ABC airs report about Stephen Fowler.
The report is quite good, interviewing neighbors, mentioning this blog and repeating Stephen's apology. They talk about 24 hour security, people driving by his house all day long, a flyer, and someone even egged his house (which goes too far). And they show him in his garage with his Minivan and BMW. You would think that a man who works in the biofuel (which is equal to biodiesel) industry, would have at least one diesel car (BMW makes fine and clean diesel cars).
on ABC:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/san_francisco&id=6656573
or on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhykAAg86bs
on ABC:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/san_francisco&id=6656573
or on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhykAAg86bs
He doesn't look so smug now, does he?
I feel sorry for the kids having to live with all of the backlash, but maybe Daddy should have thought of that before he opened his fetid gob.
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report said that Folwer has resigned from the two non-profit boards he served on. this family also needs to resign or leave the school! as a fellow parent, I attended a school meeting last night (on a different topic), only to listen to other angry parents talking about the Fowlers!
we are all so offended and do not want anything to do with this family.
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I am so sorry that your connected to that jerk in anyway no matter how small. I can see why parents are angry because he cast the school in a bad light, especially when he woke up his child over 5 missed problems, and bragged about what a great education they were providing with all the hours of homework. Renee's comments made it clear that the school was just another status symbol choice. I would be embarrassed if it were my child's school, but it the parents anger over the Fowler's would make me proud again. I am so sorry for you and any innocent person connected with that idiot.
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He should be reported for child abuse. What parent in their right mind wakes a child up to do homework? A child needs his sleep. I feel sorry for the kids. No child deserves that kind of treatment. Not to mention the fact that he obviously is poisoning their minds with regard to other people.
Mark my words, if they can get past his brainwashing, they will grow up to hate him for his ignorance.
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I am sorry that your kids have to deal with the Fowlers. My son serves in the Marines. He attended a private school here, but decided to join the Marines. I don't believe your school hold the views of Mr. Fowler. Hopefully the Fowlers will move and let your kids have a fun school year, without all this drama.
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Don't hold it against the whole family. It's not the kids' fault that their father is such a jerk. If he were removed from the equation, the rest of the family might be halfway decent.
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I am very glad that this is happening. He owes Gayla a sincere apology.... to her face.
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Our daughter used to attend the school, and we were very proud to be part of such a wonderful parent community. We live out of the country now but still have many good friends there, and I hate to think of how the school might be suffering because of this. Please, don't anyone think that this jerk is representative of the parents at the school. Most are very kind, open-minded people that anyone would be happy to know. Many students there are on financial assistance, and many have parents who teach or work at the school to help make it the excellent and well-regarded school that it is.
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Sure he's sorry, after the fact. Like the previous poster said, he should have thought before he spoke. I'll bet he wasn't calling people dumb, obese and a redneck when he met with customs and immigration. I wonder if his citizenship can be revoked. If only.
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Citizenship can be revoked but it is EXTREMELY difficult to do so, and calling someone a "redneck" is not enough for the State Department to take action.
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More's the pity. LOL!
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What kind of BMW was that? It is easy to see the license plate number and since it was exposed on TV the Fowlers should do the right thing and sell it and buy a Prius. I can't make out models and years very well but I know others can and I am curious about how much it cost and what kind of gas mileage that beamer gets. I love BMWs. I own one, but I am not a tree humper. I only approach trees that I know really well and then I make sure the tree is comfortable before I offer a hand shake.
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He'll probably end up living in that Beamer, using his superior IQ to figure out which soup kitchen is open each day because nobody will work with the jerk. Poetic justice.
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Figure out which soup kitchens to go to...
Good one LOL
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Funny!!!LOL
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I have one also. It is a 2006 or newer. I think they changed again for 09.
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You know, after reading all the crap on this site, I'm beginning to applaud Steven Fowler. Sure, he was a complete douche, and he was bigoted and elitist. However, at least he showed his true colors, and didn't even try to appear to be different. However, everyone on this site is criticizing not only him, but his background, his native country, hell, his native continent, the practice of IQ testing, college degrees, Californians, San Fransiscans, the list goes on and on. How is someone calling another person overweight, undereducated, over opinionated, redneck, stupid, etc. any different from the multitudes of posters on this site who are saying things like "dick brits", "stupid Europeans", "fucking foriengers", "elitist San Fransiscans", "psychotic genius types" , on and on and on. So many of you people are exactly the same as Steven Fowler, and you have the gall to be outraged. Hypocritics are scum of the earth.
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You're here doing the exact same thing, so please don't pull a Fowler and act like you're any better, chum. You'd fall into that scum of the earth category.
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And how am I doing the exact same thing, exactly? The only people I've insulted are hypocrites. And Americans who act like they are so hated, when they either aren't, or they bring it on themselves.
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One thing is for sure, Stephen Fowler sure brought this on himself!!! lol
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yeah, but doesn't there come a time to stop? i mean, really, don't you guys have other stuff to do besides hound one douchebag in san francisco?
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Sure. When he either apologizes and means it, gets psychotherapy for his obvious, glaring issues or leaves the country. I prefer the latter.
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Kat, I think I agree with everything you say except one -- in your first sentence about "beginning to applaud" him. It's true that a lot of people here are stereotyping people in all kinds of ways, though certainly not everyone. It's no good to say this guy shouldn't go around categorizing and insulting people, but then to insult everyone with similar backgrounds as this guy. But you trip over the same issue when you in any way "applaud" what this guy did.
This has become more and more of a problem, in our country, and I think a lot of it has to do with politics. People on one side of the spectrum think those on the opposite are not just misguided, but horrible as human beings. We hear it on the political talk shows all the time, and large audiences of Americans eat that stuff up. It's up to us to decide to stop looking at people that way. All of us are flawed, and most of us have good qualities too. The Long family actually looked past the insults and learned something from the Fowlers, as difficult as the experience was for them.
