ChristmasJones

I once said here on the forums that I believe there is one personal quality that everyone who stays on a reality show past the first season shares and that is shameless.

The thing with these reality show is that we know there are manipulations by the producers. But... who would want themselves or their family members to be portrayed as an asshole on national tv? Is it really just for the money?

For me, the creepiest couple on this is the one where the mother inseminated her daughter. The second creepiest is Angelica and Sunhe. Interesting that in both cases the partner puts up with this crap for years.

I'm finding myself lacking empathy for Jason and Laura Leigh - they both know exactly what kind of relationship they are in and have had ample time to decide if they are OK with it or not. If they haven't put their foot down yet, then they've basically chosen to have these issues in their lives permanently. I've watched something like this happen with my dad and his second partner (after my mom). She was a very dominating personality and he just rolled over for her. It never got better and only got worse as the years went on. He tried to play the helpless victim but I would always challenge him and then he would admit that he ignored the problems in the beginning and just hoped they would go away - three decades later and they never did. And now they are both dead.

I have to admit, this storyline of Juliette physically assaulting women when she is drunk is pretty interesting for a reality show. Of course it is horrid that she does this, but its not usually something that you watch unfold over multiple seasons. It raises all sorts of questions. It seems she only lashes out at women? I think its only been women. And she is always drunk? I can't remember if she was drunk during the one that happened on the balcony where all those other people were around. Also, in this season, do we know why the actual slap across the face wasn't caught on film? Or was it just edited out? Either one raises questions. Last, the double standard- if this was a man doing this to other men, would they keep him on the show? Did the producers really make her leave the island or did she decide to leave?

It would be interesting to have a season with all the same gender and also the same starting BMI. Having a lot of fat on your body at the beginning seems like a very unfair advantage.

The main thing that I was focused on in this episode was the boat itself. I am kind of amazed they used this boat for the show- it looks so old and dated inside - all that dark brown wood everywhere. It looks like it was designed in the 90's.

After the whole speech by JL at the end, I was surprised to see that the baby has been born and they still haven't spoken. Here's my take: the guy is immature and also a 25yo (whose brain is finally fully formed around this time) and he doesn't know how to deal with it. I think the geographical distance makes this even more challenging. I think he does not want it to be his, and this is coming out by insisting on a DNA test, but then not being willing to do it, making excuses, and not contacting her. Basically his actions are revealing his true feelings (actions always speak louder than words IMO, unless the words and actions match). I think its fair that he doesn't want to be a father with a child on the other side of the world at his age ..... but he is a fool for not using protection. I also question Dani on not using protection - also a very foolish move if you had so many doubts about the relationship. May have been a subconscious decision on her part that she doesn't want to admit even to herself let alone anyone else. They both played with fire and now they're living with the results. Fortunately for her Australia has better healthcare and things, so it should be somewhat easier to be a single parent there than in the US. I'd like to think that once JL gets his head out of his ass, he will eventually step up and find a way to be in his child's life and if nothing else provide some child support to Dani.

I am so happy this show is back!!! Are the producers and contestants certain that a grizzly would always be repelled by bear spray? I can't imagine how scary it would have been to see the bear swimming into shore while you are getting caught up in the bushes. I wonder what the clause looks like that says you cannot sue the show if you die while on it. I wonder if the families talk about that before they go. I also wonder if maybe the crew watches their GPS tracking device and if they notice an unusually long period of no activity (aside from their normal sleeping habits), they would go out and check on them.

I have zero sympathy for Jason -- he has known about Sunhe the entire time he's been dating Angelica, and he went along with it!! He is a total fool. Now that I've seen his mother (and heard more about her), I think he is involved in an unconscious repetition compulsion - Sunhe is exactly like his own mother. There is no other explanation

Mark is fortunate to be rid of Ning. I feel for her, but she really should heal her neuroses before she gets into another relationship. She put Mark through the ringer and she is going to regret letting a guy like that go. He seems decent, stable, caring, and he was open to being with a woman with three kids. Her emotional problems caused her to jerk him around throughout the entire experiment and he was smart to walk away. I can only imagine how messy it would be if they stayed together. I wish Mark had been hooked up with a nice stable woman.

I think the moment when GarrICK used the translator app to ask Bert if she wanted a morning quickie was one of the most gag-inducing moments I've ever seen on this series.

It was funny for me to see Ginny and Eric do exactly what I suggested way back when they were first having problems with Rocky - which was to hire a dog trainer and work together to learn how to have well-behaved dogs! They even said they could have avoided many arguments if they had done it sooner. Notice when the trainer was there, Ginny was willing to admit that he had many behaviors she didn't like. She was too defensive/immature to admit that Eric was right about Rocky. The dog problem was another manifestation of the parent-child dynamic they had going on where Eric is the stern parent trying to get the ill-behaved child (Ginny) to behave. I found it interesting to imagine what Eric would have been like had he been paired with a responsible woman such as Briana. As far as Ginny, I'm not sure what sort of guy she would have gotten along with better.

