924 replies to this topic

[HellsBellsTrudy]

Caught a bunch of previews on TLC during the J&K+8 marathon and premiere (which I guess we can't discuss here). Looked like an interesting couple.

http://tlc.discovery...ll-and-jen.html

[tonkacat]

Here is the link to the orginal thread;

Little People

[kayobe]

I really like this couple. I love Jen's clothes. It's amazing she can look so stylish and polished in what I assume to be a difficult size. An adult woman never wants to wear items with characters on them. She makes some great finds. Does anyone recognize her doctor clogs? I've seen these on other doctors and always wondered who made them. You can see a good shot of them when she's getting into her new SUV at the dealership.

eta: thank you Knitgirl30!!

Edited by kayobe, May 28, 2009 @ 9:51 PM.

[jopatura]

I'm excited for this show being from Houston. I do wonder how TCH (Texas Children's Hospital) is going to play into this. It disturbed me that they are letting some of the patients on screen.

This is one of my more favorite couples on TLC, probably because they don't have kids yet. It's nice seeing Bill and Jen just act normal and I truly believe they're in love and happily married.

[rhys7]

Omg, did they say $5000.00 for 2 suits? That's terrible. I hope they find great tailors who don't charge quite so much. Jen's car was ginormous, tho.

[Knitgirl30]

Does anyone recognize her doctor clogs? I've seen these on other doctors and always wondered who made them. You can see a good shot of them when she's getting into her new SUV at the dealership.

Yes, these are her clogs. They're super comfortable and used by many in the medical profession.

I love that Jen and Bill are obviously in love and he wanted her to follow her dream. I have a feeling I'm going to like them better than most of the couples that TLC currently follows.

[Trainwreck23]

Loved the show! They seem so genuine compared to a lot of the other TLC families. As for filming at the hospital, I would assume they had to get permission from the people they taped in order to use the footage for the show. Not sure about those who just happen to be in the background, but definitely for the baby that was filmed, etc.

[MrsEvie64]

I loved this show, they're the cutest couple, and it's clear that actually love each other. He seems so protective of her. I'll definitely be following this show.

[JennB]

I think the best part about the show is that Bill and Jen have such great personalities that they would be fun to watch even if they weren't singled out because they're little people. Like if TLC had just been looking for a newlywed couple with interesting lives, these two would be a great pick.

[pairafids]

I hope this doesn't sound condescending, but Jen is the most adorable human being ever! That being said, I would never go up to anyone on the street, celebrity or no, little person or regular stature, and ask to have my photo taken with them. It just seems so intrusive. I don't know if those people recognized them from the show, or if it was just, "hey, can we get our picture taken with you because you're so short", but either way, ugh. I give Jen and Bill credit for having such good attitudes about it; I imagine that it gets old REAL fast.

[AsIfYouWish]

I watched this show and kept thinking that there was something really different about it. It finally hit me: This couple is not only genuine, they are also intelligent! That's a real rarity for TV overall, for reality shows in general and for TLC in particular.

This can't possibly last! (But I really, really hope that it does!)

[angelsoulnme]

I love them after 2 shows! Jen is very pretty and I love the way they are with each other, I'm looking forward to this season.

[Britty]

Love these two! I hope we do get to see Jen at work frequently. She has such a positive attitude about life. I would think she would be very comforting if she were my doctor.

That being said, I would never go up to anyone on the street, celebrity or no, little person or regular stature, and ask to have my photo taken with them. It just seems so intrusive.

I was shocked that so many people were hugging them. I wouldn't randomly hug a stranger, but I guess because they are small they are seen by people as "cute".

[JennB]

I would think she would be very comforting if she were my doctor.

Same here. And she works at a children's hospital - I bet the kids she takes care of not only like her as a person but feel more comfortable with a doctor who's small like them; she's less intimidating.

[lindiana53]

Gosh, I really like these people, but I think I'm going to pass on yet another "people in unusual circumstances bare their lives on television in scripted 'reality.'" Not only is this genre saturated, but it's also been ruined by the behavior of other reality couples. Sorry to be a downer, but I don't trust TLC not to run Bill and Jen into the ground or for them not to see what's happening.

[lerema]

Love Jen but the jury is still out on Bill. We'll see....

[rhys7]

Lerema! So glad to see your post. I was beginning to think I may be the only one who thought Bill is rather asshole-ish. I think he has some good qualities, but he's bordering on snarky mean to his lovely wife.

[millk]

I'm with lerema and ryhs7 with my jury out on Bill. More patronizing than asshole-ish to my eyes.

I really like Jen.

[Suzy Trashmouth]

I can see how Bill might be read as patronizing, but I got a different feeling. Jen is clearly a very with-it and together person who can get the job done, I feel like Bill takes some of that burden of being "in charge" when they are together. As an organizing, driven type of person myself I love it when my husband does this. Jen might like this quality, as it takes some pressure off her and lets her relax during downtime.

Then again, I could be completely wrong. They make a lovely pair, very good-looking people. I got the warm-fuzzies just watching them together and I hope they bow out of the show gracefully before the cameras take their toll on the marriage.

[onemorewatcher]

I don't at all see Bill as an asshole. He seems really sweet and his concern for her safety seems genuine. I wish I could find a guy like that.

