Extreme Makeover: Philanthropy or Exploitation?

There are many people who believe that the Terpenning family of Beavercreek, Ohio was exploited in the name of ratings by ABC and Extreme Makeover Home Edition when they chose the family to receive a new home. Others say that the businesses and organizations who donated to this project did so for the advertising and publicity it brought to their work. To that I'd have to say, "yes? And?"

It's no secret that the point of making a television show is to sell advertising and make money. The only way to do that is to put something on the air that people will watch. Extreme Makeover has won back-to-back Emmy awards for a non-competitive reality show and it's about to start airing the seventh season.

From a business standpoint, to have that kind of record, they must be doing something right and that means finding the best family for whom to provide a new home and get the public as involved as possible. At the same time, the final product (the show itself) needs to be interesting, fun and it has to pull at the heart strings of a cynical television audience.

James Terpenning and his wife struggle to raise their children and care for a special needs family member in an economy that barely supports their efforts. Nothing about the gift they received was exploitive in their eyes - I was there. I watched their reactions - the first, real reactions, not the third or fourth take for good light and camera angles.

I met the Terpenning family following a press conference they day after they were presented with their new home. I found them to be humble, grateful and, at that time, quite overwhelmed. In addition to the keys for their new home, they had just been handed thousands of dollars in gas, groceries and scholarships. It was enough to push anyone to tears.

From the initial door knock to the final press conference, I spent about 20 hours on the build site covering the event. I watched hundreds of volunteers work tirelessly through 106 hours of non-stop construction and I spoke with many people who knew the family personally.

From neighborhood residents to James' coworkers and supervisors, everyone had the same things to say. James is one of the hardest working people they had ever known, devoted to his job, his family and his country.

Everyone I talked to felt the Terpennings were the perfect choice for the Extreme Makeover. The producers of the show never actually pinpoint why any of the families are chosen, but I have some ideas as to why the Terpennings made the final cut.

With two wheelchairs in a tiny home, the family had a real need for more space, not to mention that four children need room of their own eventually. Like it or not, the special needs and limited resources of the family make for good television - you can say it is exploitation if you want, but we can all relate to these kinds of struggles on some level.

Plus, the connection to the Air Force speaks to countless families out there who have a deep sense of patriotism. Either they have a relative fighting overseas or know someone who does.

Finally, we live in an entitlement-minded society today. Everyone thinks they are owed something by someone, regardless of whether they have earned it or not. James Terpenning does not come across that way and that makes him an ideal choice for the show.

From listening to him speak of it and talking with his associates I would say that James feels that he owes his country something and has worked most of his adult life to pay his debt. In his eyes, the Air Force rescued him from Vietnam and a life none of us could really even imagine. I believe he will always be grateful for that gift.

In the end, the producers of Extreme Makeover were looking for a family that was "deserving" of this kind of help, and of course, who would engage viewers and keep them watching the show. If you want to perceive that as exploitation that's your choice, but if the quality of life can be improved for even one family, who cares?

I have to return the cynicism of the naysayers and ask the real question. Why does it take a television program to get people to be so helpful and generous to their neighbors? Think about it and I'll address that another time.

Columnist Gery L. Deer is available as a keynote speaker. Call (937) 902-4857 or visit www.gerydeer.com