S03.E07: Fat Jokes

[Ocean Chick]

Eh, for me, it's not a huge step to believe that this whole "contest" is a total TPTB setup.  They'll hire a few professional dancers who want some tv exposure to show up and dance.  And they'll hire a few fake amateurs to show up and dance really badly, just so Twit and Todd can win.  Or have them dance well, so that T&T can lose.  Whatever script they want for the show, really.  Just so that the audience keeps watching and bringing in the ratings numbers.  That's all they care about.

Yeah, Will is probably just giving Twit a last warning in that promo, which was cut to look like he was dropping her as a client.  Whatevs.  Twit needs a redemption storyarc, and Will is the best one they've got for that.

[mamapajama]

14 hours ago, CocoaGoddess said:

It's not even about Whitney, it's about the fact that she went in on fat people before Whitney even entered the picture. There is a fat radio host sitting right there in her face and she still proceeded with her Fat Shaming agenda.

The comedian says on her FB page that she was hired by TLC.  It was all a manufactured storyline.  She might always incorporate that into her act, don't know, but she was a plant.

 

14 hours ago, Brooklynista said:

I hope Will quitting Whitney next week is real and not just editing fakery. He shouldn't mess up his brand for her BullShit.  I wouldn't want other potential clients thinking Will wasn't serious about getting clients in shape.

I was hoping so, too.  But when she congratulates him, on her page, she calls him her trainer.  I hope he holds her feet to the fire so that he doesn't come across as compromising himself, professionally.  He seems like a good guy.

[lallalla]

4 minutes ago, mamapajama said:

The comedian says on her FB page that she was hired by TLC.  It was all a manufactured storyline.  She might always incorporate that into her act, don't know, but she was a plant.

 

I was hoping so, too.  But when she congratulates him, on her page, she calls him her trainer.  I hope he holds her feet to the fire so that he doesn't come across as compromising himself, professionally.  He seems like a good guy.

She was paid by TLC, but was she actually a plant? I know some things were highlighted /setup/made to look other than, but was the entire thing a hired setup?

Does my attempt at a distinction make sense?

[Dirtybubble]

I'm not surprised that the comedian was hired by TLC and it was simply a story line for Whit.  I get this is becoming a staged/scripted reality tv show and that doesn't bother me, what's bugging me is the lead character is just so damn annoying.  It's weird because I liked Whit the first 2 season but IDK she is just sooo friggin annoying now.  I honestly watch for the other characters, enablers or not I still like them. Still LOVE Babs and Glen and I'm totally down with doing the Glen as well =D.  I enjoy watching Buddy, his girlfriend (who looked super pretty at the party BTW), Todd, Tal and everyone else. 

Oh and on a side note did anyone see the very brief introduction of Tal's new boyfriend Aaron??  Cutie Pie!  But for the longest time I thought Todd & Tal where dating! 

Can the pig come back?  I miss seeing the cute little pet piggy Babs got. 

Edited July 22, 2016 by Dirtybubble

[Madding crowd]

Whether she is a plant or not, I'm going to go against the grain and say I didn't like Kerryn. She doesn't know Whitney at all, so to me she was just projecting her own fears and insecurities on someone else. Unless you are a family member, health care provider for or close friend of, it is not any of your business what physical or emotional problems a person has. If you are at work and a person is bothering you or not doing their job-go to personnel. And all fat people are not interchangeable so she doesn't 'know' a fat persons issues or problems by sight. And since Kerryn is so good at armchair psychology, I will analyze her; I think she traded her alcohol addiction for addiction to cigarettes and staying very thin and her anger at Whitney is really her fear of not being skinny. Also: happy people can and do cry on occasion. I have been known to cry if someone attacks me or if I become very emotional. It is not a bad thing. I really saw nothing funny in the short clip of her we saw, but I generally don't find so called angry comics very funny.

[Dirtybubble]

1 minute ago, Madding crowd said:

Whether she is a plant or not, I'm going to go against the grain and say I didn't like Kerryn. She doesn't know Whitney at all, so to me she was just projecting her own fears and insecurities on someone else. Unless you are a family member, health care provider for or close friend of, it is not any of your business what physical or emotional problems a person has. If you are at work and a person is bothering you or not doing their job-go to personnel. And all fat people are not interchangeable so she doesn't 'know' a fat persons issues or problems by sight. And since Kerryn is so good at armchair psychology, I will analyze her; I think she traded her alcohol addiction for addiction to cigarettes and staying very thin and her anger at Whitney is really her fear of not being skinny. Also: happy people can and do cry on occasion. I have been known to cry if someone attacks me or if I become very emotional. It is not a bad thing. I really saw nothing funny in the short clip of her we saw, but I generally don't find so called angry comics very funny.

I agree I didn't like Kerryn all that much myself.  What she was saying might have been true about Whit but the way she said it....ugh not cute.  Not too much she also was insulting the young man who works at the radio station who is over weight.  It's not what you say but how you say it.

