S11.E05: My Big Fat Home Alabama

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

The Thores prepare to embark on the biggest adventure of their lives: meeting their new family. With the trip looming, Glenn worries he may not finish a surprise gift for his new great-granddaughter.

Original air date 2023.10.03

[BAForever]

FFS Whitney- the word "Alabama" ends with an a, not an r. Just like when she and the barnacles went to the "clurb". 

[Cancun]

It’s driving me nuts that Glen and Hunter are not wearing seatbelts on their road trip. I feel like production should have insisted, because filming while on the road is already a giant distraction. Not the time to overlook basic safety.

[Caseysgirl]

Watch out Alabama “ family” you may soon realize that wanting to be on TV may not be worth what you have gotten yourself in to.  Whitney needs to calm down &.let her  poor widowed Father take a breath. Your need to have story possibilities should NOT  be dependent on him.

[DanaMB]

This season is so boring. I can’t even find anything to snark on. Maybe it’s time to give it up. 

[Shmoopaloop]

What’s with the theme of “I never got anything and Hunter got everything growing up” all of a sudden? It seemed like in the early seasons she was made out to be the apple of Glenn and Bab’s eyes and was spoiled growing up. Which, no doubt, she was very spoiled. Her bitter snark is such a bad look, but what is else is new?

And what is the B sign on the back of her house? It looks like one of those family surname things, but that doesn’t make sense. 🤔 

[Pi237]

35 minutes ago, Shmoopaloop said:

What’s with the theme of “I never got anything and Hunter got everything growing up” all of a sudden? It seemed like in the early seasons she was made out to be the apple of Glenn and Bab’s eyes and was spoiled 

Even Todd said, visiting her when they were kids was like seeing the Princess, so not buying this neglected storyline. She's already setting up the 'woe is me, always left out' angle.  Hunter's crack 'don't feel so bad, Angie didn't get anything' was savage.

Im sure her step family went back and watched every season of this show when they found out, as anyone else would.  So, they know what to expect.

 

Edited October 4, 2023 by Pi237

[Pi237]

What are they expecting Deep South? Banjos and barefoot people in overalls, eating bbq squirrel on a stick? Like WTH?! 

[Shmoopaloop]

I also think Glenn only needs to be worried about Whitney getting jealous and having a tantrum over something. Judging by previews, this new family seems a little rowdy and free-spirited. They probably wouldn’t bat an eye at some of the things that come out of Whitney’s mouth. When the niece squatted down and wagged her tongue and head around during beer pong my husband said it looks like she’s done that a time or two…

I sure as hell wouldn’t be doing that in front of my new grandpa. Twit fits right in.  

[Pi237]

In the previews, they show Hunter saying he needs the empty vodka bottle for work, that he fills it with water? Does that mean he waters down the drinks when bartending? Sorry if this was already addressed. That was weird. 

[monagatuna]

1 hour ago, Pi237 said:

In the previews, they show Hunter saying he needs the empty vodka bottle for work, that he fills it with water? Does that mean he waters down the drinks when bartending? Sorry if this was already addressed. That was weird. 

I took that to mean he uses it to practice pouring without a jigger. Bar patrons HATE when you use a jigger, even if it means you're making their drink properly and it will taste right. When you pour without one, they think they're getting more liquor. Depending on the spout, the pour will take a number of seconds, and you have to get used to the spout for a proper pour. Water pours about the same speed as most liquors, so it's appropriate to practice with it.

A more likely explanation is that he fills them with water to display them--those high mirrored shelves you see at bars may be filled with water/colored water/tea to look like the product, but it's for display only and the alcohol-filled bottles are down below. If you had to replace those shelf-displayed bottles during a busy night, you'd have ugly empty shelves the whole time.

[bichonblitz]

I had to laugh at the opening scene of Whit, Lenny and Jessica. Whit was talking directly to Jessica and totally ignoring Lenny. He just sat on his yoga mat like a lump. You could see he felt like an idiot.

