Season 5 Discussion

[Pepper Mostly]

7 hours ago, Tuneful said:

 

Josh’s friend Joe pings my gaydar. I think he wants Josh for himself and that he's the NA sponsor. Ninety days is long enough for Aika to find herself a new dumb American who will have his own place to live, whose kids and family see him, and who doesn’t look like 40 miles of bad road. Does Josh even have upper teeth? Meth for example rots out teeth. 

 

Pings? Bludgeons! Hitler Youth Joe has eating his heart out for Josh for years. "I was here! I picked up the pieces!" No one knows his poignant pain! 

[tincansailor981]

9 hours ago, alegtostandon said:

Need to change David Poor's name to Pathetic David Poor. It sure looks like he's gained back close to all of the weight he lost. 

Why does Ghost Busters come to mind when I see him in his white outfit?

[Sprockets]

9 hours ago, Desert Rat said:

Children left alone with these kinds men are at great risk. 

There are situations where, statistically, children are at increased risk.  "Great risk" is a bridge too far.  If anyone could accurately predict the risk of child abuse, it would almost never occur.  To get back to the show, there is zero evidence that Luis is any kind of a risk to Mollys' children or anyone else.  IMO this kind of speculation in regard to a specific person, in the absence of evidence, is highly irresponsible.  The label of "abuser" is impossible to remove, once applied.  

[MrSmith]

16 hours ago, magemaud said:

I'm sure the clever people on this forum can come up with a more descriptive and fitting name! 

How about "Whispering Banshee"?

[merylinkid]

16 hours ago, gonecrackers said:

they're choosing to make each other miserable so to each their own.

Azan is stuck in this relationship because his family wants him to get to America.   But he is not going quietly.   Nicole is sticking with it because she has decided this is what she wants and come hell, high water or sheep heads, she is going to get it.   Because no one says no to her.

They put the dis in dysfunctional.

[MrSmith]

10 hours ago, millennium said:

"Girl's night out" strikes me as a sexist concept that many women cluelessly perpetuate.   I think they believe it's empowering to announce "I'm taking a special night to go out with my friends" but if you look at it conversely, it becomes "I am not permitted to go out with my friends any old time I like."   Worse, it seems some women passively-aggressively seek permission from their husbands/boyfriends before going, needing their approval so they can drink or dance with a clear conscience.   From that perspective, "girls' night out" only confirms that the men in their lives have an unnatural stranglehold on their time and self-expression.

To me, it's not that. It's "I'm taking a special night out with my female friends and all of us are leaving our boyfriends/fiancees/husbands home." Often, this includes a portion I left unstated which is that the ladies are going to go somewhere or do something that their other halves would not enjoy. This is as opposed to regular nights out with friends where it's all-inclusive and you go places and do things that everyone (male and female) would enjoy.

Edited November 15, 2017 by MrSmith

[Sprockets]

7 minutes ago, merylinkid said:

Azan is stuck in this relationship because his family wants him to get to America.   But he is not going quietly.   Nicole is sticking with it because she has decided this is what she wants and come hell, high water or sheep heads, she is going to get it.   Because no one says no to her.

That's an interesting theory, but do we actually know his family is behind this?  And do we actually know Nicole is just being stubborn?  Could it not be equally likely that Nicole is the dumbest dumbfuck that ever existed and Azan is telling her all the right gooey things in messages?  Might it not be true that Azan just wants to be on American TV and get hundreds of dollars a month from The Blimp?  

 

7 minutes ago, merylinkid said:

They put the dis in dysfunctional.

There is no "dis" in dysfunctional.  

2 hours ago, tincansailor981 said:

Why does Ghost Busters come to mind when I see him in his white outfit?

 

Looks more like Nicole in her Veteran's Day outfit.  Not that she could float.  

[Bryce Lynch]

10 hours ago, millennium said:

"Girl's night out" strikes me as a sexist concept that many women cluelessly perpetuate.   I think they believe it's empowering to announce "I'm taking a special night to go out with my friends" but if you look at it conversely, it becomes "I am not permitted to go out with my friends any old time I like."   Worse, it seems some women passively-aggressively seek permission from their husbands/boyfriends before going, needing their approval so they can drink or dance with a clear conscience.   From that perspective, "girls' night out" only confirms that the men in their lives have an unnatural stranglehold on their time and self-expression.

