Last night was the premiere of the third season of “Sister Wives.” The big plot this opening episode is that the newest, youngest (and dumbest, really she’s a dimwit) wife, Robyn, is pregnant. On last night’s show, Robyn made the big announcement to family, having of course conspiratorially told her husband Kody first. The first other wife that Robyn decided to tell was Kody’s first wife, Meri, who has been unable to bear additional kids for Kody after having her daughter Mariah, 15. Meri’s infertility has been brought up several times over the past two seasons and all the wives know that she wants kids and can’t have any more. For that reason Robyn told her “alone” before the rest of the family (with a camera crew there, natch), telling Meri that she wanted to make sure she was ok with it. Meri said she was.
Robyn: I know that this has been sort of a thing for you.
Meri: I mean it definitely has in the past. Not that I haven’t been upset that Janelle and Christine were pregnant, just kind of sad that I couldn’t be. It’s something I’ve always wanted more of. I don’t feel that with you… I’m really excited for you.
Later, Robyn went on to explain why this was significant to all the wives, since it reminded them that she was screwing Kody too. It was dumb and obvious, but that’s Robyn.
Robyn: A baby is a physical manifestation that there is an intimate relationship between a husband and one of his wives. A wife in a plural family will put the idea of her husband having an intimate relationship with another wife sometimes completely out of her head. And then when she’s told that her sister wife is pregnant, it’s like there’s no way of not putting that out of her head anymore.
It turned out that it wasn’t the other wives Robyn had to worry about, it was the teens. (The Browns have 13 children that range in age from 1 to 16; Robyn has three of her own children.) Christine’s daughter Aspyn, 15, and Janelle’s daughter Maddie, 15, seemed to take it hard and wouldn’t look at Robyn at all when she made the announcement at a family dinner. Then Meri’s 15 year-old daughter Mariah went up to the bathroom and started crying. Mariah told Meri she was upset for her because she couldn’t have any other kids. When Robyn went up to see what was the matter with Mariah, I thought it was insensitive and she should have left her alone. Instead she said “You feeling your momma’s pain?” and gave her a hug. Some may find that sweet, but it seemed patronizing to me.
Robyn narrated later “It’s still a little bit difficult to me to know that someone is having a hard time with something that’s so wonderful to me.”
Janelle was pretty quiet during the announcement, but she later claimed that she wasn’t upset because of the pregnancy announcement, and it it was because things have been sucking for her in Vegas. “There’s been a lot of changes for me, culturally, with the move. [From Utah to Vegas] My world is upside down.”
Janelle had a great job back in Utah, and she explained that “I’m no longer working, we are living with finite resources at this point. I’ve always identified with my career.” Everyone’s resources are “finite,” but these people must be doing pretty well to rent four sweet houses like that.
Meanwhile their kids were suffering, with Janelle’s son Hunter, 14, being depressed and hanging around the house. Then when they were about to have “church” time at home, their daughter Mykelti, 14, said she didn’t want to go because God wouldn’t want cameras there filming their personal worship time. Kody got pissed “I’m glad you are willing to express God’s opinion, but I disagree with you.” I got the impression that he would have chewed her out if the cameras weren’t there, but he was nice enough.
They visited a Presbyterian church to ask if their kids to go to have “fellowship” there with other teens, even though they’re Mormon, and Christine objected that it didn’t feel right to her because it wasn’t their church. The pastor was really nice to them about it though.
Then they had a family discussion with the oldest kids to see if they wanted to go to that Presbyterian youth group. No one could agree, basically. Christine and Janelle said it didn’t matter which faith their kids explored and that the socialization was the important part. Robyn, Kody and Christine said they should stick with their LDS/Mormon faith. (Kody explained that they didn’t try out a Mormon youth group first because they had a lot of discrimination there for being polygamists.) Madison told everyone that she didn’t want to be Mormon and would go to any other youth group. Robyn got worked up and told them that they could make that decision when they’re adults. She started crying about it.
They later had a pool party for the teenager’s friends. We kind of covered that earlier. Poor Hunter stayed up in his room the whole time, but he went over to Christine’s house at one point to visit with his little one year-old half sister Truely. That cheered him up.
