S03.E05: Facing Fears

[Breedom]

6 hours ago, Xebug67 said:

Not-a-V Steven's nervous forced laugh after every sentence would be a deal breaker for me.

"He-he-he-he". Knock.It.Off.

 

6 hours ago, Xebug67 said:

I think Alina may have us all fooled by having impressed us so early on in the show with her seemingly intellectual educational aspirations, when for all intents and purposes she's maybe not all that bright, different or special than any of these other losers are, given her romantic attachment to this scuzzbag.

I have FF'd through most of this story, but from the little I have forced myself to see, Alina may just have very limited experience. Here's a guy who is interested in her and he's foreign, which may be a bit different and exciting for her. I can't help to think years from now, she's going to think to herself "what was I thinking?" Something to tell her grandkids, the time grandma acted the fool.

[magemaud]

14 hours ago, Stuckathome said:

Yes to all of this....and yet this specimen found women willing to screw him?? Ladies, please, have some standards. 

I get the feeling that SteVen can be annoyingly persistent and maybe the women just had sex with him to shut him up. Plus, I still don’t believe he’s had multiple sex partners, more like one or at the most two. 

[Shelbie]

I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find out that SteVen lied about having had sex.  

[Xebug67]

On 9/26/2021 at 9:25 PM, Meowwww said:

And watching Pillow Talk.  Who knew Brandon’s parents were all of us???

I haven't watched the "Pillow Talk" episodes but I saw Brandon's parents in the promo for that show and what I don't understand is WHY they, out of all the other supporting cast members on these shows (parents and friends alike), were chosen to be "Pillow Talk" cast members?

Edited September 29, 2021 by Xebug67

[heatherchandler]

18 hours ago, lightninggirl said:

Also, and I'm not a dude so I can't speak to this issue directly, but I'm also thinking that walking around in wet unders/shorts through city streets would cause a certain amount of chafing ... especially with temple undergarments. My friend just got back from Hawai'i and went for a dip with his gf while on a hike, and took off his bottoms to swim because he didn't want to continue hiking in wet shorts and cited chafing specifically.

That's what I thought of when he jumped in.  Who wants to waltz around town in wet clothes??  He's a weirdo.

 

[Baltimore Betty]

4 hours ago, Shelbie said:

I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find out that SteVen lied about having had sex.  

Maybe it was he thought was sex.

[Mondrianyone]

Plus, if he's the observant Mormon he claims to be (when he's not having sex outside marriage), shouldn't he have been wearing those undergarments Mormons are required to wear all the time? I'd think that extra set of clothes would amp up the wet discomfort level significantly.

[Baltimore Betty]

Just now, Mondrianyone said:

Plus, if he's the observant Mormon he claims to be (when he's not having sex outside marriage), shouldn't he have been wearing those undergarments Mormons are required to wear all the time? I'd think that extra set of clothes would amp up the wet discomfort level significantly.

I think it has been established that SteVen is not a thinker, common sense is just not a part of his decision making abilities, if his Mormon Underoos are wet and he got a rash from his dip in the pool maybe it will teach him a lesson and he will resist the urge to do that again...I think SteVen has to learn like that with everything in his life, we call that tactile learning, right?

Alina should quietly pack her things and hitch hike (lol) back to the airport because this will be her life if she stays with SteVen, she will have to forever hold his hand while crossing the streets of life.

[My Girls]

28 minutes ago, Baltimore Betty said:

Maybe it was he thought was sex.

Dry humping a pillow doesn't count?

[Mrs. Hanson]

4 hours ago, Shelbie said:

I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find out that SteVen lied about having had sex.  

WHAAAAAT?  A person on this show LIED????  PERISH THE THOUGHT!

Off topic:  Our internet is down until.....gulp......the end of October.  No live chatting for me.  (And trust me, I have explored EVERY option.  We are stuck.)

[Xebug67]

On 9/27/2021 at 12:06 AM, TrininisaScorp said:

Ari's superpower is bitching in every circumstance EVER.  Man, you don't even carry that child b/c ya momma is paying for a whole nanny/cook domestic, and you are bitching about the walking.  You agreed to the cleansing, but instead of thoughtful meditation, you are bitching. And next week?  Bitching in a barbershop (likely about your ex-husband who you can't stop thinking about...until you do). 

Ellie has really made some mistakes.  Going to this island while these poor people are trying to process the trauma of essentially losing everything seems like a poor choice.  I appreciate her care and ability to bring some supplies, which is likely welcomed, but in this circumstance, I think she is going to be more of a burden than a help.  I do not get the Victor appeal either, y'all.

Jenny is an idiot and Sumit keeps playing her.  Knowing what the Delta variant did in India, I was dying at how poorly people were wearing masks, including Sumit's family and his pregnant SIL.  Jenny, girl, go home.  This ain't it.  He ain't it.  This season my terrible opinion of Summit has gotten even worse. What a time. 

Evilyn was hilariously mustache twirling today.  The way she explained the marriage was so cold blooded and clearly meant to maximize blame placed on Cory.  Why would Corey talk to Raul about any of this?  Isn't Raul mad about Evilyn? (p.s. how are men attracted to her?  she seems so deficient of any warmth!)

