Many were appalled, but gentility prevailed

King George, Va.  --  A crowd that gathered to watch a screening of ABC’s Wife Swap at the Community Recreation Center Apr. 17 was appalled.
   Local residents DeLaura Padovan and Steve Hickman, along with their daughters Tara and Maren Padovan-Hickman, 11 and 8 respectively, were featured on the reality TV show.
   While sitting in lawn chairs with their children lounging on the floor on carpet swatches, mats, and even a large stuffed dog, the crowd settled in for the evening entertainment.
   For the most part they cheered on the King George residents, but there was also some minor disdain. There were a few negative ughs at the discussion of shared bath water. But there were loud cheers and applause from a large portion of the female guests when DeLaura discussed not shaving her armpits.
   Most arrived with no predetermined opinion. However as the show progressed it was quite evident where the crowd’s loyalty lay. Shannon Nicole Burroughs’ initial reaction to the family’s home was probably the most positive attitude she displayed throughout the whole show.
   The displeasure of the residents was palpable, as the hour long show progressed and Shannon Nicole progressed from disrespecting the family to making derogatory comments about the whole community.
   Her tirades in the store at the Spotsylvania Towne Center shopping mall had most people aghast, but her denigrating comments while in the Opp Shop Thrift Store had jaws visibly dropping. However, it was her treatment of Steve in front of his children that the guests found most deplorable.
   An audible sigh of distaste could be heard form the crowd when she physically pushed Steve as she degraded him personally. And any chance that guests would walk away with even a neutral opinion of Shannon Nicole was completely lost.
   You could hear a pin drop during the show, but there was some discussion among the guests during the commercial breaks. And almost all expressed disbelief at what they were witnessing. Several men mused about Steve’s remarkable self-control during the ordeal they witnessed on screen.
   In sharp contrast, DeLaura seemed to maintain a positive mild mannered approach to her new family throughout the show.
   However, when the couples met at the end to discuss their experiences, she seemed to go on the attack for a brief moment. But it seemed to be more out of frustration at not being able to communicate with Shannon Nicole, although Steve had warned her, “Don’t even go there.”
   When Tara and Maren staged a theatrical production of their Wife Swap experience for Steve and DeLaura in their front yard that was shown at the finale of the program, it brought the house down.
   Despite it all, when the screening party was over there was not a harsh word uttered from DeLaura or Steve. She thanked every one for sharing the evening with them and came to the defense of New Jersey residents by making a point of telling the guests, “I have friends in New Jersey and they are just wonderful people.”
   During an interview several days later, Steve said the producers actually toned down Shannon Nicole’s behavior.
He said, “They cut most of the worst parts out of the final show.” He indicated that during the course of the taping he had been verbally berated in front of his children with language that is not fit to be repeated in a newspaper.
   When he saw her son head butt her in one scene that resulted in Shannon Nicole immediately taking his toy from his hands, breaking it and throwing it on the floor, Steve found the incident to be very revealing of many issues that perhaps impact her behavior and personality.
   And just as his wife reacted, he made no harsh criticism of Shannon Nicole or her family. Both exhibited true sophistication by not judging, but empathizing with the other family.
   Like all participants in reality TV shows, the family was paid an honorarium for their participation. Steve said, “A large portion of the money will be deposited in each of our daughter’s college savings accounts.” They intend to invest the rest of the money.
   The Wife Swap screening party was scheduled for 7:30 but the guests began to stream into the Community Center at 7 p.m. And by time the show began a standing room only crowd filled the hall to near capacity.
   The family rented a large screen TV that was sitting on a table at the front of the room. Before the show began, DeLaura thanked Roderick Boyd of the Fredericksburg Rent-A-Center 513 A Jefferson Davis Hwy. for allowing them to rent the TV for just one night, since their normal rental period is one month.
   Friends, neighbors, and residents paid their admission to the event with a donation of a non-perishable item being collected for the King George food bank. By time the show began there was a stack of groceries in the lobby.
   And popcorn and lemonade were sold to the guests to benefit the county Parks and Recreation programs.
   For information about Wife Swap visit www.abc.go.com/primetime/wifeswap/. To comment on the TV show or the Journal stories about the family and the screening, visit www.journalpress.com and click on the “Email us” link under “Wife Swap Program.”