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The only thing I find shocking about Fowler is that he engaged in clear verbal and psychological abuse on that poor woman, unprovoked, on national T.V.
People will always be prejudiced, it's part of our heuristic minds. What I find unacceptable is the inability to work past that and treat someone that you may not view especially favorably with any amount of respect.
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Well, it's easy to become too polarized by Fowler, and say all sorts of unkind things in the heat of emotion. Yet, to lump everyone into a subset of Fowler's own misanthropy is a poor rationalization for what started everything--namely his own behavior. It's nothing personal on Fowler, because I could care less about imposing on his life, and hope his existence never imposes upon mine. Yet--since I live near SF, I know this Fowler guy is not an isolated case; he's simply more strident in views held by many local "elite". Such people live in a reality bubble within select communities, comfortable in their isolation to local issues, yet always ready with a hip, cutting observation of other people's problems. Our culture here is one of making comparisons, where some feel obligated to tilt every observation in their favor. Fowler started such a game, and the ball has returned to his court…with quite a spin!
The fact that Fowler "outed" this behavior so flamboyantly explains the backlash, and perhaps a little embarrassment from those who secretly harbor his views. I'm certain that many people have suffered from the likes of Fowler, whose comments merely nudged the outrage into the public sphere. I'm also sickened by the attitudes Fowler represents only because it exposes a larger issue--which should be society's focus if anything. Those who feel outraged should turn their insights toward the real problem—and DO NOT harbor a personal vendetta against Fowler's family. Bad attitudes don't merit behavior that borders on criminal.
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excellent post!
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I watched the Wife Swap story with Fowler in it. I didn't like it either. For him to make fun of anyone being overweight, is like cutting off his wife's income. I certainly wouldn't use her to help me after seeing her husband do what he did on that show. Nice work Stephen. I'm sorry for your kids. It doesn't teach them it isn't nice to make fun of others, for any reason at all.
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wow. lots of big words there. but good points.... i think.
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Well, Kat, it may not be the exact same thing. I do agree that any condemnation which is over the top is wrong.
You ask how you are doing the same thing.
Here is how.
First, you wrote: "..after reading ALL THE CRAP on this site".
Later, you wrote: "..EVERYONE ON THIS SITE is criticizing not only him..".
Both are unfair generalizations. You do agree that people are rightfully outraged by Fowler's behavior, don't you? After all, you too think it's fair to be outraged by some of the critics.
None of the comments above yours, for example, is critical of anyone except Stephen Fowler. There's a lot here which is not "crap". People are concerned about his children, the schools and so on.
Issuing a blanket condemnation of everyone on the site because of some who make generalizations puts you in the same hypocritical category.
And you finish it off by saying "Hypocritics are scum of the earth". (That should be 'hypocrites' by the way.)
I'll have to disagree with you. I don't think you are a scum. Scum is way too strong a word to say about anyone, in my books. I try to be as non-judgmental as far as possible, and try to understand where everyone is coming from.
In your outrage, you went a bit overboard against people on this site. A lot of people on this site and elsewhere may have gone overboard in their criticism.
This incident is a good wake-up call for all of us to look inside ourselves and see what flaws we may have, in stereotyping groups of people. I would go as far as to say that it is time to start the healing process and stop the hatred. The person who has to be MOST outraged, Gayla, hasn't spoken out about this. She manages to contain herself, and her husband even more so, and tolerate Stephen even when he hurls a final insult at her.
She basically brushes him off as a jerk who isn't worth any more of her time. I would like to hear what she has to say. 'm sure she has forgiven Stephen, that's how GOOD-NATURED she is. That's more of a lesson than what Stephen has to offer.
We have to try and forget Stephen and talk about Gayla as a hero. We have to stop furthering the tendency to give more attention to negativity in media, and give more time to the likes of Gayla. Perhaps it's time to start a gaylarocks.com
Excessive outrage may cause a backlash to the backlash, with people - sort of like you, Kat, but with a gentler tone - starting to talk about hatred toward someone who may be mentally ill, and also start pointing out the good things Stephen Fowler has done (and I am sure he has done a few). And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Those who continue condemning him excessively are going to provoke such a response.
Be well. All the best to you.
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S
HUT UP AND MOVE TO IRAC YOU JACK ASS. YOU AND FOWLER CAN JOIN THE OTHER HATERS OF AMERICA.YOU POOR BABY! BOO HOO ! LOOK AT THE VICTIMS OF FREE SPEECH!!
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Yes, Fowler was arrogant and unkind. However, he was dropping some truth bombs. Someone like Sarah Palin would never have gone as far politically as she did if it wasn't for people who are proud to be uneducated, fear other cultures and don't want to push themselves to achieve who mindlessly vote for someone because she hunts and thinks that travel is an elitist pursuit. Didn't America used to have idealism? When did mediocrity become a virtue. The fly over states should be annexed from the rest of the world.
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San Franciscans like myself, aka "uneducated, overweight, renters", have been complaining about this Fowleresque scourge for years. I've lived in this town for over 10 years and in the Bay Area for 18 and yes, these people actually do exist...The Fowlers are just the tip of the Bay Area's elitist iceberg. However, don't be fooled into thinking that they are what represents the entire progressive (or even educated, wealthy) community of the Bay Area. I moved here from the South, and as a native Southerner, I know that not every Southerner who is Christian and proud of their heritage is a KKK, bible-thumping bigot - also like the kind we've seen on Wife Swap. So, just remember that people like the Fowlers are the exception, rather than the rule when it comes to San Franciscans - which is why Wife Swap picked them in the first place.