I disagree.  I don't think a husband or a wife out to go out all night clubbing,  without the their spouse's approval.   It sounded like Andrrrei wanted to go with her when she goes clubbing.  I could understand a little more if one spouse wants to stay home and the other wants to go to clubs.  But, why would any married person want to go out partying all night without their spouse?  I could understand a special occasion once in a while, but once you get married, IMO, you are no longer supposed to be one of "the girls" or "the guys" who goes out clubbing every weekend.  

[AZChristian]

7 hours ago, Desert Rat said:

Actually, the agency and owner have been in the talent business in the Phoenix area for a long time. I don't know why they agreed to be in this show.

They are definitely real.  I guess they think that any TV attention is good.  But since we're all used to fakery on "reality" shows, our first inclination is to assume that they're fake.

[CoachWristletJen]

3 hours ago, Pepper Mostly said:

Pings? Bludgeons! Hitler Youth Joe has eating his heart out for Josh for years. "I was here! I picked up the pieces!" No one knows his poignant pain! 

He was rude to Aika. He should let her conduct her golddigging in peace.

[Bryce Lynch]

7 hours ago, Desert Rat said:

Actually, the agency and owner have been in the talent business in the Phoenix area for a long time. I don't know why they agreed to be in this show.

Probably based upon the idea that there is no such thing as bad publicity.  

[CoachWristletJen]

2 hours ago, tincansailor981 said:

Why does Ghost Busters come to mind when I see him in his white outfit?

someone needs to photoshop a hat on David Poor!

[AZChristian]

1 minute ago, CoachWristletJen said:

someone needs to photoshop a hat on David Poor!

Or David's face on the doughboy!

[CoachWristletJen]

12 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I disagree.  I don't think a husband or a wife out to go out all night clubbing,  without the their spouse's approval.   It sounded like Andrrrei wanted to go with her when she goes clubbing.  I could understand a little more if one spouse wants to stay home and the other wants to go to clubs.  But, why would any married person want to go out partying all night without their spouse?  I could understand a special occasion once in a while, but once you get married, IMO, you are no longer supposed to be one of "the girls" or "the guys" who goes out clubbing every weekend.  

That's what I think, too. Part of why you get married is because you want to do stuff together.

Andrrrei actually reminds me of my husband, except my husband doesn't have the misogyny and the accent and the water-on-the-brain haircut and most of the fighty stuff (okay, a little fighty stuff when he was younger).

1 minute ago, AZChristian said:

Or David's face on the doughboy!

Much better.

[Bryce Lynch]

8 hours ago, mamadrama said:

Some thoughts...

I don't know about Andrei yet. Reminds me of the Jessica Rabbit thing...he's not bad, it's just how he's drawn. I DO think a lot of his stuff is kind of a lost-in-translation thing. And she seems to provoke him. I don't mean that in a "she deserves it" kind of way but she seems to be making an issue of things that aren't really an issue right now. It's good to have some stuff sorted before you get married but she seems to keep bringing up worst-case scenarios to him, just to see how he reacts. 

I was #TeamLuis up until this episode. He made ME uncomfortable with his talk to Olivia, though. I do think that he views her as a peer, and not as a sort of stepdaughter, and I think there are some cultural differences there. However, he IS human and he does speak English. When he was told that it was inappropriate, that should have been the end of it. My mom's first husband came back into her life 20 years after the fact. They became friends and he started emailing me in college. At one point he asked how tall I was and when I told him 4'10", he replied, "I love tiny, petite girls. They're just like little flowers, ready to open and be plucked." That was kind of the end of our correspondence. My mom didn't think it was strange at all but it made ME uncomfortable and that's all that mattered. Listen to those warning bells. 

 

Evelyn and David. Jesus take the wheel...I hope most of this is made up drama for the show. Nobody in real life could be so awful, right?

 

Aika and Josh: I am #TeamAika all the way. He is treating her like an object, like a prize, and that just pisses me off. And I don't even know these people. 

 

Bahtman and Annie: Girl, run. Run far and wide. I am sure that you can do better. 

I agree with pretty much everything, except I don't think David and Evelyn are that awful.  For the most part, the worst thing I've seen them do is bicker a little over their wedding plans and such, which seems pretty normal to me.  Are they supposed to agree about everything from the start?  Is one of them supposed to give in to the other without any debate?  Of course, if that happened, the other person would be labeled "controlling".   I didn't like David's comment to Mikayla and I hate Eveylyn's singing voice, but other than that, I don't have any huge problems with them.  

