Trading Spouses 22/11/04

Cafe Society
1

I’ve avoided this show like a vegan avoids Meat Lovers pizzas. The whole concept just seemed wrong. But I watched it last night. Why? Because there was nothing else on I wanted to watch, and because they were swapping wives from a vegan and a Cajun family. (I like Cajun food, and I wanted to see how the vegan handled it.)

My God, the vegan San Diegan is a bitch! Now, I think people should pretty much eat what they want. If you don’t want to use animal products, then don’t use them. It’s none of my business. But the V(egan) is a self-described activist. Preachy people get on my nerves.

Now, I understand how upset she was at being dropped at a swamp tour business with dead animals all over the place. I sympathise that she can’t find a good selection of food she can eat. But it looks like she’s trying to change the whole culture. As the kid said, ‘This ain’t California.’ (I found it somewhat amusing that they used subtitles for the Cajuns.)

More than that, she’s not dealing with the kid very well. At home she’s a strict disciplinarian. Her kids seem rather subdued, and fearful of doing anything wrong. (Her husband gives that impression as well.) She doesn’t seem to be trying to understand the culture she’s landed in. Kids behave differently in the country than they do in the city. But no, she’s trying to impose her own ‘enlightened’ standards on a rural kid from the swamps. Her attitude seems to be ‘I’m right and you’re wrong, and there is no way your point of view is valid.’

C(ajun Woman) is also not fitting in in San Diego. Her culture revolves around a carcass-filled diet. She has made it known that she’d like to try to get the vegans to try meat, and even tried to give alligator head souveniers to a dozen vegan activists. She clearly does not understand. (It was a funny image to see two vegan activists turn up their noses and turn their heads in unison.) But she’s not lecturing people. Where V is trying to impose her will on C’s child (especially), C seems to be trying to be nice to V’s kids and engage them.

From the preview, it looks like next week C will put her foot down and insist on cooking a traditional Cajun dish for a party of vegans. She seems to be one of those people who think, ‘If they’ll only try it, they’ll see what they’re missing!’ Ain’t gonna work. It’s a very ill-conceived plan.

I don’t remember what V is going to do next week, but I’m sure it’s horrid. Her dietary and moral views notwithstanding, she just doesn’t seem to be a very nice person.

Yeah, I’ll try to watch it next week just to see how it turns out. But I still think it’s an offensive concept for a TV show.

2

An interesting side note… I watched this last night for the first time and was amazed to see that Cajun woman is apparently related to “Wild Bill” Tregel from Home Movie fame. They interviewed him regarding his take on the freaky Vegan trying to evangelize to him over supper.

Not many people know that.

3

I really don’t like the concept of this show and only watched the first episode until last night - how could you not watch a Cajun being dropped into California or a Vegan in Louisana? It was worth every minute of my time, I didn’t stop laughing. But yeah, the Vegan is a complete bitch, which often can be a result of editing but I don’t think so in this case. I have absolutely no problem with her being Vegan, but just because I eat meat doesn’t mean I tell every vegetarian they should do so as well every waking minute of my life. She thinks she is morally superior and 99% of the country is a bunch of savages. She told everyone they’d die at 40 if they continued on their path, but she herself could have stood to lose a few pounds for her health.

I was reminded of the Poppers episode of Futurama where the hippie says “we taught this lion to eat vegan and he’s doing fine” and it cuts to a scrawny, boney lion who lets out a wheezing cough.

And how about when the Cajun went to the Vegan meeting? They’re all giggly “ooh you’re from Louisana? how cute tee hee hee”. Ugh, some people have such a narrow-minded view of our country.

You’re right about the kid, he’s not going to respond to her ‘enlightenment’, she needs to let him have it a couple of times - a level he can understand.

Did you see the preview of her smacking the dog harder than I’d ever hit an animal, then burying its head in the vomit? So much for her ‘animal compassion’. These people also are on my bad side because I work in a research lab (no animals, but fellow students work on them) that they’d just as soon firebomb it a la PETA or ELF. But what will they do when they need a cure for cancer decades down the road?

