Matt and Caryn

[EllaWycliffe]

1 hour ago, Jeanne222 said:

I'm quite sure if she was to be given any kind of responsibility during pumpkin season, other than dressing up, she'd still be pondering it and unable to make a decision into December!

Yet people also complaining that she's not taking on Matt's duties on the farm for herself. So again - she's responsible for the home to where she's a shitty housekeeper and Matt is a blameless innocent in how the children were raised, but she should ALSO be taking the farm in hand and assuming responsibilities there... and derided when she doesn't.  And derided for what she might or might not do. Double standard. 

Edited October 11, 2020 by EllaWycliffe

[EllaWycliffe]

1 hour ago, Jeanne222 said:

Amy never "ran the house" mercy. 

Matt changed every shitty diaper? Sat up with all four kids? Made their breakfasts, packed their lunches for school, drove them to school, took them to doctor appointments, did their laundry? Made dinner when they came home, saw to it homework was done? Went to school events, helped out with school field trips, etc etc etc? 

Yes, the house was messy but if Amy was doing nothing, then CPS would have gotten involved since Matt was absolutely doing nothing when it came to his children being fed and watered and clothed and schooled.

I don't take away from Matt's accomplishments - in his niche he's a good business man. But "Amy did nothing" because it was childcare and motherhood chores does come off misogynistic. 

[AZChristian]

If Matt did his job (breadwinner) as poorly as Amy did hers, we wouldn't be discussing them at all.  There would be NO TV show, the pumpkin patch would just be one of those little local affairs, and they would all still be crammed in the pre-renovation house.

[LucyEth]

The conversation shifted to the current situation and pumpkin season 2020.  If I understood correctly Amy did not want to sell her share in the pumpkin business but just the land.  Since she is there doing her greeting duties it could be that she got her wish, therefore if she is still partial owner of the business you would expect her to contribute more than just putting on a costume.  The children are all grown and married, to keep stating Matt was a shitty parent has nothing to do with the current situation.

[EllaWycliffe]

 

38 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

If Matt did his job (breadwinner) as poorly as Amy did hers, we wouldn't be discussing them at all.

Actually, one of the reason they went with doing a reality show was because Matt hadn't been working for over a year.  Matt is on record in his book Against Tall Odds on how he nearly lost the farm. If they hadn't gotten the reality show, who knows where they would be. On the old TLC forums where Matt used to respond to questions, he used to insist that the big reason they were chosen by TLC was that Amy refused to clean the house... which is one reason I have been amused by a lot of this.

 

7 minutes ago, LucyEth said:

if she is still partial owner of the business you would expect her to contribute more than just putting on a costume.  

If is big question, isn't it? But let's assume she is. That goes to the point of "When has Matt ever given up control of the farm?" and "Who will be the hostess if Amy takes the safety tasks from Matt"?

9 minutes ago, LucyEth said:

The children are all grown and married, to keep stating Matt was a shitty parent has nothing to do with the current situation.

The house has actually been quite neat since the children and Matt moved out. (The recent messes were clearly part of moving if anyone wants to make that arguement, and Amy's new home seems quite tidy) To keep stating Amy was a shitty housekeeper back when the kids were growing up has nothing to do with the current situation. Right?

But this is the Matt thread not the current episode thread so things from years past are allowed, or so I thought.

[LucyEth]

3 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Who will be the hostess if Amy takes the safety tasks from Matt"?

She can’t do more than one job a time?  I see a lot of posts about how she had many jobs when the kids were growing up.

 

5 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

But this is the Matt thread not the current episode thread so things from years past are allowed, or so I thought.

The present is what my post was about, my point was that Amy just parading around in a costume today and doing nothing else (if that is the case) has nothing to do with Matt being a supposed shitty parent, or Amy being a shitty homemaker, Matt thread or not!

[Jeanne222]

Just to be clear Amy was NOT taking care of the house!  If anybody cares to scroll up they will find exactly how Amy left the house!

Cracked pool, roof leaking, Windows rotting...

Yep Amy is fine.  Lol. She took care of that house like she takes care of everything.  Cracked, rotten, leaking!

[EllaWycliffe]

Inground pool went in 2008 - 12 years later, its not actually unusual to expect some problems.

Roof and windows? Well, we only have Matt's word on the issues and frankly Matt is an admitted liar when it suits him or makes him look good but... That was a new roof and new windows and both per google should last 20+ years before needing serious repair. So if Matt isn't broadly exaggerating something minor (as he often does) then something went really wrong with the remodel because really, Amy wasn't up on the roof wrecking it. Or is that claim on the table?

25 minutes ago, LucyEth said:

She can’t do more than one job a time?