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All good points. The bottom line is this. You can go to quite a number of places in America and find relatively extreme communities of people. You can find compounds of racial separatists, like the Christian Identity movement. Timothy McVeigh travelled in those circles, and no doubt had many conversations with like minded-people over the years (including his fellow conspirators), before he took tragic action based on those beliefs.
You can also find some relatively extreme liberal communities somewhere in America. There are environmentalists and animal rights activists who burn down houses, or who put nails in trees that can (and have) injured loggers. Or who throw paint on women who wear furs.
In any large community of people, there are folks who go too far. Sometimes *way* too far. If you're part of liberal or conservative America and you don't see some of that on your side of the aisle, you're not looking.
We really can't look at the *average* people on either side of the aisle in terms of these hateful extremists.
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Agreed, local culture has become obsessed over a superficial sense of self-importance. After living here for a couple of decades, I now find it impossible to ignore the inane status games people play: the endless comparisons of wealth, education, home ownership, and the ideology of success. While not all-inclusive, the degree by which these attitudes are pervasive among the "hipster" culture is annoying--to the point I'll happily relocate to anywhere people are less rudely self-important. After years of politely engaging such people, it may be true that taking the "high road" is the only answer, although I understand the guilty pleasure of telling such people how we really feel. Perhaps Fowler served as a lightning-rod for some long-simmering ire? I can only hope this "scourge" is quieted by the economic reality that appearances of "success" are not everything.
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At dawn Jesus appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. Then the bloggers and the commenters brought in a man caught on TV making stupidly offensive remarks. They made him stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this man was caught in the act of defaming patriots, the military, the heartland, and the middle class. He is an arrogant elitist. Our law commands us to stone such men. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at this man." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the man still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked him, "Man, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
"No one, sir," the man said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus said. "Go now, and don't be a jerk anymore."
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That's clever. However, the condemned in the original story did repent her ways, went forth and sinned no more. Time will tell about this guy.
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"the condemned in the original story did repent her ways, went forth and sinned no more."
Did she? We never actually are told what became of her. Some people think she was Mary Magdalene, but there's no Biblical support for this interpretation. The point is, Jesus recognized that what she had done was wrong, but he forgave her.
Something we can learn from, perhaps?
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The reality is that to forgive someone does not mean that you allow them to continue on. Has he changed? There are plenty of people out there who are sorry and all "repentant" when they are caught.
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Does it really concern us if he changes or not? We don't have to be the judge and jury, and we don't have to tolerate this guy, let alone live with him for a week. (Oh, how I would like to live with this guy for a week. I have an IQ higher than his. Haha, that makes me more of a jerk than him. What better way to fix a jerk than to make him live with one?)
It's best to learn and focus on ourselves and see how we can improve. It's a waste of time to do bother tracking what happens to this guy on an ongoing basis. He has been publicly humiliated, and has to live with that for the rest of his life. That will be his karma.
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By all means. But let's learn the whole lesson, not just half of it. As much as forgiveness, that lesson was about repentance. It's easy enough to say we should forgive the guy and move on, but he's got to do his part, too. He's got to repent his ways and treat people with the respect they deserve - and not HIS idea of deserving. All people deserve dignity and respect, not his brand of judgmental disdain. If he realizes that and behaves accordingly, people might let him off the hook. Everybody screws up. It's human. And yes, forgiveness is divine. So let's see a sincere apology from this guy... not another half-assed piece of rubbish his wife writes up to try and save her business. Let's see sincere apoloies from BOTH of them, for that matter. And let's see a follow-up show where they're treating their children a little more humanely. Then I think people will back off them. The ball's in his court. If he wants it all to stop, he's got to live up to America's standards and start acting like a human being.
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There is a new apology letter on Renee's website, which includes an apology written by Stephen.
What I would really like to see is ABC bringing Stephen and Gayla on a show, show the highlights from the episode of Wife Swap, and have Stephen ask her forgiveness for each one of those. I'd like to see Gayla tell him that she has forgiven him, because I think she has accepted his apology. That's probably the best way for him to redeem himself. Could be good ratings for ABC also.
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The point is that it's not your right to judge. Are you going to mark your calender and set your watch so you can time when it has been long enough, and whether Stephen Fowler is sorry enough in a certain number of days, months or years? Did someone assign you the responsibility of determining when his future behavior is contrite enough so that the public will stop egging his house and threatening him and his family? The condemned in the original story DID repent her ways, DID go forth and probably DIDN'T sin anymore, but for how long? How many months did she have to endure threats and verbal abuse before she was allowed to walk down the street without getting dirty looks or judgements from all those other "sinless" folks? Please enlighten me with the rest of her life's story...I'm so curious.
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Did someone assign us the duty? Yes. He did when he went on national TV and exposed himself for the monster that he is. Whatever he gets after that, he deserves. How long will it last? That's up to him. If he can show America that he's sorry, they might let up. Unlike The original sinner, Fowler has mass media. He used it to show us what an ass he is. Let's see him use it to show us that he deserves to be let off the hook.
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Have you looked up people convicted of child sex abuse, in your neighborhood and/or from a news story, and followed up as to where they are and what they are up to?
Do you remember Scott and Lacy Peterson? Have you kept track of where Scott's case is?
Why be this concerned to know if an asshole has reformed or not.
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Peterson's on Death Row on appeal, which makes his story a closed one. Fowler's story isn't over and may never be "over" - it's become a sort of lightning rod for a wide variety of issues and attitudes, and will last as long as we need it to last. Any of Fowler's responses to this situation by now, I'm afraid, would be pretty irrelevant.
