965 replies to this topic

[ElectricBoogalo]

Not to be confused with the original UK series (My) Big Fat Gypsy Wedding(s) (which also aired in America redubbed with an American narrator), this is a spin off about American gypsies. TLC has some preview videos of the American series here. My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding begins airing on Sunday, April 29, at 10pm on TLC. There are eight episodes scheduled for the first season.

This very brief article has a quote from the first episode that makes me so sad:

Spoiler

“In the first episode, the mother says, ‘I won’t tell my daughter about sex. She needs to learn the hard way like I did.’"

Sondra Celli is the American version of Thelma Madine.

[AtlanticVamp]

Oh, ElectricBoogalo! That spoiler made me sad, too.

Spoiler

Even under the best of circumstances, losing one's virginity can be traumatic, so someone being that damned selfish and mean to say she's got to learn the hard way makes me want to slap the hell out of her mother.

[runningoutofnam]

Traumatic? That often tears as a woman gets older without any pain.

[saladshooter]

Watching now...
Is it just me or do all the young men look like Jersey Shore rats?
Also, what with the 'no kissing before you're married rule, I'm guessing the American gypsies don't have 'grabbing'. The dresses are just as gigantic and tacky here as they are in England though. Also, pretty offended by the attitude of the young men toward non-gypsy girls. "Just for fun, not for marrying." Run away girls, run away!

*edit to add*
I have to say it's not a good sign when the young bride is leaning away from her new husband as he tries to kiss her.

Edited by saladshooter, Apr 29, 2012 @ 11:41 PM.

[Riley Grey]

Spoiler

At first when seeing the chubby young bridesmaid with the blurred front, I thought they were just blurring out a logo or something. However, when she turned to the side one time in the house, the blurred part moved and her stomach became more visible (which appeared to be protruding like a pregnancy). Interesting that they would be hiding her pregnancy....if in fact it was a pregnancy.

[dreamcoat11]

Traumatic? That often tears as a woman gets older without any pain.

Even if the hymen is already broken, it can still be traumatic, depending on the person. Not to get into details or anything, but for a young girl who doesn't even know the mechanics of sex, it can be painful, whether physically and/or mentally.

Still, I liked the girl featured here, and I'm glad at least the groom's mother decided not to be an ass and showed up. I hope she'll be happy.

I'm also glad the 15-year-old didn't try and run away with that guy. Yes, finish your education. Hell, maybe even try going to college or getting a job before you settle down!

ETA:

I have to say it's not a good sign when the young bride is leaning away from her new husband as he tries to kiss her.

I saw SO much of myself in her with that. Being told to repress any kind of sexual feelings and to not even touch a boy will do that to you. Granted, it doesn't affect everyone that way - some people manage just fine, but for others it's really taken to heart.

Edited by dreamcoat11, Apr 29, 2012 @ 10:08 PM.

[AtlanticVamp]

Wow, I thought I'd seen the last of American girls whose parents were trying to get them married off before they were 20. Apparently, I was wrong. The whole idea that they can't even TALK to a boy was weird, and that kissing a boy will give you a bad reputation. I'm kind of relieved that at least one of the girls was willing to admit that they dress in a revealing manner might conflict with their virginity.

75 pound wedding dress?

And the pick of the American Gypsy litter of men is to get a redneck Pauly D? Somehow, my nerd fetish just sounds more and more like just plain good sense.

[millk]

The hair! Oh my. What is it that makes the hair always look wet? Some sort of shine serum? And the Pauly D do on the boys...

No one was dressed extra slutty in this ep.

Is Matron of Honor still a title? Wasn't Shyanne's chief supporter her sil wso is married to the brother?

Not sure but do you think these girls are virgins?

Edited by millk, Apr 29, 2012 @ 10:19 PM.

[Riley Grey]

The hair sported by these young guys is hilarious.

[Reality Chaser]

These people were like a cross between Jersey Shore and My Big Redneck Wedding.

Interesting that the gypsies in the British version are Catholic, but the ones on today's American episode appeared to be Evangelical Protestants.

Also, I noticed that the people on this show were describing themselves as "Romm-nee" or even "Rumm-nee". Is this how Romany is correctly pronounced? I always assumed it was pronounced Roe-mann-ee.

[yian]

I noticed they weren't calling themselves gypsy.
Still mind boggling the words that were coming out of their mouths.
You would think I would have reached my limit for trashy TV, but apparently I have not.

