Janelle from the start was the #1 favorite with fans here at SWB. This year she showed a bit more into her psyche. Here's the place to discuss all things Janelle. A few topics-
The "lie" - crying on TV then laughing off the move on A Current Affair.
Suddenly really becoming a single mom to the teens.
Having to go along with Robyn - remember the gag?
Let's not forget the Filing of the Bigamy lawsuit!
Let's talk all things Janelle!!
The "lie" - crying on TV then laughing off the move on A Current Affair.
Suddenly really becoming a single mom to the teens.
Having to go along with Robyn - remember the gag?
Let's not forget the Filing of the Bigamy lawsuit!
Let's talk all things Janelle!!
Janelle is Meri's Ex sister in-law ....... wonder how it came about for Janelle to "divorce" Meri's brother to marry Meri's hubby.....
ReplyDeleteAlso wonder where she was in pecking order with Meri's brother (wife number what?)? the whole thing with her mom and father in-law is freaky also ........ wonder what is the real relationship between Janelle & Kodi's parents and Kodi's other wives(Meri, Christine, Robyn)
At first, I absolutely adored Janelle, and would rather listen to her than anyone of them. Then we saw the side of her that....well.. got her where she is.
ReplyDeleteLikes:
Hard worker, takes care of herself.
Seems like she'd be a good mom.
Probably is hard to make friends with, then is your BEST buddy when she is!
Cons:
Doesn't take care of herself, eats her emotions.
Obviously is clueless about Kody
Wondering:
She can't stand Meri or Robyn (thumbs up!)
WHY she doesn't RUN. You can tell this woman has not married for the religion.
I bet she could be one cold sister mom to you if she wanted!!!
The lawsuit is what threw me. I wanted her to be better than that!!
To anony 8:03
ReplyDeletethe story we've been told is that Janelle was the only wife to Meri's brother, Marc. THEN, divorced him and later "married" Kody (like, 3 yrs later).
Janelle and Meri don't get along. She sees her as emotionally needy.
Janelle and Christine became best buddies; Janelle the worker, Christine the mommy, and they seem to do well together.
Janelle's mom went to meet the elder Winn Brown when Janelle and Kody were a "courtin" and fell in love. Actually "married" Winn before Janelle married Kody. If you haven't read the earlier posts about Winn, check them out, they are good.
I wonder also why Janelle is being portrayed as the only wife that works? Meri worked and had a good job - she was let go after they went public with their polygammy (I remember that episode)..........
ReplyDeleteJanelle doesn't seem to get along with Meri - and it's understandable, she probably fell in love with Kody(just like mommy & father in-law) when she visited Meri with her then husband............
obviously Meri had a tough time adjusting to her former sister in-law becoming a fellow sister wife........
I guess Janelle is seeing as working due to her probably "paying"(pecks) Christine to take care of the kids, while she works - an arrangement that worked for both of them, while Meri was on her own providing for her child(what Mariah wants Meri & Kody provides) and contributing some money for general use........
my take.......
I wish the show would explore the relationship between the wives more. I don't care about Kody! What did Robyn think of Christine's apology? Had she felt mistreated? Because I never saw Christine being mean or rude... To anyone but Kody, who deserved it! In fact, I think she was overly nice to Robyn!
ReplyDeleteI hope Truely never watches the finale, to have one of her moms (Meri) actually say that she is more excited about this birth then Truely's??? That will mess a kid up!!!!!! I used to like Meri, but that cold and heartless comment ruined it all... She is my least fav. now. Even Robyn would never say anything that evil......
To Anon 9:10 -
ReplyDeleteMeri worked part time with troubled teens. Okay, many of us have made assumptions that Meri's job didn't require much education or work ethic. We could be wrong about that. It does sound suspiciously like a volunteer job that later started to pay a little something.
Anyway, who wants a proselytizing polygamist counseling at-risk teens. Meri's family would become the focus at work, when it should be the kids. I can see why they fired her.
Yes, I'm another Janelle fan. Her kids seem the most rational and skeptical. They stand a chance.
But the Bigamy lawsuit, even if it's all for show, is troubling. It stinks of cultic persecution complex, when we all know life was fine in Utah, and fine for vast tribes of polygamists. The legal recognition of polygamy isn't even something that the tribes want. Their financial scams of public support would be ruined. I'm shocked that Janelle hasn't considered this from a logical perspective.
Most of us are grasping at straws to find a "hero" in the Brown family. Frankly, Hunter is only member to ask our questions and raise out issues. We imagine that Janelle does as well.
Is that Christine's daughter Aspen in the photo above? Is she expecting?
Objectively, Janelle DID look like the most intelligent and responsible about money and realistic goals. Also, she did/does come off as not particularly warm and fuzzy. She is rather stoic compared to the other wives. And it is certainly not a crime to be that type of personality. Probably she is caring mother in "her style" of caring.
ReplyDeleteHowever, now it is becoming quite apparent that any observations anyone could draw from the clips shown starting from Season 1 to now, about the individual players were/are *simply scripted.*
Who knows who and what Janelle REALLY is....as a person? There are contradictions after contradictions.
Which has forced viewers whose interest is now peaked about the Browns and polygamy to do their own homework. To find out about the actual blood ties and familial connections between these people. Not the TLC -presented bits and pieces and vague references shown in edited clips, but the actual documented history. Questions do arise now about the underbelly of this family.
The opening sequence of the show with all four wives and Kody/lord and master happily stating their joy and contentment is almost insulting to watch now.
Who is Janelle.....??
On face value and observation, she is a middle-aged woman with six children who has chosen an alternative lifestyle for herself and her children. One that appears to have several negatives and missing pieces, both for herself and certainly for her children.
She is also an integral part of whatever and wherever this Brown Family Road Show is going.
Janelle knows exactly what she is doing.
In one of the earlier seasons Janelle has stated that she loved and picked the lifestyle because she could have both. Going to work and have children. Which seems like a perfectly good reason to me (at this time I was actually thinking, well, that doesn´t sound soo bad. I could imagine that for myself. Having a good friend who I trust at home looking after my children and me going to work).
ReplyDeleteI also don´t think that Janelle is "cold" or anything like that.
The one episode where she talked about Hunter wanting to play football again, there was more real emotion in her than in any of the wives in all of the seasons, at least in my opinion.
Her kids are also the most intelligent (compare Hunter to Mariah, pff) and reflective. Thats either because of good genes (well, as good as they can get beeing 50% of Kody) or because Janelle had an influence on them, even though she was not a stay-at-home mom.
I think that she never thought that Kody would take another wife after Christine. And now that she has 6 kids who grow up in this family, she maybe feels the responsibility to stay.
Wasn´t there something similar with Meri going on in one episode where she stated she thinks about leaving but could never do that to Mariah?
I don´t know. I will never understand how a clever person like Janelle could fall for a fraudster like Kody, bear him 6 children and feed the other douzen he has with other women.
I just caught up on the shows last night and I have to agree with CC. I was absoultely shocked at Meri's statement about the bond she feels for Soloman that she never felt with any of the other children. Those are war words and would never have anything to do with her again sister wife or not.
ReplyDeleteJanelle also teared up when Christine announced that she has halved her anxiety meds. Janelle might be more emotionally quiet than Robyn, but she's more genuine.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how to feel about Janelle anymore.
ReplyDeleteI liked her the best of all the wives at first. She seemed to be a strong, independent woman who didn't seem to need as much gooey attention from Kody as the other wives. And considering how I feel about Kody, I liked that aspect of her.
But here are my issues with her:
The fact that she married her former sister-in-law's husband is just so odd to me. Besides the ick factor, would you truly "marry" a man like Kody just so you could have built-in baby-sitters for your kids?
She was clearly happy with her role in Utah - now she almost seems to be the most miserable of the wives(if I had to choose just one) because, having left a life she knew and was comfortable with, she must feel completely adrift in Las Vegas. Plus, knowing that her kids are not happy has got to place a tremendous amount of stress on her. And she's not one to whine and complain like the other wives, so I think she probably holds a tremendous amount of emotion inside.
