I’m trying to grow as a person, that’s why I watched “Big Fat Gypsy Weddings” this past Friday night. An experienced television watcher knows that TLC is one of the best channels to watch reality television. Yes, E! is also amazing, but TLC sounds classier and has more letters. More equals better. It’s just math.

During the work week, I normally watch two things; one of the eight Kardashian programs or “How I Met Your Mother.” I’m a repeat “repeat” watcher, meaning that I rarely catch new episodes of anything. But a voice (well, the voice-over talent for the show) led me to the program that “shocked English audiences!” From that one visit I made to London years ago, I know that this promo statement really means something.

A little background on “Big Fat Gypsy Weddings”: Gypsies or Travelers are apparently reviled in English society. I obviously don’t know this because the only Gypsy I’ve ever seen was an incredibly attractive Johnny Depp wooing Juliette Binoche in Chocolat more than a decade ago. Travelers marry young and reproduce often, and thus continue the cycle of Gypsy living.

“Big Fat Gypsy Weddings” follows 16- to 22-year-old brides and grooms as they prep in the weeks before their weddings. While it’s entertaining to watch the Traveler men (and women) try to explain why women are not suited for jobs outside the home, the receptions are what make the show so special. For one, the guest’s (and bride’s) dresses are massive, and see-through, and tacky, and amazing, and the décor is colorful and childlike. They key phrase is “childlike.” See, they’re young, and they want their weddings to be the best parties EVER. Just like a kid would on his 11th birthday. In the end, it’s really playful. If everyone weren’t so young, I’d actually appreciate that.

What really drives home the magic behind the show is the grinding. Because children are taken out of school early, they spend a lot of time raising their siblings and indulging in pop culture. This means watching a whole lot of Beyoncé popping it in the only way she can, and video vixens throw “come hither” looks at the camera. These girls wiggle around on the dance floors like any other girl would at a club on a Saturday night. What makes it interesting is that many of these girls are seven-years-old. I’m impressed by the way they can simply out-grind me. When a six-year-old can grind like a natural, we really need to take a step back. Or tune in, as I will now do every Friday night at 10pm on TLC. It’s freaking fantastic. – Ebony Pollard