Recipient Of "Extreme Home Makeover" A Convicted Robber

[matcom]

<snip>


WELLS — Doug Goodale's story was custom built for television. A Maine lobsterman who cut off his right arm in a freak fishing accident, Goodale made a perfect candidate for "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," the hit reality TV show that each week creates a lavish new dwelling for a needy family with a compelling story.

This fall the show enlisted more than 1,000 volunteers and replaced Goodale's double-wide mobile home with a $500,000 log home.

But in the weeks since Goodale, his wife and their two children moved into their new home, the story of the 40-year-old lobsterman has become more complicated, raising questions about the show's screening process for recipients of its home makeovers.

Goodale has a criminal record, starting with a conviction for armed robbery as a teenager, for which he served 60 days in the York County jail. He also has a misdemeanor conviction for assault and two convictions for drunken driving.

A spokeswoman for "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" would not discuss the specifics of Goodale's criminal history, most of which precedes his fishing accident in 1997. Melissa Armstrong, a Los Angeles-based publicist who works for the production company that supplies the show to ABC, said the show is looking into his record.

Goodale said he and his family have an agreement with "Extreme Makeover" not to speak to the media before their episode airs. He referred all calls to the show's producers, who declined to comment.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/york/051020goodale.shtml

[DS1]

1. I never robbed nobody!

Where's MY fucking house? :grr:

[GOPisEvil]

2. Have your arm cut off in a freak photoshopping accident.

:bounce:

[DS1]

4. Shit, I'd have it hollowed out and sliced into a spiral!

cutting off is just soooo unoriginal

[GOPisEvil]

5. Maybe you could just photoshop your arm being cut off.

:shrug:

[LostinVA]

3. They have another lawsuit against them, too

They built a house for a family that had taken in several kids after their parents died.... then kicked them out after the new, wonderful house was built. Oi. IMO, they should have to pay somebody something, because their gain was under (basically) false pretenses.

[Divameow77]

6. My first instinct is to ask

"Why does he deserve a house" but then I read that he was a teenager when he received the conviction, and he might have been young when he commited the other crimes, he is now 40, people do change.
His wife and children benefit from the new home too.

[bertha katzenengel]

7. What -- people who've done their time are not deserving of anything

good? Jesus, this PISSES ME OFF!

[CanuckAmok]

8. Don't worry, he's 'armless now.

Actually, I don't think this should be an issue. He's obviously paid his dues, and isn't this show about improving the lives of the less fortunate?

[bertha katzenengel]

9. clip from the company that supplied the house's materials:

~~

Officials with Katahdin Cedar Log Homes, the Aroostook County-based company that supplied the materials to build the home, estimated its value at $500,000. The company also sent 25 workers, who stained the house inside and out during the last two days of the project.

David Gordon, the company's president, said it did not bother him to learn that Goodale had been in trouble with the law. "Absolutely not, as long as he paid his debt to society," Gordon said.

emphasis added

~~

That's the shit, right there. God dammit, people are such fucking assholes. I realize that my cursing shows my dearth of imagination and lack of vocabulary and I apologize. What I want to say is that I cannot BELIEVE people would be UPSET about something like this!!

[no name no slogan]

10. hell YES

The guy paid his debt and served his time. As far as I am concerned, he's rehabilitated.

If the guy was still robbing people at gunpoint, that's another story.