Season 6: All Episodes Talk

[andromeda331]

Regarding Jefferson and Washington:  personally while I appreciate them for the achievements and leadership they showed, I will always look down upon them for owning slaves.

 

Me too they did a lot for this country but they could have done a lot more. Jefferson for all his constant claiming that slavery was wrong he never freed his own slaves.  Maybe I'm wrong but I think Washington could have been the one to abolishment of slavery more then Jefferson when you consider Washington the only one the country would have accepted as the first president and how many of his policies were followed long after he left office. If anyone had the popularity to be the one to get rid of it, it was him.

[camom]

 

Enjoyed Bill Paxton's ancestor's story but once again the utter dismay that his ancestor had slaves.

 

I didn't think he was dismayed.  I do think he was disappointed, but certainly not surprised.  His great-great grandfather was a Confederate general after all.

[ChicagoCita]

At least he seemed to be a decent master and I thought his will was very touching (in context of the time).

 

 

Yeah, considering the times he lived in, he was amazingly concerned about what would happen to the couple he mentioned. That letter about their futures went on and on, and to me showed how concerned he was with their welfare.  In today's world, yes, shocking, but for those times, pretty liberal and "granola" (for lack of a better phrase).  I can't judge anyone in the past based on how we live today.  Heck, sometimes I look at movies I thought were romantic and wonderful as a kid, and I just want to barf at the sexism and condescension, and that's just my attitudes changing, in my own lifetime. I can't go back and put my moral judgments on someone 150 or 200 years back.

 

There was a town in Western Illinois called New Philadelphia, and the man who founded it was a freed slave, Frank McWorter.  He was his master's own child, yet he had to buy his way into freedom from his master/father. Then he started the town and used the money from the plots he sold to buy his wife and children from the same master.  Imagine, making slaves of your own flesh and blood and then accepting payment to free them from the slavery you held them in.  Given that was the prevailing attitude of the time, Paxton's ancestor impressed me very, very much with his compassion for the slave couple.

 

No wonder Paxton felt so close to his father, they were practically twins. I've rarely seen such a strong resemblance between father and son.

 

Have to admit that I started out with a bad impression of Bill Paxton based on some creepy roles, but he impressed me in this. He seems like someone who's a nice, intelligent, sensitive person.

Edited April 24, 2015 by ChicagoCita

[attica]

It seems like everyone follows their father's side of the line. I am sure there have been a few that didn't, maybe Helen Hunt, but it seems rather rare.

 

My impression is they research everybody in the tree and then follow/televise wherever the interesting trail has taken them. IIRC, there have been a few celebs contacted about appearing, whose paper trail yielded nothing, so no eps were produced with them.  But yeah, since men have historically better access to fame and fortune, it's usually easier to find that stuff in records.

[bybrandy]

I think people are most interested to know what they know the least about.  I know that was not the case with Paxton's tree.  But many, many others are looking to solve some family mystery or get a connection to a side of the family that was lost due to an early death or desertion.  So I think there are more often unknown mysteries on the father's side.   That said there have been plenty of episodes that traced the mother's side.   I certainly would have had I had the opportunity to do a show like that, because on my father's side of the family there is a lot of documentation but my mother's family was first and second generation immigrants and so for a long, long time I knew nothing and even now I have names and dates but I don't have the same sense of who these people were and how they lived than I do with the people on my father's side of the family.   

[meep.meep]

I am catching up on these on demand - the Tony Goldwyn episode concentrated on his mother's side of his family. And featured a great great great grandmother who was described as a "radical" feminist.

[Blergh]

Interesting stories re Miss Etheridge's ancestors in Quebec City and Kaskakia, Ilinois  in the 18th Century but I was a bit astounded that she said she had NO idea that Quebec was originally a French colony AND predominantly Catholic. And later she admitted she'd already BEEN to Quebec with her late father so why did she think this city had ALL these signs in French and looked like a small French city? Geez.

[maraleia]

Interesting stories re Miss Etheridge's ancestors in Quebec City and Kaskakia, Ilinois  in the 18th Century but I was a bit astounded that she said she had NO idea that Quebec was originally a French colony AND predominantly Catholic. And later she admitted she'd already BEEN to Quebec with her late father so why did she think this city had ALL these signs in French and looked like a small French city? Geez.

