BlackWidow

Do you think all that crap is for projecting some kind of safe public image or is it 'riiill'? Cheesy affirmations, lame facebook picture quotes, awful grey rooms with pink furniture- 'guilty pleasures' section with all those random dudes, tiaras and princess stuff. It's just hard to tell what is real like time stopped before adulthood in some kind of lifetime movie purgatorio full of endless tears, superficial 'niceness', startling immaturity - very teenage girl - and these are people who are supposed to have deep roots in spirituality and be taking this all seriously. I'm interested to know how this world seems to sort of 'stunt' these women as far as emotional, intellectual growth whilst they believe it is 'making each of them better'...I mean, I'm really trying not to be a bitch and join the 'hate her for being the new one' but it's like one of those things where you try to give someone the benefit of the doubt, and they just rub you the wrong way, they're not trying to but they just annoy you just being themselves , they aren't terrible people but they just bug you, and it bugs that someone you like, likes them- and part of it might also be, wow this person is nothing like me and you're crazy about them, friend or otherwise- how do you even stand me when that is the type of person you think is so great? I don't know if anyone can relate to this, but you probably have had the experience of having a friend who is friends with someone you're not crazy about.

oh jeeze, RB's pinterest page. Is it just the way this app is made that makes it look kinda teenagery or is it the stuff she's into, like the cheesy quotes and just the whole thing pretty much. Maybe she is trying to be like that purposefully- you know, to stave off those pesky hands of time. Loads of snark fodder. https://www.pinterest.com/LuvgvsUwngs/

way back I was an avon lady- when I first saw it, I couldn't help but be reminded of this https://img1.etsystatic.com/034/1/6765832/il_340x270.526334683_dgnf.jpg The other one, with the flames reminded me of a Journey album cover

I'm so glad I'm not the only one bothered by the weird accent 'ril' for real, 'fill' for feel, 'think-eeen' , the dropping of consonants 'cer' un' for certain or 'impor INT' which also sort of reeks of baby-talk-just eww. Maybe they could make a plot device out of it. All of them go to enunciation classes.. With Christine I have also noticed she sort of changes voices depending on whom she is speaking to- there's like the voice used for the sofa talks, sort of an affected pseudo-snob (in her mind?) type voice, then there is the soft talking-to-kody and playing up to him voice, then the dragon lady voice reserved for you-know-who, the everything is cool and fun voice and finally the sarcastic one, which is my favorite, like when she said something like 'in any given moment he can be a different kind of idiot to all of us' .. that was classic...

ever notice there is a lot of time wasted on the repetitive clips in general? So now we are re-watching them re-watching themselves. Geesh...

re #1 item Yep Chris is big on the passive-aggressive scary, just like Nikki - although I don't know if she was always that way or if this life turns people into that to survive -refer back to the awkward Christine/Robyn lunch where Christine can barely eke out the BS. " I wanted to be your friend, but it just didn't happen' and " I used to be the most secure person I knew, it was good , it was easy" (subtext being 'before you came along and effed itup beeeyotch') all the rest of the crap said in the most deadpan, scary-voiced tone possible and of course the Eyes of Death . Did she really think it came off any other way but that? TLC must have forced that lunch on them. Oh and when the anthrowhatevers came over and said "we don't want you to treat us like a guest.." Chris chimes in immediately with "Oh well , that's going to be hard for us since we treat everyone like a guest " which is code for " I really don't want to put up with this dude who looks like he is going to an eminem concert and his little velociraptor-toothed chick one second more than I have to."

This is the only one I might disagree with, as I think she felt Robyn became 'third' or more accurately, latest, the other two in the original positions because in Christine's world she had accepted Meri as 'Boss Lady' (sorry but I see much of Nikki on Big Love in Christine) and probably didn't give all that much thought to Janelle, meaning she didn't see either of them as a 'threat'. That and because her family has being doing this a long time, she has expectations about how people should approach this whole thing. She tries to make a point here about how it doesn't work if you don't get along with the women, even if you love the man, or love the man but don't like the women- and speaks about how she got along with Meri -which must have sucked for Janelle, because if she tried harder to be friends with Christine, that would only make Meri treat her worse , or maybe the fear was there that would happen. Janelle was likely at work and Meri and Christine were hanging out at home, and Janelle couldn't very well confide in Christine about her rift with Meri for fear she might run and blab to Meri . Maybe that even happened? Meanwhile, it is telling in the you tube link that Kody doesn't get her point and instead says something about well, the thing is you are marrying the man first, not the women... probably if it were just those two, it would have been kind of a nightmare. They just have very differing weltanschauungs about relationships.

