Extreme Makeover Cynisism

wait, you can put 11 kids through college for only 250,000?

Who said that life is fair. These 11 boys might make something of this. They'll get their educations, and move somewhere else.

They are not giving away a tangible. They are allowing them basically to be in the same room as other students at no charge. There is no real 250k being given away.

Normally I am not cynically but this event gets me started. The ONLY reason the network and producers do this show is to make money, plain and simple. If they can get people to volunteer and work their butts off and sacrifice and donate their time and money then that increases the sponsors and networks bottom line so I suppose down deep I feel those volunteers are really benefiting the stockholders and CEOS of the corporations running the show than the that of the family.

As far as the scholarships go, at first I think, yeah, why should they get a scholarship? But then I think, why shouldn't every young American get a scholarship? We are a wealthy enough society to afford that and it is an investment in the future, including our own future as seniors because it will be these young people running the show when we are retired.

I say divorce altruism and charity from business so that we can be clear about who is benefiting from our so-called volunteering and giving. Also, give all young Americans a scholarship to a public university. They deserve it and we can afford and we need it.

If corporations and CEOS want to do nice things for people then make them all pay their fair share of taxes and donate out of their own incomes.

Your assumption may be correct depending on the funding stream the scholarship money comes from. Free tuition for children of faculty, staff and administration may also fall under the same scrutiny.

Remember there have been three major eras in higher education: Aristocracy, meritocracy, and democracy. Careful what you ask for.

They are probably very nice people. The cynical side of me, (which is taking over) says, how do you afford to raise 11 kids nowadays? I worry that this is one of those cases where people adopt because they get $$ for each kid they adopt.

While it's nice that they gave the 5 kids from Haiti a chance at a decent life, aren't there plenty of kids in this country that need families?

Better yet, besides a college education, let's find a way to provide living wage jobs to people so that they can provide for families and not have to give their children of for adoption and so that there is some alternative to a life of crime and drugs. Let's make living an honest and decent life pay. Let's fix our health care system so that people won't have to go bankrupt or lose their houses when they need medical care.

Yeah, on the surface this extreme makeover thing makes you feel warm and fuzzy and saw, "Awww, isn't that nice!" But the more you think about it the more you realize it reveals so much of what is wrong with our society economically, socially, and even spiritually.

Well, according to all the people for the war we are helping those kids over there. So what's the difference?

Can't have it both ways!

To get back to your original question, this was a business decision.

I find it humorous that you make such a point about this particular case. Tax dollars would have paid for these students college education regardless of whether they attended a public or private institution. Federal and State aid still applies there. Believe me, that is what keeps private schools running. Just as tax subsidies and financial aid keep public schools running.

On the other side of the coin, UT like most public institutions of higher education is endowed with private donations, which as far as you know may very well be paying for some or all of these scholarships.

I get a little tired of people simplifying these issues to fit their own agenda. We hear it enough on the radio. The only difference is that those guys are getting paid.

This is coming from a fiscal conservative, and more often than not a defender of the market system, but my god- use your brain. You can't privatize everything. Although I am sure it makes you feel smart to go off on some indignant rant about how the idiots in government are always stealing your money.

this house, as with all others the extreme people have done since the middle of the first season, is way overkill.

habitat for humanity does an appropriate level of help for a lot more people. they wish they could get this level of volunteerism and donations.

as mentioned before, the biggest beneficiary of this project is ABC - a for profit company. everyone became star-struck and wanted to be close to that fame - down the line these volunteers and site groupies will forever view themselves as "part" of the cast.

the tens of thousands of dollars of additional cash, gifts, and gift cards in addition to the house are silly. rather than make this one family cushy, why not help a large segment of the community - let's do extreme makeover for boys and girls clubs or inner city YMCAs.

<i>rather than make this one family cushy, why not help a large segment of the community</i>

I feel the same way. How many needy families in...let's say the Old South End could the have helped building more modest homes instead of this extragavance? I'm not saying the family was not nice, or needy, or "good people"; I'm simply saying wouldn't it have been nice to help out 5 families instead of just 1. I guess Modest Home Make Over doesn't have the same ring and draw as many viewers.

