In 2011, the Sister Wives Blog started out as a place to talk about the TLC reality show "Sister Wives", Kody Brown and his wives Christine, Robyn, Meri and Janelle. Today we not only discuss the show, we discuss Polygamy in our society, and the public perceptions of the Mormon Religion. We discuss "Polygamy USA" and will be covering "My 5 Wives."
This blog is geared towards the adult reader, so please, no one under the age of 18 years. Thank you!
Monday, September 16, 2013
3 Sister Wives "Sister Wives On the Ropes" s04e09 Spoilers, Gossip
I don't think the Sister Wives and Kody have anything to be ashamed of. I do not believe in plural marriage for myself, but I am not going to hate them because they choose to live that way. Not every marriage, single or plural, is perfect. There are men in single marriage that beat there wife. Does that make all single marriages wrong? No it doesn't. There are murderers and rapists that are catholic, Baptist, jewish, etc. But that doesn't make all people that are catholic, Baptist and jewish murderers and rapists. So not all polygamists are bad. Stop judging people and start accepting people.
Kody need some brain bleach poured on his head to dissolve that ratty hair. My only issue with polygamists is that unless the family is wealthy - which most of them are not - then they end up on welfare. I pay way too much in taxes as it is without having to support these deadbeats who actively set out to "bleed the beast". If a polygamist family is self-supporting and there is no abuse of children involved then I say go for it. But you can't make polygamy legal. There are too many ramifications involved.
I think most people have a problem that their faith leaves them with little choice. For Fundamentalists, you have to be married and part of a plural family to secure your spot in heaven. Say what you want about the majority of the world's faiths'... but most of them don't make marriage the nail to hang your hat on. There are problems in any marriage - I don't think that's the issue. At least it's not for me. The issue for me is that salvation is only gained through plural marriage. That's definately taking the choice away from women.
It is very easy to just say "Live and let live." But. Who is the voice of reason for who is a good polygamist and who is an evil polygamist? I haven't watched the show yet (hurry amazon!) but from the clip when Kody is saying that we the people are painting him with a broad brush and his form of polygamy isn't bad or oppressive, well, fine but how on earth are we supposed to tell the difference?
If we say that evil is everywhere, well, okay we'll just deal with it and ignore it, it's everywhere. We no longer will prosecute for murder or rape or bilking old ladies out of their life savings. But we have come so far and in this society we have a constitution and rights as citizens. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Separation of Church and State. Great, how to we tell the goodies from the baddies?
Will we make all polygamists line up and answer questions? How will we determine lies from truth? It's too much of a quagmire and would be a nightmare and in the end, they don't have a freedom to practice their religion.
If it's legal how will ANYONE ever stop the sickos? How will we help the women and children trapped by this oppressive "lifestyle religion"?
If my religion states that I MUST run naked through the street and cut off the head of anyone who looks at me, well, would you stop me from practicing my religion? Even if it was the ONLY way I could earn my way into heaven? What right do you have to tell me NOT to chop off heads? It's MY religion and I have the right to practice my religion!!
For thousands of years countless evil doers have hidden behind the covers of religion to do endless atrocities to their fellow humans. It continues to this very day, when will we evolve past it?
The members of the 'Sister Wives' show have shown no ability to accept monogamous living situations. They have gone out of their way to be judgemental, such as 'Presbyterians are Sharks', 'all monogamous men cheat', and so forth. Christines' meltdowns in this episode are pretty darn judgemental towards her Aunt, for no reason except she left polygamy and denounces it. They are only accepting towards people when it suits them. I'm not on TV and I didn't open my life towards discussion for the masses, they have. They did that becaause they knew it was controversial and would gain them money.
I have seen nothing in their show that tells me, on any level, that polygamy is an enjoyable lifestyle, even without the FLDS type of abuse being present.
We accept them. We don't hate them. We are simply having a lively debate that includes them--they have put themselves "out there", it's not like they're leading quiet 'don't bother with us' little lives.
I noticed the same thing about Christine. She was being very judgmental and rude towards everyone else and acted like she was being persecuted and picked on, even though she agreed to put her life on a reality show of all things? Delusional is putting it lightly
Anon 1:24 - I certainly don't hate the Browns, but I don't go along with their push for legal acceptance of polygamy. And the argument that because abuses exist in monogamous marriages, and we don't ban monogamy, so polygamy should be accepted, is really not the best reasoning. Abuses in monogamous marriages are not the result of monogamy itself. In polygamy, there are built in abuses that come with the territory. Expecting a woman to accept her man sleeping with other women and dissipating financial and emotional resources on maintaining multiple relationships, while expecting her to be happy with that, is emotional abuse in my books.
I don't hate them, but they are promoting a life style that is ILLEGAL in this country and I don't think they should be allowed to promote it on television.
ex AUB, I have been loving your posts. "expecting a woman to accept her man sleeping with other women and dissipating financial and emotional resources on maintaining multiple relationships, while expecting her to be happy with that, is emotional abuse in my books." WELL SAID. Are there many polygamy specific counselors in the extended UT area to deal help women leaving these groups? (from New England here)
I am new and I have a few questions. First, it's been said here that the wives receive(d) assistance by not claiming Kody as the father of their respective children. However, Meri was employed at the beginning of season 1 and lost her job after coming out, correct? So that was 2 of 3 wives who were employed at the beginning of the show. And Meri being a legal wife cannot claim single motherhood.
My second question is about the fake legal repercussions in season 1. Lehi police have gone on record with their investigation. Where is the discrepancy between what the police have said and what the Brown family claimed was happening?
Last question :) Is the letter Y use in lieu of other vowels in names a plyg thing? Robyn, Aspyn, Gwendylyn, etc.
I'll let someone with better memory answer your first two questions. :)
As to the "y" in the name, I don't think it is a plyg thing but more of a Utah/Mormon thing. I've read a fair amount of blogs and stuff from Mormons and they seem to have a real thing for unique names/spellings. In particular the Utah Mormons.
If you read back through the archives of this blog you will find the documentation etc of Kody going to the authorities BEFORE the show to make sure he wouldn't be arrested and he was assured he would not. There is a clip somewhere of one of the authorities stating publicly that they do NOT jail good families. They only prosecute for fraud and abuse.
The Browns later went on a show (clip is in the archives and still active) and laughed about the move and said that they have thought about moving to Vegas for awhile and they moved for better business opportunities.
Even after they stated that they would not prosecute the Browns they made to attempt to move back to Utah. They never sold their Lehi home and still own it, it is being lived in by a family member (if memory serves and member of Meri's family).
The Browns never had a warrant for their arrest, ever. They had an investigation only, but some people here have speculated that they were being investigated for MORE than polygamy, possibly their revolving bankruptcies and welfare fraud, but the authorities have never stated the full reasons for the investigations. I believe everything has been dropped, however the Browns aren't moving back, obviously.
Yes, Rose, you are right. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw them go on TV, right after we had watched the big chase...to say no, they went because they wanted to, for business, and sorta laughed. http://sisterwivesblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/part-2-sister-wives-moving-over-fear-i.html
The videos of them WITH the AG, and Christine saying she wanted to get arrested, saying "BRING IT ON!" are in at the very beginning of the blog, Christine, pre sister wives, and lots of others, too!
It is possible to be a full time employee and still receive assistance if your income to family ratio is correct. There was a brief time after my divorce and between higher paying jobs where I had to make do for my children with what I could find. I was full time and still qualified for food and medical aid for my 2 children. Not the best 6 months of my life personally and I found a better job asap. If someone were wanting to milk the system for benefits and work they can especially if they are single with 6 kids.
When the Browns left Lehi, it was made to seem like a 'fly by night' action. The way they presented themselves telling the children that they would be moving, wasn't it a sort of a "by the end of the week" kind of thing? I recall the kids appearing shocked and upset. How did this all really go down? For how long before the actual move did the kids have a heads up?
As for the "2 out of 3" married wives: Meri was employed part-time; she and Kody (legally married) declared bankruptcy together; I believe they had in excess of $85K (check old posts for the exact numbers if you're interested) dissolved. Jenelle was employed--but also claimed herself as a "single" mother with six children--when she declared bankruptcy several years ago. Christine declared bankruptcy in 2010--after filming began. She is listed as a single mother, with no income--and was "tenant" in a rental. . . her landlord=> Kody Brown. I forget the exact amounts of their bankruptcies, but suffice it to say it is several hundreds of thousands of dollars--which will never be paid to their creditors. These documents are all available in the archives of this blog--or were, anyway.
The Brown sister wives as well as the wives featured on "My Five Wives" may not live the exact same experiences, but I see the exact same sadness behind each of these women's eyes.
I know the shows are edited and the families aren't filmed 24/7. But if the Browns and the family on "My Five Wives" are trying to show the "better" side of polygamy, they're failing. I've seen more tears from these women and their limited time on TV than I've cried in 10+ years of marriage.
I understand they live this life because of religious belief, but c'mon ladies (I'm talking to you, Brown women): What religion based on God's teaching would want women to suffer the humiliation, jealousy, low self-esteem and servitude that polygamy causes?
I think about how young these women were (except Robyn) when they agreed to a polygamous lifestyle. Christine was completely brainwashed from birth, so it's easy to see how she wound up here. But were the others brainwashed by family members to believe they'd never do or be anything better so they settled for less?
I have no clue. But the only sister wife on ANY of the 3 TLC shows I've seen thus far that has any sense of uniqueness or light behind her eyes is Janelle. And I think it's because she finally realized her emotional needs would never be met (and she'd continue to feel "less-than") unless she decided to be her own best friend and support system. During the Q & A's, her mouth moves and the right words come out, but in my opinion she seems so over the polygamy thing. I hope she doesn't wait as long as Whatshername Decker to get out.
I agree. I said the same thing about all the crying. Why do all of them cry so much, especially "Sobin Robin" as she has been called on many of these blogs? Then I watched My Five Wives, and then all of them started crying. They all appear to be depressed women because they are sharing a man and they don't get his undivided attention and they seem to have lost themselves, not knowing where they fit in. Both shows are depressing for me watch.
My gosh! I said the same thing to a co-worker today. I see more tears in one episode than I have shed in 17 years of marriage. They seem to be only feigning contentment because they know it could be so much worse.
I watched M5W and it was sad, but even more than sad...it was boring. I couldn't even finish the whole episode. And funny that Rosemary actually happens to be the prettiest of all 5 yet feels the ugliest. She is a pretty woman and no amount of diet or working out can give anyone a face they weren't born with. So she has the advantage over them all.
Brady isn't a bad looking guy either. They aren't nearly as nauseating as the Browns. But their sadness is palpable.
I couldn't believe the My5Wives family was talking about adoption. What state in this country is going to hand over a baby to this unstable and illegal polygamist family? And why would they blow money on useless legal battles to adopt a child instead of using their money to provide for the multitude of children they already have? These people need big-time therapy because they're out of touch with reality!
Antidepressant drugs are prescribed in Utah more often than in any other state, at a rate nearly twice the national average! This one paragraph in the article sums it up perfectly:
"In Mormondom, there is a social expectation--particularly among the females--to put on a mask, say 'Yes' to everything that comes at her and hide the misery and pain. I call it the 'Mother of Zion' syndrome. You are supposed to be perfect because Mrs. Smith across the street can do it and she has three more kids than you and her hair is always in place. I think the cultural issue is very real. There is the expectation that you should be happy, and if you're not happy, you're failing."
I am an ex-Mormon convert and can attest to this. Women are taught that saying no to the male members (the Priesthood) is akin to saying no to God. Although mainstream LDS despises the term "keep sweet," nonetheless, it's an unspoken rule in all of Mormondom.
The article is at: http://articles.latimes.com/2002/feb/20/news/mn-28924
Remember that Ed Kociela, who covered the Warren Jeffs Trial as city editor of the Spectrum, has a post here. you can ask him ANYTHING about polygamy, and he will get back with you. thanks!
I know Kristyn Decker personally, and accusing her of hatred towards polygamists in general, and in particular to Christine and her family, is entirely unfounded. What we were seeing is cult mentality in full flow. A person who leaves the cult - in this case AUB - is very often demonized. Overnight they have sided with the devil, broken their covenants, and become an enemy to God and "the truth," and so ascribing all kinds of negative attributes to them helps to bolster the cult belief system.
Uh, Rose, I hope you don't believe breaking Amish is any more realistic than "Sister Wives" LOL :D. Shunning is referenced about every thirty seconds on Breaking Amish--I have never actually heard of anyone being shunned. I know people who had babies out of wedlock, married outside of their races, went to college, bar-hopped, bought big pick-ups or became atheists. Most of them are still tight with their parents--though they do get a lot of nervous mother lecturing. They go to all the weddings and funerals. If they were never Baptized, they can not be shunned to begin with. The Amish are Baptized a lot later than most Baptist/Anabaptist Groups--usually right before they get married. The Amish on these TV shows were never Baptized; all of them have been out of the Amish church for years--and all of them have good relationships with their families. All of them are known around here (Lancaster). The Amish do not make enemies--period.
I guess enemy wasn't the right word. Yes, I know the Breaking Amish show is quite the made up pack of crap that most reality shows are. I live near Punxsutawney, where two of the people are supposed to live.
I have grown up around the Amish in Pennsylvania, and I lived in Lanc. Co, Pa for 5 years. I do know that different sects of Amish are leery of each other(in my part of the state anyway). There are so many different versions it's hard to keep track. We have always had one main group in my County, but now there are two or three different communities moving into the area, as well as New Order Mennonite.
The descriptions of how one family feels about other Fundamentalist Mormon families reminds me of the variety of Amish. If a community starts to disagree over a certain topic they split and then become two communities with different rules etc. They move away, or live next to each other.
The theme I keep reading about here with the different groups of Mormon, makes me think that there are a lot of inherent flaws in the core belief structure. One group follows X, the next follows X but doesn't believe in Y, yet another group thinks X is wrong and ignores Y, but they put Z up front. On and on.
The Amish at least put it out there for their youth....go out, see what is there, but come back. I think it's tough for a teen to have only an 8th grade education and then they have to go out in the evil world alone OR come back to the world they know and be welcomed. It's not a little decision, and they are brought up to not trust the English people, so it can't be easy to leave.
I guess this behavior would also be considered familia or tribal. If you are of my blood, then you can be trusted, if you are not of my blood then you can not be trusted. Many societies and groups across the planet have functioned this way for a millennium.
I'd love to hear what a sociologist/anthropologist's take on this!
Reminds me of the type of 'shunning' I've read about that occurs in Scientology. Lawrence Wright's "Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief" is so far the best book about Scientology that I've read.
Robyn was a little aggressive. She leaned forward and bit, "don't make me a victim, sweetie"--very rude. Also, she makes herself a victim every week, always crying and complaining about people criticizing her lifestyle. There's no joy.
I'm glad to know you personally know Krystin Decker. On last night's epi she came across as completely kind, logical and sincere. Christine's over-the-top drama proclaiming "I don't know why my Aunt HATES my family and lifestyle" and her Middle School bathroom drama contrasted starkly from Krystin saying she loved her and saw her family life was good. Christine came off as irrational and childish. Robyn came off as aggressive (unnecessarily so). Meri came of as, well, Meri. Sigh - she's such a BORE. And Janelle's few words were fine. Kody seemed to want to compete with Robyn on who is most aggressive, mean and unable (unwilling) to hear another's point of view and not take it as a personal assault. Team Anti Plyg were awesome. I really dig Kolleen -- she's a cool, calm and knows-herself chick ... the Brown 3 (I exclude Janelle) could learn a thing or two from Kolleen and Krystin about grace, maturity, self-control and dignity.
I have a 2nd cousin who is/was a polygamous in Southern Utah. The last name is Short. I can't remember his first name, but L'll recognize it if I see it. Are there any resources for learning more about him and his family?
Thank you for everyone posting about the various shows from Sunday! For those of us who no longer have cable and can't see them online yet it's a great way to keep up on the stories!
I wish TLC would release to amazon already. They are usually available the next day, except for this one! Grrr.
I haven't seen this mentioned yet: When the Sister Wives met over a Christine's house before loading up for the drive to UNLV. Christine compliments Robyn's outfit. Christine gestures to Robyn and says "oh. this is cute, I like that" Robyn smiles looks down at her own clothes and says "yeah" Then turns her lips into a frown, barley gets out the words "you too" and then immediately looks at her phone. Whoah, I hope Christine never wastes her time giving that self centered bitch another compliment again.
and in the bathroom with Janelle getting ready for the show Kody asks Janelle for fashion advice and she says to go ask Robyn, she's the "fashion expert" - or something to that effect. Robyn of the baby doll tops is all over the latest trends, don't you know?
Wow--how about the way these "ladies" went after that poor teenager on the panel when she said sister wives hate each other. So loving and just like Jesus! And they acted like the phrase "sister wives" belongs only to them!
Calling Dr. Phil - YES. Her name is Kollene Snow. She was telling HER story. They know her which made it all the sadder. She's one heck of a gal and a TRUE survivor. Shame on the grown ups. Robyn was grandstanding because Kody didn't fare so well in the question dept. See Audience members post if you haven't read it! And the comments. One even caught Kody in another lie.
I started watching Sister Wives without any real idea of what polygamy was. I went in with the attitude, "Well, if we are all supposed to think Hugh Hefner is an icon (gag) because he is having sex with multiple partners a quarter of his age, then why should we judge a man who actually loves his multiple partners and takes care of them?" Then I watched SW....OMG, these people are horrible. Their situation is disgusting, their attitudes are sickening. If they are the face of polygamy the polygamy is a complete failure.
Who the heck thought four women could share one man? They can't even share a kitchen! They are immature, self-centered, and greedy. Damn, I want back every penny of my tax money that went to pay for the mock tapioca!!! If they were using my tax money for food then at least serve real freaking tapioca!!
The Browns' television show confirms that their religion is a cult. Thank you so much Brown family for educating me on polygamy. Polygamy as demonstrated by the Browns is a complete failure. Unhealthy, unhappy, dysfunctional way of life.
Robyn's true colors really shown through last night. I had been going back and forth about her, but now I think she really is manipulative and vicious. Between her behavior at the panel, the way she spoke of the father of her first three right in front of them during her purity speech, and renaming Dayton for Kody....she just isn't a very nice person. She is a wolf in plyg sheep's clothing. And always so quick to speak when she should really think about what she is saying first.
