WIFE SWAP - Thrashers vs Green Goo

The Espinosa-Marquez family live to do two things:  1) skateboard and 2) rock out.  Mom Christine and husband Gabe raise their daughter Shelby with a "hands-off" approach, and they spend a lot of their time hanging out in their skate shop or at the local skate park with "The Tribe," a pack of rebellious neighborhood kids. 

On the other hand, the button down Pay family exist in an orderly environment that emphasizes responsibility, following the rules, chores, piano practice, and self-improvement.  Mom Robyn and dad Dennis believe in discipline and micromanage their household so their kids can grow up to be productive and well-rounded members of society.  Oh, and the kids drink a half liter of this green fluid every day that consists of kale, chard, flax seed oil, and ICK.

Take a guess:  do you think these families would get along?  If you answered "no" you would be right - or at least, partly right.

Robyn Pay is in for a massive culture shock when she visits the Espinosa-Marquez home for Wife Swap.  She doesn't approve of all the skateboarding, the lack of rules and structure, and their evil rock music.  A health nut, she also doesn't approve of their diet.  Their barbeque feast doesn't look very appetizing to her.  "Eating hot dogs, that would be like the equivelant of... eating dog poo," she says.  Robyn gets points for trying a bite of hot dog, however.

In the Pay home, laid back Christine is shocked by the amount of chores and the rules that the three kids live with.  The mandatory piano practice and their practice of reading news clippings at the dinner table seem completely alien to her, and she is blown away that the kids have to write essays whenever they break a rule.

After a lot of tears and some stubborn confrontations, both sides thaw a little bit.  Robyn realizes that she needs to have more fun with her kids and not be such a disciplinarian, and Christine seems to appreciate the Pays' motivation, if not their methods.  Instead of a drag-out battle between these two different cultures, they both give a little ground and realize that there are other completely valid ways of raising kids and incorporate some of the lessons they learned into their own homes.

When it works, that's what Wife Swap is all about:  getting exposure to different lifestyles and appreciating the value of other approaches to life.  It doesn't mean that you have to stop feeding your kids green goo or take their skateboards away, but if you keep an open mind and a respect for different people, it can be a positive experience. 

I don't think the Espinosa-Marquez family will be whipping up green smoothies or the Pays roasting some hot dogs any time soon, but that might be asking too much.

--Dave Campbell

Comments

[margstype]

In my opinion, this is another ABC loser! Wife Swap and the other shows like it are pathetic! I watched them a couple of times when it was a new concept, but that cured me of my need to look at the train-wreck! It's just cheap, bad TV!

[katie]

Robyn Pay compares eatng hot dogs as being the equivalent of eating dog poo . . . her Green Goo drink made of Rhubarb Leaves is questionable. I understand the leaves of Rhubarb are quite poisonous, can cause several medical ailments, even death. Is she trying 2 kill her family? No wonder they don't look 2 healthy!

[J]

The green drink with collard greens Kale, flax seed oil etc sounds nutritious but yucky. What is her recipe?
It must have some flavoring in it or the kids and husband wouldn't drink it.

[J]

The green drink with collard greens Kale, flax seed oil etc sounds nutritious but yucky. What is her recipe?
It must have some flavoring in it or the kids and husband wouldn't drink it.

[Lindy]

She has a website with lots of whole foods recipes at www.greensmoothiegirl.com

[Lindy]

She has a website with lots of whole foods recipes at www.greensmoothiegirl.com

[Lindy]

She has a website with lots of whole foods recipes at www.greensmoothiegirl.com

[Lindy]

She has a website with lots of whole foods recipes at www.greensmoothiegirl.com

[Lindy]

She has a website with lots of whole foods recipes at www.greensmoothiegirl.com

[patty]

Christine and Gabe are doing a wonderful job raising Shelby. Shelby attends a performing Arts school and she is learning to work hard and to do the things that will allow her to become her authentic self, not a replica of a plastic society. Gabe and Christine encourage the tribe to work hard at what they love to do, if that is not teaching them work ethics, i don't know what is. Gabe and Christine provide knowledge and guidence to the community kids, they believe in the motto "it takes a villiage to raise a child" If the rest of the world would contribute and give to their community youth like Gabe and Christine the future would not be such a scary thought. p.s. Christine is one of the HOTTEST moms!

[Patty]

WESTSIDE BOYS! are the best skaters!! The Westside skate in Alb. is the best!!!

[Julian [One Of The Tribe Boys]]

I had To Deal With Robin Ha it was crazy but funn.

we are the tribe also known as the west side boys
w.s.b fool :]

check our site out:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=328414053

[Julian [One Of The Tribe Boys]]

the "tribe" W.S.B skate for west side skate shop
we our the illest of the realist of skateboard teams we take our local comps with ease we kill it with our skating and our down to earth personalities check us out if your ever in the albuquerque area:

5509 west central suite b

hit it up on your gps haha

for all the peeps with money.

also check out our shop site:

http://nmwestsideskateshop.com/

[Tyrone]

Yo dudes the westsiders are the best that New Mexico has to offer. Those cats are pretty crazy, I saw them on youtube and they can bust out some pretty fly tricks. Check 'em out, it's worth it bro.

