Any one watch this last night? They are leaving town and have two flat tires within 20 miles of home. These tires did not suddenly go bad in this 20 miles. On an earlier espisode, he sent the wives off to Wymoming ahead of him and the van broke down(or if you live in the south, tore up). He doesn't have the smarts to take responsibility for one wife and family, yet alone four. You would think a responsibile adult would do his best to make sure the vehicles are road worthy when they are transporting family. I know, I know, why do I watch this show?

I watch it because I have to (recapping duties for one of my writing gigs) and I think he's a giant bag of douche, but his family seems pretty much healthy and happy and functional. While I frequently want to kick him in the teeth, I still think the persecution is ridiculous.

If you ever get sick of watching you can just go read my recaps anyway. Much easier ;)

I watch it because it is so hilarious.

You have a Joseph Smith clone who cons four women into becoming his concubines who think that "courting" (read screwing) other women in order to add them to the harem is "spiritual", who doesn't seem to ever have a job but drives a sports car and the family has all kinds of expensive toys, who agrees for a hefty fee to put his family out there in the public eye where they become open to ridicule and prosecution for law-breaking.

Last night was really sick-making....pulling out all the emotional stops with the fear and unhappiness of the women and kids and scaring the kids about LEOs, one wife commenting, "This isn't the America I grew up in", then making a big deal about praying about the big move.

The comparison to the "trek" of early mormonism because of the "persecution", up to and including the flat tires to emphasize the resemblance to the horrors of the early pioneers was the sub-text for those in the know...

I couldn't tear myself away while waiting for the next manipulation of a guy who knowingly broke the law, then blamed the law for their problems.

I must have missed the episode that showed the local LEOs bustin' into the homes, shootin' the dogs, rapin' the women and carryin' off the kiddies while Kody bravely defended his home. Just WHY did they have to move to Vegas???

I think it was the Bigamy law -- or maybe the polygamy one. Who know? Personally, I think he's felony stupid and so are the women who live with him.

I luv reading recaps.

I watch House........then read the recaps so I can "understand" what I just saw. ;)

K

www.tvgasm.com

Just Sister Wives at the moment. I'll be doing Platinum Hit when it starts up as well, and I've done a bunch of other shows over the years.

I was thinking the same thing. Don't you check your tires before taking trip? I also loved how they showed the J.S. picture on a side table in the home and played Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam. The church must just love that!

I admit that show is one of my guilty pleasures, as it's hilarious. One thing I noticed is that in a way, he looks a little like the younger Brigham Young.

It was revealing when wife number one got fired and just did not understand why. She got fired from a job 'helping troubled youth' and just had no idea that people would worry that one way to 'help troubled youths' would be to introduce them to people who want to marry them. If she was working at a convenience store and got fired, okay, but she is living a lifestyle that is against the law.

So true. I think given her line of work I think firing her was reasonable.

Is she technically breaking any laws though? She is legally married to the husband. I'm actually curious if they would be able to prosecute her for anything or if all the heat would fall on the dad.

I don't think her marriage should have any effect on her ability to council troubled youth, but I do see how her being on TV could be distracting for a bunch of at-risk kids.

No she's not technically. They can't prosecute her. But I can see how living a polygamous lifestyle would send up red flags about her to her employer. Plus her being on tv probably didn't help.

I don't know about the law in UT, but AZ is an at will state so you basically can be fired at anytime for any reason (barring protected class status).

Wow, I'm surprised by the lack of empathy around here. As a great big homo who would be told my marriage was illegal as well I have nothing but sympathy for this family. Even though the dad is a total ass-hat. Who gives a shit if four women want to marry the same guy? The fact that it's breaking the law is ridiculous. If there were underage wives involved or something then by all means, call the po-lice. Otherwise, leave people alone if they're not hurting anyone.

perhaps one of empathy for the women in the show, who are treated as 2nd class, objects, etc. As in the early days of TSCC, women were treated like cattle. I see the show as reminescent of the underlying dogma and attitude of the church, wherein women are not taught to self actualize, do not reach their potential, and are not equal with men. The mere concept of polygamy reeks of inequality. The law is there to protect the expliotation of innocent women and children, just as it was there to protect them in the early days of the church.

