Season 4 Discussion

[greekmom]

9 minutes ago, sleepyjean said:

Jorge is so...I can't  think of the right word for his approach to conflict resolution with anfisa.amateurish? juvenile? in this and other arguments he'said said things like "can you just get over it?" "Can we be done fighting now?" "Can you stop being mad now?" 

That would piss me off and i'm not half the B she is. and trying to hug her into submission? how can he not know that that is exactly the wrong thing to do? especially the second time! Can he really be so oblivious to not pick up that the LAST thing she wants at that moment is him touching her?

Meanwhile prior to this she never said anything  (on camera) about wanting to be wooed with gifts and flowers and romance. so far she has not hesitated to demand what she wants. so has she been saying it and he hasn't been doing it, or did she pull that out of her butt? Just before the big fight in the restaurant he gave her $1000. that's a he'll of a gift. but this is anfisa and  nothing will ever be enough.  (that was plenty of money to pay for a date change  on her return flight though)

But wasn't that their status m.o.? I thought he said back in an early episode before she came over that they would fight online and he would makeup by buying her something expensive.

1 hour ago, Pepper Mostly said:

Who can jet off to Vietnam on a moment's notice? Just for a yuk I went to Expedia, cheapest flights were about $1200. I just don't understand her. She knows the guy is full of shit. Is she deluding herself by saying "well, he told me straight up about wanting the green card, so I can believe what he says from now on"? What is the story with the mother of his child? She is in the US, but she's not bringing him over? Oh, and if Lowo is paying for that hotel I'll eat my hat. And if he's a prince, I'm the queen of Romania.

And I'm the Queen of Greece.   I really don't get Narkiya.  This guy lied, she knows he lied and yet she thinks he's the best she can do because she REALLY REALLY wants to marry.  I have not pity for her. She made her bed.

[CoachWristletJen]

1 hour ago, guilfoyleatpp said:

Hubs and I noted that she looked "rougher."  I don't know how it is other places, but here you have your different dancer types.  There are the girls who are athletes, work out regularly, take their shit seriously, act professional etc.  It's a job and they take pride in it.

There are girls who do it sometimes because they are cute and young and for them it's a lot of money. They dabble and then go on to other things.

There are girls who walk the line between drug addiction, stripping, and escorting. They take the shady jobs, don't really work out, and are sometimes very very slender. 

The girl shown didn't look particularly athletic, and her repeated demands that Matt open his legs was not very compelling. It was clumsy and amateurish. A higher level of dancer would be a little more smooth about it.  Well, a lot more smooth.

Yes, I thought so, too. It was kind of sad, actually. She was not at all glib or smooth or even much of a dancer.  And she looked too thin ~ not healthy. Not that any of them are really healthy or in a good place in life, but the better paid ones are better put together and invest in the glamour of it ~ better tips that way!

And, Matt said NO. No means NO! It doesn't matter if his buddies are thinking that he really wanted it or whatever, no still means NO.  

That's what no means no means.

I felt sorry for the guy. I hope he can go home and be a good father to Max. I hope Alla can build him up. And I hope that the two of them can really start to love each other! He really needs a little kindness in his life!

[CoachWristletJen]

On 10/31/2016 at 6:19 PM, lids said:

Jorge and Anfisa are the most interesting couple. That scene where he comes in from sleeping in the car was very telling. She was giving him doe eyes and seemed genuinely relieved that he was home but at the same time every time he would try to have an actual conversation with her she would bark, "No." It's like when you talk to a 2 year old while they're sleepy. They just keep saying no to be contrary. Anyway, there non verbals throughout that scene showed that they're in some weird emotional dance.

She's definitely sending mixed messages. In one of the early episodes, she said that she and Jorge have great chemistry. (Ew.) When she went to meet his sister she was stressed about making a good impression and when his sister said she was worried about Jorge being used for his money, Anfisa assured her she had nothing to worry about. One of the tweets also said that Jorge is the only person Anfisa's ever slept with. (Once again, Ew. Also, I would like a Maury Povich lie detector on that one cause I don't think so.)

