Season 2 Discussion

[greekmom]

I don't buy for a minute her act or even that she is a little slow. I don't think she believes genuinely in his love for her and I think she's fully aware of the terms of the contract : she pays his ticket, his meals, she gets the perks of an escort, they go on tv to make some extra cash and bye in two years, no hard feelings. At best, she knows it but she's in love and hope he will grow to love her but the premise is still the same : she bought him.

 

I have to agree with the statement above. I know someone EXACTLY like Danielle to the point she looks like Danielle. She has not found love via international dating but her attitude towards men online is pretty much the same as Danielle’s.   I feel really sorry for Danielle’s kids as other posters have mentioned. Also did anyone else notice that Danielle had a large tattoo on her leg? It was in the photo that they showed when she and Mohamend were on the steps in Tunsina. Also noticed how she mentioned that he had proposed many times and she finally accepted.  Besides the religion aspect, there are many cultural aspects.  I cannot see this guy being in it just for her.  Not because of her weight issues (you don’t have to be fat to be frumpy or unkempt – there are a lot of polished looking people that are overweight) or her age. But the fact that they are cultural opposites and she is just very clingy and her kids are parenting her and not the other way around.   I wonder what happened to her first husband.

Dya and Brett.  Did any other posters find that her accent is hardly there? I am wondering if this is her first time being a K-1 bride.  Especially with the fact that she is pretty bitchy. I agree she should have been upset with him being late especially with internet and apps that can track the flight coming in.  I am wondering about if TLC didn’t edit out Brett asking where her bags are to get a bitchy response from her?  The flowers in my honest opinion were lovely.  Though the man is a dufus, he is looking for a certain type of girl (obedient).  Really the man should just find another American girl but older since he likes to hang out with older women.  He and Danielle should have hooked up instead.

Alec Baldwin I am not and Colombian chick: again, he is looking for a certain type of girl but I will reserve judgment on the fact that TLC does like to stir drama. For him to set up the house with rose petals on the bed, signs, etc and not clean up the dishes?  For a lazy bachelor who has a decent wage as well, why does he not have a dishwasher?  You would think he would spend a few bucks on one since he obviously hates doing dishes.   But at the end of the day he wants a mom in the kitchen and ho in the bedroom.  Really Colombian chick should run run back to where she came from.

Yamir and Chelsea. I am wondering if this isn’t a scam as well to a) either get word out of the Nicaragua pop star and it’s all a put on by Chelsea and manager or b) just Chelsea/Yamir.  No way if they are that popular they are not making enough money to live an above average life in Nicaragua.  Any idiot would stay there especially if they are as big as Chelsea claims.

In the end i have to say, I am so hooked on this cray cray

[trimthatfat]

Yamir and Chelsea. I am wondering if this isn’t a scam as well to a) either get word out of the Nicaragua pop star and it’s all a put on by Chelsea and manager or b) just Chelsea/Yamir.  No way if they are that popular they are not making enough money to live an above average life in Nicaragua.  Any idiot would stay there especially if they are as big as Chelsea claims.

 

After doing some web research (not extensively, but enough, lol!), I am under the impression that Yamir and his group are nowhere near as famous as Chelsea said.

[Adeejay]

Chelsea and Yamir’s story seems scripted.  “Latin Super Star falls in love with a beautiful blonde and despite his manager’s objection, gives up everything and moves to a small town in the Midwest.” The premise is straight out of a Hallmark Channel movie. 

 

Justin seems to be playing for the camera.  His “I am the man and you are the woman” routine fell flat.  I agree with the poster who said that if he had time to buy roses and spread the petals on the bed, then he had time to do the dishes.  Plus, the fact that he hasn’t told his family about his “fiancé” seems tailored made for maximum drama. 

 

For someone born and raised in the Philipines, Dya’s command of the English language is quite impressive.  I have a feeling she didn’t learn by just watching “American television shows."

 

I was a little freaked out by Danielle’s facial expression when she was hugging Mohamed at the airport.  I have a feeling he won’t be able to get away from her so easily.

Edited October 22, 2014 by Adeejay

[Raja]

There is one thing that I noticed about Daya does not have much of an accent. I know that they teach English in the schools,but she should still have some kind of accent I would think. Wonder if she has lived in the States at some point?

I haven't caught the episode but if she worked in customer service or the call center industry there is rarely a noticeable accent. If she is from Manila then it is likely that English is her second, not her third language.

[DangerousMinds]

I'm not going to diss Brett for having roommates or having to pay child support. He does seem mismatched with Daya though.

 

I actually understand where Justin is coming from in not having told his parents yet.

