Community Chat

[VaBelle35]

I watched this show from the very beginning until the Kitchen Makeover episode where they made the kitchen so that Amy didn't have to keep going up and down on risers to move around and work in her kitchen.  This is sort of where this show jumped the shark for me and the show started doing trade outs with vendors to make these things happen (much like The Duggars and The Gosselins).

From the first episode, the dynamic between Matt and Amy was fascinating to me.  Matt is a dreamer, a doer, a risk taker.  It is probably what attracted Amy to him in the first place.  Amy is the "adult" in the relationship and her job has always been to reign him in, be the rock, keep things going while he is out pursuing his dreams.  His risky nature kept them from being financially successful as he poured a lot of cash into his business ideas, starting with the farm.

No one in that family has the excitement and energy that Matt does for all of his wild and crazy ideas and schemes.  The boys seem to be very down to earth and practical like their mother.

I think it's hard on Amy to always have to be the one to put her foot down and say no.  It clearly kills any romance they may have.

I figured once the kids moved away, Matt and Amy would have to deal with each other.  I was sorry to hear they were divorcing as I figured Amy had had enough.  Hopefully Matt can turn things around.  He truly needs Amy i his life to keep him grounded.  He would be a fool to let her go without a fight.

[June222]

With what they make $$$$$ off the show, they can not afford a housekeeper? What a bunch of slobs to live in such filth.  The show is such a snore fest. Do not see how it can continue with them selling that horrible idea of pumpkin salsa...like yuk. Guess the have to sell something.

[tends2dogs]

I must have missed something along the way.....I never got the idea that there was ever financial problems.  Matt had that business in the beginning where he sold "aids" for little people ie portable step stools, things to help in a hotel setting, etc.  Amy gave speeches for awhile. 

Jeremy has a job in LA doing photography.  Zach has only been shown helping out with farm projects like the pumpkin/halloween business. It looked like he was trying to get a soccer coaching job at the community level.  Must be that fell through.  I think they started having weddings (other than family members) on the farm.  Maybe he helps with that.  Molly is away studying Spanish and accounting.  It was mentioned she was in Puerto Rico studying.  Jacob is the one that very little was said about.  He was quiet and seemed to always be in the background.  They all had cars and that remodel on the house was pretty extensive.  No, I never saw any financial difficulties, but could be. 

[Gooday]

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@Wricardos wrote:

I follow the show once in awhile.  I admire Amy teaching in the elementary schools about little people.  I knew she majored in education.  I can't imagine how Matt does as much as he does with his disabilities.  I also found Matt very controlling.  Love the boys, they help out with everything, the girl seems a bit lazy.

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"That girl" is Molly.  She is more quiet than the boys but, she was and is a honor student now in college with a double major in accounting and Spanish.  She is very athletic and competitive. 

She is far from lazy.  However, Amy never held the boys' feet to the fire when it came to cleaning up after themselves.  Then, I think it got into a contest of wills between Matt (a bit of a neat freak) and Amy who I believe just left the mess to p*ss off Matt.

One time Matt got an organizer into the basement to sort out a lot of Amy's photos (she is an amateur photographer) and she nearly went apopleptic!

[surfk]

I always found the show to be a little sad (no pun intended).

I think that in the beginning it attempted to show how normal a life little people live in this regular-sized world.

But one could always feel the resentment steaming off of Matt Roloff. It seemed he greatly resented his physical condition despite trying hard to turn it into a positive.

His wife, Amy Roloff, seemed to not only be more down to earth but also more at peace with her physical self. She seemed to be the better mentally and emotionally adjusted of the two.

And maybe it was due to the differences in what caused each of them their physical conditions. Matt seemed to always act as though he would have been normal had he not been so cursed with Diatrophic dysplasia which often carries with a lot of physical deformity and suffering (as compared the condition which caused his wife and son's dwarfism). He always seemed to resent Amy on that level as much as any other. Which I think would make any marriage difficult.

And Matt came from a fairly well-off family. But all of his siblings were afflicted with physical problems. I can't help but think that some of that early dynamic had to have included a lot of guilt feelings on the part of his parents (and often that leads to spoiling one's kids).

