S03.E04: Heavy Hoarders

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

Amy must confront demons from her past, and Tammy admits to cheat days. 

Original air date 2021.12.06

[chenoa333]

Judging from the episode titles the producers come up with for this show, they have zero respect or empathy for anyone in this family of obese people. It's all about the money for TLC. The Learning Channel. Yeah, I'm learning a lot about the vultures..I mean producers, of 1000 pound sisters. 

[sadie]

Another depressing episode. At the risk of sounding awful, this whole family has such deep issues I don’t know that any of them will ever get better.

Chris is starting to annoy me, he just keeps saying Tammy was doing great and then she met this new guy and that’s why she’s gaining weight. Wtf? Has he met Tammy before today. New guy, no guy, old guy, Tammy eats too much and won’t put forth one minute of effort into saving her own life. That’s the bottom line. It’s Tammy no one else.

Amy, there are lots of moms that actually work outside the home and keep a clean house. You have no job I can ascertain other than getting Tammy cheat meals. It’s just laziness that they can’t even bother to wash a days worth of dishes every day. I get people that don’t know how to organize but that house is just slovenly and she, much like her sister, likes to blame everything elsewhere. She was lazy before (cue cockroaches running up the wall) but now blames having a baby. The kid isn’t even mobile yet, she has plenty of time during the day to clean. And then when people show up to help she just wants to cry about how embarrassed she is vs jumping in and helping. There are dead mice and roaches running around your house, someone needs to call CPS. As much as Amy loves that baby the thought of those roaches running in his crib makes me want to slap her.

Tammy, yes you gained weight. I’m shocked (not). Just tell your family you’ve given up and expect to die and leave you be. So they have a home health aide but Amy is still picking up her meds and grocery shopping for her? What was the point of getting Teesa who sounds like she’s on the edge of walking anyway. Tammy won’t even try walking a little every day and good for Teesa saying she’s not going to injure herself pushing Tammy around when Tammy refuses to walk ten feet.

This whole family needs therapy and some advanced education. They are all helpless and hopeless to some extent. What a tragedy all the way around. 

[Kid]

1 hour ago, sadie said:

They are all helpless and hopeless to some extent.

I really had hope for Amy. But, in this episode, I see her doing exactly what Tammy does. Find excuses.  They are dysfunctional, they are all addicted to something, and hoarding is yet another addiction.

Instead of moving, Amy has chosen to stay there and then whines she’s in a no-win situation with Tammy.  Obviously, she has her own shit to take care of she needs to take care of it.

[chenoa333]

3 hours ago, sadie said:

3 hours ago, sadie said:

Amy, there are lots of moms that actually work outside the home and keep a clean house

I agree with all of your post. But am I the only one who notices in Amy's "talking heads" that her home (in the background) looks clean, tidy and organized? So does Tammy's. What's up with that?

 

[Kid]

1 hour ago, chenoa333 said:

 

I wondered about that myself. Maybe Amy’s talking heads are done in a studio or rented space. In Tammy’s case, that really looks like her side of the duplex when people walk in and it’s always neat and clean.

Also, plenty of the women who work and have kids and have a clean house are also single mothers and they manage to get it all done.

[chenoa333]

2 hours ago, Kid said:

I wondered about that myself. Maybe Amy’s talking heads are done in a studio or rented space. In Tammy’s case, that really looks like her side of the duplex when people walk in and it’s always neat and clean.

Also, plenty of the women who work and have kids and have a clean house are also single mothers and they manage to get it all done.

I agree. But Amy and Tammy are not in the genre of hard working, clean, organized women. Somebody (production?) is cleaning up for Tammy and maybe Amy too.( For their talking heads at least)

[SunnyBeBe]

What was Tammy’s last weight?

[RedDelicious]

I think the backgrounds are digital and they are filming in front of a green screen like they do with the Housewives.

[sainte-chapelle]

How did Tammy survive COVID. ?!?!