Show me Matt giving up a task and letting someone do something on the farm that isn't grunt work or customer facing. I absolutely think Amy can do more than one task at a time - I was recently rewatching the "Amy does charity events" episodes and Amy pretty consistently brought well organized events without Matt's help. 

No thoughts on Matt the breadwinner being unemployed to where they really needed to get on a reality show?

[LucyEth]

39 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

No thoughts on Matt the breadwinner being unemployed to where they really needed to get on a reality show?

No, I thought Amy’s numerous jobs were supporting the family during the gap.  I guess not, good thing he got them the show.

[EllaWycliffe]

2 minutes ago, LucyEth said:

No, I thought Amy’s numerous jobs were supporting the family during the gap.

I've never said that. I have said she was working several jobs to support the family and they were borrowing money from Amy's parents because they were struggling since Matt wasn't working. Matt's book does detail his financial issues but per him, he was not consistently bringing home the bacon.

[LucyEth]

5 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

I've never said that

From the posts here and I don’t remember who said what, someone stated Amy had several jobs.  I was referring to those jobs in general being  able to support the family, not that you said it.  

[LucyEth]

Jackson the pirate, cute!

[EllaWycliffe]

So she was working several jobs to keep the family afloat while Matt didn't work for over a year and they clearly needed the boost from the reality show. Matt the bread winner wasn't bringing home the bread and hadn't been for some time. I think you're attempting to suggest that Amy taking on several part time jobs to stop the bleeding while Matt didn't work for over a year excuses Matt from not providing. Now I personally don't ascribe to the "Man works and makes money, wifey has kids and maintains the home" but the story of "Matt made the money and Amy did NOTHING" gets touted a lot... when in fact, Matt nearly lost the house and hadn't been working for over a year by the time the reality show came along, so the tale of Matt the awesome provider has some holes. If we're dividing it as "Matt made the money, and Amy kept the home" then when we acknowledge Amy as the shitty housekeeper, it also needs to be considered that Matt wasn't always a great provider.

Cute photo of Jackson 🙂

Edited October 11, 2020 by EllaWycliffe

[LucyEth]

15 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

I think you're attempting to suggest that Amy taking on several part time jobs to stop the bleeding while Matt didn't work for over a year excuses Matt from not providing

Not at all what I am suggesting.  He definitely needed an income.  I was suggesting her several jobs could hold them over until he had an income.  

[EllaWycliffe]

I'm thinking part time secretary, part time preschool teacher and part time soccer coach probably wasn't bringing in the same that Matt had been earning as a software salesman - they were after all borrowing money from Amy's parents for dental needs for Zach.  Again, Matt in his book said they nearly lost the house - thats not a great provider to me.

[LucyEth]

I guess a person is not allowed to fall on bad times, lose a job and have to struggle until they work out a deal for reality show that has pretty much set them all for life.  

[EllaWycliffe]

Not if "Matt made the money and Amy did nothing" is the story we all have to agree to. Marriage is a partnership and this marriage took hits from both sides. Remember - Amy working several jobs while Matt spent more than a year out of work is *nothing* and Matt deserves nothing but applause under this judgement even though he wasn't always fulfilling his end of the agreement. 

I'd also argue that the show was a family affair and not solely Matt's accomplishment, but thats a different discussion.

[LucyEth]

16 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Not if "Matt made the money and Amy did nothing" is the story we all have to agree to

You don’t have to agree to anything.  We all have our own opinions.

[EllaWycliffe]

Good, because I think it's legit to note that Matt wasn't Mr. Wonderful Who Always Provided. Some of the anger and bitterness on Amy's part is no doubt due to worries about how the bills would be paid while Matt was letting strangers live and birth babies in the barn and half building and abandoning various play structures around the farm. The stretch of unemployment was in the early 2000s and I suspect things were actually pretty scary down on the farm. That scars people. 

[LucyEth]

58 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Good, because I think it's legit to note that Matt wasn't Mr. Wonderful Who Always Provided. Some of the anger and bitterness on Amy's part is no doubt due to worries about how the bills would be paid while Matt was letting strangers live and birth babies in the barn and half building and abandoning various play structures around the farm. The stretch of unemployment was in the early 2000s and I suspect things were actually pretty scary down on the farm. That scars people. 

Oh I know, you have posted all of this more than once.

[Absolom]

3 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

I'd also argue that the show was a family affair and not solely Matt's accomplishment, but thats a different discussion.

The background I found said TLC approached them not that Matt went out trying to sell a TV show and got lucky.  It's very true that the whole family had to work to put on the show.  Perhaps Matt's ideas added some spice to the filming, but the original plot line was how they were able to do normal things and were normal people.  

[EllaWycliffe]

Yeah, the show was originally "America's Weirdest Families" and not intended to be solely about little people. Matt also said they got the show not because of wheeling and dealing from him but because the producers liked the fact that Amy refused to clean the house for them. 

