Question about Lisa Whelchel

[MissBitters]

I think Lisa has really lightened up since her divorce. I follow her instagram and she recently went on a trip to India. She shared pictures of her visiting both Hindu and Muslim temples and seemed pretty engaged with the culture without commenting about about praying for their lost souls (a la Steve Maxwell). She has posted pics of alcoholic beverages too. She's still Christian but is less sanctimonious. Horrible discipline methods aside I always felt bad she was essentially forced into marrying her husband. She probably had to do a lot lying to herself about being happy all those years before the divorce. No doubt it played a part in her fundamentalism.

[Snarkle]

A few years ago I read through her whole blog - including her trip in the RV - and the minutiae of that life of that year. Synopsis: it was a dream trip for them, but also a very difficult one. Her son has/had issues, and her kids got somewhat stir crazy being on the trip, plus she filmed a Facts of Life special that came up during the trip, so her family, and her, were in and out of the RV during the year. She admits to not knowing how to handle her son and disciplining him, so perhaps over time she realized her punishments weren't all that effective. A lot of people went to her seminars and bought her books over the years, so clearly she had her backers, but as someone who doesn't believe in physical punishment, a lot of those "corrections" border on abuse. Perhaps it is the "creative" touch in the punishments that make them more palatable to some? (And why do so many fundies coat their punishments in benign terms like "correction" and "training" instead of just saying punish, since that's what it is - consequences for bad behavior/stepping out of line?)

Being on Survivor also humbled her a bit - it wasn't long after her marriage broke up that she was on the show, and it humanized her a little more. She is still on the Women in Faith circuit, but seems to have, as MissBitters said, lightened up a bit, especially now that her kids are grown and she's not homeschooling anymore and steeped in child rearing/correcting/training.

[hoipolloi]

If she's never apologized for or publicly retracted her endorsement of hot saucing & the other abuse she pushed, then she's a fucking asshole -- just like Mike and Debi Pearl.

Looks like she also made a lot of money off that shite over the years so no excuses for Lisa Whelchel.

[Cleopatra7]

The details surrounding Whelchel's marriage sound super sketchy. I remember hearing her say that she was offered the role of Rachel on Friends, but she declined because of her beliefs. I wonder if the fact that her father wanted her married ASAP once the Fact of the Life ended was a way of taking her out of Hollywood and the secular world.

[Jana814]

The details surrounding Whelchel's marriage sound super sketchy. I remember hearing her say that she was offered the role of Rachel on Friends, but she declined because of her beliefs. I wonder if the fact that her father wanted her married ASAP once the Fact of the Life ended was a way of taking her out of Hollywood and the secular world.

I didn't realize she was offered the role of Rachel on Friends. She use to do the talk show circuit (as a former child star).

[Justme]

She said that her husband spent all of her money. (From Facts of Life.) I did watch her on Survivor. If I remember correctly, she came out of the marriage with no money. She is working again. I have seen her in a couple of Hallmark movies. (On the Hallmark channel.)

I agree her punnishments were horrible. I can only imagine how horrible it was to be trapped in a loveless marriage, having sex with someone you were never attracted to.

I imagine her "story" is duplicated over and over in the fundie world. Women marriaing because there is no alternative.

[Jana814]

I don't watch Survivor. I didn't realize that her ex took all her money thanks for the info.

[lilwriter85]

I agree with previous posters, there are things about Lisa and her past that are just awful. I think she lightened up since the divorce and being on Survivor. I find her a tad more likable than Kirk and Candace Cameron. I remember Candace endorsing hot sauce discipline or spanking.

[treemom]

I think Lisa is a good example of a victim who ends up creating other victims. Unfortunately she managed to publish a book talking about how to do it

[thoughtful]

I agree with previous posters, there are things about Lisa and her past that are just awful. I think she lightened up since the divorce and being on Survivor. I find her a tad more likable than Kirk and Candace Cameron. I remember Candace endorsing hot sauce discipline or spanking.

Candace is a Pearl fan. Previous thread:

viewtopic.php?f=98&t=15170

[Cleopatra7]

I wonder if Lisa Whelchel is basically having to start all over again with having to figure out who she is and what she believes. The dissolution of her loveless marriage (including being married to someone who stole almost ten years worth of her earnings) must have indicated to her on some level that the ideas she had been spouting are wrong. That she's working again and exploring the world gives me hope that she will one day repudiate her "creative corrections" and her other fundie ideas. She's certainly farther along than any of the other people we snark on.

[martian]

What I wonder is if coming up with "creative" ways to punish her kids rather than using plumbing line or whatever the Focus on the Family approved rod was meant that Lisa was the free-spirited liberal of her crowd.