I think Christine was afraid to see her aunt because her aunt represents the truth that she doesn't want to face. Christine said something along the lines of "what if they helped me leave" about the group that helps people get out of polygamy. I think Christine is miserable and deep down she wants to leave. She doesn't want to face it and didn't want to face her aunt who left the same group Christine has ties to.
Clockwork, I'm with you on the Robyn thing. I always thought Robyn kind of got a raw deal here on the blog. I felt kind of sorry for her. Well not anymore! She's horrible! I guess you were all right and I had the wool pulled over my eyes because she is a nasty, viscous person.
The other sister wives better watch out. Sobbin is younger, thinner, Kody's obvious favorite and she is going to put a knife in your back the first chance she has. Mean girl all the way.
I wish Meri and Janelle would RUN! I think Christine is just like Robyn, she just hides it better.
Clockwork & Anon, you hit the nail on the head w/both of them. Another reason I don't think Christine will leave? She has zero financial security, work history and a toddler. She is as trapped as she can be.
Meri's probably too lazy and depressed to have enough energy to leave.
Sobbin's standing ready to put knife in back of her SWs at any minute - you can tell she is absolutely ADDICTED to Kody. Little things like how her Twitter pic is of her AND Kody while the others just have their own identities. I believe her vicious attack last night (plus the more subtle one on her ex-husband two weeks ago) exemplifies precisely who she is and always has been = manipulative, cunning and nasty.
Janelle ... ah my lovely Janelle ... I see her shedding that weight and then shedding this family as her confidence is going to SOAR!! She's the only one who demonstrates sound logic and maturity and the only one I have any respect for. I want to see Janelle WIN. When she gets thin, she will blow Robyn out of the water ... let's face it ... Robyn might be semi-thin and younger but she's got a double-bagger face IMHO.
My biggest WOAH Robin moment last night was when she said to Kody, 'what if they say you are a misogynistic pig, babe?' WTF. So snotty. And then her sweetie kind of scared me.
Oh man... Rewatching and the part where Kristyn is talking about just wanting to give Christine a hug breaks my heart. The Browns are just twisting these peoples personal histories into attacks against them. I just want to yell "LET THEM FEEL THEIR FEELINGS" at the Browns.
The Browns regularly trash single marriages (okay, well Robyn does).
It was interesting when Robyn said to a panelist to not make her a victim.
No one has to do that - they make themselves out to be the victims quite well on their own. Crying, saying they were afraid, saying they were attacked, Christine saying she was afraid to even speak to an aunt she's known her whole life, hiding in the restroom, or even sit down to a friendly group meal. Good grief. If they were looking for sympathy they failed. completely.
They know they have to keep this thing going as long as the reality show money is coming in. It's their only real financial security. They're probably paying off those houses and stashing some cash. It'll be interesting to see what happens to this family when (whenever it happens) the show ends.
Yeah, the funny thing is the might have made some progress with their "cause" if they had been nice and reasonable and not taken the hurt the other pannelists felt as personal attacks.
But instead they showed us all how deeply they suffer, and how damaging their way of life is. (and who the heck says "these are my religious veiws but I don't know much about my religion" Paraphrasing of course, can't find the quote)
If it weren't for the audience member's earlier report that the camera crew talked about how much they liked the money the show SisterWives makes for TLC, I'd swear that TLC must despise the Browns, based on the portrayal of them at the UNLV event. Rather than engage in any type of exchange, or enlighten the audience, all of the Browns were defensive, sarcastic and hostile,and they deflected every remark from the other panelists. They could never hide how unsophisticated they are, but they really exposed their real natures too much.
Early in the show, I thought that that TLC was showing Truely throwing a fit and running off, when she couldn't go, too, as a gratuitous gesture to this blog. By the end, I decided that it must have been foreshadowing of Christine's own behavior, because the camera crew must be bored by this show. At least I know that Truely will grow up. Christine, on the other hand, has become more infantile and grating each week this season, over-emoting about how dramatic she is.
When Christine realized she had no real interest in working real estate, she sort of changed into a very ingratiating team member. I think she's being a good sister wife for financial reasons and a sense of security. Does anyone remember the episode when Kody basically said he was initially repulsed by her physically? That's the episode I really felt sorry for her and I hope she can get some security out of this show.
You don't have to be in a polygamist marriage to be miserable! Look at the divorce rate for non-plogamists!! 50% plus?! No one works at a marriage anymore! It's so easy to find someone else and cheat or leave!! At least they work on each other's relationships an
The divorce rate in the Plyg Communities is at least the same as the general public--but, without the necessity of legal action, the women quickly remarry and move on. Just look at the few that we follow--more than half have a divorce under their belt. Jenelle (though Adam is not a polygamist, he is still cose to his family, was raised in this community--and one has to assume he retains many of its values; Christine's Mother AND Grandmother; Robyn's Mother; Robyn; One of the Darger Twins. All of these women remarried almost immediately. The only communities that have lower rates are those where they are literally held captive. . . my guess is they are not staying because of happy relationships.
In my humble opinion, the professor dude was pulling numbers out of his ass. There's really NO WAY he can accurately quantify those numbers he was giving - shoot, the non-legal "wives" can't even "divorce" - where would he get those records? Does he back it up with any methodology, stats? He's more than likely biased in favor of the Browns.
Agree with you Dakota- there are no legal marriages/divorces on record for most "wives", and according to the Browns most polygamists aren't public, so just how does he get these statistics?
Since TLC arranged this panel discussion for the show, I guess his role was to play the faux plyg expert.
The divorce rate in AUB (Kody's polygamist group) is actually very high - to the point that it stirred up quite a big controversy some years back, with some men (in particular Dennis Mathews who was involved in the Virginia Hill scam) arguing that it shouldn't be allowed. Without extensive research in these communities there is no way this "expert" could come up with credible figures, and most people in these groups won't give personal details. I believe that LaMoine Jensen was quoted somewhere in the press saying that divorce is a problem in AUB. Many women are guilted into staying in polygamist unions by being told to "keep your covenants" at all costs, so if it's bad now, imagine how it would be if they joined the ranks of the divorced! Robyn excitedly trying to argue that things are better in polygamy, just shows her ignorance. I haven't even mentioned that there are groups where the women are trapped in polygamist unions and would never be granted a divorce - which would certainly skew any available figures - I don't believe they exist for polygamists in Utah and Arizona.
I think that supposed 'expert' was telling the Browns what he thought they wanted to hear so they would not walk out on the panel discussion.
As you said, most families practicing polygamy are not going to open up to someone just because they want the information. So how would he have compiled his figures?
Oh I am so with y'all about the professor pulling numbers out of his ass. He is giving out percentages without a real peer-reviewed study. He is definitely trying to keep the Browns happy. And you know what? When plural marriage is miserable, it affects way more people than in a monogamous marriage. I don't see happy women in them and many kids aren't happy either. Between The Browns, The Dargers, The Williams,The families on Polygamy USA, many books written on the subject..I don't see true happiness. Monogamous marriages run the spectrum between unhappy and happy. I haven't seen any polygamous fundamental Mormons all over that spectrum the way monogamous marriages are.
Hi Mister Sister. First, I absolutely am addicted to this fabulously entertaining and insightful blog. You folks crack me up. Second, I agree with Anon 3:37p that sometimes the comment box won't work. I can now only read your blog from my real computer ... my Android just can't read it for some reason. It will scroll about 2" and then it just gets stuck. I've tested other websites and it's only this one where my Galaxy has a total meltdown. I don't know if the issues are Android or something technical on the blog side. Just an FYI ... I hate I can't read my addiction from bed now!
only constant issue I know of is if the comments are over 200, which is why we've been trying to limit them to 200. Not sure what to tell you! Sorry! I think it may be that.
Webstanator, I have an Android RazrM and this blog works fine on it. Sometimes the display will appear to get stuck, as you described, but if I either refresh or just wait a minute, it will continue on as it should.
Just wanted to let you hear from someone else with an Android phone.
Which one, the Williams? You are on the newest SW spoilers....did you reload? The My 5 Wives has videos, do that matter? Others have emailed in and say they see just fine. IDK
A poster asked numerous times if the Browns and other polygamists believed in the 10 Commandments...I'd like a AUB member to answer this if they see it.
I'd say they are alluring to the fact they lie so much, and area adulterous.
Reposting this from a slightly earlier thread, because I think it's important for the watching audience to be aware of:
Kody's statement at the UNLV debate about not knowing much (doctrinally) about his religion struck me as off. Hadn't I read something in "Becoming Sisterwives" that contradicted this new statement? I had to do a little digging...
"I was excited to be associating with members of Meri's faith. They had an intensity about religion that I found inspiring. Perhaps because their religion was somewhat countercultural and at odds with certain conventional doctrines, they took no aspect for their belief for granted. They examined their convictions carefully and enthusiastically. **The members of this group were fully committed to their ideologies and discussed them at length, both debating and confirming the tenants of their religion. Every day I spend with this group seemed to turn into an impromptu revival with profound discussions of spirituality and religion that I had been missing in the LDS church**" (page 22, Kindle e-book edition).
Wow, all of that intense discussion / debate (in which Kody enthusiastically participated) and he is still is naive about the doctrines of his faith? Baloney.
Yes, he is very naive about the fundamentalist faith which is why he had to be bleeped out several times. He seems to only remember the whole "I can have sex with multiple women" part. Oh and he also remembers the whole "but a woman having multiple partners is vulgar" part.
They don't go to church but they do go to casinos....what religion is this? I don't think they are any religion but the religion of "Do Whatever You Want in the Name of Religion". Then if anyone disagrees with you, you can cry religious persecution.
I couldnt agree with you more. I would have more respect for them if they were living up to some religious standard, but it is obvious they are not. you can tell, it is anything goes, there is no 'standard' in these households. They really 'take' what they can get which is not so different from society as a whole today. They come across as very uneducated people. Kody has learned how to validate his wives feelings and this gets him by, now does he really care about his wives feeling's or children's feelings, no way. Meri and Christine have the maturity level of a 12 yr olds, which is painful to watch, especially when you see that behavior in their children. Robyn is exactly like Kody, she can mimic the behavior of the people around her and has learned that very successful validation tool. Janelle is mature, but lazy, IMO she sees the light, but is too comfortable to make a change. I am so happy to see her gaining physical strength which will hopefully lead to emotional strength. I do think she has raised her children well, so I give her five stars for that. Her children do seem to act appropriately for their age, no crying fits or childish outbursts and they seem to have a healthy outlook regarding relationships, unlike the comments coming out of christine's and Meri's kids. Christines older girls and Meri's child are frightening at times with their comments, I dont mean any disrepect toward the children, they mimic what they have seen growing up, very emotional immaturity.
Christine, are you mad at your aunt because she left polygamy? Christine do you dislike your aunt because she speaks out against polygamy?
Holy crap. Really? If your aunt doesn't like your lifestyle then you dislike her? Seriously? What happened to the whole "this life isn't for everyone and you should be free to choose?" Guess not. Krystin Decker was nothing but kind while Christine and Robyn were ridiculous--immature and hateful.
Just as an example...the Browns including Christine talk a good game about letting the kids choose for themselves what lifestyle/religion they want to follow...but when one of the kids voices a dissenting opinion they are quick to respond, at the very least with Kody's beady-eye fixed glare.
Remember a year or so ago - the ep about the father-daughter dance and one of Christine's little girls (Savannah I think) asked Logan to be her date because she "didn't want to share" and then said she wasn't going to be a polygamist? I thought Christine was going to have an anyurism...
Hi Anon 3:46 - couldn't agree with your more! Robyn really showed her true colors last night -- I always knew she was a serious Stage 5 Beotch hiding underneath 2 layers of ugly shirts and her constant furrowed brow, frown and tears. She was incredibly condescending to Kolleen and used an unnecessarily sarcastic and rude tone. Her reaction to the other side was super aggressive when I found the anti-plygs to be clear, concise and definitely distinguishing b/t the Browns and the majority of FDLS plygs. They could not have been more clear about that. Yet Robyn bowed up like a beast.
The entire bathroom scene with Christine refusing to even acknowledge her AUNT was absurd enough but really went straight to 8th grade when her two BFFs came to whisk her away to safety from the very scary Aunt Christine. Seriously??? WTH did Christine have to fear? Eh, the answer was NOTHING.
I love the Brown's!!! I'd marry Cody!! I think four is his happy number!! I love Robin and Meri! I relate to them more. Janell is all business, and Christine is the stay at home Mom. I love all of them as a unit! I think they value marriage more sacredly than non-polygamists that cheat and divorce!! 50%?! More?! It's so easy now not to work on your marriage, you find someone else! They at least work on each relationship, like more people SHOULD!!! GO BROWNS!!! Love ya ALL!!! Not working, the blog comment box, you can't fix a typo!;( Unless you say Done and try again, then it works...
Yes, Donna, I agree that perhaps they value marriage more sacredly "than non-polygamists that cheat and divorce". I would also assert that they value marriage as equally sacredly as "non-polygamists that DON'T cheat and divorce". And that perhaps they value marriage more sacredly than "polygamists that divorce". All relationships deserve respect and love. That was the message of Christ; Love one Another.
First I want to say there have been some awesome changes here lately. LOVE the fact MS is getting authors and the panel to come talk. Cool. LOVE the spoilers. I don't post much, but love to read.
I have to say no one I saw brought this up. WHY did Christine have to go into the whole I am afraid of my aunt with Aspyn? Isn't that somewhat telling that they DO try to influence their children?
I think that the Brown women get empowered during a spot light last night, They are immature, and create drama to feel important, and to justify what they are doing. Come the next day, they will be peeking out of their windows to see where Kody is at, and by next season, it will all be about how they are jealous of each other.
S = Sobyn, don’t let her call you sweet T = treasure, I’m sure they all bow down and wash Kody’s feet R = ridiculous, the happiness they want viewers to see O = obnoxious, married to one and sleeping with the other three N = normal, that what they are trying to sell G = grateful? No one in this family with the exception of perhaps Janelle
W = wives, or that is what they are supposed to be O = objects is what they really are for Kody’s every need M = Meri, mean girl who has no life E = equality, for which they all strive N = nonsense these women present, for when the day it done, I bet each women is filled with resent.
Long time reader but first time posting - Thank you SWB for sharing the truth - The Brown family is really messed up. Robyn was so rude last night. And the bathroom fiasco - Grown women who can't walk past others on the panel without showing enough common courtesy to say hello?!! Meri goes to get Christine from the bathroom and rushes back to get her friend Robyn to come along to walk past those two scary anti-polygamists so that they can rescue Christine? Who does that? Jr. High girls - that's who. I see from Janelle that she is back pedaling on twitter saying she doesn't have to share her money but they do all share $ freely. Also, I hated My 5 wives. Sad, sad women and one off-putting man.
The relationship between Kody and Christine seems strained. I noticed all his attention is on Sobbin and Meri while Christine and Janelle seem to be lost in the wives shuffle. That is until Janelle looses the rest of her weight. Is it me or is Kody starting to take an interest in the romance dept with Janelle now that she has dropped some pounds. The jealousy will rear its ugly head at Janelle by sobbin and meri the more pounds Janelle loses. Back to Christine. I think she is Kodys punching bag to abuse mentally. He knows he can get away with his abuse with Christine behind closed doors. Lets face it the woman seems frazzled and in a daze half the time and seems afraid of something. I would point the finger at Kody. You never seem much affection between kody and Christine or kody and Janelle for that matter. I never liked Meri and Robyn. They are both whiny bitches who are nasty to the other 2 wives. Right Robyn SWEETIE!
You know Anon 4:18 I think you are right. I am no fragile flower and things don't shock me easily, but sometimes he raises his voice to her or says really nasty or inappropriate things to her and she doesn't even react. It's all completely normal to have your husband be vicious to you not only in public but on international television.
Last night when they were talking about how Kody said he would give her money to leave? Oh, yeah, when was that? Was she pregnant with baby #6 or did she already have baby #6 by c section #2? Good GRIEF! Even if she DID leave - where would she really feel like she could go?
To the social workers that she has heard her whole life will lead her down an evil path? Not bloody likely. She didn't just drink the kool aid she was weaned on it.
I have no hope for any of them anymore. I'm saving my hope for the kids.
Funniest part ever was Meri sitting there on national television and declaring how liberating it is not to have her husband in bed with her every night!! KoDouche must be one heck of a lover to get that statement made about him on TV!!!! LMAO!!
Every time I read on this blog how the Browns are trying to sell their family as the exception to the "other" abusive forms of polygamy I can't help but think of the following:
- Previous posts and comments about the mean looks Kody would give either the wives or the kids (like you are going to get it later) after they say or do something he doesn't like.
- One main image also pops into my mind of that broken door frame a few seasons ago in one of the wive's rental homes (I can't remember which wife). That type of damage takes force.
- The behavior of the kids is another indication that the family may have issues. The fighting of the boys throughout the seasons, Mariah acting out, the desperate attempts to get attention by Robyn's girls etc.
- The posts from Meri about forgiveness.
- The constant crying and sad faces. I know it is edited for drama but really there is less crying in my favorite soap opera.
- The distrust the kids have fir the parents. I.e. When Kody first announced they were looking at getting the homes and he was so excited and nine of the kids were and the kids said we have been let down so many times before (or something to that effect). I know they have the houses but that last bit was the telling part.
They may not be extreme like Warren Jeffs, but that does not mean that what they are doing is working. And it does not mean that what they are doing does not hurt them the adults and it certainly does not mean that the children are not effected and hurt by the "lifestyle choice".
Children see and hear everything and they are a reflection of their environment. With all of these unhappy adults, the unstable environment (from so many moves and fluctuating income) resulting in: the acting out/fights between the kids, mistrust of the adults being reliable/stable, and begging for attention I don't see how they can claim they are providing a better home by living plural marriage. It could just be them, as many have said not every monogamous marriage is perfect. But I don't think so. I think it is a system set up to fail with unhappy adults creating an environment that is difficult to raise children with all the same benefits as a 2 parent family. (I say 2 parent because that is what they are always comparing themselves to. I know there are many other types of families that exist).
My thoughts were kind of jumbled so I don't know if what I said made any sense sorry.
I am sure this topic has come up before, but I have to ask again. what makes a woman want to SHARE the love of your life? I cant imagine my husband in bed with another woman, or even to have my husband spend time with another woman.
What is wrong with these woman? brainwashed? or just stupid?
Fundamental Mormon religion dictates that they must live a polygamous lifestyle in order to get to heaven. I watched this to start learning their religion.
