childhood
• Being praised for perceived exceptional looks or talents by adults
• Learning manipulative behaviors from parents
Some narcissistic traits are common and a normal developmental phase. When these traits are compounded by a failure of the interpersonal environment and continue into adulthood they may intensify to the point where NPD is diagnosed. It has been suggested that NPD may be exacerbated by the onset of aging and the physical, mental, and occupational restrictions it imposes as can most personality traits.
Narcissistic personality disorder
Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), is a personality disorder defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV-R), the diagnostic classification system used in the United States, as "a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and a lack of empathy." A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
1. has a grandiose sense of self-importance
2. is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3. believes that he or she is "special" and unique
4. requires excessive admiration
5. has a sense of entitlement
6. is interpersonally exploitative
7. lacks empathy
8. is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her
9. shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
The etiology of this disorder is unknown according to Groopman and Cooper. However, they list the following factors identified by various researchers as possible factors:
• An oversensitive temperament at birth
• Overindulgence and overvaluation by parents
• Valued by parents as a means to regulate their own self-esteem
• Excessive admiration that is never balanced with realistic feedback
• Unpredictable or unreliable care giving from parents
• Severe emotional abuse in childhood
• Being praised for perceived exceptional looks or talents by adults
• Learning manipulative behaviors from parents
Some narcissistic traits are common and a normal developmental phase. When these traits are compounded by a failure of the interpersonal environment and continue into adulthood they may intensify to the point where NPD is diagnosed. It has been suggested that NPD may be exacerbated by the onset of aging and the physical, mental, and occupational restrictions it imposes as can most personality traits.
I just finished watching the Newton project last night. Whew! I am gald that's over. Where do I start? A George Clooney wannabe, olympic medal winning swordsman, or whatever, who loves to play baseball and his wife, a clock collector. (Awesome clocks by the way).
Seriously, I know the guy is a silver metal winner but, c'mon, how many people can afford to live like this? From the $200,000 kitchen to the bluestone patio, to the communal shower? The producers of this show don't really beleive that we are buying this, do they? Nobody could afford to live like this unless they were heir to a family fortune.
How about some shows for the rest of us?
And please!!!! No more tours to obnoxious design centers filled with these women who strut around like they are the only ones who know how a color wheel works.
Geez! Figure it out already. This is a Man show - or is supposed to be. We want to see things like blowing out walls, jacking up houses, and foundation drainage systems. Isn't it time to finally listen to your target audience? This group running TOH now even managed to turn Norm into a big wuss!
Seriously, I know the guy is a silver metal winner but, c'mon, how many people can afford to live like this? From the $200,000 kitchen to the bluestone patio, to the communal shower? The producers of this show don't really beleive that we are buying this, do they? Nobody could afford to live like this unless they were heir to a family fortune.
How about some shows for the rest of us?
And please!!!! No more tours to obnoxious design centers filled with these women who strut around like they are the only ones who know how a color wheel works.
Geez! Figure it out already. This is a Man show - or is supposed to be. We want to see things like blowing out walls, jacking up houses, and foundation drainage systems. Isn't it time to finally listen to your target audience? This group running TOH now even managed to turn Norm into a big wuss!
I agree with recent posters in thinking TOH has jumped.
The houses and renovations are just too dang expensive for the average guy to relate to.
And yes, Kevin is an annoying doofus, Tom Silva is a condescending jerk but Norm is a minor god in a flannel shirt!
And guys, the "What Is It?" segment should be dropped. It's not funny, just sad.
The houses and renovations are just too dang expensive for the average guy to relate to.
And yes, Kevin is an annoying doofus, Tom Silva is a condescending jerk but Norm is a minor god in a flannel shirt!
And guys, the "What Is It?" segment should be dropped. It's not funny, just sad.
I've said it before; Bob advocated for the homeowner trying to find the best options to accomplish the owners' goal while staying under budget. When Bob left, the show abandoned the "average guy" and became an infomercial for the show's owners/sponsors.
TOH now relies on contractors hiring a gaggle of sub's to do the work. Great way to inflate the cost! When was the last time this show completed a project, as proposed and on budget?
TOH is going after the self-absorbed, cash-laden yuppies (is that even the right term nowadays?) who would rather, as one post stated, "rape" the old house. If you have that much money, buy a lot and build what you want from scratch. Leave the old house for someone who cares enough to restore it to it's original splendor.
I do, however, applaud the effort to get back to basics with Ask This Old House. Even the condescending Tom Silva demonstrates that homeowners can still do a lot of home repair.
I know ATOH can be dry at times, and "What is It" sucks (time to get another beer!). There is also nowadays a wealth of information on the Internet on basic home repair, but ATOH adds useful hints about each job that make the work easier and more effective (e.g. when moving a rose bush the other day it was pointed out the best time of year to move the bush and the best way to dig it out to minimize damage to the roots).
I don't have cable or satellite, so I don't know if this has happened, but there is definitely a niche market for a good, basic home repair show. Maybe one of the Internet home repair sites can create a series detailing projects sent in from homeowners.
I now only occasionally watch TOH, and then only to see how they have bastardized a once-interesting home.
Sprfld
TOH now relies on contractors hiring a gaggle of sub's to do the work. Great way to inflate the cost! When was the last time this show completed a project, as proposed and on budget?
