Of course I watched it, you guys. It's like you don't even KNOW me if you have to ask

[stoney321]

And it should be obvious that I'm talking about TLC's Sister Wives, the REALITY SHOW about POLYGAMISTS. I mean, come on <00 say like Jimmy from South Park. Brief commentary about them, under a cut in case stating the obvious is "spoilery." :D

• obligatory "we're not Mormons!" statement in first 5 minutes


• obligatory "I was Mormon, and never even KNEW about polygamy!" statement in first 10 minutes


• times my eyes rolled for obligatory statements: 2


• are they in Draper? Or West Jordan? Anyone? Because WJ is full of plygs, has been for decades


• OMG, those women are so damn Utah Mormon, it's not even funny. The "funny one" (aka the one that actually raises the kids) is almost exactly my cousin Erin. I lol'd a lot, because she is hilarious, too


• I was impressed that the meal they showed the kids eating was not a casserole


• I lol'd at all of the MAVs (Mormon Assault Vehicles, what SUV's were called before America discovered them) and then the surfer-hair dad with his Lexus sports car.


• Every time they prayed, etc., that's pure Mormon. See my eye rolling at "we're not blah blah"


• they had Book of Mormon scripture on their walls - I looked for pictures of the prophets, didn't see them, but did see the Jesus Calendar by Del Parsons that you get at the LDS bookstore. Also they had "Families are Forever" cross stitched, lol.


• I know it's all happy and light right now, but if they get to the religious aspect of it, it's gonna get weird

For the record, I'm totally cool with polyamory. It's religious structures that dictate to women from birth that they have no choice but to breed for their men that I have massive issues with.

Because flaming_muse is so awesome and had some great ideas for me, I'm all jazzed up for writing today. I need to get off the kitchen table chairs because they hurt my butt for long bouts of writing, one, and two, the cats like to do that thing cats do where they sneak up behind you and gradually push you off the chair, claiming it in the name of Feline. Also, I need to rethink my subtitle, because "An Insider's blah blah" and "How I blah blah'd and finally blah'd" is played out.

It was 51 degrees this morning. Tonight is venison stew and a bottle of red. YAY.

OH. AND I FORGOT TO MENTION. Last Thursday marked the 1,000,000th hit on the first portion of the Sparkledammerung. (The others are languishing around 500,000 ish, with the 4th at @750,000 hits.) DUDE. I'm internet popular. Just in time for my high school reunion!! Lol.

Comments

[maybe1ce.livejournal.com]

I just watched in On Demand. They were so patently hand picked and media trained within an inch of their lives. Their sect/church/temple/autonomous collective clearly decided that they needed to put out a view to contrast the YFZ picture. They hit the talking points, 1-2-3 and then spat out some tag lines ("love should be multiplied, not divided!") that sounded like a slogan written by a focus group.

That said, it seemed quite clear that they do not live in a society where young girls are raised to be one of a stable of handmaidens, so >shrug< whatever works for them. I'm sure I'll find the religious stuff odd to me, but, whatever, I try to make it a point not to judge people's faith if they aren't using it to damage people. Even if it is Bat Wacky.

The one thing that actually did surprise me was that I thoroughly expected to be offended by the degradation of the women...but, instead, I got the vibe that this particular family is kind of a matriarchal commune, with one Dorky Tool of a man who isn't even important enough to get his own room in the house. They are kind of like "Yeah, we have this society, working mom, working/student mom, Stay-at-home mom, we've got all the kinds of mom, all kinds of kids....oh, yeah. That guy. He's kind of a tool, but we pass him around for the sex and the kids."

However, we do need to look at the real crime here. That wallpaper was a crime against God and Man, and possibly even Joseph Smith.

[thebratqueen.livejournal.com]

I was waiting for you to weigh in on this one. Huzzah!