At some point, don't you have to ask yourself if God would really want you to be miserable on Earth during your earthly lifetime? I am Christian, but there are lots of varieties to choose from. I chose one that made the most sense to me. I just don't feel the Browns have or they wouldn't act as unhappy all the time.
Dyan, I so get your point about that; however, if it helps at all I can say I was raised Jehovah's Witness. The minute I was old enough to drive I quit and haven't been a JW for 30+ years. BUT ... one thing they don't do is celebrate birthdays and while it may surprise you as much as it surprises me, to this day I am extremely uncomfortable when my friends want to celebrate my b'day with parties, dinners, cakes, balloons. Meri, Christine and Sobbin (the three biggest freaks in the family) were brought up in this lifestyle to view it as entirely normal and expected. whatever beliefs (no matter how nutty or unconventional) one grows up with as everyday life become part of the fabric of your life. I have no idea about your family or religious history, but if a Christian I'm sure you simply couldn't imagine not doing any number of things that you might have been trained to be expected and normal yet some others would find difficult to understand. Easter is a good example -- what do chocolates and bunnies laying chicken eggs have to do with Christ? I don't ask that to be sarcastic or mean -- I ask it because I was raised JW and we were told those practices were absurd and undignified toward honoring Christ's life. I am NOT a JW but I am explaining to you what I was taught from infancy vs. what 99% of everybody else was taught from infancy. I've attended dozens of Easter brunches and egg gatherings. While I enjoyed them immensely, my JW fabric is always inwardly reacting to how none of it seems religious or Christ-like to me -- because that is how I was raised. I have no objection to these practices but they make no sense to me. I view polygamy in the same way -- it makes no sense to me but I get how it makes sense to people who were taught that from infancy. Hope my comment isn't considered negative because it is not meant in that spirit in the least .... just drawing comparisons.
>what makes a woman want to SHARE the love of your life?
A lot of people do it willingly because it's what they want, and the lifestyle that they freely choose. Not so much in polygamy, as that's based around patriarchy, but if you look up polyamory (where people often have more than one or two primary romantic relationships)- there's a decent wiki at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyamory , it seems to work out well for a lot of them. Of course in polyamory it's also very common for a woman to have more than one sexual/romantic partner- that's not reserved for men only. And since there's no institutionalized or religious framework, people generally don't do it unless they really want to. Conflict/jealousy etc. is mainly resolved through discussion (a lot of it, to say the least) instead of coercion, and usually you have one or two 'primary' partners that you negotiate everything with.
It's certainly not my cup of tea, but I've known a fair number of happy polyamourous people, or at least people who were happy with it for the first few years, at which time a lot of them seem to migrate to trying monogamy. And there are a lot of them, and it's growing, as a lot of younger people seem to be giving it a try. It's certainly a lot more common than polygamy is- most of the recent numbers I've seen put polygamists in the U.S. between 40,000-50,000 people, and the number of polyamorous identified at about 500,000.
Webstanator, thank you for reminding us on how deeply we are affected by how we were raised. I agree that those early beliefs and subsequent reactions are many times unaffected by what we believe now/call rational now. They are a sort of a "go to"/gut reaction whether we want them or not. That is one thing that makes all of this difficult with religious belief involved.
Question. If Kody lives in Las Vegas, and they are on PDT Te zone and 3 hrs behind E standard, how are they tweeting and having pics of them watching? How are they talking about it like they are watching with us...hmmm..
I have friends whose cable options allow them to watch an east coast feed. That's likely how the Browns can tweet before we see the shows in the more western time zones.
The problem with the Browns is that they want everyone to believe they are the typical modern day polygamist family and not the exception. I was raised by an abusive father in in monogamist family. Does that mean I think all monogamist marriages should be banned? No! What Kristyn Decker and the others are trying to get through the Brown’s thick heads is there are women who are not given a choice and don’t know there is a choice. These are the women and families that need someone to reach out to them. Kristyn Decker and the others because of their experiences don’t want polygamy glorified as a wonderful way to live. I think all the drama between Christine and her aunt was BS. What could her aunt possibly say or do that would be so terrible with all the cameras around? All the Brown women showed they lacked any empathy. They were also condescending and defensive toward the audience and the other panel members. Their tweets afterwards were like they congratulated each other on what a great job they did and damage control by saying how sorry they were for the others bad experiences with polygamy. The problem with Sisters Wives is the Browns have been caught in too many lies and contradictions. I don’t believe for one minute they couldn’t get their jewelry into any other casino because of prejudice. They did not have to leave Utah. We don’t know if we will have enough money to pay our bills. We make plenty of money. And they apparently don’t follow all of their religious beliefs, etc. etc. etc. Kody does not need anyone’s permission to live this lifestyle. They are already doing it. TLC has been a windfall for them. They could never have afforded those houses. I think they had to appear on this panel or they wouldn’t get their TLC money. The Browns are doing something right. Their children are not abused and seem happy and well adjusted. They are making their children’s education important. The argument that polygamy bleeds the system doesn’t hold water because polygamists have to be a very small percentage of people that fraud the government out of money. I guess there will be another season since I heard TLC is currently filming. What irritates me the most is the Brown’s holier-than-thou, we are so smart, don’t ask us any stupid questions, self-centered – attitude.
In an earlier post, it was mentioned that Robyn changed Dayton's name for Kody. I must have missed that, I know that she legally changed her name to Brown. What did she change Dayton's name to? The immature behavior that Robyn,Meri, and especially Christine displayed on the panel show was disgraceful. It did nothing to further their cause, it was embarrassing to watch. I wonder what the kids in the audience thought. My heart goes out to those kids because they are the ones who pay the price for these fools.
The only adult in that family is Janelle who rarely speaks and who was NOT a member of the Bathroom Mean Girls Mob. The only level of maturity exhibited last night was a brief (mistake?) Meri comment about all the hub-bub and silliness about being nervous over the panel discussion. That was probably the only time I've ever agreed with Meri. I meant "other" level of maturity exhibited. For some reason I can't edit my own comments before posting. Meri is super childish generally, but I did agree with her on how silly all the fake nervousness was.
While watching this episode I felt that the Browns were angry and defensive from the start. They were cruel, childish and selfish. They preferred to attack rather than listen to others stories and points of view. Why would you want to be portrayed in such a negative way? They need to learn if they are willing to go on television and become public about their life they need to be willing to take any comments that may come with it. If you are mature enough to tell your story on television or anywhere, then be mature enough to listen to others opinions without completely jumping to the conclusion that you are being judged and hated..(This last comment was for Robyn specifically) My heart went out to Logan to see him actually apologize for Robyns behavior. That is not his job. To see him do this shows that he has more honesty, class and maturity than the adults that supposedly lead his family. I agree with an earlier post that said that maybe Christine had talked to her aunt about leaving and that she was afraid that her aunt would let it slip that she had done so. I think Kody has her on a very tight leash and the whole bathroom thing? kind of reminded me of how many times Warren Jeffs had people he suspected watched and guarded by people who he trusted. Christines veneer is growing thin and she looks like she is about to break. Polgamy seems just cruel and unfair. At one point in my marriage my husband and I were living in another country and I hadn't spoken to my fathers side of the family for several years. I received a letter from my grandmother wanting to rekindle a relationship . She had included a picture that she had titled "My Grandchildren" and there were about 20 blond blue eyed children sitting on a couch. This senario could not be possible because all of my aunts and uncles all had married children with children of their own and all of us are dark with dark eyes. So upon digging a little I found that this letter had actually come from Hilldale, Utah and unfortunately led me to believe that she had married again and this was indeed her family now. Even though I hadn't spoken to her or her family in years it still hurt me to see this and left me with several questions. I will never understand the pain and jealousy and raw human emotion that this lifestyle drums up. I will be the first to admit, I am just too selfish, unkind,unloving and judgemental to ever live in this type of relationship. I do not believe that any God would tell you this is how you have to live because I say so and I don't care about you or your feelings. I kind of watched My 5 wives and it was just "meh" no interest there at all. Thank you Ed and your wonderful wife for giving us so much insight and information. It has been very helpful in trying to understand this type of lifestyle. I really enjoy reading the posts (and the snark is fun too)! Can't wait to read more.
The 50% divorce rate is complicated by the fact that people who divorce once tend to divorce again. So whole 50% of marriages end in divorce, only something like 30% of FIRST marriages end in divorce. For instance, my uncle has been married four times. My father and aunt once each. Among them, they have six marriages for three people (50%) but in reality only one of them actually had gone through it.
The real cost of polygamy, even successful families, is that the adults remain perpetual adolescents. The culture creates that and rewards that. Doesn't mean any individual family can't make it work, just that it's unstable for all but a truly mature set of people.
Who knew that when you shove your "lifestyle" down everyone's throat on TV and SUE TO LEGALIZE POLYGAMY, people are going to ask you to defend it?! I mean, my word. Who could have possibly expected that. I'm glad we can all agree Kody is a misogynist pig, though. Good times.
Still on episode 8...hard to get past the dog comment and I get queasy watching Kody getting all artistic with the joolry design...since when is he a sisterwife, huh?
Anyway seeing all of those bare backyards , they sure missed the boat with Kody's birthday gifts.... The wives should have each bought themselves a full=grown tree to plant in their backyards. When Kody's not around, they would have something to hug, something solid and "mature" to lean on and all it would ask back is a bit of water....
I was so caught up in the Debate (a debate that was more like a TLC special Brown-Nosing and Christine-pumping) And yes, embarrassed to admit that I did spend a totally wasted hour watching Brady and his 5-wife Brady Bunch show..... that I forgot..... To sing the praises of TWISTED SISTER"S **Jane and Dick flip chart!! **
Twisted Sister, you are sooooooo ** twisted ** in the most brilliant way !! BRAVO !!!! Loved it !!! Thanks for genuine laughs and smirks !!
If the Browns had just one micro-speck of your talent.... Ahh.... but they don't and they never will!!
Does anyone have closed captioning so we can see what exactly Sobbin-Hag-in-a- Bag-Robyn said in the "misogynist pig" statement? I'd also like to see exactly what Logan said.
If you go to UNLV website to watch it or even to Kristyn Decker's site, you can't. That means obviously only TLC got rights to air it. If there is a bootleg video on youtube from an audience member, I'd love to see it!
Kody and his harem need to seriously do a reality check on why they incur criticism and judgement.
The pimp their lifestyle for money and fame, yet cry about being observed.
They have clogged the legal system with BS persecution suits, and bankruptcies.
They have fraudulently abused the welfare system. (they have stolen money from taxpayers)
They depend on viewers to keep the TLC money train rolling, yet complain to want autonomy.
They attempt to squeeze even more cash from the public with their scrap metal junk joolery.
They attempt to con the public to buy green goo. (as if their mental and emotional health is any indication of its effectiveness.)
They believe that lies and fake scenarios are not noticed by viewers. (but they are)
They preach a religion that they cannot explain coherently.
They maintain that a man having sex and hordes of children with multiple women is a good and wholesome life..for the women and for the children. Yet their very own show is all about "the struggles".... And the tears...and the fears...and the resentment.... And the dysfunctions.
Just a thought...while watching the panel discussion, I was thinking how Kollene must feel betrayed all over again. The Brown kids invited her and others over for a weekend to show her that not all plygs live the same, but now she has first hand knowledge that while she was in their home, it was a farce, it must be sad for her to know that she was lied to again, but not surprising. Then to have Meri pretend to comfort her, what an insult! This panel was obviously meant to benefit the Browns, but I think it did just the opposite. Stand for something or you will fall for anything...it seems the Browns don't stand for anything, they have no backbone and I couldn't say with any conviction that any one of them would leave Krody to protect their children, since they haven't already and who knows how much psychological damage has already been done. This is a "family", but no family I would ever want to be apart of, it's twisted.
I hope Twisted Sister is at work on some patronizing "sweetie" artwork for us. Some possible ideas....Candyland game with Sister Wives iconic symbols? Willy Wonka take-off? Robyn in the form of a massive round cookie and the other wives surrounding her in the form of great big round suckers? Ants crawling over all of them?
LOVE your new name!! Unlike Robyn, KEEP SWEET, sweetie! What a condescending heifer she was last night ! I thought she was talking to Kolleen, but after re-watching tonight I realized she was responding to the very mature, kind and clear Aunt Krysten. WOW! For HER to talk down to Krysten who is a grown ass woman of her own mind is just mind-boggling!
I like the idea of the candy land game too. Making suckers to represent the other wives is a great idea, but if that won't work they could always use "crumbs" for the others since that's all they're used to getting anyway.
Actually, upon rethinking it - maybe we viewers should play the role of the candy suckers.
Another image for TSW to ponder... Sobbyn in a dental chair while a dentist is drilling her teeth. Bubble over them has the dentist saying, "Just relax, you should only feel some mild discomfort when I do this sweetie." Elsewhere in the cartoon you can see empty candy wrappers littering the floor with the MSWC logo on them.
Good point about Kolleen feeling that she may have seen under the veneer of the Siste Wives lives. They were on their best behavior when she visited in their home. They were not on their best behavior during this debate...they showed that they are flat out nasty. That said, I do not believe that the type of abuse Kolleen experienced is going on in the Brown household. I have seen nothing that makes me believe that the young children are victimized in the very horrific way some plyg cults have made infamous. His abuse is more subtle. It is emotional, not physical nor sexual. However, I do not like and would not want to be around this man.
Interesting. Do you think the lack of abuse is partially due to the fact that they don't live together? They live like 4 separate single moms with a boyfriend that stops by from time to time. Keeping the families separate might be one way to cut down on abuse.
When Kollene said one of her sisters married her half brother I wanted to puke!
I figured that TLC had set up this "debate" (Brown lovefest) for selective purposes. but Kollene and Kristyn and WIllie and the other lady should be proud of their contribution. By your willingness to appear, the public and viewers were given a chance to hear authentic testimony from people who had lived the Plyg nightmare.
Without real witnesses to speak, the Browns and TLC could have crafted anything they wanted. As it is, they created Christine's bathroom meltdown, but rest assured, *many* saw right through it.
SO to you four brave and "real" souls...... THANK YOU you for lending, for once, some "reality" to SW !!
And please check in here at SWB as often as you choose. You and your thoughts are MOST welcome !!
While we are dogging on Sobbyn, does anyone else remember those crappy ornaments she made? Terrible. I wonder what her contribution is to the family other than being a tearful basket of mediocrity. She can't seem to cook or do anything industrious.
Robyn's "value" to the family? Popping out little plygs for King Kody. She was supposed to be a pal for Meri since Christine and Janelle were teamed up as buds. I haven't seen her do anything on the show particularly domestic. We only got to see a couple rooms of her house on the house tours - so we can only guess what her housekeeping is like.
Besides sobbing on command, insincerity, worshipping Krody, popping out kids and making ugly, unsellable to mass market joory, I have no idea what value she brings to this family. Oh, I forgot! She teaches how to become a born-again virgin and how to pair really awful layers of shirts to prove her puuurty. Am I the only one who thought her offer of surrogacy was a manipulative way to hurt Meri and "up" her cred with Krody as an actual baby producer? I thought what SW would want a younger, skinnier SW carrying their baby and being forever enmeshed in their kid's life? When Meri told Sobbin about Krody saying NO to a new bay-be, I was wondering if Sobbin was really thinking "thank God and Krody I can release my womb to him again." I can barely stand watching that woman in action. She's as big a tool as Krody!
I have to agree with several other post that all the wives from both shows look as though they have nothing but sadness in their eyes. I have seen the same sadness with all polygamy wives in all the shows and documentaries. I hope one day either a kid or the filming crew writes a tell all book.
Ok 3 thoughts are running through my head. 1. Did anyone else catch when the Professor was speaking about Polygamous families. He said approx 1/3 of the families her had been able to study were functioning very well, 1/3 Had problems that they acknowledged and were working on and 1/3 were conpletely messed up. Then he said the numbers were the same for monogamous relationships! I thought that was so interesting. 2. I wonder if these families (the Browns, Dargers and Williams) were happy and thought life was great, until they hadproducers begin to ask them the hard questions and they had to really look at their lives and then thought "WTF" am I doing. When you live something day to day it seems normal. None of these people seem to me to be very introspective. 3. So manpeople talk about individual time with the children or lack thereof. I don't know that families withonly one or two children give their kid one on one time. So much time is spent on work, commuting, soccer, football, dance, music practice etc. Plus most kids have phones, tablets, computers and such to access social media. When does that leave time for one on one time. I would be interested to see a study as to how much time parents really spend one on one with their kids. Ok so that is what is rolling through my mind.
I have to say,,,I did too! My kids won't watch SW. They HATE it. They do watch HBB for laughs. I used to go UGH! at it, but after watching, at least they are sweet and pretty honest. No gripes about mansions...I love my ole convict Sugar Bear! Had to wipe the tears at his sincerity. I only wish they got married for reals.
On the face of it, HBB seems like a revolting story; however, having watched numerous epis I have to say these folks try really hard to remain authentic and all the gals are smiling and laughing constantly .... all from their same old tiny house by the RR tracks. I appreciate that!!! Sugar Bear clearly loves June and the girls. When I saw HBB's face watching her parents in the wedding epi you could just see her genuine excitement and joy. In contrast, the Brown girls (Wives 1, 3 and 4) and kids rarely seem genuine and truthful. I am clearly Team Jeanelle, but it must be said she opens her mouth less than anyone on the show -- I like to think it is because she is biting the bullet while she sucks up all the Krap going on around her. I hope that is why anyhow!
I agree. I have way more respect for the HBBs than I do the SWs. The Boo Boos are genuine, the kids are happy, they are allowed to be who they are. No pretension, no lies, no fronts to keep up with. They also give back to the community and HBB Mama June is very money savvy. Those kids all have the paychecks from TLC set up in trust funds that they can't touch until they are 21.
When the ladies all met up I noticed that Meri only came inside the door and Janelle and Meri did not look at one another. I just noticed something awkward between them. Did anyone else notice this??
This time it was obvious their was tension between the two of them, they did not greet each other as I recall and they seemed uncomfortable in this scene. I could just tell by the way Janelle laughed at what Kody said and it seemed Meri gave her the stare down when she was not looking. This scene I could defiantly tell their was something going on between them. Also I noticed next weeks episode Janielle states that she is just fine alone or something like that when the family discusses the event of Kodys death he wants to make sure they stay together..... or something like that
Yes, Em, I saw that preview too where Janelle says she'd be ok alone on the event of his death. At least that's what it seemed she was saying (who knows with teaser preview clips).