As my “The Meat We Eat” professor (ok not a professor, but a farmer) said, “you can debate with a Vegetarian, but never, ever, ever try to take on a Vegan. If you see one just turn and run because they will beat you into the ground”

4

Just for once I’d like to see a vegetarian portrayed reasonably on TV. It affects my day to day life because the average joe expects all vegetarians to be of the militant variety.

I’ve gotten to the point of not telling anyone unless absolutely pushed (No, thank you, I don’t want to try your ham-and-pickle rolls; no, thank you; no really, I’m fine; I’m sure they are very good… I’m a vegetarian, okay?) About half the people get all apologetic and fall over themselves for not providing anything, or worried that the restauarant is wrong, and generally cringing expecting me to lecture them. The other half tend to make jokes at my expense, question me mercilessly about it, or go on the offensive and get mean about the whole thing and tell me how much they hate tofu.

Look, it’s a personal decision. Do what you want to do. If I need a special accommodation (at a work function where I am expected to eat a communal and provided meal, for example), I’ll say so. Otherwise, please don’t treat me like a looney or like I’m going to go off on a tirade. And, really, the joke where you offer me the meatiest dish and comment about how good it is really isn’t funny after other people tried it the last 1,000 times I went to a potluck. Thanks for trying, but I will try to smile good naturedly.

5

Well technically they are lampooning vegans not vegetarians ;). Vegans scare me. I just don’t understand them in any way shape or form.

6

Many years ago, when I found out some friends were vegetarians, I wondered if I would offend them by eating carcass. They assured me it would not be offensive. So when we get together, I eat meat and they don’t. They had these great three-day birthday parties every year that included a cook-out. They’d grill vegetarian food, and provide vegatarian snacks. Other guests would bring their own meat and share it with other meat-eaters. A good time was had by all. And they’re two of the sweetest people I’ve ever met in my life. :slight_smile: By the way, those ham and pickle rolls sound good. I was thinking yesterday that I’d have to roll up some asparagus in ham and cream cheese.

Just thought of this: At my last job, the boss liked to have meetings during lunch and have food brought in. Chinese was a favourite. I made sure he knew that there were a few vegetarians in the department, and we got the ‘family style tofu’ (ooh, I love FST!), veggies, spring rolls, and non-meat fried rice. Until then, the vegetarians were kind of left out, and they brought their own lunches. Man, giving up their lunch hour and not getting a free feed out of it! Just wasn’t right. But the boss was very accommodating after he found out, and everone else liked the veggie food too.

It’s not the punishment that I disagree with; it’s that V is being unreasonable by trying to force her own culture on someone else. I mean, she’s wrong; and she shouldn’t be trying to punish a kid for calling her on it. Now, I don’t think kids should drink so much soda. When I was a kid, a Coke or something similar was an occasional treat. She’s right that it’s not good. On the other hand, she’s just there for a week. It’s not her kid. She should accept that she can’t change a thing – especially by being such an überbitch (‘Überweibchen’?).

Yeah, I caught that. I wonder if that’s how she taught her kids? She seems to have her family cowed.

7

Oh cool, I actually came on to Cafe Society the day after it aired to see if there were any threads on it and there weren’t so I assumed I was the only one watching it.

The Vegan is a complete and utter bitch-not b/c she’s a vegan but b/c she isn’t even making an attempt to understand a foreignish culture to her own and she constantly derides it and the family and friends she’s living with. I don’t see how someone in their forties can turn to an eight year old and tell him he’ll “die before he’s 40,” unless he changes his diet. I agree with her on the soda thing but she could be much more wily about getting the kid on her side-he actually seems to be sort of sweet, mullet and all. The look on her face when the father started speaking French-Creole (I’m French-Canadian and recognized a few words but couldn’t get all of it) was classic and didn’t she angrily say something like “what are you saying???”