Melissa isn't know to be a paragon of intellectual thought. As a fellow lesbian, I've heard stories from the lesbian phone tree (of sorts) of her being quite clueless about the world in general.

[kassa]

I haven't noticed that they follow the male side necessarily more than the female side -- a good part of the time they may follow Dad's side, but once they get to great grandma they're going up HER line, if that's where the goodies are.  I can't think of too many episodes where the interesting ancestor had the same last name as the celebrity, which means the name came from a female line.

 

I laughed at "French people love to tell stories" being the clue that he was musical!  You could also tell the historian was a bit amused by the need to believe that her parents were super supportive of her desire to marry this guy, as opposed to just wanting their "ruined" daughter restored to some level of respectability.   

[ShelleySue]

You could also tell the historian was a bit amused by the need to believe that her parents were super supportive of her desire to marry this guy, as opposed to just wanting their "ruined" daughter restored to some level of respectability.

 

By the end of the episode those parents were going to be nominated for parents of the year.  It's just as likely that they didn't want to carry the shame and expense of having an unwed daughter who had a child.  

 

I did think it was pretty terrific that one of her ancestor's houses is possibly the oldest house in Missouri.  Other than that zzzzzzzzzzz.

[zxy556575]

Charlotte's danged parents took her lover to court -- twice -- to force him to marry her. It didn't sound to me like a match made anywhere near heaven. More wishful celebrity projections.

 

Maybe I'm an unfeeling boor because all four of my grandparents immigrated to America in the 20s, but I just don't get the shock and dismay over having slave-owning ancestors. Do not.

 

And some of the celebrities go so far as to be ashamed if a distant relative even fought as a Confederate.

[Blergh]

To be fair, ONLY Charlotte's father's reaction was recorded in court documents. Her mother's was not and while it's possible that she herself simply wanted the best for their daughter and grandchild, there's simply no evidence either way.

[camom]

 

I just don't get the shock and dismay over having slave-owning ancestors. Do not.

 

I don't get it either.  I don't believe that I have any slave owning ancestors, but if I discovered that I do, I would think it interesting, maybe sad, but certainly not anything I should feel guilty about.  I'm not willing to take on the sins of my ancestors, any more than I will take credit for wonderful things that they did. 

 

I found Melissa's story sort of boring.  Didn't really make me curious to know more, which usually happens.

[JennyMominFL]

Yeah, considering the times he lived in, he was amazingly concerned about what would happen to the couple he mentioned. That letter about their futures went on and on, and to me showed how concerned he was with their welfare.  In today's world, yes, shocking, but for those times, pretty liberal and "granola" (for lack of a better phrase).  I can't judge anyone in the past based on how we live today.  Heck, sometimes I look at movies I thought were romantic and wonderful as a kid, and I just want to barf at the sexism and condescension, and that's just my attitudes changing, in my own lifetime. I can't go back and put my moral judgments on someone 150 or 200 years back.

 

There was a town in Western Illinois called New Philadelphia, and the man who founded it was a freed slave, Frank McWorter.  He was his master's own child, yet he had to buy his way into freedom from his master/father. Then he started the town and used the money from the plots he sold to buy his wife and children from the same master.  Imagine, making slaves of your own flesh and blood and then accepting payment to free them from the slavery you held them in.  Given that was the prevailing attitude of the time, Paxton's ancestor impressed me very, very much with his compassion for the slave couple.

 

No wonder Paxton felt so close to his father, they were practically twins. I've rarely seen such a strong resemblance between father and son.

 

Have to admit that I started out with a bad impression of Bill Paxton based on some creepy roles, but he impressed me in this. He seems like someone who's a nice, intelligent, sensitive person.

I got that impression too. It's so hard for me to get past Bill in Big Love

[ChicagoCita]

Like most people, I did know Quebec was French and Catholic, but as someone who was raised and schooled in Illinois (and does Central Illinois genealogy), I'm embarrassed that I didn't know Illinois was once part of the same French territory as Quebec.  Seriously, no clue. Hadn't heard of Kaskaskia, either. And I was surprised to know that St. Louis, with its very French-named landmarks and strong Catholic culture, was not part of that territory.