Dear lord, please someone pass a law protecting us all from laws that protect us from ourselves. That law isn't in place to protect women. I don't see anyone running in waving "We Can Do It" pamphlets at RS meetings where women are constantly told they're second class citizens who are only here to be baby factories. That law is in place because a bunch of self-loathing, image conscious Mormons wanted to distance themselves from the less publicly accepted aspects of their past as possible. This is the same crap I hear spewed when the gay marriage issue comes up. Love is love. Just because you think these women are unhappy doesn't mean that they ARE unhappy. And how many women in traditional marriages are unhappy? Everyone needs to stay the hell out of everyone else's bedrooms. It's ridiculous.

Sorry. Soap-boxing. I don't really get the polygamy thing, but I do get that I have no right to pass judgment on something as personal as a marriage.

Religious polygamy is not the same as polyamory. I was involved in a polyamorous relationship, and I do not regret it. It was based on love, mutual respect, and friendship.

When polygamy happens, especially mormon polygamy, it is a tool, and a weapon used by men and leaders of their LDS offshoot to use women for selfish sexual desires.

Are you a never-mo? If not, I'm sorry to be preaching to the choir, but the mormon church is all about subservience, and polygamy is one step further. Mormons, all mormons, are taught that suffering is part of being blessed, that women are obedient to their husbands, and that church leaders have divine discernment.

In the non-polygamous mainstream church sexual abuse is rampant, and goes virtually unpunished. In insular polygamist societies, or relationships, it is a huge problem. Young girls are married off, molested, and young men are cast off, and sometimes killed. They're putting themselves and their children in danger.

Polygamy is not polyamory.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/23/2011 04:19PM by maria.

But... You're just further proving my point. No one's running around trying to outlaw traditional Mormon marriages, which have all the same problems. People are jerks. They're going to use, abuse, and generally be shitty to each other regardless of whether you give them a marriage license. And people are good and will love and honor each other even if crowds with torches and pitchforks chase them out of town. This is not something the law should be involved in.

The one question this show stirs in my mind is, if adultery is legal, why do we feel the need to outlaw polygamy? These are adults, and they have made their own decision(s) to enter into a polygamous relationship. Who are we to tell them they can't do that?

I understand the abuses of polygamy in the Mormon community. I understand that it has been used as a tool to subjugate women. But do these women, on this show, really seem to be suffering from that kind of subjugation? I just don't think so, and even if they are, it's not like they're not free to leave at any time. This is not Warren Jeffs, y'all. These women were all adults when they married this man. I just don't think a blanket prohibition on a particular lifestyle is appropriate. Get the government out of the bedroom!

Ok. When someone talks about polygamy, I immediately assume that we're talking about polygyny, when a man can have more than one wife. There is also polyandry, when a woman can have more than one husband. I would be in favor of polygamy if it encompassed group marriage-more than one wife OR husband, polyandry, and polygyny.

I am just fine with egalitarian group marriage. I would not be in favor of it if just polygyny was made legal. However, it would need to be heavily policed in Utah, as things will NEVER be equal for women there, EVER.

I don't favor any government restrictions on marriage, other than that all parties involved must be human (obviously) and of the age of consent in the jurisdiction. I guess I just feel like it's none of the government's business who is having sex with whom.

I also find it hypocritical that a man can live with three women and screw all of them and not be in trouble, but if he purports to be MARRIED to them, that's worthy of investigation and prosecution. THAT'S ridiculous.

Oh, and even in monogamous Utah marriages, I doubt things are egalitarian. Again, that's a reason to enforce other laws, not to outlaw polygamy (polygyny, polyandry, whatever).

There is no reason for bigamy or polygamy to be illegal. Anyone should be able to marry anyone they want, even if that person is already married.