I wish we knew more about Anfisa's background. Was she abandoned by her parents? Why does she live with her grandmother? Her affect suggests she might be emotionally stunted. She doesn't make a good gold-digger at all. She hasn't received one thing she demanded. No purse, no wedding dress, no ring. I think Jorge is playing her more than she realizes. She shouldn't underestimate a guy because he appears "safe." He's already basically said he will let her bark because he can wait her out. There relationship is based on mutual manipulation.

ETA: I understand why she chose Jorge now. Last week he said Anfisa is obsessed with Hollywood, so she probably chose him because he lives in LA and she dreamed of coming and being discovered. She does not have the business sense of a real gold digger.

Weird emotional dance is right! What makes it worse is that Jorge is the ONLY person that she has to talk with besides the film crew. She may not care for him at all. She might be fed up and disgusted with him, but he's all she's got right now.

And, how barren was her life in Russia that she thinks the void can be filled with Instagram photos and designer shoes?

I've been really hard on Jorge, probably because I know how horrible sexual exploitation is for the people who work in it and even if this relationship is consensual, it's not in any way healthy. It's disturbing and sick. She's really hurting him but perhaps it's hurting her to be in it. She needs to go home and get some therapy, and then find a healthy relationship based on mutual attraction instead of being bought. She's a pretty girl in spite of all that wretched second rate surgery. She needs to stop mutilating her face for one thing, and work on her insides, and then find a guy who stirs real desire in her heart! Sorry I've been so hard on Jorge. Real men don't pay for sex, Jorge! Start working out and find a woman you don't have to rent. You can absolutely do that, and it will feel so much better to be loved for who you actually are! Who knows, you might even start liking yourself a little? Just work on becoming a really good guy! Then you won't feel a need to get punished.

I don't really know what's going on in her head, how jaded she is or how much she really even cares any more or if even once she is capable of dropping the obstinate little girl act and talking about what's really going on with her? I would like to think she can be real 

[Pepper Mostly]

1 hour ago, greekmom said:

Jorge is so...I can't  think of the right word for his approach to conflict resolution with anfisa.amateurish? juvenile? in this and other arguments he'said said things like "can you just get over it?" "Can we be done fighting now?" "Can you stop being mad now?" 

 

He gets that look on his face, like a little boy who's been denied a popsicle. It is not the expression of a grown man. He's a man baby. 

1 hour ago, greekmom said:

And I'm the Queen of Greece.   I really don't get Narkiya.  This guy lied, she knows he lied and yet she thinks he's the best she can do because she REALLY REALLY wants to marry.  I have not pity for her. She made her bed.

I have a feeling she thinks she's coming across as smart and sharp "if he says he just had lunch I'm going to want to see his plate". Can't fool Narkiya! Its sad. I can smell the sleaze coming off Lowo right through my TV!  

[sleepyjean]

Quote

Weird emotional dance is right! What makes it worse is that Jorge is the ONLY person that she has to talk with besides the film crew. She may not care for him at all. She might be fed up and disgusted with him, but he's all she's got right now.

I also have the feeling SHE is all HE'S got right now. He's clearly not close with family. We haven't seen any of his friends. Maybe they are all camera-shy because they're working in the not-so-legal side of pot. Or maybe he just doesn't have many friends. It would be another contributing factor to his odd relationship with Anfisa. Lonely guy. Can't get a girl. Finally gets a hottie from another country and will do anything to not be alone again.

[hisbunkie]

21 hours ago, Nutella said:

It has nothing to do with his background but rather that he's from a poor coyuntry where a lot of people receive money from relatives in the United States.

again, respectfully....we know nothing about this young man's socioeconomic back ground or his family's.

[Aw my lahgs]

27 minutes ago, hisbunkie said:

again, respectfully....we know nothing about this young man's socioeconomic back ground or his family's.

There are a lot of indicators :)

[hisbunkie]

3 minutes ago, Nutella said:

There are a lot of indicators :)

I must of missed them, I apologize.

[MrSmith]

9 hours ago, hisbunkie said:

again, respectfully....we know nothing about this young man's socioeconomic back ground or his family's.

9 hours ago, Nutella said:

There are a lot of indicators :)

9 hours ago, hisbunkie said:

I must of missed them, I apologize.