I love when Glenn gives Whit shit. Don't embarrass yourself or my new family. Watch what you say. In other words, don't be such a loud mouth know it all bitch. Go Glenn! I remember in very old episodes Glenn was never very loving towards Whitney. Always criticizing her weight. I don't think they ever really got along too well. 

[Meow Mix]

Whitney is clearly feeling insecure about all this.  I was really struck by her implying that Glenn would push her aside for his "new family".  If I felt like my father would actually do that, I'd be putting him at arm's length.  You know what?  I'm a lot older than Whitney and I am single and have no kids.  If anyone judged me for that, they would not be someone I would want in my life.  She needs to really be as comfortable in her skin as she claims to be.  

Well, we know George Glass the French version is gone.  I would have paid her if someone asked about him and she said: "I've given him up.  To me it's like he doesn't even exist anymore".  That's a Brady Bunch reference for those who may not be of a certain age.

I can't imagine being stuck in a car with her for 10 hours.  I guess there was no budget to fly them down there.  And if she said Alabamer one more time, I feared for my TV.

[Yeah No]

OMG, this self centered, narcissistic bitch can't STAND it that she might have to share the spotlight with her dad's long lost family, to he extent of making herself insufferable to him to make him "pay" for it!   That's what all this sudden insufferable behavior toward him is all about.  I mean, how DARE he focus on family other than HER?  Trying to control his life and boss him around - Don't tell me Babs did that to him, I won't believe it!  Shitney just has to force herself into being the queen bee of every situation.  Good for him for not wimping out on a barbed retort about her embarrassing him!  I saw what he did there!

And now she is going to try to spin this that she was and is going to be neglected and even materially shortchanged by him in favor of his other children, who even include Hunter, for chrissakes!  She doesn't deserve the family she had and has!  Like they didn't go through a whole LOT to give her all she had and has.  Jeez, if I were anything like her my mother wouldn't have stood for it.  Babs was a SAINT to put up with Whitney's garbage.

And speaking of Babs, what I've heard and read online seems to put the blame on her for them not letting the show cover Glenn's first daughter until after Babs died.  I'm also thinking Whitney put it off as long as possible because she didn't want to have to share the spotlight with her.  The only reason she's letting it happen now is because she knows she's fresh out of interesting show material and needs to utilize anything she can.  As it is, this episode was a big snooze and they're dragging out meeting the Alabama family as long as possible to milk it for everything it's worth.

Also, it gets me how she says she doesn't identify as a Southerner and then proceeds to insult anyone from the deep South in stereotypical, superficial ways that even most Northerners wouldn't do!  Even pronouncing it "Alabamer" is an imitation of the way some people in the deep South pronounce it.

And not even a word of explanation as to what happened between her and le Blur.  At the beginning of the season wasn't she still acting like they were together?  And now she's suddenly decidedly single like it was nothing.  She can't even keep her story straight anymore!

[SDVegas]

Didn’t Whitney make over her garage into a dance studio? Why were they doing yoga outside?

[monagatuna]

So, Glen's Glencroft dollhouse turned out way better than  mine did! (It's still sitting in a closet, half-completed, trying to give it away.) He planned it better and spent more time than I did. I still maintain it's not a piece for children to play with, though--it's very fragile and even if you use a really strong wood glue, it's not going to withstand a three year old playing with it. Spend the fifty bucks and buy a Barbie Dream House instead. I set these dollhouses up with spooky scenarios in each of the rooms and use them for Halloween decorations. This kind of house would be great for that because you can excuse construction issues (and there were some in Glen's house) as "well, haunted house." There are much better (laser cut) options if you want the house to be pretty, but the brand he used is pretty ubiquitous so I don't blame him for going for the most popular one.

Is it telling that I found the dollhouse the most interesting thing about this episode?

I also am digging Lenny's little bromance with Glen. Every time they have a scene alone together it's so nice to see them just enjoying each other's company and the fact that there's not a braying failure to launch demanding everyone's attention.

