The Briefcase - General Discussion

[candall]

So it's the majority opinion, I think, that the show is exploitative (I had to look that up, smile) and ill-conceived, but the Boston/Texas couples have been on my mind all day.

 

As noted above, doling out tens of thousands of dollars to various family members and paying off the bills from your daughter's wedding--which was arguably too extravagant in the first place if the debt created such a terrible hardship--is not even REMOTELY the same as handing your money over to strangers you believe are needier than you.  So STFU about how you're all identical in your charitable generosity, Texas.  (At least the Texas wife had the decency to look embarrassed.)

 

But then, I can't really figure out how the Boston women convinced themselves the Texans were so needy.  The Texas house+grounds were about 30 or 40 times larger than their Boston apartment, where the two kids have to share a room and a bunkbed.  Was it just the video of the Texas sister, in front of her crappy mobile home, insisting that the Texas couple were generous people, that motivated the Bostonians?

 

But then, kind of a corollary to the Texas daughter's big ass wedding, I don't think couples start an in vitro process if they're only one or two paychecks away from homeless, or even from having to switch the boys over to public school.

 

In retrospect, I think the Texans should have given away more and the Bostonians should have given away less.

 

Personally, I'd be afraid to give $100,000 to anyone in Texas (other than Wendy Davis.)  With that kind of windfall, they might decide to budget a line item for the Ted Cruz Presidential Campaign.

[Lemons]

"Massa-tu-setts" ... because apparently they don't teach you how to pronounce the names of states in Texas schools.

 

apparently they don't teach American history either because they wife exclaimed that she wouldn't be able to find Boston on a map.

[Lemons]

I should have edited my post to include that I don't think EITHER formula (even-steven or diametrically opposed groups) is strong enough a format.  I won't be watching this again b/c I don't want to watch anyone's sad situation and feel judge-y. 

 

Neither couple on the Mass/Texas show had "sad" situations.  One of them had a grandchild on the way.  Pretty happy if you ask me.  The other couple had two beautiful kids in their lives.  Again, pretty happy.    So I have no problem being judgey. 

The Texas couple were stereotypes.  Talking about they wished they had their gun while in a car in Boston.  And how they wouldn't want their daughters living there.  The Boston couple showed more tolerance in their differences. 

The Texas couple who used the phrase "what would Jesus do" and spoke of putting others before themselves ended up being the less generous couple.  They calculated the sister would need about $20,000 and the daughters would need another $30,000 for college and new baby.  What did they do with the other $125,000?

[cooksdelight]

I'm beginning to wonder if this show is an experiment not just for the families involved, but for the reactions of people like us.

[BusyOctober]

Since I won't be watching this show, I will keep away from this forum as well. The "tone" here has taken a turn that isn't for me.

[Racj82]

I can agree with you, except they were brought onto TV under false circumstances. Each week, we're told that the families think they are part of a documentary. I'd go on TV for a documentary if I thought my story might help someone else. But these people are just as exploited as we, the viewers, are.

Which is why I said I would never sign up for TV reality shows. No matter how it's presented to you, it's TV. They have the power the manipulate, edit, etc. So, I just wouldn't do it. Really though, anyone who just doesn't split the money down the middle when they know they are being filmed for TV are just asking for the backlash. It sucks but they still know they are being filmed. Just take half and move on with your life. If you want to have money for yourself but help others, that's the easiest way to do it.

 

We should all be respectful of each other here. This show is sure to be split people in terms of reactions and generate certain emotions but we don't have to get heated. I want to hear what every one thinks of this. I have no one else to talk to about this crazy show.

Edited June 11, 2015 by Racj82

[TwirlyGirly]

apparently they don't teach American history either because they wife exclaimed that she wouldn't be able to find Boston on a map.

 

 

"Massa-tu-setts" ... because apparently they don't teach you how to pronounce the names of states in Texas schools.

 

Right on both counts, and this is why:

 

Texas Approves Textbooks with Moses as Founding Father

 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2014/11/texas-approves-textbooks-with-moses-as-founding-father/

 

I *knew* this episode was going to go the way it did. For all their blather about believing in the Bible, when it came right down to it they didn't trust God to provide, so they took the sure thing.

 

Also, apparently they skipped over those portions of the Bible which talk about giving away everything you have to follow Jesus, and the story of the poor woman who only had a few coins to give to Jesus, but Jesus said she had given the most, because she gave everything she had.....

 

I guess they were too busy memorizing the parts about same-sex relationships....

