My Crazy Obsession

[lesto]

Great job, boys! I thoroughly enjoyed the show and you both explained alot about the fun of vintage appliances by talking about the design history and the overall mindset of post-war American appliance manufacturers like GM.

When that water poured out from under the 50 unimatic I thought "this can't be real. They staged that so Fred could demonstrate his 63 vac". LOL.

Several of the machines got a lot of good camera time. I think the cutest part was Robert imitating the mechanical sounds of the different cycles. I did that as a kid too.

 

[wringingwet]

It was fantastic ... you guys did great and very handsome also ... I loved the house and it was pulled off perfect. Thanks so much for all the representation of the group. Such a positive one .. I hope you guys had fun also

Philippe

 

[mickeyd]

FABULOUS AND PRICELESS

Wonderful and funny--laughed out loud 3 times at your unexpected jokes. They only trick they pulled was making it look like you said washers were sexy, when in fact you were answering their question which they edited out. So you had them outed, tellling us about this suspicious question, before they even knew you were on to them. Smart, smart smart.

 

Favorite things:

 

The true-to-ad-hype shampooing Kelvinator, "Now that's the way to wash clothes."

Your washer sound ventriloquy and your dad not appreciating the flat tire threat

"I haven't had polio once"

Fred coming to the rescue with the wet vac

The glory of the parade of washers agitating with and without clothes at hi & low levels--and dry!

The spectacular insides of the Lady K

The warm hug -- a perfect visual "The End."

 

How did they stage the trip to Wisconsin within the 2 day schedule?

 

[whirlcool]

The woman that was the animal communicator is Sonya Fitzpatrick. She lives in my area and we see her on occasion about town and in the grocery store. Let me tell you, that woman is all about the money. Once we saw her and had a very short chat with her. I told her that we had watched her television show (She had on TV a few years ago) and all she said was "Thank you for watching, my fee is $300.00 for 30 minutes of my time", send me an e-mail to make an appointment." and she moved on.

 

[westingman123]

$300 for 30 minutes of WHAT, exactly? I got the feeling she purports to be a Dr. Doolittle. Sorry, Sonya, I ain't biting. What's the P. T. Barnum line? Oh, yeah, "There's one born every minute."

I've got to say, we the appliance collectors came off looking a whole lot more sane than the rest of that gang. Thank you, Fred and Robert!

 

[mickeyd]

Hello Sweetheart

But Hey!!! Wait a minute, didn't you find that machine in La Crosse, Wisconsin last year??? I just found this old thread... http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?30538.

 

Love,

 

Mike

 

Watching the stark black pulsator making blue suds after you carefully scattered the Cheer was really cool; it was like magic, and the blue and green towels were perfect--excellent color compostion of the loads all around! Is the 55 your pet, or was it just its position in the line-up that had you feature it so many times.

 

[Unimatic1140]

But Hey!!! Wait a minute, didn't you find that machine in La Crosse, Wisconsin last year??? I just found this old thread... http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?30538.

Whoops, I was waiting for someone to find that post lol. I warned the producers against staging stuff with the washers because people on automaticwasher know my collection and are way too smart to be fooled. Consider what we did a "recreation" of my finding that washer last year. The price was the same, it was in a garage, just the people and city/state were different. But it was a pretty good recreation I thought.

 

[mickeyd]

I knew something was up

Because you said that they filmed 12 hours a day for two days at your home with half hour lunch breaks, so I couldn't imagine how they worked in a 1200 mile trip to Wisconsin.......

UNLESS

you borrowed JETCONE's time travel--slash--Yellow Pulsator Maker machine hahahahahahahahah

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

So then "the leak" was staged too... hmmm.... what "they" will do for television!  

 

I really enjoyed the "spin cycle" segment and thought it was very well done!   I told some co-workers and friends about the show who I am "out of the appliance closet" to and they planned to watch it.   I've hear back from a few and they really liked the segment, your collections and your house.   I even saw a vendor today that said "Hey I was watching this show last night and there was this guy with a lot of washing machines..... I thought of you..."

 

I just wish they would have used more of the footage, showing other items (like the dishwashers) they only briefly showed in the preview.   Too bad they whittled 34 hours of footage down into just a 15 minute segment. 

 

Over all it was really great!   I'm really proud of you guys for agreeing to do this show!

 

YAY!

Kevin

 

[joelippard]

I would love to be able to watch the segment.  I have regular TV but I hope TLC puts it online on their website.  If anyone finds it please post it here for those of us who were not able to see it.

