S04.E04: Sunshine State Bates

[IndianPaintbrush]

Quote

The show visits John, Alyssa and Allie in Florida; Lawson plays for a special fan in the hospital; the boys work on a fort.

We haven't seen much of John and Alyssa's life in FL, so it was interesting to see them starting their own cleaning business.  Alyssa seems happy among her in-laws and I'm glad she's not in a rush to have another baby.  I just find her so refreshing.  John seems boring though.  Does he have a degree?  I wonder if he'll follow his dad into politics.

The previews for next week seem to indicate that Nathan and Ashley ended their courtship.

[andromeda331]

Allie and Bradley are both so adorable. I am glad that Alyssa's not rushing into having another baby too. She seems really happy with her life and enjoying the child she has.

Edited June 24, 2016 by andromeda331

[luvmylabs]

I do love this family!  Glad to see that Alyssa is enjoying her life with one baby so far.  One thing...I used to do commercial cleaning.  It's hard work and they seem to do a good job.  But PLEASE wear rubber gloves when cleaning the toilet!!!   Wonder if Erin must undergo the same injections that she needed for her other baby's birth.  I hope not.  That must have been so stressful.  There has been no mention of it so far, so I hope it won't be necessary.

[Absolom]

1 hour ago, luvmylabs said:

Wonder if Erin must undergo the same injections that she needed for her other baby's birth. 

She'll have to do them with every pregnancy.  This isn't a condition that goes away or is curable.

[Sew Sumi]

Interesting that Alyssa shut down her Instagram the day before she got paid for an episode. Usually, celebs do the complete opposite. I also loved that she said that she was in no hurry to have another kid. That was refreshing for a fundie. 

I knew about the softball league, but ugh, did we need the gratuitous shots of Daniel Webster and his pregnant daughters/in-law every five seconds? Barf. 

Nathan and Ashley were together after they fllmed this. She traveled with the Bateses at least into Georgia after the Big Sandy ATI conference in April. However, she was careful not to post pictures of her with Nathan, since they're obviously saving that for the show. It was all about her sisters and girlfriends. 

My DVR cut off, so I only saw the preview once, but it sounded like they are "praying on it," ie. drama. Actually, I hope she dumps him because she can't live in the boonies. I'm a city girl, and even if that's 30 minutes from a "city" (to her) of less than 200,000, that might not suit her. Living in the Bronx, she might not even have a driver's license. I don't have one, and it's never hindered me, and I'm twice their age. 

At any rate, I hope Ashley is able to do what she wants and not what people force her to do. 

Edited June 24, 2016 by Sew Sumi
tendency to over punctuate before I've finished my sentence. ie. bad editing

[Absolom]

Ratings:  219K viewers and a .07 rating.  Whoever said the Bates family was more popular than the Duggar family might want to consult the TV ratings.

[riverblue22]

Well, if they had coverage in People Magazine, and if anybody knew where to find the UP channel, I think their ratings would be much higher.  I don't even know where UP is--I wait and watch it On Demand.  If it wasn't for this site, I would never have heard of the Bateseses.

[cereality]

It was good to get a glimpse into Alyssa and John's life. They obviously aren't in Tenn. so they're not on regularly, and when they are on it's bc they are visiting her family and seem stunned by the noise and sheer chaos of it all. It was good to see them in their own environment. They seem like a good fit -- both appear to be fairly reserved people. And it was nice to see them working hard -- having John say he works 8-5 in air conditioning but usually longer and then they go out at night and clean the dance studio and ice cream shop. I feel like so many of these families struggle and then get used to grifting -- Gil included -- that it's nice to see a young couple working hard to earn money and get their lives off on the right foot financially. It was interesting that Alyssa said that "people" expect they are well off bc John's dad is a congressman and even John commented "yeah that would be nice." I guarantee that comment was in response to things her family -- esp. her LOUD obnoxious sisters (Carlin and Tori esp) have been saying. While the Bates seem like a nice family, I don't get the sense AT ALL that they know how the world works outside of their rural town and other similar small places. I doubt they realize that a U.S. Congressman earns a salary of about 175k. While these fundies may see that as hitting it rich, the reality is he has 6 kids, all of whom seem to be married with their own families; 175k is NOT the type of wealth that has you setting up trust funds for your kids and grandkids.