For me, if he were a child of a family of means, then he would be at least conversant in English - if not outright fluent. Also, I would think he would be better dressed. Personally, I'm really hoping they do not get married because there's no way this relationship survives. They don't talk about and make decisions together about things that affect them both (like lying about being here on a student visa). And if he thinks she's going to stop partying, I think he is sadly mistaken. Someone who drinks that much and who specifically drinks to get drunk isn't going to stop doing that just because they got married.

As far as other indicators of his socio-economic background, I can't think of anything else off the top of my head. If I do, I'll come back and mention them.

[CoachWristletJen]

On 11/1/2016 at 9:15 AM, Neurochick said:

I would not consider either one of them hot, but it seems that Dani and Narkyia do.

Mo is a solid Sandusky 10.

[DangerousMinds]

13 hours ago, sleepyjean said:

I also have the feeling SHE is all HE'S got right now. He's clearly not close with family. We haven't seen any of his friends. Maybe they are all camera-shy because they're working in the not-so-legal side of pot. Or maybe he just doesn't have many friends. It would be another contributing factor to his odd relationship with Anfisa. Lonely guy. Can't get a girl. Finally gets a hottie from another country and will do anything to not be alone again.

I think it's been said he has a big family? And I assume coworkers. We see exactly what TLC wants us to see.

12 hours ago, hisbunkie said:

again, respectfully....we know nothing about this young man's socioeconomic back ground or his family's.

thank you!!

13 minutes ago, CoachWristletJen said:

Mo is a solid Sandusky 10.

I'm in Ohio, and I vehemently disagree. But YMMV.

[CoachWristletJen]

2 minutes ago, DangerousMinds said:

I think it's been said he has a big family? And I assume coworkers. We see exactly what TLC wants us to see.

thank you!!

I'm in Ohio, and I vehemently disagree. But YMMV.

True that!! LOL Remember, I didn't say Ohio, that small part named unfortunately named Sandusky. (Jeez, might as well live in Ted Bundy, OH after what happened!) And, all I have to go on is what I've seen of it on the show... Dani's wedding crowd, bar videos, etc.

[sleepyjean]

Having a big family doesn't mean you are a close family or are involved ineach others lives beyond obligatory holidays.I imagine if they were close, jorge would have told his siblings about anfisa, but i seem to recall his sister saying she was surprised and hadn't known any of it was going on. maybe I'm misremembering. 

[DangerousMinds]

One of his sisters met with Jorge and Anfisa a few episodes ago, and the sister mentioned the rest of his family being aware of his relationship.

[J80134]

1 hour ago, CoachWristletJen said:

Mo is a solid Sandusky 10.

LOL. I'm from a small town, so can see how this is true. too bad for Mo he is only a Miami 6.

[magemaud]

18 hours ago, sleepyjean said:

Jorge is so...I can't  think of the right word for his approach to conflict resolution with anfisa. amateurish? juvenile? in this and other arguments he'said said things like "can you just get over it?" "Can we be done fighting now?" "Can you stop being mad now?" 

My word for it is "preschool" even down to the "now say you're sorry and give her a hug" approach. 

[lallalla]

2 hours ago, CoachWristletJen said:

Mo is a solid Sandusky 10.

And yet barely meets the requirement of, "You must be this tall to ride this ride."

Luckily for him, he looks tall on TV because Danielle is barely taller than a person from Munchkin Land or an Oompa Loompa.  

Or not luckily for him. Because in some shots, he's good-looking, it'd be dang disappointing to be "one of those women" who dial him up, only to discover IRL, he's not tall at all, he's pocket-sized.

(And I'm a shortie, for reference, only 5'2.5", but I can't even with a guy that's 5'6", which I was stunned to discover about him)

49 minutes ago, J80134 said:

LOL. I'm from a small town, so can see how this is true. too bad for Mo he is only a Miami 6.

Dang, that's generous of you. Add in his personality, those cold sores, and his Willy Wonka shortness and he's batting a 1, or below.

2 hours ago, CoachWristletJen said:

True that!! LOL Remember, I didn't say Ohio, that small part named unfortunately named Sandusky. (Jeez, might as well live in Ted Bundy, OH after what happened!) And, all I have to go on is what I've seen of it on the show... Dani's wedding crowd, bar videos, etc.

