Post #446858 by Humuhumu on Mon, Apr 13, 2009 7:44 PM

I was contacted today by a production company trying to find home tiki bars to be subjected to the What Not To Wear treatment. That is, they want people who find their friend or family member's decorating taste to be ghastly, so they can do a makeover on their over-the-top room.

They specifically asked me if I knew anyone with a home tiki bar in the Los Angeles area that wasn't decorated very well.

Frankly, I think this is awful.

Setting aside for a moment that these home makeover shows have a pretty terrible track record when it comes to doing any quality work (it only has to look good enough for the cameras, after all)...

Aside from that big, big issue... This is not a bad haircut, this is not a bad outfit, this is not something that could be holding someone back from a promotion or finding love because they're not putting their best foot forward (itself a pretty silly assumption, but that's again another issue for another day). This is someone's private space. Private, beloved space, that they've thrown their very personality into. Most likely their favorite bit of square footage on the entire planet. It doesn't have to please anyone but the person who lives in it. It's not supposed to.

I'm aghast at the idea that someone would have the gall to say "Hey, you know that room that you spent all that time and effort on, the one you're so proud of, the one you think really reflects who you are? It sucks! And these people who know have no idea who the hell you are are going to fix it up!"

Now, if the owner of the space is signing up to get some makeover help of their own volition, as appears to be the case with this other show, then that makes more sense. I still don't necessarily think it's a great idea, but at least they're opting in on their own.

But that's not the premise of the show that contacted me, the show that contacted me specifically said "don't tell the person, it has to be a secret!"

Ugh.

Now, yes, there are probably some people out there who have tiki rooms that aren't quite coming together the way they had hoped, and they could use some help, and this avenue sounds appealing. Here are my thoughts on that:

A) That kind of help can be had for free right here on Tiki Central.

B) Do you really think a TV show is going to choose the right decor? Tiki Bars, when done right, are anything but TV-friendly -- too dim.

C) This tv show that contacted me? They attached a flyer with examples of what they considered "bad" rooms. I won't post the picture here, because I don't know where the picture came from, I don't know if the person who owns the room has opted for public scrutiny of their cherished space. But I will tell you this:

The "bad" room was full of Witco furniture.

Caveat emptor. And if you live in the Los Angeles area, maybe now's the time to make clear to your friends & relatives how you feel on this subject.