And I'm still bothered by the whole weight-loss show, where they had to get on a scale and announce their weight to everyone. I felt terrible for her - she stated that even Kody didn't know her weight - and there she was, publishing it for the world. I'm angry that she didn't stand up for herself. Startng a weight loss program is hard enough - there was no need for her to state her weight out loud. I just wonder what manipulation went on behind the scenes to make her do that, and why she didn't tell the other wives to just shove it - they could go public, but leave her out of it.
I have thought from the beginning that Janelle basically wanted a father for her kids, not necessarily a romantic relationship...or, I suppose, it could be that she did want a romantic relationship, realized she wasn't going to get that once cute lil' Christine came along, and quietly moved into her current position of "buddy" wife.
Bottom line - I also wish she'd pack up her kids and leave. If any wife stands a fighting chance away from the Kodester, it's Janelle.
How about Janelle in a Santa suit in vegas fo rthe santa run this weekend?
ReplyDeleteJanelle believes very strongly in her "religion". That's why she won't leave. It tells her to have multiple children, allow herself to be shared by a man, sacrifice your own mental health & sense of self worth. And this "religion" was created fairly recently by a MAN who wanted to have multiple affairs & manipulate women. I like Janelle and would love to be friends with her but I know she will do what her heart has been told to do.
ReplyDeleteJanelle seems smart, doesn't like drama and allows her kids to think independently. Why oh why then is she in this circus? My guess is low self-esteem and some serious brainwashing...she's the only wife I have sympathy for. RUN AWAY!
ReplyDeleteJanelle is my favorite too. And I think she benefited the most from and showed the best side of polygamy: her kids and home taken care of while she could happily pursue her career, plus she did give the impression of not being very needy of "romance"... So I think she was pretty content. However, I do feel we're not getting her whole story, especially about her family disowning her, then finding out in a later episode about her mom and Kody's dad, and much later about her failed marriage with Meri's brother. She kind of glossed over it in a ha-ha-ha way saying "well who wants to talk about their failed marriage." But in a culture/religion that takes marriage VERY seriously, and prays about to get a revelation about it, thinks hard about it, needs the approval of certain people before going through with it, yet just in the little group of people presented on the show, there are 3 divorces (that we know of. Unless Janelles's dad had passed away and she was a widow). It makes me wonder, this is supposedly one of the squeeky cleanest families from the AUB, chosen to make polygamy look so vanilla, yet even they have these weird skeletons in the closet: besides the ones mentioned above, the blood relationships between Kody, Christine and Robyn's ex, which makes her 3 kids from that marriage actually related to Kody and to Christine's kids, so it's still all in the family. So can you imagine what the other families are like?
ReplyDeleteI wished Janelle could have/would have called b.s. on Robyn's b.s. that she plans to have a honeymoon marriage like she saw her parents have with theirs the whole time growing up. I soooo was waiting for Janelle to get a puzzled look on her face and say, "really? i thought you told us your parents are divorced now??"
ReplyDeletei'm sure she thought it tho when instead she just shook her head and rolled her eyes and said, "i don't think that's realistic." they've all gotta be at least half as smart as the teens are and know by now themselves that Robyn's a manipulative liar first and foremost. ick - what a bitch to have to endure....
I believe many people see Janelle as the smart, down to earth wife, but, look at what you are comparing her to. I lost any respect I had for her from the 'we got to leave Lehi this weekend' and forward. Please, I knew that is was all for ratings... but there she was with the 'I am scared of the police' crap. I wish I knew if the 'kids' know the BS of the situation or how much. Hearing Madison, a few eps. back saying 'we had to leave'.. bit, it gets me a bit angry that they, those adults, have possibly lied and scared their children FOR A TV SHOW! (AND off the children, I AM AMAZED THAT MANY OF THEIR 'FANS' still think (?) that they left UTAH because of the fear of being ARRESTED!!! ) As for the lawsuit, Janelle has drunk the Kodi Koolaid for too long, and probably feels that she must go along with whatever the Kodouche wants or does, whether she believes it or not. But, again, what Woman enters this type of relationship? Ones with esteem issues, ones that need to be accepted. And ones that are no longer ALLOWED to think for their own. We do not live among them, we do not know if there are threats, stresses, etc. (I will take the kids, you will not see them, etc. )in the 'family'. Since moving,there is a very good chance that Janelle, too, is suffering from Depression. In Utah, working an hour away from home, she probably lived too very separate lives-at home, the devout Fundemental Mormon wife, and at work, she was the 'working woman'. (who if any knew she was in a polygamist relationship.) Any stresses from home could be left there and forgotten for 10 HOURS-(and don't forget, she had an hour drive each way-a good destressor, and more importantly-TIME ALONE TO THINK!)
ReplyDeleteyou're spot on, Anonymous 4:50! Even though living in a separate house, Janelle now has much less me time and now gets to see the/be involved in the day-to-day of a polygamy lifestyle in addition to putting up with Robyn's b.s. She joined the circus for sure! No wonder she's looked so tired in the episodes of this last season!
ReplyDeleteRe: The filing of the antibigamy lawsuit against the state of Utah. Does anyone know if the state of Utah filed a counter suit or where this is going? I think the state of Utah should file a counter suit. What is holding them up?
ReplyDeleteLOL I know I said I wouldn't feel free to post anymore but I can't help my curiosity. LOL When I have a question I just HAVE to ask it! :)
I would love to see Janelle leave Kody, move back to Utah, and sue him for child support. Kody needs a vasectomy! At least when his Dad took on another wife he didn't immediately start siring more kids.
ReplyDeleteI can't see why Janelle "married" Kody, except that she was young at the time, pressure by her former sister in law Meri, and by her recently polygamist converted Mother. Plus, Kody was really handsome at that age, and Janelle was already hefty, and figured that he was the best she could get. Kody needed multiple wives and babies to earn his way into Fundamentalist Mormon heaven, so they filled each others needs. I doubt there was ever any romantic love between them. Kody was her sperm donor and she was his brood mare who gave him the babies that Meri couldn't.
Meri, Christine and Robyn were all raised in polygamous families, so they were brainwashed at an early age, but Janelle wasn't, so she stands the best chance of escaping the Kody Kult. Her kids are the most sensible of the lot, hopefully they have figured out that this type of marriage is not good for anybody.
Amused says....
ReplyDeleteI would love to think that at this point, Janelle is seeing the light..for her survival and sanity...and most definitely for that of her children.
But money and fame are compelling, irresistible seducers.
If she leaves, she gives up whatever money pot is potentially going to come out of the Traveling Kody-World Circus. She and her kids would be shunned and vilified.
This product...."KODY World" is just potentially that...!!! It could go world-wide if it hasn't already started. It is an American side-show and can be exploited various ways by other counties and cultures for entertainment sake and for $$$.
We in the states may be peaked by it all, but think about the $$$ potential for other countries to want to film them, set up speaking tours.
No, I doubt Janelle will bail.
Too, too much to now potentially leave * on the table.*
Does anyone even know if Kody's name is on all the childrens' birth certificates so he could be ordered to pay child support if one of the wives leave?
ReplyDeleteThe court can order a paternity test and they can use the show as evidence against the idiot if he actually tried to deny his relation. I wonder if he has some scheme going on where Money from show goes to one of the concubines that he knows won't leave (Robyn) so the other ones can never leave and sue bc he has no declarable income.
ReplyDelete"
ReplyDeleteWe in the states may be peaked by it all, but think about the $$$ potential for other countries to want to film them, set up speaking tours. "
Oh, I hope they come to Germany. They would so get some serious slaps in the face here.
Pair em up with some bavarian katholics, oh, I would pay to watch that.
I watched some of the old you tube video's of Christine at a conference for polygamy and she stated that the best case would be for Utah to charge a family for polygamy so they could fight it. I think they are provoking the state to get charged so they can use it to legalize it. SO this Shock and Awe is true BS. SHe states in this video Yes we want to be charged because we NEED a test case. I believe this is pre-TLC and it shows a strong smart lady vs tlc Christine, weak stay at home clueless Mom. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dffW2BVM4YI
ReplyDeleteI remember Janelle saying that she loved her job, she wasn't a workaholic because she had to be. She said that she didn't want marriage to conflict with what she wanted to do. At the time it did seem like it worked pretty well for them. Janelle had periods of time where she worked less and did more with her kids and Christine did the day to day stuff. I also felt so bad for Janelle with that stupid weigh in. She is obviously a very disciplined focused person so it would have been great for her to find a way of excercise that really worked for her life and overall health. I can see her doing yoga marathons, it would be a great way to get some away from Kody
ReplyDeleteI have been impressed with Janelle - with her way of (usually) not buying into the drama. She acknowledges where her strengths lie and her weakness and genuinely appreciates those that help her, like Christine with the childcare. She is the one most affected by the change in living arrangements because Meri can still study to be the social worker she wants to be, Christine can still be a homemaker and spend time with her kids (and actually less kids since she is not caring for the others) but Janelle has lost her career and is on childcare duty (more than the parenting role she previously had) She didn't really sign up for this role. Plus she probably worries about money more than the rest.