JR...whats wrong with the italic tags?

<i>UT - A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY - funded by TAXES - giving away 11 scholarships based solely on the fact that these children made it on TV!!!</i>

They are less of a public university now than at any time in recent history. I seem to remember reading that UT only gets between 10-15% of its total operating budget from the state.

Other considerations:
-The universities, not the state, control how scholarships and financial aid are given.
-The publicity that UT got from the coverage may very easily make up any deficit incurred because of a non-funded (I'm assuming no one has donated money for these kids) scholarship.
-There really isn't an increased cost to the university for having an extra couple students each year. I suspect that their meal plans and maybe even room and board will not be included.

What's the deal with the italics not working lately?

Because that would last about half a season. People would not watch so advertising dollars would drop and then they would have no money to help anybody. See how that works?

Why does nobody complain about all the other TV shows on the air where the stars make millions and nobody is getting anything out of it at all? Not even a new house.

It's all good for me. I'm just really, really happy for the family. And I'm very proud of the way the community has responded, including the University of Toledo and Lourdes College.

Of course there are endless places in which individuals, corporations and colleges can choose to invest donations. It's their right to make these choices. And, I say invest, because I believe there is an excellent promise of a return to the community from this family, wherever those kids finally choose to locate.

A certain amount of cynicism is healthy. There are risks in giving, but cynicism can be carried too far. When it is carried too far it completely cripples any attempts to come to the aid or assistance of others. I wouldn't want to live in a world where no helping hand was ever offered.

ryan-simple, because other tv shows don't blow smoke up everyone's butt saying how great a family they are and how they are helping.

I am personally sick and tired of every media source making this family out to be a group of saints when it sounds like they lack common sense.
Adopting/having children is a serious responsibility. Sure, there are "mistakes" that bring children into the world, but making a special effort to adopt 8 children and bring 3 more into the world requires the responsiblity of having the resources to care for them. A 3 bedroom home? Who approved these adoptions? Haiti children? I love it when not only does hollywood set trends in fashion and behavior, but now also in the way of adoption. No qualifying children in the U.S.? Let me guess, they were just taking a walk through Haiti one day and said, wow, "How much are the cute little orphaned children in the window? We'll take 5 please."
I'm not sure about the kids from haiti, but don't you get money for adopted kids in the U.S.? I bet you get a nice deduction on your tax returns.
If this family lived on the east side of Toledo, the child protective services would have been called and all those kids would have been taken away due to lack of appropiate housing.
But, instead, this family apparently beefed up their sob story, made a great promotional video, added the current heart string yanking of being a fireman and won the lottery.
New house, free college, gift cards out the wazzoo for everything from gas to Dick's Sporting Goods, and god only knows what else was added to the "get out of responsibility free" card.
I was critical of it since it all began. I have no problem with charity, helping those with less, etc., etc., but this was overkill.
How can you not believe that the family set themselves up for disaster? All I've heard about is how the father drove his own ambulance back to the hospital when it was attacked by rocks at the riots. What they are calling a hero, I'm calling saving his own ass.
Like someone posted above, at least Habitat for Humanity requires the recipients to do work in return for what they are getting. What did this family do? Make a video tape.
Did anyone from ABC or this family inform the family of the slain gas station clerk that their "tragedy" of having 11 kids was more deserving of ratings than his story was. Besides, the clerk's family didn't have enough time to make a video tape I guess.

Actually the mother was there on a mission trip (that’s when people go to another location and help out the less fortunate for no reason other than to help, because I am sure you know nothing of that) in Haiti. They were visiting an orphanage that was about to have to close up because of no funding. There were 5 boys there that basically grew up together in the system. They did not know what would become of them. She extended her heart and home to them.

And what have you done lately besides bitch on an internet site and play street hockey like a 12 year old?

You are a sad little miserable man.

"What's the deal with the italics not working lately?"

Surround your text with "em" opening and closing tags, or surround your text with the underscore punctuation mark. I'll add the buttons this week to make it easier.

