This. Is. Extreme. Home. Idol.

A new type of reality show. The other night, as I was watching another episode of my guilty pleasure, American Idol, I had to listen to the repeated groans of the Fresh family. I'm sure they don't really hate the show, but they do like to give me a hard time about how much I enjoy it. I remind them that I have put up with a lot of their programs, from Pokemon to Blues Clues.

A few years ago, the Minis favorite show was Extreme Home Makeover. The premise of the show is that a hard luck family sends in an application video why they deserve a new home and why they cannot fix what they have. There have been some true heartbreaking stories on there, I admit. Veterans are a favorite cause, as are kids with diseases, and single parents. They give the family a mansion that they build in a week, working around the clock. The Minis would play EHM with their dolls and blocks, taking particular glee in the demolition part. They would decorate their doll house and yes, they *moved that bus* to show the dolls the new home. They laughed uproariously at Ty and his antics. And (for real) made a Michael doll and dressed him in princess clothes. (He's a very effeminate man on the show). I watched the show with them, but truly, it became so sappy and predictable and I had to rein in my snide remarks. I kept thinking they would have a family that had a child who was just a head in a jar and they'd put a bowling alley in the house.

The cynic in me apparently became contagious, as the Minis now prefer the Simpsons to EHM. Last night, I reminded them of all the times I endured Extreme Home Makeover, so be nice to Mom with her Idol obsession. We got to laughing and wondered if the two shows were combined? Suppose everyone had to audition for a new home with a song and dance number. And if you got voted off you had to work on the crew for the winning team, and you didn't get a house unless you won.

Think about it. Wouldn't the quest for a new home be more entertaining if instead of sobs the applicants entertained us?
What if Ty and Simon had to sit at the same table and determine worthiness as well as talent? Trying to juxtapose Ty's hyper-kinetic screaming with Simon's calm arrogance is hilarious. If you think Paula irritates him, imagine Ty. Paige could convince Randy that real dawgs wear pink. Paula and Ty could NOT carpool, under any circumstances.
Hello, DUI with a bus? Egads!

So now I ask, what should the audition songs be?
If I had a Hammer?
Brick House?