It's not illegal for a man to have sex with a bunch of women, but if they want to share his last name, that's where we draw the line? Give me a break.

Arguments that polygamy "degrades women" are futile since the women are not being forced into these marriages. If they're being compelled, that's one thing. But 4 grown-ass women consenting to be married to the same guy is their business and no one else's.

Just sayin'.

like FLDS, etc? I see the polygamy laws as a common sense protection for innocents, like underage girls.

But that's an argument for outlawing underage marriage, not polygamy. Should consenting adults be forbidden from entering into a certain kind of relationship just because some underage girls are being victimized by this same type of relationship?

it's an interesting debate, nonetheless.

That's the "rationale" the same way the protecting marriage is the reason the church doesn't want the gays getting hitched. It's a bullshit excuse so they can avoid actually saying that they enjoy being judge, jury, and executioner of relationships that they don't feel are worthy enough.

As far as I know, the rationale for the law was, "Hey, Utah wants to be a state. Oh shit! You mean we can't be a state because the rest of America thinks polygamy is freaky? Quick - let's outlaw polygamy so we can be a state!"

Regardless, this is like using the rationale that underage drinking is a bad thing to outlaw all alcohol sales to anyone, minor or adult. This law is what they call overinclusive - it prohibits more than the purported "purpose" of the law would justify prohibiting.

Umm... Pretty sure Underage Marriage Laws and ages of consent are protection for underage girls. This is just bigotry in one of the few forms that's still socially acceptable. Like someone wakes up and says, "Shit! We can't hate the blacks out loud. We have to hate the Mexicans under the guise of pretending they're all illegals stealing our jobs... Can we still hate the gays and the polygs??? Oh thank Jeebus!!!"

I really enjoy the show. I like all the women, but Cody or is it Kody is pretty immature. I think it is better than the final 2 seasons of Big Love. I forgot it was going to start again in May and I'll have to catch it on On Demand.

I can't pull myself away from this show when it is on Sunday nights. It's my favorite real housewives show.

However, the thing about the law and this show that I feel has been totally over looked on this thread, is that in all honesty there are a lot of "closet" polygamist in Utah. The fact that there is an investigation on the Brown family is pretty unfair in my mind. If law enforcement is going to start investigating polygamists in Utah, then just about every other home is going to have to be investigated in Lehi, Provo, Salt lake, etc.

I don't get the polygamy life style. But as long as they are law abiding, not hurting the children like the FLDS, I really don't care what they do in their bedroom.

Last season, and even earlier in this season, they didn't seem to emphasize religion as much. It was always just "lifestyle" and they would just brush on religion as a part of their life. I noticed that last night it was like they were just screaming it. I mean honestly, Las Vegas is his Plymouth Rock.... It seems like now that it has become a legal issue they want to scream religious persecution and before they didn't want to talk about it much. Just me. Totally one of my guilty pleasure, watch it for the train wreck shows...

I totally noticed this too. I mean it makes sense since they would have more of a legal leg to stand on if they asserted that practicing polygamy is part of practicing their religion. Make it a 1st amend issue. No legal protection for this "lifestyle" choice.

I don't know. I don't agree with polygamy nor do I understand it. And I absolutely loathe the Warren Jeffs style which I think is just abusive and perverted. But, honestly, I don't think what the Brown family is doing is criminal. They should be left alone as long as they are not abusing the children or the welfare system.

I feel so bad for the wives. You know they are miserable. It's so obvious! But they just have to keep brainwashing themselves to keep believing they are happy being polygamous when all I've seen is them totally miserable the whole show.

If you are genuinely concerned about the women, then polygamy should be legal. (Or preferably, as others have mentioned, get the state out of the marriage business altogether.)

Criminalizing this form of marriage makes them feel like victims and undermines their status in society. Fearing legal and social repercussions is not empowering. If they didn't feel the need to hide and/or defend their consensual relationships they would have more power, not less.