Meet The Putmans - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

Discuss Here!

[Meredith Quill]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from the show's run. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for character topics and other places for show-related talk.

[b2H]

They have showed one episode and it has since disappeared from any and all TLC references.  What happened??????

[Tdoc72]

27 minutes ago, b2H said:

They have showed one episode and it has since disappeared from any and all TLC references.  What happened??????

No wonder I couldn't find it when I went to set up a series recording. Very curious. I wonder what happened?

[b2H]

I sort of enjoyed the show.  Yeah, it is a little unorthodox, but they seem to be self-sufficient.  Nothing of living off the public, more than capable of supporting themselves.  Maybe that's why TLC has no more showings - they're too self-sufficient,

[Broken Ox]

It seemed like a one-off to me, the way they did the update at the end. Maybe testing to see how it went over, but them living in the big house loses a lot of the ... appeal isn't the right word, maybe "ewww factor" -- of their situation.

[wilsie]

I posted this last week in the Duggar small talk forum before we had a Putnam forum in response to some questions about the Putman family.  I found the some of the Putman family to be very worrisome.  I understand that the father had a traumatic childhood, losing his mother at I believe 8 and going into foster care which he described as hell.  He mentioned learning how to love when he wasn't getting any but his version of loving his family, especially his adult children is really off.  The only daughter, who is married to a young medical student, needed the family to vote on whether they could leave for two years to live closer than the 90 minute trip he needed to make each way.  The husband mentioned he was having trouble keeping alert driving home, saying he might end up in a ditch.  I was bothered that he didn't seem to worry about hurting a patient while at work or any other person on the road, but this man also changed his last name to Putman so they'd all have the same last name.  The trip they all made in a huge bus to the grocery store screamed look at us.  I don't ever want to see them again so TLC is probably signing them to a long term contract.  

[Barb23]

I, too, commented on the Duggar Small Talk thread. I wish they would have explained their finances more besides telling us they share one bank account.  Did the One Bank Account cover the medical school loans for the son and son-in-law?  How is that fair to the rest of the kids?  Do each of the families get an allowance to buy things for their families like clothes or is it just the communal purchase  they showed?  I am particular about my health & beauty items & wouldn't want to share from the communal purchase. Items like toothbrushes, tampons, pantiliners, soap, makeup, etc.

Like I already said,  being with my family for a one week vacation is fine (even tho it's gets a little antsy toward the end) but I can't imagine living with them. 

[tabloidlover]

The whole family creeped me the hell out.  Dad looks looney tunes.

[AZ Curls]

I agree this family is creepy.  This is what confused me, why the heck did they bring all the kids grocery shopping, a couple of the adults could have stayed home to watch them (isn't that whole built in babysitter one of the reasons they gave for living like this?)  Also, I was just so disgusted at the fact the the youngest daughter had to get everyone's approval for her to move out that I turned off the tv.  But now I wanna know, are they gonna let her and her husband and kids move out?  I pray to the heavens this show does not get picked up, I don't want these people to become reality stars. 

[GinnyM]

2 hours ago, 8th Light said:

This is what confused me, why the heck did they bring all the kids grocery shopping, a couple of the adults could have stayed home to watch them ..

My nine year old daughter said the same thing! 

[riverblue22]

4 hours ago, 8th Light said:

I agree this family is creepy.  This is what confused me, why the heck did they bring all the kids grocery shopping, a couple of the adults could have stayed home to watch them (isn't that whole built in babysitter one of the reasons they gave for living like this?)  Also, I was just so disgusted at the fact the the youngest daughter had to get everyone's approval for her to move out that I turned off the tv.  But now I wanna know, are they gonna let her and her husband and kids move out?  I pray to the heavens this show does not get picked up, I don't want these people to become reality stars. 

Yes, the family voted to let the daughter and her husband move closer to the hospital.