[mamapajama]

13 minutes ago, lallalla said:

She was paid by TLC, but was she actually a plant? I know some things were highlighted /setup/made to look other than, but was the entire thing a hired setup?

The word she used is "hired."  She doesn't make it sound like she was paid, simply because her segment on the radio faux was used on TLC.  Her phrasing, on her FB page, makes it sound like she was hired, and told which buttons to push. 

[Snarklepuss]

On 7/21/2016 at 10:50 AM, momofsquid said:

I haven't looked at the comedian's Facebook page but I see posts here saying that Whitney supporters are slamming her. Poor Whitney is carrying the flag for victims of bullying everywhere! I have to admire the way TLC is playing the Whitney situation both ways. Whitney's supporters see her as their hero and are lapping up the superficial message the show claims to present. But those of us who watch for the snark value can also see evidence that the crew is not feeling the Whitney love -- unflattering camera angles, the fast-edited shoveling of the cake, the hair extension tape in last week's show, and so on. The joke is on Whitney and the show is in on the joke. But they still manage to pander to the Whitney fans, many of whom probably use her No BS campaign to justify self-destructive habits. Well played, TLC.

I am coming to the conclusion that Whitney herself is in on the joke along with the show's producers.  I think she has abandoned any goal of looking good to the world so she doesn't mind if they spin a negative image of her, as long as it's good for ratings.  She's playing a part.  I don't know if this change is TPTB's or hers or both.  Either way, she is not complaining about it and letting it happen.  And they know that the people who buy into the No BS campaign will still like her in spite of the bad image because with that image she validates everything bad about themselves that they don't want to change.

[CocoaGoddess]

14 hours ago, pdlinda1 said:

The thing that particularly irks me is that Babs and Glenn display fine manners and civility.  They definitely live an upper middle-class life.  They have a lovely, well-kept home and belong to a country club.  They seem like very gracious people.  Whitney, on the other hand, irrespective of her massive physical size, is basically a slob with no social graces and/or manners.  The episode with the cat poop on the couch that didn't even register a blip on her radar just did it for me.

Also, at the party for Babs and Glenn at the Country Club, I was stunned at how Lenny and Buddy were dressed???  Whitney was all gussied up but Lenny and Buddy basically looked like they came in from cleaning out the garage.

Whitney's table manners are atrocious and her general grooming, as we have discussed here in detail, is basically disgusting.  I'm trying to wrap my mind around what possibly went wrong when raising her that caused this deterioration??  I agree with whomever suggested she desperately needs therapy.

She is so gross and she surrounds herself with gross people too. Lenny rolled out of bed, picked a shirt up off of the floor, threw on his moldy cap and attended her parent's nice, classy birthday dinner function. He wouldn't be allowed to come to the grocery store with me looking like that, let alone an event to celebrate my freaking parents. To me, it is just another sign that her life is completely out of control and in chaos. In the upcoming previews (which sadly, I think are misleading, Will seems too dedicated to his job to give up on Whitney too soon), they show the bottom of Whitney's car, littered with trash and floor mats are stained and nasty looking and ... Vhitney, you are getting TLC coins, you can't pay $30 to have your car detailed? You can't throw your car rugs into a washing machine? I get that there are probably contract stipulations on how she can spend her massive TLC salary while the show is on the air, but for crying out loud, have some pride in yourself and your surroundings. USE SOAP ON EVERYTHING AND USE IT OFTEN. 

13 hours ago, operalover said:

But she never said she was dieting though, just making some changes to avoid diabetes. If she was telling the truth about making "some changes" she should be able to show him a photo each day of a change she made. That was the point because she never said she was all in- to be totally eating right- she just said she had made some changes and was on a healthier track. If she was showing him 3 perfect healthy diet meals a day and still eating bowls of ice cream and pizza, so be it- at least that would show she was at least TRYING to eat better. She couldn't even do that, which means its ALL bad..she can't even show herself eating any healthy foods. 

Everything in Vhitney's weight loss drama is about trying to outsmart and outrun diabetes. I would have more respect for her if she made permanent, positive, balanced lifestyle choices instead of simply being content to be in "pre diabetic" mode for the next few years. 
She mentioned an episode or two ago that she expected to have health problems related to her size, but not ... ya know, in her 30s, because that wouldn't be fair! So she basically wants to spend her 30s smoking, fake dancing and cupcaking it up while just barely dodging more serious health issues, and then get serious about it when she's really old ... ya know, 40. 
On what planet is this kind of abuse of your body, body positive? 

7 hours ago, Cinnamini11 said:

That last part where Whitney was talking about her depression and being surprised she's alive really hit home for me. I know how terrifying the idea of going back to that place is so I can understand about not wanting to do anything that might take her back to that place. I think a lot of people, Kerryn included, see her show and twist the meaning of "no body shame" into something Whitney has not said.