So far as I'm concerned, a man who uses the systems around a woman, family, church, whatever, to coerce her into sex is a rapist, period. And Whelchel's father was an accomplice. Marriage and then welcome to wifely submission? Yeah. A life of being raped. How do you get your head straight after that? Or during? It's entirely possible that she has different views of consent than I do, but she openly admits she never wanted him or marriage with him. Can you talk yourself out of being traumatized? Not a rhetorical question.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

The Blair Necessities

I used to read this guy's blog religiously (ha!). He had to stop updating because Lisa got tired of being made fun of and made her blog private.

The recounting of Lisa's family's trip to Israel and her and her mom's bike trip to Vermont are classic!

Also at some point I think Steve fell off the roof and hurt himself while putting up Christmas lights and the family pointed and laughed before getting help. Charming. :roll:

[Black Aliss]

If she's never apologized for or publicly retracted her endorsement of hot saucing & the other abuse she pushed, then she's a fucking asshole -- just like Mike and Debi Pearl.

Looks like she also made a lot of money off that shite over the years so no excuses for Lisa Whelchel.

Her blog was the first fundie blog I ever read. She struck me as being just plain mean. In one entry she was so proud of herself for dragging one kid across the street by his hair when he wasn't as quick to do her bidding as she thought he should be.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

Her blog was the first fundie blog I ever read. She struck me as being just plain mean. In one entry she was so proud of herself for dragging one kid across the street by his hair when he wasn't as quick to do her bidding as she thought he should be.

That was my first impression of her years ago, too. I never forgot she gave her kids the option, "I can hold your hand or I can hold your hair" when crossing the street. She was big on obedience but I think she didn't know what else to do in her role as fundie lite pastors wife. She seemed very humble on Survivor and in subsequent interviews.

[antwan]

She has had her father pushed her into the marriage

Source for her statement that her father "pushed her into the marriage"? I've read her interviews where she has said their engagement was announced, etc. But she also said she "fell madly in love" with Steve. Go figure. And her only reference to an "arranged marriage" (that I'm aware of from her own words) was in reference to her heavenly father. Would appreciate your source so I can check it out. Thanks.

[Tdoc72]

As a kid that was hot-sauced (actually it was horseradish), I'll just say I don't think it was that bad. I certainly don't feel it was abusive in any way. It wasn't that often, as I was basically a good kid that didn't sass (or curse) too much. I still don't like the smell of horseradish. It doesn't cause flashbacks or anything; I just think it stinks.

[ILoveJellybeans]

That was my first impression of her years ago, too. I never forgot she gave her kids the option, "I can hold your hand or I can hold your hair" when crossing the street. She was big on obedience but I think she didn't know what else to do in her role as fundie lite pastors wife. She seemed very humble on Survivor and in subsequent interviews.

She dragged her child across the street by their hair? In public where everyone can see what a monster she is? Surprised nobody reported her for that. If she would do that in public, I bet its ten times worse at home where nobody can see.

[Trynn]

As a kid that was hot-sauced (actually it was horseradish), I'll just say I don't think it was that bad. I certainly don't feel it was abusive in any way. It wasn't that often, as I was basically a good kid that didn't sass (or curse) too much. I still don't like the smell of horseradish. It doesn't cause flashbacks or anything; I just think it stinks.

I am incredibly sensitive to spice. If you give me hot sauce, I will be I severe pain. If I get ahold of a jalapeño or other hot pepper, I will stop breathing.

Some children are more spice sensitive than others.

Is for me it was the hypocrisy of it all. Dad can swear up a storm but I can't use any of those words? Ridiculous.

I'm sorry, but quite honestly, I don't think it's wrong for children to swear, keeping on mind context of various situations.

[PennySycamore]

Maybe it's just the Season, but I'm thinking of that scene from A Christmas Story where Ralphie is sitting with a bar of Lifebuoy in his mouth for dropping the "F---" bomb while he realizes his dad says that word and more all the time.

[Rebelwife]

Maybe it's just the Season, but I'm thinking of that scene from A Christmas Story where Ralphie is sitting with a bar of Lifebuoy in his mouth for dropping the "F---" bomb while he realizes his dad says that word and more all the time.

One of my favorite quotes from the movie:

"He worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay. It was his true medium; a master."

:mrgreen:

[NotALoserLikeYou]

Source for her statement that her father "pushed her into the marriage"? I've read her interviews where she has said their engagement was announced, etc. But she also said she "fell madly in love" with Steve. Go figure. And her only reference to an "arranged marriage" (that I'm aware of from her own words) was in reference to her heavenly father. Would appreciate your source so I can check it out. Thanks.

dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2205672/Lisa-Whelchel-divorced-Facts-Life-star-ends-marriage-23-years.html

radaronline.com/exclusives/2012/10/lisa-whelchel-divorce-marriage-facts-life/

But I did see the article she wrote where she said her heavenly father arranged her marriage. But after she got divorced she said in interviews her earthly father had pressured her and she wished she never had gotten married.