I was also thinking how ridiculous it was to drag everybody to the store until I remembered that is a TLC thing, like having all the Busby babies dragged on a vacation.  Let's show the viewers the happy chaos of everyone going to the grocery!!!  I bet in their real life they don't do it that way.

[humbleopinion]

Everyone take a big gulp of the Kool-aid....

The sleepy son in law med student changes his name so everyone can be a Putnam...

Paging Dr. Freud...Dr. Sigmund Freud...

Is the whole group going to jump in the grave when the father dies?

They are gonna need a big hole for all the members of this therapy needing group.

 Why are the Putnams letting us see over 2 dozen people living in a home with 2 bathrooms...where they toss dirty clothes several feet high on the floor in the laundry room and the adults are so overly attached to each other?

Do they need TLC money?

Are they trying to justify their lifestyle? Made me uneasy watching them interact.

What if we don't care to see overly dependent adult children cram too many people into a small living space to help sooth the insecurities of their father?

Don't humiliate the grand kids by opening them up to ridicule as they get older.

[Polliwollidoodle]

Well I was wondering as well when the show was on ( and I couldn't remember which channel). I thought I was the only one who saw it.  I didn't actually search for it, thinking maybe I would catch it over the weekend. Now I am really even more curious. I thought it was a good show, kind of creepy family but more normal than most that get featured but I do agree with much of the comments above------------Big Dad is the drama king, and peeps definitely drank the Kool aid.

Still- would love to see more of it.

[Polliwollidoodle]

Clearly the verdict has to be there is one king- and it's papa. :)

[humbleopinion]

If the family business is construction, then why don't they add a wing with 6 bathrooms and a proper laundry room holding 4 washer/dryers, a sorting hamper system and table for folding.

All the family pooled money is spent on living expenses, med school loans repayment,the land for the big build and plumbers...the 2 hardest working toilets in America has to get clogged more often than not.

Don't think the TV audience is responding to an emotionally crippled family with a domineering  father holding his family physically and emotionally too close and too tight because of his insecurities.

The son who isn't a doctor is in training as the father's  mini-me, using love mixed with guilt like a sledge hammer to keep them under one roof.

Too creepy, too mind controlling even for TLC.

You can't make stuff like this up!

[puppytoes]

Where does TLC find these people?  I watched and then decided that this was the creepiest family in America.  I hope TLC cancelled it.

[humbleopinion]

TLC asked jimboob Duggar which family creeped him out and he replied those demented Putnams....

[camom]

I couldn't believe that the daughter and son-in-law said that if the family voted that they couldn't move, then they'd have to stay.  What the hell?  Grow up and live your own lives.  And the dad saying it felt like someone died because his adult daughter and her husband were going to live elsewhere.  I love me a disfunctional family, but these guys were too creepy for me.

[camom]

I agree.  What kind of weird hold does he have over his adult offspring?  And the fact that their spouses all go along with it!

[gonecrackers]

I finally watched this show & was glad to see a forum for it. I am struggling with a real reason why the adult kids would agree to, & actually want, to live this way. They have no autonomy. Do the women do anything but stay home, do the baby care, chores, & answer the phone to cater to the demands of the men on the construction field? It's curious to me why no one has wanted to do anything else.

The guy changing his name to suit the family was off too. It's obvious he's not blood related to even bring up the blasphemous idea of moving away - for a while.

I could understand if there was a real reason (medical, financial etc), but they were all just saying they like it this way, or something along those lines. I'm an introvert, so I'm shuddering as to how they can live without any privacy. And two bathrooms? The one kid was walking in on the other kid - I would hope one of the first things they teach their kids is to LOCK doors. The way the sister described being 'pushed out' of the shower by brothers almost sounded literal - yikes. Rules, people, rules!

One washer/dryer, all those clothes; they wouldn't know one person's underwear from the other. Do they just grab whatever underwear is clean & fits? blech

Too many unanswered questions but I'm not sure I can handle the answers...