Idk I started watching this because I liked the idea of a fat person with a reality show that's not all about them losing weight (as if fat people have no other purpose in life). In contrast to Kerryn's example I like the idea of some girl similar to how Whitney was -hating her body, hating herself, never going out, depressed and alone finally saying f*ck it- I'm going to go out to the beach/party/whatever and stop waiting until I've lost enough weight/exercise hard enough etc to think I'm worthy of happiness.

This season has taken a sad turn. I do think Whitney is lying to herself. Like desperately trying to hold onto the idea that everything is okay when it's not. Honestly I think she would be a lot happier if she just admitted that she doesn't especially care about making healthier choices. She and Will are not on the same page. Whitney is not looking for a lifestyle change.

This. This post sums up everything I feel about this show, from start to finish.
Look, fat people exist and merely existing doesn't mean that they (we) are denying the health consequences of being fat, okay? I find this culture of fat shaming people who dare to leave their homes, seek out cute, fashionable clothing and pursue extracurricular activities terrible and also predominantly sexist. No one ever shamed John Goodman for being fat and doing physical comedy and being this big ole hunk of man love, even during the years of Roseanne when he was clearly out of shape, out of breath, and sweating profusely while sitting at a table saying his lines. He remained a comedy god with a standing reservation on SNL every other month.
 But Roseanne, and other fat actresses, models, and celebrities are papped walking down the street smiling, and HOW DARE THEY EVEN BREATHE. 

So yes, I came into this show with expectations that Vhitney would be different, that she would show that no, being fat isn't ideal, but I'm fat, I'm here, and in the meantime, I'm going to work it out and this is what my life is all about. Even while on a weight loss journey (which I thought would be focused, but in a secondary way), you still have to live, work, and make ends meet. Stupid me for trusting that a TLC show would be anything but a glorified sideshow. 

Even going the PCOS focused route would be better than this mess. As much as I hate that she uses PCOS as an excuse and as literal body armor (if you're actually body positive, the reasons for your weight gain really shouldn't matter), watching someone deal with the symptoms of a little known disorder and trying to control it when your body is working against you would be for a more compelling story, and spread more awareness about women, hormones, fertility, and the kind of roles they play in weight and weight management. 

You can't claim that your life is fabulous and "everything is fine folks!" when you get a back injury from walking, and every single normal life event turns into a crisis because of your size. It seems like now, she is still trying to lie to and hoodwink the audience, but TLC and MBFFL editors are simply making an executive decision to not allow her to do so. Her edit is TERRIBLE this season, but I have a feeling that there's actually not much editing going on. This is the real Vhitney in all of her gross, vulgar, entitled glory. 

Edited July 22, 2016 by CocoaGoddess

[Snarklepuss]

1 hour ago, Jeeves said:

I doubt that Twit and Kerryn are besties at all. But I call shenanigans on Twit's "just happening" to see that ballroom dancing poster when they were having that "ballroom dance lesson" with the camera crew there.

I was being a touch hyperbolic.  I really think she's more likely a friend of Buddy's.  I don't think it's any coincidence that Buddy did stand up in an episode last season and Whitney said in an interview back in 2014 that she would like to do standup and then suddenly we have Kerryn on the show.

[Madding crowd]

Whitney's tears looked real to me when she was talking to Kerryn outside. I can't see how that could be faked. She was probably hired by the show and told to comment on Whitney's fatness since that is the only thing the show cares about now. But I doubt Whitney was in one it.

[Pepperminty]

Whitney should use the show and her exposure to build an empire of fat dancing classes around the nation. I'm being serious, I think she'd be incredibly successful with it. Classes that get you moving but are not Zumba. And you don't feel self-conscious being a fatty and getting out of breath.

Not sure how the show can sustain itself, as her message is getting undercut by her life. 

If I lived there, I'd train with Will. I wonder how much he costs?

[Snarklepuss]

23 hours ago, mamadrama said:

I think they are her audition tapes for Dancing with the Stars, myself.

ITA - Last season I posted here that I thought she should do "Dancing with the Stars".  I know it's only a matter of time before it happens, LOL.  When I saw this episode with the "dance competition" I said, "Here we go!".

[Pdxblonde]

This episode was so cringeworthy on so many points, which have already been said. Her shoveling in the cake at the tasting made my stomach hurt. If she was truly trying to lose weight and eat healthier, she wouldn't have done the cake tasting to begin with- or maybe just taken a very small bite of a few of the cupcakes. Those bites she was taking were HUGE! I think Whit is extremely immature and I think she is trying to show the world "look, I am fat but I have a BOYFRIEND! The way she is always so kissy-kissy with Lenny is odd- and very teenage to me. She wants everyone to notice her and see that she has someone romantically, and sexually, attracted to her. Lenny couldn't look less interested. I was cringing when she was doing "the Glen" as well. That dress she wore at the wedding was so amazingly unflattering on her, not to mention the flowers in her hair. Was she pretending she was a flower girl at a wedding??