ReplyDeleteShe seems like a level-headed intelligent women so I feel that she chose this marriage very carefully. (She wasn't a young, virgin bride, after all! - she had some life experience.) And now if she is having second thoughts as a result of the changes in the family, she would likely be thinking of the kids and their relationships with their half-siblings... and also of her finances.
My guess is that she is not happy in the situation but perhaps she is weighing her options: she may have the right to decline intimate relations with Kody once past childbearing years and just put in the time... Or perhaps decide she has had enough but wait until the kids are older and for the most part finished school and she has some savings. I don't see her as being a deceitful person who would steal from the family but definitely a sensible planner.
Does anyone else see the EEEEWWww factor of Meri having sex with someone who is having sex with someone who had sex with her brother? Sorry but I believe in that old saying.... You are having sex with whomever THAT person has had sex with. Christine was a virgin I believe but not so Robyn.... So figuratively Meri, Janelle and Christine are having sex with Robyn's ex. Follow the EEEEeeWWWWwww factor?
ReplyDeleteAmused says.......
ReplyDeleteThanks for the youtube link....!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dffW2BVM4YI
You are right.....a far, far different demeanor from Christine in this video than the beaten down, apologizing, needlepoint sewing/groveling, panic attack ridden, Anti-D needing, nervous chattering, trainer flirting, Kody-attention-begging woman shown this season of SW.
It WAS funny when she pulled Kodouche's hand from Robyn'a stomach. It was pure frustration, she had absolutely no filter at that point..she just reached over and did it.
And Meri was NOT amused, to say the least !!
She chastised Christine like she was a 5 year old.
Piliocolobus,
ReplyDeleteI don't really follow that logic. I think that most people have multiple partners in their life and yes, contagious diseases to look out for, but really this family isn't adding new partners to the group frequently enough to be worried. They are safer than most people on the dating scene today! So unless you are following the logic (belief) that people should have only one partner in their life, than I think their arrangement is likely quite safe.
The whole sham of a lawsuit and lying to her kids about the necessity of moving makes it hard to continue liking Janelle. I was just rewatching the episode where they are "fleeing" Utah for Las Vegas and Kody says on the interview sofa that they were almost leaving under "duress" and that although people have changed, Christine pipes up that the "law has not changed, so we are still stuck." What a crock. What a set up. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteI just watched the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dffW2BVM4YI and I do NOT understand WHY no ONE in the media is asking Christine the difficult questions about whether or not she used the Utah welfare system and LIED about not knowing the father of her children so she could get the state money for unwed mothers.
ReplyDeleteWHY is No One asking Christine and others these serious questions?
i would love to see Janelle feed her kids 6-8 servings of fruits and vegetables a day!
ReplyDeletePiliocolobus- Yea that is particularly gross when you consider that Robyn's ex is related to Kody and Christine (isn't he? the bloodlines are getting so convoluted it is hard to keep track).
ReplyDeleteFolks! This isn't a Christine post! Wait till that comes.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe Janelle is some ubber religious person IMO.
I think if she hadn't got caught up in this mess, the would be a very sensible person. After 6 kids, she's not going anywhere. (sigh) many of us get in that trap.
Amused says....
ReplyDelete"...I do NOT understand WHY no ONE in the media is asking Christine the difficult questions about whether or not she used the Utah welfare system and LIED about not knowing the father of her children so she could get the state money for unwed mothers. WHY is No One asking Christine and others these serious questions?
Why indeed........????!!!!!!
They ARE serious questions especially when asked by taxpayers who are having to shell out the bucks for all the SW's scammed welfare.
It is just wrong !!
RE: Sister Martyrs said...
ReplyDelete"Piliocolobus- Yea that is particularly gross when you consider that Robyn's ex is related to Kody and Christine (isn't he? the bloodlines are getting so convoluted it is hard to keep track)."
December 5, 2011 10:06 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well then Robyn's kids from her 1st husband ARE family. Hunter should be told that. P.S. AND all the Brown boys should KNOW about the family relationship to Robyn's kids and 1st husband to make SURE none of Kody's boys fall for Robyn's girls. She has TWO girls right and one boy?
Thanks for the info Sister Martyrs. I did not know about the relation of Kody and Christine to Robyn's Ex husband. WOW. Wouldn't you agree then that Robyn's kids are blood relatives to Kody and Christine? YES. The bloodlines ARE getting convoluted.
I think it's pretty easy to see... some people talk to themselves.
ReplyDeleteI think Janelle is like me in some ways. Maybe not the most personable upfront, but the one you want to call, if she is your BFF, to bury a dead body.
ReplyDeleteDefiantly don't call Susan!LOL (anyone?)
When it comes right down to it it is impossible to separate one wife from another in one thread because as the Browns have ALWAYS said... They are MARRIED all FIVE of them. ...... And the two became five. VS And the two became ONE.
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess the folks can do what they want here, now can't they?
ReplyDeleteI am sure there will a post for them all.
Does anyone remember about 10 years ago the high profile plyg case of Tom Green? he was convicted and served time for chlld rape (one of his wives was 13 when he "married" her.)
ReplyDeleteHe loved the publicity he kept getting by appearing w/all his young wives and saying Utah wouldn't come after him cause they never do. He even went on Judge Judy for something (i can't remember what) but he had all his wives there and i remember laughing while she read him the riot act about making the taxpayer pay for his lifestyle.
Anyway, he would have been fine if he'd stayed laying low but his own big ego was his undoing. the Utah law doesn't like you taunting it in their face. Kody's definitely walking on thin ice and better not have any skeletons in his closet for them to nail him on. Like Tom Green, Kody's big ego and need to be in the limelight may be his undoing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Green_(polygamist)
The only reason I'm still a fan of Janelle's is for her occasional bitchiness she's able to put onto Robyn. ;') But it's team janelle/christine vs. meri/robyn - so no one's outnumbered.
ReplyDeleteAll 5 have their problems/gripes that have gotten old. The only ones I still feel sorry for are all the kids that are just having to deal with all the plyg ADULT issues. I know sadly that it happens in monogamous marriages too but this is all so much more overwhelming just due to the numbers involved.
I like Janelle the best, out of the wives. Her kids seem the most level headed and pretty smart. kinda random, but I really like her kitchen table. Anyway, I think she has the best chance of survival on her own... Away from Kody and crew!
ReplyDeleteFirst I love Janell as well, she is my favorite and the most real/normal of the SW. I left the mainstream lds church as well so I completely understand her when she talks about being rejected by her family and no doubt friends. I vote her most likely to get the heck outta dodge.
ReplyDeleteoff topic I was thinking maybe the reason they all live in separate houses and plan on building separate houses is maybe a technicality with the law? Living under one roof = Bigamy, technically they all live in separate homes so maybe he legally has one residence? Just a thought.
Here's what I secretly wonder....Is Janelle a lesbian who had sincere religious beliefs and wanted children? Who knows why she left Meri's brother, but if was raised LDS and had very sincere religious beliefs then she would feel really compelled to deny who she was attracted to. She would feel that was a sin and she would work as hard as she had to to repress eliminate those feelings. So then Kody comes along and she sees an opportunity to have children (which she's always wanted) and not be sadled with constantly having a man around. Plus she gets along well with Kody in a friendly way, so that's positive for her. As stated earlier the SW give her the chance to still pursue her career while being positive her children were well cared for. Also, the fundamentalist aspect may have appealed to her religious side. She might have completely bought the "This is closer to Joseph Smith's original revelation" bit. So really, this whole thing could be working perfectly for her, except the whole moving and not working thing. That's really thrown a wrench in her comfort because she does worry more about the money. Theory?
