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All Episodes Talk: Small World, Big Lives

NewOrleansLady
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Culture Check: How can the tropes and stereotypes we apply to TV personalities impact our fellow posters, and how do we remain mindful of these effects while discussing them? Please review for more on stereotypes and tropes.

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Culture Check: How can we express our opinions and consider the effect our assumptions may have on the people around us? What impact might speculation have on others, especially when we speculate about children or complex issues like neurodiversity?

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65mickey

65mickey

I thought maybe the door closing after they all left the house was symbolic of  "the end." It would have been a perfect way to end the series. There  is nothing left to show here but more bitching and fighting among the family members. But they have gotten used to the TLC money and probably do not want to give it up.  

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Irate Panda
Irate Panda

A rundown of the show imo: Two LP got married because neither one of them thought they could do better than the other. They had 4 kids, despite probably realizing they were not a good mat

VioletNevermind
VioletNevermind

Ugh.  If I were Amy, I would be furious (and holding my cards very close to my chest).  That conversation in Matt’s office was nothing less than a three-on-one pile-on.  I just don’t understand how Am

funky-rat
funky-rat

We all need to remember that we came in to their lives after they had 4 children and had lived on the farm for a number of years.  None of us saw the years leading up to that.  I don't know what Amy w

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pdlinda

pdlinda

5 hours ago, ginger90 said:

I feel the same way.

It all feels phony, more than it has in the past.

Add me to the club.  I can't see any reasonable scenario where the Roloff's would have any additional story lines interesting enough to share with an  audience on national TV.

I also believe that ZiT's kids would be FAR better off not having producers and cameras around to create dramatic story lines that essentially distort their reality. 

The 3 kids would surely benefit from living a spontaneous life with their parents and extended family without constant judging and commenting from the TV public.

Tori would still retain her "influencer" status on social media that would generate some cash, and, hopefully they have investments and other savings to sustain them financially until their children are much older.

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65mickey

65mickey

4 hours ago, pdlinda said:

Tori would still retain her "influencer" status on social media that would generate some cash, and, hopefully they have investments and other savings to sustain them financially until their children are much older.

She better hope that her influencer status brings in enough cash to support the family because Zach seems to have no inclination to find regular employment. 

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BAForever

BAForever

1 hour ago, MrBuhBye said:

I thought the whole influencer thing is in its death spiral.

What an exhausting job being a mid-level influencer must be. Always shilling products and posting non-stop, knowing there's some other influencer working hard to get your likes or views or however things are calculated. I would think being on a national TV show would be very helpful in the influencer universe. Tori may fade into obscurity without the show. Face it, she's not real dynamic, the only thing interesting about her is her dwarf family.

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pdlinda

pdlinda

1 hour ago, 65mickey said:

She better hope that her influencer status brings in enough cash to support the family because Zach seems to have no inclination to find regular employment. 

He's a "slug"....absolutely, positively, little to no possibility of him ever earning a living on a steady, reliable and continuing basis

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Ms.Lulu

Ms.Lulu

6 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

It would be rather humbling if Zach is forced to return to the farm asking his dad for work, if he and Tori can’t make a living anymore on TLC or the internet.  I can’t imagine sub teaching would meet all their needs. Plus, there’s health insurance……it’s difficult to do that on minimum wage.  

Dwarfism is a disability and can be used to qualify for SSI. However, I think with the house, Zach wouldn't qualify. 

I suspect Zach would rather go back and work at the indoor soccer place than ask Matt for a job. And I'm sure he would be very happy for Tori to get a full time job.

 

Absolom

Absolom

Dwarfism in itself is not a qualifying condition.  However, if it comes with other complications that are documented resulting in an inability to perform substantial gainful activity, then a disability can be established.  That would be things like severe hearing and vision problems, serious arthritis, heart problems, etc.  This is a separate definition than the one used for reasonable accommodation under ADA.  

Zach would have trouble establishing a disability case since he's been previously employed at the soccer center, as a soccer coach, and is currently employed on a TV show.  

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65mickey

65mickey

SSI is a needs based program. Basically this is the name of what used to be called Aid to the Disabled or  "Welfare."  I don't think that the house would be counted but most other resources and all of his income an some of Tori's. No way would he quality or for Social Security Disability unless he could prove that he was totally disabled.  

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Absolom

Absolom

(edited)

Yes, SSI is the old state welfare.  It is needs based and Tori's income would indeed count, but the children would reduce the imputed support to Zach should they ever file.  The house would not count, but bank accounts, investments, any extra vehicles, etc. would and the maximum payment is still very low.  The disability standards are very high and as I see Zach today there is no way he could meet them unless he has a medical problem that the show is hiding. 

SSI and SSA have the same disability standards, btw and a person with a very low SSA payment may also receive SSI.