Josh not only treats Aika like an object and a prize, he literally calls her a "trophy".  Doesn't he realize that "trophy wife" is a phrase that is supposed to be used by people who are mocking you behind your back?  And what has Josh done to earn a "trophy wife"?  Install entertainment systems, get divorced twice and live with roommates?  At best, he should get a "participation trophy wife". 

[millennium]

53 minutes ago, MrSmith said:

To me, it's not that. It's "I'm taking a special night out with my female friends and all of us are leaving our boyfriends/fiancees/husbands home." Often, this includes a portion I left unstated which is that the ladies are going to go somewhere or do something that their other halves would not enjoy. This is as opposed to regular nights out with friends where it's all-inclusive and you go places and do things that everyone (male and female) would enjoy.

I don't believe there should be any expectation that people are joined at the hip after they are married.   A man or a woman should be able to say, "I'm planning to go out with Stacy and Trish on Tuesday night" or "Bill and Bob" without the partner's insecurities flaring up or feeling that their God-given right to tag along has somehow been violated.   

[Mrs. Hanson]

3 hours ago, Sprockets said:

6 hours ago, tincansailor981 said:

Why does Ghost Busters come to mind when I see him in his white outfit?

 

Looks more like Nicole in her Veteran's Day outfit.  Not that she could float.  

Okay.....I just choked on my coffee.  But thank you - that was funny!!

Edited November 15, 2017 by Mrs. Hanson

[Pondlass1]

13 hours ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

Then Azan should rethink his dating outside his culture if it is gonna be such a struggle for him. 

He's not going to be able to use the 'culture' excuse when he gets to America.   Nicole will cuddle him to death on the sidewalk.

[Sprockets]

6 minutes ago, millennium said:

I don't believe there should be any expectation that people are joined at the hip after they are married.

Yes.  That level of childish insecurity is a real red flag.  

[millennium]

30 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I disagree.  I don't think a husband or a wife out to go out all night clubbing,  without the their spouse's approval.   It sounded like Andrrrei wanted to go with her when she goes clubbing.  I could understand a little more if one spouse wants to stay home and the other wants to go to clubs.  But, why would any married person want to go out partying all night without their spouse?  I could understand a special occasion once in a while, but once you get married, IMO, you are no longer supposed to be one of "the girls" or "the guys" who goes out clubbing every weekend.  

I don't think anyone said anything about "clubbing."   The women I know who do the girls' night out thing don't generally go dancing.   Those who do may do so not for the sake of flirtation but simply because they like to dance and they're married to couch potatoes who don't want to.   So they go out dancing with their girlfriends.  Some guys don't like that though because they don't want their wives enjoying themselves without them, even if it's just dancing with girls because he decides when and where his wife has a good time, dammit. 

I suppose it all comes down to a question of maturity and trust.   Of course, some women only cause themselves grief by calling it "girls night out" because the phrase has attracted a certain negative or illicit connotation in our culture.  Then again, that connotation is a direct outgrowth of male insecurity.

[Mrs. Hanson]

Just now, Pondlass1 said:

He's not going to be able to use the 'culture' excuse when he gets to America.   Nicole will cuddle him to death on the sidewalk.

Well knowing Azan he will still pull the "not my culture" card and (ducking tomatoes) I can't blame him.  He was brought up that men and women do not cuddle or hold hands or kiss in public.  Being in Florida will not change that.  I work in a 95% Somali school (hence 95% Muslim school) so I have plenty of folks to cross reference that tidbit with!!    The bigger issue is Azan is embarrassed by Nicole, or seems to be, by her weight.   And by May being a bit of a handful - not blaming May, she is a little child.  Now her Mom could put a little more effort into it teaching her some basic rules.

[Desert Rat]

4 minutes ago, millennium said:

I don't believe there should be any expectation that people are joined at the hip after they are married.   A man or a woman should be able to say, "I'm planning to go out with Stacy and Trish on Tuesday night" or "Bill and Bob" without the partner's insecurities flaring up or feeling that their God-given right to tag along has somehow been violated.   