<em>italicized text</em>

produces >> italicized text

_Or use the underscore at the start and end of text to italicize it._

produces >> Or use the underscore at the start and end of text to italicize it.

habitat for humanity does an appropriate level of help for a lot more people. they wish they could get this level of volunteerism and donations.

HFH lost my donations when I got to know a couple who'd qualified for one of their homes. This couple was poor only because they decided to have children and the mother didnt want to work. No other reason than dad's income alone couldnt support the family they chose to create. Both parents were healthy and able to work. Mom just chooses not to.

Both myself and my wife came from familys where our mom's had careers to support us - they'd both have stayed home if they could've afforded it, but they could not, and none of us children were worse off for their efforts. Im sorry, but if not wanting to work is criteria enough to qualify for an HFH house, then I'll spend my charitable funds elswhere.

One thing I haven't done is to adopt and have children like they're beanie babies even though I can't provide for them. I also haven't made a self promotional video tape asking for others to bail me out for my irresponsible behaviors. I guess that's why I didn't get a free home, free gift cards, and free college education.
Where's the logic behind adopting kids because there is no money to take care of them in Haiti, but bringing them over here only to ask for help because there's no money to take care of them?
With this new house, all the gifts, and money, they now can have more kids. If they play their cards as well as they have in the past, they can get an even bigger house and more free stuff during sweeps week.

Please do not reproduce.

Thank you.

Nice string ... thanks everyone.

Not too much bashing. My "agenda" for this post was not to oversimplify the issue, support my privatization agenda, or denigrate charity.

UT's funding may be largely private, a seat in the class for all 11 may not be an expenditure of actual dollars (unless 11 paying students are turned away because of those 11 seats being filled.) I don't think UT is turning away applicants due to overcrowding.

I know ABC makes money off this show - that is their job, but there does come along with that some good, although it may be some overkill.

Thanks everyone.

TAHL

You are judging them based on what? Your close personal relationship with them?

It was NOT the Frisch family's idea to make the application video.

They have NEVER asked for help from anyone. Quite the opposite - they do everything they can to GIVE HELP to others.

This family puts EVERYONE in front of them when it comes to meeting needs. They received this wonderful blessing because they do nothing but LOVE and GIVE selflessly. God answered prayer. ABC's EMHE, the lady that nominated them, and this wonderful community of generous souls that pitched in and supported this were the instruments.

Here are the results of a keyword search on "Generous" of the bible.

http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=generous&searchtype=all

Nice post Fatbabe, and spot on.

Some people do not understand selflessness because they do not see it very often.

Did they give a solid $ amount or a estimated amount? College is about 10-15k a year now possibly a LOT more.

If they get a solid $ amount, then they could get a refund check.

Does this pay for books? dorms? food? transportation, or the myriad of things UT taxes you for. Like having access to a lawyer, and tons of oddball fees that keep me from affording to go there.

Anyway I see where the AHL is going with it and somewhat agree. Though being from a poor family I bet these kids will make better use of the education and try harder than some kid who's parents pay every dime.

Would be interesting to see if they stay in Ohio afterwards or move elsewhere.

Lourdes gets public money too. There goes your premise.

The boob tube can make a saint or a sinner of anyone. It's the most dishonest home appliance ever.

Lourdes gets public money too.

In terms of financial aid? I don't consider that public money going to the school. That's publicly guarenteed loan money going to the students for tuition purposes. There's a difference. UT gets money from the state that goes directly into the operating budget.

And UT's sitting on a $173M endowment that was private. The marginal wholesale value of $250,000 worth of education at UT is what? $62,000. I bet once the overhead is covered, it's even less. The endowment can more than cover it.

You can call Lourdes internal accountants and they can tell you exactly where their revenue, tax breaks, grants, subsidized loans, etc. come from.

I'm guessing the lines between public and private are blurred a bit.

Ryan you talk like someone with a paper asshole. That's like saying if you fill the seats in a movie theater with people having a free pass from the owner, it really doesn't anything. The fewer number of open seats the less room available for paying customers. And you can bet that the IRS will want to be paid for the value of that tuition.

Well, you may want to take that up with UT because it is dead on balls accurate.