I cringe every time Steven is on the screen. He's so secondhand cringe.  I think he believes he is this edgy, wild dude, but in fact, he's got a lot of arrested development.  How the hell does he continue his Pepe LePew thang + his repressed morality that he blames on her being pretty + his commitmentphobia about getting married so quickly?!  This makes no sense. He's such a pain.  Honestly, Alina seems so lovely compared to him, than it feels unfair how much he's trading up. 

Kenny and Armando continue to be the lovely couple that I cheer for.  I was so anxious about the conversation between Sr and Jr!  Yet, his father, you can tell, genuinely loves his son.  Armando is such a loving person b/c unlike many of these families, he comes from a loving family.  LGBTQ+ is not a cultural norm in Mexico, and it seems fair for his father to have to think about the wedding...big events don't seem like his thing, and it's a lot for him.  This isn't an automatic road, and one that takes time for the culture and generation Sr is from.  Yet, there was progress.  I also like the small detail of Kenny's daughter hugging Armando and wishing him well in the conversation.  Kenny is a bit overemotional, but these people all make you want to root for them, IMO. 

Ari has a huge martyr complex.  She enjoys putting on the front of doing the brave thing and choosing to live in Ethiopia so that Bini can be with their baby.  I say it's all a front on her part, trying to make herself look better than how she actually is, which is a selfish, helpless, whiny, bitching baby herself.  Though it's all on Bini for getting himself involved with yet another American, I do actually have some sympathy for him because he so clearly loves that adorable little baby.  I have ZERO sympathy, however, for Ari, to whom that baby is nothing more than a prop and a bargaining chip.  She's never demonstrated even one tiny iota of maternal love.  I do think she's a hollow, shallow shell of a human being who drains the life and love out of everyone around her - a never-ending vessel of neediness.

Ellie, of course this is not how you envisioned it being.  So sorry for you that this natural disaster interfered with your plans for sexy time with your cheating boyfriend. 

Evelin might just well be one of the meanest, nastiest pieces of work on this franchise.  Right up there (or more fittingly, down there) with Grangela.  I've never understood Corey's fixation on and attraction for her to him.  She always looks unclean to me, as if she hasn't bathed or showered in years.  From her gross half-dyed head of hair with the roots always grown out, to her perpetually mean, sour puss, to her overbite, she's ugly from the inside out.  She, however, thinks she's the bomb, and perhaps that undeserving self-confidence is what appeals to Corey and the others for whom she's been the town mattress, or merely the fact that she IS the town mattress and easy to be had is her perplexing appeal.  The ugliness runs deep in that family.  I do like the father.  He seems like a sweet man.  The brothers seem sweet as well.  I do think though that bitchy Evelin and her sisters got their mean gene from the mother.  I honestly believe that the only thing that brings her any pleasure is money, which is why I'm flummoxed as to why she wants to now have an expensive wedding given that she's already been unhappily married to Corey for a year now.  Perhaps she just wants to stick it to him, but to me it seems like she'd be cutting off her nose to spite her face by spending money that she could instead suck out of Corey for herself and her own personal use.

Steven is a disgusting, socially awkward, creepy creeper of a man whore who is two-faced about his religious beliefs as opposed to his actual practices.  Every time he brings up what he's giving up to be there with Alina I want to throat punch him, especially when he references his job.  Based on that exit interview with his "boss", it's clear he's not giving up anything significant as a job.  Given his weirdoness and unpredictability, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the "boss" is relieved to be rid of him.

Armando and Kenny are a couple of the saving graces of this franchise.  They're the type of couple that fiance visa WERE designed for, as opposed to all of the fraudsters who try to abuse it.

I never thought it would be possible to hate Jennie and Sumit any more than I already did, but they constantly keep bottoming out even further with their terrible behaviors.  Sumit's ruination of the family celebration the way that he did shows us all very clearly what a self-serving POS he is.  That ex-wife of his should be thanking Jenny for saving her from a miserable life with that ugly little ogre (he actually kind of resembles a gargoyle, but I don't want to insult gargoyles, which I love and are symbols of good luck and protection, everything that Sumit does NOT symbolize or embody).  He's so effing arrogant, pompous and entitled.  He does so much posturing and preening about how he's going to convey everything to his family, yet again, solely for the purpose of trying to appear that he's really concerned about that old hag Jenny's feelings, when in all actuality the only feelings and lifestyle he's concerned with is his own and not even his parents' or brother and sister-in-law's happiness.  Somebody needs to squash this little shit.

Edited September 29, 2021 by Xebug67

[magemaud]

5 hours ago, Shelbie said:

I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find out that SteVen lied about having had sex.  

Maybe he tried with his town’s “Evelin” 

[DiamondGirl]

On 9/28/2021 at 10:08 AM, Baltimore Betty said:

Before her time is up on TV I would love to see Ellie with a professional blow out, straightened smooth hair, just once.  I bet if it was straightened out it would be half way down her back, she has some tight curls.  