[essene.livejournal.com]

You should find this interesting: http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/joannabrooks/3424/tlc_premieres_polygamy_reality_show_sister_wives_/

I just...how is it okay to have this on TV as a reality series? I mean, if he is professing ON TV to have 3 wives, isn't that bigamy? Isn't that still illegal?

I didn't even know this was a show? How did I not know this Stoney? How? Damnit. Do I have to watch now?

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Their giggles every time they were filmed "Hee, hee, cameras!" was wearing thin. UGH, that phrase "love should be multiplied, not divided" has been their catch phrase for a while. GROCE.

And I'm with you so far on how it seems to be a lady-run joint. I'll be interested in seeing their girls talk/behave to know if they're not being weirdoes/oppressive.

WHAT ABOUT THOSE SOFAS? They make the baby Brigham Young cry.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

HEE, I figured someone was!

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Oh cool, she had about the same ideas on it as me. I was hyper vigilant for any wafts of FLDS, and they're just the garden-variety plygs that are out there. (That's why I think they're out in West Jordan.)

I think he's not in trouble for it because he's in Utah. I hear they're shit at prosecuting that stuff. ;)

[rocketlaunching.livejournal.com]

I missed it last night and was patiently waiting for this, lol. Thanks.

Congrats on your internet popularity! You deserve it :]

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

How did I not know about this show? I'll have to see if I can catch a repeat on the TiVo.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

LOL - it's pretty bland so far. They're just trying to market normalcy. Um, how is that good tv?

I DO, I DESERVE ALL THE NICE THINGS! (Hahahaha)

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

It's on TLC, so they'll run it a thousand times this week. (Sunday nights is when new eps air)

[maybe1ce.livejournal.com]

Sectionals: The love that should be divided.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

I've got it set up to snag a repeat on Wednesday I think. Yay for TLC.

[bailunrui.livejournal.com]

I didn't expect to watch it, but I could win a damn game of Spider for, like, two hours and TLC happened to be on. I was surprised that the show didn't completely offend my sensibilities. I don't care what kind of adult relationship you have with one, two, many other people, but often polygamy comes with female oppression. I didn't get that sense here, of which I'm glad. I'm comparing Sister Wives with 19 Kids and Counting, and I have to say, the former seems to be a healthier living environment, particularly for females, than the latter.

[strtmyorange.livejournal.com]

So, is TLC's new logo "THE Network for the DIY Cultist"? Between Sister Wives and that Quiverful show I'm thinking yes.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping the female oppression won't end up being there all sneaky like. And lol, I totally agree with your last point.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

LOL x forever

this is completely off the topic of your post, but....

[fayeven.livejournal.com]

...i wanted to say that i (finally!) caught blood on the highway last night!!! pure bloody awesomeness!!! and you were great!! i laughed all the way through it ;)

[elizardbits.livejournal.com]

Oh, I am so tempted to watch this for the lulz, but that would take precious time away from my Tom Hardy addiction. CONUNDRUM!

[lynnenne]

You really DO win the Internet!

Re: this is completely off the topic of your post, but....

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Oh, how fantastic! I'm so glad you laughed, that's the whole goal we set out to meet. :D

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I have to say so far it is BORE EEENG. If it gets all salacious and crazytown I will make sure you get the good bits. SAVE YOURSELF, WOMAN.

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

Glad I didn't watch.

Happy to see you getting the recognition you deserve.

[effervescent.livejournal.com]

YAY I'm glad you watched it :D Hahaha, I was going to ask, but then figured that you probably had about 239845 other people ask you already, and I'd find out one way or another. I'm kinda interested because it's a series, not a documentary or a one stop special, so we'll see.

[effervescent.livejournal.com]

Did they have an actual marriage done, though? I mean, if there was no attempt at a legal ceremony, then really all that's going on in the eyes of the law is that the guy has a wife and two live-in partners.

