Extreme Couponing and Hoarders

Sometime in the 1930s or so it became really offensive to use the word "freak," as in displaying a giant placard with the words, "Come and See the Freak Show." No doubt that was beneficial for humankind, although the folks who would eventually be called little people lost their primary source of income. Thank you History Channel documentary from a few years ago. You were really interesting and I totally stayed awake too.

I can't help but think that both TLC and A&E have some polite little freak shows going on right now with their shows about the folks who dive into dumpsters for coupons and buy two hundred boxes of spaghetti at a time. Saving feces and pizza boxes and chickens
is too twisted for color television.
Don't you love "Steel Magnolias"? I don't actually watch it anymore. I've got it memorized. I digress.

Did I just say the people on those shows are freaks? Hmmm...I guess I did. I am awful. I surely do LOVE those shows though. Back in da day, the traveling carnivals were extremely profitable. A ha! Imagine that...humankind has not changed all that much, has it? Anyone a few standard deviations from the mean is inevitably a subject of interest. Those subjects of interest (i.e. the not-so-politely titled "freaks" are quite savvy to capitalize on our interest). Given their savvy and our willingness to pay to watch, who is so freakish...the unusual or the voyeur? I'll tell you right now that I feel quite freakish sitting on the couch with my mouth gaping open watching someone spend eight hours in a grocery store or seeing some dude with a big beard living with hundreds of rats.

Now this post just wouldn't be complete without a little confessional. I really, really want to get the Sunday paper and get me some coupons and track when stuff goes on sale and save a whole bunch of money. You know though, I just don't think I am going to prepare for the apocalypse every time I go to Publix. That just seems like too much damn trouble. If I spent my time doing that, I wouldn't have time to watch all those crazy people on TLC.

oh, and P.S. Mommy Lipstick (aka Martha Stewart) told me that Hoarders made her want to throw away everything she hadn't used in the last fifteen minutes. I told her it made me feel organized. I only have like, seventeen loads of laundry instead of eighty. Also, in my favor is that I do not harbor small animals under that laundry, although yesterday Pretty Girl saw an ant on the floor and totally freaked out.