Very similar family got the same treatment on Wife Swap

Anonymous

I just think it helps you guys by presenting the facts.

I have read your Parade of Lies and it is interesting but would be even better if you followed up some of the splices with what was actually said and/or what the topic was.

Hang in there!

Anonymous

Abbotts,
I loved your family! Being a homeschooler and believing in more closeness with my children, I could relate in so many ways.
Alot of people have been trashing Fox and after learning of the actual reality, I'm never watching another "reality" show. I know programs distort and manipulate, and I've always told family to take whatever they see with a grain of salt. However, I had no idea how bad it was.
As soon as I saw that y'all were homeschooled, I turned to my husband and said, "Uh, oh": y'all were going to be portrayed as brainwashing kooks. If Fox lied about you, ABC completely bent over and ****** another family: the Reimers. A family of five; vegetarians; Christian; homeschoolers; all children were polite and extremely mannerly; the parents wanted their children to be pure; believed in corporal punishment; the father was the head of the household; everyone was thin and svelt; very happy, nice family. The other family was so dysfunctional, but it was clear they were the "normal" ones.
After the show, there was even an on-line chat with the "normal" ones to discuss the show.

The story portrayed by ABC was uncannily similar to Fox's of you:
Larger than life, cursing, straight talking mom visits a family that shelters their kids. She enrolls them in public school for a day and they are eternally grateful! The children have seen the light and love the socialization that had heretofore been totally lacking! She even throws a party which is foreign to the children. Meanwhile the brainwashing, over-bearing, fun stealing Dad is trying to thwart her at every turn. The children love her even though she was rude to their dad right in front of them like when she threated to throw a fruit smoothee all over him (uncut). The poor guy, I don't think he was capable of raising his voice.
The difference between their's and your's was the "other" family was hateful, but this was portrayed as an understandable reaction to such "weirdness".

We began to realize, even worse, that "Wife Swap" loved putting together families that, with good predictibility, were going to ourtight hate each other just to watch the sparks fly, especially at the end.

Fox isn't nearly as bad as ABC, but if it is all lies, why bother? I heard the Reimers have the EXACT complaints you have, but I can't find anything other than what is on the ABC website, and even reading that, you realize this family is anything but what was portrayed.

If you are homeschoolers and believe YOUR children should get their values from YOU before they leave home, watch out!

Luke Abbott

Wow. Interesting... We saw that episode. I bought it hook, line, and sinker.

I would venture to say that, while we are also homeschoolers, our family's parenting style, etc., is probably quite different from the Reimers, even with all that editing. I would even say that many of their thoughts and opinions would run counter to ours (not like that's very unusual! :P ).

That said, if it's true that they (the Reimers) were also distorted and mis-represented, then the story that was created certainly was uncannily similar, wasn't it? Right down to the kids' big "epiphany" about public school and being with kids their age, like my big "epiphany" about independence! I bought it; I actually got the feeling that this was one of the few homeschooling families that really does inhibit their kids' social needs (I can only assume that they are out there).

I'm curious to find out more. It sounds like you don't know the Reimers personally. How do you know their portrayal was inaccurate? Have the Reimers made any public statements about this? Is this just your speculation?

Specifically, I'm curious whether the editors at ABC put words in people's mouths like they did with us...

Let me know,

Luke

P.S. - Didn't understand what you meant by that last sentence...

Susan

I am also VERY interested in finding more information about that family, because my husband and I were horrified throughout the entire show. I thought both families on that episode were a mess, but the homeschooling family literally SCARED me. Like your dad said, Luke, if we've been hoodwinked, it's sort of the point that we wouldn't realize it. Still, I for SOME reason feel ABC's portrayal of that family was MUCH truer than Fox's potrayal or your family. I also want to point out that the homeschooling family on Wifeswap last week was presented in a VERY positive light (relatively speaking, of course), and I felt ABC did not have any agenda to make them look weird or abnormal. Even though their lifestyle IS very very different than most people's, they came across as a kind, loving, fun, stable family. ABC could have easily taken their story and gone in the same direction Fox went with yours - yet they didn't.

Why is it that I'm clinging to the belief that Wifeswap is a bit more fair and balanced in its storytelling? Who knows, but I have to at least hope that's the case.

Susan

Susan

WOAH. Adding to my post above - I didn't even SEE the title of this thread until now - "Very similar families"? I'd have to say the Reimers and the Abbotts are about as diametrically opposed as they come! Now THAT would have been the reality show from hell, swapping those two families. I shudder at the thought. I have wondered several times, by the way, how the Reimer kids are doing after that experience - getting that taste of freedom (and CANDY!) then having it taken back when mom returned home. I just can't see that woman loosening the reigns to much.


Susan

Ms. Frizzle

I only watched the first episode of wife swap with that rich couple who never spent any time with the kids.
She's a Stay at home mom and has 3 nanny's. :shock:
I would have loved to say her attitude was editing but seeing her on Oprah and the re cap show was just as bad.

I know she got a lot of negative press about all her 'me time'. I hope she has fired some (or all) of the staff who raise her kids and actually be a real mom.

Luke Abbott

[cite] Susan:[/cite]WOAH. Adding to my post above - I didn't even SEE the title of this thread until now - "Very similar families"? I'd have to say the Reimers and the Abbotts are about as diametrically opposed as they come!

Double WHOA! I hadn't seen that part of the title either. Of course, I don't know what was editing and what was real, but I would agree that we are definately not cut from the same cloth. Interesting you should say that. I still want to know why you thought they were misrepresented...

Anonymous

were the reimers that rock family and they got the other mother to dress up?

also im not sure how i get a username here :? i guess im an idiot

smustang2004

whoa nevermind the register button was a good place to start :oops:

Ron Cotnam

[cite] Luke Abbott:[/cite]

P.S. - Didn't understand what you meant by that last sentence...

I think she might be reffering to the political bias against homeschooling.
for example; a school somewhere like South Carolina I think (it's been awhile) had a terrorist attack drill. Instead of it being a muslum terrorist attack and run the risk of offending muslums, the scenario was, you guesset it, crazed homeschoolers tring to blow up the school. There are political forces that want you to depend on government for all your needs. These same forces also want the schools to facilitate the deception of parents.

There is a radio talk show host that would be interested in this story if it happened to both home-schooled families. His name is Neil Boortz. boortz.com