TV Show 'Wife Swap' Sets Up Tea Party Christian With Polyamorous Family

ABC’s “Wife Swap” has a simple premise: Take two very, very different families, swap out the mothers (sometimes husbands), and watch what happens when cultures clash.

So while the show is good for a few chuckles, some think Thursday’s episode went out of its way to attack the Tea Party.

How so? Let’s set the stage.

Meet the Loudons:

Courtesy ABC

Mother Gina Loudon is a proud conservative Christian and card-carrying member of the Tea Party. Originally from the South, she and her husband, former Missouri State Senator John Loudon, dedicate much of their time to conservative activism.

“The toughest part is that politics can be consuming during an election cycle, but we do it as a family (knock doors, campaign, even speeches). We work hard to balance work and family, but I admit that in peak political season, I look forward to down time with my family when campaign time is over!” said Gina, who lives in deep blue California (San Diego, to be exact).

The Loudons have five children.

“As a family, we do like to keep moving and give back to our community, so when we are not in political season, we are still busy with charity work, civic involvement, writing books, creating media, etc.,” she adds.

Now let’s meet the Envy family:

Courtesy ABC.

Angela Envy has been married to Chris, a semi-professional wrestler, for eight years. They have four children.

They also have a 23-year-old girlfriend named Ashley.

No, not the kids. The parents. The parents share a live-in girlfriend.

“We consider ourselves to be a polyamorous family. Ashley came into our lives about one year ago, almost by accident, and she never left. And just like that, we became a triad. It was easy and natural and we have such a good time!” said Angela.

“With Ashley, there was twice the energy and convenience of a normal relationship and she fulfils the needs that Chris cannot. The three of us share a room and sleep in the same bed and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's going to be hard for me to be away from her for this experience,” she adds.

You get the picture.

So now that we have the stage set and we’ve been introduced to the two different clans, how do you suppose things played out? Well, let’s just put it this way: Gina Loudon is the first guest in the show’s nine year history to not stick it out the full two weeks.

Gina Loudon called it quits halfway though taping and decided that being swapped into a polyamorous family was just a bit too much for her.

But did the show really paint the Tea Party (via Gina Loudon) in an unfavorable light?

“The show definitely cut the polyamorous trio -- one dude living with his wife, his kids, and his girlfriend -- to be the ‘normal’ ones. And the sympathetic ones,” writes conservative blogger Ace.

And Ace isn’t alone when he writes that the disastrous episode’s purpose was to paint Tea Partiers in an unflattering light. Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh is right there with him.

“The Tea Partiers are painted as the Bible-thumping freaks, and the polyamorous family portrayed as the open-minded, full of love, and sympathetic bunch,” Limbaugh said Friday. The Loudons are “painted as intolerant, Bible-thumping prudes.”

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Featured image screen grab.