Wife Swap (TV Show)

Television broadcast
Original title	Swap women
Country of production	Germany
original language	German
Year (s)	since 2003
Production company	Constantin Entertainment GmbH Prisma Entertainment Production
length	120 (gross running time) minutes
Episodes	527+
Broadcasting cycle	weekly (thursdays)
genre	Documentary soap
Theme music	A * Teens  - Mamma Mia
production	Otto Steiner Ulrich Brock
First broadcast	Germany
German-language first broadcast	July 14, 2003 on RTL II

Frauentausch is a German docu-soap based on the idea for the British show Wife Swap . The concept includes the temporary exchange of a family member between two families .

The docu-soap was first broadcast on July 14, 2003. The show, which runs once a week in the evening program on the private broadcaster RTL II , on Thursdays at 9:15 p.m., is produced by Constantin Entertainment GmbH . Older programs are repeated on weekday mornings. The Austrian format for exchanging women was Tausche Familie .

content

The docu-soap is usually about two women (occasionally also men) who swap households for ten days and live with a different family. But homosexual couples and residential communities can participate. The 90-minute broadcast ( net running time ) describes how those affected have to struggle with homesickness , longing for their families or friends, prejudices or adjustment problems , among other things .

To increase the tension and the potential for conflict, those responsible for the program often tend to choose the participants from strongly contrasting life plans or milieus , such as rural and urban families or orthodox and atheists .

The broadcast and the course of the "experiment"

At the beginning of the series, the members of two families are shown by name and age and sometimes also the activity, whereby one is shown as a loser and one as successful; a motif that will be deepened in the further course of the program. After that, the life of both families is shown somewhat.

In advance, a video message is recorded with each exchange mother, which is intended for the other mother. At the beginning of the exchange, the women receive small pieces of paper or index cards on which they write a short summary in a few words, which should help to orient the person to be exchanged. For example, the swap mother writes on a card that the "new" mother should wash the laundry every day and hangs this note in a suitable place like the washing machine. Then the surrogate mothers pack their bags and say goodbye to their families.

When the women are driven to the other destination in the cars of the production companies, some episodes show how the women meet blindfolded halfway or away from their homes in order to get a brief impression of each other. Every now and then they take the train to their barter family. If the swap family lives in a foreign country, the swap mothers fly to the swap family by plane.

The arrival in the “new home” is basically represented with the person being exchanged; the family there is away from home during this time. During this time, the production team also manipulates the apartment, which is intended to reinforce the clichés described at the beginning - for example, the apartment is deliberately dirty. The exchange persons are now shown a video message from the other exchange woman, in which they can get an idea of ​​each other. In the message, the substitutes may briefly introduce themselves and mention more or less important things that the new mother should keep or have to do. Almost every time women swap women, the women give each other various tasks, such as finishing a picture, finding work for one of the family members or singing at a party. After a while, the families arrive at home and meet the previously unknown person.

The swap person sleeps in a hotel during the course of the experiment, although this is shown differently in the program. Normal family life comes to a standstill during this time and only plays a role to reinforce the clichés.

On the fifth day, the swap mother is allowed to set up her own rules in her swap family, which is almost always a reason for discussion. On the ninth day of the experiment, the two swappers receive a video message from their families. In this last message, the substitutes learn how their family is doing and possibly how they get along with the swap woman or man.

On the tenth and last day of the wives swap, the swap mothers prepare for their journey home and say goodbye to their surrogate families. Halfway away, the women or men meet, for example in a restaurant or in a park, to have a say. They may give each other advice on what could be changed in their own family or talk about their problems. Sometimes the discussions develop into insults or even violent attacks. In the vast majority of cases, at least one strong difference of opinion develops, which then ends in a dispute. However, in some cases the pronunciation is calm and the swappers even laugh together. There have also been other pronunciation variants: In one episode, a mother broke off the experiment and rather drove home because she did not want to continue staying with the other family. As an exception, the discussion took place in the apartment of the exchange mother who stopped the experiment. In another episode, the swap mothers neither wanted to see each other nor speak, so the men of the swap women spoke to each other by phone.

Finally, it is documented how the swappers arrive at home and how the families take them back.

The people in the families and large parts of the plot are real, but are sometimes shown in a different order for dramaturgical reasons or inconsistent scenes are cut into one. However, the scenes are not spontaneous, but are re-enacted - partly changed by stage directions. The concept is thus similar to scripted reality with the difference that no amateur actors act according to a strictly prescribed script. In particular, the biography of the “loser” family has changed, in some cases, very differently from reality.

