America’s Funniest Home Fails

One of our favorite pastimes as a family is watching America’s Funniest Home Videos on Sunday nights.

(You know, the show that is currently in it’s TWENTY-SEVENTH season. Yes. 27.

Only 49 fewer seasons than Law & Order.)

About 6 months ago I decided to try submitting one of our own home videos to the show. Not because the video was *that* funny, not because I was trying to win $1,000,000; simply because the thought of surprising our boys with a cameo on their favorite show sounded magical.

I opened my laptop, went to their website, and grabbed the first video in my files.

Once I got into the upload process, however, I panicked at the legal jargon. Specifically, the part about their ownership of your video upon submission.

What if the quality control team from AFV comes and destroys all copies of the video from our home?

What if our kid ends up in a commercial for Preparation H?!

Valid enough concerns that I didn’t finish the upload process.

You know when you’re shopping online and you leave something unpaid in your virtual shopping cart, you get an email saying, “Hey, girl…you sure you don’t want to buy those shoes?”

AFV apparently does the same thing.

I got no less than 12 emails over the next several weeks asking if I wanted to complete the consent forms for my video.

I kept deleting them.

And then one day I got a phone call and voicemail from LA.

“Hey, Sarah. This is Shannon from America’s Funniest Home Videos. We are preparing for our next season and would love to include your video…”

I called the number back.

shannon: This is Shannon.

me: Oh, wow. Hi. Uh. This is Sarah…with the video of the…you know, the 15-second…

shannon: Yes, hi, Sarah! We’d love to finish your consent forms to include the video on our upcoming show.

me: But will my kid be the new face of hemorrhoid cream?

shannon: What? No.

me: Ok then, let’s do this.

A few months went by after our conversation and I kinda forgot this whole event.

And then one day I got a phone call and voicemail from LA:

“Hey, Sarah. It’s Shannon from AFV. Your video will be aired this coming Sunday…”

It was at this point in the 6 month America’s Home Funniest Videos video submission journey that I finally told Taylor what I’d done: my master plan to surprise the boys…my free AFV t-shirt coming in the mail…I told it all.

We both dissolved into giggles.

Mostly because we knew our kids would flip out when they saw Alfonso Ribeiro and their brother on the screen at the same time.

We hosted a surprise AFV viewing party with our neighbors. We even had popcorn.

And when our 15-second home video was aired on national television in front of at least 36 grandmothers and 4 doctor’s office waiting rooms, this happened:

me, *pausing the show*: Boys!! Did you see that?! Who was that?!

beckett: Davis. ….I’ve seen that video before. Can you unpause it?

And that was that.

Turns out these youths don’t know the difference between screens. Like….between looking at the camera roll on your iPhone and being on a nationally televised show.

Hil-arious.

Whatever, boys. We are one of only about 2.3 billion videos on this prestigious, exclusive show. I’m going to wear my AFV t-shirt with pride.

And congratulations, famous Davis. As soon as you can learn to write I’ll get your autograph.