ReplyDeleteLol at the above comment....I have often gotten that vibe from Meri ;)
ReplyDeleteMy real impression is that Jenelle had a good job she liked, not a career. I got the feeling the job had a lot of restrictions much like the majority of jobs that don't allow real decision-making and self-directed activity.
ReplyDeleteMeri's job, I've always felt, was very low in pay and prestige. I don't believe she actually has any kind of college degree at all, at any level, and feel she worked part time. Her job may have started out unpaid and changed to one for a nominal amount of pay. I think her goals were unrealistic and she showed that when she made the comments on the show about not being close to the children of Christine and Jenelle. She shows it as well.
You know, Janelle really played us well. I thought she was SCARED in Utah! Silly me. She may be much more deceitful and crafty than what many give her credit for. Kody's best friend? hmmm. Also, to the poster above, I have always found it strange how she doesn't like "affection"-yet is eating her sorrows away. I have often wondered if she might be gay, and unwilling to accept it.
ReplyDeleteLOL robynisafreak! I don't think I would call Lynette either.
ReplyDeleteWe know that I love Janelle.
She has the smartest kids, with the greatest chance of a future.
She is genuine. She clearly cares deeply.
I think one of the reason she doesn't leave besides the obvious brainwash that all these women have is that many of her kids are still at a stage where they need a father. Also I am sure she realizes all the debt that she got from her husband and sister wives and she knows financially she can't make it with six kids. One reason that she could have been gun hoe about the bigamy was she knows it would allow for financial protection for her if she were to leave Kody. (Sure there is child support but who knows if Kody won't just flee from Vegas so they can't find him lol!) She also could have been 'elected' to be the one to do so. All we see of her could be what Kody and the sister wives want. Since she is so laid back who knows if she doesn't just submit to what they want so she doesn't make a wave. Its sort of like how women don't leave their abuser even if they know they should. And Kody is an abuser.
All the wives are "married" to Kody & are or have shared themselves with him exclusively so I see them them as all intertwined/ responsible for any future heartaches these kids, bonus and the Kody brood, may encounter due to the last two years....They seemed to be thriving in Utah, despite themselves.....They had natural supports at home as well as in their school and youth and Church circles. ....I see Jannelle as getting caught up or carried away with the idea of something magical on the horizon with their TLC beginnings. looked good in the showroom but is the experience is riding a little rough now. I saw love for their kids but with every TTLC pull they all have been phoning it in with the kids. Not as active parenting as we saw in Utah. I feel for their kids as the peanuts have changed with fame and uprooting I feel everyone has darker edges that would pop up.
ReplyDeleteI meant the parents, not peanuts have changed over time....Those who were the cheer leaders, like Merrri and Jannelle, have even seen their lights fading a bit since the move. I think it has been rough, maybe not a good mixture for the ladies and this sadly affects the kids. jannelle always seemed above the Frey but I wish she would pull a quick, "whoah what are we doing?, and wake up.
ReplyDeletePru says:
ReplyDeleteI see alot of you are going into the Meri vs Christine & Janelle.............
lets not forget that we do not know what happened before SW was aired........
my take is that Meri was suffering under the baby boom competition these two were having ......... I remeber Meri saying when Mariah was born, her sister was doing all the helping(not Janelle or Christine)........ I have seen their viciousness when they were monopolising her about getting a nice house far from all of them...
so don't blame Meri - I get the feeling Meri was not actively involved in the marriages of Janelle & Christine, almost like they were forced on her........ I can understand the abuse she suffered due to being able to have just one child..........
as for Janelle, one can see the simmering hatred she has for Robyn underneath the blank "I don't care" glare that she gives Robyn......
my take
I think what we are seeing now with the family is more "real" than the Utah version, when they were more aware of being polygamy ambassadors. Also, a comment on coping mechanisms - women in polygamy who don't care too deeply about the guy in their life are more likely to survive emotionally - sad.
ReplyDelete@Border Collie said...
ReplyDeletein regard to Meri's job, I think you are wrong .... Meri seems to have a well paying job - hence her furniture was not trashy, not to say she had her daughter in a private school and paid for an extra mariah wanted.........
I blame TLC for that portrayal - also Janelle & Christine ..... the show focused on that and did not realy dwell on what Meri does for a living, how it was when Janelle divorced Meri's bro and married Kody, the addition of Christine was also not looked at from Meri's view ....
I kinda get the feeling that Meri supported addition of Robin as punishment for Janelle & Christine .......... a taste of their own medicine ........... not knowing that she will taste it herself too.........
hence all three are bitter and only Robin & Kody is still enjoying this polyg thing!
I agree with FreeAndClear - they are no longer the ambassadors they set out to be. Now that they've gone public and had quit their jobs to "escape" Utah, they have to depend on the show to provide a paycheck whether they want to or not. I suppose you can only pretend for so long that you aren't happy.
ReplyDeleteAt first, the show was, "Look, we're all one big happy family!" Now with every new episode, one wife or another talks about how miserable she is and has to fight back tears, while Kody sits cluelessly in the middle.
You know- someone might check- I think that Janelle, Christie and Robyn all had children within 6 wks of ea other- so that might have been taken out of context, you never know.
ReplyDeleteI think the clearest showpiece that these people, Janelle included, are involved in a sham with TLC is the fact that despite all of the sob stories alleged in their affidavits, Kadouche admitted on national television that he was bugging Robyn about having a baby in the midst of it all. This means one of two things. A.) They weren't as scared or impacted by the threat of prosecution as they say they were (why would Kody bring another kid into the world if he really thought he was going to be put in jail) or B.) This is clear evidence of their complete irresponsibility when it comes to having children. If they really thought he was going to get thrown in jail and he still wanted a kid- I think this is pretty clear evidence of his horrid parenting AND welfare fraud.
ReplyDeleteA Day Ahead said...
ReplyDelete"Here's what I secretly wonder....Is Janelle a lesbian who had sincere religious beliefs and wanted children? "
I always got that vibe more from Meri than Janelle. Meri shows signs of deep, damaging, repression. It could be she is submerging her needs for a real husband and lots of kids. But honestly, Meri seems more envious of the Janelle/Christine bond than of sharing Kody. Makes me go hmmmmm....
Another reason Janelle speaks to my universe is that I'm a completely hetero woman who HATES having my man under foot all the time. The constant maintenance men require is too much for me. I'm happiest when my hubs is working out of town for several days a week. I love my space.
[Personal note - I was raised with 3 younger brothers who hogged all the resources and affection. Yes, I loved locking them out of the house when they got on my nerves.]
In retrospect, I would have made the perfect military wife.
*IF* Janelle is anything like me, a large part of the Sister Wife lifestyle works for her. Kody is only around to spread his chaos a third of the time, less now with Robyn. What is missing is the sense of exclusivity and sharing secrets known only to each other. No matter how much I love being alone, when my man is home we have our own language, our shared experience, our loyalty to one another that would not exist if he was juggling another wife.
Sorry Kody's girls, the bond of monogamy is not what you are getting with Kody, no matter how much he tries to convince you that he is monogamous to all of you. He is taking up more space in your universe with his bed hopping, not less, while he isn't committed to any of you. Kody is not offering any of them that delicious sense of intimacy when you have an exclusive partner in your corner at all times, for all your battles.
I seem to recall hearing Meri speak more during the first season. She rarely speaks during the couch times. Robyn is apparently self-appointed spokesperson, which is sad because it takes away from the full illustration of the lifestyle they are trying to show us.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of the trying to show us the happy lifestyle, I think I am getting a very different picture. I am against welfare fraud, child abuse etc - all the negatives assoc. with polygyny, but I was hoping this family could show us one example of polygamy by choice where it was working. They have not. Although I think the show has been great at illustrating polygamy beyond the stereotypes; message is clear polygamy still sucks for all involved; I think Kody is harmed by this as well, but I am least sympathetic for him.
I don't want the kids to be exploited more, but I like their segments best.
Also, it seems TLC set up lunches to force interaction which makes me think that they don't regularly interact. how is this different than a marriage with the husband having 3 "kept" mistresses where the wife has acquiesed (sp?)? Makes me sad that these women have accepted this.
I also don't think Janelle in Utah was helped by the lifestyle. There are lots of career women who support another woman/family in exchange for child care. It is called a nanny or daycare; but you don't have to share your husband as well as support a nanny.