[humbleopinion]

Papa Putnam is so emotionally crippled by insecurity from his childhood so he and his enabler(wife) have over the years brain washed his adult kids and now their spouses that he needs them physically present to reassure him they love him and will never abandon him.

Putnam love uses guilt, loyalty, dad's obvious mental frailty, peer pressure to keep everyone within dad's arm's reach.

Looking forward to the future People magazine article when one of the grand kids as a teen will have  declare the emperor has no clothes and bust this loony situation wide open.

Where are the in laws' families and asking why their daughters/son tolerate such mind control?

TLC, talk to the in law families who standby in horror seeing their grand children being reared and influenced in such extreme living conditions.

[winsomeone]

When is this show on? I have yet to find it.

[humbleopinion]

Looks like the showing was a one and done situation unless TLC is so desperate for new programming...

Why would the TLC execs think these mentally crippled and emotionally stunted adults is the answer for appropriate family fare?

[ariel]

11 minutes ago, humbleopinion said:

 

Why would the TLC execs think these mentally crippled and emotionally stunted adults is the answer for appropriate family fare?

Because TLC has had success with the Duggars.

[humbleopinion]

Goggle "TLC Meet the Putnams" and read the comments on the top website that pops up.

You will get an eyeful.

[crazycatlady58]

Well that was interesting . If true and TCL continues with this show as a series  it shows  that they truly  do not care about showing a known abuser and making them seem like a normal  family .  The Duggars  problems  where unknown ,  they now know about  the supposed  problem  with this family  it will be interesting  to see if they continue  the series . Unless of course ,  the entire  thing  was made up by TCL to get people  to watch . 

[ariel]

Sadly people tune in to see the F -cluster families like the Putnmans & the Duggars.  As long as there are  ratings, these dysfunctional families can live off the TLC teat

[Polliwollidoodle]

I just tried searching on TLC and I can't find it either. (but we all know we watched it). I guess it was a one time wonder??

[Snickerdoodle]

On 1/24/2017 at 2:58 PM, 8th Light said:

I agree this family is creepy.  This is what confused me, why the heck did they bring all the kids grocery shopping, a couple of the adults could have stayed home to watch them (isn't that whole built in babysitter one of the reasons they gave for living like this?)  Also, I was just so disgusted at the fact the the youngest daughter had to get everyone's approval for her to move out that I turned off the tv.  But now I wanna know, are they gonna let her and her husband and kids move out?  I pray to the heavens this show does not get picked up, I don't want these people to become reality stars. 

To me it seemed like they brought everyone food shopping just for the show.  It didn't seem like their normal routine, for example when the woman asked the one man to get tampons.  He acted like he had no idea where they were in the store. 

 

I was also also creeped out by this show.  When the dad told about his childhood the bells went off - that's why he keeps everyone close! The scene with the daughter asking permission to move out infuriated me.  Her concern of, "What if they say we can't move out ?" Was ridiculous.  You're an adult! You don't need their permission to move!   

 

I dont know know if I could tolerate a whole season of this family.

[Snickerdoodle]

It should be noted that it's Meet the PutMANS  not PutNAM. http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/tlc-presents/meet-the-putmans/

[ozziemom]

The father said something like it would be like a death in the family if the daughter moved out. Creepy. This must have been a test run for a series and seems like it even TLC was creeped out.

[humbleopinion]

Repeat of the pilot episode of Meet the Putmans airing Tomorrow, Feb 27 at 10pm, check your local airing time.

Your opportunity to get creeped out AGAIN by familial pressure to live under one roof.

The emotional manipulation is over the top, even for TLC.

[humbleopinion]

Bueller...Bueller...Bueller...

[starlightlost]

It's back for a full season starting September 11 ?

[humbleopinion]

If you believe what you can glean from the www. about the Putnams then this is TLC at its worse...exploitation of a family whose patriarch is  of questionable mental state and the brainwashing of his wife and adult children and spouses.

Everyone lives in the same home because he cannot bear them to live apart from him.

Over wrought emotion and anguish is over the top.

