Poor Man's Son

[methodwriter85]

Did anyone else have a moment where they announced July 11th, 2000 as being Gathan Hayes day, and think, "Oh, god, 9/11 is just fourteen months away."

 

They're getting close. And with their ties to D.C., and the ties they made with New York City because of the Pfinster family...there's no way this isn't affecting them in some tangible way, especially the Danfields.

[Mark Arbour]

For me Chapter 8 has been the best chapter in this story so far. Will's interaction with Tiffany was good and the conversation between Will and Brad was spot-on. Brad telling Will some of his early teenage love life will probably help Will a lot as he matures. The give and take of their conversation was great, pushing many emotions in each of them. It seemed to bond them together even more and helped Will see things from not as selfish or one sided perspective.

It also seems that Gathan has come back down to earth a little in this chapter, more like the original character we met. And you didn't have to kill somebody or get into graphic sex in this chapter to move the story along, very well done.

 

Now for the future, if Will is at Escorial going to Gunn, and with Gathan at Stanford, probably at Escorial a lot also, it would seem these 2 guys lives will continue to interact.

 

If Will can keep his natural early-teen angst and rebellion in check, I think he can learn a lot from his father's mistakes and successes.

 

Lots of great surprises in this edition of "As Escorial Turns", but I must say, for me, one of the best lines I have ever seen written is your line stating:

 

"I watched that blow out any number of circuits in the part of his brain where his pre-conceived ideas lived."

 

What a great line in the midst of an incredible story!

 

gj

 

 

 

LOL. I'm glad you liked that one.

 

Fun chapters.

 

I too see problems with someone like Will who is so into surfing, not being able to surf every day. Even with a limo & chauffer he couldn't surf in the morning before school or even after school, especially in the winter. The nearest surfing is easily 40 minutes away. Hopefully he decides after summer, he is ready to move home.

 

And I don't think he would go to Malibu High or Gunn or any public school. With having parents who are very wealthy, a billionaire grandfather and two assassination attempts it is most likely that not just Brad, but Jack & Claire as well would have their kids in private schools like The Menlo School or St. Francis up north and Harvard-Westlake or Loyola down south.

 

Even if they had gone to public schools previously, their family is getting too high profile to be properly protected at a public school.

 

 

 

I agree, and it seems to be a consensus. I think that it was more realistic for Brad to attend public school in the 1980s, because not many kids went to private schools then (unless they were religious). It's a sign of changing times that the kids would end up at more elite institutions.

 

Yeah, I have to agree with this. Brad is trying too hard to be his "friend" instead of his parent. Also disappointed that Brad didn't counter the whole respect thing, pointing out how Will has never respected his mom to earn her respect either. IIRC, all the stories have pointed out that if Will didn't get his way, we'd just whine to dad to get it. Why didn't Brad turn the whole thing back on Will, asking him when has he given his mom a reason to respect him? Meh, even as a teen I was never that way, so just finding it very difficult to feel any sympathy for the little turd. lol

 

Nice to see Gathan getting respect in his community (even if somewhat staged). I agree that it was a necessary political move, and hopefully he takes advantage of it to help turn around the family reputation.

 

Despite what my dislike of Will might convey, I do enjoy the story. Keep up the good work, Mark.

 

And Brad's role model for good relationships with his mother would be? I think that's what we're seeing. Brad had a horrible relationship with his real mother, and a cyclical one with Isidore. I'm not sure he knows how to coach Will on this one. Robbie's probably not much help either.

[Hermetically Sealed]

I just would have thought that since Janine kind of explained some of her side to him, he'd at least attempt to convey where she is coming from. Heck, just suggest Will try talking to her to explain his feelings instead of just putting up a road block by snarking "I'll just get dad to get me what I want." I wouldn't have thought it that deep of a connection.

 

::Shrug:: I guess Will just reminds me of everything that made me so frustrated with other teens when I was one.