Edited by Absolom
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BAForever

BAForever

Somebody will remember. I'm late to the LPBW party, but binged early seasons last summer. I'm (fairly) certain Matt claimed he did not have health insurance due to his dwarfism. This sounds strange. He had multiple procedures both as a child and a neck procedure S 16 or so. Wouldn't that procedure have literally cost hundreds of thousands of dollars? They must have some kind of medical coverage. 

1011101010001

1011101010001

21 minutes ago, BAForever said:

Somebody will remember. I'm late to the LPBW party, but binged early seasons last summer. I'm (fairly) certain Matt claimed he did not have health insurance due to his dwarfism. This sounds strange. He had multiple procedures both as a child and a neck procedure S 16 or so. Wouldn't that procedure have literally cost hundreds of thousands of dollars? They must have some kind of medical coverage. 

I think they took him to Shriners Hospital which provided charity care.

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readheaded

readheaded

16 hours ago, BAForever said:

Somebody will remember. I'm late to the LPBW party, but binged early seasons last summer. I'm (fairly) certain Matt claimed he did not have health insurance due to his dwarfism. This sounds strange. He had multiple procedures both as a child and a neck procedure S 16 or so. Wouldn't that procedure have literally cost hundreds of thousands of dollars? They must have some kind of medical coverage. 

As a child he was probably covered by his parents' job coverage. Then, when he was an adult before the Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010, he probably couldn't get coverage because of his dwarfism, a pre-existing condition. Now, however, he can.

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1011101010001

1011101010001

3 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

My local listings keep providing the wrong info on TLC scheduled shows.  What’s going on?  I mean the entire night they show completely different shows.  This is the third night in a row.  

It seems it’s like this on many platforms so likely a TLC issue.  I have DIRECTV streaming.

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BAForever

BAForever

13 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

My local listings keep providing the wrong info on TLC scheduled shows.  What’s going on?  I mean the entire night they show completely different shows.  This is the third night in a row.  

Yep, me too. Luckily, I watch a lot of the TLC trash, so the shows are interchangeable to me.

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chenoa333

chenoa333

7 hours ago, BAForever said:

Yep, me too. Luckily, I watch a lot of the TLC trash, so the shows are interchangeable to me.

Same here. And I couldn't care less if I miss any of their shows. But it is annoying when the tv listing tells me I'm tuning in to Sister Wives but it's really episodes of I Am Shahna Rae. 

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LilyD

LilyD

(edited)
On 11/27/2022 at 12:52 AM, Endora said:

I know Jackson is only 5 and I am not trying to dis a child, but something seems off that he would remark “why am I playing with the babies” when those children were the same size as him and his equal in every way?  Does he not realize his size at this point?  I think that whole situation is just weird.

A bit late to this post, I missed large parts of this thread apparently, but I’d like to comment on this and previous posts on this matter.

We’re talking about a 5-year-old here. At this age, kids have a fairly innocent and narrow view of the world and the people in it.The ability to really understand others and view the world through their eyes is something very few 5-year-olds will have mastered, if any. Heck, lots of adults still struggle with it and never learn. 

Jackson may “know” he has dwarfism and “know” he is different in that respect. But there is a huge difference/gap between knowing and understanding what it means. And I don’t think he’s reached that stage yet. To Jackson, five makes you a big guy, not your height. It’s obvious that he hasn’t fully realised that there is a connection between getting older and getting taller, let alone the fact that he won’t be growing much unlike his peers…
I’ll give him a pass here and hope he’s able to maintain and enjoy this childlike innocence a little longer. When reality strikes, it’s going to hurt a lot. Nobody wants to stand out from the rest because they’re different. It takes time to accept that. 

Edited by LilyD
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Dibs

Dibs

Zach and Tori, in the episode in which they entertained the Whittus family, specifically stated that they're going to keep Jackson ignorant (I believe they used the word innocent) of his dwarfism for as long as possible because Tori, as we seen demonstrated, avoids the painful parts of parenting if at all possible  wants to save him from that pain for as long as possible.  So I doubt if Jackson has a clue yet.  I believe Caryn was trying tactfully to bring that up to Amy when she asked at what age her kids were told or noticed, but I'm sure Amy - having amazingly found her way back into ZiT's good graces - isn't about to jeopardize that by bringing up anything that might "offend" these two delicate snowflakes.

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Irate Panda

Irate Panda

I forget, when Jackson was jabbering about playing with babies, did he think Zach was playing kids since I presume Zach would have been playing against adult LP or did Jackson realize they were grownups or they didn’t mention either way?

 

*Sorry for the Amy Roloff grammatically challenged run-on mess of a question, but my brain is tired 😴

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Dibs

Dibs

On 4/4/2023 at 2:24 PM, Irate Panda said:

I forget, when Jackson was jabbering about playing with babies, did he think Zach was playing kids since I presume Zach would have been playing against adult LP or did Jackson realize they were grownups or they didn’t mention either way?

