A NEW AGE, EARTH MOTHER IN AN INTER-RACIAL FAMILY WHO SHUNS
HOUSEWORK SWAPS PLACES WITH A TRADITIONAL SUBURBAN MOTHER
WHO CLEANS EIGHT HOURS A DAY AND DOTES ON HER CHILDREN
-- INCLUDING SERVING BREAKFAST IN BED -- ON ABC'S "WIFE SWAP"
Each week, from across the country, two families with very different values are chosen to take part in "Wife Swap." In a two-week challenge, the wives from the two families exchange husbands, children and lives (but not bedrooms) to discover what it's like to live a very different woman's life. It's a mind-blowing experiment that often changes their lives forever. This week, in "Ghani/Stallone," an earthy new age mother in an inter-racial family -- who meditates more than she cleans -- swaps lives with a traditional suburban mom who's devoted to children and cleaning, on "Wife Swap," airing WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
Elizabeth Ghani, 37, and her 40-year old partner, Adofo Ghani, an African American artist, live an alternative lifestyle in Southern California. Each day starts at 6:30 a.m., with family meditation that includes their three children: Khaliq (11), Khalil (9) and Yaasmeen (7). TV and video games are forbidden, reading and exploring nature are encouraged, and all meals are vegetarian. While the Ghani home is a sanctuary of peace, love and artistic expression, it's not exactly a shrine to cleanliness -- Elizabeth spends only 15 minutes a day on cleaning.
Elizabeth travels 3,000 miles to New Jersey to the straight-laced home of Paulette and Mike Stallone. Forty-year-old Paulette is a hard-working stay-at-home mother of two who believes that the man rules the roost. She rarely sees her husband, Mike -- who works long hours as an accountant -- and spends her days cooking and babying 15-year-old Nicole and 12-year-old Mike Jr., even grooming and dressing Mike Jr. each day before school. The kids have unrestricted access to video games, TV and junk food. In addition to spoiling her kids -- which includes breakfast in bed -- this mom is a stickler about cleaning house eight hours a day.
In the first week of the swap, Elizabeth is forced to cook meat for the first time in years, preparing a four-course Italian dinner for the Stallone family and breakfast in bed for Nicole. She must also carry out Paulette Stallone's rigorous cleaning routine. Meanwhile, Paulette is pushed to the edge by the Ghanis' messy home, and fails to embrace the joys of meditation and wheatgrass.
But in the second week of the swap, when the wives change the rules and turn the tables, havoc ensues. Elizabeth tries to teach the Stallone's the value of peace and meditation, but her ban on TV and video games drives the kids to tears. Meanwhile, Paulette opens up a new world for the Ghani kids when she introduces them to limitless television, video games and...meat...all the while clashing with Adofo's new-age ways. When the swap is over, will these families retain any of their newfound lessons?
Wife Swap" is an RDF Media production. It was created by Stephen Lambert and is executive-produced by Lambert and Jenny Crowther of RDF Media ("Faking It" and "Junkyard Wars") and Michael Davies of Diplomatic ("Who Wants to be a Millionaire"). Wendy Roth is the co-executive producer.
This program carries a TV-PG,L parental guideline.
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