[Daisy139]

I am totally amazed at how much Will and Gathan sound different from some of the characters back in the 70s and 80s. The way their language has updated over time is really well done

 

I still side very much with Will here. He is a teenager, and how is he supposed to learn respect for other family members if his parents, especially Jeannine, exercise their rights as parents to dictate him around - like he said, like he's 2 and doesn't deserve any kind of reasoning. I don't see how Jeannine as a parent is teaching him any kinds of social skills or a sense of interacting with each other peacefully if all she does is commandeer him around without justification. And sorry, but "I cheated on my partner and now I'm sad she left and I don't want to be alone here" is not a justification to lock your children up, especially when they have a life, too. And especially, like Brad said, when it affects other parts of the extended family. Jeannine knew Will and John had problems that affected the adult generation of the family, yet when they were finally having a chance to work it out, she locks her son up like a prisoner without giving him a decent reason? What kind of a mother does that?

 

I think considering that Brad and Robbie are often away and can't spend as much time raising the kids, and considering that Jeannine seems to be doing a shitty job at that, I'm totally amazed Will turned out so mature. I think the kind of willingness to think about how others feel like he did in this chapter certainly didn't come out of the great way in which Jeannine raised him - I think it's probably more genetic if anything, coming from Brad. I guess I'm off hypothesizing here....

 

I also like a lot how Gathan is developing. He's a very interesting character

[Hermetically Sealed]

We really have no clue how well or bad Jeanine's actual parenting skills are, do we? We only have the spoiled, over entitled opinions of a child to go by. We do know from Darius, Robbie, Will, Jeanine, and even Brad, that Will was spoiled. Hell everyone knows that Will is Brad's favorite, and that he gets whatever he wants; characters in the story have been commenting on it. Exactly what was she supposed to do when Brad consistently over the years overrode anything she ever has stated that Will didn't want to do? Brad completely neutered her authority as a parent, and in the last story he was called out on it by more than just her. Judging entirely based on this brat's perception isn't particularly fair, as it's all being filtered by his own skewed perception. Sure she may well be a bad parent; however, Darius turned out pretty good, and J.J. (as far as we can tell) only just recently became a bitch after he found his place in the skating world. She raised them as well, and as far as we can tell, it's only Will who doesn't get along with her.

 

I'm not saying Jeanine is perfect (who is?) nor that she hasn't made mistakes, but I think it is a bit much to claim we know anything about her abilities as a parent over the years based on the biased opinions of Will.

[rjo]

Another outstanding chapter! One of the things that I find most interesting is the viewpoint of Will. It's how he looks at the others. Wade, Matt and even his dad Brad are seen in a new light. For some reason it makes all of them seem more real. Should Will move to Palo Alto? I'm not sure. If he moved he would be closer to John and Gathan, but away from his dad and the waves. Hard choice.

[centexhairysub]

There have been some really good comments about Jeanine and Will's relationship, and I agree that this is really the first story were it has been discussed in more than a passing manner. In all the previous stories, it was made very obvious that Will did what he wanted to do without any consequences because Brad always backed his play in the end.

 

I really think that those that questions Jeanine's parenting abilities should be looking at Brad's in reall horror. He seems to let Will do whatever he want and allows him to run over anyone that objects to his behavior. He basically ignores JJ and only seems to mention him in passing when he is trying to keep the peace with everyone else. Brad had one or two good talks with Darius in the last story, but even then it was obvious that Robbie not Brad was the one that Darius really trusted and looked up to.

 

Now, I have never been one that believes this crap that each parent loves all their kids equally, I just don't believe that is true. I think most parents have one child that they are closer with for whatever reason, not to say they don't love the rest but they have more of a connection with one. Because of this, I don't have a huge issue with Brad having such a clear favorite like Will. What I find dangerous is the fact that Will seems to run his own life with no substantial input from any adult. Brad mouths platittudes but in the end allows Will to do whatever he wants. When Jeanine or even Robbie tries to give him any structure or boundaries, he just completely ignores them and does his own thing because he knows that Brad will back him in the end.

 

The glimpses we had of Jeanine in early stories when she was Darius and JJ's nanny was a loving devoted girl that was willing to do whatever was best for her charges, I really doubt she would do anything less for her own child. I think that the idea that she is suppose to show Will respect is a crock of shit. Will has never shown her any in any story were they have interacted. When Jeanine has tried to be there for Will or tried to set expectations, Will has simply ignored her or done what he wanted anyway.