Kody probably fears that renewly-pure-Sobbyn might get snatched up by another plyg man if he died. He needs them to stay together to keep pimping the public with green goo, joolry and trading on their iconic brand to get paid speaking engagements and the like.
You would think his brother's untimely death and his father's recent death would have Kody thinking about the financial security (or lack thereof) he will be leaving his wives when he dies. Of course, this was probably filmed before they passed.
As time goes on, Christine appears more and more desperate to appear happy. Shrieking about mermaids and how she got her house, she seems very manic. I don't know what her status is as far as therapy and meds, but she needs some help. I honestly think had she not been indoctrinated from birth in this lifestyle, she would have been extremely happy in a monogamist marriage where she could be loved exclusively.
She would have beat kody into a whimpering little mut. The she would need to put him down. Especially after he sprinkled on all her carpet & walls in her castle.
I think Christine has deep issues with something in her childhood. I think the stories of love, ponies, rainbows etc are her front to protect herself. I had a Great Aunt who did this. We knew that her life was a nightmare based on the stories (and eye witness of my grandmother) of her siblings, but she would only tell these weird happy untrue stories of joy and love.
Christine can't handle the sorrow of something....we don't know what. But she keeps everything silly and lighthearted to keep from having to feel the deep emotions. Her Aunt talks of abuse in her family, yet Christine only has ponies and rainbows. Yet her Mother left, her Aunt left. Hmm. Makes you wonder.
I think Robyn rocked her world and she can't keep the front up. She acts more silly and weird in an attempt to hold her world together, I don't think she can keep it up forever. Watch the first season, first episode. Things were so different back then. Kody showed her real affection and they really had something. Robyn destroyed it all, yet her upbringing taught her that she has to "take it inside" and plaster that dead smile on her face with dead eyes. Read between the lines of her "I always wanted to be the third wife" story and you see that she can't take anything new, she can't stand to not know what she's in for. She did lose a lot when hubbie dear brought home his Sex-Kitten.
I once worked with a severe OCD co-worker. She had an episode one day, right in front of us and slowly her facade melted away. It was a spooky thing to watch. It took her a week off work, and lot of meds to recover and come back to work.
Yes; it said 2 of the Brady wives got their ears pierced much to the dismay of the AUB authority, who had banned it. That that incident was the beginning of the Brady family removal from the church in which they were 'on the rise'.
When I have visited Utah a few times in the past I have noticed the women wearing the FLDS prarie dresses shopping in thrift stores. How do they get clothes for their families? Do they all need to know how to sew or do some in the plyg compound specialize in various tasks. Can they get mail-order prarie dresses? I ask because someone told me there are families living in Appalacia/Kentucky who sew such garments and you can buy them from them. They have you send your measurements and they sew you custom prarie dresses (were you to want one). Also do wives from one husband all dress alike? Do they only dress alike when posing for photos? How and when did AUB shift to modern clothing? Do all AUB dress modestly but in normal street clothes? Is there a "fashion police" within plyg churches that keep the women in line or is it peer pressure or discipline by the husbands? Anything at all you want to say about attire would be interesting.
So Meri goes on national television and tells everyone she is grateful she doesn't have to sleep with Grody Kody every night?
Do you think that could be payback for telling her "I am going to have more children no matter what you decide" and "Gee, does it bother you I have brought another woman here?"? He seems to really hit below the belt with her. Ugly, passive aggressive comments that have to build up serious resentment.
I think she may have given him some serious payback....
@Anon 12:45, I completely agree with you that Meri was passively aggressive in that comment -- Kody has said some horrible things to her! To quote Jennifer Aniston, he is missing a sensitivity chip. He is such a jackass in order of his disdain: Meri, Christine, Janelle (who doesn't give a Krap) and Robyn who is his new pet. Why she is his pet is anybody's guess b/c while younger and somewhat thinner, she is no looker! OMG that face seems to have been born from a match b/t a Mack truck and Herman Munster.
Yikes. It makes me really sad to think of the kinds of conditions people like Kolleen & Willie faced in polygamy, if they look at the Browns as any kind of positive example :(.
Robyn continues to show how fundamentally vicious, manipulative & conniving she really is. Her aggressive and rude behavior showed her to be genuinely horrible and its getting clearer and clearer that she is now the favorite/dominant wife. She is clearly competing and subtly campaigning against the other wives to maintain this position. She continues to dominate and railroad the couch discussion time, no one else can get a word or opinion in without her interrupting or speaking over the top of them. I've been shocked watching the way she speaks to the other wives & children before, but her actions at the debate made it clear that she is exceptionally manipulative and is an insidious toxin within the family. Funny how she can be so bossy and over-confident but then cries poor-me-I-need-rescuing to Kody when it suits her.
Oh Christine- you had my pity and support but then you went back into the annoying Christine zone of years gone by. The childishness needs to stop. And please stop playing the victim. You have been making money as a public polygamist from a reality tv show for some years now- not to mention come out with a new business capitalizing on it & a court case trying to legalize it. If you want to be public, then be public and be prepared to explain your lifestyle- it is afterall ILLEGAL. Dont be all 'everyones attacking me' when its clear that you are massively insecure in your faith, your living situation and yourself and the only way you obtain any sense of security is by being massively judgmental and rude towards people with alternate views to your own. PS- it irritates me that my taxes pay for your food stamps and you are now living in a McMansion while we work hard for a very modest & humble home.
Janelle is looking so good- what an inspiration. So glad to see she has found a sense of self-worth from outside the dysfunctional dynamic of their marriage. Keep it up Janelle! And then run away! :D
Meri- thank you for not making this episode all about you. I needed a break from your incessant whining and crinkled-orange skin sob face. Negative points for going junior high and sandwiching Christine out of the toilets.
Find it very odd that this family does not know the doctrine that drives their actions yet are prepared to speak out publicly in defense of it. They sound so ignorant- I think I may know more about their doctrine than they do :(. It's like the spiritual core that once cemented their family has disappeared- they no longer go to church and you can see the 'reasoning' is just empty, recycled words & sentiments- no longer a determined conviction & belief. Sad.
Hello Free Janelle! Excellent and well-thought post. I too am Team Janelle. I long for the day when she reaches her weightloss goals b/c she is going to add smokin' hot to her solid biz sense, maturity and blow right past her subpar Sister Wives. She is the only mature, educated SW who has a lick of common sense and dignity. Can't wait to see her SOAR once her self-esteem is reinvigorated. Loved your spot-on analysis of the Brown women -- very good.
In prior seasons there was some speculation that the Browns were not allowed to discuss their religion on the show. I like to watch the Duggars on occasion so they will be my example for comparison here. They refer to their beliefs constantly. So does anyone know why the Browns don't discuss their actual beliefs? Their answers seem to be much like that of a politician running for office (non answers). Part of what intrigues me about the Duggars and what I thought would be intriguing about this family would be to hear their true beliefs, why they believe them and how those beliefs impact their daily lives. I love learning about other ways of life and what makes people who they are. How life works for them. The Browns seem so defensive all the time about their "lifestyle choice" yet they never give a real answer as to why THEY live this way. I wonder if they even know or if there is some other reason preventing them from going into further detail (I don't believe it is TLC).
I know the Duggars are edited as well but it seems like they are more open to mature discussion. So why don't the Browns "get real" and discuss what they believe. Talk about which values they choose to live by and are teaching their children? I am curious are they teaching the kids polygamy? Why or why not if it is a belief of their family? What makes them a modern polygamous family? Maybe some of the beliefs have changed since leaving Utah and the family is adjusting to new outside forces. it would be interesting to know what that impact is.
Bottom line the Browns just seem lost. Lost as individuals (Meri), as a family (1 house to 4), as parents (Robyn's speech or her clingy daughters, boys fighting, Mariah) and possibly even lost when it comes to their religion (Have they made new connections or kept them with their old church?).
We have learned it is not a lifestyle but a religion mandated issue. They use that term to make it seems more light. In the post a member of the audience....the audience member said Kody was asked about religion and basically said he didn't know much about it other than what Joseph Smith said. Then later all of them were asked and they hem hawd around. OF course we didn’t see that on the debate, but it is very telling that religion is not a HUGE factor in their lives, so it seems.
I have always been fascinated by the belief structures and creeds of all faiths and religions. I do not hold Christian beliefs, but I was raised in a Presbyterian family. I was frequently chastised and even punished for asking too many questions, inside and outside of Church.
My Mother could never talk about faith, you believe and that's what you do. Listen to me, I'm your mother kind of attitude.
My Grandmother would discuss faith with me, she was very solid in her beliefs and I still refer to her as my one and only example of a Good Christian Woman in my life. She was not a hypocrite like my Mother, but she practiced what she preached.
A person who is solid in their beliefs will never him and haw over them. They can discuss them with any believer or non-believer. My Grandmother would routinely invite the Jehovah Witness' inside and would serve them fresh bread or cookies and tea and coffee. After they had settled and were going to start their "our way is best" kind of speeches she would stop them, pull out her Bible and tell them that they would have to listen to HER beliefs first. None of them ever stayed after that.
I still have my fascination in spiritual beliefs of all cultures, past and present. I walk my own path and I too can discuss what I see and believe openly without feeling threatened in any way. It was not always that way, many people have condemned me to their Hells for not believing in their version of Christianity. But....I can discuss my beliefs and why I feel that way, what drives me.
People who do not believe what they say they do, much like my "Christian on a Sunday" Mother can not discuss their own faith. They may be able to shoot up some sound bites that they have been trained to spew over the years, but they can not sit down and have a great debate discussion. I think they know full and well how KOOKY they will sound on television when they start talking about the veil of heaven, secret names, celestial planets, spirit babies and the like. Anyone can learn about Mormonism with good old Google these days, so they aren't hiding anything.
I watched a well made documentary about the Jewish religion and it's formation and history. It was fascinating, and had many lively Rabbi's telling stories. I thought the Rabbi's were pretty cool and I would love to have a sit down with them and listen to the stories. One thing that I took from this program was the fact that the first three books of the Old Testament were oral stories that were passed down generation to generation. They decided to gather scribes to write down the information to prevent this History from being lost. Then these scrolls were carried around and the stories told for more generations.
Even several hundred years before the Common Era, before Jesus would have walked the Earth people read, discussed and debated the scrolls. Even before Christ the language was outdated, and so people read it, and argued about the true meanings in the stories. Sounds familiar, and two thousand years later we are still reading, translating, re-translating and discussing the meanings behind these books.
If the Browns had true beliefs that they can stand up to and hold testimony, they why not give that testimony? I think they know just how Kooky it will sound and they are trying very hard to be the cool ones, the hip ones, the modern ones. It's our faith, that's all you need to know.
They do not want to have to explain Mormon Cosmology to TLC viewers. (It may be TLC itself doesn't want to get into it and stir up controversy about it. Better to focus on the plural marriage aspect alone.)
I'm sure SWBlog has written articles about it before.
There is quite an interesting synopsis of it on Wikipedia
TLC probably won't allow them to talk about their religion lest viewers and sponsors get upset. Plus there's that little problem with non believers being cast into darkness in the afterlife..
You can read all about what Krody and Krew happens to the rest of us when we croak here...
I am certainly thrilled and in awe of Ed coming and teaching us! It has answered many questions and been a HUGE help. There's a few slots left so I will keep it open, but just want to say, we at SWB thank you so much for all, not just the post, but the talks, the behind the scenes help, and most importantly, the new friendships made. We hope Cara and Ed will come and post with us from time to time. It's been great!
Here's an Idea. Why not take Kodys DNA and the same for all of his children that he received benefits for and then put a Lien on his house to recoup as much of those benefits as possible. The same for all who are bleeding the beast (us). These men are all dead beat "Dads". Very little money goes to the wives and children. It has to stop somewhere. There should already be laws on the books to facilitate this.
Things may unravel for Kody if any of the wives leave and get court orders enforcing child support for minor children. https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/child-support-enforcement/ and he doesn't pay.
There is a hotline at that website to report dead beat dads - but if there is no court order ordering them to pay child support I don't think it can be used.
Did anyone notice the writing on Robyn's mirror? It said something like "I love you beautiful" I will have to watch it again. If Kody wrote it on her mirror he should write it on the other 3 wives mirrors too. Their 17 kids notice things like that when even I do who doesn't live in NV.
it said "hi beautiful. i love your guts!" ick - i truly DETEST that ad nauseam vernacular i hear again and again from all the young mormon moms whenever i visit Utah. Been years now waiting for just ONE DAY that i don't hear it there!! (they all love to write it to each other on FB and their mommy blogs, too.)
This whole episode was antagonistic on the Browns part. Listening to them talk, they were so defensive and argumentative...they had no room for acceptance for anyone, anything, or any other view point. On the flip side, Kristyn, Willie, and Kollene were so calming and respectful. The Browns just wanted to BE right, not have a discussion. The whole thing with Christine & her issue with her aunt being vocal about polygamy, well, duh! She has good reason. Robyn needs to get off her high ground, she doesn't belong there. They want to be vocal, have the right to live this lifestyle, be miserable while doing it, but cannot say why they live this way, won't say how they pay for it, then are angry when others are against this lifestyle. They can't have it both ways. They want their lifestyle out in the public eye, well, just like a celebrity, get ready for people to take you down, it's the price you pay when you put yourself out there. So stop all your whining!
Just wondering, Janelle said her religion tells her she can marry whoever she wants even if he's already married, I thought there was more if an 'arrainged' marriage vibe in AUB? Like the higher ups don't pick.for them but have more of a hand in the letting it happen. So kind of indirectly picking for them. Sorry if my wires are crossed, I know she asked to be in the family but back then they were in the church, so its not so much of a "marry whoever I want" situation. More of a "hopefully i'll get to marry that one dude" kinda deal...
All of the Mormons I know NEVER talk about being Mormon. Ever. My cousins family is Mormon. So maybe the Browns are just sticking with the way their religion teaches them to be: secretive. Why a secret? Well maybe because, they realize they all sound kind of crazy, or because they know their followers don't even really understand the religion, so it's better that way? Or maybe they just want it to be like a special ''get into heaven club'' that they don't want their non-Mormon friends to get into? That is the way they act anyway.
i'm pretty sure Robyn LOVED the fact that all her sister wives got to see her special "i love your guts" handwritten message from Kody on her bathroom mirror! *stab* (that definitely looks like his handwriting we've seen before from his televised handwritten notes. seriously doubt it's from one of her loving sister wives! haha)
I don't think the Sister Wives and Kody have anything to be ashamed of. I do not believe in plural marriage for myself, but I am not going to hate them because they choose to live that way. Not every marriage, single or plural, is perfect. There are men in single marriage that beat there wife. Does that make all single marriages wrong? No it doesn't. There are murderers and rapists that are catholic, Baptist, jewish, etc. But that doesn't make all people that are catholic, Baptist and jewish murderers and rapists. So not all polygamists are bad. Stop judging people and start accepting people.
ReplyDeleteKody need some brain bleach poured on his head to dissolve that ratty hair. My only issue with polygamists is that unless the family is wealthy - which most of them are not - then they end up on welfare. I pay way too much in taxes as it is without having to support these deadbeats who actively set out to "bleed the beast". If a polygamist family is self-supporting and there is no abuse of children involved then I say go for it. But you can't make polygamy legal. There are too many ramifications involved.
DeleteI think most people have a problem that their faith leaves them with little choice. For Fundamentalists, you have to be married and part of a plural family to secure your spot in heaven. Say what you want about the majority of the world's faiths'... but most of them don't make marriage the nail to hang your hat on. There are problems in any marriage - I don't think that's the issue. At least it's not for me. The issue for me is that salvation is only gained through plural marriage. That's definately taking the choice away from women.
DeleteIt is very easy to just say "Live and let live." But. Who is the voice of reason for who is a good polygamist and who is an evil polygamist? I haven't watched the show yet (hurry amazon!) but from the clip when Kody is saying that we the people are painting him with a broad brush and his form of polygamy isn't bad or oppressive, well, fine but how on earth are we supposed to tell the difference?
DeleteIf we say that evil is everywhere, well, okay we'll just deal with it and ignore it, it's everywhere. We no longer will prosecute for murder or rape or bilking old ladies out of their life savings. But we have come so far and in this society we have a constitution and rights as citizens. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Separation of Church and State. Great, how to we tell the goodies from the baddies?
Will we make all polygamists line up and answer questions? How will we determine lies from truth? It's too much of a quagmire and would be a nightmare and in the end, they don't have a freedom to practice their religion.
If it's legal how will ANYONE ever stop the sickos? How will we help the women and children trapped by this oppressive "lifestyle religion"?
If my religion states that I MUST run naked through the street and cut off the head of anyone who looks at me, well, would you stop me from practicing my religion? Even if it was the ONLY way I could earn my way into heaven? What right do you have to tell me NOT to chop off heads? It's MY religion and I have the right to practice my religion!!
For thousands of years countless evil doers have hidden behind the covers of religion to do endless atrocities to their fellow humans. It continues to this very day, when will we evolve past it?
The members of the 'Sister Wives' show have shown no ability to accept monogamous living situations. They have gone out of their way to be judgemental, such as 'Presbyterians are Sharks', 'all monogamous men cheat', and so forth. Christines' meltdowns in this episode are pretty darn judgemental towards her Aunt, for no reason except she left polygamy and denounces it. They are only accepting towards people when it suits them. I'm not on TV and I didn't open my life towards discussion for the masses, they have. They did that becaause they knew it was controversial and would gain them money.
DeleteI have seen nothing in their show that tells me, on any level, that polygamy is an enjoyable lifestyle, even without the FLDS type of abuse being present.
We accept them. We don't hate them. We are simply having a lively debate that includes them--they have put themselves "out there", it's not like they're leading quiet 'don't bother with us' little lives.
DeleteI noticed the same thing about Christine. She was being very judgmental and rude towards everyone else and acted like she was being persecuted and picked on, even though she agreed to put her life on a reality show of all things? Delusional is putting it lightly
DeleteMaybe he is still accepting applications. You too can join the cuddle sac of a happy, happy family! There's still time!
DeleteAnon 1:24 - I certainly don't hate the Browns, but I don't go along with their push for legal acceptance of polygamy. And the argument that because abuses exist in monogamous marriages, and we don't ban monogamy, so polygamy should be accepted, is really not the best reasoning. Abuses in monogamous marriages are not the result of monogamy itself. In polygamy, there are built in abuses that come with the territory. Expecting a woman to accept her man sleeping with other women and dissipating financial and emotional resources on maintaining multiple relationships, while expecting her to be happy with that, is emotional abuse in my books.