Maybe Alyssa and John have friends etc. in their area, but it seems like life focuses on HIS family -- which isn't unusual when everyone is in one area and there are a lot of family members to spend weekends with, go to events with, play softball with. I do wonder if Gil and Kelly are a bit jealous and/or peeved that Alyssa barely visits them -- and when she does it looks like she's counting the hours until she gets to leave -- yet is chumming around with her inlaws full time. She has obviously gotten tight with them. When she was pregnant with Allie, I remember Carlin and Tori acting pissed that she didn't tell them that she was pregnant BUT John's sisters already knew.

I think Alyssa and John will go fundie light, if they haven't already -- though as I say that -- maybe they have bc she wears tank tops, jeans etc. I see them wanting 2-3 kids, though since he's from a big family too -- I can see them with 4-6 max. I thought the pre teen boys were the most honest about that saying that they expect 2-4 kids, while the rest of the family tried not to make Alyssa and John look un-parental or uninterested in procreating. Zach almost seemed like he was laying it on too thick as he was saying -- they REALLY REALLY love kids and I think they want 10. Gil and Kelly said that Alyssa says she can't handle 19 but probably 10-11, and even Kelly downgraded that to say -- well maybe 8. I think realize that Alyssa and John could become/are becoming a more mainstream American family and that's shown in everything from clothing to not being desperate to have millions of kids.

[Absolom]

I don't think Alyssa wants the kids to have to be four or more to a room.  Wasn't she the one that ended up in a room with only one sister with her?  I can see Alyssa and John holding the number of kids down to the number they can afford to house, feed, and clothe to the standard that they want. 

[MunichNark]

Unfortunately I can't watch the show, only the previews and few episodes.

A cleaning business? So that's what it was, I couldn't figure it out in that short preview.  Good for them, it's a job.

I don't see her having a ton of kids, she isn't the type, and since she lives her own life now, all the more power to her.

Marrying into the Bateseseseses clan means you're swallowed whole, see Whitney, who clearly wanted a family. Not always a good thing

[cereality]

6 hours ago, auntl said:

I wonder if Lawson is sick. He does not look healthy to me. He's very pale and thin. It's especially noticeable when he's sitting next to Nathan and Trace on the couch. He looks very frail in comparison to them.

He definitely looks VERY pale in those interviews. I noticed it starting in the first episode this season. But then when I looked at his Instagram pics, he looks ok -- so I kind of wonder if it's the lighting in that room or his makeup or if those 2 brothers are naturally WAY more tan. He DEFINITELY looks thinner though -- you can see it on his face. You can even see it in pics when he's standing next to his sisters. I honestly just assumed it was stress -- he's trying to make it in music and isn't particularly talented, yet I really think he doesn't want to settle down to a "regular" life with an office/blue collar job, a wife, and a million kids. It may be weighing on him that music is his only way "out" -- and yet it isn't coming easily.

[Sew Sumi]

I think Lawson is fine. I bet he's just started running or doing more cardio in general, and not lifting as much. He's thin, but look at Gil and Zach. The Bates men are not generally small-boned guys, but Lawson is. That more than anything will make him stand out. 

Edited June 25, 2016 by Sew Sumi
I really need to cut my nails!

[IndianPaintbrush]

20 hours ago, Absolom said:

Ratings:  219K viewers and a .07 rating.  Whoever said the Bates family was more popular than the Duggar family might want to consult the TV ratings.

More likable, that's for sure. Frankly I don't want the Bates to get any bigger.  I don't want to know about any skeletons in their closet and I would hate to see them become totally dependent on the show for income.

[Sew Sumi]

Well, the show has said that Gil is pretty much "retired" from the tree biz. I guess that means his full-time job is now preaching at his shopping mall church and speaking at homeschool conferences (of which there are only four)? I don't know how often he has to travel to IBLP HQ for board meetings. 