Actually, if you want a good, long-lasting marriage then you should do most social things together, and you should want to.  If I want to do something without my husband, I let him know, and if he objects, I'm not going to do it.  If Elizabeth still wants to go "clubbing", maybe she is not ready for marriage and needs to sow more wild oats. If they cannot agree on these issues, their marriage is doomed, but it's good they are talking these things through before the wedding. 

[CoachWristletJen]

5 minutes ago, Desert Rat said:

Actually, if you want a good, long-lasting marriage then you should do most social things together, and you should want to.  If I want to do something without my husband, I let him know, and if he objects, I'm not going to do it.  If Elizabeth still wants to go "clubbing", maybe she is not ready for marriage and needs to sow more wild oats. If they cannot agree on these issues, their marriage is doomed, but it's good they are talking these things through before the wedding. 

It's good for her to be throwing some stuff out there and see what gets his ire up. If he can't handle her going out with her sisters, there's a problem. I've never wanted to stay out all night clubbing myself, but if that's still her thing, she might want to rethink settling down. 

You can tell a lot by what provokes a person.

Some of these numbskulls don't seem to have had any of these types of conversations.

Neither my husband nor I had strippers at bachelor/bachelorette type parties. It was something we agreed upon. We both knew women who worked in those clubs and knew they were very unhappy in their line of work. It's just hard to stomach it, but it was something we both agreed upon. It's up to the individual couple. 

Edited November 15, 2017 by CoachWristletJen

[Sprockets]

2 minutes ago, Desert Rat said:

Actually, if you want a good, long-lasting marriage then you should do most social things together, and you should want to.

Hopefully two people are together because they have at least a few shared interests, but each marriage works in a very different way.  I've heard it said that the measure of compatibility is the amount of personal distance each person requires.  Some people want an in-your-face closeness, while others just want to check in once in a while.  Most want something in between, and the marriages that work do so because both people have the same requirements, no matter where they fall on the spectrum.  I also think if anyone actually knew what makes a marriage work, the divorce rate would be much lower.  

[Drogo]

6 minutes ago, Desert Rat said:

Actually, if you want a good, long-lasting marriage then you should do most social things together, and you should want to. 

Couldn't agree more with this- most things and not all things.  My wife and I don't have any desire for girls'/guys' nights - if we have the option to go out, we want to go big and go together.  We're far from codependent.  Still, if she wants to go out with the girls, she can, and vice versa.  It's Elizabeth and Andrei's communication that needs work. 

I also don't know why the Americans think it's nice to invite someone to leave their homeland and everyone they know and expect them to be excited about sitting home alone on Saturday nights.

[Sprockets]

3 minutes ago, CoachWristletJen said:

It's good for her to be throwing some stuff out there and see what gets his ire up.

I doubt deliberately trying to irritate someone is ever a path to harmony.  It is good to calmly discuss boundaries, likes and dislikes.  Its essential, IMO.  

1 minute ago, Drogo said:

I also don't know why the Americans think it's nice to invite someone to leave their homeland and everyone they know and expect them to be excited about sitting home alone on Saturday nights.

Or any night, or day.  Perhaps because they aren't considering the other person's reality at all?  

[Pondlass1]

12 minutes ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

Azan is embarrassed by Nicole, or seems to be, by her weight

Oh definitely.  He's not attracted to her at all - there's absolutely no genuine love  on either side that I can see.  But in Morocco he can say he'll get into trouble and she stops. No one will care in Florida. She won't stop.  

[Mrs. Hanson]

1 minute ago, Pondlass1 said:

Oh definitely.  He's not attracted to her at all - there's absolutely no genuine love  on either side that I can see.  But in Morocco he can say he'll get into trouble and she stops. No one will care in Florida. She won't stop.  

I agree and it just shows how disrespectful Nicole is towards Azan - Muslim or not, if your man does not want any PDA, then keep your mitts to yourself.  Respect him!  

[CoachWristletJen]

12 minutes ago, Sprockets said:

I doubt deliberately trying to irritate someone is ever a path to harmony.  It is good to calmly discuss boundaries, likes and dislikes.  Its essential, IMO.  

Or any night, or day.  Perhaps because they aren't considering the other person's reality at all?  

In the words of Devar, "Most definitely."

[Bryce Lynch]

14 minutes ago, millennium said:

I don't think anyone said anything about "clubbing."   The women I know who do the girls' night out thing don't generally go dancing.   Those who do may do so not for the sake of flirtation but simply because they like to dance and they're married to couch potatoes who don't want to.   So they go out dancing with their girlfriends.  Some guys don't like that though because they don't want their wives enjoying themselves without them, even if it's just dancing with girls because he decides when and where his wife has a good time, dammit. 

