By now, I’m sure everyone has at least heard of TLC’s new show “My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.” It’s captivated audiences on how outrageous the gypsy lifestyle is — and how ridiculous the dresses are. But, shocker of all shocker, TLC has made a new series, “My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding.” What? There are gypsies here in the U.S.? TLC has shown us that even we aren’t safe from the gypsy ways — big, loud and always having to make a scene.
When I first saw the show, I turned it on simply out of curiosity. Now, I can’t get enough of gypsy weddings, sweet sixteen’s and Halloween parties. I can’t forget to mention the educational factor of the show, I learn a lot of gypsy culture, too. First, a wedding is all the gypsy girls dream about, since their job in life is to be a good wife, mother, homemaker, etc. The woman isn’t supposed to have a job, nor an education and what’s even more surprising, the majority of gypsy girls and women are fine with this mindset. Call me crazy, or maybe it’s because I grew up in the 20th and 21st century, but I’m not staying home all day making sandwiches for anyone. There are, however, a few girls who have been featured on the show who choose to go to school because they don’t want to be a homemaker for the rest of their lives. These girls are looked at like traitors since they aren’t following a culture that’s been followed for hundreds of years.
This isn’t the only thing the girls are dictated to do. Girls are expected to be pure at marriage, meaning they can’t have kissed a soul before marriage. While the boys are expected to be experienced. This is a double standard if I’ve ever seen one. The parents don’t even educate their children about what sex is, let alone tell them they’ll be engaging in it on the wedding night. I just can’t imagine being a girl in a culture that’s so behind the times.
The main attraction to the gypsies is their ridiculousness. Parties and weddings allow the girls to dress like sluts — and it’s perfectly normal. A recent episode showed a 14-year-old girl wearing booty shorts and a bikini top with two hearts precariously placed on her chest. To me, this outfit was very suggestive in many ways. However, this was just one of the skimpy outfits featured in the show.
Besides the scantily clad girls, “Gypsy” also features weddings. Oh, the weddings. Every girl tries to outdo the last, and the dresses tend to be bigger than the girls wearing them. Covered in crystals, featuring a tiara and always having a pop of pink, it seems these weddings belong in a Brothers Grimm fairy tale or a full-length Disney movie. With cupcake gowns, it’s amazing to see these girls dance, let alone walk down the aisle.
Gypsies are absolutely fascinating and TLC gives us a peak inside their crazy world. The lifestyle and partying have stolen my attention and have made me thankful I grew up outside the gypsy lifestyle—like I said, I’m not staying at home all day making sandwiches.
Photo courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter.