You might be wondering why I’ve posted another version of FMFF, see previous blog Find my Feral Family. Any way, my daughter reviewed the version below and loved it but I was a bit worried that it maybe a little too offensive, because when I feel strongly about the subject matter (in the moment), I don’t hold back – just ask my friends. So to be true to how I feel and think about certain things and with the encouragement of those close to me, I thought “what the hell” if it provokes a negative response, then so be it. So here is the uncut version.
I remember a few years ago being rather exited when I saw Jack Thompson advertising a new TV show called ‘Find my family’. I’ve been a fond fan of Jacks over the years so instantly I gave this show a creditable rating given that Jack, an Australian icon who also is an adoptee, was going to compare each episodes.
If you haven’t watched this show, it’s about people searching for family members lost to each other for various circumstances, mostly adoption. Being an adoptee myself, I was immensely interested as I too started my own search for my birth mother about 30 years ago, without any luck. So it goes without saying I was looking forward to the first episode. I even jumped on the web site Jack mentioned in his monologue to register – now that was in 2008 – I’m still waiting for even an acknowledgement email.
The format of the show starts with the ‘story’. The person searching tells the story of who they are searching for and the details they have so far. In most cases it’s children looking for estranged parents or birth parents. As the show progresses and we establish that the other party has been found, they tell the story from their point of view.
This is followed by each participant viewing a video of each other recanting their story – the searcher telling how they longed to find the other party and the found party telling the story from their point of view. In between 100 adverts and the whole story being retold prior to the commencement of the show, we finally get to the finale.
The first episode was certainly a slight disappointment but I seem to recall that it touched a nerve and I was hopeful it would improve in the coming weeks – WRONG!
The class of people they help each week seemed to decline. I remember one episode when the birth mother met her daughter in what appeared to be a trailer park. The mother was sitting on a fold-up camping chair dressed in tracksuit pants. Her hair was probably brushed, not a good look for a women with curly hair. We all know that you don’t brush curly hair; you scrunch it while applying styling moose and blow drying with a baffler. Or how about this for an idea – go to a frikkin hair dresser – you’re going to be on national TV!
Other episodes have shown toothless, unemployed down and outs. People that shouldn’t be seen on TV, especially around meal times. It’s certainly enough to make you puke – especially if you’re an adoptee or adopter of somewhat better class. Having said that, there are a few normal people who appear on the show but it seems they are few and far between. On a whole this show has done nothing for the profile of adopted people, it suggests that adoptees and adopters are low class, trailer trash cretins.
And let me point out that on a whole, the research required to find these cretin families would take half a day. So my conclusion is, if it’s an easy find send in your details, they’ll get one of their staff members to do a quick look up in the Whitepages during lunch and bingo, you’re in business. After all the people they represent wouldn’t know a book if it hit them in their ugly heads.
On a lighter note, it did give me much comic relief each week when I recanted the show to my friends the following day. We’d discuss possible outcomes of my situation unfolding on an episode given the flavour already set.
Picture this – my reunion: ….a group of people gathered under a beautiful birch tree in a manicured Sydney park. The grass is lush and appears like is has recently rained giving the grass that rich and ful look and feel. It’s a beautiful Sydney day with a bright blue sky void of clouds. On arrival at the car park, which is some distance from the gathering, is me and my children. I won’t take the grandkids at this stage because I want this meet and greet to be about me, not cute little babies.
As we gather our composure after alighting from the car we start to make our way towards the gathering. At first I can’t focus on any one person but as we get closer there appears to be a main person, possible my biological mother, standing in front. The closer we get the more I notice the ‘others’, possibly more biological family. The nearer we get I begin to realise that something is not quite what it should be – no one looks like they are dressed for the momentous occasion. Made even more momentous by the sheer fact there is a camera crew following our progress as well as capturing the reactions of the awaiting group, as these scripted meetings are the highlight of the show.
It’s at this point I begin to panic, surely these mutants aren’t related to me. It would be at this point my kids would also be making very inappropriate comments not suitable for the camera, which would result in us fighting back the urge to burst out laughing – thankfully I have comedians for kids.
Now I have a decision to make, do we continue our way towards the group and see how the cards fall? After all they might even be very nice people even though they do look like trailer trash. Or do we turn around and run? The answer to this is easy….
We run – I’m not embarrassing myself of national TV for anyone!