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Monster in Laws on A&E

Started by tryingmybest, October 24, 2011, 06:01:43 AM

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tryingmybest

I saw this advertised and gotta ask, anyone going to watch and want to bet all THE MONSTERS are mothers in law, and the poor victims are daughters in law?  To say this problem is portrayed as massively one sided is such an understatement. :-(

momof2

I think this show is going to be a mixture of all kinds of situations. Yes, there will be some MIL issues, but from the previews I saw there were also SIL, SONIL, DIL and FIL issues as well. Who knows? I'm sure it will be the most EXTREME cases only and not anything realistic eitherway. I will probably hate it.

pam1

I thought the same as momof2, they are going to show the most extreme cases imaginable.  It's an interesting concept but like all reality tv I'm sure they are going to go for the outrageous. 

And really, I always have a weird vibe about anyone who would sign up for a reality tv show, I'm not so sure how much I as a viewer could connect with people like that.

Buuuuut, I'll still give it a try ;)  I like a good trainwreck haha
People throw rocks at things that shine - Taylor Swift

momof2

LOL. Yes, the inability to turn the eyes away from a trainwreck is what makes reality TV so entertaining. I will probably hate the show, but have to watch to either:
A)Make myself feel better about my situation
B)Come up with new ideas on how to behave during certain situations


Pen

Remember that the goal of these shows is to make advertising dollars. Whatever the producers/advertisers think is "good TV" (in other words, good ratings) is what they'll put in the show. They aren't trying to bring understanding or enlightenment our way no matter what they say.
Respect ... is appreciation of the separateness of the other person, of the ways in which he or she is unique.
-- Annie Gottlieb

sesamejane

Yes, I wouldn't count on any kind of enlightened resolutions.  These reality shows I think bring out the worst in people. 

tryingmybest

I'm kind of shocked, so far the problem parents have been the wife's!

tryingmybest

But the last one drove me nuts! The young couple was deciding whether or not to let Mom see the grandchild soon to be born, while at the same time telling the therapist they couldn't pay back any of the $50,000 mom lend them to renovate their house. Excuuuuuse me?

Sassy

I watched both episodes so far.  It's TV of course, and super cheesy.  But it was much better than I expected.  It was edited in a way that by the end made you feel very empathetic to both sides.  I found value in it, for that.

Both times I saw parent who cared very much for their kids, and wives who were terrified of talking to their parents about problems.

The best moments for me in the first one, "I opened an Italian rest with my FIL", was the look on the son in laws face when he was blaming his in laws for his marital stress, and the FIL revealed he had put another $50,000 into the restaurant to make payroll and didn't tell the kids so they wouldn't stress them.  I had an ah ha moment when the mediator explained the problem seemed to be the parents loved their daughter and son in law, but didn't have respect for them.   

In the "I borrowed $50,000 from my MIL to rehab my house and I'm not working and not repaying her but my MIL should get a job not me" one, the moment was when the mediator had the MIL and son in law switch roles.   The MIL seemed so angry and scary and mean before that.  She would fight with her son in law by telling him she was doing what her daughter wanted. The moment the MIL realized how her suggestions were making her son in law feel, she froze.  For hours she was aghast.  As she revealed her fears, DH and I both cried.  I wanted to hug her.  I saw a woman who gave up everything she had (even her house) to improve her daughter's life, and just had lousy skills when it came to communicating her love and concern.

And yes, I came away with the TV fantasy that if MIL and I could switch roles, if she could understand how deingrating me to DH and his family hurts both of us to the core, that she would stop.  And that the love I know is inside of her would pour forth, and she would realize how much I want to give my love to her.  So much for detachment.  :-\

alohomora

There's a show where I live called "Outlaw Inlaws" and all kinds of inlaws are featured on the show - BIL's, SIL's, etc. And its pretty fair between the outlaw not getting along with the wife or husband.

I really like the therapist on the show. And the problems are never over the top, although I'm sure they stage the one scene where the therapist would always come in and put an end to the fighting. BUT. Although the scene is staged I also think the people used it as a way to say outloud what they'd been thinking all along. In one show, the DIl wouldn't wear a party hat at a birthday party, and the MIL makes a comment about the 'princess' refusing to have fun with the family. DIL's eyes flashed cold when she said that and the MIL glared at her - I'd bet that was genuine anger. In another episode, the BIL made some nasty comments to his wife's sister that were sooooo mean "you're a bad mother", that sort of thing, and she was crying. So many more examples.

forever spring

Quote from: Pen on October 24, 2011, 08:13:37 AM
Remember that the goal of these shows is to make advertising dollars. Whatever the producers/advertisers think is "good TV" (in other words, good ratings) is what they'll put in the show. They aren't trying to bring understanding or enlightenment our way no matter what they say.

Hear, hear!