DeleteI don't hate them, but they are promoting a life style that is ILLEGAL in this country and I don't think they should be allowed to promote it on television.
Deleteex AUB, I have been loving your posts.
Delete"expecting a woman to accept her man sleeping with other women and dissipating financial and emotional resources on maintaining multiple relationships, while expecting her to be happy with that, is emotional abuse in my books."
WELL SAID.
Are there many polygamy specific counselors in the extended UT area to deal help women leaving these groups? (from New England here)
I am new and I have a few questions. First, it's been said here that the wives receive(d) assistance by not claiming Kody as the father of their respective children. However, Meri was employed at the beginning of season 1 and lost her job after coming out, correct? So that was 2 of 3 wives who were employed at the beginning of the show. And Meri being a legal wife cannot claim single motherhood.
ReplyDeleteMy second question is about the fake legal repercussions in season 1. Lehi police have gone on record with their investigation. Where is the discrepancy between what the police have said and what the Brown family claimed was happening?
Last question :) Is the letter Y use in lieu of other vowels in names a plyg thing? Robyn, Aspyn, Gwendylyn, etc.
Don't forget Y for Y-oming (according to Robyn)
DeleteI'll let someone with better memory answer your first two questions. :)
DeleteAs to the "y" in the name, I don't think it is a plyg thing but more of a Utah/Mormon thing. I've read a fair amount of blogs and stuff from Mormons and they seem to have a real thing for unique names/spellings. In particular the Utah Mormons.
Welcome to the Sister Wives Blog!
If you read back through the archives of this blog you will find the documentation etc of Kody going to the authorities BEFORE the show to make sure he wouldn't be arrested and he was assured he would not. There is a clip somewhere of one of the authorities stating publicly that they do NOT jail good families. They only prosecute for fraud and abuse.
DeleteThe Browns later went on a show (clip is in the archives and still active) and laughed about the move and said that they have thought about moving to Vegas for awhile and they moved for better business opportunities.
Even after they stated that they would not prosecute the Browns they made to attempt to move back to Utah. They never sold their Lehi home and still own it, it is being lived in by a family member (if memory serves and member of Meri's family).
The Browns never had a warrant for their arrest, ever. They had an investigation only, but some people here have speculated that they were being investigated for MORE than polygamy, possibly their revolving bankruptcies and welfare fraud, but the authorities have never stated the full reasons for the investigations. I believe everything has been dropped, however the Browns aren't moving back, obviously.
Yes, Rose, you are right. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw them go on TV, right after we had watched the big chase...to say no, they went because they wanted to, for business, and sorta laughed.
Deletehttp://sisterwivesblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/part-2-sister-wives-moving-over-fear-i.html
The videos of them WITH the AG, and Christine saying she wanted to get arrested, saying "BRING IT ON!" are in at the very beginning of the blog, Christine, pre sister wives, and lots of others, too!
Wow. So the terrified crying kids was completely unnecessary? Holy crap--the Browns are just horrible parents!
DeleteIt is possible to be a full time employee and still receive assistance if your income to family ratio is correct. There was a brief time after my divorce and between higher paying jobs where I had to make do for my children with what I could find. I was full time and still qualified for food and medical aid for my 2 children. Not the best 6 months of my life personally and I found a better job asap. If someone were wanting to milk the system for benefits and work they can especially if they are single with 6 kids.
DeleteWhen the Browns left Lehi, it was made to seem like a 'fly by night' action. The way they presented themselves telling the children that they would be moving, wasn't it a sort of a "by the end of the week" kind of thing? I recall the kids appearing shocked and upset. How did this all really go down? For how long before the actual move did the kids have a heads up?
DeleteAs for the "2 out of 3" married wives: Meri was employed part-time; she and Kody (legally married) declared bankruptcy together; I believe they had in excess of $85K (check old posts for the exact numbers if you're interested) dissolved. Jenelle was employed--but also claimed herself as a "single" mother with six children--when she declared bankruptcy several years ago. Christine declared bankruptcy in 2010--after filming began. She is listed as a single mother, with no income--and was "tenant" in a rental. . . her landlord=> Kody Brown. I forget the exact amounts of their bankruptcies, but suffice it to say it is several hundreds of thousands of dollars--which will never be paid to their creditors. These documents are all available in the archives of this blog--or were, anyway.
Deletehttp://sisterwivesblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/sister-wives-absolulty-used-welfare.html
Deletein the posts
Thanks for answering! Love this blog!
DeleteThe Brown sister wives as well as the wives featured on "My Five Wives" may not live the exact same experiences, but I see the exact same sadness behind each of these women's eyes.
ReplyDeleteI know the shows are edited and the families aren't filmed 24/7. But if the Browns and the family on "My Five Wives" are trying to show the "better" side of polygamy, they're failing. I've seen more tears from these women and their limited time on TV than I've cried in 10+ years of marriage.
I understand they live this life because of religious belief, but c'mon ladies (I'm talking to you, Brown women): What religion based on God's teaching would want women to suffer the humiliation, jealousy, low self-esteem and servitude that polygamy causes?
I think about how young these women were (except Robyn) when they agreed to a polygamous lifestyle. Christine was completely brainwashed from birth, so it's easy to see how she wound up here. But were the others brainwashed by family members to believe they'd never do or be anything better so they settled for less?
I have no clue. But the only sister wife on ANY of the 3 TLC shows I've seen thus far that has any sense of uniqueness or light behind her eyes is Janelle. And I think it's because she finally realized her emotional needs would never be met (and she'd continue to feel "less-than") unless she decided to be her own best friend and support system. During the Q & A's, her mouth moves and the right words come out, but in my opinion she seems so over the polygamy thing. I hope she doesn't wait as long as Whatshername Decker to get out.
So many sad wives from only two shows.
DeleteI agree. I said the same thing about all the crying. Why do all of them cry so much, especially "Sobin Robin" as she has been called on many of these blogs? Then I watched My Five Wives, and then all of them started crying. They all appear to be depressed women because they are sharing a man and they don't get his undivided attention and they seem to have lost themselves, not knowing where they fit in. Both shows are depressing for me watch.
DeleteMy gosh! I said the same thing to a co-worker today. I see more tears in one episode than I have shed in 17 years of marriage. They seem to be only feigning contentment because they know it could be so much worse.
DeleteI watched M5W and it was sad, but even more than sad...it was boring. I couldn't even finish the whole episode. And funny that Rosemary actually happens to be the prettiest of all 5 yet feels the ugliest. She is a pretty woman and no amount of diet or working out can give anyone a face they weren't born with. So she has the advantage over them all.
DeleteBrady isn't a bad looking guy either. They aren't nearly as nauseating as the Browns. But their sadness is palpable.
I couldn't believe the My5Wives family was talking about adoption. What state in this country is going to hand over a baby to this unstable and illegal polygamist family? And why would they blow money on useless legal battles to adopt a child instead of using their money to provide for the multitude of children they already have? These people need big-time therapy because they're out of touch with reality!
DeleteWell they did say they might think of going international because they wouldn't have as many restrictions on them.
DeleteAntidepressant drugs are prescribed in Utah more often than in any other state, at a rate nearly twice the national average! This one paragraph in the article sums it up perfectly:
Delete"In Mormondom, there is a social expectation--particularly among the females--to put on a mask, say 'Yes' to everything that comes at her and hide the misery and pain. I call it the 'Mother of Zion' syndrome. You are supposed to be perfect because Mrs. Smith across the street can do it and she has three more kids than you and her hair is always in place. I think the cultural issue is very real. There is the expectation that you should be happy, and if you're not happy, you're failing."
I am an ex-Mormon convert and can attest to this. Women are taught that saying no to the male members (the Priesthood) is akin to saying no to God. Although mainstream LDS despises the term "keep sweet," nonetheless, it's an unspoken rule in all of Mormondom.
The article is at: http://articles.latimes.com/2002/feb/20/news/mn-28924
So nice to see brain bleach is available in whine bottles. uhh, I mean wine bottles.
ReplyDeleteRemember that Ed Kociela, who covered the Warren Jeffs Trial as city editor of the Spectrum, has a post here. you can ask him ANYTHING about polygamy, and he will get back with you. thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you Twisted Sister. Simply thank you. Your humorous touch was much needed this morning.
ReplyDeleteI know Kristyn Decker personally, and accusing her of hatred towards polygamists in general, and in particular to Christine and her family, is entirely unfounded. What we were seeing is cult mentality in full flow. A person who leaves the cult - in this case AUB - is very often demonized. Overnight they have sided with the devil, broken their covenants, and become an enemy to God and "the truth," and so ascribing all kinds of negative attributes to them helps to bolster the cult belief system.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so much like the shunning in the Amish groups.
DeleteYou are with us, or you are our enemy.
Uh, Rose, I hope you don't believe breaking Amish is any more realistic than "Sister Wives" LOL :D. Shunning is referenced about every thirty seconds on Breaking Amish--I have never actually heard of anyone being shunned. I know people who had babies out of wedlock, married outside of their races, went to college, bar-hopped, bought big pick-ups or became atheists. Most of them are still tight with their parents--though they do get a lot of nervous mother lecturing. They go to all the weddings and funerals. If they were never Baptized, they can not be shunned to begin with. The Amish are Baptized a lot later than most Baptist/Anabaptist Groups--usually right before they get married. The Amish on these TV shows were never Baptized; all of them have been out of the Amish church for years--and all of them have good relationships with their families. All of them are known around here (Lancaster). The Amish do not make enemies--period.
Delete@Lancaster county native
DeleteI guess enemy wasn't the right word. Yes, I know the Breaking Amish show is quite the made up pack of crap that most reality shows are. I live near Punxsutawney, where two of the people are supposed to live.
I have grown up around the Amish in Pennsylvania, and I lived in Lanc. Co, Pa for 5 years. I do know that different sects of Amish are leery of each other(in my part of the state anyway). There are so many different versions it's hard to keep track. We have always had one main group in my County, but now there are two or three different communities moving into the area, as well as New Order Mennonite.
The descriptions of how one family feels about other Fundamentalist Mormon families reminds me of the variety of Amish. If a community starts to disagree over a certain topic they split and then become two communities with different rules etc. They move away, or live next to each other.
The theme I keep reading about here with the different groups of Mormon, makes me think that there are a lot of inherent flaws in the core belief structure. One group follows X, the next follows X but doesn't believe in Y, yet another group thinks X is wrong and ignores Y, but they put Z up front. On and on.
The Amish at least put it out there for their youth....go out, see what is there, but come back. I think it's tough for a teen to have only an 8th grade education and then they have to go out in the evil world alone OR come back to the world they know and be welcomed. It's not a little decision, and they are brought up to not trust the English people, so it can't be easy to leave.
I guess this behavior would also be considered familia or tribal. If you are of my blood, then you can be trusted, if you are not of my blood then you can not be trusted. Many societies and groups across the planet have functioned this way for a millennium.
I'd love to hear what a sociologist/anthropologist's take on this!
Reminds me of the type of 'shunning' I've read about that occurs in Scientology.
DeleteLawrence Wright's "Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief" is so far the best book about Scientology that I've read.
Robyn was a little aggressive. She leaned forward and bit, "don't make me a victim, sweetie"--very rude. Also, she makes herself a victim every week, always crying and complaining about people criticizing her lifestyle. There's no joy.
DeleteI'm glad to know you personally know Krystin Decker. On last night's epi she came across as completely kind, logical and sincere. Christine's over-the-top drama proclaiming "I don't know why my Aunt HATES my family and lifestyle" and her Middle School bathroom drama contrasted starkly from Krystin saying she loved her and saw her family life was good. Christine came off as irrational and childish. Robyn came off as aggressive (unnecessarily so). Meri came of as, well, Meri. Sigh - she's such a BORE. And Janelle's few words were fine. Kody seemed to want to compete with Robyn on who is most aggressive, mean and unable (unwilling) to hear another's point of view and not take it as a personal assault. Team Anti Plyg were awesome. I really dig Kolleen -- she's a cool, calm and knows-herself chick ... the Brown 3 (I exclude Janelle) could learn a thing or two from Kolleen and Krystin about grace, maturity, self-control and dignity.
Delete@Bemused Bystander
Delete"Lawrence Wright's "Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief" is so far the best book about Scientology that I've read."
AAarrrrggghhhhhhhh, ANOTHER book about another belief system to read.........I have so many on my lists.............
...thanks.....
:)
I have a 2nd cousin who is/was a polygamous in Southern Utah. The last name is Short. I can't remember his first name, but L'll recognize it if I see it. Are there any resources for learning more about him and his family?
ReplyDeleteThank you for everyone posting about the various shows from Sunday! For those of us who no longer have cable and can't see them online yet it's a great way to keep up on the stories!
ReplyDeleteI wish TLC would release to amazon already. They are usually available the next day, except for this one! Grrr.
And I thank Funky Town for continually updating what what going on for folks, while I moderated. She did a great job.
Deletei am waiting for amazon also..have been enjoying the blog
DeleteI haven't seen this mentioned yet: When the Sister Wives met over a Christine's house before loading up for the drive to UNLV. Christine compliments Robyn's outfit. Christine gestures to Robyn and says "oh. this is cute, I like that" Robyn smiles looks down at her own clothes and says "yeah" Then turns her lips into a frown, barley gets out the words "you too" and then immediately looks at her phone.
ReplyDeleteWhoah, I hope Christine never wastes her time giving that self centered bitch another compliment again.
Yea, they love each other like sisters. Like 15 year old twin sisters competing for their crush.
Deleteand in the bathroom with Janelle getting ready for the show Kody asks Janelle for fashion advice and she says to go ask Robyn, she's the "fashion expert" - or something to that effect. Robyn of the baby doll tops is all over the latest trends, don't you know?
DeleteWow--how about the way these "ladies" went after that poor teenager on the panel when she said sister wives hate each other. So loving and just like Jesus! And they acted like the phrase "sister wives" belongs only to them!
DeleteCalling Dr. Phil - YES. Her name is Kollene Snow. She was telling HER story. They know her which made it all the sadder. She's one heck of a gal and a TRUE survivor. Shame on the grown ups. Robyn was grandstanding because Kody didn't fare so well in the question dept. See Audience members post if you haven't read it! And the comments. One even caught Kody in another lie.
DeleteI started watching Sister Wives without any real idea of what polygamy was. I went in with the attitude, "Well, if we are all supposed to think Hugh Hefner is an icon (gag) because he is having sex with multiple partners a quarter of his age, then why should we judge a man who actually loves his multiple partners and takes care of them?" Then I watched SW....OMG, these people are horrible. Their situation is disgusting, their attitudes are sickening. If they are the face of polygamy the polygamy is a complete failure.
ReplyDeleteWho the heck thought four women could share one man? They can't even share a kitchen! They are immature, self-centered, and greedy. Damn, I want back every penny of my tax money that went to pay for the mock tapioca!!! If they were using my tax money for food then at least serve real freaking tapioca!!
The Browns' television show confirms that their religion is a cult. Thank you so much Brown family for educating me on polygamy. Polygamy as demonstrated by the Browns is a complete failure. Unhealthy, unhappy, dysfunctional way of life.
I never understood the purpose of making "mock" tapioca. Tapioca is NOT expensive to make, why the need for a mock version?
DeleteRobyn's true colors really shown through last night. I had been going back and forth about her, but now I think she really is manipulative and vicious. Between her behavior at the panel, the way she spoke of the father of her first three right in front of them during her purity speech, and renaming Dayton for Kody....she just isn't a very nice person. She is a wolf in plyg sheep's clothing. And always so quick to speak when she should really think about what she is saying first.
ReplyDeleteI think Christine was afraid to see her aunt because her aunt represents the truth that she doesn't want to face. Christine said something along the lines of "what if they helped me leave" about the group that helps people get out of polygamy. I think Christine is miserable and deep down she wants to leave. She doesn't want to face it and didn't want to face her aunt who left the same group Christine has ties to.
Clockwork, I'm with you on the Robyn thing. I always thought Robyn kind of got a raw deal here on the blog. I felt kind of sorry for her. Well not anymore! She's horrible! I guess you were all right and I had the wool pulled over my eyes because she is a nasty, viscous person.
DeleteThe other sister wives better watch out. Sobbin is younger, thinner, Kody's obvious favorite and she is going to put a knife in your back the first chance she has. Mean girl all the way.
I wish Meri and Janelle would RUN! I think Christine is just like Robyn, she just hides it better.
Clockwork & Anon, you hit the nail on the head w/both of them. Another reason I don't think Christine will leave? She has zero financial security, work history and a toddler. She is as trapped as she can be.
DeleteMeri's probably too lazy and depressed to have enough energy to leave.
Sobbin's standing ready to put knife in back of her SWs at any minute - you can tell she is absolutely ADDICTED to Kody. Little things like how her Twitter pic is of her AND Kody while the others just have their own identities. I believe her vicious attack last night (plus the more subtle one on her ex-husband two weeks ago) exemplifies precisely who she is and always has been = manipulative, cunning and nasty.
Janelle ... ah my lovely Janelle ... I see her shedding that weight and then shedding this family as her confidence is going to SOAR!! She's the only one who demonstrates sound logic and maturity and the only one I have any respect for. I want to see Janelle WIN. When she gets thin, she will blow Robyn out of the water ... let's face it ... Robyn might be semi-thin and younger but she's got a double-bagger face IMHO.
My biggest WOAH Robin moment last night was when she said to Kody, 'what if they say you are a misogynistic pig, babe?' WTF. So snotty. And then her sweetie kind of scared me.
DeleteOr Meri's tweet below about him not being a pig...when it was never said.
DeleteOh man... Rewatching and the part where Kristyn is talking about just wanting to give Christine a hug breaks my heart.
ReplyDeleteThe Browns are just twisting these peoples personal histories into attacks against them. I just want to yell "LET THEM FEEL THEIR FEELINGS" at the Browns.
The Browns regularly trash single marriages (okay, well Robyn does).
It was interesting when Robyn said to a panelist to not make her a victim.
DeleteNo one has to do that - they make themselves out to be the victims quite well on their own. Crying, saying they were afraid, saying they were attacked, Christine saying she was afraid to even speak to an aunt she's known her whole life, hiding in the restroom, or even sit down to a friendly group meal. Good grief. If they were looking for sympathy they failed. completely.