My take on this whole Sister Wives situation is that we’re no longer looking at a polygamist family working together, we’re looking at a reality show family in which the relationships and the children have been permanently affected by the fame and coverage that goes along with that. This 14 year-old kid is sitting up in his room after being uprooted from his hometown and his friends. He surely doesn’t want to be filmed on top of that and he has no say in that! It’s sad for the kids first of all, and it’s sad for the wives in a way. I really like the original three wives, Christine, Meri and Janelle. They had a nice balance worked out between them before the move. Robyn screwed everything up, but so did the cameras. This isn’t a Kate Plus 8 situation because these kids knew life before the cameras came. It’s clear that they really miss it too.
Screencaps via Pacific Coast News
Kody always looks dirty…and he needs to get a damned haircut. And, yes, I feel sorry for all the kids. Enough already.
Janelle always looks so…over it, I suppose is the way to describe it.
Wow. I feel really bad for those kids. They really don’t seem happy at all.
And I firmly believe that once a teenager decides to explore other faiths (or no faith at all) than the one they grew up in, that the parents should let them do that. Each person’s faith is their own journey, and shouldn’t be subject to what OTHERS want.
I’ve never watched this. I think I’d need to shower after each episode.
Isn’t polygamy illegal (even in Vegas)? I’m confused. How is there a reality show about this if it’s illegal?
Those poor children…Kody is a douchebag.
Jesus would NOT approve! /sarc
I’ve seen the show a few times, and I remember hearing some of the older girls say that they would never want to be a sister wife (I think Meri’s maybe). And they shows you something there with what the kids are going through.
It’d be really hard to be one of those kids, and go to a friends house and see a loving family between ONE wife and husband and then go home where your father is technically openly cheating on your mother with multiple other women.
And to uproot the kids the way they did would be awful too. I mean, it happens to plenty of familys, but it’s still sucky.
And I’ve said this before, but Kody is like a manchild. He isn’t very bright, he isn’t very goodlooking, he just reminds me of a teenage boy who just doesn’t want to settle down with one woman.
Heather M: I think all but the first wife are only “spiritually” married to Kody. The first one might be legally married to him, though.
I am sure someone will correct me and enlighten me, though.
Kody is only legally married to meri the first wife
I have never watched this show. I never will. But I read this post and I have to say this, this feels like child abuse to me. These poor kids are already suffering from their parents alternative life style choice, and to increase that suffering by forcing them to be in front of those damn cameras all the time is selfish, and sick. I have nothing but contempt for people who let/cause their kids pain and suffering just to get what they want for themselves.
What are they going to do after the kids are grown and gone? Just hang out with Kody? Blech. I cannot stomach the thought of him. He is as dumb as paper. But the wives are too – because they married him. Poor children.
I watched most of last night’s episode. I had never this program before but I was struck by Kody’s choice of words, and how he spoke. He always seems guarded in his speech. I got a bad feeling, like there is some underlying meanness, control issues with this dude. Perhaps it’s because this whole “sister Wives” lifestyle is just not one that I comprehend. I do feel badly for the kids. They were uprroted and it’s hard enough being a teen without having to move a new place and make new friends. I hope it all works out for them.
They are not Mormon. Kody makes is very clear in this TLC clip ( http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/sister-wives-kody-tells-all.html ) that he’s not Mormon/LDS but is a Fundamentalist Mormon which is a completely different religion. The Fundamentalist Mormon religion broke off from the Mormon religion in the 1800’s and became their own religion with very different beliefs the same way Protestants broke off from the Catholic Church and began a separate religion. If any member of the Mormon Church began practicing polygamy they would lose their membership in the church. Just wanted to make that clear because you misrepresented Kody’s religion above.
Last night was the first time I had ever watched the show and I was actually pretty put off by Robyn.
Or even, really, the whole idea of adding in that 4th wife. It seems beyond disrespectful to the kids, the wives, pretty much everyone but Kody.
Skilo, I agree. I think this show, and these people, are morally reprehensible. Disgusting.
I agree with Mykelti. Worship is not for public consumption, even though her father seems to think he’s got a closer line on God. Apparently God likes reality shows. Who knew?
I have never watched this show or “Teen Mom”; these shows are the bottom of the barrel the way they exploit children. This trash makes me miss the old broadcast standards that prohibited depicting married couples in the same bed. (Way before my time, but I guess common decency where people aren’t suffering is too boring.)
