From a comment we've since deleted if for no other reason than it wasn't on topic:Why don't you post something about stephen fowler noe valley neighbor? He was on wifeswap on abc. check out www.stephenfowlersucks.com or google stephen fowler wife swapRegarding such, we've followed the Gawker posts (and the rest of the related craziness across the 'net). We didn't post because it felt like a pile-on and that's not what we're about. Stephen Fowler does not represent Noe Valley -- even if he lives here, goes on TV, and says things that make him (and everyone else in Noe) seem like a ______, _______ and ______. Noe has nothing to fear from this man -- his wife is embarrassed (in a Mrs. Spitzer way) and has said he needs professional help.
But really...who cares? It's just another crappy show highlighting the worst in people (in this case an angry transplant who needs help (but drives ratings)). Not really worth our time, and certainly not representative of Noe Valley.
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64 comments:
Ah, the holier-than-thou "we won't comment on this" comment that includes a lot of commenting. And pictures! And links!
It's up there with the "non-apology apology" we see so much of.
"Stephen Fowler does not represent Noe Valley..."
Just as the Longs do not represent MO.
But wait - both are stereotypes. Stereotypes are based on generalizations. Generalizations are based on prevalent characteristics evidenced in multiple instances.
So while the Longs do not represent all of MO, they do represent the stereotype (and therefore one won't be surprised to find other families in MO that share similar beliefs, hobbies, lifestyles, values, etc.
The same is true of the Fowlers and Noe Valley. While the rest of the country has associated the Fowler bigotry and snobbiness with the "Bay area" stereotype (yet another reputational blow), I postulate that "Bay area" residents will further associate it specifically with Noe Valley.
"But really...who cares?"
A whole lot of people in America. A whole lot of people in the Bay area.
A whole lot of people in Noe Valley who don't want this scumbag tarnishing our community's reputation.
Maybe you should post an article about the growing movement in Noe Valley to publicly denounce Fowler's behavior. I'm embarrassed he lives here.
Listen, in an era of being "politically correct," Fowler broke every rule imaginable.
I come from a City that since it's inception has been known as "The City of Good Neighbors," Buffalo, New York.
Back in 1977, on January 21 a killer blizzard hit. Many of us opened our doors to strangers, feeding and sheltering them, because the highways were closed and they were stranded on the "Thruway."
That is what being a human being is about, it's about treating others as you wish to be treated. Mr. Fowler deserves what he gets in the way of bad publicity.
I feel sorry for Noe, they didn't deserve this, just as Gayla Long didn't deserve the way Fowler treated her.
Thank goodness there are not many like him. Our first mistake was letting him in the country.
Enjoy your day.
What a disgrace. He seems to be a neighbor of mine, based on the photos of the house. I am actually from the Midwest (a much lager city than the one that the other couple in the show were from) and I moved away for a reason. I can't really defend the mindset of the sterotypical person from the midwest, I am all too aware of how the flag waving and conserative views can be maddening.
But the fact is that he and his wife decided to be on this "crappy show" to
1) promote his environmental work;
2) promote her weight loss business; and
3) recieve $50,000.00.
It appears that the way she maintains her own wieght loss is likly the result of his verbal abuse. I do hope that her clients have seen this display. The fact that she tolerates the way he treats others, but mostly the way he treats her children, is appalling and she should not be counseling others.
I don't think he made any mistakes at all. He was, who he really is. There is no therapy for a person like that, and I doubt he would agree to go if it did exist.
What I saw was a bigoted, hateful, horrible human being, with a subjugated wife and joyless children, trapped in his dogmatic, self-centered utopia. Shocked, but not surprised based on many conversations i've had with others who share his 'ideals.'
I have to disagree with you on only one point K. Ferguson. There are plenty more bigots in Noe Valley and SF than just Mr. Fowler. The only difference, they didn't do it on television. His decision to take his hatred to a national audience doesn't make him special, just unique.
The dust will settle, and this will be forgotten in time. But I am glad it happened. I hope many who have looked inside themselves, realized their own "inner-Fowler," and made a change.
I think your publication misses a valuable opportunity at commentary. No, I don't think the rest of us in the country genuinely believe that Mr. Fowler is indeed the voice of Noe Valley but addressing what he represents hardly qualifies as "piling on".
Mr. Fowler's performance is a metaphor for our time. Genuine compassion and empathy with those perhaps less blessed with money or educational opportunity is supplanted by false convictions that real meaning in life come from London Business school degrees, sizeable household income and a humorless driving of children to become "achievers" to avoid the perceived dread of service to country.