 

Now, having said all that, I do like Will and think he is really interesting. As someone else said, I do wonder how he turned out so mature in so many ways, since it is obvious that Brad has never been a real parent with him, and when Jeanine or Robbie tried they were blown off. Maybe the fact that he seems to have raised himself almost without a parent explains his level of maturity.

 

Plus, I really want Brad's son and Jack's son to end up together...

[methodwriter85]

What I find dangerous is the fact that Will seems to run his own life with no substantial input from any adult. Brad mouths platittudes but in the end allows Will to do whatever he wants. When Jeanine or even Robbie tries to give him any structure or boundaries, he just completely ignores them and does his own thing because he knows that Brad will back him in the end.

 

 

That's why I think Will needs some make some huge mistake that makes the point that sometimes he doesn't have everything figured out. Not a mistake that's life-threatening or anything like that, but Will having an idea that seemed to him that it would work out, but turns out to have been a mistake.

 

Some other things...

 

Daisy, Mark does research on slang so that he gets the way kids sounded in the late '90s/early '00s right. He also has help with Adam Phillips, who graduated in high school in 1998 like Matt Carrswold did, and myself. I'm the same age as Will and JJ. One of the things I like about Mark's stories is that he tries to recreate the mindset of an era as painstakingly correct as possible. He's been pretty good at recreating the teenaged world of the early 2000's so far- the only things missing are baggy Tommy Hilfiger, punk skater boys, and girls(and guys) crushing over Josh Hartnett.

 

I can see what you're saying Timmy, although I do think Brad and Robbie would have sent their kids to public school because the only private elementary school in Malibu is a Catholic school, and I can't see Brad ever sending his kids to a Catholic school. Since the schools were fine and Darius seemed happy, I don't think they would have seen any reason to change that pattern. However, I do think Jack and Claire absolutely would have sent their kids to a private school because it seemed like the middle school situation in Palo Alto was kinda unstable in the 1980's and 1990's, from what I read. Menlo seems like a good fit for them, and especially for John. My one reluctance about having them in private school is that, barring visits to Claremont or volunteering at the shelter, the kids won't have any significant interaction with people of a different socioeconomic class. Some of the best parts of Be Rad was when Brad had to meet guys who came from a different kind of background, and it made him realize the silver spoon he had in mouth. We won't really get these kids meeting people like Mouse if they're all going to Harvard-Westlake or Menlo.

 

As for Will and his differences from Brad, we gotta remember that Will doesn't have Brad's baggage about a troubled childhood or even growing up in a time where being gay was something you didn't talk about. Will has the fortune of being from a time and place where he can take his boyfriend to his senior prom, and he can tell his friends he's gay without getting much of a reaction. Those are the two huge differences in how Will grew up, and why his actions should differ from Brad's at times.

 

Ooh, another thought- if he does go to Gunn, maybe Will can pick up skateboarding! That would be very cool and very generational of him.

[Mark Arbour]

There have been some really good comments about Jeanine and Will's relationship, and I agree that this is really the first story were it has been discussed in more than a passing manner. In all the previous stories, it was made very obvious that Will did what he wanted to do without any consequences because Brad always backed his play in the end.

 

I really think that those that questions Jeanine's parenting abilities should be looking at Brad's in reall horror. He seems to let Will do whatever he want and allows him to run over anyone that objects to his behavior. He basically ignores JJ and only seems to mention him in passing when he is trying to keep the peace with everyone else. Brad had one or two good talks with Darius in the last story, but even then it was obvious that Robbie not Brad was the one that Darius really trusted and looked up to.

 

Now, I have never been one that believes this crap that each parent loves all their kids equally, I just don't believe that is true. I think most parents have one child that they are closer with for whatever reason, not to say they don't love the rest but they have more of a connection with one. Because of this, I don't have a huge issue with Brad having such a clear favorite like Will. What I find dangerous is the fact that Will seems to run his own life with no substantial input from any adult. Brad mouths platittudes but in the end allows Will to do whatever he wants. When Jeanine or even Robbie tries to give him any structure or boundaries, he just completely ignores them and does his own thing because he knows that Brad will back him in the end.