They know they have to keep this thing going as long as the reality show money is coming in. It's their only real financial security. They're probably paying off those houses and stashing some cash. It'll be interesting to see what happens to this family when (whenever it happens) the show ends.
DeletePaying off the houses and stashing some cash? That would make sense and be financially responsible...so, no, no they probably aren't doing that.
DeleteThey are probably saving up to buy the Klown hair plugs and a new convertible. That would make Brown sense.
Yeah, the funny thing is the might have made some progress with their "cause" if they had been nice and reasonable and not taken the hurt the other pannelists felt as personal attacks.
DeleteBut instead they showed us all how deeply they suffer, and how damaging their way of life is.
(and who the heck says "these are my religious veiws but I don't know much about my religion" Paraphrasing of course, can't find the quote)
If it weren't for the audience member's earlier report that the camera crew talked about how much they liked the money the show SisterWives makes for TLC, I'd swear that TLC must despise the Browns, based on the portrayal of them at the UNLV event. Rather than engage in any type of exchange, or enlighten the audience, all of the Browns were defensive, sarcastic and hostile,and they deflected every remark from the other panelists. They could never hide how unsophisticated they are, but they really exposed their real natures too much.
ReplyDeleteEarly in the show, I thought that that TLC was showing Truely throwing a fit and running off, when she couldn't go, too, as a gratuitous gesture to this blog. By the end, I decided that it must have been foreshadowing of Christine's own behavior, because the camera crew must be bored by this show. At least I know that Truely will grow up. Christine, on the other hand, has become more infantile and grating each week this season, over-emoting about how dramatic she is.
When Christine realized she had no real interest in working real estate, she sort of changed into a very ingratiating team member. I think she's being a good sister wife for financial reasons and a sense of security. Does anyone remember the episode when Kody basically said he was initially repulsed by her physically? That's the episode I really felt sorry for her and I hope she can get some security out of this show.
DeleteSister Wives Episode Guide is posted below favorite posts, now everyone has easy lookup!
DeleteIt was a special with Natalie Moralis Sister Wives Tell All June 2012
Actually, Morales, LAST good interview they've had.....
DeleteYou don't have to be in a polygamist marriage to be miserable! Look at the divorce rate for non-plogamists!! 50% plus?! No one works at a marriage anymore! It's so easy to find someone else and cheat or leave!! At least they work on each other's relationships an
ReplyDeleteThe divorce rate in the Plyg Communities is at least the same as the general public--but, without the necessity of legal action, the women quickly remarry and move on. Just look at the few that we follow--more than half have a divorce under their belt. Jenelle (though Adam is not a polygamist, he is still cose to his family, was raised in this community--and one has to assume he retains many of its values; Christine's Mother AND Grandmother; Robyn's Mother; Robyn; One of the Darger Twins. All of these women remarried almost immediately. The only communities that have lower rates are those where they are literally held captive. . . my guess is they are not staying because of happy relationships.
DeleteIn my humble opinion, the professor dude was pulling numbers out of his ass. There's really NO WAY he can accurately quantify those numbers he was giving - shoot, the non-legal "wives" can't even "divorce" - where would he get those records? Does he back it up with any methodology, stats? He's more than likely biased in favor of the Browns.
DeleteAgree with you Dakota- there are no legal marriages/divorces on record for most "wives", and according to the Browns most polygamists aren't public, so just how does he get these statistics?
DeleteSince TLC arranged this panel discussion for the show, I guess his role was to play the faux plyg expert.
The divorce rate in AUB (Kody's polygamist group) is actually very high - to the point that it stirred up quite a big controversy some years back, with some men (in particular Dennis Mathews who was involved in the Virginia Hill scam) arguing that it shouldn't be allowed. Without extensive research in these communities there is no way this "expert" could come up with credible figures, and most people in these groups won't give personal details. I believe that LaMoine Jensen was quoted somewhere in the press saying that divorce is a problem in AUB. Many women are guilted into staying in polygamist unions by being told to "keep your covenants" at all costs, so if it's bad now, imagine how it would be if they joined the ranks of the divorced! Robyn excitedly trying to argue that things are better in polygamy, just shows her ignorance. I haven't even mentioned that there are groups where the women are trapped in polygamist unions and would never be granted a divorce - which would certainly skew any available figures - I don't believe they exist for polygamists in Utah and Arizona.
DeleteI think that supposed 'expert' was telling the Browns what he thought they wanted to hear so they would not walk out on the panel discussion.
DeleteAs you said, most families practicing polygamy are not going to open up to someone just because they want the information. So how would he have compiled his figures?
Oh I am so with y'all about the professor pulling numbers out of his ass. He is giving out percentages without a real peer-reviewed study. He is definitely trying to keep the Browns happy. And you know what? When plural marriage is miserable, it affects way more people than in a monogamous marriage. I don't see happy women in them and many kids aren't happy either. Between The Browns, The Dargers, The Williams,The families on Polygamy USA, many books written on the subject..I don't see true happiness. Monogamous marriages run the spectrum between unhappy and happy. I haven't seen any polygamous fundamental Mormons all over that spectrum the way monogamous marriages are.
DeleteYour comment box is not working right!;(
ReplyDeleteWhat problem are you having?
DeleteHi Mister Sister. First, I absolutely am addicted to this fabulously entertaining and insightful blog. You folks crack me up. Second, I agree with Anon 3:37p that sometimes the comment box won't work. I can now only read your blog from my real computer ... my Android just can't read it for some reason. It will scroll about 2" and then it just gets stuck. I've tested other websites and it's only this one where my Galaxy has a total meltdown. I don't know if the issues are Android or something technical on the blog side. Just an FYI ... I hate I can't read my addiction from bed now!
Deleteonly constant issue I know of is if the comments are over 200, which is why we've been trying to limit them to 200. Not sure what to tell you! Sorry! I think it may be that.
DeleteWebstanator, I have an Android RazrM and this blog works fine on it. Sometimes the display will appear to get stuck, as you described, but if I either refresh or just wait a minute, it will continue on as it should.
DeleteJust wanted to let you hear from someone else with an Android phone.
I have an andriod galaxy s3 and the comment box won't load on your newest spoiler page.
DeleteWhich one, the Williams? You are on the newest SW spoilers....did you reload? The My 5 Wives has videos, do that matter? Others have emailed in and say they see just fine. IDK
DeleteA poster asked numerous times if the Browns and other polygamists believed in the 10 Commandments...I'd like a AUB member to answer this if they see it.
ReplyDeleteI'd say they are alluring to the fact they lie so much, and area adulterous.
Reposting this from a slightly earlier thread, because I think it's important for the watching audience to be aware of:
ReplyDeleteKody's statement at the UNLV debate about not knowing much (doctrinally) about his religion struck me as off. Hadn't I read something in "Becoming Sisterwives" that contradicted this new statement? I had to do a little digging...
"I was excited to be associating with members of Meri's faith. They had an intensity about religion that I found inspiring. Perhaps because their religion was somewhat countercultural and at odds with certain conventional doctrines, they took no aspect for their belief for granted. They examined their convictions carefully and enthusiastically. **The members of this group were fully committed to their ideologies and discussed them at length, both debating and confirming the tenants of their religion. Every day I spend with this group seemed to turn into an impromptu revival with profound discussions of spirituality and religion that I had been missing in the LDS church**" (page 22, Kindle e-book edition).
Wow, all of that intense discussion / debate (in which Kody enthusiastically participated) and he is still is naive about the doctrines of his faith? Baloney.
Yes, he is very naive about the fundamentalist faith which is why he had to be bleeped out several times. He seems to only remember the whole "I can have sex with multiple women" part. Oh and he also remembers the whole "but a woman having multiple partners is vulgar" part.
DeleteThey don't go to church but they do go to casinos....what religion is this? I don't think they are any religion but the religion of "Do Whatever You Want in the Name of Religion". Then if anyone disagrees with you, you can cry religious persecution.
I couldnt agree with you more. I would have more respect for them if they were living up to some religious standard, but it is obvious they are not. you can tell, it is anything goes, there is no 'standard' in these households. They really 'take' what they can get which is not so different from society as a whole today. They come across as very uneducated people. Kody has learned how to validate his wives feelings and this gets him by, now does he really care about his wives feeling's or children's feelings, no way. Meri and Christine have the maturity level of a 12 yr olds, which is painful to watch, especially when you see that behavior in their children. Robyn is exactly like Kody, she can mimic the behavior of the people around her and has learned that very successful validation tool. Janelle is mature, but lazy, IMO she sees the light, but is too comfortable to make a change. I am so happy to see her gaining physical strength which will hopefully lead to emotional strength. I do think she has raised her children well, so I give her five stars for that. Her children do seem to act appropriately for their age, no crying fits or childish outbursts and they seem to have a healthy outlook regarding relationships, unlike the comments coming out of christine's and Meri's kids. Christines older girls and Meri's child are frightening at times with their comments, I dont mean any disrepect toward the children, they mimic what they have seen growing up, very emotional immaturity.
DeleteChristine, are you mad at your aunt because she left polygamy? Christine do you dislike your aunt because she speaks out against polygamy?
ReplyDeleteHoly crap. Really? If your aunt doesn't like your lifestyle then you dislike her? Seriously? What happened to the whole "this life isn't for everyone and you should be free to choose?" Guess not. Krystin Decker was nothing but kind while Christine and Robyn were ridiculous--immature and hateful.
oohhh that doesn't surprise me one iota.
DeleteJust as an example...the Browns including Christine talk a good game about letting the kids choose for themselves what lifestyle/religion they want to follow...but when one of the kids voices a dissenting opinion they are quick to respond, at the very least with Kody's beady-eye fixed glare.
Remember a year or so ago - the ep about the father-daughter dance and one of Christine's little girls (Savannah I think) asked Logan to be her date because she "didn't want to share" and then said she wasn't going to be a polygamist? I thought Christine was going to have an anyurism...
Hi Anon 3:46 - couldn't agree with your more! Robyn really showed her true colors last night -- I always knew she was a serious Stage 5 Beotch hiding underneath 2 layers of ugly shirts and her constant furrowed brow, frown and tears. She was incredibly condescending to Kolleen and used an unnecessarily sarcastic and rude tone. Her reaction to the other side was super aggressive when I found the anti-plygs to be clear, concise and definitely distinguishing b/t the Browns and the majority of FDLS plygs. They could not have been more clear about that. Yet Robyn bowed up like a beast.
DeleteThe entire bathroom scene with Christine refusing to even acknowledge her AUNT was absurd enough but really went straight to 8th grade when her two BFFs came to whisk her away to safety from the very scary Aunt Christine. Seriously??? WTH did Christine have to fear? Eh, the answer was NOTHING.
PS to my prior comment about the childishness of the bathroom scene: which wife WASN'T there??? The only adult in that family: Janelle!
DeleteIt was Gwedolyn who took Logan as her date so she wouldn't have to share. Love her!!
DeleteI love the Brown's!!! I'd marry Cody!! I think four is his happy number!! I love Robin and Meri! I relate to them more. Janell is all business, and Christine is the stay at home Mom. I love all of them as a unit! I think they value marriage more sacredly than non-polygamists that cheat and divorce!! 50%?! More?! It's so easy now not to work on your marriage, you find someone else! They at least work on each relationship, like more people SHOULD!!! GO BROWNS!!! Love ya ALL!!! Not working, the blog comment box, you can't fix a typo!;( Unless you say Done and try again, then it works...
ReplyDeletehi Donna!
DeleteIf you hit preview, then there is an edit button, thanks!
Yes, Donna, I agree that perhaps they value marriage more sacredly "than non-polygamists that cheat and divorce".
DeleteI would also assert that they value marriage as equally sacredly as "non-polygamists that DON'T cheat and divorce".
And that perhaps they value marriage more sacredly than "polygamists that divorce".
All relationships deserve respect and love. That was the message of Christ; Love one Another.
Kody!! Sorry for the typo Kody!;(
ReplyDeleteFirst I want to say there have been some awesome changes here lately.
ReplyDeleteLOVE the fact MS is getting authors and the panel to come talk. Cool.
LOVE the spoilers. I don't post much, but love to read.
I have to say no one I saw brought this up. WHY did Christine have to go into the whole I am afraid of my aunt with Aspyn? Isn't that somewhat telling that they DO try to influence their children?
I think that the Brown women get empowered during a spot light last night, They are immature, and create drama to feel important, and to justify what they are doing. Come the next day, they will be peeking out of their windows to see where Kody is at, and by next season, it will all be about how they are jealous of each other.
S = Sobyn, don’t let her call you sweet
DeleteT = treasure, I’m sure they all bow down and wash Kody’s feet
R = ridiculous, the happiness they want viewers to see
O = obnoxious, married to one and sleeping with the other three
N = normal, that what they are trying to sell
G = grateful? No one in this family with the exception of perhaps Janelle
W = wives, or that is what they are supposed to be
O = objects is what they really are for Kody’s every need
M = Meri, mean girl who has no life
E = equality, for which they all strive
N = nonsense these women present, for when the day it done, I bet each women is filled with resent.
Long time reader but first time posting - Thank you SWB for sharing the truth - The Brown family is really messed up. Robyn was so rude last night. And the bathroom fiasco - Grown women who can't walk past others on the panel without showing enough common courtesy to say hello?!! Meri goes to get Christine from the bathroom and rushes back to get her friend Robyn to come along to walk past those two scary anti-polygamists so that they can rescue Christine? Who does that? Jr. High girls - that's who. I see from Janelle that she is back pedaling on twitter saying she doesn't have to share her money but they do all share $ freely. Also, I hated My 5 wives. Sad, sad women and one off-putting man.
ReplyDeleteThe relationship between Kody and Christine seems strained. I noticed all his attention is on Sobbin and Meri while Christine and Janelle seem to be lost in the wives shuffle. That is until Janelle looses the rest of her weight. Is it me or is Kody starting to take an interest in the romance dept with Janelle now that she has dropped some pounds. The jealousy will rear its ugly head at Janelle by sobbin and meri the more pounds Janelle loses. Back to Christine. I think she is Kodys punching bag to abuse mentally. He knows he can get away with his abuse with Christine behind closed doors. Lets face it the woman seems frazzled and in a daze half the time and seems afraid of something. I would point the finger at Kody. You never seem much affection between kody and Christine or kody and Janelle for that matter.
ReplyDeleteI never liked Meri and Robyn. They are both whiny bitches who are nasty to the other 2 wives. Right Robyn SWEETIE!
You know Anon 4:18 I think you are right. I am no fragile flower and things don't shock me easily, but sometimes he raises his voice to her or says really nasty or inappropriate things to her and she doesn't even react. It's all completely normal to have your husband be vicious to you not only in public but on international television.
DeleteLast night when they were talking about how Kody said he would give her money to leave? Oh, yeah, when was that? Was she pregnant with baby #6 or did she already have baby #6 by c section #2? Good GRIEF! Even if she DID leave - where would she really feel like she could go?
To the social workers that she has heard her whole life will lead her down an evil path? Not bloody likely. She didn't just drink the kool aid she was weaned on it.
I have no hope for any of them anymore. I'm saving my hope for the kids.
Funniest part ever was Meri sitting there on national television and declaring how liberating it is not to have her husband in bed with her every night!! KoDouche must be one heck of a lover to get that statement made about him on TV!!!! LMAO!!
DeleteI guess he is too tired being with Sobbin to do any loving with any of the others...
DeleteEvery time I read on this blog how the Browns are trying to sell their family as the exception to the "other" abusive forms of polygamy I can't help but think of the following:
Delete- Previous posts and comments about the mean looks Kody would give either the wives or the kids (like you are going to get it later) after they say or do something he doesn't like.
- One main image also pops into my mind of that broken door frame a few seasons ago in one of the wive's rental homes (I can't remember which wife). That type of damage takes force.
- The behavior of the kids is another indication that the family may have issues. The fighting of the boys throughout the seasons, Mariah acting out, the desperate attempts to get attention by Robyn's girls etc.
- The posts from Meri about forgiveness.
- The constant crying and sad faces. I know it is edited for drama but really there is less crying in my favorite soap opera.
- The distrust the kids have fir the parents. I.e. When Kody first announced they were looking at getting the homes and he was so excited and nine of the kids were and the kids said we have been let down so many times before (or something to that effect). I know they have the houses but that last bit was the telling part.
They may not be extreme like Warren Jeffs, but that does not mean that what they are doing is working. And it does not mean that what they are doing does not hurt them the adults and it certainly does not mean that the children are not effected and hurt by the "lifestyle choice".
Children see and hear everything and they are a reflection of their environment. With all of these unhappy adults, the unstable environment (from so many moves and fluctuating income) resulting in: the acting out/fights between the kids, mistrust of the adults being reliable/stable, and begging for attention I don't see how they can claim they are providing a better home by living plural marriage. It could just be them, as many have said not every monogamous marriage is perfect. But I don't think so. I think it is a system set up to fail with unhappy adults creating an environment that is difficult to raise children with all the same benefits as a 2 parent family. (I say 2 parent because that is what they are always comparing themselves to. I know there are many other types of families that exist).
My thoughts were kind of jumbled so I don't know if what I said made any sense sorry.
Oh man, that Dick and Janes book was freaking hysterical!!!
ReplyDeleteI am sure this topic has come up before, but I have to ask again.
ReplyDeletewhat makes a woman want to SHARE the love of your life? I cant imagine my husband in bed with another woman, or even to have my husband spend time with another woman.
What is wrong with these woman? brainwashed? or just stupid?
Fundamental Mormon religion dictates that they must live a polygamous lifestyle in order to get to heaven. I watched this to start learning their religion.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdCEJISKWHc
sorry I cant open the link...CRAP...
DeleteLink works ok for me, but you can go on youtube, google what Mormons believe, it's the animated one, interesting!!!
DeleteAt some point, don't you have to ask yourself if God would really want you to be miserable on Earth during your earthly lifetime? I am Christian, but there are lots of varieties to choose from. I chose one that made the most sense to me. I just don't feel the Browns have or they wouldn't act as unhappy all the time.