Special participants and consequences

The candidate Andreas Höber (* 1978 in Leipzig ) attracted particular attention through his participation in the program in 2011, on the basis of which Höber's quotes made their way into German youth, internet and protest culture in the following years. Especially his impulsive exclamation "Halt! Stop! (...) Here everything stays as it is!" has gained notoriety within the German protest culture and has been widely recited in the media as the official motto of events organized by the climate movement, Fridays for Future . The slogan was also used together with Höber's portrait at demonstrations against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement and by political organizations such as Die Linke . The rapper bass Sultan Hengzt released the song Halt Stop (feat. Sido ) on his album Endlich grown-up in 2014 , which includes sound recordings from Höber.

In 2009, the participation of the Leps family from Zerbst in Saxony-Anhalt, the broadcast of which had led to protests by the city leaders and by around 15,000 Zerbsters against what they saw as degrading reports on the city, met with great interest . In response to a series of conflicts that the father of the family had with his swap mother during the recording, media reports said the "Leps mailbox was clogged with breakfast boards, their house was pelted with eggs, the family avoided and placed under police protection". After the landlord gave notice to their apartment, the family finally moved to Berlin .

On May 18, 2006, the 100th episode was broadcast with a big anniversary special. In this special broadcast, the viewers were shown, among other things, how some participants look back on the exchange. In episode 112, there were fights between two mothers, in which one of the women was admitted to hospital with a bruised hand. She was held, stumbled and fell. The reason for this lay in different views on housekeeping and raising children. This argument happened when the camera was already off. The 200th episode aired on January 29, 2009. In this episode, a mother of 15 children exchanges with a mother who lives with her family in Namibia. For the first time in the history of women swapping, continental borders were crossed.

RTL II broadcasts special editions such as a celebrity special or a holiday special at irregular intervals . In 2007, for example, radio host and comedian Hans Blomberg played .

spectator

The first episode saw 1.28 million viewers - this corresponds to a market share of 5.3 percent. On average, women swapping reaches a quota of around 10 percent of the relevant target group, which corresponds to around one million viewers per program. The 100th anniversary episode achieved the highest market share to date with 18.1 percent in the advertising-relevant target group of 14 to 49 year olds. According to Constantin Entertainment GmbH, the docu-soap achieved a rate of up to 18 percent in the advertising-relevant target group of 14 to 49 year olds.

The show is mainly seen by young female viewers.

In the first episodes, the television viewers were able to vote by telephone which woman could better cope with the challenge of the unfamiliar environment. The broadcaster later abolished this possibility. In the season that has been broadcast since May 2016, you can vote again on the RTL 2 website which woman has coped with the situation better.

production

For seven to ten days of shooting, the production company pays the families an expense allowance of 1,500 euros each. However, the electricity consumption resulting from the production must be paid for by the participating family; According to several families, the additional costs for this are in the four-digit range. On the part of the production company, the expected amount is estimated at 10 to 90 euros in advance.

criticism

A broadcast on January 8, 2009 was criticized because a family, their environment and their hometown Zerbst were shown degrading in the opinion of the critics. As a result, there were demonstrations and riots against the family, who had to be placed under police protection. Thomas Langheinrich, Chairman of the Commission for Approval and Supervision (ZAK) of the state media authorities , then announced an examination of the program. He said: “Even if the participants voluntarily apply for such a docu-soap and sign extensive contracts, this does not entitle the broadcasters to execute them in the media. Everyone has a right to human dignity . "

The NDR media magazine Zapp reported in 2009 of serious allegations against the makers. Among other things, women swapping is accused of deceiving, manipulating and deliberately degrading participants. It is also quoted from the contract that has to be signed.

On July 26, 2012, the Berlin Regional Court ruled that an episode that had already been broadcast could not be broadcast again under the threat of a fine. The plaintiff saw her personal rights violated. So she was deliberately ridiculed, certain scenes and statements were created through pressure from the production team and on instructions. Among other things, statements from the children in the video message such as: “Hello mom, you can stay at home (...). (...) is much better than mom. ”Or“ Bye! Don't come back, stay where you are ”. Following the broadcast, the children were massively teased and annoyed.

The court objected to the payment of compensation, however, since the violation of the plaintiff's personal rights was not so serious.

