Makeovers

Talked about the Queer eye for the straight guy show with Kristiina. I found it difficult to understand why anyone would go on a makeover show. If five lesbians (or gays, or heteros) showed up at my door with a camera and an intent to redecorate I'd send them running so fast they'd make it to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Kristiina said that they don't necessarity riducule the people on the show, but that's not the question - why would anyone let somebody else redecorate themselves or their home? In me the whole idea just causes an aggressive reaction - anyone who tries to "bring out a whole new me" is likely to get his or her ass kicked by the old one.

I can understand people wanting something new. What I can't understand is wanting something new without having any vision of what it is. Do many people really want a new wardrobe/hairstyle/wallpaper without having any idea of what (approximately) they want? This is not a rhetorical question, I am really curious.

I sometimes do ask other people's opinions, but only on very specific things.

The last time I met with an unsolicited professional opinion was some 15 years ago when I was buying an eyeliner in Filene's and the saleswoman tried to convince me to buy a gray one rather than a black one. I told her in no uncertain terms that I was not interested. After I got out of the store and opened the bag I saw she put the gray one in there after all. I went back there, and instead of apologizing and saying that she put the gray one in by mistake the woman actaully confessed to putting the gray one in because she still thought I'd look better in it. I gave her a rather stern lecture about exactly how little I value her opinion on this matter, got the black eyeliner and got out of there. She got off easy - if I were in less hurry I would have talked to the manager, too.

I also wonder what makes people want to watch makeover shows. I saw the Queer eye for the straight guy, and the gays there were quite funny, but there was nothing interesting about the makeover itself. There is at least some entertainment value in watching a friend try out a new lipstick, but I don't quite get what is the fun of watching a makeover show where total strangers do something new with themselves or their homes.