[Lolabelle]

I never had the intention of watching this show, but it was on while I was visiting friends and I ended up watching the TX/Boston episode. I am actually from Boston and at one point worked at the (non profit) company that one of the women worked at, which was really what got me to watch till the end because my eyes started to hurt form rolling so hard. 

 

At the end I was hoping that the TX woman was going to give some of their money back or something to that effect.  How do you walk away with that much money without any guilt or shame?  Like other have said, neither couple was desperately in need, but paying for your (I'm assuming pregnant/teenaged) daughter's wedding?    

 

If the Texas couple walked around the city saying "Massa-tu-setts" and spewing other crap about needing guns they definitely got dirty looks.  (Probably to the same degree as a gay pride parade in a small southern town, but those situations are not even remotely on the same level) 

[Diana Berry]

Really liked both families tonite

[cooksdelight]

It's episodes like this that make me like this show again.

[nottopbravo]

I'm sorry, but if you drive large SUVs, and your half a million in debt, I can't feel sorry for you.

[Whimsy]

I'm sorry, but if you drive large SUVs, and your half a million in debt, I can't feel sorry for you.

I do agree with you in theory, but they only had one vehicle and Mark walks a mile to work so I do give this family some leeway.

I loved both of these families.

[cooksdelight]

That big SUV was a rental they bought with the $1000 gift money. The one big car was the one disabled in the driveway.

[nottopbravo]

I do agree with you in theory, but they only had one vehicle and Mark walks a mile to work so I do give this family some leeway.

 

 

Wrong family.

[cooksdelight]

Wrong family.

Are you talking about the Los Angeles family, the musicians? I didn't pay attention to what they were driving. The garage was empty when the lady was telling the guy about them almost being shot so I didn't see what they drive.

[Racj82]

Call me an asshole but I can't deal with the "must go to college" philosophy a lot of people have. Creating all the debt is the must. There are plenty of other avenues to explore after high school that does not involve college. Sure I would have loved to go to college after high school. But, there was no way I was going to create all of that debt for my family that is already swimming it.

 

College, SVU's, homes in neighborhoods you can't afford? Sigh. I have barely any money to move around so I'm not going to throw extra things on top of all my other issues. I live within my means.

 

And while I'm still being an asshole. There is no fucking way I'm giving all the money to another family. Split it. Go 60/40 on it. Of course. Yes, in this world there are people that have it rougher than me. A lot of people in this world need help. But, opportunities don't come around like this everyday. Help yourself AND someone else. I just can't. I know how much money my mom needs to get out of debt. Take that and put money in my saving for my future. That will leave a 50/50 split. There's nothing another family could tell me that would stop me from wiping out my moms debt knowing how much she has done for me. I'm a giving person but times are rough.

[Wings]

I watched the first one.  FFed  a lot on the second and third.  

 

I am not a Christian and was not raised in any religion.  I find the random and varying interpretations of the bible comical and frankly tiring.  

 

A 50/50 split seems the logical choice.   Why doesn't anyone leap to that conclusion immediately?   Because this is just another highly manipulated reality TV offering,

 

A family with a 70k income is in dire straights?  Seems he should get some financial advice.  That is a reasonable income. 

 

A fireman 450k in debt?  How does that happen? 

 

I see no exploiting here.  These people signed on and eager to expose their financial need for help most likely.   

 

In conclusion, I hate Mariachi music and this show.  

Edited June 18, 2015 by wings707

[nottopbravo]

Are you talking about the Los Angeles family, the musicians? I didn't pay attention to what they were driving. The garage was empty when the lady was telling the guy about them almost being shot so I didn't see what they drive.

 

Just before that discussion, they were complaining that their SUVs won't fit into their garage because of their (the SUVs) height.

[cooksdelight]

Thank you, I missed that. It still amazes me that LA folks drive gas guzzlers with the price of gas out there being outrageous. I always rent the cheapest, smallest car available. They may need big cars for their musical instruments, etc.

[Lemons]

I watched the first one.  FFed  a lot on the second and third.  

A fireman 450k in debt?  How does that happen? 

 

I see no exploiting here.  These people signed on and eager to expose their financial need for help most likely.   

 

 

I watched the beginning of Mass/Calif one and fast forwarded to the end.  Does the 450k in debt include his mortgage?  Because their crappy house is probably worth about $450k because of the expensive town they live in. 

 

At least the California family was embarrassed that the Massachusetts family gave them much more, although they shouldn't have been because they made the most reasonable choice of splitting the money 50/50. The Texas religious family from the Texas/Massachusetts episode was shamelessly gleeful when they took most of the cash home with them. 

