Remember the good ol’ days, when circuses had actual freak shows with people who could really lift 30,000 pounds with their tongue or were half reptile? Hoarders is a reminder that the fascination with freakishness is not over, cashing in on our demand for craziness.
In each episode of the show, two people who suffer from compulsive hoarding (a mental disorder that keeps them from getting rid of anything, regardless of its value) are offered resources such as counseling, organization training and a professional cleaning crew to assist in the restoration of their homes. Most are facing eviction, the removal of their children by Child Protective Services or even jail time unless they rid themselves of the clutter. The only catch is that the resources will only be provided for a few days, so they must work quickly to resolve their issues, lest they return to their hoarding once the crew leaves.
Surprisingly, a lot of the participants are resistant to the process and would rather not change their ways. They cry continually as they throw away dog hair or moldy food, not realizing that the progress they make will give them and their families better lives. It’s actually really sad to watch.
Not only is it sad at times, Hoarders can also get pretty gross. For example, Shirley is an elderly lady who takes in all the neighborhood strays, and while cleaning her house, the crew finds dozens of dead cats from over the years. Sure, she may not have killed them, but they simply became buried under piles of her stuff in the garage or climbed up into the attic and overheated. In case you’ve ever wondered, mummified kittens are really disgusting to look at.
And that’s not even the worst of it. There are rats, bugs, and a lady who doesn’t understand that expired food is bad for you. I’ll be honest with you here: I’d rather see a mummified kitten on my television than watch someone scrape the mold off food and continue to eat it. Especially if it’s an elderly lady with yellow teeth chowing down on yogurt that expired in 2004. This is definitely not a show for anyone with a weak stomach.
Hoarders is also not a show for anyone who gets frustrated being reminded of the same things over and over. Approximately every 14 seconds, another recap of what’s going on appears on the screen. If there is anyone out there who forgets that it’s day two and the person has only cleaned the corner of one bathroom, then perhaps they should quit watching the show and put in 50 First Dates. By about the second episode it is pretty easy to keep track of the process of what happens next and the white words on the black screen just don’t have the same effect when they appear 30 times per episode.
Overall, Hoarders is a show that’s only purpose is to demonstrate how much we love to witness all sorts of depravity and chat about it with our friends. I’d suggest buying it for your messy roommate if you want them to feel like they need to clean up/take a shower. Or perhaps if you have one of those white dome chairs, you can pick up a copy as well, as every single person on this show seemed to have one, and it’s clearly a warning sign of hoarderdom.
DVD Bonus Features
There are additional scenes from all six episodes, and they are pretty short. Check them out if you have a bit of extra time, but nothing really exciting happens.
"Hoarders: The Complete Season One" is on sale May 25, 2010 and is not rated. Reality, Television. Directed by Andy Berg, Dave Severson, Jodi Flynn, Matt Chan, Robert Sharenow. Written by Kris Kristensen. Starring Dorothy Breininger, Matt Paxton, Renae Reinardy.
