WHAT NOT TO WEAR

what not to wear should really be named what not to watch. posing as a self-help styling show, this new reality based TV show on the learning channel takes a person whose friends nominate them to be made over (i.e. the friends say the person's style is hopeless behind their back) and then voila! two snobby stylists, a bitchy makeup artist and a medium nice (though opting for rather severe haircuts) hair stylist appear to give the person a total makeover and "teach" the person how to dress. after they "teach" the person, they send her out to shop on her own, but spy on her with hidden cameras and quickly overpower her when--jump back!--the person attempts to buy something that is, gasp! not correct!

the commentary offered by the hosts and the makeup artist (statements like: why do you want to look like a vampire with all this white pancake makeup? are de riguer) come off as just plain old mean, especially when the poor victim's face shows her absolute embrassment and hurt when being so personally attacked.

when did complete and total meaness become a substitute for provocative (and possibly interesting) banter? does all the extra bitchiness really foster more dramatic tension, arc, plot? or does it, oh my goodnes, merely show how narrow the hosts intellect actually are? at the risk of belying my innate midwesterness, do we really need any more negativity in the world at present? we've already got such a wonderful backdrop of death and destruction going on, why can't we say something nice? why can't we encourage someone who is revamping their personal style? think scintillating, not bitchy! think smart, not mean!