Burroughs/Padovan-Hickman Wife Swap

[kimiij]

Did anyone see this Wife Swap?!? It is on right now on ABC. I am absolutely in shock- particularly at Shannon Nicole's behavior. She was so mean-spirited and she was so vocal about her hatred of the poor. I am so disgusted watching her and her behavior. It is so bad I am wondering if she is for real?!

[Rach]

I had to turn it off. I couldn't keep watching her call people losers because they're (in her words) poor.

[BlueStateMama]

This had to be a set up, right?

I'm still just so horrified with how she spoke in front of those two little girls. The woman didn't have a shred of class, or a maternal bone in her body. The more I watched, though, the more I thought she's got some serious emotional and mental health issues on board. The amount of anger she just carries, apparently day to day, must be exhausting.

There would be hell to pay if I found out someone ever spoke to and insulted my family - ESPECIALLY my children - like that.

I can't believe anyone can be that hideous, inside and out, and spend seemingly 100% of their time, energy, money and focus solely on their looks. I said to DH, "What a heartless, and SOULLESS woman!!"

And, OMG, she's a child and adolescent psych nurse ?!?!?!? Whaaaaa????

http://www.nj.com/gloucester/index.s.......xml&coll=8

[kimiij]

Originally Posted by Rach

I had to turn it off. I couldn't keep watching her call people losers because they're (in her words) poor.

Emphasis is mine.

Yes! She just didn't even get it that they wanted to live simply.

[umsami]

I think this is the first WS episode I've seen where one family really had nothing to learn from the other family. Nothing.

I could not believe how she spoke to her guest family... how she spoke to her own husband.

I can't believe she encouraged her children to think of the other Mom as mean and ugly. For one thing... she was NEITHER.

Remember all the backlash against that one WS Dad? I predict that the NJ Mom will get a lot more negative press.

I also really wonder with the state of the economy these days... how the Burroughs family is doing financially now. Seems like they're probably living with a lot of debt.

[Drummer's Wife]

oh, man! She was awful.

Seriously, what was the other family supposed to learn from her, besides being grateful they were nothing like that.

and were the husband and wife really both named Shannon? Or maybe she just makes him go by Shannon Michael cause she owns him... she was freaking nuts!

[Lindsay1234]

I have never posted on the tv board but I saw half of the episode tonight and couldnt wait to jump on MDC and see what other people said!!!

I was telling my friend that the jersey woman was probably the meanest woman Ive ever seen on that show. She was needlessly horrible, especially when she was giving her new rules!!!

[Drummer's Wife]

oh, and $20k a year in clothing for the 6 year old kids?!

I could not stand that horrid lady.

[prettypixels]

I did think the NJ lady was horrible. But 4 people in one bath tub of water? Especially if they wait to be "really dirty" before bathing? That is gross dude, I'm sorry. Live a little!

[Drummer's Wife]

Originally Posted by prettypixels

I did think the NJ lady was horrible. But 4 people in one bath tub of water? Especially if they wait to be "really dirty" before bathing? That is gross dude, I'm sorry. Live a little!

that definitely grossed me out a bit. I would never do that, in the name of :... it seems so extreme (but then I'm the one that likes fresh bath towels after each shower, so what do I know )

[kimiij]

Originally Posted by prettypixels

I did think the NJ lady was horrible. But 4 people in one bath tub of water? Especially if they wait to be "really dirty" before bathing? That is gross dude, I'm sorry. Live a little!

I won't lie- that grossed me out too. But that was still overshadowed by Shannon Nicole's behavior.

I also thought it was weird that they had the same name. And I thought it was because she "owned him". Then I realized that she was named Shannon Nicole and he was named Shannon Michael.

And yes, I was very disappointed with her when she was trying to teach her children to look down on people.

[AnalogWife]

I almost felt a little sorry for her, I think. Like the other mom said, she just seemed too cartoony to take seriously. I thought that British WS Dad with the recycling company was way more offensive.

[HisBeautifulWife]

I'm waiting for the Stephen Fowler like outrage. I don't know if it will happen though because I think a man being abusive towards a woman is seen differently as a woman being abusive towards a man. Also, since the family was a little different that might detract (a bit) from the fact that Shannon Nicole was an absolute horror.

I felt bad for her because she is obviously a miserable person on the inside. I'm not shocked that people are like that, but I am shocked that people can be like that and have no shame about it. You would think that one would be embarrassed about their arrogant views and try to keep quiet about it.

Oh yes, see you can see it on this thread and on other forums. 'Yea she was bad BUT the bathwater' 'Yea she was mean BUT the lady doesn't shave her pits' So yup, I don't see Shannon Nicole getting the same outrage that Stephen Fowler got because people went out of their way to ruin his life.

[ellairiesmom]

LOL! I came across it last night & recorded it & made DH watch it this morning. We were both so freaked out by how shallow & materialistic she was. I just turned to him & said "I wonder if there is a thread on mothering.com about it" and 2 seconds later...here it was!

I don't think I could share the bath water, but I am really impressed by their ability to live the way they do.

[mandib50]

so did they actually say she spent $35000/yr on maintaining her looks. i'm hoping i misheard and it was actually $3500/yr. either way that is a LOT of money.

[holyhelianthus]

I didn't see it but just reading this is making my blood boil. Than again class issues are one of my biggest peeves

Originally Posted by HisBeautifulWife

I'm waiting for the Stephen Fowler like outrage. I don't know if it will happen though because I think a man being abusive towards a woman is seen differently as a woman being abusive towards a man. Also, since the family was a little different that might detract (a bit) from the fact that Shannon Nicole was an absolute horror.

