I used to devour wedding shows, but then my own wedding came and went and I just naturally lost most of my interest. The sensationalism of shows like Bridezillas just doesn’t stay fresh because it’s horrible people marrying each other and, presumably, making more horrible people and that’s just depressing more than anything. I’ve never really been able to get into Say Yes to the Dress because, well, it’s boring. The brides have an absurd amount of money to spend on their gown (even the ladies on a “budget”), some of them travel great distances to visit Kleinfeld in New York City to be fawned over. It’s fine. I just can’t be bothered to care for more than an episode or two.
What I’m trying to say here is that I’m looking for something new and exciting and salacious. I would get totally sucked into the When Brides Attack genre of show again (and devote my valuable demographic contribution to the menstrual-centric advertising) if we could get even a limited run of the UK documentary series My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. Behold the glory:
It’s just so…so…WOW. The bridal gowns are obviously the first thing to pop out. They’re like those Barbie birthday cakes come to life. The bridesmaids dresses would make Vegas showgirls blush. The transportation is fit for sultans. And the guests are obviously there to look their best, too, but aren’t about to subscribe to any kind of dress code.
Aside from going for the obvious shock factor of the bridal party’s attire, the show also examines some more serious issues that face this community. One mother scrambles to plan her daughter’s First Communion in the midst of the mass eviction of their site. A young man face criticism from his family for marrying a non-Gypsy woman. As one person mentions in the clip above, the Gypsy community are known for their strict adherence to morals and traditions, but at what cost? When do morals and traditions become not just outdated but oppressive and wrong?
I’ve read some things about traditions within this community that make me somewhat uncomfortable: the girls are often very young when they’re married and are sometimes to subjected to courtship rituals that don’t sound entirely consensual. But, really, how am I to judge when I can’t view any episodes? The UK’s Channel 4 streams the episodes after they air, but of course that option isn’t available in the U.S.
Someone please please please make this available online or on TV!
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