Wasn't Sadusky where Tommy Boy took place?! 

I could so easily Google that, now I will.

[CoachWristletJen]

21 minutes ago, lallalla said:

And yet barely meets the requirement of, "You must be this tall to ride this ride."

Luckily for him, he looks tall on TV because Danielle is barely taller than a person from Munchkin Land or an Oompa Loompa.  

Or not luckily for him. Because in some shots, he's good-looking, it'd be dang disappointing to be "one of those women" who dial him up, only to discover IRL, he's not tall at all, he's pocket-sized.

(And I'm a shortie, for reference, only 5'2.5", but I can't even with a guy that's 5'6", which I was stunned to discover about him)

Dang, that's generous of you. Add in his personality, those cold sores, and his Willy Wonka shortness and he's batting a 1, or below.

Wasn't Sadusky where Tommy Boy took place?! 

I could so easily Google that, now I will.

It always made me think of Jerry Sandusky, the Penn State child rapist.

[J80134]

22 minutes ago, lallalla said:

 

Dang, that's generous of you. Add in his personality, those cold sores, and his Willy Wonka shortness and he's batting a 1, or below.

Wasn't considering personality, which is a -0. My old eyes missed the cold sores. Maybe that's why he likes the cougars. Bad eyes. also didn't know he's a shorty. That explains a lot about the respect demands. short man's disease. 

[magemaud]

I hate that unshaved section of hair under his chin in some of Mo's THs. It reminds me of a Brazilian waxed "landing strip" 

[lallalla]

48 minutes ago, CoachWristletJen said:

It always made me think of Jerry Sandusky, the Penn State child rapist.

Well, thanks for that ear worm! LOL :D

[seahag50]

• I don't understand how this started talking about Danielle...I live just outside an even smaller town than Norwalk or Sandusky Ohio and trust me most of the people are educated and own their homes not in trouble with the law and good neighbors...the generalities I see regarding Ohio make me sad that you even go there....consider the person not the town.  I would never live in Miami where you have to carry a gun and have bars on your windows...here in Ohio I do feel safer.

[CoachWristletJen]

27 minutes ago, seahag50 said:

• I don't understand how this started talking about Danielle...I live just outside an even smaller town than Norwalk or Sandusky Ohio and trust me most of the people are educated and own their homes not in trouble with the law and good neighbors...the generalities I see regarding Ohio make me sad that you even go there....consider the person not the town.  I would never live in Miami where you have to carry a gun and have bars on your windows...here in Ohio I do feel safer.

Point well taken! And, I was well aware that I was not looking around at the town's elite (well, okay with the exception of the Mayor).

People make fun of my part of the country, too ~ in fact it's even worse! And, it's not anything like the stereotypes. Put it this way: I am not a toothless and married to a sibling.

I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. I get carried away sometimes. Ohio is beautiful and I have been there many times. And, in my part of the country the leaves are changing and there's nothing more beautiful.  I love the beach, but I would miss the change of the seasons.

[Lily247]

22 hours ago, CoachWristletJen said:

Weird emotional dance is right! What makes it worse is that Jorge is the ONLY person that she has to talk with besides the film crew. She may not care for him at all. She might be fed up and disgusted with him, but he's all she's got right now.

And, how barren was her life in Russia that she thinks the void can be filled with Instagram photos and designer shoes?

I've been really hard on Jorge, probably because I know how horrible sexual exploitation is for the people who work in it and even if this relationship is consensual, it's not in any way healthy. It's disturbing and sick. She's really hurting him but perhaps it's hurting her to be in it. She needs to go home and get some therapy, and then find a healthy relationship based on mutual attraction instead of being bought. She's a pretty girl in spite of all that wretched second rate surgery. She needs to stop mutilating her face for one thing, and work on her insides, and then find a guy who stirs real desire in her heart! Sorry I've been so hard on Jorge. Real men don't pay for sex, Jorge! Start working out and find a woman you don't have to rent. You can absolutely do that, and it will feel so much better to be loved for who you actually are! Who knows, you might even start liking yourself a little? Just work on becoming a really good guy! Then you won't feel a need to get punished.