While perhaps completely understandable, Matt seemed terribly spoiled. He obviously struggles/d to find his place in this world. And some of the circuses might have been a distraction or attempt to create something "external" rather than truly coming to peace within oneself. Its a common thing - to remain continually busy with ridiculous projects as a way to avoid difficult issues.

I think that the show just got sad. - even when they attempted to put a happy face on it. There were times showing Matt using his earthmover which were nearly epic symbolically of a man trying to move "heaven and earth" as to make an impact on this world.

Their unkempt house to me was just a metaphor for the whole show (and maybe their lives): they put on a good show but they were a mess inside.

[chickenbutt]

I have watched this show since it began and continue to watch whenever theyt do new episodes.  For a while there, they had stopped, then was the show where they hosted weddings, then they started having new seasons of LPBW, so I was glad.

Yeah, I remember the messy house too.   That was a bit unsettling.  It didn't seem filthy, just extremely messy.   While I am certain that Amy has always been a good mother, I don't think she really enforced having the kids help out inside the house for reasons of which I would have no idea so I'm not going to judge that.

I remember, early on, thinking that Amy was a bit of a shrew.  I was to learn that I was very wrong.  Amy always has been a really big FAMILY person and everything was always for the family.  Matt, OTOH, is all about Matt.   She's practically a saint for staying married to him for this long.  It always seemed that anything that wasn't about Matt or didn't go the way Matt wanted made him lash out.  He never seems to understand anything from the POV of others, not even his family members.

They are still partners, because of business stuff and their kids, so I admire that they work hard to keep it together for all that - despite their divorce.

Also agree with another poster that Molly isn't lazy - not even at all, so I don't know where that came from.  Jeremy chose a profession and has worked since college.  I think that Zack does have a job but I cannot remember what it is that he does, since he didn't stick around in college.

Jacob just barely got through for his HD diploma and moved out but I have no idea what he's up to these days.

We saw these kids grow up.  I remember in the beginning when Jacob and Molly were pretty young kids and the twins weren't even in high school yet. 

[DoneTryin]

It was good to see Amy exert herself about how she wanted things set up for her charity mud run, & I was amused by the way she just cut Matt off every time he tried to force his way.  Yes, Matt is the dreamer & Amy did have to keep him grounded.  Now she needs to spread her wings & fly toward her own dreams.  I don't like seeing anyone divorcing, but all too often couples focus their all on the children & let their relationship languish.  Once the children leave home, the couple are strangers to each other.  I wish them both well as they learn to live their separate lives.

[shoptilyadropagain]

I watched from the beginning and then it was hit or miss after the show was less about their lives and how they dealt with various issues to all about exotic trips. I've watched most of this season though.

I pretty much agree with what has already been stated.  I realize nobody is perfect and I'm sure Amy has many faults (yes, the messy house is one) but I would have sent Matt packing several years before they separated.  Matt is all about Matt and I grew tired of his bullying Amy and the kids until he got his way.  He is a great visionary but his techniques leave a lot to be desired in getting, or attempting to get his ideas carried out. 

I do admire how they seem to co-exist on the farm and work together on the "family" businesses.  There doesn't appear to be a lot of animosity between them.

[DoneTryin]

I take exception to so much criticism aimed at Amy for the times when the house appeared messy.  Probably because I grew up in a home where both parents worked full-time & father was overly critical yet never lifted a finger to help keep the house tidy.  Yes, I realize Matt has some physical issues that may preclude his ability to do housework.  However, I do blame both Matt & Amy for not making those lazy kids clean up after themselves.  Another poster suggested that Amy deliberately ignored the mess just to annoy Matt.  Maybe so, maybe not.  In any case, in a family, everyone should do their part to keep the house in order.

[LisaandTrixie]

This was the first episode I'd ever seen and it was interesting to see a "normal" family with sadness, disagreements and a unhappy marriage. I do agree, when the youngest son announced to his mom he was now going to "Move out" I would have had more questions than that! Community College is low cost and an affordable option for lots of Americans. Especially for this family. Yes, he seemed a bit lost and I felt sad for them.