[RabbiBeth]

I rematched the episode last night - don't ask me why I did that to myself, but I did!

I still found the cake tasting to be stunning and so cringe-worthy.  Those bites were unnatural.  Just shoveling and shoveling.  I was mortified for the proprietor - she must have been like, "WHOA!!!"

I also noticed that Whitney was wearing long black pants underneath her party dress.  Bad look.  Do you think she wears so many dresses because it's easier to put on a muu-muu type garment rather than pants and a top?  Perhaps with such weight fluctuation, it's easier to wear long flowy dresses versus pants.  (Although all of Whitney's "pants" are actually spandex anyway.)

[Snarklepuss]

18 hours ago, Nowhere said:

Teens are hypercritical of themselves. Whitney was not a fat teenager and yet she says she was bullied even though a poster upthread said she was actually a popular prom princess type. I forget exactly but anyway, if your classmates vote for you for something like that and you still say you were "bullied", you're casting some serious doubt on the claim that you're bullied now. I don't think anybody got through high school unscathed. Doesn't mean we were all bullied per se. What can we believe with Vitney? I'm not sure if anything she says is true.

I'm glad you brought this up.  I noticed the discrepancy myself.  I was bullied as a kid (single digits) and could smell the BS with her.  No way was she bullied if she actually were all that popular, plus thin.  One of those things I believe would be a lie or a misrepresentation.  Plus she makes it sound like she was bullied because of her weight but she didn't get fat until what would have had to have been after that.  So I'm not buying it either.

[Snarklepuss]

59 minutes ago, Madding crowd said:

Whitney's tears looked real to me when she was talking to Kerryn outside. I can't see how that could be faked. She was probably hired by the show and told to comment on Whitney's fatness since that is the only thing the show cares about now. But I doubt Whitney was in one it.

OK, YMMV, but Whitney, though she may be messed up is not stupid and I don't think the show could pull off all of this stuff they've been doing with her this season that consistently without her waking up to it.  She's not THAT stupid, IMHO.  I would have seen through that like Saran Wrap.  Kerryn "just happening" to show up at the radio station when she's there and saying provocative stuff about fat people. Her and Buddy going to see Kerryn's show.....For what reason?  Then "just happening" to run into her outside so they can have a confrontation.  I just don't believe these things all just happen to happen and Whitney is at the receiving end of it without knowing that it's all been planned in advance.  It's all just part of the script.  She has to know what's happening.  She is obviously a convincing actress.  We know she's pretty manipulative even when she's being "sincere", so I don't doubt she can pull the crocodile tears on command either.  I can just hear her saying, "OK, this is where Kerryn fat shames me and I get upset and cry".  She probably thinks it's furthering her cause of hating on fat shamers, but the one thing she's wrong about is it's only making HER look bad.  Otherwise, I think she knew all of it beforehand.

Edited July 22, 2016 by Snarklepuss

[LocalGovt]

1 hour ago, Snarklepuss said:

I am coming to the conclusion that Whitney herself is in on the joke along with the show's producers.  I think she has abandoned any goal of looking good to the world so she doesn't mind if they spin a negative image of her, as long as it's good for ratings.  She's playing a part.  I don't know if this change is TPTB's or hers or both.  Either way, she is not complaining about it and letting it happen.  And they know that the people who buy into the No BS campaign will still like her in spite of the bad image because with that image she validates everything bad about themselves that they don't want to change.

Yes, I find that odd, as well.   How could she NOT be posting somewhere (or having someone post on her behalf) saying to her adoring fans, "I didn't do/say/imply _____________...it was all due to editing, and it's all fake!"  Or...has she done this, and I missed it?  I miss a lot. :)

[princelina]

1 hour ago, lallalla said:

She was paid by TLC, but was she actually a plant? I know some things were highlighted /setup/made to look other than, but was the entire thing a hired setup?

Does my attempt at a distinction make sense?

 

1 hour ago, mamapajama said:

The word she used is "hired."  She doesn't make it sound like she was paid, simply because her segment on the radio faux was used on TLC.  Her phrasing, on her FB page, makes it sound like she was hired, and told which buttons to push. 

I believe she said something like "They hired me to give my opinion" which says to me that either they found her because she does fat jokes, or they looked at several comedians and picked her because she was not ashamed to "bully" Whitney on tv.  The final scene of Whitney and Buddy walking past her and her friend was obviously set up - not another soul in sight, but they happened to run into each other.  But their dialogue probably wasn't planned out, so what they said was spontaneous.  And Whitney is not good at holding up her end of the argument when the other person dares to talk back.