Satellite images of the Fowler's house (as opposed to home, a warm loving place) reveal a mysterious lack of solar panels. Would someone from the area confirm that Mr. "Go Solar" has not done so himself?
Perhaps someone with the requisitely elevated IQ in San Francisco can reconcile the seeming contradiction of a "life coach" like Ms. Stephens quietly sitting by while her husband insults the very kind of women that she has dedicated her life to help.
Who cares?
Sums up the liberal mindset perfectly.
I would suggest that you attempt to tell people that not everyone in Noe Valley is like Mr. Fowler, or you will be inundated with either disapprobation or worse, people moving in who are just like him, exhibiting all the worst stereotypes of your area.
And I'm fairly certain most of the normal environmentalist liberal people who are decent and kind and who love America (despite all its faults) would really rather not have that.
I know I wouldn't.
I find that the Fowlers perfectly represent the hypocrisy and narcissism of bourgeois liberals that populate San Francisco. To claim that such attitudes, outside of the Fowlers, cannot be found in Noe Valley I find to be very disingenuous.
I was both sickened and completely annoyed after viewing the recent Wife Swap episode featuring Renee Stephens and her repulsive husband, Stephen. It was disturbing to hear their distorted views, wishing to be considered "World Citizens" instead of proud Americans. Obviously they have not had any loved ones who participated in the U.S. military protecting our borders, language and culture in America. It is completely understandable this type of mentality runs rampant in San Francisco, a city which is void of any moral character.
I am a successful, educated, proud, moderate-conservative American who was raised in Minneapolis (in the Midwest). The snobbish behavior exhibited by this brash couple confirms the worst of what we in the Midwest thought were only fictional stereotypes of extreme-liberal San Franciscans. They confirm that the fiction is a reality. My only fear is how we can stem this liberal mental disorder from spreading outside of large metropolis' such as LA, SF and Portland, which are already brimming with these "World Citizens".
BG - Washington state
Hey BG in Washington state -
How's the weather up on your high horse, honey? As a San Francisco resident, I can assure you that many of us have "moral character," part of which includes not judging 780,000 people based on the actions of one.
My fear is how we can stop Rush-listening, Republican-voting, willfully blind conservative sheep from ever voting a moron like George Bush into office again.
In the meanwhile, you do whatever Hannity tells you to do and go on thinking that this Fowler asshole somehow represents all of us.
Hey, Anonymous responding to BG in Washington State - is it your freakishly high intellect which is preventing you from grasping the word 'moderate' and accepting that not everyone bases their opinions and gages their political compass JUST solely on TV personalities but rather through weighing his/her experience? Seriously. I'd rather watch Sean H. than Olerman any day.
Signed, a proud emigree who (also) is a moderate
I'm a liberal with an Ivy League degree on the East Coast. I share a lot of the same political beliefs as the Fowlers but I would never ever attack anyone the way Stephen Fowler did. Unlike Renee I also know how to use a washing machine and have never looked down on people who wasn't as fortunate enough as I've been to receive an advanced degree.
Unfortunately, people like the Fowlers are more common than we want to admit. Those of us who are privileged to attend top universities and live in beautiful cities like NYC and SF have heard the stereotypical comments about people in the South and the Midwest that Fowler so viciously spouted on national television to Gayla Long's face.
I agree with Anonymous #4 that this is a perfect opportunity to comment on the culture wars that people like Fowler help perpetuate in this country. The Longs seemed like good and well meaning people regardless of their faults, lower class status, or ignorance about diet and exercise. I'm not a "flag waving" American and I am not particularly patriotic but I don't condemn people who feel the need to openly express their love for this country. I didn't think Gayla Long's "rules" were that demanding. Singing the national anthem once wouldn't have killed Stephen Fowler nor would it have hurt for him to let his kids have fun once in a blue moon and eat something other than organic tofu.
The Fowlers are the reason why conservatives won the culture war for so long and why people where the Longs are from have a deep distrust and dislike for "elitists" from the West Coast and Northeast. If you were from a lower class and you continued to see snobs like Stephen Fowler trash your values and treat you like filth, would you be inclined to listen or support his policies or believe that he cares about helping poor people from middle America?
Something like this shouldn't just be allowed to "blow over". I see Fowler's behavior to be just as bad as if he hurled racist insults at a minority. He needs to be held accountable for his actions rather than have the community turn a blind eye while the rest of the country is seething. You have a choice to condemn the Fowlers' actions or remain silent and accept their appalling behavior.
