Gypsy

I think I found a new favorite show the other day. My big fat gypsy wedding. (Note: these are Irish Travelers not Romanians.) And before you judge me hear me out. First I'll argue the negatives...Yes it has little and adult women dancing skanky every once and a while, and there are boys grabbing girls and running off with them, but...the culture is insanely interesting. It is fun to step inside (or sit on my couch and watch) another culture for me. Especially one built up on so much tradition.

First, everyone or most everyone lives in a traveling trailer. They usually do not achieve higher then an eighth grade education and they marry at like 16. Woman don't work and clean the trailer all day, while the males usually work in labor jobs. The wedding dresses are extreme. It is as if an eight year old planned her dream wedding with the puffiest dress and a castle cake.

I think the social commentary on the show is what fasinates me the most. How they deal with the ignorance of others and the fact that they are ignorant themselves. In Mormon society I find we do the same...not the skankiness or trailers, but that we have traditional behavior and it is sometimes hard to accept other "normal" cultures. I personally feel that like them I am often leary of others stepping inside my culture and seeing the oddities and the fact we think honestly really weird and how much I know it. It is kind of nice to know that others have the same problem of balancing and loving what they believe to be a really nice "traditional" lifestyle that is outside the mainstream. I am proud of my background, and like them love participating in the weird traditions.

Also note Bryce hates this show.