[millk]

I noticed they were using something longer than just Romany, sometjing with a -chelle on the end. I shall call them RomyandMichelle.

[Lopethina]

They were saying Romanichal, but RomyandMichelle works too.

[AtlanticVamp]

I noticed they were using something longer than just Romany, sometjing with a -chelle on the end. I shall call them RomyandMichelle.

I looked it up after the show. They're Romanichal, an offshoot of the Romany gypsies.

[tramp]

They referred to themselves as Romnichels, American Gypsies whose roots lie with English Gypsies. I'm interested to see if this show will get into the subject of where the money comes from. I'm guessing they won't because of legal ramifications. I can't wait for the future episodes!

[MrsWiljc3]

I am interested to see if any of the girls from the Hannibal Mo/Quincy Il area show up. My mother was in law enforcement around that area and frequently ran into the gypsies running asphalt schemes. Their daughters certainly fit the bill of this show.

[missy jo]

Good Lord, the girls, the boys and the parents must have stressed that these are good, virginal girls with high morals at least 50 times in the one-hour show. Doth they protest too much?

The bride's dress and the carriage ride (down the main street amongst the cars and passing McDonald's!) was on par with the English version of the show, but there were hardly any people at the church and reception. Definitely not as elaborate as we've gotten used to. The cake was not even styrofoam! In fact the reception looks like it might have been held in someone's home.

Speaking of home, they showed a trailer next to one of the homes, but there was no mention of traveling, travelers, or the nomadic lifestyle. I wonder if that will spare us a US version of "hippies" protesting a travelers' eviction.

[NoPity1066]

Millk - best laugh of the day ! RomeyandMichelle. Just further demonstrates the need for subtitles or closed-captioning on this show.

What a load of mush-mouths ! Funny that the narrator sounds like Alistair Cooke-meets-Meryl Streep and I can't understand a quarter of what they say.

All of the men remind me of an amalgam of ANY Jersey Shore guy plus Kevin Federline plus Vanilla Ice.

The women remind me of the "beauty party" scene from Goodfellas. Cheap polyester. Too much makeup. And the kind that would spit on their own floor.

The boys all look like they're just biding their time until they get a prison sentence.

And the girls, the poor girls ? SO sad. Raised in a Madonna/Whore world that warps them beyond belief. They all LOOK like they'd do a five-dollar blow-job in an alley, but none of them have ever been KISSED ? Baffling. Hot pink hot pants, cleavage, exposed midriff, gyrating like a pole-dancer, but hasn't even HELD HIS HAND ?

VERY screwed-up. Very.

[Major Misfit]

virginal girls with high morals

I love their idea of "high morals" only extends to virgin girls and not to say, oh, I don't know, making your living as thieves and swindlers.

Was Cheyenne's (I forget the creative spelling) husband a gypsy, too? Or just some creeper who wanted "new" and not "used" property?

[aimistrue]

One thing I don't understand about either the American or Brtish Gypsies is why they don't seem to have their own dressmakers. There's always some "dressmaker to the Gypsies" they all go to, when it would make more sense (to me) to simply have someone in the community who grew up with their traditions and tastes and who would know almost intuitively how to give them what they want and need. Same with cake-makers.

[MaryDell]

Not to get into details or anything, but for a young girl who doesn't even know the mechanics of sex, it can be painful, whether physically and/or mentally.

Without defending the idea of keeping one's daughters ignorant about sex, it would be reasonably true that lots of middle-class girls in the 18th, 19th, and the earlier part of the 20th centuries were also completely unaware of the mechanics of sex, had barely met their grooms, and managed the honeymoon seemingly without trauma. Sheyanne's (sp?) mother did say, as the car was pulling away, that there should only be kissing for a while and that she had advised the couple to wait a for some time to pass before having sex. That might very well be the normal course of events. It's still all stupid and contrived, but perhaps a little less traumatic that it would seem, perhaps.

Is Matron of Honor still a title? Wasn't Shyanne's chief supporter her sil wso is married to the brother?

Yes, she was the brother's wife. So that makes her a "matron-of-honor" because she is married, right? Only an unmarried girl is a "maid-of-honor." I am probably woefully behind on my wedding terms!

[BrahmaGirl]

How delightfully trainwrecky!

I appreciated how this new version of the show immediately copped to the fact that non-gypsy girls are for target practice while the gypsy girls are for "wife'n". I still think it's a disgusting and unfair practice, allowing the boys to do whatever they choose and be rewarded with a virgin bride who doesn't know to expect better, but at least they owned up; I don't remember the UK version doing the same.