[SunnyBeBe]

I’ve always thought there was some level of intellectual disability when a person lived in a place oblivious to pests and vermin.  Mice make noise.  Roaches are obvious.  Plus, that little dog would have been barking at the stuff.  Amy didn’t think a thing of it, until she was exposed on tv.  And her husband is just as responsible. Who spends one night with a baby, in a place with mice?  It boggles the mind.  I can’t see Amy or her husband keeping their place habitable, with their attitudes.  

[sainte-chapelle]

I am mean but I did LOL when Amy was crying about people making fun of her for having bugs in her videos then the  camera focused in on a cockroach crawling up the wall….I am dead

Edited December 7, 2021 by sainte-chapelle

[all4mom2]

If Amy's that "embarrassed," why didn't she at least throw out the weeks-old chili before the organizers showed up?  I notice she does this Poor Pitiful Me crying thing whenever she's put on the spot...  Also, isn't Gage old enough now to hold his own bottle while sitting in a seat or lying down?  Obviously he's her new excuse not to clean.  I hope she doesn't disable him like she has Tammy.  AND she wasn't too "legally blind" to spot that dead mouse on the top shelf!

Edited December 7, 2021 by all4mom2

[goofygirl]

43 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

What was Tammy’s last weight?

I think it  was 639....

[sainte-chapelle]

7 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I’ve always thought there was some level of intellectual disability when a person lived in a place oblivious to pests and vermin.  Mice make noise.  Roaches are obvious.  Plus, that little dog would have been barking at the stuff.  Amy didn’t think a thing of it, until she was exposed on tv.  And her husband is just as responsible. Who spends one night with a baby, in a place with mice?  It boggles the mind.  I can’t see Amy or her husband keeping their place habitable, with their attitudes.  

We sometimes get pharaoh ants and once had cockroaches. I am a clean person and was mortified but the whole floor ( I am in an Apartment) had to be sprayed. My boyfriend had rats after the home next door was abandoned. It happens to clean people but Amy is a slob. Who leaves months old chili on the stove? Wouldn’t that stink?

[TwirlyGirly]

3 minutes ago, goofygirl said:

I think it  was 639....

Does anyone know how tall she is? Because she honestly looks like she is close to being as wide as she is tall.

Also, when I was doing some research on cremation and burial of the super morbidly obese, I read an article that said there's a company that makes special caskets that are 52" wide. That's 4'4". 

Tammy looks like she's pretty close to that if not over.

 

[kathyk24]

My heart broke for Amy. You don't decide to be a hoarder as a young child. At least she's taking steps so the cycle ends with her. I've worked with hoarders in the past and it's definately a mental health condition. 

[SunnyBeBe]

A rodent or insect can get into just about any home…just a little crevice is all they need. I’ve seen them before, but I noticed and took action immediately to get rid of them.  It seemed like Amy and her husband didn’t notice the infestation. That’s what is shocking and unacceptable.  I over clean things….that’s a thing with me. Lol. A couple of weeks ago, I put down glue strips….nothing in them at all.  I’ve had 2  mouse traps set for years. I haven’t caught one yet.  Knock on wood, there are none.  I haven’t seen any evidence thank goodness.  I have a phobic fear of mice. 😱 But, with baby in the home….someone needs to monitor that situation.   

Tammy really has given up.  It’s painful to watch.  If Amy has mice and roach infestation, so does Tammy in the adjoining duplex.  U

[Gemma Violet]

AFAIK, professional organizers just organize--they don't clean things.  Amy should have washed the dishes, clothes, etc. before they arrived and let them deal with only the clutter.  They shouldn't have had to tell her to start washing a load of laundry.  

Living near a field will certainly cause a mice problem, especially when the crops are harvested--the mice no longer have cover and will run to the nearest houses.  I had a relative who lived near a field when I was young and she had this problem.

I think this episode is the most Amy's husband has ever talked in one episode.

Edited December 7, 2021 by Gemma Violet

[MagicEyes]

How did they not smell a dead mouse? They’re very stinky. I don’t know how a tiny creature can have that much stink in it. 