Wait, I'm not following here- how does this screw over the other original wive's kids? I thought it would sort of even it out in the sense she can't lord the 'legitimate marriage and kid' over the rest of the herd...but yes, I hear you re the point you were making about it doesn't seem in their everyday lives it is like 'all the kids are everybody's kids' thing is really happening. Does anyone remember when Solomon was born I think I remember Kody saying "he looks like my kids!" or something weird like that, just like in the beginning episode when he was introducing the wives and he'd say "this is wife whoever and her kids.." Her kids? Kinda reeks of wanting to avoid paying back AFDC or food stamps by watching what you say about paternity on camera, though I don't know - for all I know maybe he is on every birth certificate.

Well, he could take away one of her planets in the afterlife or something, or refuse to pull her through the veil deal. I mean hey, these are real things to worry about lol.

Vday cards written by the kodster, chock full o spin (cut to scene of kodster running from house to house, shaking his hair like the golden retriever he is_ "omg this is soooo wacky! I don't even know what to get anyone! " ( does obligatory furrowing of brow nervous heh heh laugh , looks off into a galaxy far, far away..) "ok ok focus, where did I put the cards in bulk from the plyg costco ...oh YEAH I remember now!" Cut to kodster going into some corner of Janelle's garage storage- he looks around furtively, but still tossing the hair and doing the laugh that punctuates almost every bs-y statement. "Ok this is how this vdays 'personalized' messages are going to read: Meri: "thanks for being my best friend, through thick and thin.....thanks for being there from the beginning of all this madness babe" (doesn't get that 'best friend' not only is not really sexy or romantic- it sounds creepily like 'man's best friend'- you know, kind of like that 'fidelis' charm thingee, calling to mind 'Semper Fi' , Marines and St Bernards. SMH) sticks card on top of 'free casino dinner and show ' coupon Janelle: "Happy Valentines ! I'm so proud of you!" (totally doesn't get that weight references=not cool) . Sticks on top of some kind of aspartame-laden costco diabetic chocolates. Draws a smiley face on the box. Christine: writes " our secret: I'm so glad you never had anyone but me babe, but you'd never know it by how wild and crazy you are!" sticks on to 50 shades book and bookmarks it with a red licorice vine. ( he totally doesn't get 50 shades book is kind of lame, and Christine hates red licorice) Robyn: writes: "our secret: I'm secretly glad you weren't so innocent before me. There was never any ick factor- you even make sloppy seconds seem so ladylike though, soul mate!" sticks it on cheesy knockoff victoria's secret lingerie in a size that doesn't fit her now or go with the attempt at 'ombre/brownde' new hair. Yayyyyyyyyy.

Meri makes a momentous decision that will change the Brown family forever>> She decides to chuck it all with the kodster and 'go weird' , loses the orange tanner and rod stewart 80's hair and runs away with that vaguely Patrick Swayzeish-looking butch thrift store chick with the goth daughter. Contrived plot device is the two of them go Harley Davidson shopping, buy a bunch of leather outfits and re-open the thrift store as a pawn shop/biker bar- they eventually get bit parts on Sons of Anarchy as badass 'honor amongst thieves' pseudo-vigilante gun-toting motorcycle mamas that live out in the desert handing out street justice to brothers who treat their ol ladies poorly. Parting shot is Katie Segal watching them ride off into the sunset raising her beer in salute. (ok that was far-fetched, but there's something about this group that begs to be trolled a bit)...stay tuned for more alternate universe episodes...

I could be wrong, but isn't the deal with many of those kind of churches that everyone kicks in part of their income? Not just tithing but beyond that? So if that is the case, wouldn't whatever church be all psyched about tlc money coming in? Or maybe that would be a reason to leave the church for some, to get out of that deal? Someone here must know this. Oh and happy valentine's day, chocolate should be multiplied, not divided. lol

thinner and sorta younger or not- the lost little girl who talks baby talk, oh rescue me white knight thing only gets you so far before you're just like, well, sorta boring. It's great when someone is all omgomg you're the best thing since sliced bread- decorate your sacred boudoir with all the little knickknacks from past memories all you want, but all that junk and even occasional satisfactory banging doesn't make up for someone whose mind you respect, who has other not only endearing, but enduring qualities. Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, because the bloom may be off the rose soon enough. Still liking Christine's nerd glasses and her outfit she had on one of the recent sofa sessions, the one with I think a reddish jacket and a scarf. She has such beautiful hair even in a ponytail.Janelle I think I prefer her retro glam look as opposed to the flat hair look. Meri I'm with you guys about losing the self tanner- she seems to be really photogenic in all the press photos though, with her less is more (less big hair, less eyeliner, less orange). Still loving all the snark here, these ladies know how to bring it.