[Vandy10]

I work abroad with many Filipinos who speak English with a very American accent but have never lived in the States. The Filipino schools do a great job of teaching American-accented English, and many students come out speaking fluent English, especially if they've been to college. Daya's language skills don't raise an eyebrow for me.

Edited October 21, 2014 by Vandy10

[RedheadZombie]

Wow. I'm not sure if I will make it through this round.  I don't know most of the names, so I'll describe them.

 

• Gigglesnort with the middle-aged roommates.  I didn't think the ladies were life partners, I seriously thought they were twins. He's incredibly passive, and that's probably what draws him to older nurturing women.  It was odd that he ended up having an involved mother - why does he seek older women out?  I get the feeling he bought into the stereotype of the submissive Asian wife.  He's in for a huge surprise.  It irritated me when he said his daughter was his life.  You're daughter isn't your life - you apparently moved away from her, and are overly fixated on your mail-order bride.  I'm looking forward to the moment when the bitchy bride attempts to kick out the middle-aged twins, and realizes it's their house.

 

• "Alec Baldwin" - buddy, a lady's man does not call himself a lady's man.  Friend - it takes more than blue eyes to look like Alec Baldwin.  Now if you're referring to the older bloated/balding/angry Alec Baldwin, there may be a resemblance.

 

• Middle-aged mother.  She's going to break me.  My compassion swiftly drained away, and I began mocking her - which makes me very uncomfortable.   Her whimpering and tiny hand up to her trembling lips thing...... I don't know how her daughters stand it.  The fact that she was crying all day while her children styled her hair and comforted her was too much.  Even if Mohamed was madly in love with her, that fatalistic moaning and hysteria will drive him away, and who can blame him?  At this point, I almost feel sorry for him.  Nothing is worth putting up with this lady.  I did end the episode wondering if the woman had some mental disability.  It did bother me that she acknowledged it's difficult to support her daughters, but is willing to ship over some man.  I also give her the side-eye for seeking out a much younger good looking man.  I can't pity her when he inevitably dumps her, because she was so shallow.

 

• American girl with Menudo member.  She seems very happy being fluent in Spanish and volunteering in Nicaragua.  Why is that the country now has no running water?  I think she should just be honest that she wants to live near her friends and family, regardless of the conditions in Nicaragua.  I did like him, and he didn't seem to be using her to make it to the US and try to make it as a pop star.

 

• I usually don't find producer manipulation obvious, but there's no way in hell that people as desperate as Gigglesnort and Middle-aged mother showed up thirty to sixty minutes late to the airport.  Producers arranged it to up their anxiety.

 

 

[Toaster Strudel]

I've been reading about the "Tunisian bezness" and there can be no doubt that Danielle's tears aren't her last.

[trimthatfat]

For someone born and raised in the Philipines, Dya’s command of the English language is quite impressive.  I have a feeling she didn’t learn by just watching “American television shows."

Most Filipinos I know speak perfect English.

[CofCinci]

I feel really bad about finding entertainment in Danielle's story.  I told myself I won't watch the next episode, but after spending some time reading about "Bezness" business, I need to keep watching to see how it ends.  She said she's an aid to developmentally disabled patients --- she can't make more than $10 an hour.  She has 3 teenagers.  Why is she giving this man money?!!  

[sleepyjean]

I wonder how much of Danielle's hysteria had to do with the thought of being stood up on national television.

[cooksdelight]

I wonder how much of Danielle's hysteria had to do with the thought of being stood up on national television.

Probably a lot. She signed up for this thinking it is going to be a fairy tale wedding at the end.

[Raja]

Most Filipinos I know speak perfect English.

I wouldn't say most speak unaccented American English, there are little things like Americans would receive "advice" and Filipinos "advices". You get a lot of formal  sending regards British upper class type speech from the educated but many in certain industries do learn to lose their accent and pick up more American slang then they do for TV shows. I am saying attorneys may have an accent while someone working the desk at a hotel or working for call centers would not.

[trimthatfat]

I wouldn't say most speak unaccented American English, there are little things like Americans would receive "advice" and Filipinos "advices". You get a lot of formal  sending regards British upper class type speech from the educated but many in certain industries do learn to lose their accent and pick up more American slang then they do for TV shows. I am saying attorneys may have an accent while someone working the desk at a hotel or working for call centers would not.

 

I didn't say most Filipinos speak perfect English - I said most Filipinos I know do.

[cooksdelight]

Can we move past accent vs. no accent, please? Perhaps in coming episodes we'll find out more about everyone's education, etc. Thanks!