I don't really know what's going on in her head, how jaded she is or how much she really even cares any more or if even once she is capable of dropping the obstinate little girl act and talking about what's really going on with her? I would like to think she can be real 

Exactly. I do remember her mentioning that she wants to be in Playboy, which would make the lingerie photoshoot make sense. It is very odd that she acted like she was not wit him for the money to his sister, but then tells him coldly that without $$$$$$$ she would not even sit next to him. And she claimed that she never had sex before him ? What ??? Those naked instagram pics ??

[CoachWristletJen]

13 minutes ago, Matias130 said:

Exactly. I do remember her mentioning that she wants to be in Playboy, which would make the lingerie photoshoot make sense. It is very odd that she acted like she was not wit him for the money to his sister, but then tells him coldly that without $$$$$$$ she would not even sit next to him. And she claimed that she never had sex before him ? What ??? Those naked instagram pics ??

Clearly Anfisa lies like a rug. She might have wanted to befriend his sisters although she will quickly realize that's an impossibility.

And there's been other men ~ unless her grandmother paid for all of that collagen? 

She doesn't really open up and talk about her family. (Mo never did either. Like, not at ALL, other than the generic, "I miss my family," which I'm sure he did. There was never, "My mother never got quiet and weird for 10 minutes like that like you did at Tom's Danielle.") 

Anfisa's biggest lie is never really letting any of us know who she really is. Surely there's someone underneath that stone cold bitch act which she herself seems weary of.

Seriously watching George accost her with that second unwanted bearhug was disturbing because it was like a hideous flash of everything she's been through to get to this point.

I see her as this poor, damaged, cold and hurting soul that would need to thaw out for a good long time in a safe environment before she could ever stop manipulating people. 

Edited November 2, 2016 by CoachWristletJen

[Lily247]

27 minutes ago, CoachWristletJen said:

Point well taken! And, I was well aware that I was not looking around at the town's elite (well, okay with the exception of the Mayor).

People make fun of my part of the country, too ~ in fact it's even worse! And, it's not anything like the stereotypes. Put it this way: I am not a toothless and married to a sibling.

I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. I get carried away sometimes. Ohio is beautiful and I have been there many times. And, in my part of the country the leaves are changing and there's nothing more beautiful.  I love the beach, but I would miss the change of the seasons.

CoastWristletJen, may I ask, do you live in West Virginia? Thats the only place where I heard of stereotypes like that. Also Kentucky. I dont mean to steroetype because I have only driven through these states and I was curious if thats what you meant. 

[CoachWristletJen]

1 minute ago, Matias130 said:

CoastWristletJen, may I ask, do you live in West Virginia? Thats the only place where I heard of stereotypes like that. Also Kentucky. I dont mean to steroetype because I have only driven through these states and I was curious if thats what you meant. 

You're pretty warm.

[NoeNoe]

43 minutes ago, CoachWristletJen said:

You're pretty warm.

Sounds like Tennessee to me. I should know..

[steff13]

On ‎11‎/‎1‎/‎2016 at 9:20 AM, MrSmith said:

I would include Anfisa in this list of non-hot foreigners this season. I'll give her that she's about a 5.5 or 5.75, but then I'm turned off by living blow-up dolls. So, that rating could be entirely anomalous to just me.

#1 son, age 17, who was home sick from school last week came in while I was watching the part of the episode with Anfisa's modeling photo shoot.  He said he didn't think she would make it as a model, because she's not what you would call "traditionally attractive," complete with the air quotes. 

[steff13]

56 minutes ago, NoeNoe said:

Sounds like Tennessee to me. I should know..

I've never heard that about Tennessee.  I think it's quite beautiful there, and all the people I've met are so kind. 

I'd never heard it about WV, either, but then there was that documentary, The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia.  I'm sure they're not the norm, though. 

As a proud Ohioan myself, I find Mo very average looking.  Pedro is very handsome, though, IMO. 

[trimthatfat]

On 10/31/2016 at 9:00 PM, millennium said:

The preview for next week tends to confirm everything I suspect about Pedro.   His mother's a real sweetiepie, isn't she?  "Don't sign anything!  Stupid Americans!"

 Maybe as in, "Don't sign anything because you if can't get her money then you can't send it back to us."   