I’m not sure I really believe this hoarding storyline. The kitchen was nasty, but it was mostly dirty dishes on the counter. It wasn’t anywhere near hoarding-level messiness. 

[SunnyBeBe]

Wasn’t that mouse droppings or dead roaches on the back of the sink? And then the live roach walking up the wall…..when Amy was talking about how viewers complained of that years ago.  

[Showthyme]

1 hour ago, sainte-chapelle said:

We sometimes get pharaoh ants and once had cockroaches. I am a clean person and was mortified but the whole floor ( I am in an Apartment) had to be sprayed. My boyfriend had rats after the home next door was abandoned. It happens to clean people but Amy is a slob. Who leaves months old chili on the stove? Wouldn’t that stink?

I don’t think they prepare many meals at home. The dirty pots and piled up dishes and cluttered countertop speaks to their diet too. 

Amy needs to get some pest control before Gage picks up a roach and puts it in his mouth.

 

[GaT]

3 hours ago, MagicEyes said:

How did they not smell a dead mouse? They’re very stinky. I don’t know how a tiny creature can have that much stink in it. 

I think the weeks old chili might cover up the smell.

[Joan van Snark]

I cant help but like Tammy and Amy to a certain extent.  I am sure Tammy's petulance and assholish behavior is mostly her lashing out from severe depression.  The ONLY answer for her is to go back to the rehab and stay there for a year or more with serious psychological therapy.  I get it that walking is painful for her, but if she doesnt start trying its only going to get worse.  Does she think it will magically not hurt anymore one day?

Amy is not perfect by any means but I do think she is in a much better place than she was before and I love hearing her say things like that her life now has purpose.  I feel she is at least moving in the right direction, although she needs therapy as well.

[lilysmom]

I really think the problem here is that the producers have run out of story lines. Tammy needs to lose weight, has severe psychological problems, and keeps gaining weight (since season one.). Amy manages to lose enough weight to have surgery, has a baby against medical advice, and now spends her time talking about how she doesn't have time to be Tammy's mother because she is Gage's mother now, (since season one.). They have introduced other family members who all have weight and emotional issues but are there to offer advice to Amy and Tammy: Chris, his wife, the new sister, the mom. There is still no story, so now we are being shown a house that suddenly is a huge safety concern for a soon to be toddler, a trip to tea shop, and whatever else they can show to degrade these two women. The farting and calling each other "bitch" got old a LONG time ago! When the show started, they showed a loving relationship between these two sisters and the humor they found in each other's plight. That has long since been replaced with...well, see my first sentence! Will I continue watching?? Sadly, I probably will!

[chenoa333]

9 hours ago, sainte-chapelle said:

then the  camera focused in on a cockroach crawling up the wall

Lol! I LOVE "shady" camera people! 

[Pepper Mostly]

10 hours ago, sainte-chapelle said:

I am mean but I did LOL when Amy was crying about people making fun of her for having bugs in her videos then the  camera focused in on a cockroach crawling up the wall….I am dead

Smoosh over on the mean person couch, girlfriend, I'm right there with you. I was DYING.

I have no patience for either of these two. Tammy has given up and it appears she's resigned herself to an early grave so she can have cheeseburgers and tacos whenever she wants. Amy? Spare me your sanctimonious "I'm a mom now!" speeches. You bathe your child in that kitchen? With the mouse shit all over the counter? "I feel like I'm a bad mom!" she moos. If the shoe fits, Tubby. 

Teesa deserves a fucking medal. Can we all have a little whiparound and send her a fruit basket? 

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

I generally like Amy, but girl has an excuse for everything. First she was too fat to clean and now it is the baby. If she wants to live in filth, that is fine, but don't subject that adorbs little baby to that. Her place isn't that big that she can't take the baby out for a walk and have her husband do a clean or vice versa. Tammy maybe in a lot of pain, but its because of her weight. She is a child, stops talking when Tissa asks her questions about doing exercise, I am surprised she even came back after the 1st day. 

