queen of versailles (spoilers)

[bluetopaz]

I went to a really fancy Christmas party in 2004 (maybe '05) and David was there. He was drunk and wanted to leave, and of course no one had the balls to tell him he shouldn't drive (including me, yes, but I doubt anything a 21 year old nobody said would make a difference to him). Anyhow, he backed all over these people's yard, destroyed a really beautiful garden, and drove off in his fancy car. He lived in the same neighborhood and apparently made it ok, but that's what I think of every time I see them.

[bluetopaz]

I know, I really am glad. And yes, sleazeball is the perfect word.

[Deleted]

They were not in real financial trouble, and they still moved into the monstrosity. The "getting bush elected" thing involved bussing republican voters who worked for them to the polls, while not letting the democrats have time off. Bush won Florida by 500 votes or so,etching, an internal poll at their company showed 1K republicans voted who wouldn't have otherwise, so I view the claim as partially accurate insofar as any group living in Florida can arguably say they "caused" the outcome of the election.

[Deleted]

Apr 30, 2013 10:41:00 GMT -5 elle said:

They were not in real financial trouble, and they still moved into the monstrosity. The "getting bush elected" thing involved bussing republican voters who worked for them to the polls, while not letting the democrats have time off. Bush won Florida by 500 votes or so,etching, an internal poll at their company showed 1K republicans voted who wouldn't have otherwise, so I view the claim as partially accurate insofar as any group living in Florida can arguably say they "caused" the outcome of the election.

Ah, this makes sense. How rude. 

[Deleted]

I saw part of it on Amazon prime a while back. Are they trying to get a reality show now? Is that why they're airing it on Bravo?

[cleo29]

Apr 30, 2013 10:41:00 GMT -5 elle said:

They were not in real financial trouble, and they still moved into the monstrosity. The "getting bush elected" thing involved bussing republican voters who worked for them to the polls, while not letting the democrats have time off. Bush won Florida by 500 votes or so,etching, an internal poll at their company showed 1K republicans voted who wouldn't have otherwise, so I view the claim as partially accurate insofar as any group living in Florida can arguably say they "caused" the outcome of the election.

wait, they moved into the house they were building?

They already had a nice, large house. I don't get the need for 90,000 sq ft. i know, I know, to each their own, but still.

Their nanny made me cry a little.

[Deleted]

Yes, they moved into the house they were building. They lost nothing except the property in Vegas.

[Deleted]

elle, please buy their nanny. Send that lady home!

[cleo29]

Well, shoot.

[cleo29]

Apr 30, 2013 10:51:05 GMT -5 @kizmet said:

The architect in me cries a little bit when I see the house.  It's fuuuuugly.  They could have built a STUNNING house for all that money but instead they built a bad imitation of a style that can be beautiful.  Money definitely cannot buy taste/style.

What is that ugly tumor growing off the front of it?? 

The portico?  Wait, unless you weren't really asking. lol

[cleo29]

It's insane, is what it is.

I didn't realize you're an architect. How do you like it?

[cleo29]

Apr 30, 2013 11:00:10 GMT -5 @kizmet said:

Apr 30, 2013 10:56:33 GMT -5 cleo29 said:

It's insane, is what it is.

I didn't realize you're an architect. How do you like it?

I'm not an officially licensed architect but I do have my degree.  :-)  I love it!!  I do residential design so houses like this fascinate me.  My style leans towards "less is more" though so the gaudiness of this place makes me squirm a bit.  :-)

understandable.

Not that this lines up with your taste, but I always get sucked into those shows about amazing log homes. They are incredible and are luxurious (in terms of fixtures, et al) but are not gaudy.

[tamarindy]

Lurker chiming in... they do not live in the house they were building (Versailles). It is still extrememly unfinished; I just saw it on Sunday.

[cleo29]

Apr 30, 2013 11:06:23 GMT -5 @kizmet said:

Apr 30, 2013 11:02:12 GMT -5 cleo29 said:

understandable.

Not that this lines up with your taste, but I always get sucked into those shows about amazing log homes. They are incredible and are luxurious (in terms of fixtures, et al) but are not gaudy.

I appreciate ALL styles.....when done well.  :-)  Maybe when this Versailles place is done it will be okay.  Until then I will judge.  

I wish I could afford an amazing house and be able to decorate it to the nines.  Sigh...maybe in my next life.  :-)

you and me both

Do you ever watch Four Houses on TLC? 