I suppose it all comes down to a question of maturity and trust.   Of course, some women only cause themselves grief by calling it "girls night out" because the phrase has attracted a certain negative or illicit connotation in our culture.  Then again, that connotation is a direct outgrowth of male insecurity.

It was hard to get a clear idea about what "girls night out" meant to Elizabeth.  At one point, Andrrrei said something along the lines of he wanted her to spend time with her sisters and didn't mind her going out with them, but didn't want her coming home at 4:00 AM.   He also seemed to indicate that he wanted to go with her, so he doesn't seem like a couch potato.    Elizabeth kept interrupting him, and they both seemed a little tipsy, so I didn't get a good feel for the conversation.  

I think going drinking and dancing at clubs is more of a touchy subject for husbands than a lot of other ways a wife can have a good time without him.  I think the same is true the other way.  I would think most wives would be more comfortable with their husbands going golfing or to a ball game with friends than them going to a strip club or even a dance club.   I can't even imagine a wife sitting patiently at home while her husband goes out drinking and dancing with other women all night.    What appropriate behavior would a husband or wife engage in at a dance club without their spouse that they wouldn't do if their spouse went with them?

[CoachWristletJen]

1 minute ago, Bryce Lynch said:

It was hard to get a clear idea about what "girls night out" meant to Elizabeth.  At one point, Andrrrei said something along the lines of he wanted her to spend time with her sisters and didn't mind her going out with them, but didn't want her coming home at 4:00 AM.   He also seemed to indicate that he wanted to go with her, so he doesn't seem like a couch potato.    Elizabeth kept interrupting him, and they both seemed a little tipsy, so I didn't get a good feel for the conversation.  

I think going drinking and dancing at clubs is more of a touchy subject for husbands than a lot of other ways a wife can have a good time without him.  I think the same is true the other way.  I would think most wives would be more comfortable with their husbands going golfing or to a ball game with friends than them going to a strip club or even a dance club.   I can't even imagine a wife sitting patiently at home while her husband goes out drinking and dancing with other women all night.    What appropriate behavior would a husband or wife engage in at a dance club without their spouse that they wouldn't do if their spouse went with them?

She really seemed to make too big of a deal out of his bad qualities in front of her families.

And, 'girls night out' could mean any number of things between the two of them, especially when they are both a little tipsy and she's not listening to him. 

"You and your sisters put on your best woolen stockings and you go out and you eat soup. Good soup."

[Pepper Mostly]

1 hour ago, merylinkid said:

They put the dis in dysfunctional.

I just wish there was ONE couple who put the FUN in dysfunctional! Many of these people are eminently mockable, but none of the couples are much fun to mock as a pair. I will cheerfully mock David Poor, but I feel bad for Annie, who I think has a good heart under it all. That girl will be working 2 jobs the instant she is able, and leaving David Poor behind in a cloud of cheap perfume, as she should. He's a loser. And I'll mock Josh with great enthusiasm and vigor, but Aika? I think, despite her overdone appearance, is a nice, capable woman, who has no trouble sticking up for herself. I hope she dumps Josh and finds a nice, normal guy who will treat her like a queen, not a trophy. Nicole is thoroughly mockable but she and Azan as a couple are just sad. Her naked lust for her hot guy and his palpable distaste for her have tipped into the pitiful zone. Molly is a thirsty, silly woman but Luis isn't just a nice guy who can't believe his luck, he's crude and not very smart, it seems, and of course the issues with Molly's girls make the whole thing uncomfortable. Gah.

Edited November 15, 2017 by Pepper Mostly

[Sprockets]

8 minutes ago, CoachWristletJen said:

In the words of Devar, "Most definitely."

Is he there with you?  I wondered where he was.  

[Sprockets]

14 minutes ago, Pondlass1 said:

No one will care in Florida. She won't stop.  

He's going to be enveloped like a pig in a blanket!

[Chickabiddy]

27 minutes ago, Desert Rat said:

Actually, if you want a good, long-lasting marriage then you should do most social things together, and you should want to.  If I want to do something without my husband, I let him know, and if he objects, I'm not going to do it.  If Elizabeth still wants to go "clubbing", maybe she is not ready for marriage and needs to sow more wild oats. If they cannot agree on these issues, their marriage is doomed, but it's good they are talking these things through before the wedding. 