[tigre24601.livejournal.com]

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20429667,00.html

[maybe1ce.livejournal.com]

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/north/lehi/article_9b4dd18b-d1f3-5c3e-b7c2-9809d7902b66.html


Looks like they are in Lehi.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!!! That's where I lived?!?!?! And where my dad is from! It's like, population 400, no joke! Oh, man, they have to be way up on the side of the mountain, or in the new subdivision next to the state prison, I didn't recognize any of the landmarks there!

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

OMG, STONEY, THE COPS ARE ONTO THEM (FOR FELONY BIGAMY)! (http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/28/sister.wives.felony.ppl/index.html)

I wonder what gave them away? The bad hair? The overly populated house? The REALITY TV SHOW?

This will be a real test as to how much law enforcement is in bed with (pun intended) the Mormons/polygamists. And honestly? Who could possibly have thought that a show about people breaking the law (even in *gasp* Utah) wouldn't have raised some red flags?

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

OMG! There actually is a.... TV-show like that?

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

I have now seen this show AND I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.

Do all Mormons cross their arms like that when they pray, like they're super grumpy two-year-olds? Why were they all facing in one direction in the room? Do you think the first wife has been told she's not faithful enough or something and that's why she only had one child? (Seriously, it's got to be rough in that world only to have one when the other wives just keep popping them out.) They all seemed seriously trained to say things in a certain way, not just the words like lifestyle/principle but how to explain their awesome ways to outsiders. Do you think they were specially coached to be on TV, or are they just that way in general? Or both?

You know, I've long thought it would be fabulous to have a wife (or some other person(s) in the house who actually was happy to take on cleaning and household running duties - gender doesn't matter), but it seems a shame that what could be a useful community living arrangement (communes for the win?) has to get so tied to crazy religious ideas.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

YAY!! (I have a whole chapter devoted to polygamy, btw. And many posts - they have a tag)

YES. you cross your arms when you pray, you close your eyes and bow your head. It's being "reverent." There are children songs that teach you how to pray properly, too. There's also a formula for the order in which you pray (Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for [fill in] we ask that you bless [leaders of church and govt] bless [family members, meeting, etc] I humbly ask for [whatever you're wanting/etc.] In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." THAT IS THE ONLY WAY in the LDS church. I still feel weird when I go to other people's churches and hear prayers all loosey goosey. LOL.

Normally you pray while kneeling at your sofa, your bed, etc. Unless you're in a meeting, in which you're sitting in your pew, or chair. I noticed they were all facing one way, and it's probably because who ever was praying was at the head of that location they were pointing at.

And the church has whole lists of responses for why she didn't have but one kid. 1) She is like Sarah, literally, with her child and finding a second wife to give many babies (in that case, SIX. Wow.) 2) If she's righteous on earth she'll get to have babies in heaven (Mormons believe in sex in heaven - the chapter on Women tells you all about that, wow) and 3) it's her duty to help assist as a helpmeet her sister wives in raising their babies.

They were trained by the church, I would bet my life on it. That's just how Mormons talk - which is why all of the ex-Mo books bug me, THEY SOUND LIKE MORMONS.

Agreed - communes are kick ass when not tied to religion.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Thank you. You are awesome!

Although I was holding out hope that they were secretly facing Mecca Salt Lake City or something when praying. ;)

"Yay, you're like Sarah" has to be cold comfort when you're in a faith where women are supposed to give birth to a million kids to clear out those souls in heaven. (See? I was paying attention to what you write!)

[caesarea.livejournal.com]

I'm late, and this is a total lurker comment, but I found the Sparkledammerung posts through... I can't remember, but I found them and they are awesome. I've been sifting through your journal today and you're a very engaging writer. I started watching Sister Wives recently and am going through your polygamy tag right now. I don't know much about mormonism, so I'm happy to be learning from someone who has the knowledge.

Idk, I was feeling like a creeper by reading and staying anon. :P

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Hello! And hahaha, this is a public journal, so lurking about doesn't bother me. Of course people popping up for convo is always great, too, so either/or! :)

(And thank you for the kind complement.)