 

The glimpses we had of Jeanine in early stories when she was Darius and JJ's nanny was a loving devoted girl that was willing to do whatever was best for her charges, I really doubt she would do anything less for her own child. I think that the idea that she is suppose to show Will respect is a crock of shit. Will has never shown her any in any story were they have interacted. When Jeanine has tried to be there for Will or tried to set expectations, Will has simply ignored her or done what he wanted anyway.

 

Now, having said all that, I do like Will and think he is really interesting. As someone else said, I do wonder how he turned out so mature in so many ways, since it is obvious that Brad has never been a real parent with him, and when Jeanine or Robbie tried they were blown off. Maybe the fact that he seems to have raised himself almost without a parent explains his level of maturity.

 

Plus, I really want Brad's son and Jack's son to end up together...

 

 

You make some really good points, and quite frankly, Will is supposed to be a bit of an immature idiot. I worry that I make him seem too mature for a 14 year old. That being said, referencing the underlined section above, he does seem to run his life pretty well. He's a good student, a good athlete, doesn't seem to get in too much trouble. Shit, I'd give my kid a lot of autonomy if he could pull that off.

[Daisy139]

I wasn't basing my view of Jeannine's parenting skills on what Will says but on how she interacts with Will. I wouldn't say Brad has been a perfect parent either (which may also have contributed to Will having certain issues).

[PrivateTim]

 

I can see what you're saying Timmy, although I do think Brad and Robbie would have sent their kids to public school because the only private elementary school in Malibu is a Catholic school, and I can't see Brad ever sending his kids to a Catholic school. Since the schools were fine and Darius seemed happy, I don't think they would have seen any reason to change that pattern. However, I do think Jack and Claire absolutely would have sent their kids to a private school because it seemed like the middle school situation in Palo Alto was kinda unstable in the 1980's and 1990's, from what I read. Menlo seems like a good fit for them, and especially for John. My one reluctance about having them in private school is that, barring visits to Claremont or volunteering at the shelter, the kids won't have any significant interaction with people of a different socioeconomic class. Some of the best parts of Be Rad was when Brad had to meet guys who came from a different kind of background, and it made him realize the silver spoon he had in mouth. We won't really get these kids meeting people like Mouse if they're all going to Harvard-Westlake or Menlo.

 

Ooh, another thought- if he does go to Gunn, maybe Will can pick up skateboarding! That would be very cool and very generational of him.

 

I think in the 2000's it would actually be very unrealistic for kids as rich as Brad & Robbie's to be in public school, especially after the attempts on Brad and Stef. Also with how competitive it has become to get into top colleges, I can see Tiger Mom Claire sending the kids to the best place possible to succeed.

 

Just because they live in Malibu doesn't mean they have to go to school in Malibu. Lots of Colony kids go to Harvard-Westlake, The Brentwood School, Crossroads, Loyola and even Campbell Hall or the Oakwood School regardless of how far they are because of the educational advantages and the security.

 

All the schools require community service, that is an avenue for meeting those of different socioeconomic classes. While every kid at Malibu High isn't rich, there are very few, if any lower class there. Malibu isn't the great melting pot. If interaction with that group is important, you have my namesake, Pastor Tim, to bring kids into their lives.

 

As to skateboarding, that has been hot in So Cal since the 1950's and really took off in the 1970's with the invention of the polyurethane wheels and flexible trucks.

[methodwriter85]

You make some really good points, and quite frankly, Will is supposed to be a bit of an immature idiot. I worry that I make him seem too mature for a 14 year old. That being said, referencing the underlined section above, he does seem to run his life pretty well. He's a good student, a good athlete, doesn't seem to get in too much trouble. Shit, I'd give my kid a lot of autonomy if he could pull that off.

 

It's funny how we all call Will fourteen even though his birthday is still two months away. But that's actually true to life- before you're 21, you basically think of yourself in terms of being the next age when you're past the three-quarters point of your current age- i.e. some who's less than three months away from his 14th birthday thinks of himself as being fourteen even though he's technically thirteen.

 

But then you turn 21, and at that point you get pissed off if someone calls you the next age. For example, when I was 24 and a half, I got pissed when my sister called me 25. Now I would get pissed if someone called me 26. You want to cling on to whatever amount of youth you still have left when you're no longer as young as someone like Will. And of course Will wants to be twenty-two, it seems. LOL.