[gaPeach]

11 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Tammy really has given up.  It’s painful to watch.  If Amy has mice and roach infestation, so does Tammy in the adjoining duplex.  

I agree that she has.  She obviously has no intention or desire to get better.  This may sound cold but she just needs to tell her family she wants to eat what she wants and date whomever she wants knowing life will be short but she will be happy.  Instead of living longer being nagged to lose weight and make better choices.  Unless she does a complete turn around she will not get better.  Not once during the entire life of the show, has Tammy even acted like she wants to get better. Ever.  Dying does not seem to be enough for her to get off her chair and walk to the mailbox.  Let her live how she choses knowing the consequences.  JMHO

[RedDelicious]

I think we have our answer as to why Amy holds Gage all the time 😬 I really don't remember the respective apartments being that dirty in Seasons 1 and 2.

Tammy talks about "shutting down" like its some kind of threat. Lady, when you shut down and refuse to participate, the only person you are hurting is yourself. I really dislike how she behaves with Tisa (its Tisa, spelled like Lisa) when all Tisa wants to do is encourage her and help her help herself. You would think Tisa would be a ray of sunshine in Tammy's life because she's so positive and she is there for the sole purpose of helping Tammy accomplish things. But nope, Tammy just wants to hide in a motel room and eat Chinese food with her boyfriend who sounds like he's just in it to take advantage of her.

It's a shame they can't get Tammy to the pool more often because that is a healthy activity she really seems to enjoy.

 

[readheaded]

13 hours ago, kathyk24 said:

My heart broke for Amy. You don't decide to be a hoarder as a young child. At least she's taking steps so the cycle ends with her. I've worked with hoarders in the past and it's definately a mental health condition. 

Mine did, too. I think we saw "when you know better, you do better" in action. 

[Cosmocrush]

20 hours ago, chenoa333 said:

But am I the only one who notices in Amy's "talking heads" that her home (in the background) looks clean, tidy and organized? So does Tammy's. What's up with that?

Much like the Housewives shows, they film those interviews in front of a green screen or sometimes just a flat faux background.   Still, I was stunned to see the actual condition of Amy and Micheal's house.  Seems like he isn't any better at housekeeping - Amy has Gage and Tamm I would think Micheal could take care of the house or at least help. 

 

15 hours ago, RedDelicious said:

I think the backgrounds are digital and they are filming in front of a green screen like they do with the Housewives.

Yes!  I posted before I read this.  😄

Edited December 7, 2021 by Cosmocrush

[chenoa333]

29 minutes ago, Cosmocrush said:

I would think Micheal could take care of the house or at least help. 

 

Doesn't Michael work full time at a job that isn't for TLC? I know he did when this show first started but maybe he quit to just get the TLC money? One hour of pushing Tammy around in a wheelchair is Michael's second job. I don't blame him for not keeping the house clean. 

These two obese women got very lucky. Getting a show on TLC simply because they started a YouTube channel filming themselves eating disgusting high fat foods. Whipped cream in a bowl. And farting and burping. It's mind blowing.

 

[Cosmocrush]

3 hours ago, gaPeach said:

Let her live how she choses knowing the consequences.  JMHO

I agree but I don't want to watch a relatively young woman (not sure how old Tammy is)  on her death march.  It's sad and the degradation of these women by producers isn't entertaining.  I was  and still am rooting for Amy but I really don't see the point in embarrassing her to tears.   How is that entertaining?

Yes, their house was filthy but like so many things I don't think Amy (or apparently Micheal) have any idea how to clean.  She said as much.  When we know better, we do better - which is how she was able to lose weight.  The organizers were very clear they weren't judging and so I hope Amy AND MICHAEL stuck it out long enough to learn how to clean. 

[Cosmocrush]

44 minutes ago, chenoa333 said:

Doesn't Michael work full time at a job that isn't for TLC? I know he did when this show first started but maybe he quit to just get the TLC money? One hour of pushing Tammy around in a wheelchair is Michael's second job. I don't blame him for not keeping the house clean. 

