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Wife Swap

 Wife Swap
type
TVTItem
 Wife Swap
label
Wife Swap
 Wife Swap
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WifeSwap
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Series on ABC based on a programme of the same name from the United Kingdom whose premise involves two wildly-different families swapping wives for a two-week period. The series ended in August 2010 after 123 episodes, only to return in January 2012 as Celebrity Wife Swap, with another revival premiering in 2019 on Paramount Network.
 Wife Swap
fetched
2023-11-15T07:00:53Z
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2023-11-15T07:00:53Z
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processingComment
Dropped link to SlobsVsSnobs: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
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processingUnknown
SlobsVsSnobs
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isPartOf
DBTropes
 Wife Swap / int_1779f10e
type
"Well Done, Son" Guy
 Wife Swap / int_1779f10e
comment
"Well Done, Son" Guy: A staple of the show is that a mother from a free-wheeling family will admonish the father of a strict family for not showing his children enough affection/approval. Sometimes she has a point, sometimes it's just that he doesn't express those things in the way her husband does with her children.
 Wife Swap / int_1779f10e
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1.0
 Wife Swap / int_1779f10e
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1.0
 Wife Swap
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Wife Swap / int_1779f10e
 Wife Swap / int_28c1d543
type
Defrosting Ice Queen
 Wife Swap / int_28c1d543
comment
Defrosting Ice Queen: The Weiners are originally a seemingly emotionless fun hating family, but by the end, they have a lot more fun and the dad ends up being a lot more emotional, though given his background as an army veteran you can kind of see why he'd be emotionless.
 Wife Swap / int_28c1d543
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1.0
 Wife Swap / int_28c1d543
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1.0
 Wife Swap
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Wife Swap / int_28c1d543
 Wife Swap / int_2e8441c9
type
The Bad Guy Wins
 Wife Swap / int_2e8441c9
comment
The Bad Guy Wins: Christopher Childs. He kept his family's twisted lifestyle unchanged despite the replacement wife's best efforts, while his actual wife "infected" the other (considerably more sane) family.
 Wife Swap / int_2e8441c9
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1.0
 Wife Swap / int_2e8441c9
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1.0
 Wife Swap
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Wife Swap / int_2e8441c9
 Wife Swap / int_37499c8
type
OnceAnEpisode
 Wife Swap / int_37499c8
comment
Once an Episode: The wives sit down to read the manual written by the other based on how their home is run. The second half of the episode, in which the new rules are laid down. The meeting of the two couples at the end, which sometimes but not always ends in a shouting match.
 Wife Swap / int_37499c8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Wife Swap / int_37499c8
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1.0
 Wife Swap
hasFeature
Wife Swap / int_37499c8
 Wife Swap / int_3950c1f0
type
Poe's Law
 Wife Swap / int_3950c1f0
comment
Poe's Law: A lot of families are so extreme, they seem like parodies.
 Wife Swap / int_3950c1f0
featureApplicability
1.0
 Wife Swap / int_3950c1f0
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1.0
 Wife Swap
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Wife Swap / int_3950c1f0
 Wife Swap / int_3a4f1e40
type
Celebrity Edition
 Wife Swap / int_3a4f1e40
comment
Celebrity Edition: Celebrity Wife Swap, obviously. Surprisingly, the drama on the celebrity edition seems to be toned down a bit compared to the regular version.
 Wife Swap / int_3a4f1e40
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 Wife Swap / int_3a4f1e40
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 Wife Swap
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Wife Swap / int_3a4f1e40
 Wife Swap / int_6509bb9f
type
Non-Indicative Name
 Wife Swap / int_6509bb9f
comment
Nonindicative Name: Infamous Christian Christopher Childs's first name holds the meaning of, "bearer of Christ."
 Wife Swap / int_6509bb9f
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1.0
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Wife Swap / int_6509bb9f
 Wife Swap / int_6a47a1e2
type
Knight of Cerebus
 Wife Swap / int_6a47a1e2
comment
Knight of Cerebus: A rare nonfiction example, but Christopher Childs certainly qualifies along with filling the Jerkass tropes. His family's episode caused things to, rather than be funny Bigot vs. Bigot comedy that's usually the standard, contain little to no laughter but considerably more tear-jerking and/or rage-inducing moments. First, he brainwashes (and admits to purposely doing it) his children into believing his crazy "Christian" lifestyle where women should Stay in the Kitchen and men rule. Dread sets in when halfway through, it becomes obvious that his replacement wife (Kim Beckman-Heskett) won't be able to fix his family while Lee-Ann Childs introduces rules that negatively impact the Beckman-Hesketts. One such rule included the Beckman-Hesketts' young daughters writing purity pledges. This rule caused great stress to the girls as they didn't fully understand what exactly they were pledging, only that they felt like they couldn't really stick to them. Christopher's real dark moment is after Kim tells his rebellious daughter Columbia to follow her dreams of becoming a successful woman (specifically, doctor) rather than a housewife. He takes Columbia away in his car (off-camera) and forces Kim to promise not to influence Columbia; when Columbia comes back, she's been brainwashed by Christopher into not only giving up her dreams and becoming a housewife, but also believe that Kim was trying to manipulate her. At the end, it's revealed that neither family learned anything (although the Beckman-Hesketts were nowhere near as screwed up as the Childses) and have come off worse as a result due to Lee-Ann's rules being horrible and Columbia being successfully brainwashed.