I grew up in West Virginia, about as far from the deep south as you can be and still be in the south, and Ryne sounded exactly the same as people that live there. Whitney can pretend all she likes that she's a "Yankee" or that she's weird because she's old, single and childless, but these aren't exactly toothless bumpkins. And "they've never seen someone like you"? I'm sorry, what? Do we really think there aren't loud, fat, annoying people in Alabama?

Edited October 5, 2023 by monagatuna

[applewood]

On 10/4/2023 at 2:30 PM, bichonblitz said:

I had to laugh at the opening scene of Whit, Lenny and Jessica. Whit was talking directly to Jessica and totally ignoring Lenny. He just sat on his yoga mat like a lump. You could see he felt like an idiot.

I love when Glenn gives Whit shit. Don't embarrass yourself or my new family. Watch what you say. In other words, don't be such a loud mouth know it all bitch. Go Glenn! I remember in very old episodes Glenn was never very loving towards Whitney. Always criticizing her weight. I don't think they ever really got along too well. 

When Whitney was wondering if she will come off as weird to her family. The answer is YES Whitney! You are weird.

I didn't know that Hunter worked as a bartender in Greensboro. I stand corrected. He is at least semi-employed. He still needs to clean his room and take care of the cats.

[suev3333]

On 10/4/2023 at 8:31 AM, DanaMB said:

This season is so boring. I can’t even find anything to snark on. Maybe it’s time to give it up. 

I know.   Lately I've been kinda dreading having (yes I know I don't really have to)  to watch this show.  Lol      W is getting more and more annoying .   Did you see the look on her father's face in half the episode?   He's was like,  🙄🙄🙄😐😒

[auntjess]

The first thing Whit needs to do is learn how to pronounce Alabama.  I have family there, have spent a lot of time there, and never heard it mispronounced that way.

Just starting to watch this now, so more later maybe.

[stoppro]

Save yourself,stop watching.

[Dibs]

12 hours ago, auntjess said:

The first thing Whit needs to do is learn how to pronounce Alabama.  I have family there, have spent a lot of time there, and never heard it mispronounced that way.

Just starting to watch this now, so more later maybe.

It's Alabamer like it's Alasker or Atlanter.  It's intentional.  She thinks she's being cute.

As for the dollhouse, I once spent literally hundreds of hours making one for a yet-to-be born relative, including taking time off work to complete it in time, only to be asked by the expectant mother, "Where am I supposed to put THAT?"  It was all I could do not to tell her.

Anyway, I was reminded of this by Whitney's, "It'd be funny if you spent all this time on a dollhouse and she likes my stuffed animals that I just bought better" or whatever she said.   No, it wouldn't.

Edited October 6, 2023 by Dibs

[monagatuna]

21 minutes ago, Dibs said:

It's Alabamer like it's Alasker or Atlanter.  It's intentional.  She thinks she's being cute.

As for the dollhouse, I once spent literally hundreds of hours making one for a yet-to-be born relative, including taking time off work to complete it in time, only to be asked by the expectant mother, "Where am I supposed to put THAT?"  It was all I could do not to tell her.

Anyway, I was reminded of this by Whitney's, "It'd be funny if you spent all this time on a dollhouse and she likes my stuffed animals that I just bought better" or whatever she said.   No, it wouldn't.

That's so annoying! I made a (fairly small) Halloween dollhouse for a friend and I was nervous she was going to end up not having space for it or not wanting it, but I was so happy with how it turned out that I decided if she didn't want it I'd happily keep it for myself. Fortunately she loves it and is excited for it. 

Those stuffed animals...she ripped the tags off and let her dog play with them. I'm not convinced she didn't just go through dadwe's attic and drag out some old stuffed animals from her own childhood. It's reminiscent of when she gave Ashley's daughter a "Barbie" but it was just some cheap dollar-store doll not even in a box, no tags or anything. She definitely got that from Goodwill or her own trash.

[princelina]

On 10/5/2023 at 2:49 AM, Yeah No said:

And not even a word of explanation as to what happened between her and le Blur.  At the beginning of the season wasn't she still acting like they were together?  And now she's suddenly decidedly single like it was nothing.  She can't even keep her story straight anymore!