I really think this depends on the couple and their individual needs. My husband and I have been married for 20 years and are perfectly happy at the prospect of 20 more. If either of us wants to go out with our pals, we just tell each other - not to ask permission, but to keep each other up to date. Neither of us has ever been into the club scene, but we each totally trust each other and give one another a long leash. We each also like to have a little alone time at home. For us, it's healthy. He is even cool with me taking a weekend trip with my friends on my own once or twice a year...GASP! There is no one size fits all.  Married couples may be a unit, but it is a unit made up of two individuals who still have their own free will and right to self determination. 

With that said, I think it is cool for Andrei to express what he wants from the relationship. I think if Libby could use those big pink lips to make a a reasonable argument, he would listen. All successful relationships involve some negotiation. 

[Bryce Lynch]

15 minutes ago, Pepper Mostly said:

I just wish there was ONE couple who put the FUN in dysfunctional! Many of these people are eminently mockable, but none of the couples are much fun to mock as a pair. I will cheerfully mock David Poor, but I feel bad for Annie, who I think has a good heart under it all. That girl will be working 2 jobs the instant she is able, and leaving David Poor behind in a cloud of cheap perfume, as she should. He's a loser. And I'll mock Josh with great enthusiasm and vigor, but Aika? I think, despite her overdone appearance, is a nice, capable woman, who has no trouble sticking up for herself. I hope she dumps Josh and finds a nice, normal guy who will treat her like a queen, not a trophy. Nicole is thoroughly mockable but she and Azan as a couple are just sad. Her naked lust for her hot guy and his palpable distaste for her have tipped into the pitiful zone. Molly is a thirsty, silly woman but Luis isn't just a nice guy who can't believe his luck, he's crude and not very smart, it seems, and of course the issues with Molly's girls make the whole thing uncomfortable. Gah.

Good point about the lack of FUN. I think if Aika shows a bit more of a gold diggerish side, her and Josh might become a jointly mockable couple.  But right now I still see him as a pervy loser and Aika as more or less the good guy.    

If not for May, Azan and Nicole might be mockable as a couple.  As with Josh and Aika, Azan showing a little more of a dark side would help.

I think David and Evelyn are jointly mockable, but they just aren't that interesting, at least so far. 

Louise and The Molly would be eminently mockable if not for Molly's two poor daughters being stuck in the middle of this train wreck.  

Edited November 15, 2017 by Bryce Lynch

[balisticnikki]

12 hours ago, millennium said:

"Girl's night out" strikes me as a sexist concept that many women cluelessly perpetuate.   I think they believe it's empowering to announce "I'm taking a special night to go out with my friends" but if you look at it conversely, it becomes "I am not permitted to go out with my friends any old time I like."   Worse, it seems some women passively-aggressively seek permission from their husbands/boyfriends before going, needing their approval so they can drink or dance with a clear conscience.   From that perspective, "girls' night out" only confirms that the men in their lives have an unnatural stranglehold on their time and self-expression.

In my circle, we hold Girls Nights Out even when we're single. And no one has to get permission, when we're not single. It just means planning an activity...that happens in the evening or at night. Nothing sexist or disempowering about it as I have come to personally know the term.

[CoachWristletJen]

3 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Good point about the lack of FUN. I think if Aika shows a bit more of a gold diggerish side, her and Josh might become a jointly mockable couple.  But right now I still see him as a pervy loser and Aika as more or less the good guy.    

If not for May, Azan and Nicole might be mockable as a couple.  As with Josh and Aika, Azan showing a little more of a dark side would help.

I think David and Evelyn are jointly mockable, but they just aren't that interesting, at least so far. 

Louise and The Molly would be eminently mockable if not for Molly's two poor daughters being stuck in the middle of this train wreck.  

Aika is likable. Josh's friend was rude, but accurate when he said she chose America, not Josh. Still, it was rude to say that. If Josh is okay with the compromise, it's his business. He's trading the keys to the country for sex, like a lot of them.

I do feel sorry for Annie, also. She's an obvious golddigger as well, but he ain't got anything. No gold, no house, no sobriety. I hope his friend's wife takes a liking to her and takes her under her wing because Annie just seems like this poor, shattered, lost person.