I am Puerto Rican, from Brooklyn, self taught Systems Administrator, and I have to say I have more in common with the MO family than these SF transients. It isn’t hard to recognize the blessings of liberty that this country has given us and the world. My father told me years ago that immigrants today are not here to build this country they are here to see what they can take out of it to then return to their own. Fowler is a good example. He is here for the business, for the good times, for the French wine he doesn’t have to pay a VAT tax for, but once it gets tough he will move on to the next stop as a citizen of the world. He probably became a citizen because we have lower income tax rates than the UK. If I understand the info regarding UK tax rates, anything above 49K is taxed at 40%. I hope this doesn’t mean more Fowler's heading across the pond to escape high taxation.
Regarding the MO family, they were more tolerant and willing to reflect on their lifestyle than both Fowler's. This would be a perfect Trading Spaces scenario.
A-holes exist everywhere. Just look at Anne Coulter.
Anonymous wrote: "My fear is how we can stop Rush-listening, Republican-voting, willfully blind conservative sheep from ever voting a moron like George Bush into office again.
Not by insulting the working class for one thing, or thinking that another ruling class party, the Democrats, are going to bring about any significant social and economic change.
I think your post reeks of the smugness that comes out of Fowler's mouth. This is why I am so happy for Fowler to get so much attention, for I believes he exposes the hypocrisy of liberal ideology.
Fowler is the giant white elephant sitting in the middle of the room that the bourgeois liberals of San Francisco want to ignore for the would have to come face to face with their own classist beliefs.
Correction:
Anonymous wrote: "My fear is how we can stop Rush-listening, Republican-voting, willfully blind conservative sheep from ever voting a moron like George Bush into office again.
Not by insulting the working class for one thing, or thinking that another ruling class party, the Democrats, are going to bring about any significant social and economic change.
I think your post reeks of the smugness that comes out of Fowler's mouth. This is why I am so happy for Fowler to get so much attention, for I believe he exposes the hypocrisy of liberal ideology.
Fowler is the giant white elephant sitting in the middle of the room that the bourgeois liberals of San Francisco want to ignore for they would have to come face to face with their own classist beliefs.
"Fowler is the giant white elephant sitting in the middle of the room that the bourgeois liberals of San Francisco want to ignore for they would have to come face to face with their own classist beliefs."
Uh, no. He's an aberration, just like GWB was, just like Fox news still is. Hate coming from anywhere is wrong. I'm a liberal Californian and I have only respect and love for all Americans.
Anonymous wrote: "Hate coming from anywhere is wrong"
If you are the same Anonymous that was insulting BG in Washington, then your reply is quite rich.
If hate is wrong coming from any where, then how did you feel about Obama picking Rick Warren, who actively campaigned for Proposition 8?
"If hate is wrong coming from any where, then how did you feel about Obama picking Rick Warren, who actively campaigned for Proposition 8?"
I thought it was a bad move, done for political reasons. It was divisive, and that's the last thing we need these days. I think Obama is making some bad decisions which I disagree with - appointing Washington insiders into cabinet positions. I do think Obama genuinely means well, and I think he'd have nothing but good things to say about the Paint Ball playing, ATV riding midwesterners of this great country.
I wonder why Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh mention "the liberal elite", when they themselves earn millions every year.
Folks, sorry to say he is what represents Noe Valley, face a mirror, look hard, and you see yourself. This is a mirror reflection of the attitude which is Noe Valley's view of the rest of the nation. Wake up, sing a song, support America in a way that is not just self indulgence. Fowler is you.
I suspect that if Alan Long had belittled an hispanic waitress at some trendy and absurdly overpriced bistro in Noe Valley, the author of this article would hardly be advocating that we shouldn't "pile on" or the event was unworthy of comment. So why should Mr. Fowler be given a free ride for his demeaning treatment of Mrs. Long?
This matter isn't about a "crappy show". Don't you get it? It's about a crappy show which highlighted an underlying cultural fault line in our society. I think it did a wonderful (if perhaps inadvertant) job of highlighting the obliviousness of wine sipping effete liberals to the economic disaster crushing millions of ordinary Americans.
By the way, "Noe Valley"? I've been to SF and don't recall any "valleys". Maybe a sense of unreality generally pervades SF?
A Floridian
Anonymous wrote: "I do think Obama genuinely means well, and I think he'd have nothing but good things to say about the Paint Ball playing, ATV riding midwesterners of this great country."
That's probably because the Democratic Party needs their votes.
On Stephen Fowler: Vale, Vale San Francisco hellotxt.com/l/q6Bf
I guess the attempt not to post about this backfired.
Several others have already made the best point you can make about this: there are awful people, and very good people, everywhere. Stereotyping and generalizing generally doesn't get you anywhere.