I’m so sad to read about what is entertaining for so many people. Is it like a horrible accident where you can’t look away?
Kody has messed up this family and these children. The three wives were fine with their lives and the kids were okay with it too (at least, as okay as kids can be when they have to hide what their family does). Then, after 20 years, Kody takes another wife and throws everything into a tailspin. That, combined with putting his family on TV and creating legal problems that cause them to flee Utah, has probably put this family in crisis.
I also like the original 3 wives. Robyn seems sweet and dumb, but like someone who cannot comprehend what is going on. The only thing saving Jenelle was her job. She loved working and she made as much, if not more, money than Kody. I guess they have to keep doing the show because they can’t live without Jenelle’s income.
@boxer, that’s not quite correct. The mainline Mormon/LDS church is more like the Protestant religion, because THEY broke off from the original fundamentalist religion. Not the other way around. Originally, polygamy was a central tenet of Mormonism. It was banned by the church in exchange for Utah’s statehood, I believe. It bothers me that mainline LDS people always want to act like that part of their history never existed. We get that you have nothing to do with it now, but don’t whitewash the facts. Joseph Smith had somewhere in the neighborhood of 28 wives, and Brigham Young had 54. Every religious institution has dubious facets of its history that its modern followers would rather not acknowledge.
@boxer, it’s true that the FLDS (Fundamentalist Mormon) church is a splinter branch of the more mainstream LDS (Mormon) church, but to claim that it is a totally different religion is just bogus.
Even your example–that Protestantism (of which there are MANY varieties, not all of which can be lumped together) is completely different from Catholicism, is not valid. The difference between, say, a Methodist and a Catholic is quite minimal, relatively speaking–finer points of doctrine, church governance, etc. The same is true of the differences between FLDS and LDS–minimal at best.
In my experience (as a professor with a PhD in religious studies/philosophy of religion at a major research university), the people who want to stress the difference between FLDS and LDS are usually Mormons themselves who want to make more of those differences than are really legit. The fact remains, both versions of that religion (like most major religions in world history, but perhaps to a greater degree) are generally sexist and exploitative.
Sorry for the lecture, but I am tired of this misconception being circulated. If you look at the basic premises, sacred texts, and beliefs of both versions of the LDS religious movement, they look mostly the same. And the original founders of the LDS church were themselves polygamists and staunch supporters of polygamy.
this is such a mess. I feel so bad for those kids.
I hope some well-off Vegas lawyers (that can afford to take pro bono cases) take note of this and sue the sh-t out of those adults for what they’re doing to their kids. This is exploitation, plain and simple.
I’m with skilo, JC126 and Sloane. I’ve never watched this and never will, Teen mom included and all the other trashy reality shows. I’d rather watch public tv than this.
I may be wrong (too many reality shows out there), but does the boy who is so upset have autism? If so, no wonder he is so put off by all the changes and upheavel.
Can’t STAND Robyn. What is with her whole long t-shirt/short-t-shirt combos?
@Hootie Hoo, I totally agree–I hate the short shirt/long shirt combos. I think she likes the styles of the short shirts, but the religion does not want them to show that much skin, so she views this as her solution. Really, it just looks silly.
I caught about ten minutes of this show last night – only time I’ve ever seen it. I felt bad for that teenaged boy, and for all of the kids. It’s one thing when you’re filming little kids, ala Kate+8, but these are teenagers. And this is also not a ‘hey, look how awesome my crazy wealthy rockstar family is’ ala The Osbornes. These kids are stuck in a weird-ass family situation and this show opens them up to so much scrutiny and ridicule at an already difficult stage of life. The fact that this man and his ‘wives’ have decided to pimp their family out in this way makes me sick.
So Kody is just like Warren Jeffs!
Ugghh, these people are such morons.
whats gross to me is that a 15 year old would take her co-mom’s pregnancy hard on her mom’s behalf. it’s obvious that worth for women in this family is totally dependent on how many children of kody’s you can squeeze out your hoo-hah, so the idea that one of the wives is like, not worthy as much because she fell behind in the birthing game is gross. and that that would make a 15 year old cry. these people are just weird.