 Wife Swap / int_6a47a1e2
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 Wife Swap / int_6a47a1e2
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Wife Swap / int_6a47a1e2
 Wife Swap / int_6b05b601
type
Jerkass Has a Point
 Wife Swap / int_6b05b601
comment
Jerkass Has a Point: Frequently, each side has some perfectly valid criticisms, but each side refuses to listen to each other (at least until a particular denouement).
 Wife Swap / int_6b05b601
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1.0
 Wife Swap / int_6b05b601
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Wife Swap / int_6b05b601
 Wife Swap / int_794cff5
type
Transatlantic Equivalent
 Wife Swap / int_794cff5
comment
Transatlantic Equivalent: Localized variations sprouted in various countries including Sweden, Norway, Croatia, Australia, the Baltic States, and others.
 Wife Swap / int_794cff5
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1.0
 Wife Swap / int_794cff5
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Wife Swap / int_794cff5
 Wife Swap / int_82fc5bdf
type
Bratty Half-Pint
 Wife Swap / int_82fc5bdf
comment
Bratty Half-Pint: "King Curtis" Holland of the Brown/Holland episode, who runs his house like a spoiled prince.
 Wife Swap / int_82fc5bdf
featureApplicability
1.0
 Wife Swap / int_82fc5bdf
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1.0
 Wife Swap
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Wife Swap / int_82fc5bdf
 Wife Swap / int_8a1215e0
type
Bratty Teenage Daughter
 Wife Swap / int_8a1215e0
comment
Bratty Teenage Daughter: At least two cases: Chastity Hamilton, whose parents never told her "no," and who constantly went on shopping sprees for designer clothes with her mom, while Dad was forced to chauffeur them to the mall and carry their bags. Alicia Gustafaro, a pageant "princess" who was obsessed with glamour and appearance. She was so spoiled, her parents kept up a Christmas tree year-round and gave her at least one present a day.
 Wife Swap / int_8a1215e0
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 Wife Swap
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Wife Swap / int_8a1215e0
 Wife Swap / int_9dd2cbc2
type
CloudCuckooLander
 Wife Swap / int_9dd2cbc2
comment
Cloud Cuckoo Lander: One family had a psychic for a wife who believed that one of the other family's children was actually a reincarnated alien. The Heenes, a family of extreme storm chasers who shovel snow with blowtorches. They're better known as the family behind the Balloon Boy hoax. The Haigwoods, whose lifestyle included making their kids brush their teeth with butter and clay, and eat raw meat. They were so entrenched that one meal of cooked food made their daughter vomit. Some of the moms come across like this even if their families don't necessarily fit the mold. Laura Sweaney-Ernst, for instance, "worships Mother Earth," prays to The Goddess, and talks to fairies, as does her family. But when compared to her husband and sons, Laura is far more dedicated to the lifestyle.
 Wife Swap / int_9dd2cbc2
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Wife Swap / int_9dd2cbc2
 Wife Swap / int_9f80e1da
type
Sarcasm Mode
 Wife Swap / int_9f80e1da
comment
Some of the families that are more repressed have this trope, full stop. One such swap involved a normal housewife with a Wiccan family. During the rule-change the swapped wife from the 'normal' household berated the Wiccan kids for believing in magic and even broke one's wand in front of them. There's changing the rules and then there's being flat out mean.
 Wife Swap / int_9f80e1da
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Wife Swap / int_9f80e1da
 Wife Swap / int_a8a1c26
type
ParentProducedProject
 Wife Swap / int_a8a1c26
comment
Parent Produced Project: Alicia Gustaferro's parents did all her homework for her.
 Wife Swap / int_a8a1c26
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1.0
 Wife Swap / int_a8a1c26
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 Wife Swap
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Wife Swap / int_a8a1c26
 Wife Swap / int_abaead71
type
Reality Show Genre Blindness
 Wife Swap / int_abaead71
comment
Reality Show Genre Blindness: Season 2 and onward. The first thing on the questionnaire must be "Have you seen Wife Swap prior to beginning this questionnaire? If yes, don't bother filling out the rest of the paperwork. And get the hell away from us."
 Wife Swap / int_abaead71
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1.0
 Wife Swap / int_abaead71
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 Wife Swap
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Wife Swap / int_abaead71
 Wife Swap / int_b11ac9f5
type
Abusive Parents
 Wife Swap / int_b11ac9f5
comment
Abusive Parents: The Reimers were very enthusiastic about discipline and the husband was seething with rage because the Bittner mother had the audacity to let them have fun for 5 days and attend public school for not just education but so they can socialise with other kids. The Reimer patriarch also beat his children with a leather strap and was a complete control freak. It's really saying something that the Reiner children were practically glowing when the rules were lifted and were happy to attend public school, while also dreading that the rules were going to be brought back as soon as the mother returns to her own family. Jennifer forces her children Elena and Alex to do all the chores to "pay them back", times their teeth brushing and refuses to spend time with Elena, leaving the poor girl neglected for five years before Melissa makes it so the family paints with her. She does improve after returning to her family, being nicer and spending time with her daughter.