I interpreted her resistance as more of 'Don't just sign what's handed to you'...advice I'd expect any parent to tell their child if they were being confronted with a pre-nup two days before a wedding. If Pedro is going to sign anything, it should not be one-sided. His interests need to be protected as well, he should have his own lawyer, and I doubt Chantel's parents care about that. Pedro hasn't once given me reason to believe that he's using anyone based on what we've seen on the show. He's been with Chantel for quite some time. The assumption that Chantel has something to protect and Pedro never will makes me uncomfortable. He could easily end up out-earning Chantel if he goes into a lucrative trade like working as a plumber or electrician.

[millennium]

15 minutes ago, trimthatfat said:

I interpreted her resistance as more of 'Don't just sign what's handed to you'...advice I'd expect any parent to tell their child if they were being confronted with a pre-nup two days before a wedding. If Pedro is going to sign anything, it should not be one-sided. His interests need to be protected as well, he should have his own lawyer, and I doubt Chantel's parents care about that. Pedro hasn't once given me reason to believe that he's using anyone based on what we've seen on the show. He's been with Chantel for quite some time. The assumption that Chantel has something to protect and Pedro never will makes me uncomfortable. He could easily end up out-earning Chantel if he goes into a lucrative trade like working as a plumber or electrician.

We all saw him lie to Father Chantel, pretending he didn't understand English to avoid telling the truth.

If he could lie to her father -- lying before a national audience -- why should we believe anything about him is genuine?

[trimthatfat]

3 minutes ago, millennium said:

We all saw him lie to Father Chantel, pretending he didn't understand English to avoid telling the truth.

If he could lie to her father -- lying before a national audience -- why should we believe anything about him is genuine?

I don't see Pedro in the same manner you do and likely won't going forward, so I'll agree to disagree. Chantel didn't want him to say anything so he didn't. It reflects more poorly on Chantel than it does Pedro, IMO.

[Adeejay]

On ‎11‎/‎1‎/‎2016 at 5:08 AM, NoSpam said:

Narkyia is one of the best spoken Americans we've seen on the show. It stuns me that she's chasing that scammer.

Narkyia may be intelligent, but she lacks common sense.   

[NoeNoe]

1 hour ago, steff13 said:

I've never heard that about Tennessee.  I think it's quite beautiful there, and all the people I've met are so kind. 

I'd never heard it about WV, either, but then there was that documentary, The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia.  I'm sure they're not the norm, though. 

As a proud Ohioan myself, I find Mo very average looking.  Pedro is very handsome, though, IMO. 

I've been in Tn for 16 years. Before that I was in Md for 20 and Germany/Md during my childhood. As long as we were in the states we would visit relatives deep in the Appalachians every summer, and believe me, the stereotypes didn't come out of nowhere. That said, Tn is very beautiful and for the most part people are sweet and friendly. I do love it here. I've thoroughly enjoyed each place I've lived and was able to immerse myself in life there. This is one of the reasons I just can't stand Nicole. She thinks it's so hard to enjoy Morocco and to try to live in his culture for five measly weeks? Come on! She really thinks being an American makes her something special. I'm American and there's nothing more special about me than the next guy on the street here. She's just so ignorant, so selfish, so UGH! 

Sometimes Mo looks okay to me but most of the time he's icky. Whoever up thread said Danielle is the perfect punishment for Mo couldn't have been more right now. She is everything he deserves for scamming his way here.

Pedro is adorbs. He has that face that makes you forgive almost anything.

I said almost, Narkyia. Learn girl. I thought Nicole and Chantel were the dumbest girls on the show but I was wrong.

Edited November 3, 2016 by NoeNoe

[NoeNoe]

I need to rant more. The way Nicole pawed and grabbed at Azan totally disgusted me. When someone says not to touch them, Don't touch them. It's as simple as that. Anything after they told you not to is assault and a violation of their body. Even if they're supposed to be in love and engaged they had never met in person and had no time to be comfortable with each other. That's besides the fact that it's the law. She's so gross for doing that. George and Nicole both need to learn this. 

