TLC is irresponsible

So I was watching an episode of "Moving Up" on TLC and keep wondering what they'll stoop to next to retain ratings. The particular episode involved some couple moving into a new house (duh!); and of couse they had every intention of bestowing their individual stylings upon it through the miracle of remodeling.

The fun begins when the husband proceeds to take an axe to the kitchen cabinetry for expedient demolition and high drama. After several near decapitations and many splinters, he manages to destroy only a few cabinets, rather than appear as the manly lumberjack we all know he isn't. Cut to next scene! Turns out, many of us laymen would opine that an axe would be the *least effective* tool for cabinetry demolition. The preferred "weapons of choice" of course are the lowly prybar and the somewhat menacing reciprocating saw. Maybe a short 6# sledge if you were really in the thick stuff...

Now before I stray too far off topic, here's my beef: In the episode the guy is whacking out cabinetry that is maybe 5 years old tops, and they are obviously in good working order. Wouldn't it have been better all around to donate these cabinets to, say, Habitat for Humanity? Not only would they given them new life in a home that needed them (instead of taking up landfill space), they would have come out to the jobsite and removed them gratis!

It comes down to fundamental TV land debauchery: slime sells ratings. Ken Rockwell deals out a much better take on this topic than I muster, not to mention with more scathing wit.

I though TLC would have all the publicity they wanted after the host's drunk driving arrest