TVSquad

Amen!

I quit on this show a couple of weeks ago for most of the same reasons. The main issues for me are:

1) Its depressing. I don't enjoy watching people pour their whole life into an idea just so that some blowhard douchebag in a hawaiian shirt can cut them down. Not my idea of a good time., which brings me to #2:

2) I fucking hate the hawaiian shirt guy (Jeff is it?). What an obnoxious troll. There is no consistency whatsoever to his reasons for accepting / denying ideas and his demeanor is utterly repulsive.

3) And yes, as stated in the original post, there is way too much yanking of the heartstrings going on. The episode with the bald lady was so over the top, it was ridiculous.

Blech.

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I gave up on the show a few weeks back too, and I use to work for Doug.

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This show's biggest problems are:
(1) it took too long to get to the actual competition and away from the auditions; and
(2) the two elimination rounds thus far were identical in content (basically they talked about their product in front of all of the contestants before the first cut and then they said the same thing in front of the judges before the second cut).

I'm not sure what this show can do to keep viewers' interest. The inventions are all but done (I don't know what the 50K is going to be spent on, especially for that one woman with the bathroom door stopper).

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The doorstopper woman should spend the $50K on marketing, same with any other product in the final 12 that's essentially 100% developed.

I hope the sandbagger shovel dude, or the car seat dude take the win. At least their inventions are actual inventions unlike the freakin' multicultural doll, that has the "ingenius" "invention" of including 3 voice chips instead of just the usual one.

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If they're just going to spend the money on marketing isn't the show going to start to feel like an hour-long informercial? I just don't see where this show is going but I guess the alternative is the non-stop crazy rule changes of Unan1mous.

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Too many sob stories. Probably made up to move forward in the sob-fest. The guy who said he would go to Mexico with the $50,000 had the best and most honest answer. Awkward but a fun lift from the tears.

I think his product is a germ filtering toilet seat that prevents the harmful affects of bacteria that's sprayed out after each flush. Smart invention.

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American Inventor is SO BORING! What was Simon Cowell thinking? I would rather have a root canal than have to sit through another minute of this awful show.
Just because a show title begins with American and Simon Cowell is attached to the project does not mean it will be a hit.

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I was enjoying the show right up to last episode, when they went from 24 to 12. Your calls are dead-on that the word-game and the doll are not any kind of invention. And I can't believe they approved the bicycle with the death-seat in the front. That thing is a class-action lawsuit on wheels.

And what kind of marketing are these people supposed to do for $50,000? They've already gotten ten or fifteen minutes of exposure on one of the top-rated shows in the country, which is being watched specifically by people interested in new inventions. What would that kind of time cost if you wanted to buy it? $5 million? $10 million? What's another $50,000 worth of marketing going to do for them?

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I completely agree that the is nothing about inventing and more about trying to suck in ratings with sob stories.

The key to inventing is to be smarter and more creative that most, to be able to really build something when its not obvious to everyone else.

Having the final rounds be about how much you suffered and how desperate you is the exact oppostie of a good inventor. I am furious with them all for taking what could be something wonderful and going to the lowest common denominator or maudlin dreck.

I haven't given up yet but close.

Simmssays...

http://www.AmericanInventorSpot.com
AmericanInventorSpot.com

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They probably should have called the show "The Great American Dream" or something like that, since they're obviously looking for that whole "you had nothing, you poured your life into your idea, and now you're gonna be rich" story. Unfortunately they're not going to get it. The closest stories on that front are the kid who was too poor to own his own bike who had to invent one that his brothers could share, or the guy with the safety car seat whose daughter died (but that's hardly the cookie-cutter american dream).

The sandbag shovel already exists (called "gobagger"), so it'll be interesting to see how far he gets before that is unveiled. And the Niya doll is already marketed in K-Mart. I wonder which of the others is also already on the market? One of the 12 might end up winning the thing by default. Everybody loves the car seat guy because of his story, but there's no way that one man is re-inventing the car seat. Way too many hurdles with safety regulations.

Maybe the kid with the bike will end up winning it. He actually did manage to show some creativity by taking the judges comments in the early round and crafting some real changes to his product. He's young enough and got a basic enough invention that he actually could benefit from the mentoring and the cash. And he's got a story that would work.

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get comments folks...its nice to know im not alone yelling at the tv....
they ruined a really good idea......
somewhere ron popeil [ however you spell it] is laughing his head off...

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We would appreciate your letting your viewers know that Doug Hall will be guest bloggin live this Sunday, April 23.

He will be on at 9:30 Eastern time at http://wwww.AmericanInventorSpot.com for anyone who wants to ask him questions or give feedback.

Thanks!!


AmericanInventorSpot.com

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wow. the cynicism is at an all time high. i actually love the show. these people are actually coming up with ideas to make the world, better, more fun or more accomadating. but inventors have gone through the same scrutiny and bashing that yall cats are doing. what if Edison gave up after he failed or was blogged to death from onlookers?

i agree with some of your statements though. the definition of "invention" should have been clarified more. but they probably kept who came because not enough "invenions" were being presented. plus, a lot of the "inventions" presented were just too funny not to broadcast. the wand? beetle farm? disposable sheets (and don't hospitals already have those)?

oh, and to all yall guys talking about you'd have a root canal and other bodily harm instead of watching the show are more full of it than most of the inventions on the show.

these are regular people, like us, who have ideas and are at least trying to do something with them. great show!! rather watch this than have people do nothing to win money. survivor? how about create a show called "homeless" (survive without money, home, food or family for a month in the inner city). now that's tv!

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