TLC continues to make me think

TLC has done it again to me! It has created a TV show that has generated a fascination and caused me to have so many questions. Although TLC has recently been criticized for their programming choices (Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo and Breaking Amish), I must say that I have enjoyed them and actually learned many new things.

This post is a little past due because the TV show that I am going to discuss, Abby and Brittany, ended its first season a few weeks ago. I am unsure if a second season was picked up but it was recently brought up on another show I watch so it brought it to the forefront of my mind again. Last Monday on CBS's Two Broke Girls, the two main characters, Max and Caroline, were lying in bed together (as good friends do,) looking at a computer and Max joked "Seriously, I don't know how Abby and Brittany do it, because I'm uncomfortable with you even sitting this close to me." I laughed out loud. This is actually rare for me when watching TV. Then I thought, geez, there are probably so many people out there that didn't even get this joke because they don't watch all the garbage on TV that I do. They didn't watch TLC's Abby And Brittany about conjoined twins. See... all the hours of my TV viewing is paying off. I got a joke a lot of people probably didn't get on show a lot of people don't even watch. Pat on the back to me.

Before TLC even began this new reality series, they and Discovery channel had run two specials in previous years about the girls. One when Abby and Brittany were 11 and one again when they were 16. I had actually caught these specials and found it so interesting that these conjoined twins lived such a normal life. The girls each have their own head, spine, heart, set of lungs, gallbladder, small intestine, and stomach. They share everything else such as a rib cage (although much wider), a diaphragm, a liver, a large intestine, a bladder, and one set of reproductive organs. They each manage their own side of the body which makes them even more amazing. The fact that they can work together so well walking, driving, biking, swimming and so many other things is pretty incredible. The coordination they maintain is as if they have one brain working to control the body. This is quite unique.

Now that the girls are 18, have just graduated college and are about to live in the real world, TLC went along for the ride and filmed them. Its only natural, right? To be honest, although totally fascinating, I found these two sisters to be completely annoying. Their voices are irritating and they continually talk over each other and finish eachothers sentences. Annoying. Watching this show also makes my brain go in circles. I just have so many questions for the girls.  Some were answered. Yes, they each have their own Social Security card. No, they don't each get their own salary as a teacher since there is only technically one body in the classroom. Some of my unanswered questions are appropriate, some not so much. Maybe some of the answers are on the internet elsewhere somewhere. Who knows. But I have read quite a few articles on the girls and haven't really read answers to MY questions. So here I go...thinking out loud about these two miracle sisters.

1) Can they really have a boyfriend? Or would they need two? Wouldn't a guy who is attracted to both of them be considered a freak?

2) What if one of the girl doesn't like the other girl's boyfriend? They are ultimately forced to be around him so how would that work?

3) Is it even possible for a guy to like one of them and not the other? Wouldn't that be super offensive to one girl?

4) If one girl does have a boyfriend and has sex with him (obvi they'd both have to agree to this) and she gets pregnant, are both girls the mom because the egg is technically both of them?

5) If one girl is having sex, what does the other girl do? Cover her head with a bag while listening to headphones? Does she feel the pleasure of an orgasm in her brain too since they do share the sex organs?

6) If they have one stomach, but one large intestine and anus, does one girl get pissed at the other if they eat something bad and get diarrhea?

7) If one has to vomit, does the other hold her hair back? Or is she totally grossed out?

8) Which girl is in charge of butt wiping? Or do they take turns? 

9) What would have happened if one girl failed high school and the other didn't? And how did the teacher's prevent them from cheating? Or if one got into college and the other didn't? Did their parents pay two tuitions?

10) Have they ever tried to skiing? Or snowboarding?

Overall, these girls are pretty much a medical miracle and I am sure all of these questions have been discussed with them either by doctors, therapists, friends, or their family. I can't be the only weirdo thinking about this stuff. Can I? Sure, it doesn't concern me at all, but I can't help it from crossing my mind. I am sure I will come up with other questions once I post this for good (that always happens) and definitely sure this will happen if they renew the show and it airs for a second season. Did you watch this show? What questions crossed your mind? Am I the weirdo for thinking these things? I don't think I am. I bet a lot of people were wondering these things to themselves but since I have very little shame, I had no problem asking them out loud.