Why?  Are curls bad?

[Xebug67]

On 9/28/2021 at 8:14 AM, hookedontv said:

Remember this infamous blowout.....

But just look at the significant improvement it brought about!

[Xebug67]

On 9/28/2021 at 10:08 AM, anoninrva said:

Maybe.  It doesn't sound like that would break the bank, but somebody's going to have to rebuild.  Not to sound crass, but this is the Caribbean.  They're used to hurricanes.  I was a little struck by her "this sucks for *me*" reaction, though.

This is exactly why I sarcastically said what I said about her sexual rendezvous with vacation boy being interfered with that darned act of nature hurricane.  How dare it.  She seems more put out by how things are not actually proceeding for her in her romance novel mental imagery of herself and Victor, than she is about care and concern for the actual, true victims in this whole thing.

[Xebug67]

On 9/28/2021 at 10:51 AM, Scarlett45 said:

Could be Kenny actually likes to drive and Armando just does it because he has to. I am not partnered, but of most couples I know, one person likes driving more than the other and is the one doing it unless they are injured or ill.

This is very true, at least for me it it.  I was in a very bad car accident back in 2003, rear-ended by a vehicle going 40+ miles an hour on the highway when all traffic was stopped in front of and beside me, including me.  They hit me into the car in front of me with the chain reaction being two additional cars besides the three of us.  That traumatized me to the point of quitting my job right after it happened because I just could no longer drive the 30 minutes each way to and from work.  My husband-to-be at that time became the primary driver between us.  He and everyone in his family all love to drive and will drive for hours on end without batting an eye.  For me a drive to the post office that's less than 8 minutes from our house is torture for me.

[Xebug67]

22 hours ago, Stuckathome said:

Never underestimate some people's stupidity/naivete/general cluelessness. I remember years ago when I had to deal with what was then called INS to get my ex's paperwork started. Back before you had online appointment bookings, you waited in line before they opened to grab a number to then get to ask your question or turn in your paperwork, etc. There was a couple ahead of me who just were AMAZED that there would be a cost to getting the papers filed for the guy's green card and OMG!! They want actual paperwork like birth certs and financial information?? We can't just walk in, say hey we are married give him a green card??? So, yes I can see dipship Steven with a V thinking getting hitched in Turkey was just like eloping in Vegas. Maybe even easier cause you know, 'Merica is so much more advanced than any other place. He is a tool, so is she and I hope they fizzle out a la Amira and Andrew. 

 

I think the only reason Jenny is pushing for the marriage is so that she can just settle in India, get a work permit. That would be a royal pain in the ass to have to leave every 6 months, especially at her age, which she will rapidly enter the phase of life where it may not even be physically safe for her to travel that far. I mean, there are 60 somethings that are super healthy and fit and look 10 or 20 years younger than they are...then there is Jenny who looks old enough to be Sumit's grandmother and waddles down the street (adn she isn't obese!). 

 

If Ari returns to NJ, I can see her bringing the nanny with her. Imagine how much attention that will get her at her Princeton mommy group? Oh, that is my EthiOPian nanny! 

I truly believe that Ari would think that showing Mimi off in front of her friends will make her (Ari) appear to be so much more exotic than those friends of hers that have the run-of-the-mill Swedish au pairs.

[anoninrva]

1 hour ago, Xebug67 said:

Steven is a disgusting, socially awkward, creepy creeper of a man whore who is two-faced about his religious beliefs as opposed to his actual practices.  Every time he brings up what he's giving up to be there with Alina I want to throat punch him, especially when he references his job.  Based on that exit interview with his "boss", it's clear he's not giving up anything significant as a job.  Given his weirdoness and unpredictability, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the "boss" is relieved to be rid of him.

I am almost 100% with you, except for Steven.  Granted, I don't know too much about his religion (I dated a very nonobservant Mormon, much to her parent's dismay, in my distant youth), but I think a lot of his behavior can be attributed to being young, dumb, and neurodivergent, as the kids say.  I'm not really sure what Alina sees in him either, but he doesn't seem mean, duplicitous, etc.  Now, it does annoy me that a:) they planned on going to Turkey to begin with (that can't have been the only option, or the best), and b:) he wasn't even sure if he wanted to marry her, but that feels like nitpicking in a show that's already established the 90 days is for "figuring things out" and not the actual logistics of getting married.  There are very few exceptions to that rule we've seen so far.

[Baltimore Betty]

1 hour ago, DiamondGirl said:

Why?  Are curls bad?

Nope, I have curly hair, (I use product and straighten it some days and others I let it curl with product) but she can improve her curls, sometimes mother nature needs a little help...she is not pretty, her hair is not helping her.  I don't expect her to seek a glam team while sifting thru the wreckage of Providencia but maybe experiment when back in Seattle.  

If she goes back to Seattle she could have a Red Cross fundraiser in her pizza shop, that would be more helpful than her walking over piles of what was someones home and saying how it use to be paradise but the hurricane ruined it, we know, we get it.

