Is this what Barb wanted?

[Anchuent Christory]

One thing I don't see people considering is that maybe she has been developing dementia over the past couple years. Chris sure as hell would not be in any shape to ever say "hey, wait a minute" as Barb gets crazier and crazier. He'll keep going along with whatever she says, no matter how much he hates it.

I think it may be a combination of dementia, plus Barb just generally deciding Chris has made one too many mistakes outside, so he's not allowed to have an outside life anymore. To her he's like a dog that bit the neighbor kid, so now it has to wear a muzzle at all times the rest of its life.

Yeah it's pretty clear Barb's a few cans short of a six-pack, but I suppose she always has been.

Also, do you think it's a case of Barb thinks Chris can't behave himself so he's "grounded" or more likely that she feels that the world's picking on him and he shouldn't go out for his own safety?

 

[Alec Benson Leary]

Also, do you think it's a case of Barb thinks Chris can't behave himself so he's "grounded" or more likely that she feels that the world's picking on him and he shouldn't go out for his own safety?

I think it's a combination of both. She spent years encouraging the idea that the world is out to get them, but she also knows that his fuck-ups cost she and Bob quite a bit of money.

 

[Kosher Dill]

Yeah it's pretty clear Barb's a few cans short of a six-pack

Ah, so she only weighs 48, 49 pounds now.

Also, do you think it's a case of Barb thinks Chris can't behave himself so he's "grounded" or more likely that she feels that the world's picking on him and he shouldn't go out for his own safety?

Maybe it's because she knows one more slip-up and the jerkops will move Chris out of her hoard and into their own. Can't have that. Or it might even be that she thinks (rightly or wrongly) that she needs constant "medical" attention and assistance.

 

[milkshark]

If she wanted a slave/butler/nurse who'd spoon her in her twilight years, she got everything she ever wanted.

It's a lot more than Cole ever did for her. Chris better get the whole hoard in Borb's will.

 

[Goddessoftheshire]

I honestly don't think she ever put much thought into it one or the other mainly because I don't think she cares . It would require to much work on her part to care or even attempt to rectify their current problems much less problems years down the road,and we all see what being lazy has brought them.

 

[Peepee]

God, this is really shaping up to be a full-blown tragedy.

Isn't that what everyone wants?

Uh, no? We're not all sociopaths here.

(Edit: actually, most of us probably are. But, still.)

 

[Tubular Monkey]

One thing I don't see people considering is that maybe she has been developing dementia over the past couple years. Chris sure as hell would not be in any shape to ever say "hey, wait a minute" as Barb gets crazier and crazier. He'll keep going along with whatever she says, no matter how much he hates it.

"Arm the mashed potatoes, Christian! Duct tape your feet before the fire alarm goes off! Get me an ostrich!"

" Ok."

 

[Marvin]

I never really thought Barb thought about Chris' public behavior as a justification for her hoarding of him. Her hoarding didn't start strongly until after the Oct 28 incident, where she was just as guilty as Chris, if not more. I think she'd be more likely to see the situation as the world against the Chandlers. She probably sympathizes with Chris, if anything, because she sees how easy it was for the anti-Chandler conspiracy to trick her too.

 

[GFYS]

I don't think there was a single formulated long-term plan among either of them, in a while (Bob included, in his final months). So many of Chris and Barb's problems seem to come from them being big dumb animals, who only respond to stimulus, because they can't conceive more than a few minutes into the future or anything not immediately in their field of vision.

"I see food. Eat." "I want man/woman. Touch." "I see a shiny thing. Buy." "I have lots of shiny things. Bury." "I have too many shiny things. Yard." "Life requires work. Sleep." "Not sleepy. TV/vidya." "TV/vidya unfulfilling. Roam." "Game Place has new owners. Charge." "Someone is challenging me. Yell." "I can't win. Flee." "There's an obstacle in front of me. Accelerate." "I'm in trouble. Deflect." "Nobody likes me. Whine." "Numerous confrontations everywhere. Hide." "Chris has problems. Coddle." "No hope. Give up." Aaaaand, repeat.

This sums up most of what we know of Chris' life, with rare gems of broken logic here and there. With Barb and Bob, they seemed to have had their shit together enough to at least maintain some kind of facade of civility for several decades. I'm sure it was still mostly animal impulses that drove away everyone that they ever loved, or who ever loved them, but it seemed like they degenerated over time. Not at all an unreasonable hypothesis that it could be symptoms of neurological degeneration, depression, or a combination of the two over the twilight years of their lives. As such, whatever plans either of them had for Chris, were probably not too well formulated, and probably got worse and worse as they aged.

 

[CalmMyTits]

Yeah, I don't think Barb went after Bob back in 1980 or 1981 with her current state in mind. Bob was a older man, and while not rich, was obviously comfortable enough, and she knew better than to set her aim TOO high as she was nearing 40. Her relationship with Cole's father and stepfather did not end well, so she probably thought that a older man would give her less trouble (and boy howdy, she ended up giving Bob a LOT of trouble!!!) We don't know when Bob got divorced, so she might have been able to snag him when he was on the rebound.

