Archive through September 18, 2003
TV ClubHouse: Archive: Ali's Parents' Interview:
Archive through September 18, 2003
Alexia | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 05:37 am     Um Bronxie, most of us attorneys are actually honest, decent people... |
Missapril | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 05:45 am     The legal community (attorneys and judges) is a very tight, very unforgiving one and once an attorney earns a rep as less than honest, manipulative, conniving and prone to cry on cue, they're done. Judges start to watch for such antics and contrary to popular opinion, their rulings are not always solely based on jurisprudence and strict interpretation of the law. Perhaps it is just such an attitude as an attorney that has hampered Ali's dad's success to the point she seems to indicate and the reason why he needs her to win the money - he may not be able to make a decent living as an attorney after earning a tarnished rep among his peers. |
Goddessatlaw | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 05:47 am     What Alexia said. |
Bronxie | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 06:06 am     Any attorney worth his salt in a courtroom knows how to manipulaate, not only a jury, but the selecting of same. I know many who have had acting lessons to better project their arguments, and omission of facts is a close cousin of lying. Sure there are nice (what a weak word) attorneys, but they are usually found in places other than a courtroom. If I stepped on anyone's professional toes, I apologize, but I still think Ali's particular talents are well suited and I'm sure she'll make a million. |
Crazydog | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 06:22 am     I agree with Alexia and Goddess, many of us lawyers are honest and good people. Not everyone in the profession is a scumbag - that's just perpetuating an unfair stereotype brought on in part by the image of the ambulance chasing personal injury lawyer. Is Ali actually going to law school, or is it just her desire? Because I honestly can't see someone who has demonstrated herself so ignorant of everyday things being able to make it through the rigors of law school. She has a degree in exercise science and works as a retail cashier, right? From what I have seen of her, I just think she does not have the brain power. |
Goddessatlaw | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 06:28 am     My toes are unbruised. I am a litigator and also known as a "nice" person. As are most of my friends. And we all know how to do our jobs very well - which includes leaving it in the courtroom. Generalizations of this type are usually unfair, and frankly that's all I have to say about it. I do agree with Msapril's assessment that the legal community knows who's on the up and up and who's not, and addresses them accordingly. I would not go so far as to judge the tenor of Ali's father's work or reputation based on a few made-for-tv comments and his daughter's dialogue within the house. |
Kaili | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 06:57 am     Ali is not in law school. She wants to be. I remember at one point I think it was her, Jun, and Erika talking outside and one of them said (not sure but I think it was Alison or Jun) something about "they" accept anyone into law school these days. I think Alison is a smart person- I just don't think she has had a lot of exposure to different things, I think she's more "book smart" than "street smart" and I think her self-centeredness is a bit of a problem. |
Bastable | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 07:02 am     I am not going to use the 30 seconds of snippets I saw on CBS to judge Ali's parents. That's just a wee bit high-and-mighty for me. But I am going to recall a Big Brother parent who supported a player's behavior that was even worse: Shannon Dragoo's mom. She said she would have used Hardy's toothbrush to clean the toilet, too. |
Pixieduster | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 07:12 am     Although lawyers may regularly "manipulate" juries by what they say, what they don't say and how they say it - to have one actually sit in front of a TV camera and applaud their daughter for knowing how to backstab, manipulate and give just enough of the truth sure makes me think that he may not be the smartest attorney in his neck of the woods. I would think he could have used a lot more finesse in making his comments. If they wanted to defend Ali, there's certainly a way to do it but to say more or less, Atta girl. That's my lying, backstabing, manipulating daughter and I'm proud of her...it just made my jaw drop. Have no idea what kind of attorney he is, but with that kind of public speech, he may have a few criminals contact him because they'll like that backstabbing, lying and manipulating the truth kind of approach. |
Gidget | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 07:13 am     I loved Robert's family. Proud of him, not proud of some of his deeds. I think Robert was a pretty lucky kid if that was what his Dad was like. That family is why Robert will continue to grow as a person. |
Steveh | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 07:19 am     I found the brief interview very informative once I understood it wasn't a promo for a new CBS sitcom. Ali has not yet taken the LSATs. Lawyers (and others), how do you think she'll do? |
Gidget | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 07:26 am     LSATs are not hard today because kids are trained to take these tests. And you don't have to go to the top law school to become a lawyer. You also don't have to graduate at the top of the class. Kaili described Ali as book smart. In my opinion, from what I have seen of her, she is not exceptional but her drive may have given her the desire to pull good grades. That would mean she had to learn how to play the game. Good grades have nothing to do with success in life. In fact, B & C students are often much more successful as adults because they had to work for their grades. The naturally gifted sometimes do not develop the proper discipline to make it in the real world. I'm not a lawyer, tho I played one in college for a few years, so although your question is not directed to me Steve, I feel like answering anyway. |
