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Did the show American Inventor, and particularly Doug Hall's presence on it, sully the reputation of independent inventors?
When asked about ABC's "American Inventor" TV show last year and its contribution to culture, Doug Hall takes another gulp of coffee and sighs as if he's about to dumb down his answer.
As one of four judges on the show, Hall has much to answer for.
Critics panned the program as mean-spirited and banal. At least one protest Web site sprang to life, deriding the show as a scam. The Washington Post called it "an appalling amalgam of humiliating ridicule," adding that it made a mockery of American ingenuity and, "of course, the sad little dreamers who agreed to take part." To top it off, show co-producer Simon Cowell, the abrasive British judge on "American Idol," publicly anointed Hall as "the most annoying man on television," a remarkable statement considering the source.
Seated in a brown leather chair at Inventors Digest's new headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., I take the opportunity to remind Hall of this catalog of ill-will. Then pose The Question: Did the show, and particularly his presence on it, sully the reputation of independent inventors?
"Did 'Dukes of Hazard' sully NASCAR?" he jumps, his cherubic cheeks flushing red. "No!" At turns defiant and repentant, Hall then offers his behind-the-camera take on the show and how, like a light bulb snapping to life, he had an epiphany that has renewed his interest in helping independent inventors.
The 48-year-old Hall embraces his reputation as an arrogant Mr. Know-it-all. He is a former Master Marketing Inventor at Procter & Gamble, where he invented and shipped a record nine innovations during one 12-month period. He is the founder of corporate idea-generation farm Eureka! Ranch (see sidebar). He has built an empire around applying a potent mix of critical questioning, scientific analysis, and mirth to brainstorming. In his book "Jump Start Your Business Brain," he notes that, "You can increase your cranial power three- to fivefold simply by laughing and having fun before working on a problem." He's the host of a popular radio show in his home base of Cincinnati. And corporate clients still call on his consulting services. Yet in retrospect, his stint on "American Inventor" could be considered one of those rare instances when no publicity might have been better than the type of exposure he endured.
"'American Inventor' was no different than other crooks in the inventor space," Hall confesses. "Seventy-five percent of royalties go to the show. You can't justify anything more than 25 percent. You got sold on exposure. But the exposure is vapor - it comes and goes.
"The producers, the network and the person who won the grand prize are the only ones who made money," he says, adding that he was paid "minimal."
In "American Idol" fashion, inventors paraded their wares before Hall and fellow judges - marketer Mary Lou Quinlan, advertiser executive Ed Evangelista, and British telecommunications mogul Peter Jones. Products ranged from the absurd - the "bladder buddy" allowed men to zip themselves in a giant garment bag so they could urinate in public - to the plausible, such as a travel-size workout kit. Finalists received $50,000 to develop their inventions. The winner, chosen partly by national vote, won a million bucks.
"Reality TV isn't as real as it looks," Hall says. "It's entertainment. 'American Inventor' had nothing to do with inventors or inventions. It was made clear to me early on there was no real basis for evaluating the marketability of ideas."
That clarity came in the form of Simon Cowell, who early in the shooting often scolded Hall and the other judges that he wasn't interested in questions about product viability and business plans.
"We were supposed to ask the people about how much they suffered," Hall laments. "It was P.T. Barnum at its worst. But if I'm not there, who else is going to come back and support the inventor?"
He says he'd be back on the show in a heartbeat. "I'm extremely happy it's over. But I'd do it again."
The inventor community is among the most exploited in the nation, and as such also is among the most suspicious and paranoid. In a world where late-night TV hucksters, 1-800 rip-offs and all manner of online and brick and mortar invention-promotion scam artists feast on the dreams and dollars of inventors, credibility is at a premium.
Hall was the most credible of the judges when it came to evaluating inventions. He was the one who would jump from behind the desk to put his hands on the contraptions presented before the panel. He insisted on asking probing business-related questions. But his rationalization, his hindsight equivocation about his role on the show continues to serve as grist for critics.
"I think he was one of the better judges, but in general all were less than professional in the way they treated inventors," avers Glen Kotapish, president of Inventors Network of the Capital Area in Arlington, Va. Hall and the rest of the judges could have taken more time to educate inventors, rather than belittle them, Kotapish says. "Inventors on the show walked away with nothing positive. Nothing was evaluated. For those people to come on the show and have doors slammed on them was somewhat ridiculous. It was sort of cold and heartless."
For his part, Hall sounds like a man ready to make amends.
"The really good thing the show did - and I'll be frank, I'm in debt to Simon Cowell for this - it opened my eyes to how much inventors are getting ripped off," he says. Indeed, many who showed up at casting calls recounted how they had sunk thousands of dollars for worthless design patents and other bogus materials. "It brought me back to my roots, from when I was 12 selling juggling kits," Halls says. "I understand why you chase a dream. Real entrepreneurs understand what it is to put their heart and soul into something."
He's vowed to devote part of his empire and energies to help independent inventors. He's reluctant to reveal details other than to say it could involve some 370 centers across the country "to help entrepreneurs discover better opportunities for growth." Given the Web's relatively inexpensive way to reach a mass audience, it's also possible Hall could offer a lower-cost variant of one of his online research tools. He remains tight-lipped, though. Watch this space for future developments.
Meanwhile, ABC has geared up another season of "American Inventor." ABC officials declined an opportunity to comment before this issue of Inventors Digest went to print. But at the time, the program will feature celebrity judges, including innovator heavyweight George Foreman. As Hall reminds us, reality television isn't reality - it's entertainment. And in the world of entertainment, the show must go on.
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