Those vegan kids seriously seem like they have no life in them. Cajun Woman seems bemused by the Californians but she’s polite and kind and just seems to be dislocated from her usually surroundings. I thought the Californians were fairly welcoming to her. OTOH Vegan was a total and utter idiot at the gathering that was held for her. Could just be editing but there’s a flinty anger about her that makes me think it’s not.

Also, “gators don’t sweat.” Love the quote but it seemed so apropos of nothing…was he referring to himself?

8

I don’t know what “Gators don’t sweat means”, but little ZZ had the best line in the second half of this trade too – “Frogs are frogs. Dogs are man’s best friend.”

Maybe “Gators don’t sweat” is another way to say “Don’t take everything so seriously.” ??

For pete’s sake, crying during the Chickens Have Souls video? :rolleyes:

9

Dear God, I can’t believe she had the nerve to cry during the letter-reading after totally screwing the Cajun’s on their disposition. Thirty thousand on “eco-friendly engines???” I hope Diego asked for that.

The differences couldn’t have been more marked. Sneering at someone’s clothes, culture, lifestyle choice etc. etc. doesn’t make you superior. It just makes you a nasty, flinty woman in skids (fashion critique indeed).

10

You could tell the editors thouight Vegan-Mom was an Uber-Bitch by the way they edited her.

Vegan-Mom talking about the cancer causing properties of meat, cue the video of her smoking.

Loved it!

11

Some of my other favorites:

  • Her talking about being nice to animals, cue video of her punishing the dog for peeing on the floor and the dog yelping.

  • Family bitching out cajun lady for killing poisonous snakes, yet they admit to killing black widows for the same reason. I felt bad for cajun lady being attacked like that.

  • “Nobody is allowed to cry” while reading the money card, gee look who’s crying. For no good reason too, other than the money wasn’t all hers.

  • Her kids are afraid they’ll get in trouble when their mom comes home. Cajun kid can’t wait for his mom to come home.

  • And of course, her eating the alligator meat, totally going against everything she’s been so preachy about the whole time. I’m glad her family called her on it.

I’m surprised she didn’t flip out over the alligator head her kid brought to the hotel room. I was totally expecting her to.

I realize it’s a lot due to the editing. They were really trying to make vegan lady look evil and cajun lady look good, and they did a good job of making you think that.

12

And don’t forget about the monkies , because she is so smart !

13

True, but it’s still telling. Some of the things she did were just a tad hypocritical and intolerant.

Why would a vegan not be happy about an orchard and a well? That was very thoughtful of Cajun Mom.

I was cheering for Cajun Mom after she read the “No Meat In This House” thing and decided to try and make gumbo without meat. She understood that she was dealing with a belief system, not just food choices, and she respected that.

14

I was on a plane and didn’t see th4e episode. Anyone have a play-by-play?

15

They hit on something with this episode. I was also tuning in for the very first time. And I usually go out of my way to avoid reality TV.
Another clue to her ‘flinty’ persona; when people starting showing up for the little get together and she starts chastising them “I’ve never had anybody show up an hour before the party starts!” Ah…maybe that’s because nobody wants to spend an extra hour in your presence.
And Vegan’s poor husband when she read that he got $10G to plant an orchard and dig a well. Holy crap, I thought she was going to have a stroke! Poor bastard, he seemed like a nice enough fellow.
And how about the condescension of “I hope $4G makes all your vacation dreams come true.” Was I the only one that could hear her thinking…“Since you obviously know nothing of the world, or where to go other than the other side of the swamp, you won’t need much money to make it happen.”
You could really tell the difference in those ladies by how they spent each other’s money. Cajun lady gave Veggy-Nut a $20G slush fund, and she was still pissed off about her husband’s orchard.
Diego must have been self-medicating not to stomp a mud hole in her ass. Not to be guilty of any stereotyping myself, but the didn’t strike me as an adherent to the “can’t we just all get along” philosophy. Must have kept saying “one week, fifty thousand, one week, fifty thousand.”