@Ruddy – one of Robyn’s kids from her last marriage is autistic, not the kid that was shown hanging out by himself in his room. That is a really good point though.
Hey, Public TV is good! And they don’t exploit children.
I’m sorry, but I just can’t see anything that makes sense about this lifestyle other than a man who doesn’t want to be monogomous and has his cake and eats it too. I think it’s pretty obvious the first 3 wives are getting older and less attractive, so he finds a young piece to bring home as the new wife. It’s beyond weird. The first three should dump his ass, take their kids and go back and live together in Utah sans this d-bag. Janelle can work to support them. They don’t need him….uggh, what a creep. That would be a way better lifestyle for their children, IMO. I feel very sorry for them. All they are doing is setting themselves up to damage their relationship with their kids, who will probably leave and not look back once they get old enough. In the meantime, it’s got to be torture for them to be subjected to this intense scrutiny.
This just seems like a whole bunch of NO.
I wish they could go back to the way things were. Without the cameras.
What I found the most hurtful or wrong situation in this reality show was when Meri -his 1.wife who picked up all the others for him- asked him while crying of jealousy that if he´d imagine it was the other way round he´d be jealous too.
And he said that the thought of him having to share her is “obviously obscene and wrong to God” or something alike.
And she looked as if she´d suffocate of all the swallowed down humiliation…
It makes me a) sad and b) looking down on religions in general even more since this reality show.
@ Sammyt1 Agree with you! Janelle, Meri and Christine can take care of each other. The work together very well and would do far better without Kody and Robyn.
Kody and Robyn are both mental midgets are are well suited to each other.
Why any woman in this day and age would want to share a mate is beyond me.
I agree with @Annie_grey (33) and Hootie Hoo (34)- deciding to take on this reality show has ruined this family. I feel so bad for the kids and the wives. I think that Kody douche-bag is the only one that is OK with it, well except for Robin because she has had a separate house from the rest of the wives from the beginning, so she isn’t as affected by the changes as everyone else. And now she’s having a baby, which is like winning the lottery in that family. I feel like this family was functioning and happy before the show and now it’s a big huge mess, mostly because Kody felt the need to put them all on front street.
I just LOVE Truely’s little bald head.
I find hilarious the comments saying the three wives were fine, but the fourth was TOO MUCH!
There were clearly all kinds of tensions even with just three, with constant anxiety about status and attention. Just looking at the photos, notice the pecking order on the couch? The first wife always gets to sit next to the dope.
That woman was a fool to leave job and community to move this mess to Las Vegas. Next show: Stripper Wives!
Someone has to punch that guy square in his fat douche face.
Maybe for the Xmas episode?
Robyn’s an idiot. A crying idiot. This “family” is all kinds of dysfunctional. I don’t watch. I WON’T watch. But the parents are awful and the children are to be pitied.
Dont know it any of you posters have teenagers…but girls are very emotional and moody..boys are defiant. The girls were mouthy before they found out they were moving. The boys are actually better behaved than the girls. I feel badly that the children had to move, but millions of kids go thru upheaval because of divorce and the recession. At least these kids have a nice roof over their heads, food, and parents to watch over them.
ugh, these depraved reality shows can’t end soon enough. i don’t know what’s worse — the exploitation of clearly dysfunctional people; or the mainstreaming of these behaviors.
Kids shouldnt be allowed on any of these reality shows. If their own stupid, selfish parents wont protect them from being on reality tv there should be a law against it!
Reailty tv is the lowest of the low. Who would ever chose to be on a reality show?! I am soooooo over ALL reality/FAKE & scripted shows. I think alot of people are.
Boxer – Mormon is Mormon is Mormon period. The original doctrine of Mormon religion believes in Poligamy.
You dont just take out parts of a religion you dont like, call it something else and pretend it isnt what it really is.
Protestants and Catholics have many differences. The only difference between FLDS and Non FLDS is poligamy – thats it.
You can sugar coat it all you want but Poligamy in the founding principles of Mormonism period. Not adhering to poligamy is completely against what Joseph Smith, the founder the Church of Later Day Saints created Mormonism for and about.