I 100% do blame him or maybe I should say 50% blame him.  He lives there too.  It's a tiny place and he could certainly contribute whether or not he has a job outside the home.  When I was first married (and again during Covid quarantines) we both had jobs and both cleaned the house where we both lived.  Later we were able to afford help - best money ever spent btw.    How is it all on Amy?  I'm thinking she already does most of the baby care and of course Tammy.  

Edited December 7, 2021 by Cosmocrush

[Cosmocrush]

18 hours ago, sainte-chapelle said:

How did Tammy survive COVID. ?!?!

I marvel at that as well.  It's truly amazing.  I can only guess it was mild but still..obesity is a huge co-morbidity for terrible outcomes of Covid. 

 

Edited December 7, 2021 by Cosmocrush

[kathyk24]

1 hour ago, PearlClutcher said:

If the lazy, demanding Tammy wasn't such a burden for Amy, I know she'd do better.  She can't fully enjoy her own life because she feels obligated to do Tammys grocery shopping and getting her meds and gets the thank you of being called stupid and lazy.  If Tammy wants to do herself in. I say let her do it on her own.  Michael and Amy need desperately to get their own home away from Tammy.  

I've had homemakers for years and all of them say they hate cleaning their own homes. I think everyone is so busy catering to Tammy that they don't have the energy to help anyone else. I wish Amy felt comfortable confiding in her siblings I'm sure they would have helped her.

[all4mom2]

10 hours ago, Joan van Snark said:

I cant help but like Tammy and Amy to a certain extent.  I am sure Tammy's petulance and assholish behavior is mostly her lashing out from severe depression.  The ONLY answer for her is to go back to the rehab and stay there for a year or more with serious psychological therapy.  I get it that walking is painful for her, but if she doesnt start trying its only going to get worse.  Does she think it will magically not hurt anymore one day?

Amy is not perfect by any means but I do think she is in a much better place than she was before and I love hearing her say things like that her life now has purpose.  I feel she is at least moving in the right direction, although she needs therapy as well.

I worry about Amy's new "purpose"; she's not really in a position to raise a child to know better and do better, so it'll be another generation of dysfunctional addicts.  Tammy seems to really love the pool and water, and that's ONE activity that won't hurt her bone-on-bone joints.  It wouldn't hurt Amy to join her.

Amy isn't a hoarder; merely a slob.  I suspect those were house cleaners and not hoarder organizers; not sure how many of those would be in rural Kentucky.

I agree they should just let Tammy do what makes her happy, and I don't mean that in a spiteful way (like some do).  Her life is going to be a short one, so let it be a merry one!  Food and these men make her happy; as she has said before, "Why can't I just be happy?"  What are her chances, really, of getting down to a normal weight, staying there, and living a normal, healthy, active, productive life?  They are dismal.

This is her peculiar fate.  Not everyone has to be stick thin and live to 90.

As for Amy supposedly having to grocery shop for her, Amy is her lifelong enabler; not these random men who pop in and out.  I've always said so.  She probably enjoys being the relatively "skinny" sister.

Edited December 7, 2021 by all4mom2

[edie3]

Why should anyone on this show try to improve? They are getting money from TLC to be lazy and eat.  TLC is partially to blame, and I am too, because I watch this train wreck.

Edited December 8, 2021 by edie3

[CrazyInAlabama]

2 hours ago, edie3 said:

Why should anyone on this show try to improve? They are getting money from TLC to be lazy and eat.  TLC is partially to blame, and I am too, because I watch this train wreck.

Plus, they have supported themselves with their videos and social media postings.    In their minds, they're famous, and adored.    

Edited December 8, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Mothra]

20 hours ago, Gemma Violet said:

Living near a field will certainly cause a mice problem, especially when the crops are harvested--the mice no longer have cover and will run to the nearest houses.  I had a relative who lived near a field when I was young and she had this problem.