The Cinderella Experiment

Television broadcast
Original title	The Cinderella Experiment
Country of production	Germany
original language	German
Year (s)	since 2007
Production company	Constantin Entertainment GmbH
length	60 (gross) minutes
Episodes	34 in 5 seasons
genre	Documentary soap
Theme music	Fergie ; - Labels or Love
First broadcast	Germany
German-language first broadcast	November 12, 2007 on RTL II

The Cinderella Experiment is a 60-minute (gross) docu-soap broadcast on RTL 2 from November 12, 2007. It is based on the concept of women swapping. The additional format was broadcast on Mondays at 9:15 p.m. until 2015.

The difference between the two formats is that with the additional issue of Woman Swap, a “ Cinderella ” and an attractive, mostly wealthy woman swap families in each episode . The “Cinderella” learns what it is like to live in luxury, while the attractive and wealthy woman learns what it means to forego all luxury.

Celebrity wife swap

Television broadcast
Original title	Celebrity wife swap
Country of production	Germany
original language	German
year	2013
Episodes	8 in 1 season
genre	Documentary soap
Theme music	A * Teens  - Mamma Mia
First broadcast	Germany

Promi-Frauentausch is a documentary soap that has been broadcast on RTL II since 2013. It is based on the concept of women swapping. The additional format was broadcast on Sundays at 8:15 p.m. until 2014.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Episodenguide , fernsehserien.de, accessed on March 26, 2020
2. ↑ FOCUS Online: That is why “daughter-in-law wanted” is so successful. Retrieved May 16, 2020 . 
3. ↑ Michel Milewski: Welcome to Hell . In: THE WORLD . September 28, 2017 ( welt.de [accessed May 16, 2020]).
4. ↑ Fridays for Future / press release: title. Retrieved May 16, 2020 . 
5. ↑ Business people promote climate protection. Retrieved May 16, 2020 . 
6. ↑ Climate crisis: STOP STOP! - Fridays for Future Herford demonstrated. Retrieved May 16, 2020 . 
7. ↑ Participate: Stop ACTA! - Digital society. Retrieved on May 16, 2020 (German). 
8. ↑ ACTA - STOP STOP! Retrieved May 16, 2020 . 
9. ↑ The danger comes from the right. Retrieved May 16, 2020 . 
10. ↑ Bass Sultan Hengzt (Ft. Psycho Andreas & Sido) - Halt Stop. Retrieved on May 16, 2020 (English). 
11. ↑ Small town protests against the "woman swap". Retrieved May 17, 2020 . 
12. ↑ Harald Staun: "Exchange of women" with consequences: excluded from exchange . In: FAZ.NET . ISSN  0174-4909 ( faz.net [accessed May 17, 2020]).
13. ↑ Süddeutsche Zeitung: Too stupid to be true. Retrieved May 17, 2020 . 
14. ↑ ^{a b} Big anniversary special! "Wife Swap" turns 100! In: presseportal.de. RTL ZWEI, May 15, 2006, accessed on May 17, 2020 . 
15. ↑ RTL2 show “Frauentausch” continues despite the fight . Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
16. ↑ Netzeitung.de: "Exchange of women" mothers fight ( Memento from August 31, 2006 in the Internet Archive )
17. ↑ Abendblatt.de: Mother in a strange family
18. ↑ Presseportal.de: RTL II informs: “Frauentausch” and “EXKLUSIV - Die Reportage” with good quota
19. ↑ Constantinentertainment.de: Constantin Entertainment - productions - exchange of women
20. ↑ "Stealing with Impunity". In: Cut , 6/2005.
21. ↑ casting 1 // Wife Swap // . Archived from the original on April 25, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
22. ↑ TV IS LOOKING FOR SWAP MOM! GAGE 1500, - EURO . December 9, 2013. Accessed on January 16, 2015.  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
23. ↑ Original contracts for exchanging women ( memento of the original dated August 29, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
24. ↑ Interview with participating family in the NWZ
25. ↑ Interview with participating family on fernsehkritik.tv (video)
26. ↑ DWDL.de: Medial execution? "Wife Swap" whirlwind on January 23, 2009
27. ^ The victims of a docusoap media magazine Zapp from December 16, 2009
28. ↑ Telemedicus: judgment LG Berlin AZ 27O14 / 12
29. ↑ The Cinderella Experiment , Fernsehserien.de
30. ↑ Celebrity Wife Swap , fernsehserien.de

Web links

• Exchange of women at RTL2.de
• Exchange of women at Constantin Entertainment GmbH
• Swap women at crew united
• Frauentausch in the Internet Movie Database (English)