Wife Swap

Here's a quick TV review I wrote for this week's Sac News & Review.

Wife Swap
ABC
Reality TV tends to put the most vain, vacuous members of our society in situations that bring out the worst in them. A show called Wife Swap wouldn’t seem likely to buck that trend. But give it a watch. If you get past the introductions, where two families have their quirks displayed, you’ll find a positive, life-affirming show. The adage about walking a mile in another man’s shoes applies as mismatched matriarchs trade households. For example, a traditional Christian family swaps with a pagan coven. Each woman spends one week living by her new household’s rules and the next week imposing her own. Every time, the folks you considered repulsive at first find a way to shine as they confront their prejudices--and yours. Great campy drama and a redeeming message? It’s the best of both worlds.

Okay, so that's the review as it appears in the paper, but here, where I have more room, let me expand. This show rules, as does Nanny 911 and that other Nanny show also. These shows are the best thing to happen to reality T.V. They don't exploit society's loonies being morally bankrupt, instead they confront the seemingly clueless and they give clues or set them up to learn the lessons themselves. It's educational television about parenting and getting along, things we could all learn more about. I can't wait for Wife Swap to go international.