Are Shows Like “Fixer Upper” Damaging Or Restorative For Your Mental Health?
It’s not so black and white, but rather…greige: Home renovation shows set unrealistic expectations, doggedly gloss over the laminated dangers, and feed our inner #genzgreen monster. Or…do they?
I know, it feels like Joanna Gaines can do no wrong! And without shows like Fixer Upper, how else would we know that gray is out, greige is on its way out, and to the shock of everyone, renter’s beige is actually in? Or where else would we find out that coastal grandma isn’t just for your wardrobe but is now a hot decor trend? (Oh wait, it’s already out. Grandpa Eclectic is now trending.) What’s so wrong with getting lost in someone else’s dream home anyway?
Rest assured, I’m not about to declare that we must cancel every home renovation show (which, for the record, I’ve seen nearly all of them), but as we dive into the brief history of our culture’s obsession with the McGees and the Gaineses in networks like HGTV and Magnolia, we are going to learn just how exploitative their preying marketing schemes can be.
A Three Decade History
Launched in 1994, Kenneth Lowe – “a frustrated architect” – founded HGTV with the desire to educate the American public about, well, homes. At the time, the only home-focused TV program was PBS’s popular renovation show This Old House.
HGTV took off in large part because of its timing. The Boomer generation was coming of age and entering the housing market. Home Depot and Lowes saw a boom in sales in the early 1990s too. What naturally follows is an increased interest in interior design. Lowes acknowledges that this wasn’t the result of HGTV, but shares that the network was “smart enough to ride the wave of what was going on in society and be reflective of it.”
In their proudly owned homes, the American public confidently took on DIY projects, bolstered by how-to shows that taught skills previously believed to have been only obtainable through trade school and professionals.