[Whimsy]

Huh.  No comments at all about last night's NJ/OH episode?  I was taken aback with the Rasta dad's attitude.  Not that I know ANYTHING about being Rasta, but I just thought that, in general, they were more laid back and happy.  More about family and less about money and possessions.  His "me and mine" attitude really seemed harsh. 

 

So, the insurance company isn't giving any money to the families that lost their homes in Hurricane Sandy?  That really sucks.  What's the point of having insurance, then?  The only thing I didn't understand, was why they rebuilt such a big house.  They probably would've gotten much farther on their current finances had they opted for a more modest house.  They probably thought they were going to cash in with the insurance and started building their dream house with everything they wanted.  I also didn't REALLY understand why they didn't get married.  You don't HAVE to have a big wedding to be married.  They still could've had a small wedding with their family and friends in the area and just have a justice of the peace or hell, even go to the courthouse and then have a backyard barbecue/pot luck as their wedding reception.  I know several people who did that, including myself.  You don't need thousands of dollars to get married. 

 

The one thing I do like about this show is that it's nice to see struggling families get some debt relief. 

[cooksdelight]

Season finale is tomorrow (Friday) so something tells me this show wasn't the successful experiment they hoped for.

[nottopbravo]

Season finale is tomorrow (Friday) so something tells me this show wasn't the successful experiment they hoped for.

 

I hope that it fails.  After each episode, I feel like I've thrown up in my mouth a little.

 

Such selfish families.  I see food wasn't a problem for one family. 

[candall]

Well, I liked it and thought a lot about the episodes--the moral quandaries for the specific couples and about charity in general.

 

Initially I thought the whole point was going to be "the more you get to know about people as individuals, the greater your empathy will become."  But the show turned out to be more complex when they introduced clashing ideologies.  The Catholic woman was "all in" at first, then the husband reeled her back, then they saw five people sharing one room and their hearts were moved, but uh-oh, transgender alert.  Interesting seesaw effect, which might have even teetered back again if they'd known the Florida couple approved their abortion protest.  (Did not see that one coming.)

 

I'm still bowled over by the generosity and grace of the Mass-a-tussets lesbians.  I can't stop thinking about them keeping a hundred dollar bill for each family member.  And it's so ironic that the recipients of the biggest gift were, IMO, the least likeable couple.

 

Oh well, I don't see how they could possibly pull off a second season, even if it had been a ratings blockbuster.

 

 

[califred]

What was the money split last night?

[Whimsy]

I think the religious couple gave $10,000 and the other couple gave $20,000.

This episode made me stabby. Nothing sets me off more than someone giving their unwanted preaching of God's plan. Plus, that religious mom was soooooooo dumb. I think they edited down how long it actually took her to figure out Amari was transgender. I don't know a lot about it, but I do know that they were not a gay couple and for the religious couple to continuously say they don't support gay marriage made me SO angry.

I'm glad this show us over. It got worse and worse as it went along!

[califred]

That religious mom seemed pretty dense. She had to ask her husband what transgender meant that's when I changed the channel.

[tveyeonyou]

Huh.  No comments at all about last night's NJ/OH episode?  I was taken aback with the Rasta dad's attitude.  Not that I know ANYTHING about being Rasta, but I just thought that, in general, they were more laid back and happy.  More about family and less about money and possessions.  His "me and mine" attitude really seemed harsh. 

 

So, the insurance company isn't giving any money to the families that lost their homes in Hurricane Sandy?  That really sucks.  What's the point of having insurance, then?  The only thing I didn't understand, was why they rebuilt such a big house.  They probably would've gotten much farther on their current finances had they opted for a more modest house.  They probably thought they were going to cash in with the insurance and started building their dream house with everything they wanted.  I also didn't REALLY understand why they didn't get married.  You don't HAVE to have a big wedding to be married.  They still could've had a small wedding with their family and friends in the area and just have a justice of the peace or hell, even go to the courthouse and then have a backyard barbecue/pot luck as their wedding reception.  I know several people who did that, including myself.  You don't need thousands of dollars to get married. 

 

The one thing I do like about this show is that it's nice to see struggling families get some debt relief. 

What is the point indeed!

My Parents lost their house when Hurricane Irene hit NJ the year before Hurricane Sandy, the foundation collapsed while they were sleeping, around midnight. They were both in their 80's living in the only house they ever owned and after paying for insurance for nearly 60 years the insurance company gave them nothing. FEMA gave them some money but nowhere close to the amount needed to get the house into any kind of livable condition.

