American Inventor

[Dr. Freude]

I think my husband and I are starting to get hooked-is anyone else watching it? The female judge pisses me off-if she isn't weeping over a sob story, she is being a bitch. I was prompted to start this thread as I sit watching the second episode. The woman who invented the bow lingerie did not have a terrible idea. The female judge flipped out and ranted about how "disgusting" it was. Hi, have you heard of Victoria's Secret? Frederick's of Hollywood? Women buy lingerie. Was it a great "invention"? No, but the lady who invented it didn't deserve the scorn of that judge.

[spinsterliz]

So far I've only seen part of the first episode (I will watch the second one tonight) and it was quite hilarious. I couldn't believe that woman who invented those big fabric-covered huts for children to get covered with during time-outs. Then she cried when the judges told her her idea was both stupid and potentially dangerous to the kids forced to wear them! Ridiculous!

I felt a little sorry for that woman who invented the "Beddie sham" and then found out it already existed, after spending 12,000 dollars on it. On the other hand, that's what you get when you're dumb enough to pay up to some stranger you saw on an informercial (like she did) for info on how to market your invention. Lady, that's called a "scam artist"-look it up.

Can't wait to see more silly ideas tonight!

[Oxynia]

This is a version of a British show called "The Dragon's Lair" or somesuch...the panelists are venture capitalists and decide on the spot if and how much money they will give the inventor. I think that's a more interesting approach vs. pitting inventions against each other.

[shawnalanne]

The female judge is making it impossible for me to watch the show. Seriously, she is such a freaking sexist stereotype: a raving bitch one moment and the next in tears. That sort of behavior is why men think women can't be in combat. I know the combat thing is out of nowhere, but seriously she gives women a bad name.

[InchoateDetails]

Count me in as one of the people who can't stand the female judge. I mean yes the Lingerie "inventor" was stupid but there was no reason to go all shrieking harpy on her. Because I am evil, I wish they'd show more dreams being broken and not just th eaftermath in that weird white confessional room (that looks like they are from the future).

[Deleted]

Would some kind soul help me out on the premise of this show? I watched some of the two-hour premiere, but didn't see the beginning. Same thing last night—no beginning, only watched the end with the bald-headed woman. Is there an eventual competition here? Like an Invention Off or something? Will the guy with the interchangeable exercise equipment have to compete against the guy with the bug hotel?

[Mugsy]

Simon Cowell is a producer of this, which is why it has an American Idol feel to it.

The premise is similar to AI: The team goes from city to city, seeing all manner of "auditions" of inventions. They choose which ones are worthy to move on, and these people have to fine tune their invention when they bring it to Hollywood (or wherever Invention Central is).

At that point they will whittle it down to 24, and then let audience call-in votes determine a top 12. These 12 will receive a decent sum to help develop their invention some more and like AI, will be cut down one by one, week by week via call-in voting, to the grand Inventor. This winner will be fully financed to market their invention.

I'm not sure what they will do each week to showcase their inventions, since it's not like AI where people actually perform. A show like this could have so many different types of things, that not all would be conducive to television.

Anyway, I mind the female judge, but I wish she would stop getting so pro-womany about any piece of plastic crap a woman inventor comes up with. When my kids were little, I used to get lots of catalogues filled with gadgets "invented by mothers" and frankly, many were just glorified versions of existing products.

I mean, do you need a "chip clip" to close an unfinished jumbo bag of potato chips, when a clothespin will do? Sheesh.

However, I do find this show interesting. How many inventors has the chubby little entrepreneur guy green-lighted? He seems to say no to almost everyone.

[Deleted]

Thanks, Mugsy! Now if I can remember when it's on, I will remember to tune in. I liked the guy with the exercise equipment. Yeah...I know the editors totally manipulated me, but hell...when was the last time I got all teary over a guy shilling hand weights?

[laconicchick]

I mean, do you need a "chip clip" to close an unfinished jumbo bag of potato chips, when a clothespin will do? Sheesh.

I haven't seen this show and didn't even know it existed, but did someone seriously try to pass that off as a new invention? Because it already exists.

[Mugsy]

It's on Thursday nights at 9 p.m., which makes me fear for the show after this week.

Until now, CBS has college basketball (seriously, who watches that?) in place of its normal juggernaut lineup of Survivor and CSI. But next week it's back to first-run eps of these ratings winners, so if American Inventor is getting any ratings/press, much of it will fall away next week.

And I like totally new inventions, not reworked versions of existing things.

As kids, while styling the teeny heads of Barbie hair, my sister and I thought it would be really cool if we could get a lifesize head of hair that we could comb and braid and practice putting up and whatnot. We also thought the face should come with makeup. Lo and behold, not three years later, Mattel comes out with just such a thing. If only I had entrepreneurial connectiions when I was 12!