Why does wife swap always feature an ultra conservative homeschooling family?

[Robin in Tx]

Unbelievable. I am so tired of being stereotyped.

[nukeswife]

:iagree:

 

I was just thinking the exact same thing. Why whenever they feature a homeschooling family must it be an ultra conservative or radical unschooler. Did you notice that they always make sure to mention that they are homeschoolers as a major thing as well, like because your a homeschooler you don't really have a life.

[MySerenity]

I'm not sure wife swap doesn't know how to stereotype. It seems like it's always one extreme or another and I always never agree with either family. Most of the time I just laugh it off and say ABC doesn't have a clue about homeschoolers. But then I think about it for a moment and realize that they're showing America what they think all homeschoolers are like... I guess it just feeds the stereotypes. Ugh... I hate shows like this.

[Robin in Tx]

Well, God bless all the ultra conservative homeschoolers. I have no problem with them at all. I'm pretty conservative, but not as conservative as what's portrayed on these shows. What really bothers me is that the show tries to portray them as freaks, when they are simply trying to live their lives the way they see best. And their lifestyle choices are NOT what defines homeschooling...'

 

I guess I'm just ultra-sensitive right now because of the hundreds of children removed from the mormon sect here in texas. It's getting lots of press, and some are really trying to make this about the need to regulate homeschooling. ARGH!!

[Tammy]

Did you see Dr. Phil today? It was about the Mormons..... Also....when they pronounced Eldorado....I didn't know the 'a' was pronounced as a long 'a'...LOL!

[MySerenity]

I had heard that they were trying to turn what was going on down there into a homeschooling issue. I can understand your sensitivity! (I hope that nothing like that happens... we're looking to leave Michigan and I'm trying to convince my husband that Texas is the place to go!)

[Joanne]

Because it's extreme. It sells. It's interesting.

 

It's also editing. I was in a documentary-type of program once about parenting. They took HOURS of tape. What ended up in the program was so very carefully, deliberately and selectively chosen to present a certain side. It was NOT an accurate or real representation of what they observed during the course of taping.

 

I would not "believe" these shows even without that experience, but I watch them now with knowledge of exactly how morphed and misrepresented situations that "seem" to be real can be.

[Robin in Tx]

No, I didn't see that... did he REALLY mispronounce it like that? I thought he was from Texas! LOL

[Tammy]

Well the mayor pronounced with the long 'a' also.....it isn't supposed to be like that?

[Robin in Tx]

I know y'all are right... I hear ya.... but still, they are potentially selling a perception to the general population that is very, very distorted. And people, I'm afraid, are buying it.

[Joanne]

I know y'all are right... I hear ya.... but still, they are potentially selling a perception to the general population that is very, very distorted. And people, I'm afraid, are buying it.

 

May I gently and respectfully respond that I'd give the general population more credit? Maybe it's because I live in a part of Texas where homeschoolers abound, but I think many, many people know that homeschoolers represent more variety and even family health than that.

 

I think it's true, also, of the perception of the homeschooling family opposites. I think most people know most families who are less restricted do not allow live in boy/girl friends, young adult mooches, encourage vulgarity, drinking, smoking and sex. I think most people watching would know that the seeming lack of birth control is a charicature.

 

They see the charicature of the homeschooling families, too.

[Tess in the Burbs]

I have to agree that the general public is buying the image of homeschoolers are freaky. I have met more people recently that have the distorted view as homeschoolers as religious freaks who don't allow them to do anything outside of the home! For awhile I have always met people who would ask 'why', listen and respect our choice, but lately it's been people with some of the strangest ideas....ideas I know I have seen on tv. So yes, many are still buying into the weirdo homeschool idea.

[kjprice]

I've been contacted several times to do that show. I don't think they would have chosen us because we are not radical at all, but I couldn't put my kids on that show for so many reasons.

[Pajama Mama]

I noticed long ago that every show on TV that features hsers makes them crazy in one way or another. I remember one of the Law & Order shows had a hsing family. The mother was a complete nut job and hsed her kids to protect them from the world. She ordered one son to kill the other(or something like that) That's just one example that I can remember. There have been several shows with a "crazy homeschool family" on it.

[Robin in Tx]

Maybe so... Maybe I'm the one who is wrong... But I've always heard it pronounced with the broad a (ah). As amatter of fact, I don't think there is a long a in the Spanish language. Maybe they're trying to make it sound more "American." :)

[Robin in Tx]

I agree. Joanne, you and I live about 20miles apart, and even though homeschoolers enjoy a large presence here I still have encountered plenty of people who assume we're very strange, even freaks, and that we must be trying to hide abuse, etc. I think that the people who have made up their mind that they are against homeschooling are going to latch on to everything they can as support for their views. Some are pretty hostile about it, to be honest. The TV show clearly exploits extremes, and makes people out to be fringe oddities... and almost every single episode features a homeschooling family. The vast majority of people who watched that show tonight shook their head and said tsk tsk to the family who allows their children to have live in lovers and no responsibilities or contribution requirements. They likely also shooked their head and said tsk tsk, with the same amount of disdain, to the over protective family who doesn't let their kids watch tv or date. That's exactly what the show is trying to do... take two unacceptable extremes and force them together. Which is fine, but look at the message... homeschoolers provide a seemingly unlimited pool of unaccepetable extremes. Over and over and over again, homeschoolers are allowing themselves to be portrayed like this. I wish they'd pride up and refuse to participate.