Amused says...
ReplyDeleteLove this blog !! Love reading the thoughtful, insightful opinions.
Sister Martyrs,
You latest entry is compelling.
Absolutely true, if the whole... *we are going to be prosecuted and our Lord and Master could go to prison so we must flee this horrible place*... was even remotely true, then why indeed would Sperm King be actively coercing for another child with all that occurring ?? And to that point, why would Robyn, the new and super whiner/needy bride and a mother already responsible for her existing three children, agree to such an irresponsible plan.
The whole "getting out of Dodge" scenario was nothing more than a ratings ploy.
And frankly, probably so was the timing of the pregnancy.
plot,
Agree with you...."if" any of them are not completely hetro, then Meri's vibe, to me, is more to that speculation than Janelle or any of the others.
In season one, Meri was routinely dubbed the "do-er", the one pushing and shoving furniture and whatever jobs needed physical participation. Not that it means anything, but she seemed to handed those jobs routinely. At least that's what was shown in TLC editing. Maybe because Christine was pregnant and Janelle was too out of shape ...but who knows??
Also, plot....Your last paragraph is chilling and unavoidable in its truth. Sad for them all.
imo - Janelle could very well be a closeted lesbian and Kody could very well be a closeted gay. seriously - it would not surprise me.
ReplyDeleteremember both were raised in mainstream LDS which now somewhat "formally" and "conditonally" accepts gays. BUT with the caveat that they should either be willing to be helped to change or remain celibate their whole life. This has just been recent in the last few years. Prior to that (the LDS church kody and janelle were still associated with) homosexuality was preached by their prophet as an abomination of God and they did hellacious electro-shock therapy at BYU to try to get the evil out of you. didn't work and they have abandoned that god-awful "science. "
there's LOTS of LDS gays that were encouraged to just marry and the gay would go away. that hasn't worked either. there are so many broken marriages and heartbroken spouses/children left in the wake of that now.
anyway, also don't forget that Kody's high school classmates always thought he was gay. I think it's sad IF he and Janelle really are and by reilgious conviction haven't been able to be authentic tho. likewise, there could also be a chlld or two in all that brood that's going to go through hell with it all, too.
Martha Beck (famous author/life coach who appeared on Oprah regularly) was raised Mormon. Her and her Mormon husband married in the Mormon temple. Martha's dad Hugh Nibley was Mormon Royalty. BUT when she found out the true LDS church history, her and her husband left the Mormon church.
ReplyDeleteTHEN and only then, were they able to be honest with each other and themselves and realize they WERE BOTH GAY!! they divorced and have found their own life partners and are perfectly happy now.
Matha's book LEAVING THE SAINTS is an excellent read.
Wow! - some really great comments!
ReplyDeleteI really agree with you, Plot about the special bond of (good) monogamous relationship - and not needing my man underfoot!
And Math problem, you give me food for thought: although I would prefer a close family member help raise my kids, which I believe was Janelle's plan. I do agree, however that the luncheons with the ladies (and even the night out on the town in Vegas) seemed very directed and their demeanor strained.
They have adjusted to separate houses; perhaps the next step will be separate lives....at least as much as their situation allows
"also don't forget that Kody's high school classmates always thought he was gay."
ReplyDeleteHmmm...forgot about that !!! Kids are usually more accurately attuned to that vibe amongst themselves than adults (parents) who want to ignore it.
And really, he DOES come off a bit like that.
i truly believe that this lifestyle could POSSIBLY be workable if you were not actually "in love" with your "spouse" and found it acceptable to live a life of convenience. that being said, i don't know that homosexuality has anything to do with it. we know that janelle went through a divorce, perhaps she mourned the loss of that relationship and realized that she just wanted contentment in her life and did not need to be in love- maybe she had gotten her heart broken. in comes kadouche. he needs kids and janelle wants to move on with her life. somewhat makes sense to me. but then the train takes off to crazy town.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to amend my prior statement: I believe that this lifestyle could possibly work if it were actually a lifestyle CHOICE and not tied in to some principle that has people convinced they HAVE to do this. That is where the abuse, lack of freedom, and manipulation becomes serious and problematic.
ReplyDeleteyou know, it really is sad..... not going to bed with someone you love every night, knowing that it's "someone else's turn". And I'm not thinking about sex here, but about the intimacy that comes with having a life partner, that time in bed when you get to REALLY talk before drifting off to sleep, to talk about your problems, just having that person next to you close. Kody gets to have someone fall asleep in his arms every night, gets to have an intimate talk before going to sleep. The wives, however, only get that intimacy every 4th night. And having a spouse away on a business trip or something is NOT the same thing. Sorry. These women are emotionally starved.
ReplyDeleteFree and Clear: Just wanted to make sure you know I appreciate your comments (answering my questions!) from the previous post. It was confusing because normally the last comment shows up above the comment box but with over 200 comments you had to click on "newest" right above the box. Thanks again for your time and response. I am in awe of your courage and strength.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Janelle is just staying for her kids . . . so that her children will have their father in their lives (even if it is only sporadically) and have the benefit of their relationships with their "siblings" and Christine (isn't Madison pretty close to the other wives' teen daughters?). I also suspect Janelle stays to have the financial resources of the family (esp. now that she has no job) and avoid the disruption that leaving would create for her kids.
ReplyDeleteJanelle makes decisions based on reason, not emotion. As crappy as her life is right now and as annoyed as her kids are with Kodster and Robun, I suspect Janelle thinks that leaving would be even worse for the kids than staying. And she'll do anything for her kids even though Kodster is a douche and Robyn is a know-it-all airhead who spells "Wyoming" with a "Y."
Janelle seems to see clearly, but keeps her observations to herself to avoid making waves. Again, I suspect that she avoids conflict because she thinks it would be bad for her children. She just goes along to get along.
For example, when Hunter was complaining about fishing, Janelle didn't tell him that he was wrong and that he needed to listen to his father. She told him not to say those things as they sounded disrespectful. Big difference. And she told Hunter to ignore their bad behavior and to do the right thing himself.
I think she knew that Hunter was right (the fish really do bite in the morning) and that Meri and Robyn were acting like they were in junior high. But I think she believes that creating conflict would not be in the best interest of her kids . . . and I am guessing that is her primary interest right now. Also, she knows that she can't change Kodouche, but she encourages her children to be good people despite him.
I doubt that she is very interested in Kodouche right now. The show doesn't really show her having (or wanting) much alone time with him. He is either trying (and failing) to do something around the house (like hanging the TV) or doing something with the kids like having a family dinner.
She looked visibly annoyed with Kodouche when he was too incompetent to hang a TV (what a moron!). But she backed down when he lashed out at her. Same thing with revealing her weight on TV, which I suspect originated from Ro-bun and was passed along to Kody and Meri by her.
I really think Janelle might be going along to get along while her kids are still at home. She is just trying to keep the peace and hang in for a few more years for her kids.
Even if she declines to share her opinion with Kodouche and the other wives, I suspect that she is very open about it with her children . . . why else would they feel free enough to voice their own observations? I am not sure about Logan. I think he says what he thinks others want him to say . . . but I am not convinced that he necessarily believes it.
It will be interesting to see what happens when Janelle's kids leave home . . . Of course, there is the added pressure of her mom and Winn. Poor Janelle.
I think that Kody could care less about intimacy. I think he cares more about hearing himself speak and looking in the mirror at his ever-thinning golden locks. If I happen to be wrong about this, this is certainly the persona that he has presented to the world. Does anyone actually think this dude cherishes a thing about his lifestyle other than the sex with multiple partners, financial benefits and enormous amounts of attention????
ReplyDeleteHas Kody ever stated outright that he does indeed split his time with the wives every fourth night?
ReplyDeleteThis would mean that Robyn is home raising a newborn and three kids by herself 75% of the time. I can't see Robyn standing for that.
I also wonder, like Religulous suggested, how any of the wives can be in bed with Kody and not wonder if he's thinking about being with another wife? How can this relationship ever be fulfilling to any of those women?
The wives all state at the intro to every show that this situation works for all of them because they wanted a family, not just the man. Yet their frequent tears, admitted jealousy issues, and use of food and medication to cope emotionally suggests otherwise.
