The Blended Bunch: How The TLC Series Captures Contemporary Families
TLC’s latest series is The Blended Bunch, which follows the contemporary Shemwell family as they navigate their new lives. The parents, Erica and Spencer, were previously married and had children with their spouses. However, both were tragically widowed and found love while attending a virtual support group. Not only is Shemwell's story interesting to follow; it captures contemporary issues families face across the United States, Canada and other parts of the world.
The Blended Bunch follows Erica and Spencer Shemwell as they navigate their new blended family of eleven children. The newly married husband and wife were both widowed in the last few years. Spencer’s first wife, Aimee, passed away in a fatal car accident, and Erica’s first husband, Tony, died after a long battle with brain cancer. The two widows met in an online support group for grievers. After 13 months of dating, Erica and Spencer decided to tie the knot and bring together their children from their past marriages. The Shemwell family lives in Utah and all their children are under the age of 13.
In terms of relationships, marriages and child rearing, the modern world is quite different from what it was 50 years ago. Divorce rates are higher than ever before, women have more freedoms now than in the past and remarrying is more accepted now than in previous generations. In the case of the Shemwells, they were able to find love again after being widowed, which hasn’t always been accepted or possible in society. All of this contributes to a greater probability of children and parents being in a blended family. In fact, 16% of children were a part of a blended family in the United States as of 2009. This percentage has likely increased since. We’re even beginning to see blended families more in the media, such as in Keeping Up with the Kardashians and of course, The Blended Bunch. In a way, blended families have become the contemporary family.
Since more people are finding themselves in a blended family, the ability to see others in similar situations in the media is important. Part of why people love reality TV so much is that it’s relatable, human and insightful. In The Blended Bunch, viewers gain insight into the complexities of bringing children together from different marriages. In addition, the series shows challenges parents face when merging lifestyles and child rearing beliefs. For example, in episode 2, Erica and Spencer discuss legal issues related to custody of their children if one of them were to pass away. This isn’t a normal thing for most parents to consider or even think about. In episode 3, the parents “step-kid swap” to build better bonds with their new kids.
It may seem easy to be a part of a blended family on the surface, but TLC did a great job of showing the opposition people in these situations face using Shemwell's story. Even for those who aren’t in a blended family, it’s important to be exposed to the unique life experiences that are out there. The Blended Bunch is not only a source of entertainment, but also educational.
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