[Tyrone]

The west side boyz enterd a compition sat.Shell..bee placed 1st Julian 3rd Lanna 3rd and juian pepe Et put on bad ass show

[GERA MAKES THE VIDEOS]

Ha ha that lady robin was mean to us i didnt like her the show made gabe and christine look like they never tought us enything. But they are the ones that are keeping us alive!!!!!If it werent for them some of us wouldnt be alive right now!! Gabe and christine are like my mom and my dad!Thats how most of us feel cuz are perants arent there for us but gabe and christine are! West Side Boys Four Life!!!!!!!

[Destynie]

As a worker of west side skate shop and a girlfriend of one of the boys i know Gabe and Christine first hand and they are wonderful people. Sure they like to have fun but who doesn't? Although fun is a major in their lives and a priority it doesn't mean that they neglect their responsibilites and they don't enstill those values in the minds of the crew or anyone else who walks through the shop doors. They deserve more credit than they get.

[andre age 13 (westside boy)]

Gabe and christie are real cool peolpe. they dont spoil shell bee its that she just tries her hardest and they want to show her that hard work is really good. they appreciate her skateboarding because she goes out there and shows people that she can skate just as well as boys can. gabe and christnie help her out thats why christine said "wat ever shell bee wants shell bee gets" the other family should do the same for their kids. robin is a nice lady but she needs to let her kids have fun every once in a while and not just stay home and clean all day and practice the piano. and she needs to stop making her kids write essay's. they do that enough in school. there is a time for school and home. she needs to realize that....

[manuel age10 wsb4l]

gabe and christine are great people

[johnny age 8 wsb4l]

gabe and chris are cool people

[DA ANTZ! age:14 [WSB4L]]

i say the lessons gabe and chris have tought me lessons on disipline and confidence. they have done so much for us kids in the area, and i look up to new things every day! so THANK YOU gabe and christine!!

[towgirl]

All I can say is Christine and Gabe at the Westside Skate Shop are doing a wonderful thing for our Community. Who knows where some of these kids would be without them. Everyone at the shop is like one big happy family.
I've always tried to teach my children to be their own person and not be followers. At the the skateshop they can do that and no one judges them for who they are or what they've done. Everyone is equal no matter what their race, hair, how they talk or the clothes they wear.
I'm sorry to tell Robin, no ones perfect, not even her. We all make mistakes and thats how we learn. And yeah our kids cuss. I'd rather them cuss in front of me, then behind my back , then they would be fake. But you know where tryin' to show our kids what its like in the real world.
And Thanks to the Westside Skate Shop my children have accomplished alot.
They learned that they can skateboard, meet great friends and people. Also they learned to respect one another no matter what their appearance is.
And like Shell Bee always says "Love Each Day!!!"

Thank You, Christine and Gabe

[tammy w]

I was saddened by the portrayal of Robyn. Robyn was a former boss, and I never found her to be a dictator. We became friends because we could goof around and still accomplish work together. The producers neglected to mention in the show that Robyn runs two successful businesses and teaches at a university--not to mention all of the work that she does in her church and community. She demands a lot of herself and hopes that her kids will have multiple ways of achieving success--whatever that may mean to each of them. I visited Robyn's home a few years ago with my own children. We live out-of- town. My kids played with her kids and had a wonderful time.
When my family watched the Robyn episode, my kids wondered why the episode didn't show the huge toy room and "all of the cool Nintendo games" that Robyn's kids own. An excellent question. I guess that didn't fit with the "military school" look that the producers were trying to create for Robyn's family.
Finally, the producers went out of their way to make success and achievement look negative. Sure Robyn is zealous about her passions--but who isn't? Why wasn't Christine's family portrayed negatively because of their "passion" for skateboarding? I guess "Wife Swap's" viewer demographics don't tend to fit the mold of successful, professional business owners. Give the public what they want--even if it is a hot dog.

[viewer]

I am disappointed at ABC for their portrayal and misinformed information about Robyn they played up. The eight british goons they call a crew who produced the show should be exposed. I know Robyn and she is silenced by contract to be able to tell the truth. This is how we get our television. It's all one big lie.

[keeponliving]

to tammy & "viewer" - you could tell see it in Robyn's children's faces how they were treated. Just because they have a "room full of Nintendo game" doesn't mean they get to play them. Those children looked like people that had been beat down and stripped of any and all happiness. Why do they only have one birthday party a year for all their children? That is just cruel and mean. All children are unique and special and deserve to have that ONE DAY a year where they are the center of attention and should be recognized on that day - yet Robin and her militant husband stripped their children of even that most basic thing. And - just because Robin likes to play the piano doesn't mean her children do. I noticed that when the kids busted the pinata and it was in the shape of a piano - the oldest boy said something like - that felt great - I wish it was a real one. Her and her husband should not have those children - they are doing emotional damage. The kids seemed truly sad that Christine was leaving. They probably knew that they would no longer receive any love and affection and military life had returned. My young daughter watched that episode and turned to me and said "I'm so glad you don't act like that lady does" meaning Robin. Yes children need rules and guidelines, but they also need to be able to have fun too. Robin - lighten up, life's too short to live that way. When your children grow up - they will resent you.