DeleteDyan, I so get your point about that; however, if it helps at all I can say I was raised Jehovah's Witness. The minute I was old enough to drive I quit and haven't been a JW for 30+ years. BUT ... one thing they don't do is celebrate birthdays and while it may surprise you as much as it surprises me, to this day I am extremely uncomfortable when my friends want to celebrate my b'day with parties, dinners, cakes, balloons. Meri, Christine and Sobbin (the three biggest freaks in the family) were brought up in this lifestyle to view it as entirely normal and expected. whatever beliefs (no matter how nutty or unconventional) one grows up with as everyday life become part of the fabric of your life. I have no idea about your family or religious history, but if a Christian I'm sure you simply couldn't imagine not doing any number of things that you might have been trained to be expected and normal yet some others would find difficult to understand. Easter is a good example -- what do chocolates and bunnies laying chicken eggs have to do with Christ? I don't ask that to be sarcastic or mean -- I ask it because I was raised JW and we were told those practices were absurd and undignified toward honoring Christ's life. I am NOT a JW but I am explaining to you what I was taught from infancy vs. what 99% of everybody else was taught from infancy. I've attended dozens of Easter brunches and egg gatherings. While I enjoyed them immensely, my JW fabric is always inwardly reacting to how none of it seems religious or Christ-like to me -- because that is how I was raised. I have no objection to these practices but they make no sense to me. I view polygamy in the same way -- it makes no sense to me but I get how it makes sense to people who were taught that from infancy. Hope my comment isn't considered negative because it is not meant in that spirit in the least .... just drawing comparisons.
Delete>what makes a woman want to SHARE the love of your life?
DeleteA lot of people do it willingly because it's what they want, and the lifestyle that they freely choose. Not so much in polygamy, as that's based around patriarchy, but if you look up polyamory (where people often have more than one or two primary romantic relationships)- there's a decent wiki at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyamory , it seems to work out well for a lot of them. Of course in polyamory it's also very common for a woman to have more than one sexual/romantic partner- that's not reserved for men only. And since there's no institutionalized or religious framework, people generally don't do it unless they really want to. Conflict/jealousy etc. is mainly resolved through discussion (a lot of it, to say the least) instead of coercion, and usually you have one or two 'primary' partners that you negotiate everything with.
It's certainly not my cup of tea, but I've known a fair number of happy polyamourous people, or at least people who were happy with it for the first few years, at which time a lot of them seem to migrate to trying monogamy. And there are a lot of them, and it's growing, as a lot of younger people seem to be giving it a try. It's certainly a lot more common than polygamy is- most of the recent numbers I've seen put polygamists in the U.S. between 40,000-50,000 people, and the number of polyamorous identified at about 500,000.
Webstanator, thank you for reminding us on how deeply we are affected by how we were raised. I agree that those early beliefs and subsequent reactions are many times unaffected by what we believe now/call rational now. They are a sort of a "go to"/gut reaction whether we want them or not.
DeleteThat is one thing that makes all of this difficult with religious belief involved.
Emma
Question. If Kody lives in Las Vegas, and they are on PDT Te zone and 3 hrs behind E standard, how are they tweeting and having pics of them watching? How are they talking about it like they are watching with us...hmmm..
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteCelestial time zone perhaps?
DeleteI have friends whose cable options allow them to watch an east coast feed. That's likely how the Browns can tweet before we see the shows in the more western time zones.
DeleteDirecTV :) I am in CA and get to watch the original airing as well.
DeleteI live on the west coast and get each episode twice on Sunday nights.
DeleteThanks everyone! I knew that TLC might of helped, but wasn't sure of other ways. thank you.
DeleteKody has a plyg Tardis. Complete with a wetbar.
DeleteThe problem with the Browns is that they want everyone to believe they are the typical modern day polygamist family and not the exception. I was raised by an abusive father in in monogamist family. Does that mean I think all monogamist marriages should be banned? No! What Kristyn Decker and the others are trying to get through the Brown’s thick heads is there are women who are not given a choice and don’t know there is a choice. These are the women and families that need someone to reach out to them. Kristyn Decker and the others because of their experiences don’t want polygamy glorified as a wonderful way to live.
ReplyDeleteI think all the drama between Christine and her aunt was BS. What could her aunt possibly say or do that would be so terrible with all the cameras around? All the Brown women showed they lacked any empathy. They were also condescending and defensive toward the audience and the other panel members. Their tweets afterwards were like they congratulated each other on what a great job they did and damage control by saying how sorry they were for the others bad experiences with polygamy.
The problem with Sisters Wives is the Browns have been caught in too many lies and contradictions. I don’t believe for one minute they couldn’t get their jewelry into any other casino because of prejudice. They did not have to leave Utah. We don’t know if we will have enough money to pay our bills. We make plenty of money. And they apparently don’t follow all of their religious beliefs, etc. etc. etc.
Kody does not need anyone’s permission to live this lifestyle. They are already doing it. TLC has been a windfall for them. They could never have afforded those houses. I think they had to appear on this panel or they wouldn’t get their TLC money. The Browns are doing something right. Their children are not abused and seem happy and well adjusted. They are making their children’s education important. The argument that polygamy bleeds the system doesn’t hold water because polygamists have to be a very small percentage of people that fraud the government out of money.
I guess there will be another season since I heard TLC is currently filming. What irritates me the most is the Brown’s holier-than-thou, we are so smart, don’t ask us any stupid questions, self-centered – attitude.
In an earlier post, it was mentioned that Robyn changed Dayton's name for Kody. I must have missed that, I know that she legally changed her name to Brown. What did she change Dayton's name to?
ReplyDeleteThe immature behavior that Robyn,Meri, and especially Christine displayed on the panel show was disgraceful. It did nothing to further their cause, it was embarrassing to watch. I wonder what the kids in the audience thought. My heart goes out to those kids because they are the ones who pay the price for these fools.
Dayton is his middle name, I believe it him and his father David separate. No big mystery, although how she says it is!
DeleteI always thought that "Dayton" is put together from David Preston Jr. "Da" from DAvid and "ton" from PresTON. Pushed together to form "Da-ton"
DeleteI'm pretty sure I read it on here, but I've read so much lately that I can't be positive.
My bad you are right! I wasn't thinking, but knew it came from the middle name too!
Delete@ Dollface ~ I agree with you 100% regarding the maturity level. It was pathetic. Meri and Christine really need an education.
DeleteThe only adult in that family is Janelle who rarely speaks and who was NOT a member of the Bathroom Mean Girls Mob. The only level of maturity exhibited last night was a brief (mistake?) Meri comment about all the hub-bub and silliness about being nervous over the panel discussion. That was probably the only time I've ever agreed with Meri. I meant "other" level of maturity exhibited. For some reason I can't edit my own comments before posting. Meri is super childish generally, but I did agree with her on how silly all the fake nervousness was.
DeleteWhile watching this episode I felt that the Browns were angry and defensive from the start. They were cruel, childish and selfish. They preferred to attack rather than listen to others stories and points of view. Why would you want to be portrayed in such a negative way? They need to learn if they are willing to go on television and become public about their life they need to be willing to take any comments that may come with it. If you are mature enough to tell your story on television or anywhere, then be mature enough to listen to others opinions without completely jumping to the conclusion that you are being judged and hated..(This last comment was for Robyn specifically)
ReplyDeleteMy heart went out to Logan to see him actually apologize for Robyns behavior. That is not his job. To see him do this shows that he has more honesty, class and maturity than the adults that supposedly lead his family.
I agree with an earlier post that said that maybe Christine had talked to her aunt about leaving and that she was afraid that her aunt would let it slip that she had done so. I think Kody has her on a very tight leash and the whole bathroom thing? kind of reminded me of how many times Warren Jeffs had people he suspected watched and guarded by people who he trusted. Christines veneer is growing thin and she looks like she is about to break.
Polgamy seems just cruel and unfair.
At one point in my marriage my husband and I were living in another country and I hadn't spoken to my fathers side of the family for several years. I received a letter from my grandmother wanting to rekindle a relationship . She had included a picture that she had titled "My Grandchildren" and there were about 20 blond blue eyed children sitting on a couch. This senario could not be possible because all of my aunts and uncles all had married children with children of their own and all of us are dark with dark eyes. So upon digging a little I found that this letter had actually come from Hilldale, Utah and unfortunately led me to believe that she had married again and this was indeed her family now. Even though I hadn't spoken to her or her family in years it still hurt me to see this and left me with several questions. I will never understand the pain and jealousy and raw human emotion that this lifestyle drums up.
I will be the first to admit, I am just too selfish, unkind,unloving and judgemental to ever live in this type of relationship. I do not believe that any God would tell you this is how you have to live because I say so and I don't care about you or your feelings.
I kind of watched My 5 wives and it was just "meh" no interest there at all.
Thank you Ed and your wonderful wife for giving us so much insight and information. It has been very helpful in trying to understand this type of lifestyle. I really enjoy reading the posts (and the snark is fun too)!
Can't wait to read more.
The 50% divorce rate is complicated by the fact that people who divorce once tend to divorce again. So whole 50% of marriages end in divorce, only something like 30% of FIRST marriages end in divorce. For instance, my uncle has been married four times. My father and aunt once each. Among them, they have six marriages for three people (50%) but in reality only one of them actually had gone through it.
ReplyDeleteThe real cost of polygamy, even successful families, is that the adults remain perpetual adolescents. The culture creates that and rewards that. Doesn't mean any individual family can't make it work, just that it's unstable for all but a truly mature set of people.
Correction: the 50% is for first marriages.
DeleteWho knew that when you shove your "lifestyle" down everyone's throat on TV and SUE TO LEGALIZE POLYGAMY, people are going to ask you to defend it?! I mean, my word. Who could have possibly expected that. I'm glad we can all agree Kody is a misogynist pig, though. Good times.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteStill on episode 8...hard to get past the dog comment and I get queasy watching Kody getting all artistic with the joolry design...since when is he a sisterwife, huh?
Anyway seeing all of those bare backyards , they sure missed the boat with Kody's birthday gifts....
The wives should have each bought themselves a full=grown tree to plant in their backyards.
When Kody's not around, they would have something to hug, something solid and "mature" to lean on and all it would ask back is a bit of water....
OH I love that ...the tree would give them more love than that tit of a man hahah
DeleteAnyone else remember how Kody shamed and verbally abused Christine by refusing to give her the money to visit her father when he was ill?
ReplyDeleteTold her on national TV that if she wanted to go she had to come up with the money herself and he suggested she use her grocery money.
He neglected to to tell America that his 6 kids by Christine were on welfare and food stamps. There was no grocery budget.
I remember that.
DeletePretty damn harsh.
Gawd, poor Christine!
That was terrible. He really treats Christine like crap.
DeleteI was so caught up in the Debate (a debate that was more like a TLC special Brown-Nosing and Christine-pumping)
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, embarrassed to admit that I did spend a totally wasted hour watching Brady and his 5-wife Brady Bunch show.....
that I forgot.....
To sing the praises of TWISTED SISTER"S **Jane and Dick flip chart!! **
Twisted Sister, you are sooooooo ** twisted ** in the most brilliant way !!
BRAVO !!!! Loved it !!!
Thanks for genuine laughs and smirks !!
If the Browns had just one micro-speck of your talent....
Ahh.... but they don't and they never will!!
Does anyone have closed captioning so we can see what exactly Sobbin-Hag-in-a- Bag-Robyn said in the "misogynist pig" statement? I'd also like to see exactly what Logan said.
ReplyDeleteI will, I just haven't had time yet...!
DeleteBTW, if you missed our talk last night, Ed Kociela told us that TLC asked for this debate....
ReplyDeleteWhat a crock! scared...my butt.
Poor Kristyn got ambushed.
If you go to UNLV website to watch it or even to Kristyn Decker's site, you can't. That means obviously only TLC got rights to air it. If there is a bootleg video on youtube from an audience member, I'd love to see it!
DeleteHe's looking into it, very strange...
DeleteI just saw the post where a poster took pictures of their jewelry at Guilt. fugly!
ReplyDeletehttp://sisterwivesblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/my-sisterwifes-closet-jewelry-at-guilt.html
**PLEASE remeber folks can post here pro or con. Do not attack or snark on another poster. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteKody and his harem need to seriously do a reality check on why they incur criticism and judgement.
ReplyDeleteThe pimp their lifestyle for money and fame, yet cry about being observed.
They have clogged the legal system with BS persecution suits, and bankruptcies.
They have fraudulently abused the welfare system. (they have stolen money from taxpayers)
They depend on viewers to keep the TLC money train rolling, yet complain to want autonomy.
They attempt to squeeze even more cash from the public with their scrap metal junk joolery.
They attempt to con the public to buy green goo. (as if their mental and emotional health is any indication of its effectiveness.)
They believe that lies and fake scenarios are not noticed by viewers.
(but they are)
They preach a religion that they cannot explain coherently.
They maintain that a man having sex and hordes of children with multiple women is a good and wholesome life..for the women and for the children.
Yet their very own show is all about "the struggles"....
And the tears...and the fears...and the resentment....
And the dysfunctions.
Just a thought...while watching the panel discussion, I was thinking how Kollene
ReplyDeletemust feel betrayed all over again. The Brown kids invited her and others over
for a weekend to show her that not all plygs live the same, but now she has
first hand knowledge that while she was in their home, it was a farce, it must
be sad for her to know that she was lied to again, but not surprising. Then to
have Meri pretend to comfort her, what an insult! This panel was obviously
meant to benefit the Browns, but I think it did just the opposite. Stand for
something or you will fall for anything...it seems the Browns don't stand for
anything, they have no backbone and I couldn't say with any conviction that any
one of them would leave Krody to protect their children, since they haven't
already and who knows how much psychological damage has already been done. This
is a "family", but no family I would ever want to be apart of, it's twisted.
Finally found a name, after posting as Anonymous: Sweetie!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Robyn
I hope Twisted Sister is at work on some patronizing "sweetie" artwork for us. Some possible ideas....Candyland game with Sister Wives iconic symbols? Willy Wonka take-off? Robyn in the form of a massive round cookie and the other wives surrounding her in the form of great big round suckers? Ants crawling over all of them?
DeleteLOVE your new name!! Unlike Robyn, KEEP SWEET, sweetie! What a condescending heifer she was last night ! I thought she was talking to Kolleen, but after re-watching tonight I realized she was responding to the very mature, kind and clear Aunt Krysten. WOW! For HER to talk down to Krysten who is a grown ass woman of her own mind is just mind-boggling!
DeleteI do too! AND remember when Robyn got in a twitter fight with someone and called them HONEY?? Crazy
DeleteHaha! Love it!
DeleteI like the idea of the candy land game too. Making suckers to represent the other wives is a great idea, but if that won't work they could always use "crumbs" for the others since that's all they're used to getting anyway.
DeleteActually, upon rethinking it - maybe we viewers should play the role of the candy suckers.
DeleteAnother image for TSW to ponder... Sobbyn in a dental chair while a dentist is drilling her teeth. Bubble over them has the dentist saying, "Just relax, you should only feel some mild discomfort when I do this sweetie." Elsewhere in the cartoon you can see empty candy wrappers littering the floor with the MSWC logo on them.
Good point about Kolleen feeling that she may have seen under the veneer of the Siste Wives lives. They were on their best behavior when she visited in their home. They were not on their best behavior during this debate...they showed that they are flat out nasty. That said, I do not believe that the type of abuse Kolleen experienced is going on in the Brown household. I have seen nothing that makes me believe that the young children are victimized in the very horrific way some plyg cults have made infamous. His abuse is more subtle. It is emotional, not physical nor sexual. However, I do not like and would not want to be around this man.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Do you think the lack of abuse is partially due to the fact that they don't live together? They live like 4 separate single moms with a boyfriend that stops by from time to time. Keeping the families separate might be one way to cut down on abuse.
DeleteWhen Kollene said one of her sisters married her half brother I wanted to puke!
I figured that TLC had set up this "debate" (Brown lovefest) for selective purposes. but Kollene and Kristyn and WIllie and the other lady should be proud of their contribution.
ReplyDeleteBy your willingness to appear, the public and viewers were given a chance to hear authentic testimony from people who had lived the Plyg nightmare.
Without real witnesses to speak, the Browns and TLC could have crafted anything they wanted. As it is, they created Christine's bathroom meltdown, but rest assured, *many* saw right through it.
SO to you four brave and "real" souls......
THANK YOU you for lending, for once, some "reality" to SW !!
And please check in here at SWB as often as you choose.
You and your thoughts are MOST welcome !!
If Christine was my niece, I would be on Kloser like a fly on sh$$. She could take her beautiful, smart kids and run. No woman should EVER
ReplyDeleteWhile we are dogging on Sobbyn, does anyone else remember those crappy ornaments she made? Terrible. I wonder what her contribution is to the family other than being a tearful basket of mediocrity. She can't seem to cook or do anything industrious.
ReplyDeleteRobyn's "value" to the family? Popping out little plygs for King Kody. She was supposed to be a pal for Meri since Christine and Janelle were teamed up as buds. I haven't seen her do anything on the show particularly domestic. We only got to see a couple rooms of her house on the house tours - so we can only guess what her housekeeping is like.
DeleteBesides sobbing on command, insincerity, worshipping Krody, popping out kids and making ugly, unsellable to mass market joory, I have no idea what value she brings to this family. Oh, I forgot! She teaches how to become a born-again virgin and how to pair really awful layers of shirts to prove her puuurty. Am I the only one who thought her offer of surrogacy was a manipulative way to hurt Meri and "up" her cred with Krody as an actual baby producer? I thought what SW would want a younger, skinnier SW carrying their baby and being forever enmeshed in their kid's life? When Meri told Sobbin about Krody saying NO to a new bay-be, I was wondering if Sobbin was really thinking "thank God and Krody I can release my womb to him again." I can barely stand watching that woman in action. She's as big a tool as Krody!
DeleteI have to agree with several other post that all the wives from both shows look as though they have nothing but sadness in their eyes. I have seen the same sadness with all polygamy wives in all the shows and documentaries. I hope one day either a kid or the filming crew writes a tell all book.
ReplyDeleteOk 3 thoughts are running through my head.
ReplyDelete1. Did anyone else catch when the Professor was speaking about Polygamous families. He said approx 1/3 of the families her had been able to study were functioning very well, 1/3 Had problems that they acknowledged and were working on and 1/3 were conpletely messed up. Then he said the numbers were the same for monogamous relationships! I thought that was so interesting.
2. I wonder if these families (the Browns, Dargers and Williams) were happy and thought life was great, until they hadproducers begin to ask them the hard questions and they had to really look at their lives and then thought "WTF" am I doing. When you live something day to day it seems normal. None of these people seem to me to be very introspective.
3. So manpeople talk about individual time with the children or lack thereof. I don't know that families withonly one or two children give their kid one on one time. So much time is spent on work, commuting, soccer, football, dance, music practice etc. Plus most kids have phones, tablets, computers and such to access social media. When does that leave time for one on one time. I would be interested to see a study as to how much time parents really spend one on one with their kids.