 

I think you're doing a good job of making Will seem very mature in some ways, but very 9th grade in others. He doesn't see grey or nuance yet, which is a very youthful trait.

[B1ue]

Honestly? I started thinking of myself as 27 this year around new years.

 

Just because they live in Malibu doesn't mean they have to go to school in Malibu. Lots of Colony kids go to Harvard-Westlake, The Brentwood School, Crossroads, Loyola and even Campbell Hall or the Oakwood School regardless of how far they are because of the educational advantages and the security.

 

The problem was that all of these schools are religious affiliated.

 

Actually I just realized something. Tim, the last time Jeremy and I went best two out of three falls over this topic, you were still reading Be Rad.

 

I'll summarize our arguments:

 

Jeremy: Public schools suck, yo.

 

Me: Maybe on the east coast. Toto, you ain't there no more. Not all public schools are created equal here in California. And public schools in a rich area like Malibu are less equal than others.

 

Jeremy: I talked with Matthew! You get some kids in public schools still, but yeah, the majority of the elite go here: {lists off the exact same schools you did}.

 

Me {after an hour of internet searching}: But all those schools are religious affiliated. Brad's calming down about religion, but he's not THAT calm yet.

 

Jeremy: Public schools still suck.

 

 

However, none of us considered the security questions you bring up. These are excellent points, and one where Brad would let perfectly rational fear trump irrational anger. Also for this reason, I can see Brad seperating himself from Will and allowing him to live with Claire.

 

Plus, Claire will not put up with Will's crap, and I know you are all dying to see that come to be.

[PrivateTim]

The problem was that all of these schools are religious affiliated.

 

Actually I just realized something. Tim, the last time Jeremy and I went best two out of three falls over this topic, you were still reading Be Rad.

 

I'll summarize our arguments:

 

Jeremy: Public schools suck, yo.

 

Me: Maybe on the east coast. Toto, you ain't there no more. Not all public schools are created equal here in California. And public schools in a rich area like Malibu are less equal than others.

 

Jeremy: I talked with Matthew! You get some kids in public schools still, but yeah, the majority of the elite go here: {lists off the exact same schools you did}.

 

Me {after an hour of internet searching}: But all those schools are religious affiliated. Brad's calming down about religion, but he's not THAT calm yet.

 

Jeremy: Public schools still suck.

 

However, none of us considered the security questions you bring up. These are excellent points, and one where Brad would let perfectly rational fear trump irrational anger. Also for this reason, I can see Brad seperating himself from Will and allowing him to live with Claire.

 

Plus, Claire will not put up with Will's crap, and I know you are all dying to see that come to be.

 

While Loyola is Jesuit, the rest are either nominally religious or not religious at all, Crossroads is even explicitly humanist. And while Harvard School for Boys was founded as an Episcopal school, it has a ton of Jewish students and probably a few Muslim these days because it is considered one of the best schools around, it really isn't Episcopal any more.

[methodwriter85]

Damn, that was hilarious, Blue. I don't hate public schools- I just hate traditional public schools. I went to a public school that was a performing arts magnet school. I'm a proponent of turning the public school system into magnet schools and charter schools.

 

See, I come from an area where you have to think long and hard about where you're going to high school, and the high school application process is like a preview of the next level. It's pretty insane- do you choice into a school in a better school district, do you audition for the magnet schools, do you try to test into the charter schools, do you go private? Private schools are big in DE. Off the top of my head, New Castle County in Delaware has Sallies, St. E's, St. Mark's, Ursuline, Tatnall(Joe Biden's school!), Tower Hill, Sanford, Red Lion, Wilmington Christian, Wilmington Friends, and Caravel Academy. In terms of magnet schools, we have Cab Calloway(my school!), and Concord Math and Science School. And then there's the Charter School of Wilmington, which is considered the top public school in Delaware. And of course, it's also a charter school and not a traditional. My neice is in 10th grade at Charter.

 

It's been interesting seeing how things are different.

