Flipping Out

On the heels of my recent post concerning 30 days, I thought I’d visit the other side of the spectrum: Flipping Out. At its core, Flipping Out is a gratuitous offering of good old-fashioned OCD served up on an overflowing platter of stereotypical American pretentiousness. In other words, these people are cra-zy. It’s mostly Jeff Lewis who’s crazy, the primary subject of the show. Jeff Lewis is a real estate investor who “flips” houses–buys them, guts them, transforms them into “Jeff Lewis” homes and then resells them. I totally have a love/hate relationship with the show… and Jeff Lewis. The guy is flawed in a way that is endearing, hilarious and irritating.

No matter how awful the show tends to make me feel about the state of American society, I can’t take my eyes off of it. I’m completely addicted. Part of the addictiveness of the show can be attributed to the secondary cast of characters. Jenny, his assistant, is a witty and sarcastic woman–the type that everyone wants as a best friend. Zoila, his housekeeper, is a sweet woman who seems to be the only person who can put up with his OCD. They are both totally lovable.

Although the season just ended this past week, I started this post several weeks ago. I thought I’d still post this because Bravo replays its shows like 40 times a week. There’s a good chance you can still catch it. I realize that there’s also a good chance you have no desire to watch people behaving so badly. But, if you are anything like me, you won’t be able to help yourself. Just keep in mind that you might have to wash off afterward, and that you may briefly consider moving to Canada. Be warned.