4 minutes ago, Snarklepuss said:

OK, YMMV, but Whitney, though she may be messed up is not stupid and I don't think the show could pull off all of this stuff they've been doing with her this season that consistently without her waking up to it.  She's not THAT stupid, IMHO.  I would have seen through that like Saran Wrap.  Kerryn "just happening" to show up at the radio station when she's there and saying provocative stuff about fat people. Her and Buddy going to see Kerryn's show.....For what reason?  I just don't believe these things all just happen to happen and Whitney is at the receiving end of it without knowing that it's all been planned in advance.  It's all just part of the script.  She has to know what's happening.  She is obviously a convincing actress.  We know she's pretty manipulative even when she's being "sincere", so I don't doubt she can pull the crocodile tears on command either.

That's what makes me wish I were a fly on the wall this season when Whitney and friends are watching the show.  They film hours and hours of stuff to get an hour a week - Whitney is used to being edited one way and this season is different.  Even if she's not saying so on FB, I still think she might be surprised at what/how the editors are showing her this year.  Or she is just that delusional and doesn't think she looks bad!

[greekmom]

45 minutes ago, Snarklepuss said:

ITA - Last season I posted here that I thought she should do "Dancing with the Stars".  I know it's only a matter of time before it happens, LOL.  When I saw this episode with the "dance competition" I said, "Here we go!".

I can't see how Dancing with the Stars would take Twitney.  Big actresses who were on there such as Kristy Alley were half of Twit's size. 

[LocalGovt]

1 hour ago, Madding crowd said:

Whitney's tears looked real to me when she was talking to Kerryn outside. I can't see how that could be faked. She was probably hired by the show and told to comment on Whitney's fatness since that is the only thing the show cares about now. But I doubt Whitney was in one it.

Her tears probably were real because she's delusional enough to have totally bought into this little story she's built of her life  -- "No one values me as a human because I'm fat! You're all looking at me, or making fun of me, behind my back! I was bullied as a child!!"

She has built up this fantasy world, and I'm pretty convinced she believes it happened. Why did she get bullied as a child? As many have pointed out, she was thin then, and seemed popular.  Part of me wonders if she suffered some type of sexual abuse as a child.  I hear that as a recurring theme with a lot of compulsive eaters. (Not all.)

[operalover]

Of course the commedian was asked and hired to come on the show. Nothing on the show is coincidence.  She was hired but only because they heard her making fat jokes or she may have even mentioned Whitneed in her act. They asked her to play a gig in Charlotte and be on the radio while Whitkneed was working- during her shift. That was always obvious that it was not just a coincidence. I am sure someone got the idea for it by hearing her act. All comedians can use exposure so when asked to be on a reality show, well why not?

[silverspoons]

Has Whitney talked more about this depression and dark time in her life? I'll admit I have not watched every episode. I wonder if Whit listens to herself, saying when she was depressed, she sat in the dark eating a pizza, and then blames the weight gain on PCOS. A whole pizza in the middle of the night because you are depressed is a sign of a different issue.

The depression component when morbidly  obese I think really scares the family and friends. The silence at the birthday party table when Whit joked about her big meal being fine since it was a special night, said to me that no one wants to speak up. My husband had a cousin who went from an active 200 lb women to over 500 lbs. First it was a car accident , that of course scared the family and they took care of her and she gained more then a 100lbs. Then she blamed various medical conditions, then she couldn't find workout clothes or a swimsuit, there was always an excuse but the family was still trying to get her out and eating right. Then she started the depression talk. Another family member years ago while waiting for a transplant killed themselves. It crushed the family so when they heard this cousin speak about depression they became enablers out of fear. It was so sad as an outsider to watch a young women with a masters degree on disability , text her mother who was in another room to bring her food and her mom was on hospice. I loved her mom and begged her to get her daughter help but her mom had the overwhelmling fear about the depression leading to suicide so she had to keep her daughter happy with food. I would really like Whit to speak more about the depression and her family's response. I know the show is suppose to be happy but at this point Whit needs to come clean about how she is really feeling and why she is regaining weight.

 

On dancing with the stars, have they ever taken a TLC "star"? besides Kate G? It seems live ABC picks people from certain networks ABC/Disney/Bravo/E!.

[Cinnamini11]

2 hours ago, mamapajama said:

The comedian says on her FB page that she was hired by TLC.  It was all a manufactured storyline.  She might always incorporate that into her act, don't know, but she was a plant.

She might've been hired by TLC, but I think she wholeheartedly believes what she's saying. Especially because of how she talks about her alcoholism and her uncle "dying of obesity." She sounds like one of those people who are just like--'well I did it so you should be able to too' and if not you're clearly "lazy" with a "quitter mentality".

[mamadrama]

22 minutes ago, greekmom said:

I can't see how Dancing with the Stars would take Twitney.  Big actresses who were on there such as Kristy Alley were half of Twit's size. 

Well, they have taken people with missing limbs, the elderly, and the otherwise disabled. I don't see them shunning Twit, even if she is heavier. They love a good "against the odds" story and would milk the hell out of her storyline-maybe even try to claim that it was THEIR SHOW that brought her back from the clutches of death. Like every other reality show, DWTS is about ratings and attention. Le Twit is totally relevant and has a huge following ( hee hee). 