 

Tim, I still think when Brad and Robbie were deciding, they saw that the only private elementary school in Malibu was Our Lady of Malibu, and there was no way in hell Brad was going to send his kid to Catholic school. It didn't make sense to send some little kids out on long commutes just so they could attend private primary schools, and the public schools in Malibu were good. Considering that the Crampton/Schluter family has had a long-standing tradition of having their kids go to public school, it just made sense that Brad and Robbie continued it, especially considering the caliber of Malibu High.

 

And I think Brad in general doesn't have a favorable view of private schools, which I'm thinking got passed on to Will, re: his comments about Harvard-Westlake.

 

Will living with Claire would be hilarious. I think Will would have the picture of himself being able to do whatever he wants after school, and getting to sneak into John's bed every night to have sex and smoke pot. I think that the reality is going to be completely different. It'd be great if it turned out that Claire and Jack like to make their kids do chores, which I've heard some rich parents do with their kids to teach them disclipline.

Edited April 18, 2011 by methodwriter85

[Mark Arbour]

Honestly? I started thinking of myself as 27 this year around new years.

 

 

 

The problem was that all of these schools are religious affiliated.

 

Actually I just realized something. Tim, the last time Jeremy and I went best two out of three falls over this topic, you were still reading Be Rad.

 

I'll summarize our arguments:

 

Jeremy: Public schools suck, yo.

 

Me: Maybe on the east coast. Toto, you ain't there no more. Not all public schools are created equal here in California. And public schools in a rich area like Malibu are less equal than others.

 

Jeremy: I talked with Matthew! You get some kids in public schools still, but yeah, the majority of the elite go here: {lists off the exact same schools you did}.

 

Me {after an hour of internet searching}: But all those schools are religious affiliated. Brad's calming down about religion, but he's not THAT calm yet.

 

Jeremy: Public schools still suck.

 

 

However, none of us considered the security questions you bring up. These are excellent points, and one where Brad would let perfectly rational fear trump irrational anger. Also for this reason, I can see Brad seperating himself from Will and allowing him to live with Claire.

 

Plus, Claire will not put up with Will's crap, and I know you are all dying to see that come to be.

 

I laughed pretty hard at that one. Thanks!

 

 

While Loyola is Jesuit, the rest are either nominally religious or not religious at all, Crossroads is even explicitly humanist. And while Harvard School for Boys was founded as an Episcopal school, it has a ton of Jewish students and probably a few Muslim these days because it is considered one of the best schools around, it really isn't Episcopal any more.

 

Episcopalians aren't really Episcopal any more. I love Eddie Izzard's take on the Church of England (Episcopalians in the US), but I can't post the link to it right now.

 

Damn, that was hilarious, Blue. I don't hate public schools- I just hate traditional public schools. I went to a public school that was a performing arts magnet school. I'm a proponent of turning the public school system into magnet schools and charter schools.

 

See, I come from an area where you have to think long and hard about where you're going to high school, and the high school application process is like a preview of the next level. It's pretty insane- do you choice into a school in a better school district, do you audition for the magnet schools, do you try to test into the charter schools, do you go private? Private schools are big in DE. Off the top of my head, New Castle County in Delaware has Sallies, St. E's, St. Mark's, Ursuline, Tatnall(Joe Biden's school!), Tower Hill, Sanford, Red Lion, Wilmington Christian, Wilmington Friends, and Caravel Academy. In terms of magnet schools, we have Cab Calloway(my school!), and Concord Math and Science School. And then there's the Charter School of Wilmington, which is considered the top public school in Delaware. And of course, it's also a charter school and not a traditional. My neice is in 10th grade at Charter.

 

It's been interesting seeing how things are different.

 

Tim, I still think when Brad and Robbie were deciding, they saw that the only private elementary school in Malibu was Our Lady of Malibu, and there was no way in hell Brad was going to send his kid to Catholic school. It didn't make sense to send some little kids out on long commutes just so they could attend private primary schools, and the public schools in Malibu were good. Considering that the Crampton/Schluter family has had a long-standing tradition of having their kids go to public school, it just made sense that Brad and Robbie continued it, especially considering the caliber of Malibu High.

 

And I think Brad in general doesn't have a favorable view of private schools, which I'm thinking got passed on to Will, re: his comments about Harvard-Westlake.

