To anyone who has even skimmed by "reality" shows, it's proven time and time again that nobody cares about the sane, intelligent, seemingly normal person on those shows. TV audiences watch reality shows for the impending "train wreck" and nothing more. By substituting a Dad for a Mom on "Wife Swap" sounds like a ratings ploy and an opportunity to portray Dads in a dim light. Just the kind of thing we are trying to avoid, aren't we? This is just one "seemingly normal" Dad's opinion, but I smell a rat...

If only my son were in the correct age bracket, I could whore my family out for some cash while "reality" TV edits us into the dysfunctional family they want us to be. And all for $20G's

If I want reality TV, I'll watch Sportscenter!!!!!

For what it's worth....here was my reply to them:

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We're familiar with Wife Swap. The show is entertaining and I watch it
regularly enough to understand what it's about.

The purpose of our website at AtHomeDad.org is to support at home dads. Unfortunately, given the nature of a typical Wife Swap episode as well as its previous portrayals of at-home dads, I feel quite certain that the Wife Swap producers don't share our goal. This leaves me somewhat disinterested in helping you.

The reality might not make for much entertainment, but most at-home dads aren't the "unemployed", spineless, incompetent "Mr Mom" buffoons that popular media would suggest.

Despite the somewhat ridiculous extremes that Wife Swap has taken in recent episodes (maybe you can find an at-home dad with "Piratitude" that eats moldy meat?), I still consider it a fascinating and thought-provoking show.
You're in a unique position to get people thinking about their family lives and those of others. Perhaps you could consider using that position to portray stay at home dads in a positive light? Not only would it be a refreshing change for us, but one that would further establish Wife Swap as a progressive and meaningful show.

If you have any thoughts on the above, I'd be happy to publicize them on the site.

Lastly, a note on etiquette: If you'd like to get in touch with at-home dads, our site is obviously a place where that can be done. In the future, please consider using a single method of contact (such as posting a single message or using the "contact us" form) rather than contacting us through the contact form, contacting me directly, then contacting several other members individually. This "shotgun" approach of blasting out several
messages to everyone is considered spam by some. Rather than doing that, why not send us a single inquiry? I could then post your information on the site where those who are interested can read it.

Regards,

Webmaster
AtHomeDad.org

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...And their reply to me:

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Thank you for your response to my posting. In my attempt to cast the show, I often find it much more effective to reach out to individual members of groups - once and once only - instead of leaving a single message with an individual who may be on vacation for the next two weeks. You may consider this spam, but most people don't mind getting a single email and will simply delete it if they're not interested. I apologize if it was an inconvenience for you.

With regard to your view on how the show portrays stay at home dads, I can only assure you that we're not looking for a pirate stay at home dad, and those "headline" families who dress up for instance, are few and far between. For the most part, we choose families people can relate to. In this case, I'm looking for a well-spoken, passionate family that has a dad who stays home with his children - I'm not out to exploit anyone or portray the stay at home dad community in a bad light. In fact, the reason I'm looking for a passionate stay at home dad to represent your community is b/c I want someone who will stand up to a woman who may live a very traditional lifestyle and think that it the only way to live. We're looking for dialogue, not screaming...we leave that up to other shows with similar premises, but very different content.

Again, I appreciate your response and applaud what you are doing for a community that I very much support...that's why I've chosen this as my outreach.

Casting AP | ABC Television | Wife Swap RDF USA

Excellent job Mike. I could not have said it any better.