[TheForge] Real work on TV

Mon May 19 19:01:01 2003

I have designed my machines, equipment and even my yurt style shop around
what I can drag home from the scrap yards.
My main complaint about shows like Junk Yard Wars is the "salvaged items"
available in those shows.
I've yet to find rocket motors, new rolls of diving hose or the numerous
other items they find during the shows.
If they used real scrap yards the end products would look a lot different.
Chuck
----- Original Message -----
From: <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2003 4:59 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Real work on TV


> I am not critisizing these shows, in fact I myself love to watch all of
> them (except for Survivor, of that ilk I prefer Amazing Race, since it
> doesn't highlight and reward the worst in people).  My concern is the
> very one Aaron has highlighted.  You can't go learn how to do this
> stuff  in a vocational school anymore, since it is obviously no longer
> an acceptable vocation, it is instead becoming entertainment.
> Junkyard wars at least makes an effort to honestly educate, but
> "American Chopper", "Monster Garage"  (and "Experiment Island"  to a
> degree)  focus more on the personality conflicts than actually imparting
> any real knowledge.   By the way, one of the reasons Junkyard Wars is
> one of my favorites is because of how often the opposing teams actually
> help each other out, not only materials, but sometime advice.   My
> favorite is when one team burned up all forward gears in their
> dragster,  someone on  the opposing team suggested flipping the diffy
> and racing in reverse gear.   Sums up everything great about the show,
> a truly friendly competition, the engineering problem is the true
> competitor.    Remember, cowboys became entertainment as they lost
> relevancy at the start of the last century, with Wild west shows and the
> like.  The original Monte Walsh is one of my favorite movies.  These
> things repeat.  I am in the computer field, and years ago people thought
> I was insane when I  compared the rise and decline of the blacksmith
> with the computer programming field, but programming is  moving along
> exactly the same path these days.
>
> Charles
>
> RIES NIEMI wrote:
>
> >I have to agree with Aaron that it is a good thing that there are shows
on
> >TV that show real people actually making things with tools.
> >Too often on tv and in movies the technical whizzes just sorta wave their
> >hands over a computer and create some hitech gizmo that is completely
> >impossible. When I complain, my nine year old says "dad- its only tv- its
> >not supposed to be real".
> >
> >Shows like "Junkyard Wars", "American Chopper" and  "Monster Garage",
even
> >though they dont show forging, are at least realistic about metalworking
> >projects. Sure, they have mig welding midgets and family feuds, but hey,
> >thats entertainment.
> >
> >
>
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