[Mrs. Hanson]

3 hours ago, Xebug67 said:

Evelin might just well be one of the meanest, nastiest pieces of work on this franchise.  Right up there (or more fittingly, down there) with Grangela.

May I respectfully add Leida (in Baraboo, WI) to the unholy trio?  Wait, we need to make it a quad as I will FIGHT ANYONE who thinks Tiffany doesn't belong in this group.  She should be the ringleader as she KNOWINGLY brought a baby into the mix.  At least the other three are childless with their partner.  So far.

[Breedom]

1 hour ago, Xebug67 said:

For me a drive to the post office that's less than 8 minutes from our house is torture for me

Sorry this happened to you! How are you able to get around now? I hate to drive and would be happy to have someone else drive me anywhere and everywhere.

 

2 hours ago, Xebug67 said:

I truly believe that Ari would think that showing Mimi off in front of her friends will make her (Ari) appear to be so much more exotic than those friends of hers that have the run-of-the-mill Swedish au pairs.

And how she can be so proud of something that she herself didn't achieve, I don't know. Mom and Dad would be funding it.

[Hotel Snarker]

Just take the win Armando and let your dad process. He’s coming to the wedding but just needs some time to “analyze”.

Can we PLEASE just give Kenny & Armando a spinoff now? It’s like watching an entirely different show when they’re onscreen - wholesome, real life, intense emotions that aren’t just people screaming at each other & sweet, beautiful Hannah developing relationships with Kenny & his kids. That scene with Armando & his dad was next level. The vulnerability floored me & I started crying like Kenny does every episode. THEY ARE TOO GOOD FOR THIS SHOW!!!

It’s very weird that Steven makes decisions for them both without checking in with Alina first. Like, for example, booking two separate accommodations and deciding to hitchhike, decisions that include them both require a discussion. Major 🚩. The fact that he made Alina hitchhike really blew my mind. How terrifying. The more I mull it over, the more I think making Alina hitchhike is incredibly disrespectful to her. If your partner can’t respect your safety needs, they need to go. It’s simply not safe to hitchhike, in particular in a new place that you don’t know well. Have you guys seen regular people hitchhike right in the middle of a city?

Whenever I have an important legal meeting I make sure to tell the lawyer he has a ‘sweet office’.

Sooo…he did zero research about getting married in Turkey. Steven is an idiot. It’s amazing how little he planned for this. Is there even a reason they picked Antalya? It seems like they should be in Ankara.

When will Alina learn the news? Steven (with a V) is also Steven (without a V-card).

Does Steven speak fluent Russian and quite passable Turkish? This is quite impressive, actually. I’m only to give credit to Steven for that one thing only. That’s all he’s getting from me.

Ari seems so miserable. I can't remember the last time she seemed content and happy with Bini. She has been staying to appear like she was giving the relationship a try, commanded her ex to visit to verify his interest before she flies the coop. I don't think Bini's sisters would be so confrontational if there was a solid relationship. Off camera I am sure Ari is very detached and exhibiting behavior that confirms she will leave with the baby.

Putting Ari in the holy water to see if it fixes her is an amazing idea. I’m not sure why this wasn’t utilized earlier in the season. When she said, “I felt like I was about to have an out of body experience,” I yelled at the TV that they should have left her under there a bit longer. They almost got the demon out.

Ellie is going to bankroll not only Victor, but his entire family, I bet. I mean, there are no services on that island. Maybe stay at the island she flew into for an extended period of time. 

Poor Providencia. 😰

So Corey genuinely likes Jenny more, right? I feel bad for Jenny! To be ghosted by that dingus…

Now, there’s a small chance that there is a little baby Corey Jr in Peru…

Is Raul the dude that fucked Evelyn when Corey was away grieving his dad?

[anoninrva]

11 minutes ago, Hotel Snarker said:

So Corey genuinely likes Jenny more, right? I feel bad for Jenny! To be ghosted by that dingus…

Now, there’s a small chance that there is a little baby Corey Jr in Peru…

Is Raul the dude that fucked Evelyn when Corey was away grieving his dad?

I forgot about Jenny.  That makes me lose any sympathy for Corey being with that horrible shrew if he left a better life behind and just broke someone else's heart in the process.  Of course, that's giving him the benefit of the doubt that he's telling the truth here, which may not be warranted.

Raul doesn't seem to be such a great friend with that ultimatum.

[magemaud]

On 9/28/2021 at 11:14 AM, hookedontv said:

On 9/28/2021 at 11:08 AM, Baltimore Betty said:

Before her time is up on TV I would love to see Ellie with a professional blow out, straightened smooth hair, just once.  I bet if it was straightened out it would be half way down her back, she has some tight curls.  

 

Remember this infamous blowout.....

What about this blowjob, I mean blowout...(I say that as a joke to my husband when I make a hair appointment, but I'm afraid someday I'll accidentally ask for it when I call the salon) 

[Shauna]

7 hours ago, Xebug67 said:

I haven't watched the "Pillow Talk" episodes but I saw Brandon's parents in the promo for that show and what I don't understand is WHY they, out of all the other supporting cast members on these shows (parents and friends alike), were chosen to be "Pillow Talk" cast members?

