‘Welcome to Plathville’: Faking Strict Morals?

Welcome to Plathville introduced the world to the Plath family and their old fashioned values, but viewers questioned whether the family was as strict as they seemed. The internet was flooded with posts and comments with theories about the sheltered family at the end of the first season. Now that the next season has finally arrived, new questions keep piling up. So, what’s the true story?

Welcome to Plathville: Plath Family Values

TLC has a history of shows that chronicle large families or those with traditional values. Welcome to Plathville seemed to fit right in. It featured Kim and Barry Plath along with their nine children,  Ethan, Hosanna, Micah, Moriah, Isaac, Amber, Lydia, Cassia, and also Mercy. The parents of this large family raised their children on a rural farm in Georgia, far away from the trappings of the real world. Kim Plath and husband Barry believed that they could shelter their children from the dangers of the world. And more importantly, keep them from making the same mistakes they made when they were in their college years.

This meant that Barry and the Welcome to Plathville mom restricted their children from television, radio, video games, and sugar. They also forced the children to dress and act modestly. And even made them wear full clothing when they went to visit the beach. They instilled Christian values into their children. But, they rarely went to church or anywhere else. Not even school, as Kim Plath taught the kids herself.

Welcome to Plathville: Olivia Plath

Olivia Plath Revealed Secrets

In the first season of Welcome to Plathville viewers watched the conflict between Ethan’s wife Olivia and the Plath parents. Barry and especially Kim Plath believed that Olivia was a bad influence on the younger siblings in the household. Kim didn’t want Olivia to create resentment in the little ones, like she believed Moriah already had. And she blamed Olivia for Moriah’s feelings.

However, Olivia Plath said in an interview that she felt manipulated by the family to do the show. She also said that a lot of the drama was manufactured for the screen. Or, blown out of proportion so as to make good TV. Olivia said that Ethan reenacted trying new things for the TLC show. He had tried soda and alcohol, as well as a bunch of other things, months or even a year, before Welcome to Plathville was filmed.

The surprise birthday party was another scene that Olivia said was taken out of context. In the episode, Kim and husband Barry Plath seemed upset that Ethan and Olivia drank beer at dinner. But, Olivia said that the parents knew the dinner was at a bar and that it was likely the couple would have a drink. The Welcome to Plathville parents appeared shocked and horrified when Moriah announced that she was going to Minnesota. And that Olivia had bought her a one way ticket.

According to Olivia, Kim Plath knew about the plane ticket ahead of time. Olivia claimed that she would never buy a plane ticket for a minor without asking Moriah’s parents. And she said that Barry and Kim Plath gave her permission first. Viewers of Welcome to Plathville had a very different take on what happened.

Welcome to Plathville: Lydia Plath

Welcome to Plathville: Inconsistencies Everywhere

Those are not the only inconsistencies that fans started to talk about after the show aired. There have been thousands of comments and rants about the show all over the internet. Moriah and Lydia Plath were both hot topics of conversation. And still are as the Welcome to Plathville second season just started.

Recently, it was leaked that Moriah wasn’t a stranger to the camera when Welcome to Plathville was filmed. She had starred in a short film in 2018 called You Should Be THERE. Many wondered Moriah Plath was able to act in a movie, if the Plath family didn’t even allow them access to TV or internet. How had she found the role? And why would her parents agree to let her do it?

Another commented that Moriah dressed in short shorts and tank tops on the show. And that she wore makeup and obviously knew how to do it. Who taught Welcome to Plathville star Moriah Plath to do makeup if she didn’t have any access to the outside world? Why did Kim Plath allow Moriah to wear whatever she wanted on the show, but forced the kids to wear shirts and shorts instead of swimsuits at the beach? Plus, fans noticed in one episode that Lydia Plath had a tan line from either a spaghetti strap or bikini top.

The Plath family claimed to restrict video games. But viewers noted that Isaac had a whole flight simulator in his bedroom that he could practice and play on as much as he wanted. These are just a few of the inconsistencies that have Welcome to Plathville followers questioning whether the Plath family enforces their strict morals.

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