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I agree, about the possibility that a wide variety of issues and attitudes could result from this incident. I highly doubt the probability of Fowler himself to live on in the media for a long time. Public has a short term memory. The next big outrage will take us all to a different site. In a couple of years, we'll be saying "Do you remember Stephen Fowler", just like I did with Scott Peterson.
My point about Scott is that it's not on our mind constantly, and he is still maintaining innocence, so it's not really closed. There are so many others we don't discuss much any longer in terms of the individuals. For instance, Mary Kay LeTourneau and Debra LaFave. (And I thought of that example, only because I had created a blog on that a while ago, and now it's inactive, except when some news items appears about them.)
If we do hear a lot about Fowler in the long term, I think it will be our misfortune. How much of our time does he really deserve?
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Apples and oragnges, dude. Those people have been convicted and dealt with by the judicial system. Fowler's an asshole who seems to think he can do whatever he wants and never face any justice for it. Many of us are here to tell him he can't. Not when he pisses on our country and insults everybody in it. Yeah. I'm interested in seeing what happens with this guy's future in this country that he scorns so much.
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Amen to this! People, it's time to back off with vengence, anger and condemnation. This man knows how everyone feels and at this point it looks like a witch hunt
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and then the three of you walked hand in hand and lit up a joint, passed it around, and fell asleep. just like your stupid comparison is doing to all the readers of your comment. go back to being the only one in the room praying for us sinner.. we're too busy stoning jackasses.
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I'm trying to keep in mind throughout all of this that reality shows do have a tendency to..well.."skew" reality.
From what I saw I too got very upset with this guys behavior, rude remarks and the irony of his ignorant statements. Unfortunately with reality shows they condense weeks into an hour therefore you don't get the context of many discussions or dialogs that occur. Reality shows take only the parts that will create the greatest attendance and boost ratings. Now that being said I think even if we got the full context of some the verbal exchanges between Gayla and Stephen, I would find it hard to justify many of his remarks. Even trying to imagine the full context of his remarks it does seem he is lacking in certain social skills and open mindedness, especially with those that are not like him i.e. same education level or financial status. He definitely exhibits a superiority complex. A truly worldly aware and educated person would understand that there are people with different strengths and weakness and born into different plights and no one is perfect.
Now I'm not justifying this guys remarks and or behaviors towards Gayla, but I do feel this family has many good intentions. I don't see anything wrong with wanting to be educated and seeing that his children are educated and given the tools to succeed in life. There is nothing wrong with caring about the environment and one's health and instilling these values in your children. These are admirable traits and intentions in my mind. What may be wrong is how he may be pushing his children a little to hard and not allowing them to enjoy childhood a little more. Than again on the other side I also think it's wrong to not push your children somewhat or hide from them the facts of life, that hard work and discipline is what it takes to succeed. I just hope after this experience the parents don't pass on negative qualities such as arrogance and superiority complex. Perhaps he did not even know he has a superiority complex and is passing this on to his children. Well after this show and feedback maybe he does.
I also felt it was wrong how he treated others who don't share the same intentions or ideals. You don't influence others to share your same ideals and goals by demeaning or belittling. His arrogant and honest forthright approach was just the wrong way to influence people.
My first emotions after watching some of these episodes was "I hope this guy's businesses fail and this guy get's booted back to England." But than after a couple days of thought, I figured why should these children and his wife suffer from this mans mistakes. Hopefully he learned some lessons in humility. From all the negative feedback on the Internet his having to resign from several positions and I'm sure the impact this has had on his wife's business and the families personal lives. I think this man has learned a lesson in some way shape or form. I just hope it's the right lesson.
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Kat, Shut the hell up coz you are no different. Biding is right! You are doing the exact same thing!
Some people may be hypocrites and even if they are, the fact of the matter is that the FOWLERS brought all these to themselves. They got what they deserve!
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I was trying to figure out how a score on the GRE is equivelent to an IQ score. Mr. Douchbag claims to have taken the GRE (whilst complaining that coollege entrance exams are designed to humiliate) why would someone with "advanced degrees" even take the GRE, as he states he did four years ago. Furthermore he claims to have obtained a score of 99.9999999. Doubtful at best but how does that correlate to an IQ of 158? That would make him the master of all Mensa and a member of the Triple Nine Society. To claim a IQ score off a GRE exam of 158.....AND multiple times on national TV....rates him a total windbag score of 1000......
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How many 48 year old men take the GRE? I wonder if he also took the SAT and ACT after turning 35 to prove how much smarter he was than teenagers....Not to mention how tall is he about 5'5" or so
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What does his height have to do with anything? Or do you have something against short people?
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Do you think Snickers will hire him for their "Wanta Get Away" ad campaign?
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Might be the only work he can get.
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Sorry, I believe that it is Southwest that runs the "Wanta Get Away" ad campaign.
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With regard to Gayla in all this, I can think of one particular Missourian, if he were alive today, who would stand up for her in an instant: Harry S. Truman. HST had no patience with anyone who thought they were better than others. I'm thinking of the famous letter Truman sent to Paul Hume, music critic of the Washington Post, who panned a concert performance by Margaret Truman. I can picture HST saying similar words to Stephen Fowler. To quote, and paraphrase slightly: "I have come to the conclusion that you are an eight-ulcer man on four-ulcer pay. When you (speak) such poppycock...it shows conclusively that you are off the beam, and that at least four of your ulcers are working overtime. Some day I hope to meet you. When I do, you're going to need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below!"
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Hey, I am all for it. Please somebody give this asshole a good lesson for life. I can't wait.
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The latest edition of the Noe Valley Voice covers December and January.
http://www.noevalleyvoice.com/
I wonder what the February edition will include?