Molly's two daughters are in a scary, red-flag situation, but their mother is too desperate to do anything about it. She's as weak as they come.

David and Evelyn are only interesting to me when they arguing and because of David's potential mean streak.

[IgnoranceisBLISS]

On 11/13/2017 at 9:32 AM, poeticlicensed said:

He seems to have quite the variety. So let me get this straight, David Poor has no income, no job, no home and is an alcoholic? And it looks like he gained back much of the weight he lost, so he probably has health problems also. So what exactly is the plan? He is going to bring Annie home to what? Not a home, not an income. I don't see how he can even sponsor her. 

This is hilarious!!!!! You win the internet for the day!!

[Ivanova]

13 hours ago, Tuneful said:

Ninety days is long enough for Aika to find herself a new dumb American

You can't marry another person on a K1. But she can potentially find someone, fly back and reenter again in a few years. But then she'd probably have to say goodbye to her dream of having a kid.

[Bryce Lynch]

9 minutes ago, Ivanova said:

You can't marry another person on a K1. But she can potentially find someone, fly back and reenter again in a few years. But then she'd probably have to say goodbye to her dream of having a kid.

I searched this quickly.  It looks like you can marry someone else in the US, but you cannot petition for a change in status based upon that marriage.  She would need to leave the US before the 90 days was up and then apply for a new visa based upon the marriage and it is not guaranteed that it would be approved.  

[Forum member]

19 minutes ago, CoachWristletJen said:

Aika is likable. Josh's friend was rude, but accurate when he said she chose America, not Josh. Still, it was rude to say that. If Josh is okay with the compromise, it's his business. He's trading the keys to the country for sex, like a lot of them.

 

When gay Hitler youth said she was looking for a man in America, how I wish her reply was, "yes, and he was looking for a woman from the Philippines."

End of argument. 

[Sprockets]

14 minutes ago, Ivanova said:

You can't marry another person on a K1. But she can potentially find someone, fly back and reenter again in a few years. But then she'd probably have to say goodbye to her dream of having a kid.

I was thinking she could find someone and kind of keep him on the back burner.  The way Anfisa did.

Edited November 15, 2017 by Sprockets
Reworded.

[CoachWristletJen]

1 minute ago, Forum member said:

When gay Hitler youth said she was looking for a man in America, how I wish her reply was, "yes, and he was looking for a woman from the Philippines."

End of argument. 

LOVE IT!

[shockermolar]

13 hours ago, Matias130 said:

What you say is right on in several points. However, are you a mother of teenage boys, or teenage girls ? Un fortunately most parents of teenage boys are far more lax about their sons' sexual activity than daughters. Honestly it sucks but the double standard doesnt exist just from parents, but also peers. I remember in high school (only a few years ago), when the boys finally had sex with their girlfriend or any girl, news would spread fast, and oftentimes the girl would be deeply embarrassed. Also, parents of daughters have to deal with consequences that are more "real" than parents of sons: I had several classmates that had abortions in high school, had contracted STDs from oral sex, etc. Nearly all the girls I knew who had sex in HS claimed that it was "not good" and "a mistake." This was with the Sex Ed course all high schoolers were required to take as well. I think that sex should be taught as something special, not meaningless. 

From a female perspective, I had my heart broken in high school, but I didnt have sex that young, and that was something I felt proud about, that I hadn't let some thoughtless teenage boy use my body, because honestly many teenage boys simply want sex and are ready to move onto the next girl after she's given up the goods. 

I have sons, however I am a female myself of course, who didn't "give up the goods" until I was a junior in college.  It was a disappointing experience for a variety of reasons, but none of them was related to a perception of specialness or lack there-of. It was just shitty sex because I wasn't 100% clear on what I was doing, and he wasn't 100% clear on what he was doing.  Bad sex can happen post high school and isn't tied exclusively to age.

 I was in HS a couple of decades ago and what I  remember is pregnant classmates being sent by the school district to a separate campus and a whole lot of slut shaming. And that I blame squarely on the idea that sex is somehow wrong or dirty when it's not. Is it ideal for HS students to have sex? No it's not. Do they ALL do it. No they don't. But I would far rather see any teens - mine, my friends' daughters, my nieces and nephews, and all of their friends - having a healthy attitude towards sex and being prepared when they have it. 

