Abbott family (CA): Leslie, Carl with teen boys Luke (18) & Kyle (14 ish?)
Lowe family (GA): Vicki, George Sr. ("Ricky") with teens Hope (19) & George, Jr. (16)
Is this show "Trading Spouses" or "Who's the Big Bad Wacky Meanie? It would seem unnecessary to point out that we only see a small segment of these people's lives & an extremely edited version at that. It is no surprise the currently all so popular reality shows are not really "reality" but rather "unscripted" TV. And of course, the main objective is to show something that draws great ratings to bring in the big bucks, no matter how that is accomplished. Playing up whatever gets that done is only what we will get to see, no matter what the reality truly is. And, darn it, we'll probably never know!
With the Abbott's & the Lowe's, we're given another glimpse into the workings of two extremely dissimilar families and lifestyles. One is so non-traditional most of the action takes place at their Santa Cruz household. We barely get to see anything of the other family during the show, especially the son. And it doesn't take long to figure out who the bad guy is supposed to be...
"We have a very unique family. We really like the feeling of being together".
That will turn out to be the greatest sin of theirs too, in this age of tooting family values in theory but not practice. But even better, they've managed to find another non-traditional family not only California but Santa Cruz (where Lex from Survivor lives), so you know it's gonna be a juicy show! Of course, it starts with tidbits from the most unusual family. We learn the Abbotts don't wear shoes or have furniture & they all have always slept in the same bedroom. As a family show, there is no discussion about how intimacy between the parents takes place with such an arrangement in place. Their sons have always been home schooled. This is one family that spends all their time together, every day pretty much. Moments after seeing the beautiful Calif. scenery we get a butt shot of the entire Abbot family doing yoga, as they do every day plus they also teach it. It's something they take very seriously. The dad can configure himself in amazing positions, especially for someone his age.
Leslie Abbott feels "very blessed & happy" with her family, "couldn't ask for anything more". Why not? Nice home, nice long term marriage, nice kids and lots of great time together. The Abbott home is a Taoist center & the family is heavily spiritual. We are hit early on with Daoism. Carl says "You really have to understand Daoism to understand..." Then the rest of the family is shown stumbling as they try to explain it. "Daoism for our family means keeping things simple", Leslie says. According to one of the Google given sites on Daoism, these are 3 of the main principles: Compassion - leads to courage; Moderation - leads to generosity; Humility - leads to leadership. I don't understand what that has to do with wearing shoes or not having any furniture, but maybe that will get cleared up later. Still, it certainly must save the family quite a bit of money & time not having to clean up rooms full of stuff like furniture.
Bluegrass music is also a top priority to the Abbott family, something they've been doing for 7 or 8 years. Lyrics they are shown singing barefoot on a street corner include "I got a pig home in a pen, corn to feed him on. And all I need is a pretty little girl to feed him while I'm gone..." This must work well in Santa Cruz, because we can see how much cash has been thrown into their guitar case. Who actually threw it there, the bystanders or camera crew, we don't get know.
Carl, who admits he's not easy to live with, is shown to come up with some interesting nuggets definitely not typically heard in everyday conversations. Thought provoking shown Carlisms to ponder include: We don't wear shoes as a matter of principle. Most people would say that's crazy but people who are dependent on shoes, can't NOT wear shoes... Furniture is just an odd human development... You know, if you think something is something, then it's very hard to say that something is nothing.... People did not evolve to live in houses... People are ducks, & ducks are people... "It's hard to explain Carl" his wife unnecessarily tells us. Ricky remains the mystery husband, since almost no time is spent with him.
The Abbott couple met 25 years ago when Carl sent out a letter to 100 people laying out his life in a search for a soul mate. Leslie thought it was interesting & they have been together ever since. "I don't have to think about money" he says. Carl's father willed them property which allows them to enjoy the life they lead & Santa Cruz is a perfect place for them to practice their beliefs. If unfamiliar with property values out there, it would shock you to know what that little house is worth. Santa Cruz is particularly expensive because it is a beach town within spitting distance of Monterrey, Carmel and a reasonable commuting distance from Silicon Valley. A house with one bedroom and one bath is currently listed for $439K, the cheapest available on the list I saw. Most were closer to a million than not.
The infamous 1906 San Francisco earthquake was the last time Santa Cruz was hit by a major one prior to Loma Prieta, which caused almost 70 deaths as well as a huge amount of other injuries & property damage.
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