Edited November 3, 2016 by NoeNoe
Typo

[sleepyjean]

Nicole left Morocco bummed out because she and Azan had spent a lot of her trip arguing with each other. She went home feeling like he didn't love her enough to show it. Let us not forget that the last time she was unhappy with Azan and felt he wasn't paying her enough attention, she cheated on him.

[happy hobo]

On 11/1/2016 at 1:15 AM, Matias130 said:

Seriously ????? wow...... its so bizarre in my mind for a man to demand alimony..... 4k/5k is a HUGE figure to pay every month. Do you mind me asking, are you middle class, or above average income? I am middle of the road income where I live (55K) and if I ever find myself in a divorce situation I'd be scared shitless from hearing about such alimony payments. 

At the time, I was making great money. Community property state (NV) . I was actually lucky. Generally the alimony is for half the length of the marriage. I was given a shorter time because of my age. It could have been $4k/mo for 9.5 yrs. 

He hadn't worked in YEARS.....and 'claimed' to be disabled (claimed being the operative word). But, it doesn't matter. In a community property state, they want both parties to have the 'same' income. 

[newyorkgirl]

Jorge- First of all, I hate how Anfisa calls him "George."  He has a real name. Use it.  Apart from this I don't know how anyone feels sorry for him.  He states that the does not like independent, intelligent, modern American women so he went to Russia to find someone way out of his league to buy.  He got what he paid for.  She is keeping up her end of the bargain by being seen with him and by sleeping in his bed.  She should get what he promised her in return. Just like when she said that he would not be with her if she was fat or ugly.  He choose to pass over thousands of women in the US who would be more suited to him to get a woman who will only be with him for money.  He needs to show her the money.  If he does not have as much cash as he led her to believe then that is fraud and he should allow her to return home and find another guy.  Even though she looks scary, she is still 20 and still looks good in a bikini and is still Russian. She can get a rich American man easily.  Jorge is young and fat.   She probably choose him because he is in his 20s instead of in his 50s.  My advice to Jorge would be to lose weight, change his barbaric opinions about women, get a steady job and then find a nice girl who will love him for himself.  

Anfisa- There is no shame in her game. I feel sorry that she has decided that all she has to offer is her body. She has had horrendous plastic surgery as a teen and has no self-respect.  Just because she comes from an economically disadvantaged country, she sees no problem in trading her youth and body for money.  This is a problem across Eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia and other places.  When men say that they want "traditional women" or "submissive women" or "feminine women" or some other euphemism, they are just saying that they want a poor woman who has no opportunities and who will therefore sell herself to get the things that she wants in life.   As bad as her facial work is, anyone who sees her with Jorge is going to think that she is a trophy wife. Money + Jorge= Anfisa.  She knows this and she is practical about it.   I don't excuse her behavior, but I don't know what kind of person I would be if I grew up in the world that she did and saw marrying a fat stranger as my only way out of poverty.  

[LocalGovt]

13 hours ago, DangerousMinds said:

I think it's been said he has a big family? And I assume coworkers. We see exactly what TLC wants us to see.

thank you!!

I'm in Ohio, and I vehemently disagree. But YMMV.

I'm near Cleveland (go Tribe!), and I also disagree!

[MrSmith]

11 hours ago, steff13 said:

#1 son, age 17, who was home sick from school last week came in while I was watching the part of the episode with Anfisa's modeling photo shoot.  He said he didn't think she would make it as a model, because she's not what you would call "traditionally attractive," complete with the air quotes. 

LOL! Love it! To me, the work she's had done on her lips makes her look like she's got a harelip. I bet she whistles while she sleeps. And hers is a face that requires make-up to look good.

[MrSmith]

10 hours ago, millennium said:

We all saw him lie to Father Chantel, pretending he didn't understand English to avoid telling the truth.

If he could lie to her father -- lying before a national audience -- why should we believe anything about him is genuine?

He was trying to keep the peace between himself and Chantel, as well as between Chantel and her family. He's been trying to tell Chantel from the start that lying to her family is just going to end in a catastrophe, but she refused to listen. So, he followed her lead when it comes to dealing with her family. This is not something that rises to such a level that we cannot believe anything he says.

[MrSmith]

10 hours ago, trimthatfat said:

lucrative trade like working as a plumber or electrician.