TOH is going after the self-absorbed, cash-laden yuppies (is that even the right term nowadays?) who would rather, as one post stated, "rape" the old house. If you have that much money, buy a lot and build what you want from scratch. Leave the old house for someone who cares enough to restore it to it's original splendor.
I do, however, applaud the effort to get back to basics with Ask This Old House. Even the condescending Tom Silva demonstrates that homeowners can still do a lot of home repair.
I know ATOH can be dry at times, and "What is It" sucks (time to get another beer!). There is also nowadays a wealth of information on the Internet on basic home repair, but ATOH adds useful hints about each job that make the work easier and more effective (e.g. when moving a rose bush the other day it was pointed out the best time of year to move the bush and the best way to dig it out to minimize damage to the roots).
I don't have cable or satellite, so I don't know if this has happened, but there is definitely a niche market for a good, basic home repair show. Maybe one of the Internet home repair sites can create a series detailing projects sent in from homeowners.
I now only occasionally watch TOH, and then only to see how they have bastardized a once-interesting home.
Sprfld
"This Old House" has jumped because the homes they now work on are too expensive and the amount they spend on renovations would feed a Third World country for a year.
What really sucks is on the "Ask This Old House" show during the "What Is It?" segment. Those guys are NOT funny. Honestly you could have more laughs watching your dog die. Which is too bad because "Ask" has become what "TOH" used to be - a how-to show for the middleclass and is otherwise an enjoyable show.
What really sucks is on the "Ask This Old House" show during the "What Is It?" segment. Those guys are NOT funny. Honestly you could have more laughs watching your dog die. Which is too bad because "Ask" has become what "TOH" used to be - a how-to show for the middleclass and is otherwise an enjoyable show.
Although I still watch TOH I'd have to say it has jumped.
Years ago it was about fixing up midde-class homes. Now it's become "This Old Mansion". I mean really, the houses they now work on are worth millions. It's ridiculous and completely out of touch with the average guy.
The commercial plugs inserted into each show are annoying too - all those "visits" are purely advertising. Not to mention that PBS is selling advertising spots at the beginning of each episode in the guise of "supporters"! What BS!
The "hosts" have steadily gone downhill from Bob Vila (good), to Steve (acceptable), to Kevin (annoying doofus).
Kevin is such a dorky gee-whiz fool that he quickly has become even more annoying than Tom Silva. I mean I think he has brain damage - he can't ever remember anything. Everytime one of the craftsmen shows him something, he acts like it's all news to him - despite the fact that he's been shown the same thing about 100 times before.
And Tom Silva is a condescending jerk. Everytime he explains what he's doing he talks down to his audience as if they were all morons.
Rich the plumbing guy is OK but the landscaping guy comes across as a scheming rip-off artists.
They should fire all those dopes and let Norm run the show!
Years ago it was about fixing up midde-class homes. Now it's become "This Old Mansion". I mean really, the houses they now work on are worth millions. It's ridiculous and completely out of touch with the average guy.
The commercial plugs inserted into each show are annoying too - all those "visits" are purely advertising. Not to mention that PBS is selling advertising spots at the beginning of each episode in the guise of "supporters"! What BS!
The "hosts" have steadily gone downhill from Bob Vila (good), to Steve (acceptable), to Kevin (annoying doofus).
Kevin is such a dorky gee-whiz fool that he quickly has become even more annoying than Tom Silva. I mean I think he has brain damage - he can't ever remember anything. Everytime one of the craftsmen shows him something, he acts like it's all news to him - despite the fact that he's been shown the same thing about 100 times before.
And Tom Silva is a condescending jerk. Everytime he explains what he's doing he talks down to his audience as if they were all morons.
Rich the plumbing guy is OK but the landscaping guy comes across as a scheming rip-off artists.
They should fire all those dopes and let Norm run the show!
I watched TOH for a long, long time. I began slacking off my viewing when I read somewhere that the majority of renovation work was done in the Boston area with the reason being so that the hosts wouldn't have to be away from home for long. Well, I can understand that but I am sick of seeing the Boston area and wish they would travel more.
We have special climate problems here in the South that I would like to see addressed. Heck, go out west if you must - just please leave the Boston area for a few seasons. If they don't want to leave their families then maybe they should consider retiring.
We have special climate problems here in the South that I would like to see addressed. Heck, go out west if you must - just please leave the Boston area for a few seasons. If they don't want to leave their families then maybe they should consider retiring.
Good ridence to Steve. You could tell the other guys didn't like him and can you blame them? The O'Connor kid is alright. I think people need to lay off him and remember it could be worse, it could be back to money-hungry Bob!
And what are they suppose to do? Crappy little $20,000 paint and paper jobs? Do we really want to see people hanging drywall? Who cares if they spend some millionaires money? Showing me the latest and greatest on someone elses nickel is fine with me.
And what are they suppose to do? Crappy little $20,000 paint and paper jobs? Do we really want to see people hanging drywall? Who cares if they spend some millionaires money? Showing me the latest and greatest on someone elses nickel is fine with me.
For me, watching a show strictly on how to fix up a house, or plant a garden, or cook a meatloaf by experts with no personality would be boring. There has to be some sort of entertainment value to it. That's one reason I watch TOH. Kevin is growing into the role and is doing ok. I don't mind the the few distractions, and I always get a few ideas out of it. Some posters here need to just chill out a bit.
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