Most mormons I’ve met are wonderful people, and it seems to be a religion that has some beautiful foundations, but I wouldn’t include Joseph Smith’s lies and vices among them. Separate your faith from your founder, because he sounds like a liar and a pervert. Sorry. You CAN have one without the other.
the “reality” show HAS destroyed the balance that the family had. I get really uneasy when the idea of a “sister” having “time” with Cody.
Many tribal communities all over the world have “polygamy” but the “wives” often have a life very independent of the “husband.” Their lives may not be glamorous, but their day to day lives are rather independent of the male and other wives.
The sister wives must live almost together and merge the children and themselves. And think about those times when Cody has chosen (right?) which wife to be with.
My big question – how does he choose? is there some type of schedule???
More importantly….has the show improved the perception of polygamy???
I admire the women much more than the “man.”
“That woman was a fool to leave job and community to move this mess to Las Vegas. Next show: Stripper Wives!”
Fool is a bit harsh, but she’s lost any power she (and her kids) had, hasn’t she? And in regards to the next show: Nope, not Stripper Wives. We move from polygamy to pedophilia as the 50 something actor from Lost and the 16 year old Bimbo he married get their own reality TV show. The decline of western civilization continues…
Does anyone else think there is unseen abuse going on? Why are all the girls and most of the children in general so overweight?
I think it was Maddie who said she didn’t want to be a sister wife and that’s Jenelle’s kid. She has the black hair and looks just like her mother.
I don’t agree with polygamy at all, but I find it interesting that many think its okay for gays to adopt children/get married and will come at someone’s neck for even saying anything about it not being right (and I’m not say that is or isn’t how I feel) but they in all their liberal and ‘do what that wilt” thinking turn their noses up at this family. If everyone is supporting No H8 and the idea that everyone should be able to live their lives and have children as long as they are loving parents, then whether you agree or not, the same should apply to every type of relationship right?
So the gays and gay supporters hate on the religious/ non-gay supporters for hating on them and denying them their American rights, but everyone is looking down and hating on the polgys. Hilarious. And I don’t mean everyone as in “everyone”, but those who are all hot and heavy about all these issues.
Thanks for the clarification, Celebitchy. I had watched a couple of the first episodes and got the kids a bit scrambled.
I think this is weird, but they have a right to do what they want in their home since the women are all clearly adults. I think the filming is bad for the kids though. I caught part of this episode and I have to say it was dull and uncomfortable. The shows I saw in the past were somewhat more lighthearted (even if some real conflict showed through). I don’t see this show lasting long, as their lives seem to have changed for the worse. Hopefully they will come to their senses and not put making money from the show ahead of the kids. They should go live their lives according to their beliefs, but not on tv.
Victoria, #50, Here’s a hint: When you write “the gays” you give yourself away as gay-hating, even if you’re trying to appear all neutral.
#6 Erinn – ITA, couldn’t have said it better. Watched the show a few times and it seems the children, especially the TEENS have a better grasp on reality than Kody and his *wives*. Seems the parents don’t see their polygamist family under the glare of cameras as being exploitative – it is, and Kody is ultimately responsible as he is the *man* of the house. I wonder what Kody would think if one of his daughters landed a reality show featuring her and three boyfriends or husbands. Would that be cool?
@ a~ When you assume you make an ass out of yourself. You know nothing about me and could not possibly infer anything about my beliefs since I never indicated what side I stood on the issue.
Newsflash, just because everyone doesn’t March at Gay Pride and call “the gays” all the technical fancy words that you deem a proper indication of my gay support, doesn’t mean that I hate gays.
AS you can see you prove my point. At the mere suggestion in your mind that I might not believe in something you possibly stand for, I am labeled a hater. I am tolerant of all people whether I disagree with them about things or not. I find it hypocritical of my gay brother, whom I love very much thank you, to tell me that he thinks what the polygamists-as do many of our friends who support gay rights-are doing is wrong, but he’s all upset about Prop 8 and that he can’t marry his boyfriend.
And to that I say boo.
Whether I agree with homosexuality, polygamy, polyamory, or bestiality or not was not the point of my post which you so happily glossed over. The point is that how are some people clamoring and bashing people for refusing to accept or condone their beliefs, and all judgmental about another group for theirs. Both issues are considered “alternative lifestyles” (whether anyone likes it or not). And the point is that no one should be judging anyone.