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I just saw the clips of this Fowler guy and I cannot believe I am about to enter the Air Force so I can protect this idiot. People like this make me sick. I just wonder why he lives here at all. I guess he just enjoys abusing the freedoms granted to him by our men and women in uniform.
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How exactly is he abusing he freedom?
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To use it to wound other people?
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By spitting in the faces of the men and women who risk and sacrifice their lives to give him that freedom. That's how.
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My name is similar to Stephen Fowler and I live in San francisco. My wife and I have received threatening phone calls, and the phone ringing at 3am. I have talked to a few of the callers, (mostly it is just a phone hang up). They apologize, but still the whole thing for us is not fair. These people say how mean he is, but do they have any idea how mean they are to us as we try to just be at home.
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It's a terrible shame that you're having to suffer for the actions of someone else. The havok that Stephen Fowler has caused is a testament to his thoughtlessness. I'm sorry that you're getting calls. You don't deserve it and I hope it stops. I'm sure the other Fowler couldn't care less.
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Then get out of this country you despicable dirtbag. It isn't going to ge any easier for you Stevie boy. Someday you will have to get rid of those guards and and come out in public. And then we will really harass you like you never have been harassed before.
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You idiot. SteVen Folwer wrote that he has a SIMILAR name to StePHen Fowler, and has been getting harrassing phone calls from illiterate dimbulbs like you, who can't seem to parse a simple paragraph.
What StePHen Fowler did was really stupid, but it's people like you who make his idiocy seem legitimate. Good move Ace. Let me know how it all works out for you...
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So Kellykinsel mistook / misunderstood the post, probably seething from the whole thing about Stephen Fowler. She posted a response directed at the wrong person. She didn't call at 3AM or anything, but yeah, it's mistaken identity.
And then you go Fowler on him/her!!
Does the cycle ever end?
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Er..I meant to use "(S)he", since I wasn't sure, but used "She", which may be a false implication. I guess I added on to the cycle myself. lol
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what...now use da jenius. fugettaboutit
go bak 2 watching cartoons you looney toon
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I too am very sorry that you are enduring this as a completely innocent party. I hope it stops.
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Steven, you are absolutely right to be upset and I am so sorry that there is an insane fringe who will find a reason to behave so idiotically. The Fowler in question offended so many in one fell swoop that 'the fringe' is probably fairly large. If you have caller ID perhaps you could record them and pass along to an authority. Calling someone's home is an outrage, so is driving past their house (or business), causing property damage or (god forbid)stalking the kids' school.
Btw - I went to highschool with a Steve Fowler in Madison, NJ and for a moment was mortified to see the name in print until I discovered it was a different individual. It's insane. Hang in there.
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I have never written a letter in response to a TV show, but after watching this limey, arrogant, SOB, I sent this off to the producers of the show, the network and to sponsors:
I have been watching Wife Swap for the last few years, normally my family and I really enjoying your show. I am writing because I am getting fed up with your families not participating in the "rules change", if these families are agreeing to be contestants on your show, they should abide by the rules.
I am horrified as I just watched tonight's episode where the English husband just berated the woman from Missouri while your producers stood by and did nothing. NO one has the right to treat ANY body the way that man treated his GUEST. And shame on your show for airing that pompous, condescending, poor excuse for a human being. Your show is about taking away something new from the visiting wife and it is just turning into bashing and torturing the wives who are there to teach the host families about their lives.
If your families are not willing to participate in good faith, in the spirit that your show was intended, they should not be shown or paid for their time. Your show has just gotten mean spirited and down right nasty. I was so offended by the way that man treated another human being. She has every right to sue your show, ABC and that pompous snob for mental and verbal abuse.
I will no longer be watching your show as it is no longer fun and entertaining. You need to screen these people better or scrap the footage of these non-abiding contestants.
I am truly disgusted and shocked that you would CONDONE such abusive behavior.
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It's a reality show. The people have to be themselves. I don't think it's the producers' job to interfere in how the participants behave, unless it is criminal. Besides, it is good for the ratings, that's why it was edited that way. Isn't that what people like to see in reality shows - the juicy part?
I doubt that Gayla can sue anyone, there are liability agreements before going on any show. I do wish she could sue him. Even better, that he goes out of his way to make amends.
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There are still options for Gayla and her husband to profit from this terrible situation. There are interviews that can be given and at least one book that can be written about it. I'm pretty sure Stephen is looking for some slick way to profit from his despicable actions (probably needs to since nobody will work with him now). I only hope that Gayla and Alan, two people who showed a lot of class and dignity, find a way to earn something from all of this. They deserve to be compensated for everything they've been put through.
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people like gayla and alan have already earned something from this. the respect of a country. god bless this family and their lifestyle. and all americans living the american dream as they see fit.
salt of the earth, this family.
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So if egging his house went too far, what about paintballing his house?
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Paintball the Beamer. The hypocrite needs to buy a hybrid or Deisel anyway.
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Biding, seriusly, this is juvenile and not helful. We are better than this pathetic man.
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Hey, writing about our outrage is appropriate and having an intelligent conversation about what may posess a person behave as Fowler did is appropriate. Encouraging property damage is not - especially if it means that you may not be the one doing it but some lame brain will - is not. How can it be at all constructive to give credence to the cretin who inspired this website or the cretins whose 'follow up activities' actually validate Fowler's insane claims?!
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Dude, nobody's going to paintball his house or his car. Lighten up.
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Biding, that's DUDETTE, thank you and to prove my point - their home has already been egged at least once and allegedly some have gone to the kids' school for a drive by.
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Dude, the term is general, not gender specific.