 

[MikeS]

Loved The Show

Just wanted to let you know you guys did a great job. Loved the collection and the stories. Makes me want to have a GM-built Fridgidare or a splashy Kelvy in our laundry room (alcove?) I'm having my better half watch, to understand that my love for old automatics is no different than his KISS and Alice Cooper obsession.
Here's hoping.

 

[jetcone]

Mikey

I DONT Loan out the Gold Pulsator Time Machine, - EV VAH!

 

[mickeyd]

NEV-VAH EV-VAH ?????

Hilarious!

But I did not need my belly wiggling when full of salmon, carrots, roasted reds and carrot cake.

So thanks FOR NOTHING.

 

[gansky1]

Maybe some real fans will find the site -

Washer-fans are born every day! This little guy is adorable - and knows his washer well. Love how he's playing with the agitator and spinning the basket every time the lid opens.

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And here is his grandma's washer - He's hooked!

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[philr]

I just watched the episode. Congrats guys! I was impressed!

 

[a440]

Crap!!!

I set my DVR last night to record this. Sat down tonight to watch it....BLACK!
The cable was out during the airing.
Did anyone record it? Can anyone make a DVD of it? I would be happy to pay for your time and shipping.
What is up with TLC? They are not putting full episodes on their website????
I was so excited to watch it!
CRAP!
Brent

 

[whirlykenmore78]

Time travel trip to WI.

They ran the data through the computer controls of my 86 Kenmore LTD. and it gave them the formulation for the trip. Quiet! Robert dosen't know my washer did this. Here it is calculating the formula.

 

[bradross]

Thomas' New Washer on YouTube

Hey Greg, thanks for posting that video of that adorable little guy - I bet a few of us see ourselves in him when we were that age. I, however, was fascinated with wringer washers.

Wonder if little Thomas watched the show on TLC?

 

[whirlcool]

Since it was brought up earlier in the thread.....

Sonya Fitzpatrick claims to be an animal communicator, she claims that she can talk to the animals in a two way communication. She used to come to your home to talk to the animals in person. She charged $100.00 per hour back then. But eventually she had her own show where guests would bring their pets in and she would "talk to them". Usually she would deal with problem pets and find out why they have problems, and they would tell her so she could communicate what they are saying to their owners. And she can also talk to pets that are now "dearly departed" too. That was the last segment on each episode of her television show.

Surprisingly a lot of times the owners would take the advice Sonya would tell them about why their pets are behaving the way they are and the problem would be solved. Sometimes the pets would tell her things that only the owners would know about, like the dog preferred the red dog bed it used to have instead of the new blue one it has now.

After her television show went off the air after one season, she no longer did home visits but does "telephone consultations" where you just point the phone in the direction of your pet and she could hear them communicating with her over the phone for $300.00 per half hour. And she has a ton of people calling her for this service. She lives in a pretty ritzy part of The Woodlands, Texas.

Another thing, she's actually quite old I would imagine around 70 or so and looked every day of it. After her show went off the air she got a Joan Rivers type of facelift. It took years and years off of her looks. But you can easily tell she had a facelift, nothing natural about it at all.

She's appeared on lots of documentary type shows like 20/20, 60 minutes and news shows from all the networks before. On her television show she came across as being a friendly and open person, but when you meet her she's icy cold and only will talk about money.

 

[aldspinboy]

Congratulations

Robert & Fred !

 

I am the one of the guy's too who did not see the episode I am changing cable company's.

So my friends recorded the show.

And cant wait to see it .

But from the preveiw and the response here it seems that all went well and you guy's..

LOOK AND SOUND FANTASTIC !

 

It feels like I was back in your home last summer.

I am thrilled that the show was a success for you both, as well as for the AW community.

And I am glad the world can see gulity people and the best collection of machinery and should open eyes.

I'm proud to be a little thread in this great community of people here.

That said I CANT WAIT WHEN THEY PASS THE LAW FOR MARRIGE FOR YOU BOTH !

Since Fred has been with you Robert both of your talents have sky rocketed with each other... making this all possable.

 

Greg that was a nice video ..but is it a shame the Whirlpool LOCKS the lid so he can't see inside.

I think that was the first DD song I ever heard from grandma.. that should keep him interested she is not mean.

 

Glad for you both

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[aldspinboy]

The genius of some of the mechanisms...

SRSwirl...
Micheal you are so right in your post that was well said.
Here is one beauty..
I filmed last summer.
Robert & Mike ( Dishwashercrazy ) Talking transmissions.
GM Unimatic.
Darren k

 
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[mrb627]

Great Show!

I got to see this from my DVR last night. I am very impressed.

And the only people that think your 'OBSESSION' is crazy are the people that just don't 'GET IT!'

Malcolm

 

[ingliscanada]

Robert, Just Imagine...

