Is it normal to hate the television show "wife swap"?

93% Normal
16 Comments

It is full of stereotypes. What they usually do is get some family that embodies negative stereotypes and a suburban middleclass clueless family with a few quirks. Or they mix a family that has destructive tendencies with a family where the parents push their kids way too hard and overprotect them. The former situation subtly promotes cookie-cutter suburbanite Ozzie Harriet Living, while spreading stereotypes against a lifestyle. I remember the Wiccan episode. That just pissed me off. I know a couple Wiccans, and they have NEVER acted like the people in that family. Pointy elf shoes???? Or the family with the goths. That just mixed up the former and the latter! Selective editing and stereotypes + terrible family who put way too much pressure on their daughter. The Gothic family seemed great to me, and the show never showed them doing anything not related to Gothic stuff.

An example of the latter was an episode with a family that partied all the time. The show probably didn't show them drinking and doing drugs. The other family put too much pressure on their kids and overprotected them. To a person that lived like the first, that episode encourages destructive behavior. To people like latter, that encouraged parents to parent their kids in a way that teaches them to be cookie-cutter suburbanites who just get up, go to work, come home and be entertained by the television, and repeat.

THIS IS SOCIAL CONDITIONING!

If you have questions, ask. I'll reply to your comment if you ask. I'm sorry if this is confusing, I'm not the best at getting my point across.

Voting Results
93% Normal
Based on 44 votes (41 yes)
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Comments ( 16 )
  • NeuroNeptunian
    11 years ago

    What do you expect?

    They are out to make money and ratings and a great way to do that is to display families that the viewers would love to hate and it sounds like you fell into the trap. WELCOME to UNITED STATES REALITY TV. If you aren't touched, having your ego stroked or pissed off and disappointed in humanity by the time the episode is over, THE PRODUCERS DIDN'T DO THEIR JOB.

    And honestly, appearances can be deceiving. I would refrain from judging someone's lifestyle and parenting techniques unless they are either blatantly abusing or neglecting their children or you have been there to directly observe their situation. What's wrong with being a "cookie-cutter suburbanite"? What if it that makes them happy, what if their enjoyment comes from their career and routine (the way that Aspies thrive in routine) is their happiness invalid because it is not the path you would prefer? What is wrong with clubbing, raving and partying done in a responsible manner? What if it makes them happy? Is it wrong because it is not your way?

    Long story short, they do it for the ratings. Some families are legitimately weird but anyone that is dumb enough to take ONE example of a family represented on a reality TV show as an accurate representation of the entirety should not have their opinions taken seriously by any intelligent human being.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      Yeah, I guess you're right. I usually go on and on about not being judgemental, but look at me being a hypocrite.

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      • NeuroNeptunian
        11 years ago

        I would be lying if I were to say that I didn't do the same thing.

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  • awesometodd
    11 years ago

    I hate every reality show

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    • ForMyPeaceOfMind
      11 years ago

      I'm with you! I hate just about every reality show there is.....it's not reality anyway, you can tell by looking at it!

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  • icanhazcheezbergr
    11 years ago

    Shit

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  • icanhazcheezbergr
    11 years ago

    Sucks

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  • icanhazcheezbergr
    11 years ago

    Tv

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  • icanhazcheezbergr
    11 years ago

    Reality

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  • emilydoll
    11 years ago

    they put to extreme cases together i guess to learn from one another and find balance, both families are usually opposite in behavior and also are a bit extreme, so they're supposed to find a middle ground.

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  • Terence_the_viking
    11 years ago

    just don't watch it and move on

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  • dappled
    11 years ago

    The American version of the show is quite different to its English predecessor. The English version used to bring together people with different parenting styles and it was actually interesting from a sociological point of view.

    When I saw the American version, I was a bit disturbed at some text that flashed up for a quarter of a second. I do read quickly and it said something like, "Some of the situations have been 'staged' for the purposes of entertainment". I guess that said it all.

    The English version does seem to have taken some steps along the same path now, though, with "celebrity" versions and the like.

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    • Legion
      11 years ago

      huh, I never saw that disclaimer. I knew they staged most of it, but i never seen any disclaimer about it.

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      • dappled
        11 years ago

        It was scarily quick. I think it was onscreen for about eight frames and it was smallish and at the bottom of the screen underneath some other text. I probably wouldn't have spotted it but my brain is freakishly good at stuff like this. It's not a skill that often comes in useful, sadly.

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  • mimic
    11 years ago

    just watch the porn version of this show it's way better

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  • ForMyPeaceOfMind
    11 years ago

    I watched that show in the very beginning, but instantly grew tired of the show's routine! I think they should throw a mother into a family very different from her own and let her tough it out their way for the entire two weeks without her employing what she does at home with her brood. I mean, isn't the point of the show meant to learn about others and how they live? Well, how are you gonna learn when you're making changes....just roll with the punches and fill the missing mother's role in the home!

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