I couldn't believe when these two flash across my screen.  They try too hard, the constant laughing.  They really like being on television, don't they?  Can you imagine how excited they are?   And her hair.  Get a style already. 

[Ucross]

On 9/26/2021 at 5:38 AM, Alonzo Mosely FBI said:

Mireille pense que l'auto-stop est charmant

Mireille thinks hitchhiking is charming

I'm a bit lost. Who is Mireille? From a previous series maybe?

[Alonzo Mosely FBI]

1 hour ago, Ucross said:

I'm a bit lost. Who is Mireille? From a previous series maybe?

Lol she is a character from my high school French books who thought hitchhiking is charming! Sorry for the confusion ! I'll never forget hitching was one of my French vocabulary words !

[Stuckathome]

People keep referring to Evelin as "town mattress." Is this something someone actually SAID at some point during this long drawn out drama? Or a name someone here on the forums gave her for some reason? 

I have long since stopped watching their segments....as someone who lived in Peru and was married to a Peruvian for (too) many years, it triggers me a bit. The Ecuadorian accent and mannerisms of her and her coven of sisters remind me a lot of the Peruvians I knew. As an gringa (they imagined just wanted their man) living there I experienced levels of bitchiness and cattiness the likes I didn't know existed. Of course I am sure there are lovely, kind people living in Peru, but my personal experience was that that women were catty bitches who have one focus---getting a man and keeping that man. The guys, cool as shit. 

[Wanda]

Finally watching. Summit is Sikh? Gudwara is a Sikh temple.

because if he is, they are picking and choosing how traditional to be. 

 

Edited September 30, 2021 by Wanda
Adding thoughts

[Xebug67]

19 hours ago, Breedom said:

Sorry this happened to you! How are you able to get around now? I hate to drive and would be happy to have someone else drive me anywhere and everywhere.

 

And how she can be so proud of something that she herself didn't achieve, I don't know. Mom and Dad would be funding it.

Thank you for your comment, Breedom.  After quitting my office job I started an online business selling antiques and collectibles, so that I could work from home and not have to drive that long distance that I used to to go to my office job.  I turned a hobby into a business.  That's why I made the comment about the post office, because that's usually the only time I drive myself, aside from when I go to local garage sales, estate sales and thrift stores, which are all very close to my neighborhood.  My husband does the driving for everything else, from going to the dog park multiple times per week, to the grocery shopping, which we always do together, to driving on getaway vacations.  Still though, even when I do my very short distance driving, it's always on the forefront of my mind to the point that I'm constantly looking in my rear view mirror to see if anybody is coming up on me. 

The other thing that has probably not aided in any healing on my part regarding my accident 18 years ago is that for the past five years I's also had a second job, doing insurance transcription, so on a daily basis I'm reliving MY automobile accident by transcribing the accident details of others.

I do know from personal experience, and not just about my auto accident but other traumatic events that have happened in my life as well, that there are some incidents that occur in your life that you never do fully get over.

[Xebug67]

18 hours ago, magemaud said:

What about this blowjob, I mean blowout...(I say that as a joke to my husband when I make a hair appointment, but I'm afraid someday I'll accidentally ask for it when I call the salon) 

Magemaud, your comment about accidentally asking for a BJ at the salon was too funny.

Coincidentally I too once posted comparison photos of Nutalie with her curls vs. her straight hair, which she had at one of her previous weddings.

A celebrity that always comes to my mind that has alternated between super-curly and straight hair is Sarah Jessica Parker.  On "Sex and the City" I always thought she looked so much classier, elegant and stylish when she blew her hair out straight.  At those times I could see how Mr. Big could fall for her.  But when she had her hair all messy and kinked out (sometimes her curls were tight, at other times they were more like mere waves) I couldn't see him choosing her over Natasha. 

But even with her tightest curls, Sarah Jessica Parker is a million times more attractive than fugly Ellie.  I just can't get past that mug of hers.  Not that Victor is a catch in any way, shape or form, especially with that scraggly stringy hair growth coming out of his chin.  I wonder if those tied up skinny beards are some type of ethnic islands thing, because father Low also has a shorter scraggly beard as well.  However, in father Low's case, he is extremely sexy even with that disgusting germ catcher on his chin.  Victor, not so much.

Victor must just desperately want Ellie's money to the point of overlooking how homely she is. 

I have to admit to having a very warped fascination concerning these foreigner green card seekers who are able to keep it going despite the horrific ugliness and/or nastiness of their American counterparts, especially where Grangela and Michael and Baby Girl Lisa and Usman were concerned.  Now Ellie and Victor fall into that category for me.

Edited September 30, 2021 by Xebug67
Forgot to add the photos I found

[magemaud]

2 hours ago, Wanda said:

Finally watching. Summit is Sikh? Gudwara is a Sikh temple.

because if he is, they are picking and choosing how traditional to be. 