Yes, there are assholes in Noe Valley. And in Des Moines. Neither place is uniformly good or bad.
I think Fowler represents Noe Valley residents more than you might want to admit. I remember vividly when the old MCC church on Church street tried to host a temporary, 13-bed overnight youth shelter for one winter and was harrassed continuously by the neighbors. I was at a community meeting at the church regarding the shelter and saw PURE HATRED from several (sorry, but rich white) Noe Valley residents...claiming such ludicrous BS as the shelter would bring "rapists" into the neighborhood. From that moment, as a SF resident as well, my opinion completely changed of this specific neighborhood. I had no idea that people in this neighborhood were so hateful and classist...now I know.
I am absolutely and completely horrified by the actions and words of not only Stephen Fowler, but those of his wife, Rene Stephens. It is very sad and scary that two these people have children. I can only imagine the atmosphere in the home on "show night". I would never, ever, ever speak to another human being the way Mr. Fowler spoke to Kayla. Furthermore, Ms. Stephens did absolutely nothing to indicate any type of disagreement with his behavior. I sincerely hope BOTH of these parents obtain professional mental health for the sake and sanity of their childrens' future.
A good percentage of the residents in Noe Valley originate from elsewhere, whether it be another country or another part of this country. Most of America - well at least the part which projects itself in anyway - shows itself to be about as "crappy" as that TV show. People get more satisfaction from demeaning and attacking others over focusing their energy on their own self and all the work that could be done there. Based on what we have facing us - we all could stand to focus alot more attention on ourselves and making improvements there. Fowler was mighty foul but he's far from the only one making an ass of himself.
Oh My.. I didn't even know about this until I saw this comment.. but you know, watching the you tube videos.. it realy was helpful in clearly demonstrating things to avoid doing in one's life...
It is strange how much some intelligent people fumble, when trying to cover up things, make excuses, express regret etc.
"Not worth your time"?
You admit to following the Gawker posts and the Fowlers' story.
You could have chosen to say that you weren't aware of this until you saw that post, and state that you too were appalled by his behavior and hope that people realize that Fowler is just one bad apple, and do not judge the neighborhood using him as an example. And move on to some other story.
If you do want to say that you had been following the madness on the 'net about this but chose not to write about it until seeing that post , wouldn't it be better to stay positive and write something like:
"We can only hope that people don't make generalizations about Noe Valley, the way Stephen Fowler has made about so many things. Let us hope that Stephen gets the help he badly needs and becomes a better person. Let us hope their children grow up to be healthy, sensitive citizens of the society. Let us move on and focus on more positive things than dig further into that story and waste time."
Or you could have chosen not to write a post at all! Wouldn't that be the ideal thing?!
The "attitude" in your blog seems to be reflective of the Fowlers' attitude in a sense.
It's very interesting that you talk about 'driving up ratings', and post this entry, with a picture of the Fowlers to boot (as if the stench in words isn't enough), and turns out that you're getting a lot of readers and responses.
If you did the blog entry specifically to get a heated discussion going, then kudos to you. Who doesn't want to get a blog to be more popular, and the Fowlers' infamy can bring more publicity than any positive incident from the area. If Fowler was a perfect gentleman on the show, no one would really care (as you suggested you didn't); no one would be coming here to praise Noe Valley, would they? That would have been a good argument to dissociate Noe Valley from the Fowlers.
You do fumble through most of your post, passing judgment and bringing up weird comparisons like Spitzer (the former NY governor, I presume).
Mrs. Fowler fumbled through her apology notes also, and the 'second draft' is on her site. Wonder if it's final. Does she really expect people to believe that she has come to a sudden realization that her husband "needs help"?
Of course, the cake does belong to Stephen. It's hilarious how he talks about his IQ, behaves the way he does with Gayla, and then in one scene where she asks him to shut the hell up, tells his kid how rude Gayla is in front of children. What a riot!
Intelligent people can really be clueless at times.
I would really like to hear from Gayla of what she thinks about all this fallout from the episode.
As far as comments here and elsewhere on the Net about this, it is just sad that we start fighting over this. The Fowlers got paid to do the show. ABC is getting a lot of good(bad) publicity. Who is paying us for the reality fight show here?
Forget Noe Valley! There are many sites where people from England, and elsewhere, are defending England - the whole damn country! (Sorry about the use of damn, but damn!) They don't want to be judged based on Fowler's behavior, just because he's from England.
I must disagree with any effort to downplay or dismiss discussion about Noe Valley's Stephen Fowler and Renee Stephens. I had to watch the clips of their performance twice because I was left in too much disbelief with the first viewing.