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Biding! You crack me up - love your comments, btw through out. Now, back to the much more important topics - Dude vs. Dudette and eggs vs. paintballs. Since I read your post while (I kid you not!) sipping a veeeeeeeeery nice port and happened to be wearing Ferragamo stilletoes, I felt more like a dudette. On paintballs - eggs are a delicios item when used properly and their misuse offends me to the core! Paintaballs, sadly, taste terrible (from experience) and are a royal pain to get off a car (sigh.... also from experience).
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Oh, on that sensitive 'paintballoffacar' issue in my post - in my defense, it was the first time I held a paintball gun and got a little overly enthusiastic... but I digress...
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I've never tried a boiled paintball before... Hmmm.
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Just give it time. I heard it was going to be one of quick fire challenges on the next Top Chef. Trust me on that one.
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As long as they don't kill and gut the poor little thing in tv. I hate it when they do that.
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who wants to have an intelligent discussion? i like going getto on someone who is obviously returning to the getto. no body is going to hurt this guy or his family. he and his wife have started their uphill battle against the American public. any damage that occurs to their business and charities is on their ass.
so take off those cotton gloves vici! and get your getto grove on!
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vini, vidi, vici ... I wonder though, is the 'getto grove' anything like a 'ghetto groove' or is it all about fruit?!
Signed,
Vickie with an 'ie'
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To Steven Fowler:
Blame the source: Stephen Fowler besmirched the name with his ridiculous behavior that offended the conscience of America. He also trashed all San Francisco liberals and new age 'destination counselors' by association. It is clear that he struck a nerve with many people who more than suspected that everyone from San Francisco from Nancy Pelosi on down have contempt for their fellow citizens without having given much thought to the ridiculous spectacle they pose themselves. They firmly believe in their own left-wing righteousness without the ability to critically examine their own foibles or to appreciate the humanity of others. A pox on their houses!
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Its shocking to me of someone of stephen fowlers wealth and intellect that he sports only three black shirts. One had "tree hugger" "go solar" and I forget the other. I mean really. Simon Cowell has more fashion savvy that that fake elitist.
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come on... this guy isn't a genius. he bought a book on how to become a genius and did the test at the end of the book.
he probably isn't even anglo-saxon...looks mmore like he's of indian origin. a lot of people from india migrate to england then to america.
that would explain the t-shirts
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People have posted on this blog "enough" but there are so many people that are just now finding out about this outrage, so I suppose that it will stop when a. he finally leaves the country (let's hope this is soon) or b. when everyone has seen the video!
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I, actually, prefer that he does stay here. It's more satisfying for me to think that each time a stranger looks in his direction (what ever reason - one of his shirts, a sign behind him, squint at the sun, etc.) he would wince and question his decision to flaunt his superiority all those years ago or, better yet, question his values in earnest. A random laugh behind his back, a whisper in a restaurant, a questionable tone from a stranger will make him wonder. Fowler is a narcissist, so the self imposed prison of paranoia will just make it easier. Let this continue for years to come and see how this takes its toll on him. Real change takes time so perhaps he'll lick his wounds and manage to get himself back on the 'human race' track. If not, he'll just stew in this soup of paranoia. Forgive me, all, but it gives me comfort so I would prefer that he stay. His ego will prevent him from acting on any escape in the near future, when it may serve him best. The show exposed this little man who actually believed that he lent credence to a valid cause and that by association with the green movement he too was elevated above reproach. Now, we've all see that it is not enough - garbage in, garbage out.
I'm not concerned about letting him partake of this country has to offer. Our generosity is a renewable resource so I don't mind a few crumbs for him for the sakes of his kids.
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I was absolutely livid after watching this man on TV and couldn't even sleep that night. Not only was he arrogant, condescending, and narcissistic, he was cruel. CRUEL! Relishing in inflicting pain.
I personally feel much more at ease and can sleep now knowing that some sort of karma exists and the world does balance. He might not have learned empathy, but at least he hopefully has learned respect (in the sense of keeping his limey mouth shut).
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What did this guy do to any of us? I can understand why some people would be upset, but it's silly to get this worked up. Everyone makes mistakes, but dragging it out like this is too much.
Anyways, hopefully the creators of this blog will close this place to help encourage people to stop bothering this guy and his family.
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Hey! Why don't you just shut up? We want to make this SOB miserable and we don't need bleeding heart liberal idiots like you defneding him. otherwise you willbe the next person we make a website about, got it?
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Kelly, David does not have to be a liberal. I worked for a PhD who was a staunch conservative who at times sounded rather like the one we've been discussing lately, though somewhat more polite....
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Yeah I'm not liberal, I'm in the middle of the road. I thought this was more interesting then anything else, but really the other husband is just as bad. Only difference Stephen's wife would kick the shit out of him.
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I'm glad I fought for your the rights of both you and fowler. Want to know the difference between you really is? Not much.
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David, seriusly - do you think this blog is bothering Fowler? No, it's the reruns of the show, you tube clips and hundreds of other ways this mammoth indiscretion will continue to haunt him. Venting on this board actually provides a healthy outlet for the outraged masses, which is a lot healthier than sending anything to them directly to their business mail (which most of us would still consider inappropriate and easily defer to those with fewer boundaries or inhibitions).
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No David, this dumbasshole did not do anything to us. This faggot insults most lower income americans, insults our military men and women who risk their life to protect his sorry ass. I will not rest until his jackass gets the punishment he deserves. It will be funny to see his business fails and ask assistent from the government.
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I was in the army for 3 years. I've fought for this country, personally I'm glad to see he can say what he wants on live tv without getting lynched... no wait he's getting lynched by you fucking idiots. It's freedom of speech if you hate it move.