 

So either I'm kind of ignorant or this isn't well-known.  I learned something from last night's show.

 

Melissa seemed fine, quite friendly, not a prima donna. I did laugh at her projecting onto her ancestors, but it seems like a natural thing to do for anyone.  It did seem unusual that the marriage took place a year after the child had died, so maybe there was some affection.  (Although the female ancestor would have had to have been a lot more forgiving than I to get past him calling her a prostitute in court papers.  Honestly, I would have burned down his barn if that had been me.)

 

I have relatives who fought for the Confederacy. No slave owners that I'm aware of, but my ancestors tend to be an infinite line of impoverished farmers and teachers, solid salt-of-the-earth type folks who are boring to research.  The way I look at it, I have living relatives whose behavior makes me roll my eyes and mentally say, "Not my circus, not my monkeys."  I sure as hell won't be taking on personal responsibility for the actions or decisions of relatives who died a century before I was born.

[zxy556575]

No slave owners that I'm aware of, but my ancestors tend to be an infinite line of impoverished farmers and teachers, solid salt-of-the-earth type folks who are boring to research.

 

Along those lines, it was interesting to me how the wealth dissipated within a couple of generations. That's the sort of thing I'd like to know about my near relatives, although those are probably the least likely events to leave any trace.

Edited April 28, 2015 by lordonia

[Ina123]

I,too, don't understand the big embarrassment about fighting for the Confederacy or owning slaves. If you're white and from the South, unless you come from people poor as church mice, the chances are always there. I don't see it as a reflection on someone's character today. I have watched most of the UK episodes and I found Alex Kingston's interesting and hilarious. Who else has found an ancestor who was a prostitute and madam of a house of ill-repute and turned it into the funniest news ever? I think I laughed thru her whole episode.

Edited April 27, 2015 by Ina123

[alexa]

I haven't gotten through all of the recent episode yet, but so far they have spent 20 minutes on that court case.  I am finding in this season they are spending far more time on one situation than they used to, and it is making it much less interesting.  I used to love this show, but this season I am struggling to finish the episode at times.  I feel they used to jump around more, look at more family members, and move more quickly.  

[kassa]

I agree, Alexa.  Last week I caught a repeat of the Sarah Jessica Parker episode, and it began with her talking to her brother, then she talked to her mom, then they did two different family stories (one was a profile of an ancestor who went out to the Gold Rush, the other the last woman accused in the Salem Witch trials.)  And there was still time to go back and see her mother again.

 

And it was neither rushed nor light on material.  Whoever did the pacing on earlier seasons must have left, or the material they're coming up with just isn't as rich.

[attica]

Do they have to pay everybody that appears? Budget cuts would explain the reduction in family meetings.

[millk]

I have been straight up bored by most this season. Thank goodness for tivo and fast forward. Watching the US shows on youtube vs the international versions it is amazing the amount of repeated stuff each episode. I think I'm going to do a deep binge on US WDYTYAs this week.

[iMonrey]

 

Charlotte's danged parents took her lover to court -- twice -- to force him to marry her. It didn't sound to me like a match made anywhere near heaven. More wishful celebrity projections.

 

I hate to say it but it occurred to me that Charlotte might indeed have been a whore. I can see why Melissa Ethridge deigned not entertain that possibility but it seems somewhat naive. 

 

 

Do they have to pay everybody that appears? Budget cuts would explain the reduction in family meetings.

 

No, all they have to do is sign a release. Besides some of the more diverse episodes that have been referenced as being better than this season were also produced by Lifetime. It probably doesn't cost a whole heck of a lot to make this show. I think the decline is more due to laziness, or else they're simply having a hard time finding celebrities with interesting family trees. 

[Mittengirl]

Did they ever say how old Charlotte's "beau" was? It seemed like it was a family feud as much as it was breach of promise/streetwalker dispute. Wasn't his family of a higher station than hers?

[pasdetrois]

I'm also struggling to stay interested in each episode and FF through much of each one.

 

Quebec is such a beautiful place.

