WIFE SWAP - The timeless contest between art and motorcross

I hate to admit this, but usually on Wife Swap I make a snap judgment about the families based on the little intro clips they show at the beginning of each episode.  I stick with this snap judgment about which family I'll like more, and I'm usually not wrong.

But I have to admit, this week's episode threw me.  I expected the Ives family, who are on the road ten months out of the year producing their family's motorcycle stunt show, to be inconsiderate and obnoxious hillbillies.  Not so!  On the other hand, I expected to have more sympathy for the art-centric eco-friendly family, the Costes.  Not so much.

Mom Pam Costes is really absorbed in her art, and seems to value pursuit of artistic expression above all other things, such as spending time with her kids.  Her art comes first, and since they've converted one of their bedrooms into Pam's studio, their three kids (who were super cute) all sleep together in one small room.  The kids practice music for an hour a day and then go out in the backyard and pound on rocks with a golf club.  It was like they were living in a Soviet Art Gulag.

Tony Ives, on the other hand, travels non-stop with her teen boys, who were very polite and were very good motorcycle riders.  They live a nomadic life and subsist on take-out food, mostly involving meat.  Husband Shawn lives through his boys and isn't really interested in changing how the Ives crew runs things - he's perfectly content.

Of course, the wife swap wreaks havoc in the lives of both families.

Pam was pretty hard to take, I gotta be honest.  Shawn really bristled at her condescending manner and felt she was belittling his family, and he was kinda right.  There was definitely not a lot of love between Shawn and his temporary wife.  When they did make it back to the Ives family home, Shawn made Pam sleep in a nearby hotel rather than have her harsh everyone's mellow in his house.  At the face-to-face meeting at the end of the episode Shawn had to excuse himself and did not return because he hated Pam so bad.  So for Shawn, the Wife Swap experience was not so awesome.

Over at the Costes home, Tonya is aghast at the lack of fun and the massive focus on Pam's art.  During the rules change she makes sure to take the family on fun outings - that zero-G parachute thing looks really fun BTW - and she has the oldest daughter move into the guest room so the kids aren't all crammed into one bedroom.  I thought that when she auctioned off some of Pam's art that might have been a little mean-spirited, though.  It was as if she was trying to prove that Pam's art was of little value, which isn't true.  It's just that so many sacrifices were made for the sake of Pam's dream.

I gotta say, the down to earth motorcycle family came out of this one looking better than I originally thought.  Just goes to show - you can't always judge by the intro.

--Dave Campbell

Comments

[markus]

in paragraph four, you spelled tonya "tony".

that threw me off :P

[Dylan]

My new band name: "Soviet Art Gulag". Thanks, Campbell.

[CJ]

A self consumed wanna be painter. The world doesn't revolve around you. Get a clue. Your kids are wonderful and you can't even see that because all you see is yourself.
Pam Costes shame on you.

[MC]

GO IVES FAMILY
YOU ROCK!!!!!!!

[DensityDuck]

No, no, you're totally wrong! See, the dumb redneck morons just weren't able to APPRECIATE the fact that someone with an actual BRAIN was spending time with them. Obviously they hated her; it's become de rigeur among backwoods morons to "hayt dem dere uppity smart folks". Just look at George W Bush!

[happy medium]

Both of these families need to find a happy medium. I think Shawn has a difficult time admitting that his sons are bored, feeling pressured, etc, and want a change. Shawn doesn't want to change so they will continue to do it his way. As far as Pam is concerned, I think it's okay for a mom to establish her own identity, but it is SO important to have some focus on your kids. I feel so bad for them. Their mom makes them feel like an inconvenience, as if they take up too much space, make too much noise, and take away from "Pam time." And their father supports Pam 100%. Who is the children's cheerleader? They are smart, well-behaved children and they deserve to have some rewards in life.