How To Make $20,000

Posted on 05.24.07 in Family and there are 10 comments.

Michelle, Alaskan-mom-blogger-extraodonaire who reads this humble blog, was recently contacted by ABC to be featured on the show ”Wife Swap.”

They offered her $20,000.

Read her blog to see why she said no and why you should say yes.

Would you (or your wife) be on the show for $20,000?

The Comments:

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I think the overwhelming group of “NO!s” have scared away any who would really consider it

The poll has been nearly unanimous against the idea of going on the show.  Go figure.

Absolutely, I’d do it.

No way, no how, would I do wifeswap!  Would you, Kat?

Michelle,
Any idea why they approached you in particular?

Cach,
Does Beeki know about this?

truevyne,
not for a million dollars…

I couldn’t do it either.  We’ve watched the show a time or two and I’ve asked my family if they would want to do that.  They, too, said no, they wouldn’t want to trade me.  Although I think my kids really would have traded me a time or two...we moms can’t be nice all the time.  ; ) Her list was hilarious and brought up some points I hadn’t thought about...like numbers 8 & 11.

The thought of my wife not being here for a week (or however long the “swap” lasts), and some strange woman being here is utterly awful to me. On so many levels.

Even for a much larger sum of money, I’m not the least bit interested. For so many reasons. And on top of all that, I value privacy and anonymity a lot.

But, having said all that, I’m thinking that if someone actually decided to do this, it probably wouldn’t be nearly as bad as it seems. What I mean by that is simply this: “Reality TV” isn’t really reality at all. What the viewer sees is a heavily-edited, deliberately manipulated story based loosely on actual events. Everyone who has been involved in any form of reality TV reports this same experience. Where there was no conflict, conflict is simulated with careful editing. Where there is no excitement or interesting activity taking place, editing makes it seem that a specific story is unfolding.

The camera crew probably sets up a bunch of buses and trailers outside the house, where they live and work when not filming the family. And in order to film, they set up a bunch of cameras all over the house, as well as cameramen and sound crews. As much as they try and make it look “natural”, imagine how much your responses and reactions would be affected by all that stuff following you around everywhere.

It would actually be a chance to be an actor for a week. You and your family could get together before anything begins, agree to totally act different than you really are, take on new character personas, and just ham it up for the camera. Create drama and take it to an extreme. Have fun with it. And make lots of money in the process. And become a local celebrity. I think this is what most people on “reality TV” are doing anyway.

But me? Nope, not interested, thanks.

For $20,000?  Heck yes, I’d do it.

That’s what I get for not putting my socks and underwear in the laundry basket.  Amber wants a 20,000 dollar week-vacation. 

But hey, I get half right?

I think I would dress up all week as various Star Wars Characters and insist that the new wife be Jabba the Hut and constantly try to use the Jedi Mind Trick on her to tell me where she has hidden Amber.

C-Hammer and Seth,
I think you all should do it. Just to see how you ham it up.

That is a lot of money, but that show causes nothing but drama. It’s not even that great of a show anyway.

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