[mamadrama]

1 hour ago, Madding crowd said:

Whitney's tears looked real to me when she was talking to Kerryn outside. I can't see how that could be faked. She was probably hired by the show and told to comment on Whitney's fatness since that is the only thing the show cares about now. But I doubt Whitney was in one it.

I have a 5 year old and 9 year old. Believeable looking tears with a heartbroken face are faked every day at our house.

They *could* have been legit tears, but for a totally diff reason-ie she was upset that she was losing the argument and not getting her way.

[operalover]

I think the commedian believed what she was saying and Whit was in a real argument, therefore real tears. The whole scene wasn't faked but bringing her onto the show was. Like the dance contest has to be fake because what if they got there and TLC was refused filming rights? Reality shows deal with this all the time so they have to set up their own scenarios in order to not worry about getting permission from the actual people involved. 

[mamapajama]

43 minutes ago, LocalGovt said:

Yes, I find that odd, as well.   How could she NOT be posting somewhere (or having someone post on her behalf) saying to her adoring fans, "I didn't do/say/imply _____________...it was all due to editing, and it's all fake!"  Or...has she done this, and I missed it?  I miss a lot. :)

She responded to a comment on Yukon's page, defending him.  (Yes, I have a life, but I am on summer break, it's 95 outside, and I am way too into TV.)  People were jumping him for not being home at 3:00 am, not answering every text within minutes, etc.  She said that he is the best boyfriend she has ever had, and that he is edited poorly.  She was all snippy, and said that producers had edited 1000 hours of her life down to eight hours of TV. 

[Cinnamini11]

1 hour ago, Snarklepuss said:

I'm glad you brought this up.  I noticed the discrepancy myself.  I was bullied as a kid (single digits) and could smell the BS with her.  No way was she bullied if she actually were all that popular, plus thin.  One of those things I believe would be a lie or a misrepresentation.  Plus she makes it sound like she was bullied because of her weight but she didn't get fat until what would have had to have been after that.  So I'm not buying it either.

I'm not saying whether Whitney is lying or telling the truth, but I will say that kids are bullied for the most arbitrary reasons.  If you're thin and pretty it may help to insulate you a little, but school gossip and teasing is brutal. Someone can go from being cool to being ostracized in a week. Kids will bully you about anything. And a lot of the time even the bullied will start bullying other kids.

Plus some people are just wired differently. No one is immune to bullying and hateful comments, but some can roll their eyes and move on, while others can be completely devastated emotionally by a similar incident. 

(and if she were bullied partly because of her weight even though she was fine I wouldn't necessarily be surprised. kids will smell out your insecurities and pounce. lol it doesn't have to be even remotely true)

[Lesia]

What hit home for me was when the comedienne said "I'm an alcoholic, and I struggle EVERY DAY.."  Recovering (and not recovering) addicts struggle EVERY DAY because even though every cell in their bodies is screaming for booze  or cigarettes or sex or bagels they fight it because it's the only way they will survive.

Whitney is very comfortable, if not fabulous, and she doesn't feel the need to struggle, to fight, to want to overcome an addiction.

[ClareWalks]

I liked the comedian, but I didn't think her comedy was particularly funny. But I see how her personality would rub most people the wrong way. She reminds me of my older brother, who is a very caustic and brutally "honest" (ie, dickish) guy, but the fact that he is very genuine and loyal is a plus. It's the personality type that you'd really have to get to know before you enjoyed it at all. So I agree that she could have been less vocal about Whitney's issues, although it definitely seemed like she had been watching the show so she may know as much about Whitney's denial and hypocrisy as we all do ;)

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, Lesia said:

Whitney is very comfortable, if not fabulous, and she doesn't feel the need to struggle, to fight, to want to overcome an addiction.

Could you elaborate a bit more on this Lesia?  I don't understand what you mean.

[aliya]

2 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

I am coming to the conclusion that Whitney herself is in on the joke along with the show's producers.  I think she has abandoned any goal of looking good to the world so she doesn't mind if they spin a negative image of her, as long as it's good for ratings.  

Well, if Whit is trading being able to breathe at night w/o a machine, tying her own shoes, fitting in a car, and wearing clothes that don't require spandex and leggings for a paycheck, good luck with that. It's not the bargain with the devil that I'd want to make at that age. 

[DoctorWhovian]

1 hour ago, Snarklepuss said:

I'm glad you brought this up.  I noticed the discrepancy myself.  I was bullied as a kid (single digits) and could smell the BS with her.  No way was she bullied if she actually were all that popular, plus thin.  One of those things I believe would be a lie or a misrepresentation.  Plus she makes it sound like she was bullied because of her weight but she didn't get fat until what would have had to have been after that.  So I'm not buying it either.

