I feel like anybody who has encountered abuse in the past can recognize that trademark combination of anger, frustration, confusion, and helplessness that Cody expresses in so many of their videos. The fact that his parents just try to pass it off as "oh well he's a REALLY good actor!!!" is absolutely disgusting and shows just how out of touch they are with his emotional state. It's obvious that he doesn't quite understand why he keeps getting put into these situations or why he's blamed for them, and that his siblings and parents constantly reinforce that it's all his fault and that he should be punished for it at every opportunity, whether it's physically or emotionally. I'd argue that it even seems that his step brothers actively enjoy bullying him, so I'd assume that this bullshit runs deep within the family. Pair that with the fact that Cody isn't biologically related to most of his family members and it should be absolutely clear what's going on here.
It also really concerns me that Cody regularly expresses feelings of alienation and distance from the rest of his family, and at some points literally questions why he's singled out and is treated differently from his other family members. His parents openly reinforce these feelings, both in private and when Cody is present. Even if you ignore everything else, I have a very hard time believing that that's scripted; even if it is, I'd like to know how this running theme is supposed to be entertaining. Presenting situations like these as "normal" or "silly" with no context is irresponsible at best, and should be seen as a problem in and of itself. Imagine, if this is what they present to the world as acceptable and even humorous behavior - what the fuck happens when the camera is off?
Either way, I really hope that Cody (and potentially his siblings) ends up in a better place because of the attention this is getting. I don't necessarily hope he gets separated from his family because the foster system is a shitshow for 99% of the kids that pass through it, but based on what I've seen that might end up being the best route for him. At the very least, I hope at some point his parents decide to reassess themselves and their family dynamic, but it doesn't seem like that's going to happen anytime soon.