Maybe we have reached the point when the all the irrelevant nonsense of our society has reached critical mass and finally, FINALLY we all see that putting a little kid in a fencing uniform or parading about as a "life coach" while spouting the unbelievable opinion that the attention of your own children doesn't "suit my personality" is simply ENOUGH!
American's - I don't understand why you find this surprising, remember these are the very same people that are so stupid they continue to elect the biggest political elitist snob - Nancy Polosi!
Am I the only one that takes pity on the Fowlers? The reason people behave this way is (a) they were treated horribly as children, (b) they are terribly insecure and (c) they hate themselves. They really don't need anyone to give them a lecture about how much they suck- they already live in misery every day. I think showing some compassion for them, and especially their children, is what is really called for here. Gayla and her family are happy- they will carry on with their heads held high. The Fowlers need all of the help they can get. If you see them walking down the street, please give them a smile and show some grace and compassion for people that clearly live very sad lives.
LOL. You're beyond posting about it, but this is by far the most comments generated by any of your posts.
This guy sounds like a jerk :)
But srsly... why would you watch a show called wifeswap and be surprised that one of the "contestants" is a jerk... to his wife or anyone else?
Obviously, Mr. Fowler is a very unpleasant person, but I really don't think doing things like posting negative reviews of his business, or egging his house, is appropriate. I mean, there are millions of unpleasant people in this country; most of them just don't appear on television. We've all behaved shamefully at one time or another. Yeah, Fowler's a jerk. But let's just leave him and his family alone. I mean, come on. What has he done that hurt you?
If I can comment on the opening comment here that the Stephen and Renee Fowler attitudes and behaviors are "not really worth our time..."
That statement itself smacks of the same arrogance we've seen from Stephen Fowler. His behavior has hit a nerve with America in general -- and should be worth your time, unless of course, you think you're better than everyone else.
A common thread with arrogant people, I've found, is a tendency to make the whole world feel they aren't good enough to absorb any of the arrogant person's time.
I think a better response to your association with this man given your geographic proximity, would be to let the world know that this is definitely worth your time, that it serves as a lesson to the "upper ranks" of American society, and how it educates us about what it means to be a truly well-educated person. Or at least some other reasoned statement as to why his behavior should be looked at carefully by others who enjoy his life circumstances.
Categorizing people of perceived lower rank is a deadly step toward all kinds of things which certainly do not make the world a better place -- discrimmination, racism, and as we've seen in modern history -- even genocide.
While I don't see Stephen's actions suggesting genocide is on the horizon, I do see his attitudes and actions as the sort of things we need to curtail as an englightened society that is "evolving" as Renee put it.
K. Ferguson, how dare you say that you took stranded people in and fed and sheltered them?!
I remember that blizzard back in 1977, on January 21. My parents and I were traveling though Buffalo and were stranded. Of course the wonderful people of Buffalo came out, ushered us into their homes, and then proceeded to murder and rob my parents. Ultimately eating their bodies over the next week! I was kept alive and survived only because the roads were cleared and they were able to get to the Quick Stop for some snacks.
This more than anything else is what I despise about the effete snobs who occupy these geographical areas. They begin eating other humans after one day of hardship.
Just another reason to hate liberal douche bags.
Stephen Fowler is what you get when you combine leftist with snobs. And Noe Valley is full of these people.
Just another elitist liberal snob who looks down on others... who thinks his belief set is the only way and finds fault with all of the things that make America great.
Stephen Fowler thinks trees and recycling and alternative fuel sources are far more worthy of his consideration than the human being in front of him.
He is the narrowminded ignorant bigot whose ideas I fear, not 'backwards' midwestern values.
Didn't Barack Obama get himself into a bit of trouble when he attacked small town Americans? He called them 'bitter' and said that they 'cling to their guns and their bibles.'
It's all come down to urban vs. not-urban conflict in politics.
The liberals think they are so much smarter and thus better than the rest of us.
People are what you should be hugging... not trees.
Ok i am from Chicago and dare i say we have just as much "Culture" if not more than San Fran, as i have visited your city many many times. Living in the Midwest, i was offended by the remarks of Mr. Fowler but at the same time what do you expect from such a nit wit peon from Noe Valley? I mean this place breeds this kind of thinking. You see if he was from Chicago and talked like that he probably wouldn't be around anymore. But would that be such a bad thing??
What a pathetic little twit. I feel really sorry for his children, who are already looking like they're a little damaged.
