Kondo “sparks joy” within viewers
Holding item after item, the question lingers: Does this item “spark joy”? Some make the cut, but others do not. Joy-inducing items are kept while the others are sent off with a “thank you.”
“Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” an original Netflix show, is currently blowing up as it changes the way the masses organize household items. Marie Kondo has sold millions of the four books she has written on organization, and is continuing to spread knowledge through her show.
The organizing process is categorized into a five part sequence, which consists of clothing, books, paper, komono (bathroom, garage, kitchen and everything miscellaneous) and sentimental items. In this order, Kondo helps families through the process on her show.
Kondo gives a variety of tips from proper folding techniques to the suitable sorting of items in drawers, but she is particularly famous for the method that solves the question of whether an item should be kept or not. Her tidying philosophy states that an item should “spark joy” if it is worthy of being kept.
Upon seeing this show on Netflix, I was not interested. The last thing I wanted was to watch another show about organizing. When my mom started watching it in the living room, however, I was instantly hooked. I guess I should not judge a book by its cover.
Something about Marie Kondo is so powerful. Her wisdom radiates through the television screen and basically hypnotizes you into wanting to organize your things. I will bet you money that after watching an episode, you will think to yourself: “Maybe I should fold my clothes differently” or even, “It would be a great idea to organize my entire house.”
The difference between this show and “Hoarders,” which I used to watch, is that Kondo helps people who have only a little clutter in their house, unlike “Hoarders” which features homeowners who have piles and piles of junk stacked up.
While Kondo’s techniques are helpful and satisfying to watch, it is also intriguing to analyze the people she visits. The show does a great job of selecting interesting and deserving people to help. During the first episode of the show, “Tidying with Toddlers,” the impalpable lingering tension between the married couple is uncomfortably entertaining. In other episodes, however, like the fourth episode, the widowed woman in need of Kondo’s aid is simply precious.
“Tidying up with Marie Kondo” is a wonderful show, but I would not say that this show is for people who normally do not like cleaning shows. I am a cleaning show fanatic, so I love to watch the cleaning process and hear the backstories of those who are featured on the show.
As odd as it sounds, I can feel Marie Kondo watching over me as I organize the items in my room, like a tidying goddess. The way she walks viewers through the process makes it more simple in my mind. It is a truly life changing show.
