Arts & Entertainment

IB Family on 'Wife Swap' Engages in Culture War

Gina Loudon and her family appeared on the ABC show "Wife Swap" Thursday. The religious conservative switched places with a mom from New York who has a husband and a girlfriend.

IMPERIAL BEACH, CA -- The Loudons are a gun, God, Tea Party and bacon loving bunch who set a first in the six-season history of the ABC reality show Wife Swap.

As part of the show that aired Thursday evening, Gina Loudon, who hosts a radio show and teaches her five children in home school, traded places with Angela Envy, a woman from rural New York who raises her four kids with her husband Chris and girlfriend Ashley Miller.

While Gina and John Loudon embrace an activist conservative Christian lifestyle, Angela and Chris Envy aren't political but they are polyamorous, meaning the couple share partners.

Throughout the course of two weeks living together, the parents fought over issues like politics, polygamy, polyamory, religion and eating habits.

At one point John Loudon, a former Missouri state senator, called Angela's lifestyle perverse, and Chris Envy called Gina evil and the Bible a "mythical comic book."

During one of several confrontations over gay marriage, John pushed Angela to tears and Gina was kicked out the Envy's home.

At the end of their two weeks together, for the first time in the show's history, a final roundtable discussion did not take place. Instead the Envys sat down alone and summarily said they felt judged.

Despite repeated requests for a final statement from the Loudons by the show's creators, the family declined to comment.

While on the show, Gina said she participated to overcome stereotypes about conservatives, but on her website and radio show last week, Gina explained that her family moved to California and appeared on the show to be a part of a "culture war."

"I think there comes a time when you look at the culture we're in and you ask yourself the question 'What am I really doing?' We all enjoy calling ourselves culture warriors but how do you really fight that culture war?" she asked.

Conversatives can't fight a culture war by addressing people with similar views and beliefs, said Gina, who has appeared on Fox News and written a book.

"Anytime I have a platform I'm going to take the opportunity to fight for what I believe in. You can't very well call yourself a culture warrior and then be afraid to engage in the battle."

The show is filmed by the company Zodiak USA.

Their last trip to Imperial Beach in 2008 to tape the show Secret Millionaire was not well received by some local viewers who found their portrayal of the local area as inaccurate and less than flattering.

Find out what's happening in Imperial Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

While filming Wife Swap in IB last fall, camera crews did not make their way around a lot of the city. Images of IB shown on the show focus on the pier, Pier Plaza and the beach. Footage was also shot at the Imperial Beach skate park and a scene was also shot in Katy's Cafe.

To see the full episode, visit the ABC website.

Find out what's happening in Imperial Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


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