When you were riding in the car with your parents that day, just imagine how much trouble you would've gotten into if you were imitating an early Speed Queen with solenoids filling, then kicking into agitation:

ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss-POP!

lol
Gary

 

[ingliscanada]

Fred (Floor Polishers?)

Fred,

Do you happen to have a collection of old floor polishers? Remember those upright machines with the twin spin brushes used for hardwood floors? My mother used to use one of those to polish our floors when I was a child.

Gary

 

[steve1-18]

Washing Machine Noises

This could be the start of a whole new thread. I, too, have a similar car noise story. Our family had a 1962 Impala. The back door arm rests had a small ashtray that had a flip up lid (much like a top loading washer). On long trips, I would entertain myself pretending it was a washing machine. Of course the two most familiar sounding machines for me were the Unimatic and Maytag AMP's. I guess I was doing the Unimatic sound tapping my fingernail on the ashtray lid (in my own little washer world) unaware that dad heard this tap, tap, tap.......... He also thought it was the car. Of course, he made everybody get quiet and listen and the noise stopped -- HOW MYSTERIOUS!

Robert, when you related your story, I couldn't help but laugh about my auto experience. Mom told me many times that I could make all the sounds of the washers, too. I think she still has my drawings from childhood of washing machines with the hoses, power cords, stand pipes or wash tubs.[this post was last edited: 3/30/2012-10:41]

 

[tomturbomatic]

I enjoyed it, but am disappointed that no time was given to the combos. Is this some kind of male chauvinism with the phallic agitators versus the more uterine front loaders?

I'll bet if the washer had done an oil dump on the floor, Fred would not have been so quick to clean it up with one of his treasures. I watched that leak and thought, "Robert would never let that happen." Just proves there's no business like show business.

 

[swestoyz]

no time was given to the combos

Tom - maybe Robert's true colors wave for traditional Top Loaders? Who needs those pesky Combos anyway...

 

[Unimatic1140]

You are missing the point of all this...

Love your story Steve! That is fodder for a whole thread, I have plently lol.

I enjoyed it, but am disappointed that no time was given to the combos.

Remember Tom and everyone, you have to understand that we spent time talking about each machine on camera, including the combos, but it became clear to us that the production company and TLC editors had very little interest in the washers or really anything in the house. They were interested in trying to show that we are somehow crazy because that is what brings in their audience, not what we collect. Had they been honest about what they were up to when it was presented to us we would have never done this. Overall it didn't come out too bad, but much narration was clearly wrong, some could have been by mistake, but most (I suspect) was done on purpose. I can say that because we presented the facts to them in writing.

Among other things the narrator said:

#1 "Robert spends hours every day looking for washer leads on the net for the weekend", that is total and complete BS, I have absolutely no time for that. 10 minutes per week, if that is the truth. I clearly told them in writing that I am a very busy person and the time I get to spend on the actual hobby is minimal on a weekly basis which is true.

#2 "Robert and Fred drive up 1200 miles looking for washing machines". Again total bull, I told them (again in writing) that we go to the estate sales about 45 Saturdays a year and maybe drive 20-25 miles a saturday. I said we're not just looking for washers, anything fun and vintage for the house, plus its a chance to be social with friends. Well it appears they took 25 * 45 and rounded that up to 1200, then they proceeded to twist what I said to their liking.

There were a bunch of other things in the narration that were just like that including the monetary amounts. I plan on making a list of what they said and then provide correct answers and I will share that when I get time.
[this post was last edited: 3/30/2012-11:04]

 

[tomturbomatic]

Robert,

Having been through this for print articles, I know exactly what you are talking about. Only once did we have a writer who was interested in the appliances and that was a great article. The others wanted to write about us and we should not have been the topic of the story. To them, appliances were not as interesting as people. Funny, I feel almost the opposite is true. The writers just have training in writing about people so they have a stock supply of phrases and such. It would take more work on their part to actually write a factual article about appliances because that borders on technical writing.

Y'all did the members here proud in spite of what they were trying to do to you and I thank you again.

 

[rp2813]

I noticed that the narration went with the blanket term of "one of a kind" for every washer you own after you had mentioned the single washer in your collection that could claim that status.

 

I wasn't surprised by the hype and twisting of truth.  These days, broadcast news is guilty of the same thing, so it wasn't unexpected coming from a TLC show where, as you stated, the focus is on the people more than any specific items in their collections. 

 

1,200 miles?  Yeah, maybe after a decent amount of coordinating and planning, but not on a whim after Saturday breakfast, and I presume that's round trip, not one way.  They appeal to the lowest common denominator in their viewing audience who believe every skewed thing their televisions tell them.

 

You guys presented very well in spite of their efforts.