The Gospel According to HGTV


OK, so I had access to a full assortment of cable channels while out at the Hyatt in Chicago. See my recent previous post about cable to get some back story about the fears I have about getting entwined with television if I have more cable channels besides the minimum allowed by plutocratic Comcasticism (like the other isms).

Kinda lame to be watching TV while in world-class city but I had to get out of the heat at times and didn't want to become a bar lizard. Hyatt also offered those porn channels (for an extra fee) and I steered clear. But I was seduced by HGTV. Home and Garden Television. "Y'know, you are a dude, why not ESPN or one of those History Channel shows about ice truckers?" I hear my brethren ask. As the lame meter climbs upwards.

Hear me out, at least some of the people on the network are real he-man dudes. Carpenters, electricians, bricklayers. Then, there are some guys that are real estate agents who pass the he-man dude test. Then, there are guys who are the creative types. Everyone else is female. Essentially the network is about home renovations and buying property. So, I posit that this is a pro-testosterone channel. Or at least t-neutral.  The wives/girlfriends of the guys looking at renovation or purchasing other property seemed to dominate in decision-making time after time--that's the way it should be...it is the nest. Didn't see much in regards to gardens, the second half of the network title.   

One big theme is people wanting to upgrade their existing kitchens. As if having granite counter-tops are essential. Americans are so entitled...how about no food? Nonetheless, the destruction of dated cabinets, counter-tops, walls, and flooring, with tools like sledgehammers, is a lot of fun to watch. It is also really cool to watch a design plan upgrade come to pass in a series of steps. There are these moments in such shows where the stress gets to everyone--I wonder if some of it has to be added artificially to make the stories fit the narrative crisis/resolution story-line--in the end everyone seems happy. 


The Gospel has that same element of destruction and construction. Jesus was a carpenter by trade and surely wielded the hammer in both ways. In my blog post about Sartre, I took a very destructive approach to analyzing his philosophy and the ramifications of such beliefs: No reason to hope. But, then I ended with Jesus being the life and light of the world. Very constructive...in my house are many mansions Jesus said. He is building a place for His redeemed Bride. 


The Church should take great joy in how people can grow and change for the good. It is the Good News after all. Granite counter-tops are great (we have them) but how much greater is it to see a life changed?               



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