I agree the reality aspect has ruined the dynamic of this family. In the beginning, I thought it was amazing how they worked together as a team, even with their issues. The kids were happy and well adjusted in their comfort zone. But now, it’s different. I think the women did have good intentions in exposing their family because they were trying to show that their side of the story that not every Polyg family are livin on compounds and marrying child brides. I think Cody had the same agenda, plus the fame and notoriety of having three biotches on his jock and his super sperm.
But good intentions are worth a quid of poo as they say and TLC does not care about destroying this family. They want ratings and the Browns will have to produce to get that paycheck.
I love all the Sister Wives except for Robin who irks me. I see right through that chica.
And I love all the kids especially, Mariah, Mykelti, and Maddie. They are bitchin.
@Shannon, Lindy, and Kim:
The Fundamentalist LDS church broke off of the Mainstream LDS church – that’s a fact. The Fundamentalists have different leaders, some starkly different doctrines, etc. – that’s a fact as well. FLDS believe in the Book of Mormon, as do the LDS, that’s also a fact. For anyone who cares about finding out what Mormons actually believe from a primary source, visit http://mormon.org
CDT–the FLDS church did, indeed, break off from the mainstream LDS church (and consequently have different leaders). However–the break took place on AFTER the mainstream LDS church abandoned the pro-polygamy teachings espoused by the founders of the LDS church. These were largely abandoned because Utah wanted to become a state and the federal govt refused to allow statehood with polygamy as a major, if not THE major tenet of the LDS church.
But there were so many mainstream LDS church members who thought abandoning that teaching was wrong, that they decided to break away. So, the FLDS church, although it is a splinter group that broke away from the LDS church, considers itself to be the true, righteous LDS church that keeps to the original teaching of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young on polygamy. They consider the mainstream anti-polygamy LDS church to be heretical.
As for finding out what any religion believes by going to their website/their documents/their promotional materials… Well, that’s just a pointless research method. That’s like going to McDonald’s website to find out whether they use quality ingredients or make healthy food. Of COURSE they’ll tell you they do–but how do find out the reality behind the spin?
I’ve read the book of Mormon many times, along with the other major documents and sacred texts. The garbage Kody spews on this show, the humiliation he hands out to his wives and kids… It’s a direct result of the religion to which he belongs–a religion that is closely related to mainstream LDS.
I feel the daughter was crying because now Robyn has a solid place in the family with a baby on the way; I suspect that the older kids (and the other wives, too) had hoped Robyn’s relationship with Kody would not work out. This is just a dumbed down rip off of HBO’s Big Love.
In that last picture, Kody has this look of… “I’m watching you, so don’t muck this up for me,” toward the one that is talking.
I don’t know all their names. The only one I know is Robyn, cuz she kinda seems like a famewhore.
Speaking of Robyn, she also has the look of, “Don’t say anything to upset him, please.”
The others just look so tired of it all. What would happen if they wanted to end the “marriage”?
@ Lindy
“So, the FLDS church, although it is a splinter group that broke away from the LDS church, considers itself to be the true, righteous LDS church that keeps to the original teaching of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young on polygamy.”
Obviously. What you said was that the LDS church isn’t the original LDS church established in 1830. That’s incorrect. The LDS church is centered around Christ, who communicates with living prophets. Living prophets are key because in order to follow Christ, as in the Old and New Testaments, continuing revelation is paramount. When polygamy was ended as a practice, a small group of members broke off, rejected living prophets, and formed their Fundamentalist sect – main tenets have been diluted since then, over 100 years ago.
“As for finding out what any religion believes by going to their website/their documents/their promotional materials… Well, that’s just a pointless research method.”
What? Where else would you go? If you want to know what a religion believes, you need to go find out from them – as it stands, you’re off-base. If you’ve ever read the Book of Mormon, I question whether you comprehended it. It speaks out against polygamy for one, and has a running theme of respecting women and children or facing God’s condemnation. Kody’s behavior is not based on the true LDS church’s beliefs, but perhaps a perversion thereof.
I respect the fact that you have your own beliefs, Lindy, but I have my doubts you’ve sincerely searched for what my beliefs are, if that’s what you’re aiming to find.