Their house is a single family residence that they live in like sardines with inadequate bathrooms, inadequate number of bedrooms for the couples and their children, a laundry room that is stacked from the  floor to several feet deep of dirty laundry...every day.

He wants all his family within arm's reach...controlling, manipulative, emotionally holding his family hostage.

The only daughter's husband was a medical intern and the long drive back and forth to the hospital over the icy roads was dangerous because he was tired from his shifts.

They held to have a family meeting to vote and grant the couple permission to live away from the mothership until his internship was over.

The crying and carrying on about their leaving the home by the oldest son was peculiar...maybe for the TLC cameras?

 

TLC money will pay for the new unfinished  ginormous house they are building to accommodate each family with their own wing.

 

Locals who live near the Putnams do not have much nice to say about them and spill the beans the unsavory past of the patriarch.

They wonder why TLC would want to spotlight this family.

The pilot episode made you wonder about the mental stability of all the adults, why does this have entertainment value and is money the sole reason this family will expose themselves to ridicule and criticism.

I feel bad for the grand kids and hope they break the cycle of this lunacy.

They will be flamed and scorched online...

[wilsie]

@humbleopinion 

Quote

If you believe what you can glean from the www. about the Putnams then this is TLC at its worse...exploitation of a family whose patriarch is  of questionable mental state and the brainwashing of his wife and adult children and spouses.

Everyone lives in the same home because he cannot bear them to live apart from him.

Over wrought emotion and anguish is over the top.

Their house is a single family residence that they live in like sardines with inadequate bathrooms, inadequate number of bedrooms for the couples and their children, a laundry room that is stacked from the  floor to several feet deep of dirty laundry...every day.

He wants all his family within arm's reach...controlling, manipulative, emotionally holding his family hostage.

The only daughter's husband was a medical intern and the long drive back and forth to the hospital over the icy roads was dangerous because he was tired from his shifts.

They held to have a family meeting to vote and grant the couple permission to live away from the mothership until his internship was over.

The crying and carrying on about their leaving the home by the oldest son was peculiar...maybe for the TLC cameras?

 

TLC money will pay for the new unfinished  ginormous house they are building to accommodate each family with their own wing.

 

Locals who live near the Putnams do not have much nice to say about them and spill the beans the unsavory past of the patriarch.

They wonder why TLC would want to spotlight this family.

The pilot episode made you wonder about the mental stability of all the adults, why does this have entertainment value and is money the sole reason this family will expose themselves to ridicule and criticism.

I feel bad for the grand kids and hope they break the cycle of this lunacy.

They will be flamed and scorched online...

When I first saw this show I was hoping there wouldn't be another show/series but this is TLC and they really embrace the bizarre.   The son-in-law intern changed his name to Putnam so all the children would have the same last name.  I think the father said it felt like a death when they were voting on whether it was worth the safety of this son-in-law, his patients, and anyone he might meet on the road while driving back and forth from work exhausted.   So much dysfunction.   They will get people watching out of curiosity.    

[88Keys]

On 1/29/2017 at 9:42 AM, humbleopinion said:

Goggle "TLC Meet the Putnams" and read the comments on the top website that pops up.

You will get an eyeful.

What website?  I've looked at four, including TLC and two gossip sites, and can't find anything.  Only MLive.comhad comments, and they weren't that revealing.

Edited July 20, 2017 by 88Keys
Two, not who

[ChristmasJones]

The sick part of me wonders what would happen if the father suddenly dropped dead. I don't wish that on him of course, but I would be fascinated to see how the family would change if he wasn't there.

[humbleopinion]

The eldest son has been groomed to be in charge.

He runs the meeting where the sister and husband want to move out to be closer to the hospital.

The guilt tripping and exploitation of the groups' emotional weaknesses are something he learned at his father's knee.

How the families of those who marrying into this group can stand by and watch the lunacy is baffling.

[ariel]

1 hour ago, humbleopinion said:

 

How the families of those who marrying into this group can stand by and watch the lunacy is baffling.

