Editing Trading Spouses

{{short description|2004 reality television series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Tradingspousestitle.jpg
| caption              = 
| genre                = [[Reality television]]
| presenter            = 
| starring             = 
| theme_music_composer = 
| open_theme            = 
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 3
| num_episodes         = 59
| executive_producer   = {{Plainlist|
* Jean-Michel Michenaud
* Chris Cowan
}}
| producer             = 
| location             = 
| editor               = 
| runtime              = 60 minutes
| company              = [[Rocket Science Laboratories]]
| network              = [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|2004|07|20}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|2007|05|04}}
}}

'''''Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy''''' is an American [[reality television]] series broadcast by the [[Fox Broadcasting Company]] (Fox). The series ran for three seasons from July 20, 2004, to May 5, 2007. Each episode of ''Trading Spouses'' followed two families, often of different cultural or social backgrounds, who swapped mothers or fathers for a week. Both families were awarded $50,000, with the stipulation that the guest mother decides how her host family must spend the money.

The show shares a very similar format to ''[[Wife Swap (British TV series)|Wife Swap]]'' (and its [[Wife Swap (American TV series)|American remake]]). In 2004, [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] showcased their upcoming ''Wife Swap'' show including projections of its popularity. Weeks before the show's debut, Fox introduced ''Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117907017?categoryid=14&cs=1 |title=Spouse swap a fit for Fox: Net snipes at Alphabet with ''Trading Spouses'' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223061527/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117907017?categoryid=14&cs=1 |archive-date=2011-12-23 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> The producers of ''Wife Swap'', [[RDF Media]], claimed Fox stole their concept.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04352/427976.stm |title=''Wife Swap'' sues ''Trading Spouses'' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310204257/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04352/427976.stm |archive-date=2007-03-10 |website=post-gazette.com}}</ref>

The show completed airing its third season on May 3, 2007. On February 27, 2008, Fox announced that it had sold the rights to ''Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy'' to [[Country Music Television|CMT]], effectively ending the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20080227cmt01 |title=Twentieth Television Sells Family Focused Reality Series "Trading Spouses" And "Nanny 911" To CMT |website=TheFutonCritic.com}}</ref>

In 2005, ''Trading Spouses'' was one of several television programs cited in a [[Class action|class-action lawsuit]] filed by the [[Writers Guild of America]] concerning labor law violations.

==Reception==
Brian Lowry of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' criticized the series, stating, "''Trading Spouses'' is as cynical as its name — designed to stoke conflict and elicit well-orchestrated feelings of contempt or bemusement toward the key 'characters.'"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2004/scene/markets-festivals/trading-spouses-meet-your-new-mommy-1200532065/|title=Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy|last=Lowry|first=Brian|date=July 21, 2004|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|language=en-US|access-date=January 22, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240122040704/https://variety.com/2004/scene/markets-festivals/trading-spouses-meet-your-new-mommy-1200532065/|archive-date=January 22, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Lawsuit==
On December 15, 2004, Fox and [[Rocket Science Laboratories]] were sued by [[Zodiak Media|RDF Media]] over allegations that ''Trading Spouses'' copied ''[[Wife Swap (British TV series)|Wife Swap]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-dec-16-fi-suit16-story.html|title='Wife' Producer Sues Fox Over Rival Show|last=Collins|first=Scott|date=December 16, 2004|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|language=en-US|access-date=January 22, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714013834/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-dec-16-fi-suit16-story.html|archive-date=July 14, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

== D'Amico-Flisher/Perrin episode ==
In November 2005,<ref name=":0" /> a two-part episode entitled ''D'Amico-Flisher/Perrin'' aired. In the episode, a [[Christians|Christian]] woman from [[Louisiana]] named Marguerite Perrin<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last1=Thomas |first1=Bronwen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n46OCgAAQBAJ&dq=god+warrior+trading+spouses&pg=PA36 |title=Real Lives, Celebrity Stories: Narratives of Ordinary and Extraordinary People Across Media |last2=Round |first2=Julia |date=2015-07-30 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-1-5013-0863-5 |language=en}}</ref> was staying with the [[New Age]] D'Amico-Flisher family<ref name=":1" /> in [[Massachusetts]]<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Edwards |first=Leigh H. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N-bIEAAAQBAJ&dq=god+warrior+trading+spouses&pg=PT242 |title=The Triumph of Reality TV: The Revolution in American Television |date=2013-01-09 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=979-8-216-15752-6 |language=en}}</ref> while [[hypnotherapist]] and [[radio talk-show]] host, Jeanne Marie D'Amico stayed with Perrin's family. Throughout the episode, Perrin became increasingly angry<ref name=":2" /> with the beliefs of the D'Amico-Flisher family due to viewing their beliefs as [[Satanism|Satanic]]. Upon returning home, Perrin had an [[Tantrum|angry outburst]] due to her discomfort felt during her experience. The episode went viral and Perrin earned the nickname the "God Warrior" due to her calling herself this during her outburst.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Baker |first=Paul |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BEuiEAAAQBAJ&dq=god+warrior+trading+spouses&pg=PT228 |title=Camp!: The Story of the Attitude that Conquered the World |date=2023-05-25 |publisher=Footnote Press |isbn=978-1-80444-033-9 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Geiger |first=Eric |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WwO5AwAAQBAJ&dq=god+warrior+trading+spouses&pg=PA169 |title=Identity |date=2008-09-01 |publisher=B&H Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-8054-6439-9 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bader |first1=Christopher D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pSSnLpYK7gQC&dq=god+warrior+trading+spouses&pg=PA90 |title=Paranormal America: Ghost Encounters, UFO Sightings, Bigfoot Hunts, and Other Curiosities in Religion and Culture |last2=Mencken |first2=F. Carson |last3=Baker |first3=Joseph O. |date=2011-01-05 |publisher=NYU Press |isbn=978-0-8147-8642-0 |language=en}}</ref> Due to her fame from her outburst, she made guest appearances on ''[[The Jay Leno Show]]'' and ''[[The Tyra Banks Show]]''. During her appearance on ''[[The Jay Leno Show]]'', Perrin was gifted a [[bobblehead]] in her likeness.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2019-11-08 |title=God Warrior Remains a Beloved Meme, But Marguerite Perrin Isn't Afraid of Dark-Sided Stuff Anymore |url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a29669768/where-is-god-warrior-dark-sided-meme-marguerite-perrin-today-interview/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Esquire |language=en-US}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{official website|http://www.cmt.com/shows/dyn/trading-spouses/series.jhtml}} at CMT.com
*{{IMDb title|0420460}}
{{Former TLC Programming}}

[[Category:Fox Broadcasting Company reality television shows]]
[[Category:American television series based on British television series]]
[[Category:2000s American reality television series]]
[[Category:2004 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:2007 American television series endings]]
[[Category:American dating and relationship reality television series]]
[[Category:CMT (American TV channel) original programming]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Television series by Rocket Science Laboratories]]
[[Category:Plagiarism controversies]]