
But I digress.
The show is good enough. I mean I watch it when it's on. But the thing I don't like about this show is the host, Clive Pearse. He more or less just gets on my nerves. He was apparently a big deal on the BBC, but over here he's just annoying. He fails at being "spontaneously" funny, and he moves and stands uncomfortably, especially for a host of a television show. He tries to disguise his doughy shape with too-large shirts, yet keeps an open collar to show off his collection of jeweled neckwear. Besides all that, I hate the way he says the word "plants".
In sharp contrast to him is Designer Lisa LaPorta. On the outside, she is the combination that usually makes me roll my eyes to the back of my head: short, female, perky, overachiever. But in spite of all that, I really like her. She's not a bit overbearing, and I've never seen a design of hers that I didn't like. She's creative without being condescending.
Aside: sometimes, Lisa gets a little strange. During one of her "Lisa LaPointers Moments" (cute huh?), she was imparting wisdom on how to maximize the curb appeal of your home: Step 1, take down the dilapidated old mailbox from your house. Step 2, paint the mailbox -- and then a 3 minute commercial for suspense -- Step 3, put the mailbox back on the house. Step 4, stand back and admire your work and the value it has added to your house. I mean. Come on. Really?
But as much as I watch and like the show and hate the host, I also sometimes have a problem with the budget unveiling. On one episode, they said they only spent $30 of their weekly $2,000 budget on paint; that's $30 to paint two rooms, one of which was at least 14x30 and already painted slate blue. There's no way only $30 of paint did the trick. I just painted my 10x12 bedroom and it cost me $52. Also, on a recent episode, they added stainless appliances to update a kitchen, but the items failed to make it into the budget at the end of the show.
Still the show does teach and explain well, so it does its job. I just wish they would get rid of the awful host. The designer, however, can stay. Oh yeah - and bring Steve back too!
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You may have figured out since this post that Steve is now host of Hammer Heads on HGTV Saturday mornings. I'd never heard of him, but became a little infatuated within 30 minutes and started googling him. He's precious.
ReplyDeleteSteve Hanneman is a hot piece. I was actually looking for hot pics of him when I found your site.
ReplyDeleteI actually saw Clive Pearse in July at a Design Star 2 PR event in Manhattan. I don't really enjoy him at the show but he was surprisingly witty and spontaneous as the host of the PR event. There were a few screwups that happened and he just rolled with the punches.
You probably know this already, but Steve Hanneman is now on Hammer Heads on HGTV.
ReplyDeleteAnd he is quite the cute one.