No it wouldn't be funny if his buisness fails and everyone that works for him became unemployed.
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dont hide behind the real patriots of this country and throw rocks at fellow americans for voicing their opinion.
i guess this freedom of speech you talk about if only for those people who agree with you and fowler you f****** idiot.and freedom of speech was earned long before you came along. you jack ass! re-enlist!
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realdeal, please stop yelling and take the allcaps off. Seriously.
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sorry vic. just like the way capital letters stand out. but i was right about jack ass. this david guy doesn't need to be calling people f******* idiot just because they're using their right to free speech.
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Well hello Fowler, Ops! I mean David, You sound almost just like Stuid Stephen. why are you angry my child? You just said it's freedom of speech then why you attack us? Like you said "it's freedom of speech if you hate it move". And you can say that to your friend Stephen too. If he hate America so much then he feels free to move and don't let the door hit his ass.
I still hope his business fails. I can smell it coming.
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Calling this guy the F-word is an insult to F-words. Don't lower yourself to his level by using base insults. That clous the issue and makes you look worse than he does. As for this David fellow... Ever wonder if Fowler ever comes on here to defend himself? Hmmm...
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nah.. david and fowler are re-writing the constitution and having a love fest in san francisco.
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Biding,
LMHOLC
"Calling this guy the F-word is an INSULT to F-words" that is so cool *****
Poor Fowler is far fouler than F-word
Fowler is getting fowler and fowler
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fowler......is that you? you poor baby.. why dont u go to your wife's web site and ask her how to cope with real american opinions. oh wait....your above all of us. sorry. my bad.
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Ha, My wife and both have MBA's are fit and consider ourself good citizens of SF. But this tool and his wife "volunteered" to go on National TV and promote their outrageous claims of being highly educated, fit citizens of the world.
Not many people watch TV shows such as this and the fact that their absurd behavior is just filtered down to the rest of us should not be a surprise.
Steven is an idiot without a doubt but his wife with all her new age certificates is laughable. She claims to want to help the world but cannot spend too much time with her children as it is not in her personality. Get real!!! She is a life coach????
The only thing she coaches by example is selfish behavior. For the rest of us who choose not to have a cleaning lady and prefer to actually raise our children rather than farm them out to school I say Renee is a horrible example and should scrap the psycho new age babble and actually participate in the life of her children.
Most if not all of those "certificates" can be obtained on line by other charlatans peddling this "feel good" science.
Renee is just as culpable in that home of nitwits.
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Now I understand why the colonists tarred and feathered British officials they didn't like.
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This reminds me of something that happened with my husband once and only once. I overheard him yelling on the phone with a cable customer service rep. I grabbed the phone from him, said, "I'm sorry my husband is such a jerk. You don't deserve this. Please accept my apologies." Then I finished the business. After I finished with the rep, my fuming husband turned his wrath on me. I took off my high-heel shoe and left a couple of exclamation marks on him. He is twice my size, but I left him cowering in a corner. My message: don't treat people badly, don't embarrass and humiliate our family, and don't be an idiot, that woman has our address and phone number!!!
Public humiliation demands a public response. I would never hesitate to correct a member of my family on TV or not, if they did what Stephen Fowler did. It is a learning experience and actually makes for a better family life, when you let members know that the family has standards they will be held up to. If only Gayla had spoken up on TV, there would not have been such a public outcry.
I'm from Missouri and I can run circles around Stephen Fowler and his wife. My family life is good, because everyone is held accountable to each other. Since we're not perfect, we let each other know when we goof up, and somehow, things turn out better because of it.
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Perhaps Renee feels that Stephen somehow makes her superior to her peers with his (self-supposed) superiority. If that's the case, she needs to realize that the only reason he keeps her around is because he considers her to be beneath him, enforcing his sense of superiority. Her certificates are no match for his degrees, and the fact that she's American makes her inherently inferior (by his bigoted standards). Likewise, their children will never live up to his standards. His ego won't allow it. He's going to spend their entire childhood telling them that he's teaching them to be superior, but will never allow them to reach that standard because if that happened, they would threaten his superiority. He's going to build them up and beat them down, the same way he tells her that she's better than everyone else (for being with him) but keeps her just barely beneath his contempt. She's deluded if she thinks he really cares about anybody but himself. She and the children are nothing more than pawns in his estimation, props he can use to bolster his own ego. I hope she realizes that while her children are still young enough to be saved from what he's doing to them. If she can't wake up and smell the coffee for her own sake, I hope she'll do it for theirs. Unless she's just as shallow and conceited as he is. If that's the case, I really feel sorry for those kids.
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...You're admitting to spousal abuse. It does work both ways. If you left him "cowering in a corner", it sounds like you treated him badly. And you would never hesitate to "correct" a family member? What if *gasp* YOU were in the wrong? Your entire paragraph just seems a little off to me.
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Spoken like 1) a man. 2) somebody just looking to pick a fight. Dude, I'm pretty sure she meant figuratively. And if a family member behaved the way Fowler did, he NEEDS correcting. There's no right about that kind of behavior. Renee should have opened her mouth then and there to correct him, then repeated the sentiments in her divorce lawyer's office. If she doesn't, she's as bad as he is, and the kids will be too.
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I guess no one should ever correct anyone in the event that they are ever "gasp" (your words) wrong themselves. Apparently you have never been a parent, since you think its so horrible to correct anyone (in the event you could possibly be wrong yourself). A misuse of anger can be turned around on someone who persists. Ask anyone from a large family. Stop defending this woman and her childlike husband.