[kassa]

Sounded like maybe the guy was well off compared to her -- wasn't there a bit in the marriage contract about him bringing little more than basic belongings to the marriage?  Like that had to be on the record for some reason in case she tried to claim later that she was due more money from his family?  Maybe his family first made him reject her outright, and when her family pressed the matter, they disowned their own son, so he decided he might as well be with her?  Interesting to imagine.

[Azaelia]

What I've also noticed is that the show used to cover multiple generations; now it seems they only cover one or two generations. That definitely limits a lot. But it's also possible they just didn't hit the jackpot this season they way they have in the past, although I found a lot of the stories interesting nonetheless. I DO think they've sometimes rushed them, though - there's been a times times I knew there was a story, but was utterly confused because they rushed through it.

[Sammich63]

The only two stories I really enjoyed this season were Julie Chen and Josh Groban. Sean Hayes was also pretty good, but I thought the rest were quite boring. Hope the next group is more interesting.

[atir]

It's too bad so much time was spent on Charlotte since she was a 4x great aunt. That's what I found odd. Liked Paxton's tho. Would have been fun to watch him tell his kids all that he discovered. Hope he didn't get tick bites in those woods/cemetery. I also wanted him to make a chalk rubbing of those headstones.

[chitowngirl]

The Who Do You Think You Are Facebook page has been updated for the Summer Season. I didn't know if it was the back half of Season 6 or it's considered Season 7. It's back on July 26th  Featured are Bryan Cranston, Ginnifer Goodwin, Tom Bergeron, Alfre Woodard and JK Rowling's episode from the British version.

 

If this is actually Season 7, we should create a new thread, yes?

[RemoteControlFreak]

The Sean Hayes episode re-aired last night.

 

Am I the only one who picked up an un-spoken thread of possible domestic abuse?  Sean's grandmother lands in the hospital with two broken hips after a "household accident"  and her husband, who has a long history of assault and drinking then disappears?  It takes a lot for a 40-year-old woman to break both hips.  It's a household accident so not a car crash or other high speed impact.  Falling or being pushed down the stairs is a possibility.

 

And did they ever show the cause of death for his great-grandmother who died in Ireland at age 40 and whose death caused a relapse into drinking and fighting by her husband and incidents of abuse toward him by his sons?  Were the sons attacking their father for just beating his mother to death?

 

Until very recently, men could beat up their wives with little consequences. The victims rarely spoke out and the legal system did not pursue these cases.

Edited July 27, 2015 by remotecontrolfreak

[Bella]

The Sean Hayes episode re-aired last night.

 

Am I the only one who picked up an un-spoken thread of possible domestic abuse?  Sean's grandmother lands in the hospital with two broken hips after a "household accident"  and her husband, who has a long history of assault and drinking then disappears?  It takes a lot for a 40-year-old woman to break both hips.  It's a household accident so not a car crash or other high speed impact.  Falling or being pushed down the stairs is a possibility.

 

And did they ever show the cause of death for his great-grandmother who died in Ireland at age 40 and whose death caused a relapse into drinking and fighting by her husband and incidents of abuse toward him by his sons?  Were the sons attacking their father for just beating his mother to death?

 

Until very recently, men could beat up their wives with little consequences. The victims rarely spoke out and the legal system did not pursue these cases.

 

I had the same thought.

 

I am a member of Biographers International (aka BIO) , and this kind of situation is one that is often discussed in at least one of the annual conference panels. The thing is, you can't know what you don't know. The evidence may all point to domestic abuse, but the evidence is incomplete because we don't know what actually happened to these women.

 

To give a parallel example, at this summer's BIO conference, Heath Hardage Lee gave an awesome panel presentation on her book Winnie Davis: Daughter of the Lost Cause, at a panel on retroactively diagnosing medical conditions. Lee explained that all the evidence points to Davis having been severely anorexic. But there were no discussions about anorexia back in the late 1800s - it wasn't a "thing" then. So Lee couldn't directly state that Davis was anorexic. She could only present the evidence pointing in that direction.

 

I think the same is true with some of the WDYTYA ancestors. It sure sounded like there was violence and domestic abuse in the Hayes family tree, and I'm convinced there was. In fact, when that episode came to an end, I felt sort of relieved for Sean Hayes that he has what appears to be a relatively placid life with an easy-going husband, because what went before with previous generations certainly wasn't pretty.