Arrrrghh people, look - this a-hole is not like everyone in Noe Valley or SF or California! Jesus! This has gotten out of hand. It's like saying everyone from Alabama is an illiterate pig farmer who fucks his sister. ENOUGH ALREADY. Just stop with the generalizations.
The Fowler's are pathological, without question. I truly fear for those children AND anyone who gets involved with them when they get older. They already should be in extensive therapy, to start the process of minimizing the damage inflicted on them by having the bad luck of being the offspring of not one, but TWO mentally-ill adults.
A note- I live in Pasadena, CA. I have degree's from Berkeley and St. Mary's. More times than I can count, when asked where I was from, upon hearing Southern California, I would be met with the response "Oh, I'm so sorry." All of Northern Cal is like that. L.A. does not give a tinker's damn about S.F. but they are so insecure that they even have a snotty rivalry with the second biggest city in the country- a city in California! A city filled with liberals! Inferiority Complex, line one!
I loved the time I spent there; but then again, in your twenties, you are able to let obnoxious comments slide of your back with relative ease. As an adult, I think S.F. has the reputation it wholly deserves.
Noe Valley wasn't even on the map 15 years ago. Now they are a national joke. Way to go!
I cringe in embarrassment for them and their state of complete denial.
The Foul Fowler's are everywhere, but especially in the Bay Area, from Lafayette to Los Altos Hills.
The sickest thing? They secretly love it....Trust me.
The irony about Noe Valley and all the "Stepford" enclaves just like it in San Francisco is that they love to live under the delusion that they are unique, special, different.
Wrong, oh so wrong. You are as "Stepford" as Darien, CT. Deal with it.
To refer to you as Insular is an epic understatement.
Riddle Me This: Why would these two dolts go on a low-rent, cheesy reality show if they are indeed as educated and highbrow as they would present themselves to the world?
Answer: Pathetic Poseurs. Speaks volumes about Noe Valley, wouldn't you say?
Guess what Mr. Fowler? Nobody I have ever known would even consider appearing, let alone watching these types of shows. YOU actually did, causing great damage to your children, your wife (already damaged) and your career.
You sir, should really consider a move to the Midwest or the South. They love reality television there, so you'd fit right in.
EFFETE POSEUR!!
Sincerely,
Isabella
Santa Barbara
Answer: Pathetic Poseurs. Speaks volumes about Noe Valley, wouldn't you say?
No. Speaks volumes about Stephen Fowler. Nothing more, nothing less.
I'm a Bay Area native, and I have lived not only all around our lovely area but also hundreds of miles away in a town of 7,000. I have several university degrees (including UC Berkely). My IQ may be about 10 points below Fowler's but I'm smart enough to know that what goes around, comes around. And for what it's worth, I don't like SF.
OK. So it's universally agreed upon that Mr. Fowler is an asshat and a cruel, unstable man.
Why isn't the CRAZY WIFE RENEE getting grief from you posters as well? She does not like to be around her kids, she is condescending and neurotic to the point of caricature, and every person I know who has "Trained" to be some kind of Life-Coach is the last person in the world who should be doling out advise of any kind to anyone.
She is not simply suffering from guilt by association, she is AS GUILTY as Mr. Fowler of the same hateful, arrogant (with nothing whatsoever to back it up) crimes against her fellow humankind. She is a stain on the reputations of women and mother's everywhere. Renee, DON'T put yourself out there as a coach of anything, (You've already torpedoed your "business") Just "seek professional help" along with your Hubbie. You two will be a shrink's dream come true. They will have a field day, as will the child-shrink that has to patch up your poor children, I mean accessories.
I agree that Renee is as mentally unstable as Stephen. The sad fact is that their children don't stand a chance of normalcy the way they are being raised. Hopefully, the kids WILL escape the parents when they are old enough to do so. I had a friend whose parents were complete a-holes and when he left for college, that was it--he never ever returned--he spent his entire childhood being humiliated by the same type of parents as the Fowlers. My friend never looked back--for the kids sake, I hope they someday move far, far away from this pair---it will be interesting to see how lovely their lives will be now that they have exposed their true selves to the entire world. I wish CPS could intervene, but CA would never step up and take these kids because you cannot PROVE abuse--we just all know that they ARE being mentally abused---sad, sad, sad.
I was appalled by the opening comment posted by whoever puts the news on the front page of this Noe Valley site.
The comment that I found surprising was "this isn't worth our time".
I agree with the two others who have posted so far indicating that "it's not worth our time" is another shade of the elitist, "I'm better than you" attitude we saw in Stephen Fowler.