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Kat, sounds like you haven't been corrected enough. Political correctness is nothing but a way to look the other way when someone acts in an inapropriate manner for fear of being asked to stand by one's principles or the lessons we've learned form our own indiscretions. Besides, we as a society have a responsibility to each other to function in concert but not necessarily in some utopian dream harmony all the time. R & S must have insulated themselves with like characters long enough to forget what decent behavior is and that's pretty scary. That's pretty much ignorance by definition.
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Sorry, correction to the above, "if only, REENE had spoken up on TV..." etc. (And we love Gayla here!!)
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This is just plain Karma. This is like when you watch the same driver driving at a high speed cutting everyone off and a few miles up you drive past him where he had been stopped by the CHP and he is getting a ticket.
No one should get away with treating people like that couple did. If they did it on TV, they probably did it more so in their private lives.
After all of this, I would really be surprised if they learned to respect people. I think that they will just hide it better the next time. A leopard cannot change its spots.
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As someone who grew up in Missouri and resides in Northern California, I think Fowler's behavior is pathetic. As a parent of two young children, I feel sorry for his kids. For someone who is raising his children as *children of the world* he seems very intolerant of others...those that don't eat healthy, Missourians, our country, those who have IQ's inferior to his, etc. FYI, the GRE exam is not a test of IQ, but of achievement AND Missourians are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. Funny...my husband and I had talked about touring the French school in SF where Fowler sends his kids. If the Folwer's are typical of those who send their children there, I'd rather homeschool!
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Those who don't eat healthy Missourians?
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Biding! Mais pourquoi? La familiarité produit le mépris, no?....
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BMW only makes 1 diesel car, released around a month ago for the U.S. market, the X5 xDrive35d, a $50k+ car. Buying a new diesel car to replace a non-biodiesel capable car only adds to the problem.
[ Editor: I made the comment because it seemed odd to me that someone (Fowler) promoting biofuel would not drive a diesel car. BMW has been building diesel cars for that last twenty years albeit not selling them here ]
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he cant afford a n ew car! he cant even afford a back yard! he's full of sh**!
wealthy people dont brag about it. they hide it! come on... would you tell everyone you knew you had money? he's in debt up to his fake life.
maybe compared to someone living in india, where he's obviously form, he's wealthy.
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Wow, this guy is a real loser--he is showing his children how to act like a bullying cad and his mean, uncalled for remarks do not show him as an educated, well-bred human at all. Shame on you! Being a jerk is nothing to be smug about.
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While BMW makes many fine diesel cars, I don't believe any are available in the States at this time.
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LISTEN... THIS WIFE OF HIS IS A REAL CRAPPY LIFE COACH. SHE'S MORE OF A BULLSHITTER THAN A PROFESSIONAL. MAYBE IN ENGLAND THEY CAN ACT LIKE THE WORLD IS AT THEIR FEET AND EVERYONE ELSE SHOULD TAKE NOTICE OF THEIR SO CALLED SUCCESS. HAVE U BEEN TO HER WEB SITE? SHE SAYS SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HE HAD SAID UNTIL FRIDAY. COME ON!! THEY SAT UP FOR DAYS COMPARING NOTES AND BRAGGING ABOUT HOW STUPID THE OTHER FAMILY WAS. SHE ISN'T PROUD OF THIS COUNTRY OR THE PEOPLE IN UNIFORM. SHE'S ONLY HERE TO REAP ITS REWARDS.
THAT FAMILY THEY BASHED IS THE SALT OF THE EARTH. HAPPY, LOVING,PATRIOTIC,GIVING,WONDERFUL PEOPLE. THEY ARE WHAT AMERICA IS MADE UP OF.
FOWLER SUCKS. SO MUCH FOR THAT STEREOTYPE THAT THE ENGLISH AR SO POLITE. BUT THEN AGAIN... HE PROBABLY MIGRATED TO ENGLAND FROM INDIA.
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Stephen Fowler is atypical of most UK people I've met. However, his comment about the stupidty, and "Redneck", well I guess that is the reason we left King George and kicked their asses in 1775.
I am a Redneck and damn proud of it. This is all we have left that holds this country togethere.
Fred
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I just watched the eppy on youtube for the first time today. I was really appalled at Stephen Fowler's behavior. The blatant disregard for another person's feelings was bad enough, but to do it in front of his children was inexcusable. Is it just me, or did those kids seem zombie-like? Especially the little girl. I wonder if they've ever been allowed an original thought? Raising my own children, one of our cardinal rules in the home was NO bullying, teasing, or picking on other people allowed. I cannot imagine a parent who would openly ENCOURAGE such behavior by ordering them to shun the temporary wife. How sad for those kids to have this man as an example of how an adult should act. Good grief!
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Kay, completely agreed. Many of us have been reacting to the show for weeks now. There are a few folks (just a handfull) who've come to this site to defend him and to make sweeping judgements of anyone who's chosen to comment here needs to get a life, that we are overreacting, etc. etc.. Like you the appaling behavior in front of the robotic spawn (not the kids' fault really) really sent me over the edge. I am glad that this show was aired and that people are still discovering this painful episode. When people blame schools for not raising their children this showed that (a) our social behaviors begin at home and (b) education alone does not equal to a decent human being.
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True that about education. All the advanced degrees in the world won't teach manners or proper behavior. I have wondered (like another poster) why someone who self-professes to be highly intelligent would "stoop" to being on a TV show like Wife Swap. All his boasting about his 158 IQ and his being in the 99.99th percentile on the GREs only served to make him appear INSECURE about his intelligence. Ultimately, he has made himself look like an inconsiderate, pompous arse and put his family through unwanted publicity and public outrage. Hopefully (though doubtfully), he learned something from this experience which will make him a better, more thoughtful person. Ultimately, I hope he reforms his behavior for his children's sake if not for his own.
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