I'm not arguing that sex can't be special or have meaning, but it doesn't have to, and in my experience it can be just as good (if not better, truth be told) without those things. It CAN be just sex. And there's nothing wrong with that. And telling teenagers that it always has to be special is doing them a disservice. Whether they are boys or girls.  

[shockermolar]

14 hours ago, Lemons said:

Clubs that Andre is thinking about are made up mostly under 21 year olds thinking the clubs are the most awesome thing ever. And of course men looking to get with the young girls.  Once everyone reaches the age of 21, it's like no, I'm over it.  (I'm exaggerating a little and talking about big city clubs). 

I live in Austin. We have 6th Street and Rainey Street and the Warehouse District, and the idea of going to any of those areas once I hit about 25 or 26 was just EXHAUSTING. When I hear about people my age doing that now I always think to myself "But it's a SCHOOL night."

[CoachWristletJen]

My hope for Annie is that through the show's exposure, she can find someone else in the U.S. who will treat her better. She will have no trouble divorcing David Poor. He's a nonfunctioning, abusive alcoholic. (And, he needs to clean up his act and lose weight again before he has another serious health scare!)

She sees the dismal picture in front of her and she's clearly not sticking with him out of that 90% love so it must be desperation. (I'm guessing that whenever people start putting percentages on emotional commitment it's a sign of trouble.) 

Hopefully, David Poor's friend, Male Hormone Replacement Therapy Dude, will take pity on Annie. I think his wife certainly will. (Sorry I can't remember her name, but I really liked her! She already doesn't like David Poor, hereinafter referred to as DP.)  Anyway, their resources would be far better invested helping Annie get on her feet instead of propping up DP.  

Annie can find someone better. After all, there's nowhere to go but up! She seems fairly energetic and on the ball and I'm guessing she's a hard worker.

Do these women realize that it's mostly the duds that go over there? Not always, but mostly.

[shockermolar]

49 minutes ago, balisticnikki said:

In my circle, we hold Girls Nights Out even when we're single. And no one has to get permission, when we're not single. It just means planning an activity...that happens in the evening or at night. Nothing sexist or disempowering about it as I have come to personally know the term.

My friends and I have a standing GNO each month on a set day, and have been doing it for oh about 10 years now give or take. We also have an annual weekend that we've been doing for probably 5 or 6 years.  All the SOs and kids know. We go to the same 3 neighborhood bars for the GNO depending on our mood and rent the same cottage for the GW.  It's low-key. Nothing crazy. And we don't ask permission.  Every once in a while we go TOTALLY crazy and karaoke. But yeah, it's neither sexist nor disempowering. It's just a time we make for each other because we love each other.

[Bryce Lynch]

8 minutes ago, CoachWristletJen said:

My hope for Annie is that through the show's exposure, she can find someone else in the U.S. who will treat her better. She will have no trouble divorcing David Poor. He's a nonfunctioning, abusive alcoholic. (And, he needs to clean up his act and lose weight again before he has another serious health scare!)

She sees the dismal picture in front of her and she's clearly not sticking with him out of that 90% love so it must be desperation. (I'm guessing that whenever people start putting percentages on emotional commitment it's a sign of trouble.) 

Hopefully, David Poor's friend, Male Hormone Replacement Therapy Dude, will take pity on Annie. I think his wife certainly will. (Sorry I can't remember her name, but I really liked her! She already doesn't like David Poor, hereinafter referred to as DP.)  Anyway, their resources would be far better invested helping Annie get on her feet instead of propping up DP.  

Annie can find someone better. After all, there's nowhere to go but up! She seems fairly energetic and on the ball and I'm guessing she's a hard worker.

Do these women realize that it's mostly the duds that go over there? Not always, but mostly.

While I agree about everything else about David Poor, is he really an alcoholic?  We saw him get a little drunk,  once, during their party.  

I don't see Chris and Nikki helping Annie.   

I'm not sure how much better Annie can do, unfortunately.  She claims to be 24, but seems much older and is slightly above average looking.  I'd imagine there are a lot of younger, prettier Thai women looking for men to take them to American or elsewhere, so she might be left with the dregs, like David Poor.  

[Ivanova]

Some say that Andrey's attitude towards women is typical Eastern European, but I think that most American men wouldn't be too keen on their wives clubbing until 4 am without them.

When I look at Andrey and Elizabeth, the word that comes to mind for both of them is "gopnik".