[EllaWycliffe]

Moving from the episode thread because it's a bit far afield from the episode:

Quote

I dislike Matt intensely but I will never begrudge him for what he went through medically. The man is a mangled mess, he can barely walk or use his hands. He spent years of his childhood and teen years in the hospital enduring painful surgery after surgery. He talked about it on the show because I'm sure he was asked to talk about it on the show

To a point, I completely agree. I am certainly not denying Matt has physical issues and I am sure he has pain. I am also sure that yes, there were times, especially early on, where Matt was specifically asked questions. It's usually pretty obvious when Matt is explaining his disability for the show.

Matt also weaponizes his disability as a pity point and as a way to manipulate. Matt has two stories about his childhood that he likes to throw down - the "ripped from his mothers breast" tale where he's the lonely, tortured by doctors child who spent almost all of his time until he was 15 lying in a hospital bed praying for an end to the pain.

Then there's the other childhood tale, where he was a little spitfire climbing trees and riding bikes and going on camping trips with his dad and showing us all just how darn resilient he is because he's never letting his disability stop him!

Matt never hesitates to use his pain and his disability to get his way or to get himself some praise. If he wants to take off by himself on a vacation without the family, his tired bones are aching and he needs some sun and Matt is in pain so therefore anyone who protests is a monster denying his obvious disabilities. If Matt is bored or feels left out of a trip because the rest of the family is more active, Matt complains about his pain and how everyone is leaving poor Matt alone because poor Matt can't keep up, just so the public gets the point - poor Matt is suffering and the cruel family doesn't care. We've literally been hearing since the wedding barn episodes that Matt is in pain and tuckered out and wants to retire and be done with the farm and just sit in the sun but poor Matt can't because the family won't step up or can't manage or whatever the bitch of the day where Matt is the poor tortured martyr forced to work while the evil family lives off his painfilled work. When he was working the audience on how Amy was being a bitch for living in the big house while he was in the double wide, guess what? Poor crippled Matt was living in a torture pit in the double wide.! He was living in pain and making sure the audience damn well knew he was FORCED to live in the double wide and desperately needed the accommodations for his dwarfism in the big house to ease his endless agony as he is crippled gosh darn it! But mean Amy wouldn't budge so he had to live IN PHYSICAL PAIN in the double wide. and gosh darn it he's so resilient but also IN SO MUCH PAIN! Pain that could be relieved but wasn't... because mean Amy was mean. I mean, the man admitted on camera to Amy that he used the "I'm dying" routine to get what he wanted. This is why even the family gets a little eye rolly with him. Matt demands to be the King of Pain all the time but also wants credit for being resilient even though he obviously manipulates people with his claims of pain.

But hmmm... sure seems like Matt has shut up about how every day on the farm in the doublewide is shear physical agony that he desperately wants to escape by selling the farm.  I wonder why. His obvious disabilities that were causing all this terrible pain haven't disappeared yet Matt lately is all smiles.

Oh right, the baby is getting his way so he's stopped the little pity party. 

So, yes, I think Matt has physical pain and physical disabilities that cause him pain. I also think he learned early on how to lay a guilt trip and play the "pity me" card like a pro. That he likely has real pain doesn't mean he can't possibly also be a manipulative asshole about it. 

[SunnyBeBe]

So, Matt is 4 ft., Amy 4’2 and Zach 4’3.   I wonder where Jackson will end up.  

[readheaded]

8 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

So, Matt is 4 ft., Amy 4’2 and Zach 4’3.   I wonder where Jackson will end up.  

I understand that little people will obviously be short in stature, but I wonder if the genes of their average-sized relatives factor into how tall they'll get as little people?  Fpr example, Tori looks like she's on the taller side of average, so could that mean Jackson could be a taller little person?  My apologies if this is a stupid question...

[Fostersmom]

Jeremy and Molly look to be fairly tall too, so you never know. 

I was surprised to see Matt's parents again. I just wish I hadn't seen his mom kissing on the kids. I get it, and obviously they didn't get sick, but great grandma kissing on a tiny infant, on a regular year is germy enough, let alone in a pandemic, especially with Lilah having had RSV. Both baby and grandma were at risk there. 

[SunnyBeBe]

4 hours ago, Fostersmom said:

Jeremy and Molly look to be fairly tall too, so you never know. 

I was surprised to see Matt's parents again. I just wish I hadn't seen his mom kissing on the kids. I get it, and obviously they didn't get sick, but great grandma kissing on a tiny infant, on a regular year is germy enough, let alone in a pandemic, especially with Lilah having had RSV. Both baby and grandma were at risk there. 

I thought that gathering was before covid started.  It was going on with Jackson's birthday party, but, the one with Great Grandparents was earlier, right?  

