Why Extreme Couponing Is Extremely Disingenuous
January 10th, 2011 11:57am by Nick Sweeney
Right now, I am extreme blogging. This week, I'll be taking part in some extreme puzzling, where I take a 5,000 piece puzzle and throw away one piece before I begin.
Once I'm done with that, I'll be doing some extreme couponing. In case you missed it, Extreme Couponing is a new show on TLC that showcases mental illness disguised as frugality.
It's "Extreme", because real, honest savings just doesn't make for good TV. It's "Extreme" because actually showing people how they can save money without the circus act would imply some "Learning", which TLC somehow still has the audacity to mention within their title.
Jill Cataldo had it right. There's no reason to make a Mountain Dew commercial out of couponing, just as there's no reason to have a three year-old wearing rouge.
As we've seen over the weekend, we need less extremism, not more. Extreme Couponing makes saving money seem dirty, loony, or somehow mentally unbalanced. Dumpster-diving and hoarding 30 years' worth of toilet paper isn't what couponing is about because saving money and spending wisely is never sexy or "Extreme".
Saving money isn't crazy. A television series based on it is.