So last night, while waiting for Big Brother and The Amazing Race to come on, the boys all sucked me into watching that Trading Mommies show – you know, when two women of completely different backrounds trade houses, children and husbands for a week or so for $50,000.
Last night was the premiere episode, and while I had decided NOT to watch, the men all wanted to (which makes me laugh). Well, by the end of last night’s episode I wanted to rip the diamonds right off the rich woman and I hope she saw last night’s premiere so that she could see how AWFUL she is and begin making a change in her life.
Here’s the scenario:
Rich Woman (“RW”): Blonde white woman “co-owner of a car wash” (our verdict: she got half her first husband’s business) married to a Japanese cosmetic surgeon. Lives in HUGE McMansion in Dallas completely with gorgeous inground pool and a lakehouse on another property. Mother-in-Law lives in and is basically a MAID and CHILDCARE provider for the RW and her teenaged son. RW is basically absentee mom as she spends all her time grooming and doing things for herself. What she’d do with the money: buy a boat for the lakehouse.
Mela: a 29-year-old black woman who works as a surgical tech, married to a medical supply salesman. Three kids – first of whom she had at aged 14. Keeps a clean house (hello – she’s a SURGICAL tech – I’m not surprised her house is clean) and obviously loves her family and works hard (as well as does her husband) to provide for her kids. What she’d do with the money: Pay off all their debt and buy a newer car.
They make the switch. Mela is a DOLL and is obviously blown away by the standard of living that the rich family has. She instantly bonds with the mother in law (which is awesome because you just KNOW the MIL hates the RW). Never even MENTIONS the cultural differences (specifically with regard to race).
RW, on the other hand, goes on and on about being with a black family, and throughout the episode basically complains and whines about her surroundings, (“Gee, I hope there’s someplace I can work out.”). She MUST have brewed coffee in the morning, not instant. She doesn’t WANT to make lunch – let’s go out – not even caring that Mela’s family CAN’T AFFORD THAT. Complains when the circuit breaker goes out while blowdrying her hair and forces one of the kids to stand in the closet where the breakers are and flip it on FORTY TIMES while she’s blowing dry her hair. Decides that she can change the family in a week and get the overweight daughter to completely change her eating habits and lose weight.
Here’s the kicker: The mom’s get to decide what the OTHER family will do with the money. Which means Mela decides what the rich family gets, and RW decides what Mela’s family gets. But $50K after taxes is more like $28K, so let’s see what I think they’ll do:
Sadly, I admit that I’m looking forward to next week’s episode, if only to see Mela SCREW RW out of getting a new boat for the lakehouse.
Ahhh… what good TV is all about! Can’t wait for next weeks episode.
Nice to see the rich white lady feed into the stereotype.
I have to admit that I got sucked into Big Brother last night. Those pretty boys are uber annoying. I like Karen? Kathy? What’s her name, the one who is now on the chooping block with the other one. She was cracking me up with her impressions of her housemates.
I’m embarrassed to ask because the last thing I need is another tv show, but what is the name of the trading mommies show/what channel? I couldn’t locate it on Tivo and it sounds like prime guilty pleasure viewing!
It’s called something like “Trading Spouses” and it was on Fox on Tuesday night at 8 p.m.
Ah, excellent, found it – thanks! I don’t think it was listed in our tv guide, as I’m sure I would’ve figured out what it was by the name. Luckily it looks like they’ll be repeating Part I on Monday. Thanks for the info; I already feel guilty!