But isn't that true for many people and their degree of observance to a religion? (The term "cafeteria Catholics" comes to mind and remember how Natalie was so religious in the Ukraine but the subject was never brought up in the US?) I think this is the first time I heard anything about Sumit's family following any religion and I don't recall that they objected to Jenny for religious reasons, so yes, they appear to be Sikhs when it suits them to be. 

[Xebug67]

3 hours ago, Stuckathome said:

People keep referring to Evelin as "town mattress." Is this something someone actually SAID at some point during this long drawn out drama? Or a name someone here on the forums gave her for some reason? 

I have long since stopped watching their segments....as someone who lived in Peru and was married to a Peruvian for (too) many years, it triggers me a bit. The Ecuadorian accent and mannerisms of her and her coven of sisters remind me a lot of the Peruvians I knew. As an gringa (they imagined just wanted their man) living there I experienced levels of bitchiness and cattiness the likes I didn't know existed. Of course I am sure there are lovely, kind people living in Peru, but my personal experience was that that women were catty bitches who have one focus---getting a man and keeping that man. The guys, cool as shit. 

I'm so sorry that you experienced such horrific nastiness, Stuckathome.

Sadly I've experienced extremely similar hateful prejudices as a very, very pale white woman that I am and any time that I was out on a date with an African-American man where there were African-American women around us. 

On one occasion, at a Valentine's Day concert featuring multiple old school African-American musical groups an African-American woman sitting in the row behind us actually had the audacity to ask my boyfriend why he was with me, a white woman, when he could be with a woman like her.  And she said this quite loudly to ensure that not only I but everyone around us also could hear her question.  Now in the looks department of this rude, a**hole of a person, we're talking wildebeest, so it was almost laughable when she said that, had it not been so otherwise hurtful and embarrassing.  I was so p*ssed off that I was at a loss for words.  My boyfriend, rather than engage with her, he merely responded by putting his arm around my shoulder and drawing me closer to him, and oddly enough that shut her up until after the concert was completely over and we were outside waiting for our car to pick us up (my boyfriend was a HUGE fan of Mr. Big from "Sex and the City", and he frequently would hire a car service similar to that of Mr. Big's when we went out so that we didn't have to worry about drinking and driving - and this was way before Uber and Lyft were a thing - it was an actual car service).  Well, when that wildebeest who had been sitting behind us at the concert happened to see us again as our car pulled up, she just had to get in one last dig, yelling at me being one of those h*nky white women who steal all of their good men.  I was just appalled, and again absolutely speechless.  I mean, what do you or can you say to such an ignorant, reverse prejudiced person?  We just got in our car and left her standing there on the curb with so much hate in her eyes and heart. 

Oddly, however, when I was in a relationship with a guy who was part Italian and part Filipino, I never received any hateful or prejudicial comments from any of the other Filipinos we regularly interacted with.  To boot, his entire family, from his daughter to his parents to his grandmother, and even extended family members of aunts and uncles and cousins, they all welcomed me into their lives and even went out of their way to ensure that they always had vegetarian options available for me whenever we had meals together.

My current husband is full-blooded Navajo, and I have been likewise blessed within his family, immediate as well as extended, as well as within the Navajo community with utter acceptance and no alienation or insults.

My personal experiences have taught me that it's not every ethnic group that is anti-mixed couples.  Unfortunately there are also plenty of white people that feel the same way that the Peruvians in your case and the African-Americans in my case feel, refusing to acknowledge that love is love, and it should not be disdained by anyone regardless of the mixed relationship that they are attacking or looking down on.  Similar to what Armando and Kenny also experience, only in their case as opposed to racial or ethnic differences, in their case it's homophobia that is sneered at by narrow-minded people.

Funnily, a few of my friends nicknamed me "Miss United Colors of Bennetton" because of my diverse dating practices throughout my life, LOL.  I wear that label with pride, as it's much nicer than being considered a close-minded, hateful person.

Edited September 30, 2021 by Xebug67

[anoninrva]

40 minutes ago, magemaud said:

But isn't that true for many people and their degree of observance to a religion? (The term "cafeteria Catholics" comes to mind and remember how Natalie was so religious in the Ukraine but the subject was never brought up in the US?) I think this is the first time I heard anything about Sumit's family following any religion and I don't recall that they objected to Jenny for religious reasons, so yes, they appear to be Sikhs when it suits them to be. 

I have worked for and with a  few Sikhs, and they've always stuck me as some of the most tolerant (and confident) people I've known.  These are all turban-wearing men, which Sumit is not, so I don't quite understand the possible differences in cultural practice.  But I did get the subtext that Jenny is rejected for cultural reasons also.  There's an othering there which seems pretty profound.

[magemaud]

On 9/30/2021 at 2:26 PM, anoninrva said:

These are all turban-wearing men, which Sumit is not, so I don't quite understand the possible differences in cultural practice. 

I did notice that any man in the temple who wasn't wearing a turban was wearing some kind of bandana including Sumit, his father and brother*. I found this info: "Even in Punjab/India, ~30–40% wear turban only for special functions (i.e. weddings, etc.), especially the younger generations. This may vary from region to region." Also, the majority of people who identify as Sikhs and follow the rules of Sikhism are not baptized so wearing a turban is optional. 