I doubt it was the dress shopping per se but more the feeling of being betrayed, like oh here's all the women picking out the dresses, the sneaky factor of it- like Robyn just went with all of them to kiss ass, but secretly it is all about the teenage lovebirds and not about building a relationship of trust and respect with the other women when Chris was probably trying to give her a chance. And of course having to watch all the tv stuff like "Tee hee, Kody's my soulmate!" or "I got what I waaanteddd!" (finding out what kind of kodling she was having).. or the constant gross plaintive 12-year-old tone during sofa whinefests "Wuuuull, I had to move all the way here......" and so on. The 'you can kiss your next wife' comment, might be another half-truth meant for #5, maybe she did say it, but said it post-robyn- just sayin lol

You're welcome. It does have a sickly ring to it, doesn't it though? Like a cootie that gets passed around in preschool- 'oh Vespalyn can't make it to playgroup, she's got Kobyn AGAIN'.

TV wasted on kody staring at the tickets printing out and 10+ min on a kid car squabble, really? Is this just so the kids can have lines and thus also get paid, or are they that desperate for stuff to do on the show that isn't normal adult interactions, which one doesn't get to see much of on this show, there has to constantly be some 'event' or activity happening that takes the focus off the individual relationships, which is kind of weird- maybe they are all good with that because then they don't have to act like all is peachy-keen and get free pizza to boot (or all-you-can-eat steak or movies or whatever). It just seems weird that the focus is usually something external like 'how are we ever going to coordinate getting all these vehicles out of the cul-de-sac, this is crazzzzy!'

Why does it seem he is more mature and has more common sense than the adults in this crazy rodeo ? Maybe it's an aspie thing but he does not seem like he is about to go off on a cloud into all their collective magical, hare-brained schemes, so good on him. Maybe they can learn a thing or two from him about being 'reality adept' (as opposed to the tag 'socially inept' that is put on kids with asperger's).

Everyone who watched it with me has adopted Meri's flat 'yay.' whenever someone gives some kind of news that no one cares about, or they are not enthused about what is for dinner or just to give someone crap. That yay has turned into an evergreen, sarcastic meme around here.

On the episode where Christine acted slighted by Robyn bringing in her own real sister to help with her kids, it was telling when Robyn had this 'wait, huh? You want to help with my kids since when?I thought you couldn't stand me' look on her face -remember the baby weight comparison awkward lunch where Christine was saying in this totally scary sweet fake tone about how she thought they would become buddies but it just didn't happen and oh it isn't your fault, Robyn, Kody handled it wrong, it's not you, it's me' BS speech.. reminded me of that. When Chris was saying in the more recent episode re watching the kids, when she was saying 'you are never going to need me' , it kind of sounded like she was telling her that, in an indirect way, like she was playing it like she was bummed out about it, but the takeaway was 'you don't need me and I don't want you to need me, don't even ask '. Some might call it passive-aggressive ( can you blame her, really?) but Christine would be great in the mafia, she really knows how to get those indirect messages across like a godfather boss.

Not sure if you guys noticed (or maybe I missed it ) but on one of the more recent shows, when they showed one of Robyn's kids with Kody,, it said 'Robyn an Kody's daughter' on the screen. It didn't say step, it didn't say her daughter. Of course I don't know what the arrangement is with the bio-dad (is he alive?) but that sure sounded weird. Whether the marriage/divorce thing is for grift or 'graft' or a faux-made-for-tv scandal I don't know, but as someone said upthread- I'm paraphrasing here, but something along the lines of how they basically fly by the seat of their pants about everything, the 'live in the moment', bankruptcies/racking up credit card debt thing does seem to be their MO for people who are so concerned with eternity and afterlives. There is certainly an element of constant chaos with this group, which didn't seem to be there when the show first aired- can't say that is entirely to be blamed on Robyn, it was probably there as an undercurrent but not so evident on the surface back then- the sense of everything being strung together with silly string.

(long-time lurker at TWOP and happy to see many posters from there, finally worked up the nerve to join in the snark) Oh, I think Jenelle does give a flip, she has just adopted the poker face as a coping mechanism- not giving anything away in case sharks smell blood. As for this latest thing, it is possible there are all kinds of angles we haven't thought of. Perhaps M, C and J are good with being legally(or otherwise) disentangled from the kodster. This new arrangement might look on the surface like it is all hearts and flowers for 'kobyn' but this changes the dynamic of the original three. It places them on a more equal playing field and establishes a strange new deal where kobyn/original 3 relationship becomes almost like employer/employee, for lack of a better metaphor. That and it somewhat dissolves the previous ranking of the O3, regardless of past hurts, they can put this aside in order to build up their own new dynamic. Too many people are seeing this as Kobyn wielding all the power. Fact is, there are numbers on the side of the O3, who at the end of the day have similar long-term interests involving their children that supercede where Kobyn's head is at this particular week. Anyone with me on this way to look at it?