The birth of a new kid will not patch up the issues that come with being followed around by cameras, uprooting your family and forcing them to live a jacked up life. How can they expect for these kids to ever have much of a life outside their home? Robyn is just a moron for bringing another baby into the mix of an already stressed household.
2 more things that really eat at me about this show:
1. At least 2 of the wives have said they seriously want their kids to be polygamists and “live this ‘lifestyle'”. I don’t see how it ties into worshipping God, or why it’s not a choice, it’s a requirement of being “in their faith”. How is having several breed mares connected to faith??
2. What on earth do they do if Kody dies? Find another husband that wants all of them? That’d be impossible, and also seemingly against their ‘lifestyle’, since women only get 1 man, and they are required to share him. Why aren’t they allowed to go to their church and just have 1 mate if they want? Seems like they’re forced to run a breeding farm. What if everybody did this and they ran out of males? Marry their brothers? None of the math works out either.
This is why I hate the generic moniker “Lifestyle”. It just is very veiled and reveals nothing. The whole gig just seems as dysfunctional as a monkey and a horse raising a human baby.
I just saw this show, kinda let looking at a car accident. I don’t know what upsets me more, that the wives put kody’s needs before not only themselves but their children. Also, why would 4 women be so desperate to put up with a “husband” like kody, extremely controlling. I feel sorry for the children. I feel most sorry for Hunter. His actions are speaking louder that words and yet not one adult in that “family” cares enough to listen.
I have been exposed to many different religions in my lifetime. One was what I would call today extreme and most of the kids I knew in that church are now as adults no longer a part of that religion. As an adult I have chosen not to be involved in religion, my personal belief is that you can have a relationship with the “higher power” without religion. Religion was created by man and man is proven to not be without fault and sin. Now, having said that I don’t know much about the Mormon religion, nor do I want to. My personal belief is as I stated above is that it was created by a vile, disgusting man and one of the most offensive religions that exists. I grew up in a home where my father treated my mother like an object, he was controlling, physically and verbally abusive. I hated my mother for staying with him. The whole situation was absolutely disgusting and degrading. I had such strong feelings about it that I am surprised that I have a happy marriage and three children. I learned alot from my parent’s marriage even though I was so disgusted by it and about myself. I honestly do not believe that men are meant to have more than one wife. If one wife and their children are not enough for him then he is just plain selfish. How can you say you love someone when your actions are clearly hurting them. It has been my experience that actions speak louder than words. A man who feels he needs more than one wife, well that speaks volumes about him. And lets not forget about what kind of woman is willing to accept her husband being a “whore” so to speak. These women are weak and must have very low self esteem. I am not the strongest person in the world but if my husband felt that me and our children were not enough for him then I would tell him to be on his way because I deserve a better man that could over come temptation and desire and be committed to our family, that’s real love. What breaks my heart the most is the thought that one day one if not more of their children will realize how wrong that lifestyle is and see their parent’s for what they really are and it will break their hearts.
For anyone who has questions about how polygamy started in the LDS aka Mormon Church, the book “In Sacred Loneliness” is very insightful. It is about Joseph Smith’s 30+ wives, and the author uses historical records and autobiographical accounts. (summaries are online at http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org)
The LDS only discontinued polygamy after years of pressure/threat from the US government. Many already living the polygamous principle moved to preserve their families. Those who still believed and continued the practice became various branches of the FLDS and that’s also how what we have come to know as polygamous compounds began.
In Mormonism, polygamy promises blessings in the next life. Religious pressure and/or conditioning make it difficult for me to consider it just another lifestyle choice.
As far as Meri’s comment to Kody about how he’d feel if the situation was reversed, he should consider that Joseph Smith also married several women while they were concurrently married and living with other men. That’s right, it’s not discussed so many Mormons don’t even know.
Someone also brought up the point of what would happen to the wives if Kody died. In the case of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and apostles like Heber C. Kimball claimed them. Brigham married Zina Jacobs, who was still married to and living with her first husband, Henry Jacobs. Why doesn’t someone make a movie about that?
This show is sad. All the women seem so lost and uncomfortable, and the relationships seem really forced. The guy is an immature narcissist and the women clearly have no self-esteem. Religion? Really? Come on…this is nothing but a weak justification for awful behavior. Those poor kids…they must be so angry and confused.