pasdetrois

This show has lost its charm. I no longer watch it until days after each episode, and I FF through most of it because of the clumsy, obvious scripting. I think I'm out after the reunion.

Sweet Home Oklahoma has been somewhat rebranded and is supposed to come back this month. There is info on the SHO thread.

I think the porn scenes are to emphasize the point that many porn actors work hard and spend time and money to look perfect in accordance with the entertainment industry's standard of perfection, and then are treated like garbage. Physical ideals don't guarantee respect. But they could have made the point in a much simpler way.

I have my suspicions. I've lost track of the blogger who has been her big champion for years, but he comes to mind. I assume she has a PR firm helping her resurrect her image.

I'm pretty sure Sandy's new demeanor this season is entirely producer-driven. She's playing an obviously scripted role (favoring jwow and Kasey) just to get under Hannah's skin and have drama. I think jwow, Hannah and Adam are jerks in real life. There's something about spending much of your life traveling the world on luxury yachts that distorts people's perceptions of their own importance. Add cameras and the lousy attitudes ratchet up. Brooke is unintentionally funny, going from a weepy heartbroken mess to cornering Jaoa with a stern demand TELL ME WHERE I STAND RIGHT NOW. Not sure I'm buying Jaoa's portrayal as a skirt chaser.

I suspect Thomas didn't want Ashley working at the beginning of their relationship. He wanted a beautiful playmate 24/7. He only stashed her in an apartment so he could avoid a custody challenge.

Did Abbie say she fell in love with her husband at AGE 13??

Me, too, Red Delicious. For what it's worth, financial advisors will take one's cash reserves into effect when advising whether to pay off a mortgage, or pay cash for a property, regardless of age.

I've thought that Craig looked unhealthy in most of his scenes this season. It's something about his skin - maybe an underlying pallor that he didn't have before and a slight sheen of sweat. I wonder if Kathryn, who is canny about this reality TV stuff, is annoyed at some cast members using Kathryn's storyline for camera time. I don't buy that all of the mean girl clique friendships are real. Kathryn may have been ignoring Dani and Naomi because they are pretending the friendship for camera time. I thought the fake drama was stupid and ill-advised, given Kathryn's troubles. She probably resented the hell out of them for the unneeded drama. I do think Kathryn lacks empathy - she's a classic narcissist, like many reality TV folks - but I also think she bristles when she thinks someone is getting the best of her in a "scene" - such as the old restaurant exchange with a distressed Jennifer. At the time I thought that Jennifer was trying to hog the scene - she tried hard to become a member of the cast. In my opinion she used her child's illness for camera time. Cam's a good ole southern boy in a very pretty package. The gross jokes are part of her on-camera shtick. So are her ruminations about motherhood and pregnancy - many women share the feelings she's had, but Cam chooses to joke about them on TV and IG.

I'm enjoying the show and the posters' intelligent viewpoints here. I was quite overweight for about five years in my 40s, and health scares motivated me to lose down to a healthier weight. It was sobering and depressing to me to experience life as a formerly fit woman who became obese, because it was so clear that everyone - family, some friends, the business world, healthcare practitioners, flight crews - treated me very differently. Add aging and being female to that, and the disdain, dismissal, anger, etc. really ramped up. Psychologically I somehow punched through it - being older helped me maintain my confidence; I knew how to keep up a Teflon frame of mind against the way I was treated, but it was a challenge every day. When I saw a therapist about other issues, she tried to make it about my weight, pressing self-help books on me and trying to raise it in sessions. I also have a parallel view to all of this. My neighbor is extremely obese. When we first met she tried to engage me in a friendship. I wanted to go out but she only wanted to meet for dinner in our homes; outside of work she is reclusive. When we did get together she projected a lot of her unhappiness onto me, sniping at me as I lost weight and exercised, and also constantly blaming the world for her obesity. I endured her attitude for about a decade, then pulled away. But experiencing that misery and attitude helped me keep from spiraling down into self-pity and anger about being overweight; it was a life lesson. I hope Juliana lost weight solely as part of Kitty's fashionable character. Her gaunt appearance (and red wig) distracts me. The all-women manifesto is appealing - I relate strongly to "I was able to go running at midnight." I despise not feeling safe at night in my own environment, carrying a whistle and pepper spray when I exercise in the dark. And those of us who have been in the workforce for decades, experiencing the birth of the modern women's movement, we know that despite that movement and some progress many things never really changed. I routinely chat with my female colleagues about being resented and undermined by men non-stop in the workplace. I do see some enlightenment with the younger male generation, and I'm blessed with enlightened male family members, so there's hope. But women can be just as difficult and destructive, so I can't get behind the all-women mind set. Despite everyone's differences of opinion on this forum, I think we are all glad to have this show try to represent this story.

Ramona's narcissism veers on sociopathy. She's always been self-absorbed to the point of hurting others. Remember the first season, when she was hypersexualized everywhere she went, including outings with her very young daughter? Flash-forward to her not forgiving Luann for "stealing Tom." Her Palm Beach trip was a mission to have the last word (and perhaps, um, fuck). Carole's self-esteem is based on competition with other women, She viciously went after Jules, and now she's thrilled at Luann's public humiliation. Carole is loathsome. Dorinda's drinking and depression are steadily getting the best of her. She seemed miserable on this trip. I do think the micro-managing of the rooms and schedule was driven by production (camera set-ups, best dynamics for room-sharing). But she seemed exhausted. Luann and Sonja looked radiant. Sonja's funny when she's (relatively) sober.