[Joanne]

Joanne, you and I live about 20miles apart,

 

SO.......when are we doing coffee? :D;)

[Storm Bay]

It's TV, land of make-believe. Most reality shows are no more real than the fictitional shows. Some people probably do buy into the stereotypes. I don't think Hollywood does much justice to most people who choose to live outside the cultural "norms" in general.

[Robin in Tx]

If I'm ever in Katy, or if you ever come up to Cypress/Tomball area, we should hook up!

 

Are you going to SETHSA? I think I'll be skipping THSC this year.

[Robin in Tx]

Good for you!! I wish more would turn them down.

[Joanne]

If I'm ever in Katy, or if you ever come up to Cypress/Tomball area, we should hook up!

 

Are you going to SETHSA? I think I'll be skipping THSC this year.

 

I'd love to "do" a convention this year. I didn't do one last year. I'm not a SETHSA member and I can't spend my limited budget that direction this year. I'd qualify for a THSC scholarship, but I've not pursued one since my year as a single mom.

 

My xh lives in the Woodlands; I take the kids North often. I play Texas Hold Em on the NW side, too (Champions area).

[Robin in Tx]

I'm not a member of either organization... I might do SETHSA just to hear Pudewa. I've never heard him before. Otherwise, I don't need to do a convention, and you're right... it's gotten costly with parking and everything. THSC is just too late in the summer for me to be making curriculum decisions.

 

Tobe honest, I haven't been in the mood for a convention since the last time SWB was here.

 

If you're ever in the mood to meet up, pm me!

[Snickerdoodle]

May I gently and respectfully respond that I'd give the general population more credit? Maybe it's because I live in a part of Texas where homeschoolers abound, but I think many, many people know that homeschoolers represent more variety and even family health than that.

 

Some of these shows are being shown abroad in places where homeschooling is relatively uncommon. It doesn't help when much of the information the general (foreign) public is getting is from shows like Nanny to the Rescue and Wife Swap.

[Halftime Hope]

I've lived in TX for 16 years. You have to know that in addition to the Texas drawl (there's probably a better word for it, but I try not to dwell on it), there is this funky Texas pronunciation issue.

 

Montague is Mon-TAIG. (I kid you not.)

Joshua has three syllables: JOSH-oo-ay

Palestine is PAL-es-teen

Mexia is Muh-HAY-uh

 

So, no, they weren't mistaken, the west Texas town is correctly pronounced, Texas-style, as El-dor-AY-do (all run together, not two words)

 

I don't make this up, I just report it! :ack2:

[Trivium Academy]

Extreme behavior gets ratings, otherwise it wouldn't be "interesting" to the general public. I only caught the end of the show where the boys were jamming with the rappers in the street. My kids are still young but I was glad they showed a family where there are standards, where the parents are being parents. Even though the other mom spouted off very immaturely at the table she did change things at home. That speaks volumes in my eyes.

 

I don't watch WS regularly but it was where I first got the idea to homeschool.

 

Here's a question, suppose you were going to be on WS, would you change anything in your daily routine before it was exposed on tv? Yes, I know you would never go on television, but let's pretend you are. ;)

 

Lol, would you visit the board in your daily routine?

[Lorna in the boonies]

I lived in Eldorado from 1993-2005, and it is pronounced El-do-RAY-do. It often gets slurred and comes out Elderaydah.

 

It is in Schleicher County, which is pronounced Shliker (like biker). That gets mispronounced as often as Eldorado.

 

Up the road is Colorado City, and that is pronounced with a long 'a', too.

 

Also up the road is Bronte, named after one of the sisters, but pronounced Bront.

 

Sorry -- can't explain any of it.:confused:

[angela in ohio]

When we had TV, I would watch it when HSers were on. Every one I saw was about radical unschooling. Either they changed their appraoch, or I missed some.

[Halftime Hope]

I had heard that they were trying to turn what was going on down there into a homeschooling issue. I can understand your sensitivity! (I hope that nothing like that happens... we're looking to leave Michigan and I'm trying to convince my husband that Texas is the place to go!)

 

We have a great state hs organization that is very vigilant. Nothing would happen without a huge fight, b/c in the homeschooling community here in TX, the memory of the struggle to win that freedom is kept very much alive. It was a courageous and hard-fought battle, and it wasn't that long ago.