 Wife Swap / int_b11ac9f5
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Wife Swap / int_b11ac9f5
 Wife Swap / int_b58b7975
type
Kindhearted Simpleton
 Wife Swap / int_b58b7975
comment
Kindhearted Simpleton: While the Bittners were overly nice and spoiling their children with treats and a lack of discipline, they were considered a lesser evil in comparison to the Reiners, whose patriarch beat their children with a leather strap for simply acting their age.
 Wife Swap / int_b58b7975
featureApplicability
1.0
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 Wife Swap
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Wife Swap / int_b58b7975
 Wife Swap / int_bb18a227
type
It's All About Me
 Wife Swap / int_bb18a227
comment
It's All About Me: Several parents are shown to be self-absorbed and refuse to change their ways for the sake of their families. One family featured a swap between a family run by a woman who was lazy and refused to foster any sense of togetherness, and the other was a wife who while stern still knew the importance of a strong family bond. The first wife’s family actually enjoyed the time with the replacement wife, liking spending time and meals together and her more wholesome ways. When the episode ended and the first wife returned, she scoffed at any recommendation the second wife made and made a crappy dinner for herself, boasting that she wouldn’t change and her family would have to accept it.
 Wife Swap / int_bb18a227
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 Wife Swap / int_bb18a227
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 Wife Swap
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Wife Swap / int_bb18a227
 Wife Swap / int_d9c4365c
type
Reset Button
 Wife Swap / int_d9c4365c
comment
Reset Button: In the Christopher Childs case, The Bad Guy Wins + Knight of Cerebus = this.
 Wife Swap / int_d9c4365c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Wife Swap / int_d9c4365c
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 Wife Swap
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Wife Swap / int_d9c4365c
 Wife Swap / int_e2f5760
type
House Husband
 Wife Swap / int_e2f5760
comment
House Husband: As noted above, the Double Standard involved in this trope was starkly illustrated on an episode where a conservative, very religious, "traditional" couple (husband worked, wife stayed home to run the house and care for the kids) switched with a non-religious, more liberal, "unconventional" couple (husband stayed home to run the house and care for the kids, wife worked). The "traditional" housewife almost immediately started berating the househusband (just as competent as her in taking care of a home) for being a "lazy deadbeat" and kept insisting that he "get a job". Surely, if anyone would know, she should have that staying at home and taking care of the kids is a job and anything but lazy.
 Wife Swap / int_e2f5760
featureApplicability
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 Wife Swap / int_e2f5760
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 Wife Swap
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Wife Swap / int_e2f5760
 Wife Swap / int_eb8ec7c8
type
Jerkass
 Wife Swap / int_eb8ec7c8
comment
Jerkass: Some of the families that are more repressed have this trope, full stop. One such swap involved a normal housewife with a Wiccan family. During the rule-change the swapped wife from the 'normal' household berated the Wiccan kids for believing in magic and even broke one's wand in front of them. There's changing the rules and then there's being flat out mean. Stephen of the Long/Stephen-Fowler episode. He made no secret that he believed his swapped wife Gina Long was inferior to him and was so verbally abusive toward her, she absconded to a hotel. Among other things, Stephen called Gina a "stupid redneck," laughed at the idea that she was literate, told her she couldn't be expected to know what terms like "99th percentile" meant, and made constant slams against her for being a Midwestern American.
 Wife Swap / int_eb8ec7c8
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Wife Swap / int_eb8ec7c8
 Wife Swap / int_efdb5236
type
In Another Man's Shoes
 Wife Swap / int_efdb5236
comment
In Another Woman's Shoes — two wives change places in their respective families (although there was at least one Husband Swap).
 Wife Swap / int_efdb5236
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 Wife Swap / int_efdb5236
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Wife Swap / int_efdb5236
 Wife Swap / int_fbd285b7
type
Comically Missing the Point
 Wife Swap / int_fbd285b7
comment
Comically Missing the Point: Many families, but special props to the family that promised to schedule spontaneity.
 Wife Swap / int_fbd285b7
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Wife Swap / int_fbd285b7
 Wife Swap / int_name
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ItemName
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Wife Swap

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Wife Swap
hasFeature
Bigot vs. Bigot / int_e5fcce6b
 Wife Swap
hasFeature
Celebrity Edition / int_e5fcce6b
 Wife Swap
hasFeature
Dreadlock Rasta / int_e5fcce6b
 Wife Swap
hasFeature
Gentle Touch vs. Firm Hand / int_e5fcce6b
 Wife Swap
hasFeature
Homeschooled Kids / int_e5fcce6b
 Wife Swap
hasFeature
House Husband / int_e5fcce6b
 Wife Swap
hasFeature
Parental Favoritism / int_e5fcce6b
 Wife Swap
hasFeature
Reality Show Genre Blindness / int_e5fcce6b
 Wife Swap
hasFeature
Uncanny Valley / int_e5fcce6b