[sleepyjean]

Mohamed and Daya are in this for practical reasons. They're both in it for the sole purpose of coming to America and neither is making the slightest attempt to pretend it's a great love affair. Both are saddled with American partners who are extremely needy and are practicing willful self-deception in order to get their needs met.

 

Brett is a weak man, seeking to build up his confidence and ego by hooking up with a woman who is submissive and grateful to him for the gift of American citizenship. Unfortunately, he's settled on a person who is exactly the opposite of what he wanted. Daya comes across as the kind of person who can smell weakness a mile (or in this case an ocean) away. All she had to do was flatter him a bit. Play up to him long enough to boost his ego and get him invested in the relationship. She knows that romantic relationships have been difficult for him, so now that he's finally "got" a woman, he's going to be very reluctant to break it off. And now all Daya has to do is coast.

The true colors have come out. She clearly has a distaste for Brett and is approaching this with an "I'll grit my teeth and get through this" kind of attitude. Brett, on the other hand, has to pretend like it's love (not desperation) in order to be ok with the situation. That whole "she's temperamental but she's going to have to change that if we're going to be together" comment just shows how clueless he his. His words say he's got power in this situtation. His actions - proposing to a woman he knows is a complete bitch and expecting her personality to miraculously change once she sets foot on American soil - say otherwise. She's smarter than he is, more manipulative than he is, and her actions - the fact the she didn't even bother to dial down the bitch long enough to say hello - tell me she is in complete control and knows it.

 

Mohamed on the other hand, doesn't come off as nearly so manipulative. Correction - he's plenty manipulative, but not quite so evil. His attitude comes across to me like "I want to go to America, I'm a good guy, she seems to like me, and she seems nice enough. Why not use what I have to get what I want?"  Unlike Daya, Mohamed's approach is all friendly-like. He and Danielle will be buds long enough to get married, get him some money, and get his green card. How hard could that be? I expect the reality of Danielle is very different than what he expected. The weeping and clinging, the emotional roller coaster, the reality of her life was probably like a slap across the face. This is going to be WORK. This woman doesn't get that this was for expediency, financial support, and maybe a little companionship. She wants a real husband. He can (and probably will) put off sex for a good long while. (I doubt she'll protest much. She's probably not that interested in sex.) But for Mohamed, sexual demands would probably be easier to handle than the emotional demands this woman will make. She's going to be all over him, sharing every thought, every emotion that goes through her head, needing constant support, wanting to know what he's thinking, wanting to cling and cuddle, wanting his advice on what to do about the kids, the house, her life, their future together. She's going to suffocate him. I think he's going to realize there's no money there, decide it's not worth the drama and go home, determined to be a bit more discerning the next time around.

Edited October 22, 2014 by sleepyjean

[Taylorh2]

I truly believe that Danielle didn't 'CATFISH' Mohammed. I think she sent her real picture through the internet and he saw an easy mark.

[Adeejay]

sleepyjean, Great post!  That is a very insightful analysis.  Daya seems to be a real piece of work.  I hope the ladies around Brett talk some sense into him. 

Edited October 22, 2014 by Adeejay

[Toaster Strudel]

Oh I think that Mohammed is the most evil and calculating of them all.   Preying on Western women for money is a well-known scam over there, encouraged by the young men's entire families.  They are all in on it.  Many will hook up with European tourists which are common in Tunisia's seaside resorts, so the scam is well known in Europe, but less so in North America as we tend not to go to North Africa all that frequently.  The men's goal is to obtain enough money to get a big dowry to marry a younger, virgin Muslim bride.  They juggle several marks at once hoping that one of them has loose purse strings or is willing to marry them for a visa.  There is a French site where women commiserate about how the men turned out of be slovenly, uncaring, jealous, violent, and expecting total submission.  I am sure that these horrifying nightmares are not always the case, but the money/marriage scam itself is.  That same site reports men talking openly to each other in Arabic in front of a French woman, one saying that he bought her a wedding ring with money given by another woman, and mocking her as a pathetic whore.  The "bezness" as they call it is very, very bad.

 

We were shown Danielle's worries and tears, but hardly saw any of Mohammed.  So he looked friendly at the airport.  You can never forget that the bezness is based on charming women.  Mohammed is a seasoned, experienced, professional, cunning charmer accustomed to exercising his "trade" on multiple targets at once.  He will not be "buds" with Danielle, I am pretty sure he finds her repulsive and uncouth, and is horrified at the thought of being a stepfather to three obese teens that aren't his own.  I think he is going to use every bit of charm he can muster to find a more acceptable and perhaps even wealthier mark on American soil.  He is going to have to move fast.  Failing this, he will begrudgingly go through the nuptials to remain out of Tunisia. 