If I recall correctly - at the beginning of the season she was coyly smirking at Lennie and bringing up the asexual peck that they shared on vacation last year!  Until he brought up his own new girlfriend/Georgina Glass to save himself 🤣

[Pi237]

6 hours ago, monagatuna said:

. It's reminiscent of when she gave Ashley's daughter a "Barbie" but it was just some cheap dollar-store doll not even in a box, no tags or anything. She definitely got that from Goodwill or her own trash.

Yes! That was so weird! She can’t afford better than that dollar store doll? Or a handful of stuffed animals? Bizarre. 

[MaryMichael]

8 hours ago, Dibs said:

 

"  It was all I could do not to tell her."

  This really did make me LOL    It was quite the  visual of   where that dollhouse might have landed .  To say your friend was less than gracious is an understatment 

 

[Elizzikra]

4 hours ago, Pi237 said:

Yes! That was so weird! She can’t afford better than that dollar store doll? Or a handful of stuffed animals? Bizarre. 

I'm sure she can but... maybe she's onto something. A little girl Harper's age is only going to cut the dolls hair off and take it in the bathtub and maybe have the dog chew on it before she either gets bored with it or outgrows it or whatever. She was likely just as happy with it as she would have been with a more expensive one so what difference does it make?

[LeesburgLee]

On 10/6/2023 at 3:26 PM, auntjess said:

The first thing Whit needs to do is learn how to pronounce Alabama.  I have family there, have spent a lot of time there, and never heard it mispronounced that way.

Just starting to watch this now, so more later maybe.

She did the same thing when she and the barnacles went to Alaska - it was “Alasker” to her.

I think she thinks she's being cute or clever, like with “klerb” or “lewk,” but it just sounds like she’s a nitwit. Or a nitWhit.

- Sorry, Dibs, I didn’t see your reply before I wrote.

Edited October 7, 2023 by LeesburgLee
Giving credit where it’s due.

[Yeah No]

6 hours ago, Pi237 said:

Yes! That was so weird! She can’t afford better than that dollar store doll? Or a handful of stuffed animals? Bizarre. 

She's just cheap.  Except with herself of course.

57 minutes ago, LeesburgLee said:

She did the same thing when she and the barnacles went to Alaska - it was “Alasker” to her.

I think she thinks she's being cute or clever, like with “klerb” or “lewk,” but it just sounds like she’s a nitwit. Or a nitWhit.

When she does that she reminds me of how Archie Bunker used to say "terlet" instead of "toilet".  Only in his case there were actually people in the NYC boroughs that pronounced it that way!

Although there is an entry for "Alasker" in the Urban Dictionary.

And "Alabammer".

And supposedly it's an alternate way to spell/pronounce the native American Alabama tribe.

I just love how they shredded her over on Reddit over this mispronunciation as insulting to deep Southerners and her new family.  Sounds very similar to what was said here.

[princelina]

On 10/7/2023 at 1:29 AM, Yeah No said:

When she does that she reminds me of how Archie Bunker used to say "terlet" instead of "toilet". 

She reminds me of that "Ruby" from long ago.  Apparently part of Big Fat Fabulosity is mispronouncing words and thinking you're adorable 😄

[Lurk]

5 hours ago, princelina said:

She reminds me of that "Ruby" from long ago.  Apparently part of Big Fat Fabulosity is mispronouncing words and thinking you're adorable 😄

I have been expecting her to say she's "so hacky" like Ruby. 

[Elizzikra]

1 hour ago, Lurk said:

I have been expecting her to say she's "so hacky" like Ruby. 

I always thought Ruby's accent was a little more genuine than Whitney's routine butchering. I recall Ruby and her friends saying they "knowed" something instead of "knew" - which is similar to the speech patterns of my southern relatives. I can't remember the others but there were other speech pattern and accent things I noticed at the time.

[princelina]

13 hours ago, Elizzikra said:

I always thought Ruby's accent was a little more genuine than Whitney's routine butchering. I recall Ruby and her friends saying they "knowed" something instead of "knew" - which is similar to the speech patterns of my southern relatives. I can't remember the others but there were other speech pattern and accent things I noticed at the time.