* on re-watching I noticed Sumit doesn’t wear any kind of headcovering, and appears to meet with his family outside of the main temple area which gives me the impression that he’s not particularly religious. He basically just showed up later for the "celebration." I remember him telling Jenny there would be food there, so why didn't we see any kind of party? 

Edited October 2, 2021 by magemaud

[Wanda]

1 hour ago, magemaud said:

But isn't that true for many people and their degree of observance to a religion? (The term "cafeteria Catholics" comes to mind and remember how Natalie was so religious in the Ukraine but the subject was never brought up in the US?) I think this is the first time I heard anything about Sumit's family following any religion and I don't recall that they objected to Jenny for religious reasons, so yes, they appear to be Sikhs when it suits them to be. 

I just meant he and the parents are all “it’s our culture….must obey the cultural norms…”

my husband is a Sikh from New Delhi. And I’ve found it’s more a cultural way of life than a strict “religious” one. Much in the way I identify as culturally Jewish vs religiously Jewish. So Sumit and his parents talking so much how he must follow the rules set forth by their society, I assumed they were Hindu *shrug* because no Sikhs in New Delhi that I’ve met are anything like what he has shown or described (touching feet, arranged marriages, gossip if the children don’t obey the parents)

[RedLA]

Tell me this isn’t Mrs Sumit.    

://www.facebook.com/ps260/videos/217866116784540/

Edited September 30, 2021 by RedLA

[lh25]

2 hours ago, RedLA said:

Tell me this isn’t Mrs Sumit.

Looks like her.  There is an ad running in my area for a healthcare system, might be Franciscan, that looks like her as well.  If I find it, I'll post it here.

[Breedom]

8 hours ago, Xebug67 said:

After quitting my office job I started an online business selling antiques and collectibles, so that I could work from home and not have to drive that long distance that I used to to go to my office job.

Sounds like things really worked out great for you in the long-run, despite the accident. Very nice to be able to have the opportunity to do something that really speaks to you.

7 hours ago, Xebug67 said:

Now in the looks department of this rude, a**hole of a person, we're talking wildebeest, so it was almost laughable when she said that

I had to laugh at loud at the description that you gave for this woman! I live in a very diverse area and everyone is accepting of everyone else - almost - however, there are always going to be people that need to attack other people verbally because of their own issues. And I love-love that you had a car coming to pick you up, ala Sex and the City. Thank you for sharing!

On 9/29/2021 at 1:36 PM, DiamondGirl said:

Why?  Are curls bad?

Curls are pretty, straight hair too. But I think Ellie would look better with straightened hair and please, Ellie, change the color. On Sarah J-P, she looks fantastic both ways. I think she has a beautiful face.

[Dobian]

On 9/29/2021 at 8:48 AM, Xebug67 said:

I haven't watched the "Pillow Talk" episodes but I saw Brandon's parents in the promo for that show and what I don't understand is WHY they, out of all the other supporting cast members on these shows (parents and friends alike), were chosen to be "Pillow Talk" cast members?

I think Tariq's brother is the most tangential.  At least Ron and Betty were a regular part of Brandon and Julia's segments.  I'm fine with them, they're goofy enough to be on that show.

[Dobian]

19 hours ago, Wanda said:

I just meant he and the parents are all “it’s our culture….must obey the cultural norms…”

my husband is a Sikh from New Delhi. And I’ve found it’s more a cultural way of life than a strict “religious” one. Much in the way I identify as culturally Jewish vs religiously Jewish. So Sumit and his parents talking so much how he must follow the rules set forth by their society, I assumed they were Hindu *shrug* because no Sikhs in New Delhi that I’ve met are anything like what he has shown or described (touching feet, arranged marriages, gossip if the children don’t obey the parents)

TLC producers nudge these people to "share their culture" repeatedly on this show to create fish out of water scenarios and potential conflict.  If cameras weren't rolling, most of the time it would be Partner A telling Partner B that they are going to go worship now, see you in a couple of hours.

[Mrs. Hanson]

21 hours ago, Xebug67 said:

Funnily, a few of my friends nicknamed me "Miss United Colors of Bennetton" because of my diverse dating practices throughout my life, LOL.  I wear that label with pride, as it's much nicer than being considered a close-minded, hateful person.

I am sure you are quite happy with your hubby, but I kinda wanted you to end up with the guy who liked Mr. Big!!!

Off topic:  our internet is back!  Snark on Sunday!  SEE YA!

19 hours ago, RedLA said:

Tell me this isn’t Mrs Sumit.

It is not.

 

20 hours ago, magemaud said:

Also, the majority of people who identify as Sikhs and follow the rules of Sikhism are not baptized so wearing a turban is optional

I can't read this and NOT hear Blazing Saddles:  "I'll take the blond and you take the one in the toybin"

[Rebky]

On 9/29/2021 at 12:36 PM, magemaud said:

Maybe he tried with his town’s “Evelin” 

It would not surprise me if Steven with a V thinks self pleasure is actual sex.