Shame on the Noe Valley blogspot authors who devote a whole news spot to this, dissasociating themself with the Fowlers, and then indicating the whole thing "is not worth their time".
Like most people I'm wondering if the arrogance and elitism displayed by Stephen Fowler really is Stephen Fowlers (and the Noe Valley's) majority of attitudes.
I believe it is, given some other people I've met from the Bay area, as well as the way he came out with so many arrogant comments with such lightening speed. Whether openly expressed or not off the Wife Swap show, I think one has to have been thinking of such nasty comments throughout the course of a normal day to be so consistent and so fast with them, and to NOT see the implications of what he was really saying.
I think Stephen Fowler's been given a great check in his way of thinking about the world and others. And I think all others in Noe Valley that silently hold those attitudes should learn a lesson -- who cares about your intelligence, your wealth, your international perspective, your fast-tracking successful children, and your high-minded environmentalism, if you're cruel and abusive to others.
Shame on Stephen Fowler and all those who think like him!!
Hey Floridian--this is for you. San Franciscans are not hallucinating about the city's geography. If you did not notice any hills and valleys when you were here, perhaps you were hallucinating and you were actually in Sacramento!
Wikipedia
24th and Castro
The topographic layout is actually two main valleys. One flows from the Clipper / 22nd/ Grandview area down 24th / Jersey to Church, and the other flows from the 27th /Diamond / 30th area down Day to Church where it meets the first valley; the conjoined valleys then both exit the Noe Valley district. This makes the hilly area relatively dry, and the soil resistant to earthquake liquefaction. Most houses up the hills sit directly on bed rock as can be seen at Douglass Park (bare red rock - radiolarian chert). Traffic flow is limited - one main North access through Castro Street to Eureka Valley, one main West access up Clipper Street toward the former Twin Peaks toll plaza and West of the city, several East accesses to Mission through 24th, Cesar Chavez and other numbered streets, and the main North-South Church Street access used by the J Church Muni Light Rail.
Hmmm...was the post above written by Stephen Fowler?
I would STRONGLY disagree with you. This topic is most certainly worth our time. If you see an evil and you don't denounce it, you are part of the problem. Okay, this isn't as big an issue as Darfur. But don't most genocide and atrocities begin when someone decides one "set" of people is better than another and justifies belittling and abusing them? This is exactly what Fowler did.
He has played into all the horrible stereotypes of liberals, San Franciscans, environmentalists, Brit ex-pats and you name it that are spouted daily by hate mongers such as Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly. If you don't stand and condemn his actions -- and offer apologies and clarification, you let his actions stand with what appears to be tacit approval.
He has set so many important causes so far. We San Franciscans like to believe we are positive examples of tolerance, International thinking and environmental awareness. This is a time when we should be reaching out -- in a positive and inclusive way -- to exactly the people Fowler insulted. Instead, I now fear, the "face" of environmentalism and Liberalism will be, for many, the sneering smirk of Stephen Fowler.
What some posters do not understand about San Francisco, Noe Valley in particular, is this: The truly Rich, the "Old Money" does not reside (with some exceptions) in this section of the city. Noe Valley is the eptiome of "Pseudo-Bourgeoisie." Meaning people living beyond their means, who have as neighbors, the type of vulgarians who would appear on an excruciatingly lowbrow, sleazy reality program. Needed that 50K for the kid's tuition, Mr. Fowler?
To those of you who are not famaliar with the Bay Area, the "Real-Rich" live outside of the city in green, beautiful small towns like Woodside, Hillsborough, and many others on the Pennisula, in the East Bay, and of course Marin- Mill Valley etc.
Don't be fooled into thinking Noe Valley is anything special. It's not. It's a Wannabe- like the Fowler Family. Wannabe- Intellectuals, Wannabe-Cultured, and so on.
If you lived here you would know, and you would have a good laugh at Noe Valley. It's not a mere coincidence that somebody like Mr. and Mrs. Fowler live in Noe Valley, as they typify the neighborhood pretty well, perhaps with the "crazy" amped up higher.
Normaly i do not watch wife swap - but that night it caught my eyes and ears not because of stephen thats right because of Renee - i was thinking what a self absorbed self important wanker... then her husband came on - and it was so bad i had to turn it off.
I hope they both can get some real help. Not the kind you see on her website where people come in to say it was all him and this too shall pass type stuff. With real help they could perhaps learn to live with real compasion for other human beings with true love for others.
We all have the duty to live with compassion and speak out... not against others .. but for living with compassion
I refuse to post anonymously; my face and my name are proudly attached to this message. In fact, it is repeated on my blog.