Me too.  We live next to a protected orchard--it can never be built on--and when the weather turns cold we get mice. 
But we also have a cat.  Field mice are beautiful little creatures but impossible to toilet train.

Well, Chris is going to get his surgery despite having gained weight.  The fact that he gained weight is another reason he should mind his own business.

And I hope Amy's being forced to face her failure to provide a clean, safe environment for her baby gives her a tiny taste of what it feels like to be told you're a loser.  She certainly needs to mind her own business, and I hope she understands that.

And I hope Chris takes every opportunity to point that out

[chenoa333]

2 hours ago, all4mom2 said:

She probably enjoys being the relatively "skinny" sister.

So true. 

[jnymph]

The whole family needs to cut complete ties with Tammy. They really should not provide ANY help at all & go about their lives. The sooner they accept the fact that Tammy has a death wish, the better off they will be.    
 

Tammy & Michaels house is in awful condition, but I was really hoping someone would have said to her, “You made the first step by acknowledging the problem, just keep moving forward now” 

[TazDevil]

23 hours ago, sainte-chapelle said:

I am mean but I did LOL when Amy was crying about people making fun of her for having bugs in her videos then the  camera focused in on a cockroach crawling up the wall….I am dead

HAHA!!!  Same!!!

[Caoimhe]

Count me in to the group that broke out in hysterical laughter at the bug crawling up the wall behind Amy as she cried about being shamed online for bugs in her videos.  

If Tammy’s only cheats were two slices of pizza and a burger she would still have lost more weight.  I feel so bad for Tisa having to deal with her, whatever she’s being paid can’t be anywhere near enough.  Turf Tammy  out to the boyfriend in Las Vegas , let him feed and take care of her, she’ll be happy and enjoy what’s left of her life.

[winsomeone]

That poor little baby...do roaches crawl over him while he is sleeping? Just so nasty. She didn't even try to get rid of the bugs it looks like? Anyone can get them, but do something about it!! No wonder Tammy got a bad infection.

[Kid]

19 hours ago, Cosmocrush said:

Yes, their house was filthy but like so many things I don't think Amy (or apparently Micheal) have any idea how to clean.

I’m sorry, but how does one not know how to clean? You cook chili, you eat dinner, you empty what remains in the pot, you get soap and water, and you wash the pot.  That does not require an advanced degree, it doesn’t even require a high school education. It’s common sense.

If she is exhausted from anything, it’s not from taking care of a baby although I imagine that’s a lot of work. On top of that she has to take care of a 600 pound baby. But, according to Amy, her house was like that before the baby and before she was taking care of Tammy. So, it gets down to being lazy.

[mytmo]

2 slices of pizza and a bacon cheeseburger shouldn't constitute a 15lb weight gain in a month.  She complains she cannot walk to the mailbox but sure can walk the distance to get to the motel room?  And for her brother getting all sanctimonious and he gained like 34lbs?  And please quit showing that open wound the brother had.  Even though he could not exercise (how about upper body?) couldn't he had followed the diet?  When going through the freezer he was worried about the chicken sizes but really that is the very least of concern for his diet unless he plans on heavily breading and deep frying or covering with heavy cream sauce or cheese.  To have a dirty pot from a meal that you cannot remember when you had it?  How can you miss that sink filth when you are filling bottles?  Bless those ladies that had to organize that home.  Hope they can help Amy develop some type of schedule.  Although it is a nice thought of the husband pitching in we know that is not going to happen but really Amy is home all day!

The excuses are all over the place.  

[all4mom2]

I love how Amy comes off as the good guy in this duo; everything is relative!

It just dawned on me that the Slaton sisters are the southern female equivalent of the Assanti brothers.

[Kid]

28 minutes ago, all4mom2 said:

I love how Amy comes off as the good guy in this duo; everything is relative!

It just dawned on me that the Slaton sisters are the southern female equivalent of the Assanti brothers.

OMG, yes!!!