i know you are but what am i?

When I first heard about the show 'Wife Swap', I thought, "That sounds dirrrrrty. I'm so sure." But I never watched it.

Which, by the way, how often does that happen? People never watch a show because of its title...which is fine, but I have a problem with people making commentary on shows they've never watched. A serious problem.

Any way.

I caught clips of the show on The Soup (not a show about soup, per se), and the clips were of that one woman who screamed and cast out devils and then, at the end, ripped up the paycheck from the show (disclaimer following stating that after further consideration, the woman decided to accept the payment). It was intriguing.

And then a few weeks ago, I don't know what possessed me, but I watched 'Wife Swap', and guess what.

I think it's brilliant.

The premise is that two families who operate in different ways swap wives/moms for two weeks. The first week, the guest mom is to live according to the host family's schedule, and for the second week, the mom gets to change any rules she chooses, in hopes of enlightening, changing, even fixing the family.

I saw one episode that was hilarious.

First family: from Florida, three kids; mom works as a substitute teacher and also at her uncle's restaurant; upon arriving home, she does accounting/bookkeeping for said restaurant; husband works the night shift as a corrections officer; kids are very independent and family admittedly doesn't spend much time together. The point was repeatedly made that there are four televisions in the house.

This family switched with a family from Ohio. Two children; mom stays at home and homeschools her children; husband is a computer programmer who is out-of-town for work 3 weeks out of any given month, but when he is home, he is treated like a king and waited on hand-and-foot because of their lifestyle of choice: they play midieval kingdom or somesuch. They have alternate names/identities, play with sWords, eat gruel and the like. Costumes. Fairies. Drum circles*. Lutes. The kind that are sprinkled around North Park in the evenings.

*not that there's anything wrong with drum circles. my aunt happened to meet her husband at a drum circle...

Any way.

It was just so, so funny to see the modern-er kids have to dress as jesters, whilst the midieval boy was screaming at his new mom -- I swear, that kid had so much angst, if he weren't wearing tights, he'd TOTALLY be Timpview Goth.

But I really do like this show, laughing at people aside. At the beginning, I tend to identify with one family more than the other: "Oh, they're living the right way, those other people are just crazy." But then...something happens throughout as I'm watching and I realize that both are right, and both are crazy. It's good to recognize that a balance is necessary and healthy.

For instance, in that one episode, the Ohio lady took over for the Florida lady, which meant being a substitute teacher for a substitute teacher, for a class filled with 10-year-olds. Um, pardon me, but do you think that she got an accurate view of what public school is like? With the way that the 10-year-olds behaved for the sub for their sub? Ohio felt further justified in homeschooling due to that experience: "And THAT is why my kids are homeschooled!" (*Disclaimer: I am not against homeschooling. Let's not open that can, please. I was, however, bothered with one of this woman's reasons for homeschooling: "I just don't want them to be around other kids...kids can be so mean..." She didn't want to risk bullying, etc..)

Meanwhile, Florida felt that Ohio's kids were so socially handicapped that she tried an experiment: she sent the kids to school where the daughter, 13 years old, made a friend; Florida insisted that 13 call said friend and invite her to dinner. Not only had this family never had a guest for dinner, poor 13 didn't know how to use a phone: "Um, Judy? Julie? I'm calling for Julie...".

Upon returning home, Ohio learned from her kids that other people aren't to be avoided, and that being a socially "normal" teenager is okay. Florida learned from her kids that they enjoy spending family time together. Plans for compromises were made and the show was over, this time without punches being thrown.

Any way.

My mind isn't working well these days (more on that to come), and I recognize that this post might not make any sense, but I just wanted to put this out there. I think the show is pretty good.