[PeonyParty]

Didn't get to see it last night. I'm glad it's on Amazon Prime for free.

[dcannie]

Apr 30, 2013 10:47:29 GMT -5 elle said:

Yes, they moved into the house they were building. They lost nothing except the property in Vegas.

on watch what happens live jackie said they just recently started construction on the home again and it would take 2-3 years to complete. it didn't sound like it was currently livable, but i didn't watch the whole episode. 

[tamarindy]

Apr 30, 2013 11:21:30 GMT -5 dcannie said:

Apr 30, 2013 10:47:29 GMT -5 elle said:

Yes, they moved into the house they were building. They lost nothing except the property in Vegas.

on watch what happens live jackie said they just recently started construction on the home again and it would take 2-3 years to complete. it didn't sound like it was currently livable, but i didn't watch the whole episode. 

 This is correct.  Also, I don't know if it is any indication, but their kids returned to public school recently.  I had her daughter in class last year (public HS). 

[Deleted]

How many kids do they have?

I missed the first 15

[iammalcolmx]

I am mad there was poop on the damn floor I saw this on Netflix as well.

[tacokick]

What I found most amazing was that the wife put herself through RIT and was one of only a handful of women in her program. So she must not be totally dumb.

[Tacocat]

I missed the first 15 mins but I found this so facsinating, I don't know why! I felt so bad for the nanny living in the play house. And then when they all went to Wal-mart and Jackie was buying all those board games (and multiples of the same ones!!) and bikes. None of the kids seem to even care what their presents were, they just kept opening them. I think Jackie has a bit of a hoarding problem after seeing all that stuff in storage.

David just seems miserable. H said that he looks about ready to kill himself. And then when the son went into the room to tell David that he loved him his response was "if you loved me, you'd turn off the lights." What an ass.
I also feel bad for all their pets since no one takes care of them.

[eddy]

I am bringing this thread back, because I finally watched it last night.

Dude these people are Klassy. Why were they always drinking out of Styrofoam cups? Even at the party they were drinking out of those things. You could really tell they were new money and Jackie was a bit country. And I say that with love. The McDonalds, the plastic cups, the mess all over the place. Even before the financial collapse they looked to be a bit rough around the edges.

The bikes in the garage and she just goes and buys a new bike? I think Jackie had issues. She hoarded kids, pets, stuff etc.

Also I am not fancy enough to know what it is like to have help. But if there were so rich why were all of their help immigrants? Is it because they could work them to the bone without complaint? That poor freaking nanny. After that scene I just lost all respect for the family. They used and abused their help.

[cleo29]

May 1, 2013 8:07:23 GMT -5 eddy said:

I am bringing this thread back, because I finally watched it last night.

Dude these people are Klassy. Why were they always drinking out of Styrofoam cups? Even at the party they were drinking out of those things. You could really tell they were new money and Jackie was a bit country. And I say that with love. The McDonalds, the plastic cups, the mess all over the place. Even before the financial collapse they looked to be a bit rough around the edges.

The bikes in the garage and she just goes and buys a new bike? I think Jackie had issues. She hoarded kids, pets, stuff etc.

Also I am not fancy enough to know what it is like to have help. But if there were so rich why were all of their help immigrants? Is it because they could work them to the bone without complaint? That poor freaking nanny. After that scene I just lost all respect for the family. They used and abused their help.

I  loved her comment about how once she knew she could have nannies she just kept having babies. yeah, because you are not the one doing the fucking work. lol

I think they are slightly hoarder-ish in general. All the paper work, the garbage... things are just unkempt.

And I can't stand to see bed with the fitted sheet half off the mattress so you see the mattress. It just feels icky to me. lol

[cleo29]

May 1, 2013 11:45:11 GMT -5 @kizmet said:

I finished watching it last night and it put me in SUCH a funk. I had to turn on mindless decorating shows on HGTV to cleanse my palette. The whole thing just made me sad. The guy seems to love his dogs more than his kids.

If they ever move into their mega mansion I wonder how fast it will fill up with junk.

I got the feeling like he felt that they (kids) just saw him as an ATM and provider of all their crap. I'm not wording this well, but I guess like they just take from him without any thought of where the money comes from. This is his fault just as much as it is his wife's fault.

The niece, who is 18, could not be bothered to give her lizard water, ffs.