It's just all so confusing. And I can't stop watching.
Sister Martyrs said:
ReplyDeleteI think that Kody could care less about intimacy. I think he cares more about hearing himself speak and looking in the mirror at his ever-thinning golden locks.
WORD. Perfect, concise summary of Kody Brown.
Yet how can one woman, let alone FOUR - be attracted to someone like that? HOW?
Laura K, I'll tell you how: if you have a look at some documentaries and interviews with other polygamous men, like Jim Harmston, the fat hairy guy form his group (Inside Polygamy on youtube) or any husband from Centennial park, Joe Darger, Warren Jeffs, etc etc, well, I know that while these dudes aren't necessarily a fair representation of looks in the polygamous world, but just based on the men who are willing to come forward as polygamist, Kody is the best looking one of them all! He really is a catch in that world!
ReplyDeleteThe mere fact that Kadouche is a "catch" tells you something about this warped world they exist in.
ReplyDeleteThe question is, why should Kody or that disgusting Jim Harmston even bother with their appearance when these women are willing to settle for them. Were Kody not so vain, he would probably let himself go and the women would still be fawning all over him.
Ok sorry unrelated, but give me a break I'm off from work sick today and enjoying this awesome blog (ok, I faked sick so I could read blog whatever..) Happened to wander over to Love Times Three Blog via a tweet from the Darger family. One of the wives wrote a long boring post about how great it is to have SW because when one is out on a date with your husband there is another SW at home to keep your company!! WTH?? Umm..I don't need 'company' because my husband isn't out on a date with anyone else...that would be ME on the date, therefore, I'm not sitting at home waiting for him...DUH. How they come up with these stupid reasons and 'logic' for polyg is beyond me. And speaking of good looking polyg men..Joe Darger is no catch either. Would you want to share a husband with your REAL sister, not just a SW, but blood sister? Now that's ewwwww...! Great blog, thanks for the great reads everyone.
ReplyDeleteThese women probably weren't raised with any expectations of their fathers or any man.
ReplyDeleteIn relation to the LDS church, I lurked on one of their boards for a while, reading the discussions about their marriages and husbands. The one constant refrain I heard is women telling each other "not to expect too much" from men or marriage. Yowza! Married too young, I guess.
It must be a terrible burden for Kody's Girls to feel the obligation to always have sex with him, when they can, as their outlet for intimacy. That's the most disturbing aspect of this relationship for me. Kody lives under this ideal that spreading his seed and hand delivering his children means he is providing all his wives truly need from him.
Yeah right. Kissing his fiance while his wife labours to have his child, that shows he has no conscience, no respect, no real partnership or intimacy with any of his wives. That was a brutal savage act all too common with Kody. None of his wives hold him accountable, yet they all have to think of ways to make themselves fit for his attention, CONSTANTLY.
No trust there. Trust releases you from envy and insecurity, doesn't make you wallow in it as a sign of love.
I think Kody purposely makes the other wives jealous and manipulates their emotions so they compete for his attention and approval. My experience/knowledge of polygamists is somewhat limited, but I would imagine that most men in these situations begin to see easily how the wives react to his interactions with another one. I am sure that sometimes it backfires, but the very fact that these women stick around has to be a huge EGO builder for these men. While I am sure that there is a lot of arguing in the Brown household, it is clear that each wife (maybe with the exception of Janelle) really truly vies for the attention of La Douche (or Kadouche, whatever).
ReplyDeleteI remember a comment once made by the new mum, Robyn: "Absence makes the heart grow fonder. We get to see each other after a couple of days of being a part and then he gets to go see another person that he loves and missed."
Think about it, once you truly resolve yourself to the idea that this is your life, this is your man, you aren't leaving, this is it, I THINK that you would get into the routine of accepting the fact that he is with other women and that you need to do whatever you can to enjoy the time he spends with you and to make that time special. It is sick and twisted.
That being said. I don't know that Janelle gives a poo. She seems to have accepted the fact that she does not have a romantic relationship with her "husband." They have children together. They are "business partners." She has even previously admitted that when they were first "married," Meri was very touchy feely with La Douche and she learned to just kind of back off.
Let's put it this way. I think that there are different kinds of people (women specifically) in this world. Those that kick men to the curb when they do something horrific and those that think to themselves "how can I fix or change myself to make this work." I think Janelle may be in the middle- she didn't really care to have a romantic relationship, wanted a family and believes in the religious principle of multiple wives. Were it not for the principle, I think that La Douche would have been kicked to the curb. Hence, the extraordinary POWER that the PRINCIPLE has. This is why it is ABUSIVE.
I was actually surprised at how upset the 3 first wives were when Kody went on an 11 day honeymoon with Robyn. By accepting their brand of logic, I agreed with Robyn that they also need time to bond, and since the other 3 women had had 17 years plus to bond with Kody, 11 days didn't seem like such a big deal. It was mostly unfair to the kids, in my mind. So I was really surprised at the wives reactions and that Janelle was the one who was most upset, and she even said, " I find myself IRRATIONALLY angry"....... well duh you're angry, your husband is away of a honeymoon fun trip, that none of you got, meanwhile you are left with the daily chores at home, then when Kody and Robyn get back you get even less time with your husband, DUH! And another unfair thing: all those fu anniversary, birthday trips to Mexico, San Diego, Las Vegas, etc, it's always Kody who gets to go, and only one of the wives. No fair. Again.
ReplyDeleteWow, if these women live out their lives thinking that they have to somehow "fix" themselves in order to live a somewhat satisfying life with Kody the Attention Whore, they might never know happiness. Because as we've seen, it's all about Kody.
ReplyDeleteDespite the fact that these women chose this life, it still makes me sad to see a grown woman grovel for the attention of a man who is never going to be able to give her what she needs - yet she'll never leave, and have to settle for the rest of her life.
So it was RATIONAL anger, Janelle. There were good, solid, reasons for it that make logical sense. Not all emotions are irrational.
ReplyDeleteRobyn gets an 11 day honeymoon.
Meri gets a 3 day anniversary trip.
Christine gets a watch with multiple bands.
Janelle gets ? Maybe just opts out of the emotional circus altogether. Smart chica.
Forgot to add - I just did a little looking at the Darger family's page. Got the creeps. Ran away.
ReplyDeleteBut I wonder why the Darger wives don't cover up in multiple sausage casings like the Brown wives.
where is their page?
ReplyDeletelovetimesthree.com.
ReplyDeleteyou know, I'm curious about Valerie's first marriage and as to why she had to have 5 children with him before realizing the marriage wasn't working. I had read somewhere, but I can't remember where, that she'd married at 19 and he was 44...... so again the stereotype of young girls marrying older men..... And again, even though we are constantly told by the polygamy rah-rah cheerleaders that this is a superior way to be in a marriage, and yet just in this tiny group of polygamists who have gone public there are already so many divorces (that we know of) Makes you wonder.....
ReplyDeleteI was just looking at their webpage myself and noticed that their 19 year old daughter was recently married. I wonder if she is in a plural marriage...
ReplyDeleteReligulous, have you read the Dargers book? I'm guessing not. TV show, Big Love, was based on their family (this is stated in the book). Valerie & Vicki raised in polyg family, that's all they know. Val started dating this 'nice' 44 yo man who pretended to have lots of money etc..she moved to a compound with him. Had the french braid, long dress, the whole bit, sorry dont recall the name of the place. He already had many wives. After they got married, then he took off, compulsive gambler, left all the wives in this compound in the middle of nowwhere. She finally left him and asked for a 'release' aka divorce and went to live with sister Vicki...oh and then married Vicki's husband Joe. One of her kids lives with the ex 'husband' but they gloss over that in the book, it's only mentioned in one of the chapterss written by one of the kids. If you watched 'Big Love', Valerie would be 'Niki' character on the tv show.
ReplyDeleteNo, I haven't read the book yet. (I'm more looking forward to reading Carolyn Jessop's second book!) Wow, NO WAY I would allow my 19 year old daughter to date a 44 year old man, at least not without totally investigating him first! Where was her father???? Oh yeah! Busy with other wives and too many children!