 

Will living with Claire would be hilarious. I think Will would have the picture of himself being able to do whatever he wants after school, and getting to sneak into John's bed every night to have sex and smoke pot. I think that the reality is going to be completely different. It'd be great if it turned out that Claire and Jack like to make their kids do chores, which I've heard some rich parents do with their kids to teach them disclipline.

 

I've heard some rich parents do that too, especially on TV shows.

[methodwriter85]

A spoiled kid like Will being forced to do dishes would be pretty funny.

 

Actually, now that I think about it, it's not an outlandish idea that Claire and Jack don't employ domestic servants. I doubt their house is as big as Escorial, and the two come off as people who aren't flashy about wealth or really needing that status symbol of a uniformed domestic servant. I could see Claire being really uncomfortable with employing domestic help, for some reason. I can't really articulate why I think Claire and Jack wouldn't be comfortable with having a maid...but for some reason I really think they wouldn't.

[Mark Arbour]

A spoiled kid like Will being forced to do dishes would be pretty funny.

 

Actually, now that I think about it, it's not an outlandish idea that Claire and Jack don't employ domestic servants. I doubt their house is as big as Escorial, and the two come off as people who aren't flashy about wealth or really needing that status symbol of a uniformed domestic servant. I could see Claire being really uncomfortable with employing domestic help, for some reason. I can't really articulate why I think Claire and Jack wouldn't be comfortable with having a maid...but for some reason I really think they wouldn't.

 

Don't kid yourself. They'd have a maid. Whether the maid was full time and wore a uniform...I'm not sure. If they didn't have a maid, who would mop the floors? Claire?

 

I get where you're coming from. My guess is that they'd have a cleaning lady who came in at least every other day.

[methodwriter85]

I don't think they'd have a full-time, live-in domestic like JP had growing up. Definitely not someone in a uniform.That kind of servant went out of date as blacks got more rights in this country and they moved into other lines of work. People have mentioned that having a maid was very common up to the 1950's because labor-serving appliances hadn't been perfected yet and blacks pretty much couldn't get better jobs because of the rampant discrimination, so they were cheap to have. It seems to have switched over from being a service dominated by African-Americans to being dominated by immigrants from Latin-Speaking countries.

 

I think Claire and Jack would find discomfort in knowing that a lot of these immigrants are getting taken advantage of, especially the undocumented ones, by wealthy families who underpay them because they can. I also think that Claire, having come from the age in which women's studies in colleges were flourishing(the early 1980's), would be sensitive to the way in which women have been treated and exploited in the domestic help industry.

 

I think it''ll be what you say- she'll have a woman come in every other day to do floors and heavy cleaning. But the light stuff- like dishes and taking out the garbage- I can see being done by her, Jack, and chores given out to the kids. I'm pretty sure she'd make John and Marie clean their own rooms. I also think Claire would be sure to treat the woman very well and pay her somewhat above minimum wage, as if she's subconciously making up for the domestic servants who AREN'T getting minimum wage because their employers are exploiting the fact that they're undocumented.

 

Did anyone ever see the movie "Spanglish"? I thought it would be just another goofy Adam Sandler movie, but it's actually a pretty well-done movie about the tensions between a Mexican servant and the family she works for.

Edited April 18, 2011 by methodwriter85

[rjo]

Thanks Mark for another great chapter. It is interesting to see these two interact with the others in their lives. I think I wish all young gay men had a family like Will has. Maybe Jeanine has problems with him but the others are very supportive. I like the idea of Will and John together. At first I thought they were maybe too young but I am warming to the idea. Honestly, I think the trip to Paris will be very interesting. I am also hoping Will and Jeanine will work out their differences. I believe deep down all these characters really love each other.

 

As for Gathan, he is really a good person. Yes troubled but deep down inside good. His understanding in trying to make things right with Zack and the situation with Ed and Harry proves to me that Gathan's heart is in the right place. I am hoping David Sizemore can help him get him in a better place. Maybe, moving to California will lower the tension between him and Zack. Zack is the puzzle in this. I am not sure about him.

 

Mark, I was wondering what has happened with Kevin? He seems to have dropped off the radar.