[magemaud]

5 minutes ago, Rebky said:

It would not surprise me if Steven with a V thinks self pleasure is actual sex.

or he has committed "lust in his heart." 

[readheaded]

On 9/29/2021 at 3:36 PM, Baltimore Betty said:

Nope, I have curly hair, (I use product and straighten it some days and others I let it curl with product) but she can improve her curls, sometimes mother nature needs a little help...she is not pretty, her hair is not helping her.  I don't expect her to seek a glam team while sifting thru the wreckage of Providencia but maybe experiment when back in Seattle.  

If she goes back to Seattle she could have a Red Cross fundraiser in her pizza shop, that would be more helpful than her walking over piles of what was someones home and saying how it use to be paradise but the hurricane ruined it, we know, we get it.

She doesn't seem to understand her privilege as she stands there with the option to leave the ruins at any moment.

[Not Buyin It]

On 9/27/2021 at 2:56 PM, seacliffsal said:

If Victor needed to take supplies back to the island Ellie should have given him what she bought and let him go alone.  He knows the people and the devastation as well as how to get around.  She added an extra layer to what he had to do in addition to being in people's way at the dock while she waited for him to return with a car.  Also?  She can just stop it with how stressful it was for her to see the island before returning to her hotel on the mainland; she should be supporting/thinking of the people who survived the hurricane and are living/dealing with the aftermath.

Steven continues to see himself as uniquely special and is intent on reinforcing that in every scene we see.  If Alina continues with him it would demonstrate that she wants to be on t.v. as badly as he.  Very interesting that immediately after saying she wanted to marry Steven she told him not to cuddle with her (this was before Steven hesitated about marrying her).

I think Summit's parents are very fortunate to have their younger son and his wife-they seem smart and nice.  I think Summit and Jenny live quite well (based on the size of their house, etc.) so I can see why they both stay together (more TLC money!).

I lost a bit of respect for Armando as this episode showed how his father loves him and is working on accepting and supporting him but not only did Armando seem upset with him that he wasn't following Armando's timeline, it really occurred to me that his father is very private and yet is showing his vulnerability and love on a t.v. show that Armando convinced him to be on.  I don't think there is any way that Armando's parents would put themselves on t.v. (based on observing their reserve and deep emotion through the episode) except to try to please Armando.  When his father was telling him how much he doesn't like being at large celebrations, Armando got upset at him (and maybe being at one wedding already for Armando was beyond the father's comfort level).  

In Armando's defense, he is caught in a difficult situation. On the one hand, he has a very conservative, traditional-values family. On the other, he has a very pushy partner, who seems to believe that because HE thinks a certain way, the rest of the world needs to agree with him. Armando loves them both, and doesn't want to alienate either party.

[1011101010001]

21 hours ago, magemaud said:

or he has committed "lust in his heart." 

Which would be the only way he is presidential.

[JLaw]

On 9/27/2021 at 9:21 AM, magemaud said:

I agree that he appears to be older than 38, but since Ellie herself is 45, I don't understand the reason why he needs to appear younger. 

To attract the other women he dates...😀

[Xebug67]

On 9/30/2021 at 6:09 PM, Breedom said:

Sounds like things really worked out great for you in the long-run, despite the accident. Very nice to be able to have the opportunity to do something that really speaks to you.

I had to laugh at loud at the description that you gave for this woman! I live in a very diverse area and everyone is accepting of everyone else - almost - however, there are always going to be people that need to attack other people verbally because of their own issues. And I love-love that you had a car coming to pick you up, ala Sex and the City. Thank you for sharing!

Curls are pretty, straight hair too. But I think Ellie would look better with straightened hair and please, Ellie, change the color. On Sarah J-P, she looks fantastic both ways. I think she has a beautiful face.

You're awfully kind, Breedom!   💖

[Xebug67]

On 9/30/2021 at 7:57 PM, Dobian said:

I think Tariq's brother is the most tangential.  At least Ron and Betty were a regular part of Brandon and Julia's segments.  I'm fine with them, they're goofy enough to be on that show.

I don't have a problem with Ron and Betty being on the show (I don't watch Pillow Talk very often, but if I did it wouldn't bother me as long as they're entertaining).

I totally agree with you though about Tariq's brother and his crazy ugly girlfriend being more questionable to appear on the show.  I couldn't stand the guy the couple of times we had to tolerate him on the actual show.  Since I've never seen him when he was on Pillow Talk, however, I can't comment on whether he contributes anything of merit or not.

On 10/1/2021 at 8:39 AM, Mrs. Hanson said:

I am sure you are quite happy with your hubby, but I kinda wanted you to end up with the guy who liked Mr. Big!!!

Off topic:  our internet is back!  Snark on Sunday!  SEE YA!

It is not.

 

I can't read this and NOT hear Blazing Saddles:  "I'll take the blond and you take the one in the toybin"

Thank you Mrs. Hanson.  You're too funny.  My actual husband drives me around everywhere, so he's like my private chauffeur, though not quite the same as the Mr. Big scenario, that's for sure.