Part II of ABC News's Extremely American Makeover: Home Edition For One Dallas Family

Part II of ABC News's Extremely American Makeover: Home Edition For One Dallas Family

By Robert Wilonsky Wed., Mar. 2 2011 at 8:04 AM

ABC News

Jon and Anna Usry and the family, right before ABC News stole all their stuff

Yesterday we watched ABC News's David Muir do Diane Sawyer's bidding and empty the Snow White Drive home of Jon and Anna Usry of everything not made in the U.S. and A. Though, as several Friends of Unfair Park noted, the couple and their kids did get to keep their clothes, most of which were likely made in a faraway factory. Which is why I only wear Nardis of Dallas.

Anyway. Last night was Part II of the World News series, during which the Usrys, Muir and a personal shopper scoured the countryside -- and a Container Store -- to find products manufactured stateside. (Says Sawyer, American production peaked in '79, and now far more than half of what we buy is foreign-produced; "if every American spent $3.33 on U.S.-made goods every year," Sawyer insisted recently, "that would create almost 10,000 new jobs in this country.") And, say, that's also quite the nice plug for Freed's Furniture.

Tomorrow, we'll see the fruits of their labor. But will the Usrys? Because there's still no America-made television set. OK, you're now free to watch another ABC News production: The Best of Charlie Sheen.

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Joejoethedogfaceboy

How about the light bulbs? And the video camera they used to tape themselves? And the cell phone they are using to find American made products? And I think I saw them driving a Toyota in yesterday's episode...

Jane

Toyota manufactures cars in the US. They have a plant in Texas and in Arkansas.

TimCov

You can't depend on the brand name of a vehicle to know where a vehicle is manufactured. Many foreign brands have US factories and many American companies have foreign factories. I know that many Toyota pickups are made here in Texas. And, I believe that both Ford and GM have assembly plants in Canada and Mexico.

us175guy

I noticed they didn't take the SUV away from them and make them walk (OR buy them a replacement American car :D )

rachum

My Dad, aka Hank Hill, is one of those nuts who only buys American furniture, cars and clothes. He buys Zeniths. I'm not sure if they're still made in USA, but he buys them anyway. I'm glad he is a nut. He makes me proud.

us175guy

My dad swore by Zeniths. I think all their US production has moved away by now. Very sad. I was able 2 TVs ago to get a Zenith, but with my recent flat-screen purchase, no such luck....one place's online site had 2 Zeniths listed, but didn't have either in the store. Sorry Dad, but I ended up with an LG (South Korea). I've often wondered what he would think now of the HD/flat-screen/no-more-picture-tubes world we've become (Dad used to fix TVs for a living). He'd probably just throw up his hands and say "WTH!!!"

CollinBabs

I used to work for Zenith. LG of Korea bought them in the 90s to get the Zenith name, but everything is manufactured outside of the U.S.

Robert Wilonsky

I'll see if I can find him an old Curtis Mathes. When they were made here.

us175guy

They used to be made in Athens (TX not Greece)--now it's a Superfund site.

Suz

Nardis! where did that come from?My friends dad worked for them in the 70's.

Tom L (No, Not That L)

You know, it's really weird how the sound just goes automatically while the video still is just sitting there with the play icon on top of it as if nothing is happening.

Robert Wilonsky

Had a similar issue with the video yesterday. I will try to fix. Again.