 

*Sorry for the Amy Roloff grammatically challenged run-on mess of a question, but my brain is tired 😴

Who knows what poor Jackson is thinking since his parents have decided that, despite his "genius" IQ, he isn't capable of hearing or dealing with the true about himself or his father and paternal grandparents?

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1011101010001

1011101010001

(edited)
43 minutes ago, Dibs said:

Who knows what poor Jackson is thinking since his parents have decided that, despite his "genius" IQ, he isn't capable of hearing or dealing with the true about himself or his father and paternal grandparents?

Genius child who bullies and sits on his sister.

Edited by MrBuhBye
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Ms.Lulu

Ms.Lulu

(edited)

I've been sick for a few days, so I started rewatching from the beginning. I'm on Season 1, Episode 3, and you can already see that Matt and Amy have marital problems.

Matt is focused on the here and now, and Amy is focused on consistency.

Things I noticed:

  • The house is filthy--not just cluttered, but dirty
  • Matt is an absentee parent, not usually attending the kids' events and focusing on his businesses
  • Amy shows her disdain of Matt publicly, calling out he doesn't know about Jacob's team uniform because he doesn't attend events much. This is done in front of others, outside of the family. Amy seems to want to make sure everyone knows this is not common and is done for the cameras
  • Matt talks about how in love he is with Amy, and he seems to mean it
  • They are completely misaligned on money
  • Molly is the reliable one, and Amy relies on her a lot
  • Zach is already wearing his civil war hat and seems slug-like in engaging with others. He seems most comfortable with Jacob, maybe because they are the same size. He is already disrespectful to Matt
  • Matt and Jeremy are close, and Zach might feel like he is on the outside looking in
  •  Matt's parents are there, supporting the family, and offering stability

I'm enjoying it, because they are a family facing real family issues. The parents just happen to be little people.

I wonder if Amy went back and rewatched if she would be as bitter about the divorce. She wasn't happy in season 1...

Edited by Ms.Lulu
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Jst2Wld

Jst2Wld

On 8/8/2023 at 5:33 PM, Ms.Lulu said:

I wonder if Amy went back and rewatched if she would be as bitter about the divorce. She wasn't happy in season 1...

Edited Yest. at 05:41 PM

Matt and Amy were a mismatch from the start. They didn't see that they MIGHT/COULD be with more compatible mates who were not dwarfs.

Now both of them are happy with their mates and have to learn how to move on. 

 

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Ms.Lulu

Ms.Lulu

(edited)

Up to Season 2 and the Thanksgiving episodes. More thoughts:

1) Amy's father, Gordon, is a piece of work. He picks and picks at Matt. Either he really hates Matt (insert reasons why) or he is an asshat. 

2) The twins don't direct their disrespect solely at Matt, they treat Amy poorly as well. I hope that the twins watched the show as adults and realize that they came off as unlikeable.

3) The family is starting to spend that TLC money. They are on third/fourth round of home improvements of the series  After the new kitchen and the new deck they are updating the flooring and painting.

4) TLC seems to be exploring possible stars of spinoffs. Casey Johnson (swimmer and prom date) Marty (actor and soccer nemesis), and little Zach ( an LPA Zach friend) are in the opening credits and pop up with some non-Roloff screen time.

5) LPA is still allowing TLC to film--the Roloff rule has not yet been introduced.

6) We have been introduced to the DAAA games. Zach is an Olympic level athlete. Apparently, Amy is too.

7) Dan from Our Little Family and Amber from 7 Little Johnston's appear in episode 15. Spinoffs secured!

 

Edited by Ms.Lulu
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Dibs

Dibs

(edited)

Amy's mouth sure is watering for that Michigan cabin when Gordon joins his wife.  Did she EVER go home while her mother was still alive?  Not even when she was dying or died, as I recall.  I remember the family of origin visiting the Roloffs in Oregon a few times (and Gordon being incredibly rude and insulting to Matt every time; the apple doesn't fall far...) except for the one family reunion in which the brother was enlisted to help explain away Amy's anger issues with the childhood bullying story no one had ever heard before for Chris's benefit.  I remember one of the twins commented at the time that it had been YEARS since the whole family was together.

MATT has a second home in another state for filming, and we know Amy!

Edited by Dibs
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Joan of Argh

Joan of Argh

On 8/13/2023 at 4:42 PM, MrBuhBye said:

I thought he was mean to her growing up too.  So it was odd that she wanted him to have such a big role in her marriage to Chris.