Edited April 21, 2011 by rjo

[mmike1969]

spoiled brats:

 

Ace, Claire, Billy...

 

What happened to their dog Goldie? Heard about it once and then it was gone.

 

Didn't Claire had a pony too?

 

dead pets all over the place I bet

[methodwriter85]

Well gee, considering that it's been 20 years since they were kids, it makes sense their childhood pets would be gone.

 

This current crop of kids don't seem like pet types.

 

I get a VERY strong feeling that Zack will somehow wind up on the Paris trip and cause havoc with the guys. It appears like Mark's set him up to be the antagonist for Gen 4. Which makes sense, because I can't see the brothers as antagonists against each other like what the dynamic was in Be Rad with Billy warring against Brad. They're too close, barring JJ's bitchy divatude turning off Will.

 

Speaking of siblings...is Will really going to miss out on seeing his little sister grow up? That's the other thing that came up in my mind about why Will needs to stay in Malibu. He seems too loving of a guy to not instantly fall head over heels when he first gets to hold that precious bundle in his arms come August.

 

But I think Palo Alto would be good for Will for a temporary stay, mainly because as Blue pointed out, there's no way in hell Claire's ever going to put up with his crap.

Edited April 21, 2011 by methodwriter85

[Mark Arbour]

Thanks Mark for another great chapter. It is interesting to see these two interact with the others in their lives. I think I wish all young gay men had a family like Will has. Maybe Jeanine has problems with him but the others are very supportive. I like the idea of Will and John together. At first I thought they were maybe too young but I am warming to the idea. Honestly, I think the trip to Paris will be very interesting. I am also hoping Will and Jeanine will work out their differences. I believe deep down all these characters really love each other.

 

As for Gathan, he is really a good person. Yes troubled but deep down inside good. His understanding in trying to make things right with Zack and the situation with Ed and Harry proves to me that Gathan's heart is in the right place. I am hoping David Sizemore can help him get him in a better place. Maybe, moving to California will lower the tension between him and Zack. Zack is the puzzle in this. I am not sure about him.

 

Mark, I was wondering what has happened with Kevin? He seems to have dropped off the radar.

 

Well, it's summer, so we'll assume Kevin is off doing something.

[methodwriter85]

Well, it's summer, so we'll assume Kevin is off doing something.

 

I've gotten the impression that Kevin is a year ahead of Matt and Wade, meaning that Kevin's going into his senior year. That likely means he's off doing an internship somewhere.

 

I still can't believe no one ever made fun of Kevin for calling himself "Sergio". That just seemed way ridiculous for a guy who didn't look the least bit Italian/Spanish. Must guys that age would have totally busted on him for that. 20-year old guys look for any possible excuse to make fun of their friends, and calling oneself "Sergio' when your real name is Kevin would have defnitely been a good one.

 

Which reminds me- it's junior year for Matt and Wade. That means it's time to start thinking about internships and post-graduation plans. Where should they end up for next summer? I'd like for Matt to have an internship with Cantor-Fitzgerald so he can spend a fun summer in New York City, and maybe Wade could do his internship with the Pentagon or something. I bet his dad could get him in.

Edited April 21, 2011 by methodwriter85

[centexhairysub]

Really enjoyed the latest chapter of Poor Man's Son, I am finally getting into this story a little bit more.

 

I really think the trip to Paris will just be Stef, Will, and John. When Stef and Will talked about it in the previous story, my impression was that it was going to be just the two of them but I can see Stef wanting to include John since I am sure he knows something is going on there.

 

I thought the way that Gathan handled the situation with Harry and Ed was really masterful, this is the first time that I sort of felt that Gathan might actually be an okay guy; then he screwed it up by sleeping with Zach... I don't think that him and Zach should even be in the same house together, I can see this all coming out and being a major issue at some point. I think Zach may end up the Billy of his generation, in actions if not in having the same fate.

 

I think having Will stay with JP and Isidore might be just the thing, part of the reason is that I really like him and John together; but also because I think that Claire might actually help him. I don't think that she will be putting up with any of this crap the way the rest of them do. This might be just what he needs, to have an actual parent around.

 

Keep up the good work and let's not forget the next chapter of the Bridgemont series either....