ReplyDeletebtw, my favorite character on Big Love was Wanda
ReplyDelete"Kissing his fiance while his wife labors to have his child, that shows he has no conscience, no respect, no real partnership or intimacy with any of his wives. That was a brutal savage act all too common with Kody. None of his wives hold him accountable, yet they all have to think of ways to make themselves fit for his attention, CONSTANTLY."
ReplyDeleteYes, it was an appalling lack of human decency and respect for his wife in labor. Forget love for his laboring wife....that doesn't even apply in that action of Kodouche.
But there is another face to that.....
These women are apparently of a mindset that does forego mutual respect and consideration for each other.
*What woman*...especially a woman who had had three labors and births herself, *would be okay and maybe even had requested that he do that*.... knowing another woman (a woman who is soon to be her alleged beloved sister wife)is in acute labor with her SIXTH child for the Sperm King, and certainly needing her man at her side, but instead he detours from being with her to come to you first..to kiss and murmur "I love you and can't wait to bed you"
What woman would be okay with that???
My reaction to that scene when it aired was 1-Kody, you are a shameless phony and an obvious heartless jerk...
and 2- Robyn, you are a grappling, heartless woman. You give other women a bad name.
So when they showed the scene during Robyn's labor of Meri having to come and bring the camera (even though Grandpa had a camera and the TLC crew was obviously there) and Kody and she then kiss on the stairs, it made me laugh...
And then be quite sure that the Browns, as well as TLC, are reading this blog.
They KNEW by then that the court of public opinion here at SW Blog had found Ko-sperm's making an extra stop to go and kiss Robyn during Christine's labor to be definitely not so "awesome."
I think they are all in a catch-22 here. None of them can leave after all the proclaiming they have done on the "positives" of polygamy. Could you imagine what wrath they would incur? Janelle mentioned that this is a very "spiritual" decision they have made. I wish she would receive some true divine intervention to guide her away from this lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteI think Janelle and Christine should team up and become true SISTERS, not Sister Wives. They could really make money doing this.
ReplyDeleteThose two have fire under them...if someone would only show them the way.
Come on TLC, show them the door (way) out! Give them a their own platform! (TLC Show)
I went back and watched the season 1 episode about "courting" Robin (Netflix). Janelle's only concern was the disruption in routine (& finances) a new wife wife would cause. The other 2 wives were emotional wrecks. Proves my theory that Janelle is not in love with Kodouche...she's there for reasons only she knows. It was really disturbing to watch the other 2 however.
ReplyDeletebtw, my favorite character on Big Love was Wanda"
ReplyDeleteLOL....mine too !!!
She was a grifter of the highest order. And made no apologies for her disdain for the whole lifestyle. She lived it and hated it.
Why was Kody with Robin and not by Christine's side when she went into labor? Shouldn't he have been sticking close by since he is such a great labor coach? He was with Robin every second (except for the moment when he "kissed" Meri LOL!
ReplyDeleteI think Kody kissing Meri outside Robin's birthing room was damage control for kiss when Christine was in labor, and also a way to show us that "this is normal in a loving family"
ReplyDeleteAmused -
ReplyDeleteYeah, Robyn is full of manipulative cunning. She has had the other SWs pegged as competition for a long time. The only excuse she has for so much clinging and competing is that she lived in poverty for a long time. If Kody's sloppy self-absorbed lovin' is her only way out, god help her.
I still heap most the blame on Kody. He "married" Christine. He is supposed to care about her, know her, respect her. Obviously not. Christine's current crisis is probably due to the realization that Kody doesn't love her. The spiritual bond is a lie.
Anon 6:34 - I fantasize about getting Janelle and Christine out of that situation, too. They probably won't give up their messed up religious ideals easily, though. Funny how difficult it is to teach someone self preservation and healing.
Ooops!!!
ReplyDeleteWanda was Bill's brothers wife.
My favorite was Bill's mother.....can't remember her name. But that character and the actress who played her were hysterical.
Bills mother was HILARIOUS! Loved her too, but kooky Wanda was my favorite, because she was just so.....kooky and had these moments of total brillinace
ReplyDeleteLois. ;')
ReplyDeleteSister Martyrs - the oldest daughter (on a tv special they did recently) is currently in a monogamous marriage and stated for now she couldn't fathom sharing her new hubby with another woman but "we'll see if that changes."
ReplyDeleteso, she's open to it having been raised in it. and of course, being taught it's the way to the CK and your highest reward. and also damnation if you choose not to practice it when given the chance.
Still Haven't Decided - I am glad to help inform people about this way of life. I have never looked back and life is good!
ReplyDeleteEveryone needs to go on Netflix and rewatch Season 1 Episode 6. It is the episode where La Douche admits during the couch session that he chose Robbing's wedding dress. It is also the episode where Robbing complains and gets nasty with the wives about La Douche having equal time with her prior to their wedding. Janelle seems to reveal some of her true emotions in this one- showing irritation over the reception and wedding dress.
ReplyDelete"Lois"
ReplyDeleteYes, Lois....Thanks !!!
Someone asked why the Darer women aren't encased in layers of clothes. They are "Independent" Fundamentalists and they don't wear the "garments" underneath. Funny how polygamy is vitally important, but other stuff isn't.
ReplyDeleteAlso funny how the ins and outs of polygamy can be self-styled.
ReplyDeleteWhatever style/version they choose to live is to be understood and approved by non-plys...
Except that they revert to quoting chapter and verse of the "official" version when defending its legitimacy.
I really like Janelle. I'm holding my breath and hoping she will eventually leave.
ReplyDeleteKody, IMO, could very well be gay and the constant bedhopping is his way of suppressing the other urges, by having multiple partners it keeps some degree of excitement there and is his way of coping.
Ok...
ReplyDeleteJanelle is my favorite!
While watching the other day I hand an interesting thought. They all 3 ( I don’t really count Robyn in anything) are over weight, but Janelle is by far heavier. Mari and Christine try to convince their kids that this is a good thing. They also eat their feelings to try to justify not having a helpful loving husband. Mari and Christine's daughter are also eating their feelings, and half buying into this crap.
Janelle parents VERY different. I don't see her trying to convince her kids that this is a good thing. She just wants them to show respect for everyone in the family. She does not try to convince them that they need to live this way also. She bottles up, and eats all her feelings...IMP...to protect her kids. Her kids are rebellious, but no more than a normal teen that I know of. The Browns like to attack Hunter and Aspyn, but what do they do that is really that bad. I am sure they are tired of their Mom being the only adult in the family. Its like when Robyn is surprised they don't respect her when she acts like a child. My theory is that Janelle eats her feelings, because her husband is not around to support her. She also protects her kids and does not in turn put her stress on them. She is the only one that does not have overweight teenagers. I believe she protects them emotionally and eats for comfort.
I have a tun of respect for her. She is not about to leave but I would love it if she did. I see her kids coming out of this family the most prepared for the world.
How are Christine and Kody's kids related to Robyn's kids?
ReplyDeleteI have always thought that Janelle is a closet lesbian and chose a life that wouldn't require her to be intimate with a man very often. She was raised conservative and probably needs time to become conscious of it.
ReplyDeleteLut says:
ReplyDeleteof all 4 wives, the one who had a better chance to make it alone - is Meri ......... she already leaves apart from all 3, she have only 1 child who is at adulthood threshold..........
she can make it alone - but I don't see Kody allowing her to go! I saw the look he gave her when Meri said she could leave if she can, but she cannot bear to remove Mariah from all her family..................
so Kody holds Meri from leaving ....... she therefore makes do by being the family's doer! she is the very fabric of this family
I don't see Janelle leaving ........ polygamy works for her. she have Christine to help in baby sitting, kody for money........... despite all that all you her fans say, Janelle will not leave - her mom is in this too........
but Christine can leave - she and Meri do push for what they want!
Interesting point that Janelle's kids are the only group that are not overweight, while their mom is the heaviest. Many times, a heavy mom equals heavy kids, because they are eating what she's cooking...but not so here. I'm trying to picture Janelle's younger kids - they aren't heavy either, are they? Perhaps she's drinking all the Kool-Aid for her kids so they won't have to.
ReplyDeleteWondering if Meri did leave - would Kody then officially marry the next wife in line?
And I don't know much about the LDS religion - if a wife is not legally married to the husband, what prevents her from leaving? And would the husband be required to provide support to a woman he's not married to in the eyes of the law? Could that be why a lesser wife wouldn't leave - she would truly be on her own?