I think "bullied" has often come to mean "made fun of by someone a few times." Bullying is more systematic, continuous, and done by groups. Everyone is made fun of sometimes, even the popular kids. But it's once in a while, and it blows over when the next kid farts in front of the class. Every celebrity now talks about being bullied because it's such a hot topic with social media making it easier, but their exaggerations or lying about it does nobody any good. It just diminishes the actual problem (especially when they turn around and do the same thing themselves on social media, or don't say something when their fans do it, ahem).

[Ocean Chick]

2 hours ago, Dirtybubble said:

Can the pig come back?  I miss seeing the cute little pet piggy Babs got. 

From the previews, we get the pig back next week, and it seems to be humping everything in sight, including Twit's and Glen's legs.  I hope the pig bought them both dinner first.

[Yokosmom]

OK, I have to admit that I watch this show while doing other things.  Did she say "bullied as a kid" or just bullied?  Because I can see (not condone) people making fun of her in her twenties as she gained the weight. 

I wonder if her obnoxious braying is truly her, or does she just think that this is a way of proving that she is happy and fabulous.

[Cherrio]

7 minutes ago, ClareWalks said:

although it definitely seemed like she had been watching the show so she may know as much about Whitney's denial and hypocrisy as we all do ;)

While I agree the comic was not great, she did make valid points both in the radio station and outside after the show.  Because of Whitneys own words, she pointed out that she has an answer, excuse or lie for everything. Will said the same thing in this episode.

 If the PCOS doesn't work, she tries the bullying, so called eating disorders (which I happen not to believe)stress and on and on.    It is no different from a drug addicts long list of excuses, reasons and lies to justify or obtain drugs.  In fact, I just finished a book about a famous addict and his wife has a list of what to be on the look out for and it reminded me of Whitney.

 Whitney basically said the same things to Will on this episode that she said to the comic, just in a different tone.   But, it was very telling to me how she dismissed him at the end by saying have a good day without even a glance in his direction.  

Then she always seems to find Buddy who enables her and as we saw made a nasty comment sans any content to the comic. The comic was correct in her response.   But she even turned on Buddy when he dared to win the couples game.  She , iirc even ordered Buddy and his girlfriend to leave and go upstairs.

[Cinnamini11]

@silverspoons She has. I don't remember all the specific episodes but I do remember her being on stage (at her alma mater I think?) talking about her depression and how she would cover all the mirrors at her boyfriends house etc etc. But she does say that not all of her weight gain is due to PCOS. She had a large amount of rapid weight gain which because the PCOS. But she said she continued bad eating habits, stopped exercising (+depression, eating disorders) since then which adds to her weight.  Though I do think she targeted the PCOS for it harder for her to lose weight/keep it off.

As for the situation you mentioned, I agree the depression can be so hard for family and friends. People feel so helpless against it. It's also a very short term vs long term solution. Like yeah food makes her happy at this moment but after that it just adds to her depression and suicidal thoughts. 

[LocalGovt]

43 minutes ago, Ocean Chick said:

From the previews, we get the pig back next week, and it seems to be humping everything in sight, including Twit's and Glen's legs.  I hope the pig bought them both dinner first.

That preview was just...bizarre.  The pig is humping her leg, and she throws her arms up, and flops back on the couch.  No jumping up, and shaking the pig  off??!!!

[LocalGovt]

43 minutes ago, Ocean Chick said:

From the previews, we get the pig back next week, and it seems to be humping everything in sight, including Twit's and Glen's legs.  I hope the pig bought them both dinner first.

That preview was just...bizarre.  The pig is humping her leg, and she throws her arms up, and flops back on the couch.  No jumping up, and shaking the pig  off??!!!

[jacksgirl]

So interesting to read all of the comments. I am not sure if Whitney is in on the joke. I think there are times this season where the footage has been so unflattering of her. The greasy hair, the bad skin, the very unflattering angles and close-ups that are pictured of her rear end and jiggling body parts. I do 100% think that the comedian was a hire. Remember the gentleman questioning her at Appalachian State? He was not paid that was a TLC plant to ask a question that Whitney might struggle to answer. I do think the producers really hate Whitney and are tired of her nonsense. I feel the same way about the Kody Brown family and the Teen Mom girls I think these video crewd and editors get so tired of these annoying, selfish people but they just can't help but put them in a bad light.

[lallalla]

I'm sooo addicted to this forum, I hope for new responses, just so I can greedily consume them.

[Nowhere]

56 minutes ago, lallalla said:

I'm sooo addicted to this forum, I hope for new responses, just so I can greedily consume them.

I'm so addicted, I don't know if I should be worried about myself. My family might stage an intervention. 

Edited July 22, 2016 by Nowhere

[Snarklepuss]

2 hours ago, Cinnamini11 said:

I'm not saying whether Whitney is lying or telling the truth, but I will say that kids are bullied for the most arbitrary reasons.  If you're thin and pretty it may help to insulate you a little, but school gossip and teasing is brutal. Someone can go from being cool to being ostracized in a week. Kids will bully you about anything. And a lot of the time even the bullied will start bullying other kids.