Miggles | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 07:28 am     How will Ali do in law school since she doesn't like to read? I think she is smart but wonder if she has the focus required for post-grad studies. I hope for Ali's sake that there is more to her character than what she has shown in the house. She had a few good moments here and there -- she helped Jee a little with his father's ceremony. However, Justin called her a compulsive liar, and didn't Donnie refer to her as "one of the most untrustworthy people in the world"? |
Gidget | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 07:31 am     Good point Miggles. I was in a pre-law program. It wasn't until I was dating the brother of a lawyer that I came to realize how much research was involved in law. I hated research back then. So I dropped out for a while before finding something better suited to me. |
Puzzled | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 07:42 am     Don't have clue what kind of lawyer Ali's father is, and it's certainly possible that she was lying through her teeth when she said they didn't have that much money. However, his approval of back-stabbing and manipulating sure explains her playing in the house. In contrast, Robert's father, while proud of him, was not proud of his name-calling. |
Bastable | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 07:51 am     Yeah, I'd claim not to like Robert's name-calling if I were sitting next to a wife who looked like that, too. |
Crazydog | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 07:53 am     Alison is from Meadville, right? I didn't catch her father's name, but there is a James Irwin who is a partner at the eight person firm of Shafer, Swick, Bailey, Irwin, Stack & Millin in Meadville, PA. He is 56 years old, which looks right to be Alison's father. The biography says he does trial and appellate law, as well as the staples of what I consider to be the seedier side of law - divorce law, negligence law, personal injury and medical malpractice. So, yeah, he seems to be one of the kinds of guys who shows up in commercials on your TV. Not surprising to me at all. |
Gidget | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 07:57 am     I don't believe I'm going to contribute a defense to the Irwin cause, but small town lawyers have to take a variety of cases if they like to keep a roof over their heads. Lawyers generally do well, as do doctors. But like doctors, the majority of them are NOT rolling in dough. |
Crazydog | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 08:00 am     Oh, I agree, Gidget. I don't begrudge Mr. Irwin at all the right to try and make money to feed his family. I'm just saying that given his condoning attitude towards Alison's backstabbing behavior and his urging of her to "use her body" to get ahead, I'm not at all surprised at how he earns his living. |
C1mag | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 08:11 am     I wouldn't even dare to say anything about someones family on this show. I'm a little surprised the board is allowing it seeing as how the family has access to the site at this time. I'm also amazed at the double standard when it comes to a female contestant in this game and a male contestant. It happens every year. If you are a guy the key is definitely to get to the end with a female and hopefully one of the alpha females because she will be vilified for doing what so many of the others in the house have done and as a guy for some reason your behavior will somehow be over looked. I can actually understand Rob's fathers assesment of his son. Rob attacked not only the women in the house but women in general. Ali decided to play the game based on the rules so she lied and manipulated and backstabbed. The names she called others in the house was not a tool she alone used. Dana wished death on her early on. Many of them questioned Nates sexuality. "I hate them" was a mantra that many of them chanted. The comments about Robs daugher were not the worst comments ever made on this show. Lisa called Gerry a perv last year and Marcellus hoped Gerry would die of a stroke. The Tonya bashing was way over the line as well. The idea that Alis parents would be subject to some type of scrutiny simply because they see their daughter in a game where all the above was allowed is strange. It's almost grasping. The final analysis is that no matter what is said their daughter walks away with at least 50k. This wasn't a journey in ethics and whatever she is on the outside is her business. |
Trinity63 | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 08:12 am     I thought the interview of Ali's parents was pretty typical. What did we expect them to say really? "We are so ashamed of our daughter, we didn't raise her that way? Donny is going to boot her butt out as soon as she comes home?" I don't think so. They were terribly supportive like all parents on national TV Now what they say to her behind closed doors we will never know. But I'd love to be a fly on the wall to hear what Donny has to say. Then again, I am thinking Donny and Ali are both meant for one another -- both very surface, hot headed, over emotional. |
Cliotheleo | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 08:14 am     Gosh ........... what channel is "The Donny Show" on? How did you come to this conclusion about him? |
Gidget | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 08:15 am     Thank you Clio you beat me to it. I thought I had missed something. The only thing I know about Donny is he is damn cute and it's time to move to a more grown up sounding name. |
Lori | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 08:18 am     Ali's parents seem to fit in the category of "my child can do no wrong" and can basically justify any behavior. |
Denecee | Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 08:18 am     Good posts! While watching Ali's parents, I was a little embarrassed for them but I understand the whole defending my child thing. Justin said Ali was a compulsive liar and I think he's right. |
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