The contrast between Mike and Cam is so striking. I try to imagine what Heidi would be like if she were with a guy like Cam who she also felt attracted to. I doubt she would be referring to herself as difficult and "too much" and other such phrases. I do believe the core issue is Mike's lack of empathy in general. Not saying he has no empathy, but that he is someone skews toward the lower end. It probably works for him in his life, in business, he's an attractive guy so can easily get dates... but he falls completely short in an intimate relationship (not surprising). And we should note this is how he is acting when he's with a woman he is very attracted to! That's why I believe he really is deficit in this area... because when a man is very attracted to a woman, he tends, at least initially, to really be on his best behavior. So this is Mike at his best! Being thoughtful, considerate, attentive, nurturing... these are all behaviors founded on empathy. And Mike struggles with all of them. I hope Heidi makes the right choice and walks away from him.

I bought a CreaClip back before it was on Shark Tank! I found it through Youtube videos back then. I still use the small one to do my bangs. Back when my hair was longer, I used the bigger one to trim the ends.

"You want fireworks??? I'll show you fireworks!!!!" - slams plate on floor - Anyone remember that scene with Samantha's lesbian lover in Sex and the City? Its a great scene.

Finally watched this over the weekend. It must have seeped into my subconscious because I had the most horrid dream last night. You know those dreams that seem insane once you wake up, but while you're in them, they feel utterly real? In this dream, I was on a show like MAFS. I was paired with a guy who was a bit younger than me. It was such a mind-**** because since we were paired, I felt like I needed to make it work with him. I had this feeling that we were put together for a reason, and so I kept looking for that reason. I kept trying to have good conversations with him, and to understand him, and have things be harmonious between us. But as each passing day went on, it became clearer and clearer that we were not a match at all. But yet I kept trying. Little subtle differences kept popping up and it just felt very stressful. The whole thing finally burst open when we both went off on each other admitting we are not attracted to each other. And that sucked because not only did he not want me, but I had to admit to myself that I knew much earlier that I didn't want him, but then I had kept acting against my own interest. It was like I lived the experience of many people we see on this show. It did not feel good at all. I was thankful when I woke up and realized it was just a dream.

Brandon seems like such a turd. Didn't he cheat on Madison and on the blonde chick after her? That's a sign of bad character. Now he has a baby from it - 18 years of child support... might be tough on a small-time rapper. What a fool.

Carly truly has a very unique life experience. Her life has been filmed and broadcast to millions around the world starting before she was even born. And with the internet, clips, photos, and memes will last forever. Then her biological parents stayed together and went on to have multiple other children... so far, all the same gender as her. She will have several full sisters in the world (is it currently two, with one on the way?), who grew up very differently from her. She will be able to watch the entire TM series and see her biological family over many years. And then, as an adult, she will be forced to make decisions about what type of relationships she wants with all the folks in her adoptive and biological families. I hope she'll find a way to manage it in a healthy way. It seems like it would be a lot to deal wtih. eta: she will have to also process the fact that her biological parents chose to have their lives filmed and included information about her after her adoption. Also her adoptive parents agreed to participate to the extent they did. It might be a *tad* bit different if all references to her actual name stopped after the adoption (she would then be afforded more privacy).

I had flashbacks to Shayden (sp?) on the other pregnant teenager show... I think it was Unexpected? When he was yelling at his baby's mother that she was spoiling the 3-day old infant by holding her too much. I wanted to jump through the tv and strangle him. I would LOVE the producers to make Jovi attend a parenting class for new parents and watch his face as he is taught how newborns need to be cared for. I can't stand these men with new babies who have no frikkin clue what they are talking about yet they think they are experts!!!

I liked that guy who sang who wore the red letterman's jacket with the dancers .. can't recall his name but I thought his song was cool and I liked his voice. I am THRILLED that Cam won!!!!!!!! He is super talented - hope he goes on to have a real career from this.

I threw all my votes at Cam ....loved him singing Dead or Alive .... that was a unique choice, and he did amazing with it.

LOL - this made me laugh I know Dan and Jess will never acknowledge this... but if they do stay together, both of them will always know how easy it was for the other person to lie while being unfaithful.

I would say I objectively buy way fewer items than most of these people. I also don't consume hundreds of bottles of soda every year. I don't own thousands of pieces of clothing. I don't destroy chairs and sofas and other furnishings. So, yes, I do think these people generate way more garbage and trash than the average person.

When I start to feel a bit guilty about how much plastic I put in the recycling bins that won't be recycled, I watch this show and it puts it in perspective. These people generate truckloads and truckloads of garbage - tons and tons and tons from a single person or couple.