[eddy]

May 1, 2013 12:53:22 GMT -5 cleo29 said:

May 1, 2013 11:45:11 GMT -5 @kizmet said:

I finished watching it last night and it put me in SUCH a funk. I had to turn on mindless decorating shows on HGTV to cleanse my palette. The whole thing just made me sad. The guy seems to love his dogs more than his kids.

If they ever move into their mega mansion I wonder how fast it will fill up with junk.

I got the feeling like he felt that they (kids) just saw him as an ATM and provider of all their crap. I'm not wording this well, but I guess like they just take from him without any thought of where the money comes from. This is his fault just as much as it is his wife's fault.

The niece, who is 18, could not be bothered to give her lizard water, ffs.

I got that impression as well. I think he put a lot of his self worth in his money making ability.

In reality I think those kids would have probably just like a dad who was interested in them. Also I think Jackie just wanted him to be interested in her as well. Stuff was making none of them happy.

[cleo29]

May 1, 2013 12:57:53 GMT -5 eddy said:

May 1, 2013 12:53:22 GMT -5 cleo29 said:

I got the feeling like he felt that they (kids) just saw him as an ATM and provider of all their crap. I'm not wording this well, but I guess like they just take from him without any thought of where the money comes from. This is his fault just as much as it is his wife's fault.

The niece, who is 18, could not be bothered to give her lizard water, ffs.

I got that impression as well. I think he put a lot of his self worth in his money making ability.

In reality I think those kids would have probably just like a dad who was interested in them. Also I think Jackie just wanted him to be interested in her as well. Stuff was making none of them happy.

Hindsight, being what it is, he realized his mistakes. I did like that he wasn't just taking an easy way out, that he was constantly working and trying to find ways to make it work. I'm not saying he is a stellar guy.
 
It drove me nuts that they belittled (not quite the right word) the stress he was under. and what's the point of having nice stuff if you are going to treat it like garbage. That entire house made me squirm with the dirt and clutter.

[Tacocat]

Are they starting a reality show with them on Bravo too? I would be interested to see what their lives are like now 3 years later.

[slug*bug]

Apr 30, 2013 8:37:10 GMT -5 romymichele said:

After seeing the previews, I was fully expecting to hate Jackie. But by the end of the film, I kind of liked her. She is over the top, but not an awful person.

See, I didn't feel this way at the end of the film, but after seeing her on Watch What Happens Live the other night, I do.

At the end of the movie, I felt like they'd been humiliated. And though they basically brought that on themselves, they were lashing out at everyone and everything in response to the unexpected humiliation. Even though it was understandable, the denials and defensiveness in the movie made me dislike them.

When she was on WWHL, she had more of a vibe of kind of 'owning it' to me. Even though some of the things she said were probably still BS, she just didn't seem to have that defensive air anymore and I wound up liking her better.

[eddy]

May 1, 2013 13:04:31 GMT -5 cleo29 said:

May 1, 2013 12:57:53 GMT -5 eddy said:

I got that impression as well. I think he put a lot of his self worth in his money making ability.

In reality I think those kids would have probably just like a dad who was interested in them. Also I think Jackie just wanted him to be interested in her as well. Stuff was making none of them happy.

Hindsight, being what it is, he realized his mistakes. I did like that he wasn't just taking an easy way out, that he was constantly working and trying to find ways to make it work. I'm not saying he is a stellar guy.
 
It drove me nuts that they belittled (not quite the right word) the stress he was under. and what's the point of having nice stuff if you are going to treat it like garbage. That entire house made me squirm with the dirt and clutter.

Oh yeah they had no fucking clue. That whole family but him lived in an alternate reality. In many ways I understood why he was so crabby.

[cleo29]

May 1, 2013 13:20:51 GMT -5 eddy said:

May 1, 2013 13:04:31 GMT -5 cleo29 said:

Hindsight, being what it is, he realized his mistakes. I did like that he wasn't just taking an easy way out, that he was constantly working and trying to find ways to make it work. I'm not saying he is a stellar guy.
 
It drove me nuts that they belittled (not quite the right word) the stress he was under. and what's the point of having nice stuff if you are going to treat it like garbage. That entire house made me squirm with the dirt and clutter.

Oh yeah they had no fucking clue. That whole family but him lived in an alternate reality. In many ways I understood why he was so crabby.

i know. And I think he is of the generation where he doesn't tell his wife all of the financial details, simply that she needs to stop shopping/spending so much. But, she's not an idiot. She can see that things are rough. It must be denial.