The Ex-Wives Club (ABC)

common sense media says

Celeb exes help real people deal with divorce.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this reality show focuses on people who are going through divorce -- subject matter that could be upsetting for viewers (particularly teens) who've been affected by it in real life. Many of the show's participants yell and cry while they try to process their anger and grief around the breakup; some enact elaborate pretend revenge scenarios. It has fairly mild language for primetime ("bitch," "hell").

Positive messages: People struggle with their emotions after a divorce; others try to help them. The show's methods -- which include enacting pretend revenge -- may not appeal to everyone. The show also focuses heavily on looks -- getting an ex looking good through make-up, clothing, diet, and even surgery.
Violence: Some people get very upset and angry during sessions. There are also some extreme stunts (which don't involve risk of injury) -- like throwing a car out of a plane and watching it fall to the ground in an exercise designed to help a woman get psychological revenge.
Sex: The entire show is based on relationship issues. Some romantic kissing. Details about cheating spouses, including one story about finding a spouse's lover naked in the closet.
Language: Occasional "bitch" and "hell."
Consumerism: Part of the healing process sometimes involves buying things -- new clothes, etc.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Wine or champagne occasionally apear in background.

More on The Ex-Wives Club

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about divorce. Is it a good topic for a reality show? Why or why not? Do you think the people on the show cope with divorce in realistic and/or healthy ways? Has divorce touched your own family's life? If so, how has it affected you? Can divorce be a good thing? Teens: How do you feel about marriage and divorce? With half of marriages ending in divorce, do you have any faith that your own marriages will last?

What's the story?

What's the story?
In this reality show that delves into the painful process of divorce, men and women attempt to heal and transform themselves with the help of a life coach and three famous exes now dubbed THE EX-WIVES CLUB. Hosted by semi-celebrities/notable exes Marla Maples (Donald Trump's second ex), Shar Jackson (ex-girlfriend of Kevin Federline), and Angie Everhart (dumped by Sylvester Stallone), the show explores the pain of a split with the goal of helping the ladies' protégés evolve into stronger people. Life coach Debbie Ford, author of Spiritual Divorce: Divorce as a Catalyst for an Extraordinary Life, leads the brokenhearted through emotional group sessions in which she encourages them to fully feel the pain of the break.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Watching the exes go through the wringer isn't easy. In one group session, for example, Ford asks folks to remember the cruel words their exes spoke to them during the divorce process, which leaves one man crying and trembling with incredible grief and anger. The ladies are quick to tap into their subjects' anger, too -- Ford leads the group in a blindfolded shouting exercise, in which they scream and yell empowering messages, letting their rage out in the process; in other segments, exes find ways (with the guidance of the celeb exes) to rid themselves and their environments of their past, often by changing either the appearance of their home or themselves (and sometimes both). Some also carry out elaborate, cathartic pretend revenge scenarios -- like throwing a car out of a plane, for example.

With its obviously mature themes, The Ex-Wives Club isn't for kids or really even most teens, though mature adolescents might gain some tools for dealing with anger and emotional pain. Parents should preview an episode to judge whether material seems appropriate for their child.

TV themes & details

TV Details
TV Rating: TV-14
Network: ABC
Cast: Angie Everhart, Marla Maples, Shar Jackson
Genre: Reality TV
Where to watch: ABC

This review was written by Sierra Filucci
 
 

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Not Realistic
I was just watching this show on ABC, and I was enjoying it up until they poured gallons of gasoline into a lake, then blew up a motor boat. There are several reasons that I take issue with this display of senselessness. For one thing, the show had stated earlier that the woman who was being highlighted had money issues. So, why didn't they SELL the boat and give her the money?! Another thing, with all of the gasoline that they dumped into that lake, what about the ecosystem that the lake supports? Do they not realize the damage that they're causing by doing that? Granted, it makes for great TV drama, it is not realistic and not something that I would want young women thinking is alright. Also, Marla Maples should have taken a page out of her predecessors book. Ivana Trump said 'Don't get mad, get EVERYTHING!!!' That display shows absolutely NO class!!!

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