That shoe cake was a hot mess. But props for it all being edible, I guess?

Also, this show has convinced me to re-evaluate my perception of the UK gypsy accent as musical and lovely (though often unintelligible). To an ear in the UK, it must be as harsh an assault as that hillbilly/Jersey Shore stuff we got last night.

[rml24601]

Something about this group, I just don't get. The British/Irish 'travellers', somehow my mind understands them better than this domestic variety. Perhaps b/c in my mind, the Romanichals just read as 'white trash' to me rather than their own distinct ethnic/cultural group. Plus, it seems like unlike the UK variety, they live in standard homes rather than trailers.

That shoe cake was a hot mess. But props for it all being edible, I guess?

That cake looked AWFUL. When they cut into it, it seemed to fall apart.

[monty9]

One thing I don't understand about either the American or Brtish Gypsies is why they don't seem to have their own dressmakers. There's always some "dressmaker to the Gypsies" they all go to, when it would make more sense (to me) to simply have someone in the community who grew up with their traditions and tastes and who would know almost intuitively how to give them what they want and need. Same with cake-makers.

But *clutches pearls* that would mean that ladies might earn their own money and not be dependent on the mens! Society might fall apart.

I'd never believe that I'd say this, but Thelma is a better dress maker because my gosh those dresses were ugly. The cheaper version of the Pnina stripper fairy dress from Say Yes to the Dress?! The dress that looked like a tissue paper flower factory blew up?!

The girls seemed a bit more educated than their UK counterparts, but I haven't seen anyone attempt to read yet, so let's see.

Girls, I was not a big sleeper around-er as it were, but kissing a cute guy/person you barely know is one of life's greatest pleasures. Do it as much as possible before, if it is one your goals, settling down with someone who thinks you are the best thing ever regardless of the state of your hymen.

[Arenal]

It seemed so much more appalling to me then the UK version--maybe because these are "my fellow Americans." That was one of the saddest wedding I've ever seen.

[queasy]

Oh, Shyanne. "I guess he might hit me." Sure, because that's just an inevitable part of married life.

You'd think she'd be more scared of that possibility than kissing.

At least the two mothers we saw didn't look 20 years older than their real age like the British versions.

Edited by queasy, Apr 30, 2012 @ 9:51 AM.

[KittyMarthaPoo]

Something about this group, I just don't get. The British/Irish 'travellers', somehow my mind understands them better than this domestic variety. Perhaps b/c in my mind, the Romanichals just read as 'white trash' to me rather than their own distinct ethnic/cultural group.

I totally see what you are saying. BUT though, to me, these folks seem just the same as the British/Irish ones, only with American accents (like with their behavior). And yet it seemed super odd to me to see this type of people (this subculture) being American & having American accents. I'm just scratching my head in confusion. I just quite don't know what to make of it.

I thought the cake that looked like a pink high heeled shoe was adorable. That was her bachelorette party, right?

I found all the young guys with the Pauly D styled hair downright hilarious.

[GeoBQn]

Have Traveller/Romani girls always had big birthday bashes, or is that the result of the TV show? I thought it was odd that parents would be willing to pay for extravagant birthday parties when the girls are likely to get married within 2 or 3 years. It would be like if my parents threw me an expensive Sweet 16 party three years after my bat mitzvah--which they made abundantly clear it wasn't going to happen. If one milestone is considered more culturally significant than another, why are they spending equal amounts of money on them?

[greekmama]

One thing that bothered me that no one has posted about as of yet, was the fact that Shyanne's mother had said that Shyanne should have married a first cousin or something. I do not remember the UK version ever advising that they marry within the family and is it against the law to marry your first cousin? Please correct me!

Otherwise, I think I like the UK version alot better. You know since this is TLC and a US production it will be more scripted.

[Reality Chaser]

Okay, I'll put it out there even at the risk of sounding racist or ignorant. Was anyone else surprised by the number of blonds and fair-skinned people on last night's show? I had assumed that Romany persons generally had dark hair and dark complexions.

I do not remember the UK version ever advising that they marry within the family and is it against the law to marry your first cousin?

It's legal in the UK and about half of US states. It appears to be illegal in West Virginia, which was where last night's show was taped, but I suppose it's possible that gypsies do not get marriage licenses.