Sandy is hustling for her Bravo paycheck - I think her nastiness toward Hannah and tongue baths for Kasey and Jaaaow are for drama. Not scripted: Hannah's propensity for being a victim. And inappropriate drunken sex. Poor Jaime is enduring the nonsense, and lack of camera time, and drowning her misery in chocolate milk. Why can't we see more of the hilarious deck hand, who gets so little camera time that I can never remember his name? Even with appreciative guests and freedom to cook what he wanted, Adam was a disgruntled drama queen.

Guess the two are united in a mutually-beneficial PR campaign. Wonder if money exchanged hands.

My sense was that she shouldn't have married him, but did anyway (weren't they "perfect" teenage sweethearts?), and once married realized how much she didn't like him. Instead of following through with getting out of the marriage, she allowed him to talk her out of divorce. Maintaining the facade of a happy marriage can drive a person nuts; she turned to alcohol as an escape. Why did the husband allow the youngest son to serve as caretaker? Such a crushing responsibility for anyone, but especially a teenager. Reminded me of Leslie, the alcoholic wife and mother who regularly passed out on her family's lawn. In fact: 1) when I saw Jackie on the ground in the previews, I thought she was pulling a Leslie. And 2) my DVR caught a few moments of the preceding programming, which appeared to be Jeff catching up with a now-sober Leslie. Did anyone else see this?

I understand the policies and guidelines (see my earlier post). However I know many parents who share custody 50/50 and neither pays the other child support. In some cases they each agree to responsibility for specific expenditures, working in a way that they both feel it evens out.

I'm so tired of the smart aleck citizens who request assistance and then harass the officers. I'm pretty sure the idiot who was sobbing about being choked and a gun in her face, followed by lashing out at the officer for "touching me bad," was angling for camera time and possibly a lawsuit. And the endless arguing with officers gets on my last nerve. The job takes the patience of Job. (See what I did there?)

This episode was like an R-rated teen afternoon special. Lots of heavy-handed issue-laden scripting, forcing us to sit through too much preaching. A little goes a long way and is very effective. The nastiness Blanca experienced at the bar reminds me of the early days of feminism, when the factions inside the movement learned how to collaborate on a common goal. It also reminded me of those gay men who hate women - the ones who hiss and hold their noses and make snide remarks about smelling fish. I'm bothered by Blanca's nearly crossed eyes and thin voice. Some of the dialogue is so overwrought that the actors are struggling to say it. But Indya Moore is a real talent, and stunning to boot. James VDB nails the slick, shallow financier - at one time they were everywhere.

The writing is fantastic. So cheeky. Did anyone notice the Trump references?

Awesome season opener. So fast-paced that I will have to watch again, something I rarely do for any show. There were too many great snippets that deserve a second viewing. I mean, the outfits alone deserve their own second viewing.

This info is posted over in the media thread.

Not true. In the past it's been argued, sometimes successfully, but this practice is changing. It's Kevin Federline's current complaint against Britney Spears - that Britney should pay him more child support so he can provide an equally luxurious residence to the children - maybe in Hollywood he will get away with it. I think part of Kathryn's problem is that the four of them were never a family living a luxurious life together. She can't argue that the children have been accustomed to luxury for a very long time, nor do they need a lot. And, just like shiftless Craig, she's making decent Bravo bucks, which works against her in terms of any plans to plead poverty.

I worked on a project on child support enforcement. It's true that each state may have its own guidelines, but in many states they define typical costs and require both parents to provide a proportional portion of just those typical costs. Unemployed, able parents are often told to get a job. Wealthy parents are often no longer required to provide huge sums just because they are wealthy. Whether to pay for private school, nannies, health care, etc. can be negotiable. I assume Kensie and Saint are on Thomas' health plan, for example, and he may be paying for therapeutic care. When Thomas paid Kathryn child support, the court did not force him to pay beyond the minimum guidelines. Also, the children may have a guardian ad litem whose duty is to represent only their best interests. biakbiak and I posted at the same time. ETA: I would like to see reform so that people cant use child support for personal gain. There would be a lot less fighting and litigation if huge amounts of money were not at stake. I'm watching Kevin Federline's latest money grab with interest.

Tamara Tattles reports that when in court this week Kathryn was found to have fulfilled the demands that were placed on her...and that she promptly asked for full custody and child support. Thomas is objecting and supposedly there was another hearing Friday. Why can't they share custody 50-50 without child support being paid to either? Thomas can pay for education, health care, nannies, if he wishes. Kathryn is surely making a lot of money (relative to most Americans) and can support the children using her own money. ETA: my NoScript security software won't let me copy the TT link.

Chelsea told her father that she wasn't interested in settling down. Too bad we can't see her living her real life - the fake dating is beyond banal.

I think the children have Kathryn's eyes, which tip up (hopefully no FAS). They look like each other. And Kathryn without makeup looks like a young Sissy Spacek. At this point all I'm interested in are Cameran and Whitney. I think Chelsea's passengers thought she was milking camera-time when they visited her old home; I thought so too. Craig continues to give me shades of The Talented Mr. Ripley.