Edited October 22, 2014 by Toaster Strudel

[sleepyjean]

Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Mohamed wants to be pals with Danielle, I'm saying that's how he's playing it. Big difference there. His m.o. is "nice and friendly" whereas Daya is ice cold and remote. I guess I'm reading Mohammed as less evil because I get the "lazy/amateur scam artist" vibe from him. Perhaps that's colored by my opinion that he didn't have to work that hard to get Danielle. But as you said, we haven't seen much of him.

[Taylorh2]

OMG!!!! You guys have to go to the TLC site and get a load of that picture of Mohammed & Danielle. Look at how she is glancing up at him, trying to be all coy and shit. SHE LOOKS LIKE HIS MOTHER!!!!!!

[roseslg]

Is there a link for this?  I can't believe I will miss the next episode!! Damn having to travel for work.  

[cooksdelight]

http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/90-day-fiance

[roseslg]

que lastima!

[gunderda]

Mohammed had a nice face but if you look closely he does not have an amazing body.  So he has his faults but I don't for more moment believe he's in love with Danielle.

 

Isn't the K-9 hard to get? I thought last season people said it wasn't easy to get approved for it.  Makes me curious as to how Mohammed and Danielle made the cut.

[VillaVillekulla]

Hee, K-9. It's K-1, and that is now my laugh for the day. ;)

 

I believe people have said it's difficult to get, yes. It's supposed to weed out green card marriage scams, but obviously sometimes somebody is going to slip through the cracks.

[Britty]

I've been reading about the "Tunisian bezness" and there can be no doubt that Danielle's tears aren't her last.

 

Seriously!  I just found this, http://www.tunisia-love.com/signs-of-bezness-in-tunisia.htm, and it's like it was written just as a warning for Danielle. 

[MrsSmartyPants]

Holy shit! What did I just watch!?

Usually, I'm willing to allow for language & cultural differences - but holy shit.

The most sincere relationship of all is the Yoko Bieber one. It just seems the most evenly matched up to me. Theirs also seems the most organic/genuine.

She's in Nicaragua doing her own thing & meets him at a club or whatever - they date & fall in love.

The second would be the Colombian woman & not a Baldwin. Although he's an asshole, she doesn't seem like a timid person. I also think a lot of it was producer driven. "Me man ... Me watch sports. You woman ... You clean" I have a feeling they'll be ok.

Daya is an asshole. The interaction in the airport alone ... Yikes!

Danielle is definitely ... Slow. It seems to run in her family because her brother & his wife seem ... slow, as well. Mohammed is no prize, but he is WAY out of her league.

Where are the kid's father(s)? I can't imagine they're ok with this arrangement or their possible child support going to fund Mo's transcontinental tour.

All that desperate running around and nervous crying? Lady, calm your tits! The BEST thing that could have happened was Mo not showing up. But he did - so I'm here for it.

[fliptopbox]

 

Under no circumstances, tell the potential husband that you could or would contribute to the costs of the wedding ceremony or the ticket cost for the flight to Europe! The woman should also express her ideas of a wedding gift from her husband.

The financing of the wedding party in Tunisia is the up to the man - he or his family will even take out loans for a proper wedding; the ticket costs for flights to Europe and obtaining the visa should also be solely be imposed onto him.

A Tunisian man who is serious with a woman, will never ask or even accept money from her, but save, even on a low wage, the money for the wedding.

Golden jewelry Gifts (ring, bracelet, etc.) as a gift to the woman at the engagement AND the wedding are absolutely normal and fully expected by the bride and her parents, since they express to the wedding guests the value of the bride and reflect her, her husband's and their families status in the community!

Danielle may want to read this. Carefully and numerous times so it sinks in.

[fliptopbox]

Oh and they recommend women doing a "loyalty test" by having someone else they know try to also engage in a relationship with the man. If it is indeed bezness he will fall for the bait. So apparently that sneaky junior high stuff is encouraged here, haha.

[Jellybeans]

Not that I believe for a second Danielle and Mohammed have a thing for each other BUT it has been know to happen. Some men like needy women. Too early to call it.

I will be shocked if they make it but it has happened before!

[Toaster Strudel]

My bet is that D & Mo will make it to the altar and the ceremonial green card.  On his first day on the job, he will call a divorce lawyer and get a restraining order.

[fliptopbox]

My bet is that D & Mo will make it to the altar and the ceremonial green card.  On his first day on the job, he will call a divorce lawyer and get a restraining order.