[cimbriano]

Does anyone know what town on Long Island they are from?
As an aside, I hate when television shows say someone is from "Long Island". Depending on a persons definition of LI, there are at least 2+ counties and too many towns to mention. If you couldn't tell, I am from LI and it is a pet peeve of mine.

[Joisgreat97]

I'm with lerema and ryhs7 with my jury out on Bill. More patronizing than asshole-ish to my eyes.

I agree. I saw the couple on Oprah a month ago or so, and Bill...came off very intimidating. LOVE Jen though.

But they are cute together.

[peacefrog]

I am not so sure about Bill too. She seems like a very capable, with it woman and he just kind of treats her like a child. I would feel a bit suffocated with someone like that but others may like that.

I'm from Long Island too and it kind of looked like Suffolk county to me. I can't imagine how they would leave so late in the day and still go to a tailor, then make it to Pittsburgh that night. Is that what they did?

[Trainwreck23]

I was in shock at the people coming up to them, hugging them, & taking pics of them. As someone with a disability myself (wheelchair user), I thought I had seen it all when it came to people being so blatantly obvious with their ignorant behavior towards people who happen to be different from them, but this really takes the cake. It's just plain rude to take pictures of someone just because they look different- they are not animals in a zoo! It reminds me of that show about the conjoined twins who were at a baseball game and people were snapping pics of them without even speaking to them. Obviously this happens with celebrities all the time, but it's just creepy and rude to do it to people who do not choose to be different or draw attention to themselves. I don't even know how I would react if I saw people taking pics of me like that, so my hat's off to Jen and Bill for politely putting up with it.

[peacefrog]

I thought that the TLC cameras following them around might have led more people to ask for a photo than if they were by themselves.

[oneloudbitch]

I went to junior high and part of high school with Jen (Jenny back in the day- hee!). We were fairly good friends but I haven't seen her since 10th grade (about 20 years ago- OY!). Anyway, I just wanted to publicly testify that she is every bit as awesome in real life as she seems on tv! She was even smaller in jr high (!!) and had less mobility back then but she NEVER complained about anything, ever. Bill was right when he said she lights up a room- she is so positive and pleasant to be around. She was always a nerd, getting straight A's :) and has wanted to be a pediatrician since 8th grade (talk about focus- sheesh!). It was obvious to everyone who knew her- even in 6th grade - that she was going to succeed in the world and do great things. She is just one of those truly awesome human beings that you almost want to hate for being so awesome.

I saw both episodes and think the show is pretty good. Bill is pretty hilarious. I don't know what to think of him... he's kind of curmudgeony, but I think in a funny way more than a dickish way. Then again, I like cranky people. ;) They make an entertaining pair. Like, sunshine and thunder cloud...

I don't even know how I would react if I saw people taking pics of me like that, so my hat's off to Jen and Bill for politely putting up with it.

I definitely would not handle that well, but some people (Jen) have the patience and tolerance of a saint. I agree with peacefrog that the cameras almost certainly contributed to the gawk factor, but alcohol and rudeness probably played just as big a role there.

Edited by oneloudbitch, May 29, 2009 @ 11:43 AM.

[lerema]

Thanks for sharing your your memories of Jen, oneloudbitch. Glad to hear that she's always been awesome.

Jen is 35; how old is Bill? I'm still on the fence about him. He was trying to win me over with the birthday episode, but I'm not convinced the jerk-i-tude won't reappear next episode. But he is no Matt Roloff or JimBob Duggar, so there is hope.

[jopatura]

Jen is 35; how old is Bill? I'm still on the fence about him. He was trying to win me over with the birthday episode, but I'm not convinced the jerk-i-tude won't reappear next episode. But he is no Matt Roloff or JimBob Duggar, so there is hope.

I have a feeling he's getting the asshole-edit on TLC, but that he really isn't one. Obviously, the show is more about Jen and what she has accomplished as a doctor, so Bill is getting the "husband" edit.

From my experience as a reality tv viewer, the "husband" edit is always kind of on-the-fence-borderline-asshole. He didn't seem like an asshole when he was just by himself at the jewelry store and when they showed him working, and I think that's because the editors can't get the same rise out of him when he's not around Jen.

[AsIfYouWish]

I think that Bill is just very protective of Jen, and she seems to love it! Good for her!

Then there's the fact that as a business man, Bill's pretty no-nonsense. In order to be taken seriously in the business world as a man of short stature, I've no doubt that he's had to come on pretty strong in a number of situations over the years.

Right now this show has no "villain" per se. I think we're all looking for one out of well-trained habit. I just hope that TLC doesn't edit to provide us with one out of habit too.

Edited by AsIfYouWish, May 30, 2009 @ 9:12 PM.

[Fabricationary]

Jen is 35; how old is Bill?

I think I remember from the original special that Bill is 34 or 35 - about the same age as Jen.

I think Jen and Bill are a cute couple. I watched the two episodes on TLC this week, and they seemed very genuine; I hope for their sake that they stay normal and don't become reality show fodder (a la staged outings for people to marvel at them) or fame whores that get free swag, houses, etc. but lose their marriages (a la Kate Gosselin).