They had to rent an apartment for over a year while the house was slowly rebuilt (it cost a lot of money to rebuild a house, Home Depot and a lot of hometown goodwill helped out a lot but we're still paying off loans) and my Mom passed away a few months after they finally moved back home.

She had survived cancer but, IMO, Hurricane Irene was responsible for her death. The stress of dealing with everything was too much for her, from my POV.

My heart went out to that family, it feels like you've been violated when your house is destroyed like that. Even when you get your house rebuilt, your life is never the same.

[cooksdelight]

Do you have to get a special rider for hurricane damage on your normal insurance policy? Where I live, we have to do it for flood insurance, and I know my family in So. Cal. has to have earthquake insurance in order to be reimbursed.

I think we've seen the last of this show. Who shoots 5 episodes? And rushes the last one on the air?

[califred]

I live in NC on the coast here hurricane insurance is separate (and more expensive) than my normal policy. My regular home owners excludes wind and hail (hurricanes)

[cooksdelight]

I live at the opposite end of NC. :) I live up on a mountain so I don't have to worry about flood insurance, but the two rivers that run through here, the Hiawassee and the Valley River, have done a lot of damage to homes who are near them. The dam can only let so much water out at one time, and anyone upstream has to prepare. I figured the extra insurance for hurricane damage might be the reason for the people not getting paid for Sandy damage.

[springtime]

I think the final episode amounts were $10,000 from the religious couple and $15.000 from Amari and his wife/ partner.

 

It was the only episode I watched and it didn't hold my attention! 

Edited June 28, 2015 by springtime

[candall]

What is the point indeed!

My Parents lost their house when Hurricane Irene hit NJ the year before Hurricane Sandy, the foundation collapsed while they were sleeping, around midnight. They were both in their 80's living in the only house they ever owned and after paying for insurance for nearly 60 years the insurance company gave them nothing. FEMA gave them some money but nowhere close to the amount needed to get the house into any kind of livable condition.

They had to rent an apartment for over a year while the house was slowly rebuilt (it cost a lot of money to rebuild a house, Home Depot and a lot of hometown goodwill helped out a lot but we're still paying off loans) and my Mom passed away a few months after they finally moved back home.

She had survived cancer but, IMO, Hurricane Irene was responsible for her death. The stress of dealing with everything was too much for her, from my POV.

My heart went out to that family, it feels like you've been violated when your house is destroyed like that. Even when you get your house rebuilt, your life is never the same.

My sympathy, tveyeonyou, so sad to lose your mother and wonder how much the stress affected her.

 

It's crazy that the long-term aftermath of these natural disasters is not very well known or publicized. 

 

Along the Gulf Coast in Mississippi, a full two years after Katrina, many people were still sleeping in little pup tents in their yards next to their crumbled homes.  No running water, no FEMA trailers, no reimbursement from their homeowner insurance.

[cooksdelight]

Petition started to get the show cancelled.

 

http://www.thewrap.com/cbs-the-briefcase-ripped-as-poverty-porn-viewers-demand-cancellation/

[anarchyangel84]

I didn't realize this show was on here. I'm a little late.

I watched every episode of this show and there were a few things that really didn't like.

For one thing, I didn't think this show was as controversial & bad as other people did. That petition people were signing were ridiculous. When they first presented them with the briefcase, I didn't think the producers should've said that the money is all theirs. I know it was- and they made the decisions. BUT they could've put it another way.

2 families in particular made me want to scream in their faces. I don't remember names.

The little people really frustrated me. They seen what that other family was dealing with- where they lived. And they didn't care. I really thought the man was going to put his foot down. I think the reason they can't have kids is because she has his testicles in her purse.

Then was the episode with the God fearing cowboy family & the lesbian couple. This offended me. That cowboy family made it a point to mention God a lot. We saw them pray and we saw crosses on their walls. I understand that they help people- and that's good. But when they got the opportunity to help someone in a life-changing way, they chose not to & that made me angry. I believe in God. I may not pray all the time- or have a bunch of crosses everywhere. My family & I have always lived below the poverty level. We've never had money. We had food because we had food stamps. My Mom worked but she didn't make that much. We had most of what we needed & a little bit of what we wanted. But I would've given most of those families half. Some- like the lesbian couple- probably 60/40 or 70/30 with them getting th most. It's crazy to me- but in my experience, people with less tend to give more.