Maybe they are like the families that encourage their kids to marry into the Duggar's hell hole.  They are considered  fundy rorality & they will be on TV.   Money thrown their way for very little work.

[crazycatlady58]

Yes but these people  were married  before the t.v. show . I watch a lot of mindless t.v., but these  people  made me very  uncomfortable .  I still  have not decided  if I will watch . It makes me feel as if I am watching  someone  being abused.

[trimthatfat]

I don't think that a multi-generational family living under one roof is a problem as that is customary in my culture. However, unlike the Putmans, adults can leave as these please and no one acts like the world will end. I call bull on the dad's claim that they all want to stay together. I think a significant number of them would be happy to move out if their dad didn't get emotional about it. I think he is very manipulative. 

I don't know if I'd call this family creepy, but they certainly are an acquired taste. If my husband said I had to live with his family after marriage, I would not stay unless there was something serious happening, i.e. he had a terminally ill or disabled parent. Do the spouses really find this to be a normal situation or are they just going along for the ride because they have no other options?

If I understand the home layout correctly, there are only 2 bathrooms, one cramped laundry room, and all of the rooms are shared in the home. How is that comfortable for everyone? To me, it seems like most of the children stayed to appease the dad and IMO, that's no way to live. I bet the younger generation/grandbabies will skip out to the first college that extends an invitation and not return.

[Polliwollidoodle]

Yes just jumped on back here when I saw the ads that it is starting up in September. Way back when it first came on the scene, it seemed that they only showed the first episode and we all thought they decided it was not to be continued. Well live and learn . I guess we will find out if it's good tv or not!!

[crgirl412]

On 1/25/2017 at 1:32 AM, humbleopinion said:

Everyone take a big gulp of the Kool-aid....

The sleepy son in law med student changes his name so everyone can be a Putnam...

Paging Dr. Freud...Dr. Sigmund Freud...

Is the whole group going to jump in the grave when the father dies?

They are gonna need a big hole for all the members of this therapy needing group.

 Why are the Putnams letting us see over 2 dozen people living in a home with 2 bathrooms...where they toss dirty clothes several feet high on the floor in the laundry room and the adults are so overly attached to each other?

Do they need TLC money?

Are they trying to justify their lifestyle? Made me uneasy watching them interact.

What if we don't care to see overly dependent adult children cram too many people into a small living space to help sooth the insecurities of their father?

Don't humiliate the grand kids by opening them up to ridicule as they get older.

I was laughing so hard at this!!  Thank you!!!   

[xls]

Awww anybody else calling BS on this? like maybe on or two of the sons & families live w them but all were thrown together to make a show? not buying this 

[crazycatlady58]

From what I gathered watching  the first  show they have lived  like this  for a long time. Gave me ...I wanted  to say creeps ...but it wasn't  that, I felt  like I was watching  a type  of abuse .  I still  have not decided  if I will watch  the show . 

[Fostersmom]

Holy fuck, these people were freaky enough in the commercials, but they are down right mentally ill as a group. Their codependency is so far off the charts, new charts need to be created. I'm pretty sure cults allow for more personal freedom than this family. So many unhealthy things were said in one hour, just so very many. How the hell are 2 of them doctors? That might be the scariest part of it all. 

[JocelynCavanaugh]

Something about this family just gives me a bad feeling. They seem very unhappy even though they're acting like they have the key to success in life. Sort of like the first season of Sister Wives. The house looks absolutely chaotic and cluttered. When they showed Blaire at her apartment, I fully expected her to say something about how nice it was to have their own, quiet space. But nope, she wants to go back to the chaos. 

[Annb67]

I agree with the above poster. I tried watching and I was disturbed. The family crying when the daughter leaves to go back to her apartment with her husband. The father saying the husband wasn't in charge of his daughters health HE WAS and she would be staying with them after giving birth. Too much crying over nothing. It's abuse plain and simple.