THOUGHTS THAT FLIT FITFULLY
Robert Redford must be in his early sixties, or at least
sixty. Yet there he is in the ad for Lambs for Lions
(or is it Lions for Lambs, it’s all such a blur) still with
that adorable dollop of his thinning hair falling to his
forehead. They say women never give up. That goes
for men too.
Insensitivity department: Got a letter from the Neptune
Society in which they offered me a chance to “win a
Pre-Paid Cremation.”
In times past, I was a fan of HGTV. That was in the
days when it was much like a good “home” magazine.
First, a long, lingering look at how wretched the room
looked before the HGTV crew of the day salvaged it.
Next, fast cuts of workers tearing the room apart or
simply adding cosmetic touches that made all the
difference Then the breathlessly awaited denouement:
Now, another long lingering look but this time at the
Makeover. First, a long shot of the entire room. Next,
areas of interest such as the fireplace, and its new
accoutrements, or perhaps the blackened red bricks had
been painted sparkling white. Nice! The tartan sofa
that sagged toward the middle has been fluffed up and
slip-covered in off-white canvas. A nest of pillows has
gone to its reward. The coffee table is now a Louie, three books,
artlessly tossed on top. The new art is large enough to
see without being “sofa art” and the frames are on the
same level at the top. The carpet that doesn’t show dirt
because it was the color of dirt when new has been pulled
up. Each change or vignette in the room is lovingly dwelled
upon. In short, the transformation of the room is once
again the Star of the Show.
But now a “people” person seems to have got his or
her hands on this fine show. Workers are shown grimacing
as they cheerfully haul beams, workers are shown mugging
for the camera, workers are shown in pretend candids—
laughing and joshing each other. Before and after shots
of the room are mereglances, and look fitted- in midst all
the fun of the workers.
I’ll come back to HGTV when the room in of the day comes back.
10:09:35 AM 
|