I felt bad for her because she is obviously a miserable person on the inside. I'm not shocked that people are like that, but I am shocked that people can be like that and have no shame about it. You would think that one would be embarrassed about their arrogant views and try to keep quiet about it.

Oh yes, see you can see it on this thread and on other forums. 'Yea she was bad BUT the bathwater' 'Yea she was mean BUT the lady doesn't shave her pits' So yup, I don't see Shannon Nicole getting the same outrage that Stephen Fowler got because people went out of their way to ruin his life.

Amen!

[Porcelain Interior]

Well wasn's she a piece of work?

I wasn't really outraged because I felt all her rude comments were totally ludicris.

The simple family wasn't poor by any stretch of the imagination. A poor person is someone who cannot make ends meet- or has an extremely hard time doing so. These people were living a RICH RICH life. (And there is no shame in poverty, it's our conduct not our pocket books that really matter.)

The simple mom was 100% nicer, prettier and happier than the Jersey plastic surgery queen.

My heart fluttered when I saw them quilting by headlamp. The memories those kids are going to have will sustain them for life. The rich lady's kids though- man she's damaging them.

When she made her son call the simple mom ugly it stopped my blood cold. That's just really shocking behavior. Same thing when she started yelling put downs in the thrift store. For those that are struggling her words are just so dehumanizing. I was very sad for anyone within earshot.

I loved the hambone, the hairy armpits and the willingness to strip things away to find true comfort. Now I don't want to share bath water (I did with my bro and sis when I was a kid), but truly that doesn't matter. They all looked perfectly clean and healthy.

I thought the cabin was magnificent, and I sure hope the simple dad knows what a beautiful job he did.

Shannon Nichole's house was um.....totally out of style (I mean if we're talking about being hip and with it) and trashy in decor.

I thought at the end when she told her husband she was going back for more plastic surgery and he said she didn't need it and she replied "See this is why I never tell you when I do it." said it all.

I'm afraid though in America going by sheer numbers that people lean more toward the Shannon Nichole life plan than the simple one.

Yuck.

I'd like to write the simple family a fan letter.

[prettypixels]

Originally Posted by HisBeautifulWife

I'm waiting for the Stephen Fowler like outrage. I don't know if it will happen though because I think a man being abusive towards a woman is seen differently as a woman being abusive towards a man. Also, since the family was a little different that might detract (a bit) from the fact that Shannon Nicole was an absolute horror.

I felt bad for her because she is obviously a miserable person on the inside. I'm not shocked that people are like that, but I am shocked that people can be like that and have no shame about it. You would think that one would be embarrassed about their arrogant views and try to keep quiet about it.

Oh yes, see you can see it on this thread and on other forums. 'Yea she was bad BUT the bathwater' 'Yea she was mean BUT the lady doesn't shave her pits' So yup, I don't see Shannon Nicole getting the same outrage that Stephen Fowler got because people went out of their way to ruin his life.

I haven't seen the Stephen Fowler episode, and even if I had, this is about *this* episode, you know?

Shannon Nicole was hands down a horror, no question. Also, who said anything about crunchy moms unshaven pits? I thought they were kind of cute, myself.

I also thought the guy saying he washes his beard in "grey water" and it comes out clean anyways was gross.

There is always a middle ground.

Did anyone else feel bad for the little boy when crunchy mom took away his dinosaur and he was sobbing about it? I felt like she should have let them each choose their one *special* toy... and that she wouldn't have done that had she known it really was special to him. I mean I got her point but thought she could make it without the trauma to the kid, you know?

[HisBeautifulWife]

Originally Posted by prettypixels

I haven't seen the Stephen Fowler episode, and even if I had, this is about *this* episode, you know?

Shannon Nicole was hands down a horror, no question. Also, who said anything about crunchy moms unshaven pits? I thought they were kind of cute, myself.

Yes, this is about this episode which was very similar to the Stephen Fowler episode in that it featured someone who was ridiculously cruel and unnecessarily harsh during the swap.

After Stephen Fowlers episode aired there was an outrage. Hate websites went up, people posted his home address, his wifes business suffered and he got kicked off some boards he sat on. He ended up apologizing.

IMO Shannon Nicole was just as bad as he was the only difference is that the family she was rude to was
"different" whereas with the Fowler swap that wasn't so. So it's easier for people to dismiss how terrible
she treated them because they are distracted by the baths and the armpits. Maybe not on this board, but on others. However even someone on this board said

I did think the NJ lady was horrible. But 4 people in one bath tub of water?

Making a comparison is still staying on topic so I am not sure why you are coming at me with your comments.

[Drummer's Wife]

uh, I don't think anyone who thought the bath water was a bit gross, was excusing Shannon Nicoles behavior. Why exactly do they have to be related? I mean, sure, it's one of the many, many things she was rude and nasty about, but just because *I* personally would not choose to take a bath using the same water as my little boys doesn't mean I would say mean and outrageous things to a family who was okay with this.

Maybe on other boards or IRL discussions people find the horrid lady's commentary acceptable because they think the other family are "hippies", or whatever, doesn't mean anyone on here feels that way.

I don't know who Stephen Fowler is as we were TV-free for some time, and this show was not something we watched years ago, anyway. BUT, I do think that last night's episode will negatively impact that family's life (the NJ family) because of how horrible the mom acted.