[Calibabydolly]

These kids are not making a very good example out of home schooling. I have noticed this before, but this new episode had at least 3 of the older kids using terrible grammar. The 2 that stood out were Nathan saying "wifes" instead of "wives" and then Carlin saying "leafs" instead of "leaves". I don't think it is their accent either, they just do not know plain good English. I think we learned those things in 3rd or 4th grade!? I think I have heard Kelly talking like that as well. Didn't she go to college? They need to do a much better job in their bookwork if they do not want to send them on a bus and off to public school!

[sadtvjunkie]

As to Lawson he is now inside more and not doing his lawn mowing business so I think that makes him paler. As to the bad example of home schooling I can think of several people I know that have higher degrees and still speak very plainly and not at all correct. I don't blame the home schooling at all.

[wait.what]

I was also surprised that Alyssa was shown feeding her baby a bottle. No judgement, because both my children were bottle fed after 2-3 months, but I thought they were all into "all natural" births and breast feeding?

[3 is enough]

To be fair, at the time of the filming, Alyssa's daughter was around 10 months old.  Lots of mothers wean their babies when they start getting teeth (I did).  Also, she may not have wanted to nurse on camera, in front of everyone. 

[Whyyouneedaname]

On 6/24/2016 at 7:13 PM, riverblue22 said:

Well, if they had coverage in People Magazine, and if anybody knew where to find the UP channel, I think their ratings would be much higher.  I don't even know where UP is--I wait and watch it On Demand.  If it wasn't for this site, I would never have heard of the Bateseses.

do you use your cable provider to do that online? I can't get them at home anymore and really did enjoy watching them.

[PlygPigs]

I enjoyed seeing more about Alyssa and John. However, one thing bothered me. Why couldn't the women play softball with the guys? When my extended family gets together and sports are played, anybody who wants to participates. It just seemed so sexist, the "wimmim folk" sitting on the sidelines.

[IndianPaintbrush]

Baby steps. Theirs may be a fundie lite world, but wearing pants does not excuse a woman from her child-rearing duties at softball games.

[cereality]

On ‎7‎/‎6‎/‎2016 at 3:01 AM, PlygPigs said:

I enjoyed seeing more about Alyssa and John. However, one thing bothered me. Why couldn't the women play softball with the guys? When my extended family gets together and sports are played, anybody who wants to participates. It just seemed so sexist, the "wimmim folk" sitting on the sidelines.

Bc they're still fundie, so gender roles are VERY defined. Doesn't matter if one or more of the sisters or sisters in law are athletic, they don't get to play so don't even bother asking. I mean what if a woman is playing first base and she gets a low throw and has to tag John or one of his brothers out -- here he is in shorts and she may have to touch him on the thigh or the torso with a ball in her glove. What if he's defrauded??

[SongbirdHollow]

On 7/6/2016 at 3:01 AM, PlygPigs said:

I enjoyed seeing more about Alyssa and John. However, one thing bothered me. Why couldn't the women play softball with the guys? When my extended family gets together and sports are played, anybody who wants to participates. It just seemed so sexist, the "wimmim folk" sitting on the sidelines.

Well, maybe they didn't want to. In that heat I wouldn't even want to watch.

[PlygPigs]

3 hours ago, SongbirdHollow said:

Well, maybe they didn't want to. In that heat I wouldn't even want to watch.

Exactly. If they're not athletic, they probably didnt want to sit there in the heat watching either. If they are athletic, they probably would've wanted to join in. But to sit there and watch? I doubt they really wanted to but they had no choice. I would've been like "See you later honey, have fun at your softball game" and not dragged my kid out in the heat.

[Barb23]

Way, way back in the day I used to watch my husband's (then boyfriend) softball games.  It was a men's league. A lot of other girlfriends,  wives & kids came too.  But for us 'wimmen' folk, it was more of a gab session,  girl talk kind of thing.  I don't think we paid that much attention to the game.  It was a nice way to clear your mind after a crazy day of work.  Maybe it's that  way for these ladies.