American Inventor 3/23

There’s the odd good invention - the Receiver Trainer thing could be useful at a high school near you - but this might actually be the most depressing TV show in the history of the medium. At least since “Manimal.”

So many of these people are broken, their lives in tatters.

I actually kind of liked the tear-away lingerie thing… I never really got into lingerie in the first place, so being able to just pull it off in fell swoop would be an improvement.

But damn talk about a conniption fit.

I caught the last 20 minutes of this show last week, and the last half of it this week. I can’t say I was entertained.

So tonight, I got to see a doll who speaks English, and counts in Spanish (moderately useful) and Swahili (useless for 99.999+% of the people in this country). BFD. Plus I got to hear a really stupid song about said doll.

I got to see a young man with an apparently bright future get told that his invention isn’t the sort of thing this show is looking for. What, no one could have told him that during preliminary screening of applicants? Seems pointless, if not cruel, to have him appear on TV only to get an unavoidable and quite predictable “no.”

I got to see a fellow with his therapy doll for adults. Harmless enough, but there’s a reason most adults don’t carry blankies and dollies and stuffed animals. They’ve grown up.

The restroom door clip struck me as a product worth developing. It did bother me that “security” and/or “safety” were mentioned a few times. That piece of plastic offers privacy and convenience, but security? I don’t think so. Forget to remove it when exiting the stall, and you’ll break it yourself.

The wig insert also seemed promising. I could have done without the repeated and extended almost-in-tears “this-just-means-so-much” views of the inventor’s face while the judges were hashing it out.

And it is hard to relate to people who seem to pin their reason for living on whether this show will take their invention to the next round. I can see being disappointed, but distraught to the point of tears? Reality television is too unreal for me.

I thought the Therapy Doll was sad and the way the guy held it after he was rejected was even more sad.

I can see kids using it, but no adults.

What gets me is how much people are willing to sacrifice for their inventions. I don’t know whether to admire that or scold them. Yikes.

Dude, I only saw the last 35 minutes or so, but I’m a big hard ass manly man, and I cried 62 times.

…seriously the cancer girl was moving, and I might have shed a tear… I think it was smoke.

So many of these inventors seem on the verge of a mental breakdown because their entire value as human beings center around their dubious contraption. The guy this week who sacrificed everything – his home, his job, his wife’s wedding ring (for Christ’s sakes), to develop a tabletop game that no one would buy is just too sad and pathetic to watch.

I liked the gift bow lingerie though.

Funny thing was, just before the conniption fit, I was wondering whether it was impossible to find female judges with cajones.

Whut’s uh keehonay?

It’s a nut, Kerrie.

Oh, I lahk keehonays!

I’m more than a little annoyed by the fact that they’re preying on the mentally ill. Some of these people are just so off the beam that putting them on the show is just plain cruel.

I liked the bathroom stall thingy. In fact, if I didn’t work at home, I’d probably buy one. I also liked the wig thing. I had a friend who lost her hair to radiation therapy. Sweat would just run off her on a hot day. I’m sure that one would take off instantly.

I’ll watch again, because I really do love to see ingenuity and creativity at work, but they really have to quit cruising mental hospitals for contestants!

I don’t think she had cancer, just alpoecia (sp?).

I don’t like how contrived it is. The music is a cue of whether someone is going to get approved or not.

I was watching Earl and missed the part about the conniption fit…what happened? Was that when the female judge got up and told the inventor to grow up and get out? I saw that in the promos.

Seriously, I don’t like the female judge. She’s too damn emotional. All an inventor has to do is start to tear up and she gets weepy too and votes yes.

Yeesh, the kid with the invisible tear gas? He tested it on his classmates? I’m surprised he didn’t get arrested.

I agree with you about the female judge. I cry while I’m watching this, too. But you need to keep a clear head and judge the inventions on their own merits rather than the hard luck story.

As obnoxious as he is, I think the bald judge is actually doing a good job.

Yes, I think he’s the most level-headed. He cuts right to the chase of whether an invention is viable, but I lean more toward the head of JWT for logical opinions. He knows what he can sell, while the inventor may be a bit narrow-minded sometimes.

My take on a few of last nights inventions-

The receiver training device: The only way that would sell is if it’s actually true that receviers should catch the ball away from themselves. If pro football thought it was a good idea they may have something there. If the pros think it’s useless, colleges will think it’s useless. If colleges think it’s useless, highschools will think it’s useless. Then who are you going to sell to? I don’t picture them flying off the shelves at Sportsmart.

Bullet Ball: Already played for decades by school kids using a waded up piece of paper for a ball and a table in the cafeteria. Why would you pay money for a custom table and some squash balls? If have an idea! It’s called cannon ball. It comes with a custom chair, some custom balls, and a goal scoring device that bears a striking resemblance to a trash can!

Stall door clip: A good idea but hardly a money making one. Sure she can patent the design but anyone could make a similar device. I see them selling in packs of five at the dollar store.

Swahili doll: A multi-lingual speaking doll. While multi-lingual toys seem trendy right now (I just saw a baby-einstein talking phone that says hello in english, french, and spanish) I don’t think they could patent the idea. Any toy company that wants to make their own version can.

Adult soothing blue stuffed toy: Maybe at Spencer gifts? But I think it would be outsold by the more portable 6" Stewart Smalley doll with phrases like “Your good enough, your smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like you!”

Agreed. My immediate thought was, “I’d like to see more evidence that this is something that pro trainers would embrace.” Oh, and I thought that their hiphop-style spiel, complete with theatrics, was just dumb. Guys, you’re presenting to marketers, an enterpreneur and an inventor… not a bunch of high school students.

A phenomenally stupid idea. Heck, they were swatting the ball back and forth with their forearms, for pity’s sake! At least have a set of paddles or something.

Mostly agreed. I’ll give her props for creativity, especially with regard to using it as a tissue clip. I rather doubt that it’s patentable though, and it’s not likely to become a big moneymaker.

Again, agreed. I’m with the bald inventor guy on this one. It’s not a bad idea, but it doesn’t have a big WOW! factor either.

Just the right thing for an insane asylum.

I think the “headliner” is a good idea, and will serve the niche group it is intended for well. I just don’t think it’s that inventive, certainly not enough to win an inventing contest.

That female judge is absolutely mental. I wonder if that’s why the producers chose her? :rolleyes:

I think the My Therapy Doll would be better if it was just something you could hug without a voice chip in it. The way it says “everything is going to be all right” sounds more like it wants to have sex with you than calm you down.

I want to design a therapy doll that will, at random moments, whisper “You are nuts! You’re frickin’ nuts!”