[ginger90]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I thought that gathering was before covid started.  It was going on with Jackson's birthday party, but, the one with Great Grandparents was earlier, right?  

Theses episodes were filmed prior to Covid coming to light.

[ginger90]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CG3kuGInl0b/?hl=en&chaining=true

[seasons]

Dear God, what is Amy supposed to be in that Insta gram picture?  

[ginger90]

8 hours ago, seasons said:

Dear God, what is Amy supposed to be in that Insta gram picture?  

Merida, from the movie Brave.

[AZChristian]

1 hour ago, ginger90 said:

Merida, from the movie Brave.

I've never seen the movie, so I had to google a bit.  According to Wikipedia, "Merida has long, wild, curly, red hair, blue eyes, pale skin and a slender body."

Um.

Never mind.

[EllaWycliffe]

How thin does someone need to be to dress as a Disney princess? Because they sell those costumes in plus sizes.

[ginger90]

Never mind.

Edited November 1, 2020 by ginger90

[LucyEth]

I honestly thought Amy was supposed to be Fiona from Shrek, looks nothing like Merida.  Audrey would have made a good Merida.

[EllaWycliffe]

Audrey strikes me as more of an Ariel. But you don't have to resemble the character physically to have fun playing the part. I'm WAY TOO OLD to be Hermoine Granger but.... there may be photos as evidence....

[PradaKitty]

In that costume Amy looks like E.T. When Drew Barrymore’s character dressed him up! 

[athousandclowns]

Never mind I thought this was Matt’s forum . 

[EllaWycliffe]

It is but it seems to routinely turn into discussions of Amy. Got a Matt topic?

[ginger90]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHHu0-8neEN/?hl=en

[gingerella]

The main take away I have from this series is that little people can be fucking assholes too. Thanks Matt & Amy Roloff, for being such stellar role models.

[EllaWycliffe]

Gingerella - and Matt has taught me that folks with handicaps are not saints who always appreciate accommodations but in fact can be real assholes. I've always disliked the fact that Matt always insists he's a saint who never complains about his neigbors but also often in the same conversation insists he's getting complaints made against not because of any legit issue but because the complainers hate successful little people.

Just to be clear - Matt thinks anyone who says boo about the things he does - whether it be an unsafe trebuchet, planting a half finished boat in the middle of the field, tearing up farm land, having loud parties constantly - has never had a valid complaint and is ALWAYS someone who hates little people and is bigoted against little people. Matt was born with an excuse and never hesitates to insist he have his right to be the victim.

[ginger90]

To me, Matt is not “handicapped”, he has a disability. 

Edited November 14, 2020 by ginger90

[EllaWycliffe]

A disability he never hesitates to use to gain sympathy or his way.

Remember the DUI? Where his argument was that while his disability makes it impossible to perform the walk in a line test and disabled people have sued on this very point, he should have been put to the test?

How about his other excuse that night - he wasn't drunk, he was using the wife's car and her pedals weren't adjusted especially for his disability so he was weaving all over because he knew he needed his pedals adjusted due to his disability but didn't bother because getting home quickly was more important than driving safely with reasonable accomadations? I remember how Matt played that card. 

[ginger90]

11 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

How about his other excuse that night - he wasn't drunk, he was using the wife's car and her pedals weren't adjusted especially for his disability so he was weaving all over because he knew he needed his pedals adjusted due to his disability but didn't bother because getting home quickly was more important than driving safely with reasonable accomadations? I remember how Matt played that card. 

Matt was found not guilty.

He was fined for not staying in his lane, and for refusing a breathalyzer.

[Absolom]

Still lost his driving privileges over refusing the breathalyzer.  😄

[EllaWycliffe]

9 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

Matt was found not guilty.

Agreed. His excuse was that he was weaving not because he was drunk but because he has a disability and hadn't bothered to adjust his wife's car so he could drive safely. 

Just so I am being clear, my problem is that he's well aware he has a disability and and his excuse for endangering lives with his inability to drive was that he just didn't want to bother with making sure he had the right accomadation. His need to drive home quickly was more important than the safety of others.

[LucyEth]

I am not advocating drinking and driving at all, but the guy was married to Amy, can’t blame him for drinking.

[EllaWycliffe]

7 minutes ago, LucyEth said:

I am not advocating drinking and driving at all, but the guy was married to Amy, can’t blame him for drinking.

If we're gonna go here, then Matt drinking booze rather than dealing with Amy is Matt abdicating from the family for alcohol. If Amy deserved that - I disagree but fine - but Matt chose alcohol and his own pleasure over his children. Did all four deserve Matt deciding to crawl into a bottle?

Mind you, the "Matt was drinking" theory does explain why no one called an ambulance when Matt collapsed on the floor... Daddy Matt passed out drunk probably wasn't an uncommon occurrence. 

[Scarlett45]

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