I remember the story where her nasty dad referred to Amy as “runty” wow nice nickname for your dwarf daughter. 🙄

Runty Roloff 

50 minutes ago, Dibs said:

Amy's mouth sure is watering for that Michigan cabin when Gordon joins his wife.  Did she EVER go home while her mother was still alive?  Not even when she was dying or died, as I recall.  I remember the family of origin visiting the Roloffs in Oregon a few times (and Gordon being incredibly rude and insulting to Matt every time; the apple doesn't fall far...) except for the one family reunion in which the brother was enlisted to help explain away Amy's anger issues with the childhood bullying story no one had ever heard before for Chris's benefit.  I remember one of the twins commented at the time that it had been YEARS since the whole family was together.

MATT has a second home in another state for filming, and we know Amy!

Amy is anything but subtle 

She never used to go home to Michigan but ever since her mom died and old nasty dad is in his 90’s she’s flying back there ever 5 minutes and going on and on how she just loves her dad’s cottage/cabin OOOPS!!  I mean loves her dad sooooo much… now she’s even dragging Chris with her.

Amy mentioned a few times that they want to buy a more private property with some land, I guess she can’t wait for nasty dad to kick the bucket so she can buy her new home.

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Ms.Lulu

Ms.Lulu

(edited)

I'm up to the 4th season now, so a few thoughts:

  • Amy really loves to run down Matt, she regularly breaks the first rule of parenting in that you should never disagree in front of the kids, and she wears a perm scowl. 
  • Amy is the most uncomfortable being a little person, and she worries about being less than others. Less financially stable, less appreciated, less valued.
  • Amy sometimes acts like a teen, interacting with Jeremy's friends in ways that are inappropriate. She does this with Marty too. In one episode Matt tells the doctor he would like more loving and Amy shoots him down. Maybe their relationship was already sexless.
  • Jacob's behavior is changing as I watch the years where he has now shared that he was molested. He becomes sullen and withdrawn.
  • Jacob acts out, a lot.
  • Jacob is very physical with all of his siblings, and he gets hurt a lot.
  • Jeremy is already an entitled asshole.
  • Jeremy really thought he could make the Olympic Development Team and then makes excuses on why he didn't. It was the moment he realized he wasn't special, only on a reality tv show.
  • Jeremy knows he is his father's favorite and uses it to his advantage.
  • Matt is one of those people that needs to be the center of attention.
  • Matt likes toys, and will finagle great prices or freebies, like the Wii.
  • Matt seems ready to move on. 
  • Molly seems like a normal kid, loving both parents.
  • When Amy talks down Matt, Molly sticks up for her father, but she also lets Matt know when she disagrees.
  • Molly is the best athlete in the family, probably because she actually works.
  • Zach is entitled asshole with an overinflated sense of his intelligence.
  • Zach is disrespectful.
  • Zach is lazy.

I could say so much more. But I'll watch more first.

 

Edited by Ms.Lulu
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BAForever

BAForever

54 minutes ago, 65mickey said:

Xfinity shows season 25 tonight at 9.00 EST. But it says " The legacy of the Roloff Farms is at stake as Matt and Zach fail to reach an agreement on a farm deal. Zach and tori relocate to Battle Ground."  Um didn't this happen 2 season ago?

Am guessing it's a retrospective. My dvr noted it. Not gonna lie, I'm pumped to watch the nonsense.

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BusyOctober

BusyOctober

I know the episode on tonight is a rehash of past shit, but I forgot just how insufferably entitled Zach and Tori were/are. My god, the pouty babyish behavior from both of them made me feel sympathy for Matt.  I am really glad ZiTs impulsive brattiness lead them to buying that patch of swamp land.  I am sorry  for the kids having to grown up there. 

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BAForever

BAForever

6 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

I know the episode on tonight is a rehash of past shit, but I forgot just how insufferably entitled Zach and Tori were/are. My god, the pouty babyish behavior from both of them made me feel sympathy for Matt.  I am really glad ZiTs impulsive brattiness lead them to buying that patch of swamp land.  I am sorry  for the kids having to grown up there. 

Agree @BusyOctober. Putting all their misery and entitled behaviors and actions back to back showed their pettiness. I love the "we'll show them, we'll move away" strategy. How's that working ZiT??

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Dibs

Dibs

(edited)

They are ridiculous!  Poor Matt and Caryn, after all they did for them, and shame on Amy for feeding into it and gloating over it.  Tori (the driver of it) is childish and cruel.

Cha-Cha's relationship with little Jackson was really something special.  Amy was probably seething with jealousy and egged Zach and Tori on!

Edited by Dibs
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Mod-LunarJester
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Culture Check: How can the tropes and stereotypes we apply to TV personalities impact our fellow posters, and how do we remain mindful of these effects while discussing them? Please review for more on stereotypes and tropes.

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Culture Check: How can we express our opinions and consider the effect our assumptions may have on the people around us? What impact might speculation have on others, especially when we speculate about children or complex issues like neurodiversity?

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