She did have more of a southern accent, but she also THd about how she likes to make up new words to be cute 🙄

[Me from ME]

Quote

She did have more of a southern accent, but she also THd about how she likes to make up new words to be cute

Given that Twit is now cosplaying Babs it makes sense that if she knew that Ruby was making up words to be "cute" that she would do it as well. There have been numerous times when Twit has tried to be cute but was just obnoxious. (Fairly recent example was when Glen advised her not to touch latch on the exit door at his place of business and she went out of her way to push it with her elbow thus activating the alarm.)

[xls]

On 10/5/2023 at 11:28 AM, monagatuna said:

I grew up in West Virginia, about as far from the deep south as you can be and still be in the south, and Ryne sounded exactly the same as people that live there. Whitney can pretend all she likes that she's a "Yankee" or that she's weird because she's old, single and childless, but these aren't exactly toothless bumpkins. And "they've never seen someone like you"? I'm sorry, what? Do we really think there aren't loud, fat, annoying people in Alabama?

Still here lol. her ignorant stereotyping of Southern people is annoying AF.

[Mothra]

On 10/3/2023 at 9:38 PM, BAForever said:

FFS Whitney- the word "Alabama" ends with an a, not an r. Just like when she and the barnacles went to the "clurb". 

Whitney finds it highly amusing to say "er" instead of "a"--this isn't the first location she's done this to.  I find it interesting, though, that she is careful to say "Alabama" in front of her Alabama relatives, so she knows it's pretty insulting.  Especially since she's decided those relatives are a bunch of rednecks--"You've never been out of the country??!!" --with none of that Caroliner panache and sophistication that Whitney and her friends evince.

What a jerk she is.

Apologies to all who got to this before I did.  Y'all beaten me to it!

Edited November 21, 2023 by Mothra

[Mothra]

On 10/5/2023 at 2:49 AM, Yeah No said:

Also, it gets me how she says she doesn't identify as a Southerner and then proceeds to insult anyone from the deep South in stereotypical, superficial ways that even most Northerners wouldn't do!  Even pronouncing it "Alabamer" is an imitation of the way some people in the deep South pronounce it.

So clever.  Didn't they say "Alasker" and some other places?  Goddam Addison and Steele.

And who told her she looked good with that bun on top of her head?  Geezus.  Talk about a skinned onion.  What's the deal with her hair these days, anyway?  Did she have implants or something?

[Elizzikra]

8 minutes ago, Mothra said:

So clever.  Didn't they say "Alasker" and some other places?  Goddam Addison and Steele.

And who told her she looked good with that bun on top of her head?  Geezus.  Talk about a skinned onion.  What's the deal with her hair these days, anyway?  Did she have implants or something?

She has had various types of extensions over the years.

[Mothra]

3 minutes ago, Elizzikra said:

She has had various types of extensions over the years.

Yeah, but her front hairline above her forehead looks suspicious to me.  Ron Popeil?

[Me from ME]

Maybe those of you who have experience with extensions or wigs can explain how she did those thick french braids we saw at the train station in Switzerland.

[Elizzikra]

23 hours ago, Me from ME said:

Maybe those of you who have experience with extensions or wigs can explain how she did those thick french braids we saw at the train station in Switzerland.

I can’t explain wigs but with extensions, you can braid it just like you can regular hair. If you are doing a braid close to the scalp (like a French braid), you have to be careful to cover the place where the extension is attached to your actual hair, but otherwise it’s exactly the same type of braid.

When I had extensions, I loved to braid my hair because the braid was nice and thick. Not so much now.

[monagatuna]

I've only ever used clip-ins, but the brand I use makes a specific one for updos. It's great for ponytails, braids, and buns, and is only one weft so it's easy to put in. It does make braids super luxurious, though.

But I have normal hair. Whitney's is pretty sparse so I'm not sure how she's managing her extensions now. In early seasons her tape-ins stuck out like a sore thumb.