Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Wife Swap - Fantasy OR Stupidity


For years, I've heard commercials about an upcoming Wife Swap.  And yes, out of curiosity I did watch a couple of episodes in the beginning.  But I still have the exact feelings that I always did.  I have all these questions that come to mind.  Such as:
  • What is up with America that we have husbands who are willing to let their wives live with another family or vice versa?  Doesn't that say alot for our family systems today.  Would generations before have done this?
  • How can a spouse feel comfortable with their spouse living with a total stranger?  Even if there is a camera crew, I would never allow my husband to do such a thing.  I would never do it either.
  • Are these families checked out before for sexual predators?  I mean I'm sure that ABC or whatever network they are on are going to do as much as they can to check them out.  To cover their own butts.
  • Can money really make these people to do this?  That makes me sad.  That money is why these families open themselves up for whatever could happen.
  • How can these families go on the air treating their children like they do?  Yes I'm sure that my family is not perfect but I'm not going to put it on tv.  Eating raw meat in the one show. 
  • How can a mother willing leave their own children to be taken care of by someone they have never met?  These mothers don't even know what they are getting into until they sit down at the other person's house.  I don't even like visiting relatives that I know sometimes.
Ok so I got curious and I went to the Wife Swap site to look at the application.  No I am not considering but I wanted to see what it said.  And here is some of what I saw.
  • Lots of questions about family dynamics
    • are the kids adopted
    • any foster children
    • step children
    • who has custody of said children.
    • Do you have pets?  Do they have free reign of your house?
    • What's your daily diet routine?
    • Are you a scheduled family?
    • How do you discipline your children?  Please give details.
    • Are you strict parents?
    • What is your relationship with your kids like?
    • What pushes your buttons?
  • Questions about the parent's relationship
    • Who wears the pants and why?
    • What their jobs are and schedules?
    • Who has what responsbilities in their house?
    • Are you married?  How long?
    • What is your relationship like?
    • What was your upbringing like?  What were you like as a child? and then in High School?
  • What can you learn from another family?  What can you teach?
  • Is there any feuding in  your family?
  • Is there any chemical dependency?
  • Have you gone through therapy at any time?
  • And of course all of the questions about criminals and Children Services are there as well.
Then they list the qualifications you must meet:
  • 21 years of age
  • legal US Resident
  • Not going for a public office - and you can't for the following year
  • No one can have worked for them of course
  • You must submit to a background check
  • You must be in excellent mental and physical shape
And of course they list the you can not sue me legal mumbo yumbo stuff.

Ok but the screening must not work very well.. or it works really well for ABC since they do have some very crazy episodes. 

And let's not forget what has happen with some of the ex contendents have claimed sexual assaults, child endangerment, and stabbing of a spouse afterwards.  All of these are pasted throughout the internet.  I don't know if they are true or myths.

So my question to you all is.. Am I totally off base?  Don't you think that America has gotten pretty bad if we will allow our families to be put in such situations?  We are talking minors here.  We are talking about our own children here.

Note:  This is strictly my opinion.  Picture was found on Photobucket.

Photobucket

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

i have never watched it...

i feel its dumb and waste of time..
i believe balloon dad did it too...isn't it?

Anonymous said...

I am 100% with you on this one, Tami. The reality tv shows have so gotten out of hand.

Lee said...

I don't watch this one, but I think they just continue to make these because they don't cost as much and people seem to feel better about their own screwed up lives when they watch other peoples lives who are more screwed up than their own.

Vodka Logic said...

I have watched a few and they are a larf. What crazy people they are is right. But I wouldnt go on it or even Supernanny... all fruit loops if you ask me.

Stephanie said...

OH I'm with you! I can't believe people would do this! Must be the money.

confused homemaker said...

It pays a lot & I think that motivates people in desperate situations or people who feel they need quick cash. I don't get it, I mean I could see if it were truly sociological & meant to teach but really it is not & it is exploitative.

yonca said...

I aggree..I don't know how can people do this!

Unknown said...

i totally get what you're saying and i agree. i would never do something like this for money. HOWEVER...i would like to swap wives for a week or so. i think my hubs/kids would appreciate me more if they got a woman in here that doesn't do the stuff for them that i do. just sayin'...

Corrie Howe said...

Sent this out to StumbleUpon, think you did a great job on this post!

Liz Mays said...

I've watched this many times and I'm pretty sure they look for families who are extremists in one regard or another so that they really get on each other's last nerves.

Desert Rose said...

My sentiments exactly...completely lame idea and show. It's a wonder I don't watch much TV.

Aunt Juicebox said...

I've never watched it, mostly because I do think it's ridiculous. The things people will do for money!

Tracie said...

The people that go on these shows are attention whores. They're worse than bloggers!

Heart2Heart said...

Tami,

I just think we have gotten so addicted to our TV's and reality shows that nothing shocks us any longer.

I agree with your arguments about letting spouses move in with a family for a few weeks, not in this home.

This just goes to show that there truly is a market for anything these days and people willing to watch it for the mere entertainment value it offers.


Love and Hugs ~ Kat

Rachele Bennett said...

I love watching Wife Swap. I only recently started enjoying it but...it makes me feel normal. If I'm ever getting down on myself for...anything, I can just turn on an episode and see how wacky everyone else is and it makes me feel good:) The raw meat one was gross. Was it "high" meat that was in the jar for months. I about gagged just watching that.

MrsBlogAlot said...

I'm with you sister.
It's beyond disgusting!

But as long as there are still willing participants it will unfortunately go on.

Husbands giving up wives...mothers giving up kids...how about someone relinquishing some crazy for a change? ...no...too much?

Debby@Just Breathe said...

People will do almost anything for money. I do not like reality TV!
(except for Big Brother)

Kim Lehnhoff said...

Some people will do almost anything for their 15 minutes of fame. Balloon Boy's family started out on Wife Swap (maybe they did it twice).

And it wasn't enough...

Frugal Vicki said...

Oh! So this is where the whole ABC money thing came in. I have seen wife swap a few times, on of which was the balloon boy show. There are all kinds of crazy out there.