Ok so that is what is rolling through my mind.
LOL... Brain Bleach - Twisted Sister you are funny and talented!
ReplyDeleteThis is so off subject, but I just watched Momma June and Sugar Bear's wedding... I had tears! Really sweet
Ok, now I need to read some of these post.
dj
I have to say,,,I did too! My kids won't watch SW. They HATE it. They do watch HBB for laughs. I used to go UGH! at it, but after watching, at least they are sweet and pretty honest. No gripes about mansions...I love my ole convict Sugar Bear! Had to wipe the tears at his sincerity. I only wish they got married for reals.
DeleteOn the face of it, HBB seems like a revolting story; however, having watched numerous epis I have to say these folks try really hard to remain authentic and all the gals are smiling and laughing constantly .... all from their same old tiny house by the RR tracks. I appreciate that!!! Sugar Bear clearly loves June and the girls. When I saw HBB's face watching her parents in the wedding epi you could just see her genuine excitement and joy. In contrast, the Brown girls (Wives 1, 3 and 4) and kids rarely seem genuine and truthful. I am clearly Team Jeanelle, but it must be said she opens her mouth less than anyone on the show -- I like to think it is because she is biting the bullet while she sucks up all the Krap going on around her. I hope that is why anyhow!
DeleteI agree. I have way more respect for the HBBs than I do the SWs. The Boo Boos are genuine, the kids are happy, they are allowed to be who they are. No pretension, no lies, no fronts to keep up with. They also give back to the community and HBB Mama June is very money savvy. Those kids all have the paychecks from TLC set up in trust funds that they can't touch until they are 21.
DeleteDon't forget our resident polygamy expert - years of being the editor for the Spectrum, is down below, ask him anything about polygamy!
ReplyDeleteWhen the ladies all met up I noticed that Meri only came inside the door and Janelle and Meri did not look at one another. I just noticed something awkward between them. Did anyone else notice this??
ReplyDeleteI always notice tension between these two! Crazy!
DeleteThis time it was obvious their was tension between the two of them, they did not greet each other as I recall and they seemed uncomfortable in this scene. I could just tell by the way Janelle laughed at what Kody said and it seemed Meri gave her the stare down when she was not looking. This scene I could defiantly tell their was something going on between them. Also I noticed next weeks episode Janielle states that she is just fine alone or something like that when the family discusses the event of Kodys death he wants to make sure they stay together..... or something like that
DeleteYes, Em, I saw that preview too where Janelle says she'd be ok alone on the event of his death. At least that's what it seemed she was saying (who knows with teaser preview clips).
DeleteKody probably fears that renewly-pure-Sobbyn might get snatched up by another plyg man if he died. He needs them to stay together to keep pimping the public with green goo, joolry and trading on their iconic brand to get paid speaking engagements and the like.
You would think his brother's untimely death and his father's recent death would have Kody thinking about the financial security (or lack thereof) he will be leaving his wives when he dies. Of course, this was probably filmed before they passed.
As time goes on, Christine appears more and more desperate to appear happy. Shrieking about mermaids and how she got her house, she seems very manic. I don't know what her status is as far as therapy and meds, but she needs some help. I honestly think had she not been indoctrinated from birth in this lifestyle, she would have been extremely happy in a monogamist marriage where she could be loved exclusively.
ReplyDeleteI feel that Meri would have flourished in a solid monogamous marriage.
DeleteShe would have beat kody into a whimpering little mut. The she would need to put him down. Especially after he sprinkled on all her carpet & walls in her castle.
DeleteI think Christine has deep issues with something in her childhood. I think the stories of love, ponies, rainbows etc are her front to protect herself. I had a Great Aunt who did this. We knew that her life was a nightmare based on the stories (and eye witness of my grandmother) of her siblings, but she would only tell these weird happy untrue stories of joy and love.
DeleteChristine can't handle the sorrow of something....we don't know what. But she keeps everything silly and lighthearted to keep from having to feel the deep emotions. Her Aunt talks of abuse in her family, yet Christine only has ponies and rainbows. Yet her Mother left, her Aunt left. Hmm. Makes you wonder.
I think Robyn rocked her world and she can't keep the front up. She acts more silly and weird in an attempt to hold her world together, I don't think she can keep it up forever. Watch the first season, first episode. Things were so different back then. Kody showed her real affection and they really had something. Robyn destroyed it all, yet her upbringing taught her that she has to "take it inside" and plaster that dead smile on her face with dead eyes. Read between the lines of her "I always wanted to be the third wife" story and you see that she can't take anything new, she can't stand to not know what she's in for. She did lose a lot when hubbie dear brought home his Sex-Kitten.
I once worked with a severe OCD co-worker. She had an episode one day, right in front of us and slowly her facade melted away. It was a spooky thing to watch. It took her a week off work, and lot of meds to recover and come back to work.
I read someone on here..(forgive me, wild 2 days!) was it ex AUB that said the AUB does not allow ear piercings?
ReplyDelete(Might be on the Williams thread)
Can anyone confirm this? I'd like to know!
Yes; it said 2 of the Brady wives got their ears pierced much to the dismay of the AUB authority, who had banned it. That that incident was the beginning of the Brady family removal from the church in which they were 'on the rise'.
DeleteIt was an "Anonymous"; Sept. 16 at 3:08 pm, "My 5 Wives" thread
DeleteWhen I have visited Utah a few times in the past I have noticed the women wearing the FLDS prarie dresses shopping in thrift stores. How do they get clothes for their families? Do they all need to know how to sew or do some in the plyg compound specialize in various tasks. Can they get mail-order prarie dresses? I ask because someone told me there are families living in Appalacia/Kentucky who sew such garments and you can buy them from them. They have you send your measurements and they sew you custom prarie dresses (were you to want one). Also do wives from one husband all dress alike? Do they only dress alike when posing for photos? How and when did AUB shift to modern clothing? Do all AUB dress modestly but in normal street clothes? Is there a "fashion police" within plyg churches that keep the women in line or is it peer pressure or discipline by the husbands? Anything at all you want to say about attire would be interesting.
ReplyDeletehttp://main.stylelist.com/2008/07/02/fldsdress-com-your-polygamist-clothing-hookup/
Deletehttp://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/07/02/20080702FLDSDress.html
At one time they had on online store that is now down. Since Jeffs ordered no internet, TV, etc., I guess that shot this down.
So Meri goes on national television and tells everyone she is grateful she doesn't have to sleep with Grody Kody every night?
DeleteDo you think that could be payback for telling her "I am going to have more children no matter what you decide" and "Gee, does it bother you I have brought another woman here?"? He seems to really hit below the belt with her. Ugly, passive aggressive comments that have to build up serious resentment.
I think she may have given him some serious payback....
Anon 12:45 a.m. - Maybe it is payback for years of him giving her and the rest of the wives stink-eye. Kodpiece seriously needs his attitude adjusted.
Delete@Anon 12:45, I completely agree with you that Meri was passively aggressive in that comment -- Kody has said some horrible things to her! To quote Jennifer Aniston, he is missing a sensitivity chip. He is such a jackass in order of his disdain: Meri, Christine, Janelle (who doesn't give a Krap) and Robyn who is his new pet. Why she is his pet is anybody's guess b/c while younger and somewhat thinner, she is no looker! OMG that face seems to have been born from a match b/t a Mack truck and Herman Munster.
DeleteYikes. It makes me really sad to think of the kinds of conditions people like Kolleen & Willie faced in polygamy, if they look at the Browns as any kind of positive example :(.
ReplyDeleteRobyn continues to show how fundamentally vicious, manipulative & conniving she really is. Her aggressive and rude behavior showed her to be genuinely horrible and its getting clearer and clearer that she is now the favorite/dominant wife. She is clearly competing and subtly campaigning against the other wives to maintain this position. She continues to dominate and railroad the couch discussion time, no one else can get a word or opinion in without her interrupting or speaking over the top of them. I've been shocked watching the way she speaks to the other wives & children before, but her actions at the debate made it clear that she is exceptionally manipulative and is an insidious toxin within the family. Funny how she can be so bossy and over-confident but then cries poor-me-I-need-rescuing to Kody when it suits her.
Oh Christine- you had my pity and support but then you went back into the annoying Christine zone of years gone by. The childishness needs to stop. And please stop playing the victim. You have been making money as a public polygamist from a reality tv show for some years now- not to mention come out with a new business capitalizing on it & a court case trying to legalize it. If you want to be public, then be public and be prepared to explain your lifestyle- it is afterall ILLEGAL. Dont be all 'everyones attacking me' when its clear that you are massively insecure in your faith, your living situation and yourself and the only way you obtain any sense of security is by being massively judgmental and rude towards people with alternate views to your own. PS- it irritates me that my taxes pay for your food stamps and you are now living in a McMansion while we work hard for a very modest & humble home.
Janelle is looking so good- what an inspiration. So glad to see she has found a sense of self-worth from outside the dysfunctional dynamic of their marriage. Keep it up Janelle! And then run away! :D
Meri- thank you for not making this episode all about you. I needed a break from your incessant whining and crinkled-orange skin sob face. Negative points for going junior high and sandwiching Christine out of the toilets.
Find it very odd that this family does not know the doctrine that drives their actions yet are prepared to speak out publicly in defense of it. They sound so ignorant- I think I may know more about their doctrine than they do :(. It's like the spiritual core that once cemented their family has disappeared- they no longer go to church and you can see the 'reasoning' is just empty, recycled words & sentiments- no longer a determined conviction & belief. Sad.
Hello Free Janelle! Excellent and well-thought post. I too am Team Janelle. I long for the day when she reaches her weightloss goals b/c she is going to add smokin' hot to her solid biz sense, maturity and blow right past her subpar Sister Wives. She is the only mature, educated SW who has a lick of common sense and dignity. Can't wait to see her SOAR once her self-esteem is reinvigorated. Loved your spot-on analysis of the Brown women -- very good.
DeleteFantastic post Free Janelle!
DeleteIn prior seasons there was some speculation that the Browns were not allowed to discuss their religion on the show. I like to watch the Duggars on occasion so they will be my example for comparison here. They refer to their beliefs constantly. So does anyone know why the Browns don't discuss their actual beliefs? Their answers seem to be much like that of a politician running for office (non answers). Part of what intrigues me about the Duggars and what I thought would be intriguing about this family would be to hear their true beliefs, why they believe them and how those beliefs impact their daily lives. I love learning about other ways of life and what makes people who they are. How life works for them. The Browns seem so defensive all the time about their "lifestyle choice" yet they never give a real answer as to why THEY live this way. I wonder if they even know or if there is some other reason preventing them from going into further detail (I don't believe it is TLC).
ReplyDeleteI know the Duggars are edited as well but it seems like they are more open to mature discussion. So why don't the Browns "get real" and discuss what they believe. Talk about which values they choose to live by and are teaching their children? I am curious are they teaching the kids polygamy? Why or why not if it is a belief of their family? What makes them a modern polygamous family? Maybe some of the beliefs have changed since leaving Utah and the family is adjusting to new outside forces. it would be interesting to know what that impact is.
Bottom line the Browns just seem lost. Lost as individuals (Meri), as a family (1 house to 4), as parents (Robyn's speech or her clingy daughters, boys fighting, Mariah) and possibly even lost when it comes to their religion (Have they made new connections or kept them with their old church?).
We have learned it is not a lifestyle but a religion mandated issue. They use that term to make it seems more light. In the post a member of the audience....the audience member said Kody was asked about religion and basically said he didn't know much about it other than what Joseph Smith said. Then later all of them were asked and they hem hawd around. OF course we didn’t see that on the debate, but it is very telling that religion is not a HUGE factor in their lives, so it seems.
DeleteI have always been fascinated by the belief structures and creeds of all faiths and religions. I do not hold Christian beliefs, but I was raised in a Presbyterian family. I was frequently chastised and even punished for asking too many questions, inside and outside of Church.
DeleteMy Mother could never talk about faith, you believe and that's what you do. Listen to me, I'm your mother kind of attitude.
My Grandmother would discuss faith with me, she was very solid in her beliefs and I still refer to her as my one and only example of a Good Christian Woman in my life. She was not a hypocrite like my Mother, but she practiced what she preached.
A person who is solid in their beliefs will never him and haw over them. They can discuss them with any believer or non-believer. My Grandmother would routinely invite the Jehovah Witness' inside and would serve them fresh bread or cookies and tea and coffee. After they had settled and were going to start their "our way is best" kind of speeches she would stop them, pull out her Bible and tell them that they would have to listen to HER beliefs first. None of them ever stayed after that.
I still have my fascination in spiritual beliefs of all cultures, past and present. I walk my own path and I too can discuss what I see and believe openly without feeling threatened in any way. It was not always that way, many people have condemned me to their Hells for not believing in their version of Christianity. But....I can discuss my beliefs and why I feel that way, what drives me.
People who do not believe what they say they do, much like my "Christian on a Sunday" Mother can not discuss their own faith. They may be able to shoot up some sound bites that they have been trained to spew over the years, but they can not sit down and have a great debate discussion. I think they know full and well how KOOKY they will sound on television when they start talking about the veil of heaven, secret names, celestial planets, spirit babies and the like. Anyone can learn about Mormonism with good old Google these days, so they aren't hiding anything.
oops, too long again....continued from above.....
DeleteI watched a well made documentary about the Jewish religion and it's formation and history. It was fascinating, and had many lively Rabbi's telling stories. I thought the Rabbi's were pretty cool and I would love to have a sit down with them and listen to the stories. One thing that I took from this program was the fact that the first three books of the Old Testament were oral stories that were passed down generation to generation. They decided to gather scribes to write down the information to prevent this History from being lost. Then these scrolls were carried around and the stories told for more generations.
Even several hundred years before the Common Era, before Jesus would have walked the Earth people read, discussed and debated the scrolls. Even before Christ the language was outdated, and so people read it, and argued about the true meanings in the stories. Sounds familiar, and two thousand years later we are still reading, translating, re-translating and discussing the meanings behind these books.
If the Browns had true beliefs that they can stand up to and hold testimony, they why not give that testimony? I think they know just how Kooky it will sound and they are trying very hard to be the cool ones, the hip ones, the modern ones. It's our faith, that's all you need to know.
They do not want to have to explain Mormon Cosmology to TLC viewers. (It may be TLC itself doesn't want to get into it and stir up controversy about it. Better to focus on the plural marriage aspect alone.)
DeleteI'm sure SWBlog has written articles about it before.
There is quite an interesting synopsis of it on Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_cosmology
TLC probably won't allow them to talk about their religion lest viewers and sponsors get upset. Plus there's that little problem with non believers being cast into darkness in the afterlife..
DeleteYou can read all about what Krody and Krew happens to the rest of us when we croak here...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_perdition_%28Mormonism%29
I am certainly thrilled and in awe of Ed coming and teaching us! It has answered many questions and been a HUGE help. There's a few slots left so I will keep it open, but just want to say, we at SWB thank you so much for all, not just the post, but the talks, the behind the scenes help, and most importantly, the new friendships made. We hope Cara and Ed will come and post with us from time to time. It's been great!
ReplyDeleteHere's an Idea. Why not take Kodys DNA and the same for all of his children that he received benefits for and then put a Lien on his house to recoup as much of those benefits as possible. The same for all who are bleeding the beast (us). These men are all dead beat "Dads". Very little money goes to the wives and children. It has to stop somewhere. There should already be laws on the books to facilitate this.
ReplyDeleteGood idea, will sadly nothappen, but a great question to ask ED KOCIELA below!!!
DeleteBTW, I would like just one reporter to ask him if his names are on ALL the children BC now!
Things may unravel for Kody if any of the wives leave and get court orders enforcing child support for minor children. https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/child-support-enforcement/ and he doesn't pay.
DeleteThere is a hotline at that website to report dead beat dads - but if there is no court order ordering them to pay child support I don't think it can be used.
Did anyone notice the writing on Robyn's mirror? It said something like "I love you beautiful" I will have to watch it again. If Kody wrote it on her mirror he should write it on the other 3 wives mirrors too. Their 17 kids notice things like that when even I do who doesn't live in NV.
ReplyDeleteit said "hi beautiful. i love your guts!" ick - i truly DETEST that ad nauseam vernacular i hear again and again from all the young mormon moms whenever i visit Utah. Been years now waiting for just ONE DAY that i don't hear it there!! (they all love to write it to each other on FB and their mommy blogs, too.)
DeleteThis whole episode was antagonistic on the Browns part. Listening to them talk, they were so defensive and argumentative...they had no room for acceptance for anyone, anything, or any other view point. On the flip side, Kristyn, Willie, and Kollene were so calming and respectful. The Browns just wanted to BE right, not have a discussion. The whole thing with Christine & her issue with her aunt being vocal about polygamy, well, duh! She has good reason. Robyn needs to get off her high ground, she doesn't belong there. They want to be vocal, have the right to live this lifestyle, be miserable while doing it, but cannot say why they live this way, won't say how they pay for it, then are angry when others are against this lifestyle. They can't have it both ways. They want their lifestyle out in the public eye, well, just like a celebrity, get ready for people to take you down, it's the price you pay when you put yourself out there. So stop all your whining!
ReplyDeleteJust wondering, Janelle said her religion tells her she can marry whoever she wants even if he's already married, I thought there was more if an 'arrainged' marriage vibe in AUB? Like the higher ups don't pick.for them but have more of a hand in the letting it happen. So kind of indirectly picking for them. Sorry if my wires are crossed, I know she asked to be in the family but back then they were in the church, so its not so much of a "marry whoever I want" situation. More of a "hopefully i'll get to marry that one dude" kinda deal...
ReplyDeleteAll of the Mormons I know NEVER talk about being Mormon. Ever. My cousins family is Mormon. So maybe the Browns are just sticking with the way their religion teaches them to be: secretive. Why a secret? Well maybe because, they realize they all sound kind of crazy, or because they know their followers don't even really understand the religion, so it's better that way? Or maybe they just want it to be like a special ''get into heaven club'' that they don't want their non-Mormon friends to get into? That is the way they act anyway.
ReplyDeletei'm pretty sure Robyn LOVED the fact that all her sister wives got to see her special "i love your guts" handwritten message from Kody on her bathroom mirror! *stab* (that definitely looks like his handwriting we've seen before from his televised handwritten notes. seriously doubt it's from one of her loving sister wives! haha)
ReplyDelete