These are only going to be relatively well-paid if he becomes both literate and fluent in English. And it's only going to become truly lucrative if he learns absolutely everything there is to know and becomes capable of estimating and bidding on projects. My father-in-law before he passed was making more than 150k a year because he could estimate and bid on projects. By way of comparison, my wife's brother-in-law (her sister's husband) immigrated from Mexico more than 20 years ago and is conversant in English, but not literate. He's in HVAC (like my father-in-law was, who happened to also be a journeyman plumber and electrician) and makes enough to get by. He ends up laid off frequently because he can only do installations, not repair. So, while you can earn a decent living in a trade, you have to become very knowledgeable before it becomes "lucrative" - and even then there's no guarantee it will become "lucrative".

[hisbunkie]

On 11/2/2016 at 6:45 AM, MrSmith said:

For me, if he were a child of a family of means, then he would be at least conversant in English - if not outright fluent. Also, I would think he would be better dressed. Personally, I'm really hoping they do not get married because there's no way this relationship survives. They don't talk about and make decisions together about things that affect them both (like lying about being here on a student visa). And if he thinks she's going to stop partying, I think he is sadly mistaken. Someone who drinks that much and who specifically drinks to get drunk isn't going to stop doing that just because they got married.

As far as other indicators of his socio-economic background, I can't think of anything else off the top of my head. If I do, I'll come back and mention them.

I guess my question is: if he were white and spoke French would the same assumptions be made?  

Edited November 3, 2016 by hisbunkie

[MrSmith]

12 minutes ago, hisbunkie said:

I guess my question is: if he was white and spoke French would the same assumptions be made?  

My position has absolutely nothing to do with the color of his skin, thank you very much. So, the answer to your question is "Yes. If he were white, spoke French, was not at least conversant in English, and dressed the same, then I would assume he is not a child of a family of means." I'm happy that Chantel and Pedro are on this season because Chantel's family is so normal and it's nice to see black folks on TV that aren't depicted as gangsters, drug dealers, or some other kind of criminal. It's nice to see a family (of any skin color!) with parents who are involved, clearly work, have self-respect and a well-defined sense of self, have what appears to be an overall happy marriage, and who are involved in their childrens' lives. The fact that they're real people and not actors playing a character in a TV show is also refreshing.

Edited November 3, 2016 by MrSmith

[hisbunkie]

32 minutes ago, MrSmith said:

My position has absolutely nothing to do with the color of his skin, thank you very much. So, the answer to your question is "Yes. If he were white, spoke French, was not at least conversant in English, and dressed the same, then I would assume he is not a child of a family of means." I'm happy that Chantel and Pedro are on this season because Chantel's family is so normal and it's nice to see black folks on TV that aren't depicted as gangsters, drug dealers, or some other kind of criminal. It's nice to see a family (of any skin color!) with parents who are involved, clearly work, have self-respect and a well-defined sense of self, have what appears to be an overall happy marriage, and who are involved in their childrens' lives. The fact that they're real people and not actors playing a character in a TV show is also refreshing.

MrSmith we are going to have to agree to disagree.  We have different views and that's ok with me. 

[MrSmith]

6 minutes ago, hisbunkie said:

MrSmith we are going to have to agree to disagree.  We have different views and that's ok with me. 

We have different views on what? Seems to me you're passing judgment on me based on your perception of my supposed racial bias... Now, if that's not the case and you simply feel that not being at least conversant in English and his mode of dress are not indicative of his likely socio-economic background, that's all right by me. That's subjective, anyway, since none of us have any further information about him to support our position. Based on my posts that you've quoted, that doesn't seem to be the source of your disagreement with me, however.

[Drogo]

Let's move on, thanks.

[CoachWristletJen]

If this helps either one of you, what made me think he was a poor family was when he was so impressed that they had running hot water in the apartment, and Chantel was like, "Look, this is how it works."

Edited November 3, 2016 by Drogo
*Totally okay.. reposting.

[MrSmith]

2 minutes ago, CoachWristletJen said:

If this helps either one of you, what made me think he was a poor family was when he was so impressed that they had running hot water in the apartment, and Chantel was like, "Look, this is how it works."

I had forgotten about that. Thanks, CWJ.

Edited November 3, 2016 by MrSmith