Oh I'm sure you're right about that, but I just don't believe that Whitney was ever bullied even if she believes she was.  She's not the type to be bullied.  With her big mouth and personality no one would ever DARE attempt it.  Bullies never go after people like that - Usually they target people they know are easy because they are shy or lack confidence and won't defend themselves.  Whitney as we all know is NOT that person.  I just get upset that she thinks she was bullied and is trying to capitalize on that and garner sympathy.  Hell NO to that ever being the case.  I'll bet my sheepskin in Psychology on that one.

1 hour ago, DoctorWhovian said:

I think "bullied" has often come to mean "made fun of by someone a few times." Bullying is more systematic, continuous, and done by groups. Everyone is made fun of sometimes, even the popular kids. But it's once in a while, and it blows over when the next kid farts in front of the class. Every celebrity now talks about being bullied because it's such a hot topic with social media making it easier, but their exaggerations or lying about it does nobody any good. It just diminishes the actual problem (especially when they turn around and do the same thing themselves on social media, or don't say something when their fans do it, ahem).

THANK YOU.  This is exactly what I am talking about.  I was a victim of bullying back in the '60s when we didn't even have a word for it, but you are exactly right about that - That's exactly how it was for me.  To have Whitney capitalize on that makes my blood boil because I am sure she has no clue what true bullying is like.  Even people calling you names in the street is not bullying.  But today everyone seems to have stretched the meaning to mean anyone saying anything negative even if only once.  Not the case.

Edited July 22, 2016 by Snarklepuss

[Alapaki]

16 minutes ago, Snarklepuss said:

THANK YOU.  This is exactly what I am talking about.  I was a victim of bullying back in the '60s when we didn't even have a word for it, but you are exactly right about that - That's exactly how it was for me.  To have Whitney capitalize on that makes my blood boil because I am sure she has no clue what true bullying is like.  Even people calling you names in the street is not bullying.  But today everyone seems to have stretched the meaning to mean anyone saying anything negative even if only once.  Not the case.

Exactly.  Whitney needs take her "bullied" sob stories and shove them right up her fucking ass.  

Not to go all "Get off my lawn!", but where I come from, being made of fun of for one's superficial characteristics is called being an adolescent!

Look, let Whitney try growing up as a pudgy kid with the first name "Albert" when one of the biggest cartoons at the time (when cartoons were a real thing) was Fat Albert. ( Yeah, fuck you too Bill Cosby).  How'd you like to be greeted with "hey hey HEY" every day?  

The way you deal with it is, as the "comedienne said", you fucking deal and you move on and you get perspective.  You don't make it the excuse and validation for every failed aspect of your miserable life.

But Whitney will never deal with it and she'll never move on, because at 32 she's still a fucking child.  And now she has a "reality" show salary, a kaffeeklatsch of social barnacles, and parents who are probably weary of having carried her financially this far already, all depending upon and urging her to remain emotionally, psychologically, and socially growth-retarded.

[Pdxblonde]

Someone upthread mentioned if maybe Whit had been abused or sexually abused as a child, as a lot of addicts are victims of sexual abuse. That's not a bad observation. Maybe a relative or someone they knew molested her, and that's maybe the reason Babs and Glen have babied her so much over the years and have been so over protective?

[mamadrama]

1 hour ago, Nowhere said:

I'm so addicted, I don't know if I should be worried about myself. My family might stage an intervention. 

I hear that...

My DH: You working?

ME: Uh...yeah...I am, uh, doing...research...

(...guiltily tries to hide tablet from prying eyes as I scroll through new replies...)

[SongbirdHollow]

5 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

ITA - Last season I posted here that I thought she should do "Dancing with the Stars".  I know it's only a matter of time before it happens, LOL.  When I saw this episode with the "dance competition" I said, "Here we go!".

 

4 hours ago, mamadrama said:

Well, they have taken people with missing limbs, the elderly, and the otherwise disabled. I don't see them shunning Twit, even if she is heavier. They love a good "against the odds" story and would milk the hell out of her storyline-maybe even try to claim that it was THEIR SHOW that brought her back from the clutches of death. Like every other reality show, DWTS is about ratings and attention. Le Twit is totally relevant and has a huge following ( hee hee). 

They might take disabled (differently abled?) people but I'm sure there is some kind of medical exam, at least for insurance purposes, and she'd never pass it. The overweight people that have been on have been basically healthy, not smokers on CPAP.

I do NOT want to see the pig and was so disappointed when they got it. Not an appropriate pet for anywhere but a farm, sorry. And now it looks like it wasn't neutered. I could really rant here, but since it's off topic I'll resist.

[seasons]

2 hours ago, lallalla said:

I'm sooo addicted to this forum, I hope for new responses, just so I can greedily consume them.

Word.

[MrHufflepuff]

As far as the pig humping goes, that's pretty standard TLC fare.  Anna Duggar has been letting a pig hump her for years.

Thank you folks, I'll be here all week.