-rainy

16

Some highlights (and maybe while I’m typing this, someone can do a real play by play):

At the end, Vegan Mom had written several pages of “advice” that she wanted to give to Cajun Mom about the “mistakes” she’d made raising ZZ. But Cajun Mom was so nice, Vegan Mom either didn’t go through with it, or it was edited out.

When reading the directions for spending the money, Vegan Mom first insisted that “nobody cry” about anything, and then she cried about the 10K being “wasted” on an orchard and a well system for Vegan Dad. Her kids were given 1K and they were excited, but she commented “You still have to earn your merit points before you spend it.”

Cajun Mom was attacked by one of the Vegan friends at the party. “Why do you have to kill things?” Cajun Mom asked if they kill Black Widow spiders and flies, the Vegans countered with them killing rattlesnakes. Cajun Mom said the rattlesnakes would kill them, and the Vegans came back with “Why do you live where there are rattlesnakes?”

Vegan Mom ate some alligator meat, and when she confessed to her family, it was like she was confessing murder. Her kids’ chins were quivering like they wanted to cry for her.

Vegan Mom made the party guests watch an animal rights video at the party, and she cried.

17

Actually, she cried because Cajun Mom had given them 10K for a jaccuzzi. Lucy (Vegan Daughter) had talked about it to Cajun Mom, because she wanted one, and thought her mom would like it. Vegan mom was just pissed off about the 10K for the orchard because she thought it wouldn’t cost that much to plant and dig a well.

I, too, think there was some creative editing on the part of Fox, but you get the feeling that the producers hated this woman, and wanted to paint her as a complete hypocrite and ball-buster. (Another thing I noticed, whenever she went on her ‘soda is evil’ rants, they made sure that she had alcohol in her hands. Not that alcohol is evil, but for the most part, empty calories just like soda.)

I’d like to think that he was just raised in a way to be polite–he mentioned that he always pulled a chair out for his wife. I do get the feeling he couldn’t stand her much, but just kept his mouth shut because it was only a week.

18

I couldn’t tell for sure, I thought the tears were for the orchard and the well, but she was probably just as bummed about the jacuzzi.

The Vegans must not have researched the cost of the orchard and the well, cuz 10K is pretty reasonable. Trees are expensive as heck, and so is well digging and irrigating.

19

Vegan Mom was evil. Yes, it seemed to me that both her kids and her husband were deathly afraid of her. Poor kids. At the end, when she was reading the amounts to be divied up, and Lucy was so excited because she had thought to mention that her mother would like a Jacuzzi, and her mother snapped at her, then when Lucy didn’t immediately act ashamed and apologetic, she snapped, “This isn’t FUNNY!” And, when her husband got the money for the well and the orchard, she screeched at him, “What did you TELL her?”–like Hubby and Cajan Mom had been sharing deep dark secrets or something. It seemed like each time they showed Vegan Family (even after the return of VM), the entire family was in pain. Overall, I thought Vegan Mom was a royal bitch who cared nothing–absolutely nothing–about anyone else, not her kids or her husband.

During the first episode when Vegan Mom was in New Orleans, and she kept snapping at ZZ, and at one point made him go back and “formally apologize” to someone he bumped, I was waiting for Diego to snap at her. As I watched the show, I realized he wouldn’t have, but I would have understood if he’d thrown her under the tracks of one of those pretty streetcars. With the footage by the end of episode 2, I’m sure the jury would have understood and been sympathetic towards him for doing so.

20

I thought the same thing. Not only purchasing all the trees and plants, but hiring labor for digging the well, all the equipment that needs to be purchased and/or rented, and considering they’ll probably will need to put up a fence–that 10K will definitely get used. Vegan Mom was just whiney because she didn’t get all the money to use as she wanted.