I guess Barb was working in Chris' childhood if she had to hire a babysitter, we don't know how long she has worked at that job she retired from. I'm guessing she probably worked at it before she met Bob, I can't see her just picking up the job after Chris was born, why do that when you have a old sugar daddy and a special needs baby?

Like others have said, her mental issues didn't just appear, she's been in decline for a while as the hoard was around for at least a few years before Bob died. I guess with Bob not wanting to share a bed with her anymore and her sons being either estranged from her, or just being a overall failure in life, the hoard filled some mental need of hers.

 

[drmccoy]

Barb is pretty much the definition of combative as well. Everyone's out to get her, so she has to raise a stink. Is that item at Goodwill ringing up for more than the tag? Raise a stink.

Get yelled at for bringing a q-sand into a diner? No sign, raise a stink

Chris gets corralled in Greene County Elementary? Raise a stink.

One that gets overlooked and really pulls it together is the trial info we have. Barb begins to raise a stink with the Judge and gets put into her place pretty quick. That's Barb; she will get combative at the drop of a hat over anything. Even in a Court room where it's an obvious disadvantage. That's why her "holey butt" could signal much, much more. Perhaps she did go to the doctor and decided to raise a stink, and that it wasn't as bad as she was told.

Some people would call this the definition of White Trash/Redneck behavior and, having worked in retail, it is a hallmark of that sort of folk but by far not limited to them.

 

[DangDirtyTrolls]

Barb is pretty much the definition of combative as well. Everyone's out to get her, so she has to raise a stink. Is that item at Goodwill ringing up for more than the tag? Raise a stink.

To be fair in my country that's illegal so anyone would be within their rights to kick up a fuss over that.

 

[Alec Benson Leary]

Barb is pretty much the definition of combative as well. Everyone's out to get her, so she has to raise a stink. Is that item at Goodwill ringing up for more than the tag? Raise a stink.

To be fair in my country that's illegal so anyone would be within their rights to kick up a fuss over that.

But she'll never assume there's a mistake or misunderstanding, or otherwise offer anyone the benefit of the doubt. She automatically looks for the most hostile outcome and tries to bring it to pass.

 

[CalmMyTits]

Barb is pretty much the definition of combative as well. Everyone's out to get her, so she has to raise a stink. Is that item at Goodwill ringing up for more than the tag? Raise a stink.

To be fair in my country that's illegal so anyone would be within their rights to kick up a fuss over that.

But she'll never assume there's a mistake or misunderstanding, or otherwise offer anyone the benefit of the doubt. She automatically looks for the most hostile outcome and tries to bring it to pass.

Exactly. Once in a while something rings up wrong, and not just at Goodwill so I politely call it to the attention of the cashier. And once the issue has been resolved, I thank the cashier or manager for their assistance. I do this at my local grocery store, and I've lived here for almost ten years, so by now they know I'm a good customer and try to please me.

I can only imagine how a cashier who has already dealt with Barb before feels to see her waddling up the aisle.

 

[Zero Gun: Fenrir]

Let's analyze . Ok, obviously she suffers from some sort of paranoid/anxiety disorder, the hoarding behavior supports this theory. She may also have Alzheimer's disease, because it's clear that she suffers from irritability, aggressive tendencies, paranoia, which can all be signs of Alzheimer's, not sure about memory, though. If she had memory issues, we could say that she had Alzheimer's. Anyway, if she has Alzheimer's, she may not be very "there" mentally, and may or may not know what she wants, or wanted for Chris.

 

[DimeADozen]

-Chris graduates, Barb retires (not sure of the exact sequence) and suddenly, he's home all day long, and so is she. He has problems at college & finding employment. This is depressing, and so Barb begins to sink into depression.

Barb retired in 1996 (not sure what time in the year) but Chris started his freshman year in 1996.

I doubt this was a coincidence.

 

[Hyperion]

Barb knows Chris will be alone after her death, and that this is what she desires for him. That she hasn't done anything about it proves that she wants it to happen.

 

[Alec Benson Leary]

she may not be very "there" mentally

Alzheimers or not, she almost certainly isn't playing with a full deck anymore. She's probably half insane from the combination of paranoia and isolation in a dump.

 

[Marvin]

she may not be very "there" mentally

Alzheimers or not, she almost certainly isn't playing with a full deck anymore. She's probably half insane from the combination of paranoia and isolation in a dump.

Hell, she's probably been nuts in some way for a long time.

 

[Da Pickle Monsta]

she may not be very "there" mentally

Alzheimers or not, she almost certainly isn't playing with a full deck anymore. She's probably half insane from the combination of paranoia and isolation in a dump.

Hell, she's probably been nuts in some way for a long time.

Didn't Barb quit cooking because Chris and Bob wouldn't eat the spaghetti that she made after they moved back from Midlothian? That right there points that she's been unstable for close to fifteen years, at least.

If anything, I'm betting that her mental instability started in her early adulthood when she was married to Cole's not-dad.