I haven't read all the comments here yet, but with all the comments about Kody courting and kissing Robyn while Christine was pregnant, it reminds me that Janelle was in the same boat about 18 years ago. We know the three OR wives were all married to Kody before any of the children were born, and in one episode I distinctly heard Christine say she married Kody about three months before Logan was born (could be wrong). That would mean that Kody would've been courting Christine while Janelle was pregnant.
ReplyDeleteI just wonder how Janelle reacted to that as her younger self. We know Christine didn't kiss Kody before they were married, but there was still a romantic relationship forming there that was probably more romantically affectionate than the one between Janelle and Kody.
So back then, when Janelle was fairly newly married and pregnant with her *and* Kody's first child, Meri was apparently all over him and Christine was courting him. No wonder she has given up on the romance.
jacqueline.allain said...
ReplyDeleteHow are Christine and Kody's kids related to Robyn's kids?
Well, Christine and Robyn's husband are both grandchildren of the same man, Rulon Allred.
Kody's grandmother was an Allred, too.
Meri's dad married 2 ladies that are cousins to Christine and Robyn, from said grandpa- AUB royalty, Rulon. Their tree is Crazy! I have withheld printing it, for I am having trouble with Janelle's grandmother's parents and Robyn--I STILL don't know for sure who her parents and grandparents, etc, are. Any help appreciated!
mel says:
ReplyDeletewho is the first born in these family?
and correct me if I'm wrong
Meri & Kody celebrated 20 years of marriage in Mexico, Janelle had 16 years, Christine had 15 Years (when show aired).....
which means Meri had 4 years of 100% Kody's attention, while Janelle had a year of shared but favourate attention, and Christine had all 15 years...............
therefore Meri & Christine are the ones who misses the attention the most as they had tasted years of such attention while Janelle seemed to not have had such a time .............. no wonder these two are more sad and falling apart, while for Janelle is more like "life as usual"........
I agree with Lut, Meri & Christine are more likely to leave than Janelle (with her mom married to father in-law) and Robyn (who is in cloud 10!)
girl 2,
ReplyDeleteI quit feeling sorry for Christine when she was preggers and he was a COURTIN after I learned she married him while Janelle was pregnant. EWWW Can't these folks wait?
Janelle and Christine came real close together in marriage. It was said that Meri had Kody alone for 3 and a half years, by 5 the other wives were in place.
To Laura 6:35 -
ReplyDeleteI was shocked to learn here how much "divorce" there is in these FLDS communities. It seems like while men can have multiple wives, women often do lateral moves to other men. Sometimes it is forced on women, by the elders.
Many lesser wives do leave their polyg situations, based on what we know about the Brown extended family. They then marry into another polyg family, usually.
Your question is a good one for Troy/Cosmo. There is a link at the top right. He was raised in the AUB polygamous community. He can probably give you a better answer than anyone.
First Born _ Logan
ReplyDeleteNext - Mariah, Aspyn, and Hunter
Kody ISNOT listed on all of the Birth Certificates. Hence, Christine and Janelle legally changed their name to Brown to cover it up
ReplyDeleteLaura K-
ReplyDeleteIf a wife is not legally married a couple thoughts come to mind as to why they would not leave:
1.) They are brainwashed into believing that it is their duty/challenge to make this work.
2.) Even if they came to their senses, as in this case, their financial credit/ history has been destroyed so they can't support themself, let alone their children. (Like here, Kody had them taking turns running up their credit cards and then declaring bankruptcy- yet claiming no assets- because they shift them around). So it would be difficult for any of these women to even get an apartment on their own, given their poor credit history.
Also, (sorry, I forgot to add this), Kody would be required to pay child support were the wife to pursue it in court and actually demonstrate that Kody "is the father!" The problem is, child support is based on the father's income, # of children, etc.. Here, La Douche has 50,000 kids and is probably clever enough to say at this point that he doesn't have any income. I mentioned this as a possibility before but I bet the money from TLC does not come to him in his name but some trust or something from which only he can withdraw.
ReplyDeleteI totally disagree. These women could leave him easily at this point. They are making GOOD money with the show, and everyone knows if they chose to leave, they would get their own show!
ReplyDeleteAnd, hell, they were supporting themselves in the past, often others, just taking care one their nuclear family financially would be a breeze!
How do you know any of the women individually see money? Based on the fact that they previously filed bankruptcy claiming practically ZERO assets, I would say Kodster has a pretty good hold on the strings of their cash flow.
ReplyDeleteEven if the wives don't individually see money from TLC right now, if one of them left the family, my bet is that TLC would pay big bucks for just one "tell all" episode from the wife that left. (At least ONE episode - possibly more depending on how in depth the wife would get into what really went on in the "family".) I know I would watch!
ReplyDeleteMister Sister - I think Robyn's Dad is Robert Marck - look him up on FB. Robyn is his "friend" there, as "Robyn Sullivan" Robert Marck's current wife made a lot of allegations of being sexually abused (don't know if that was within AUB, and not sure if they are still with AUB). Maybe someone else can fill in those details?
ReplyDeleteMister Sister - also, there is a Fawn Bowles in Robert Marck's FB friend list, who looks a lot like Robyn (A sister?) did she marry into Troy's family?
ReplyDeleteFawn is Robyn's sister. Robert Marck is her REAL father. I love how they "change" names. But, I am not sure of his heritage, or her mom. I see a Dee Sullivan or Dianne Sullivan, But no real verification.
ReplyDeleteIs it just me, or does anyone else see Logan as a "mini-Kodouche"? He mimics his father's moves and thoughts.
ReplyDeleteMy head is swimming with this family tree stuff. So christine and robyn's ex both had the same grandpa...meaning Christine and David Preston Jessop (Robyn's ex) were cousins.
ReplyDeleteFawn Bowles? Yeah very curious if she is related to Troy....surely somehhow!
I have NEVER liked Robyn or her bratty kids, Meri wants pity from everyone, but she is the cause of her own problems! Christine can do so much better than Kody, who never once since I have watched the show has helped the wives with ANYTHING, and Poor Janelle is always the LAST for anything and is put aside on a shelf!I think Meri needs to think about her RUDE remark she made about not as thrilled with Truly's birth like she was with Queen Robyn's baby!! And this is just the tip of how I feel about this show. I love Christine and Janelle, but Meri, Robyn and Kody are another story!!
ReplyDeleteBargain Babe, ad all---
ReplyDeleteIf that makes your head swim.
Kody's grandma is an Allred.
Meri's dad is married to two of Christine and David's cousins.
I've got a family tree going that links ALL of them either by blood or marriage WITHOUT considering Kody's marriage to any of them. Kody's maternal grandmother and Christine's paternal great-grandfather were first cousins, their father's were both sons of William Moore Allred.
ReplyDeleteI emailed a copy to Mister Sister and I'm working on more. I think I've got Robyn's family worked in now, too. It looks like her stepfather's family is where polygamy comes into her life, although her MOTHER'S family is descended from David Fullmer, a very prominent early leader in the Mormon church, and himself a polygamist.
Back to Janelle, I did find confirmation that she worked for the State of Utah as a Workforce Specialist. It's all public record, including her salary.
I love Janelle, she is my favorite. She is the prettiest, smartest and works hard to provide for the rest of the family. Meri is jelous of her and tries to work with troubled teens, but does she give her money to the family like Janelle has too, I doubt it! Cause if Mariah wants something Meri makes sure the whole family has to give Mariah what Mariah wants! Meri is pathetic and Robin is too. Robin realizes that Meri has the power and she has faked an alliance with her since Janelle and Christine weren't in the mood for wife #4!
ReplyDeleteJanelle is the only one who is worried about finances, but is Meri, no cause she got the biggest house out of all 4 wives and she only has 1 kid, but then that is what the queen wants!
I am a huge Janelle fan. She a smart, reasonable, kind and no crap kind of gal and I respect her for it.
ReplyDeleteJust wish she would leave the douche bag she is married to and seek a life more fulfilling to her. Working, supporting her great kids and perhaps meeting someone new who can be with her 24/7.
Because that is what she DESERVES!
The real question is how is Janelle's son Logan (18) older than Meri's daughter Mariah (17) if Meri was Kody's first wife!!
ReplyDelete