And there may or may not be some cheating along the way, on his behalf. Which Danielle is likely to not know about or dismiss as false because he will say all the right things and she looks gullible. After reading about this bezness stuff there are just too many similarities....she is being taken for a ride.

[Jellybeans]

My bet is that D & Mo will make it to the altar and the ceremonial green card.  On his first day on the job, he will call a divorce lawyer and get a restraining order.

LOL. I am betting something interesting happens only because TLC filmed them. I mean if it did not surprise anyone...well, why bother?

[RedheadZombie]

OMG!!!! You guys have to go to the TLC site and get a load of that picture of Mohammed & Danielle. Look at how she is glancing up at him, trying to be all coy and shit. SHE LOOKS LIKE HIS MOTHER!!!!!!

 

When she was moaning and clutching at him in the airport, I thought she looked like a mom clutching her child just returning from Iraq, grateful and emotional that he made it out alive.

 

I am incredibly disturbed by Danielle's apparent lack of intelligence, or developmental delays, or whatever you choose to call them.  The INS quite possibly doesn't know this information, but TLC definitely does.  When the daughter exclaimed - "Don't he got a brown coat", I thought - these kids run circles around their mother intellectually, and this is their grammar.  I'm seeing TLC as complicit with Mohamed in playing this poor (pitiful) woman.

[TigerLily20]

Quick question, will they make individual threads for the couples like they did for the first season?  Just wondering, also I found Danielle and Mohamed's fb pages, which is kind of interesting to say the least. 

[roseslg]

OMG!! There's a facebook page?  Is it public?  Wanna share? ;)

[cooksdelight]

No, let's keep it all in here, unless it becomes cumbersome. You can post links to anyone's pages in here. Since it's such a short season, most folks want a "one stop" place to post and read.

Or, if everyone wants to weigh in as to what you'd prefer, I am willing to set up whatever you like. Majority rules.

[TigerLily20]

OMG!! There's a facebook page?  Is it public?  Wanna share? ;)

I sent you a message with their fb page information, wasn't sure if I could post it on the board or not.  They are public, well at least her's seems more public than his, it seems he doesn't update his as much.  But enjoy : )

[cooksdelight]

I'll create a media thread, you can post links to article, FB pages, etc. in that.

[emily842752]

I would love to 

 

I sent you a message with their fb page information, wasn't sure if I could post it on the board or not.  They are public, well at least her's seems more public than his, it seems he doesn't update his as much.  But enjoy : )

Can you send to me too? Thanks. :)

[Bandolero]

I'm gonna play devil's advocate and say that a lot of "western" women know exactly what they are getting into when they get involved with these men... they just pretend that they don't. Willful ignorance is not cute.  It gets on my nerves when women play the victim after they have purposefully turned a blind eye to the truth. I have read about women travelling to African countries specifically for this type of thing. They know that they are being played but pretend that they don't so that they can then feign outrage when they realize that the young man already has a wife and/or kids and is just in it for some sort of gain. 

 

It reeks of desperation on both parties actually.

Edited October 23, 2014 by Bandolero

[cooksdelight]

I'm going to answer you in the small talk thread, where we can discuss generalities. :)

[CofCinci]

Many have commented that Danielle is a rough 41.  Per her FB, she confirms to a friend that her age was listed incorrectly.  She's 46. 

[Toaster Strudel]

Is the age difference still the same?

[cooksdelight]

She's now 20 years older than him.

[ethalfrida]

Lol, so, can we call Mohammed and Danielle "Mo-D"?

[VillaVillekulla]

Many have commented that Danielle is a rough 41.  Per her FB, she confirms to a friend that her age was listed incorrectly.  She's 46. 

Mmhm, it 'was listed incorrectly.' Sure, Danielle! More like she either lied to the production company or to her Tunisian scam artist-- sorry, fiance, or both, and has now been caught in the lie. I wouldn't be surprised if she's older than 46, really.

[CofCinci]

From Dani:  "we are not lovey dovey in public he is mulism and his religion is islam and they believe that ,that part of marriage is private and stays in the house so people should not judge our relationship on that alone" https://www.facebook.com/danielle.mullins.39?ref=br_rs&fref=browse_search

 

Oh honey, it's not Islam that's keeping him from being affectionate.

[ChristmasJones]

What really jumped out at me, and I was watching closely for it, is that when Mohammed and Danielle met at the airport, he would not kiss her on the lips.

 

I would predict that if you showed their clip to 1,000 people from ages 14 to 94, 9998 of them would say this is a green card/financial scam.

 

Hopefully he is not into teenage girls as well. :::shudder:::