Most of the rest of California looks on and considers SF and its appendage Santa Cruz as one might contemplate a zoo primate house. The people in those exotic, alien environs reside in a self-contained, delusional bubble of egotism. Barely regarding the rest of the USA as being of the same species--let alone their fellow citizens--these xenophobes are indeed legends in their own minds.
Thanks to ABC and a program I have never watched, what has been heretofore remained mostly secreted behind a glitzy but tattered curtain of limousine liberal hypocrisy has been exposed far more adroitly than a Limbaugh, Hannity, or Coulter could have ever imagined. And thanks to the Internet, the story will never die.
What two adults have done to lower themselves as human beings, all the while turning cartwheels in their minds in self-congratulation for having achieved such "superior" status, is in the end their own choices. They themselves are doomed to life with themselves. However, what they have done and are doing to their children is comparable to a crack addict pimping their offspring for the next fix.
At least the therapists will be kept occupied when the Fowler kids come of age.
I have to confess, this Stephen Fowler issue has reinforced stereotypes of San Franciscans, whether they like it or not, as well as liberals, environmentalists, elitists, and wealthy people from California.
These stereotypes seem to take root a number of ways -- sometimes by misrepresentation by others, but often, due to an above-average amount of consistent behavior from the group being stereotyped.
I hate to say it, but this isn't the first time we've seen people from that locale on wife swap. There was an episode a couple years ago where a health-conscious California family swapped with an overweight family from another part of the country. The husband and wife portrayed the same kind of arrogance, but this time, about their favored life in good-weather California, as well as their health consciousness.
I lived among the wealthy in California too, and while there were a lot of people who were very humble and kind, yet wealthy, there was a huge amount of arrogance like I'd never seen before.
I think San Fransican and Californians in general (at least, the wealthy ones) will have to deal with the stereotypes these shows, and the above-average arrogance level of that area, are reinforcing.
Again, not everyone is like that, but the area certainly is getting the stigma. That episode of SouthPark on StephenFowlerSucks.com was all about satire regarding liberal elitists in San Francisco.
Clarification is badly needed for some posters who do not understand the Bay Area, or California. NOE VALLEY is not an "Elite" section of San Francisco. Owning a home in Presidio Heights? Yes! Noe Valley? No! If most Americans knew the living conditions in S.F. they would pity, not be in awe of the city. It is DIRTY. The traffic in a NIGHTMARE. The HOMELESS problem is one of the nation's most egregious. The weather SUCKS!
I know. I lived in Pacific Heights and in the Marina District for 6 years. (Both highly superior neighborhoods to Noe Valley.) Noe Valley is not elite. NOT BY CALIFORNIA STANDARDS! These people are only considered "wealthy" (hate that word) by the average American not residing on either coasts. Most of you would never want to raise your kids there. No yards. CRIME!
After my husband finished his residency, we relocated to San Diego five years ago. Yes, it is very expensive to live where we do. But S.F. for all the little things that are wonderful, is not a great place to live, unless you are 25 years old.
You all sound foolish to keep harping on the "S.F. elite." Ever been to Santa Monica in Los Angeles? There is the liberal, rich, elite. Noe Valley is Fringe!
No real family with "family" money and old, well-placed connections living in S.F. would ever (EVER) do that reality show, nor would they live anywhere near Noe Valley!
I hope this helps. Get over Noe Valley. It is cheesy and fake, like the family who went on Wife Swap. Blame "New Money" who think they are "rich" for the atrocious attitudes you saw on display. Old money does not behave that way, and does not appear on REALITY TV!!!
Besides, in this economy, the kind of people who live in Noe Valley are probably a few months away from losing their home, all their savings, or both.
Sorry, but pretty much all of you are wrong... except maybe those who said something along the lines of judging Noe Valley by one family is stupid.
Of course I didn't read everything... but good god I read so many stupid things in these posts I couldn't read through everything.
Noe Valley is a lot of things. There are snobs and yuppies, as well as perfectly nice families and old-timers. I guess Noe is more of a "new money" hood, but I don't think they act a whole lot different than old money. Except whoever said that San Franciscans are obsessed with hating LA must only be dealing with the old money types. I'm from OC (probably worse than LA if you're juding by this imaginary scale) and been in SF for 12 years. Still haven't had a single person apologize even though I've been expecting it since I moved here.
People are full of crap and like to believe they already know all they need to know about others. That's why shows like Wifeswap do well and that's why the creators wanted this family on there. They made them fit this perfect little stereotype, and everybody enjoys bashing them.
I sure hope all the haters are as perfect as they believe they are!
Stop watching so damn much TV and go pay attention to your own family.
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