Stars of TLCs Sister Wives Under Investigation

[askfornina]

To explain better
They want no gov involvement an yet they take everything they can get
Food stamps , money , heating . I feel if they should support themselves!
These women dont work as part of their 'religion' Give me a break . If there is nothing wrong with them then they should have a job and support themselves

this is not accurate. the first wife had a job, and she got fired because she was on tv, and imo partly because of her lifestyle.

 

[askfornina]

IMHO, the government has no business interfering in the lives of consenting adults and who they wish to build a life with.

I am appalled at the "compound" type lifestyle where girls are forced to marry dirty old men in the name of God, but that is not the Brown family situation. All of the wives were adults and willingly chose this lifestyle. Hell, in some interviews Christine comes off as the opportunistic one since she "wanted a family but not a husband". More power to her.

When our government starts prosecuting athletes, politicians & celebrities who have multiple relationships & children from different mothers....yeah right. Like THAT'S ever going to happen!

amen!

 

[believe09]

Is this family self supporting? I have never watched the show. TIA.

 

[askfornina]

Is this family self supporting? I have never watched the show. TIA.

i have watched a good bit of the show, i am unsure however. kody has a job, the first wife had a job, i am not certain on the other 3. they have to make money from the show. i would imagine yes.

 

[raeann]

Is this family self supporting? I have never watched the show. TIA.

The answer is really unknown right now....as of the end of the show last spring, they had relocated to the Las Vegas area, purchased four homes and none had yet found jobs. They were hoping to start some sort of a self employed business IIRC. The proceeds of the show may or may not be enough to support their relocation and current lack of employment. Prior to the move, at least two of them were employed.

jmo

 

[believe09]

Thank you askfornina and raeann! If they are all self supporting, I suppose it is difficult to expect them to conform if they are consenting.

My issue with polygamy is the imbalance. Not a lot of women who have several husbands, is that correct?

 

[Silkprint]

Ask _ I wasn't talking about Sisterwives . I was talking about the women in the Warren Jeffs sect .
He got life in prison - Thank God

 

[Silkprint]

If they are all self supporting

I agree . I don't really care what people do in their own homes . Just support yourself !

 

[askfornina]

Ask _ I wasn't talking about Sisterwives . I was talking about the women in the Warren Jeffs sect .
He got life in prison - Thank God

thank you for clarifying.

there is a HUGE difference between the warren jeffs thing and sisterwives. imo it is obvious these women are happy. they all have a healthy relationship. i don't think they are brainwashed. it is outside the "norm" but imo they obviously are all consenting, the children seem happy from what i've seen, i see absolutely no problem with it. other than how all four of these women would want to be with this loser, but that is just my personal opinion on the man and holds no weight in what they see in him.

 

[Prancy]

At first, I didn't know what to make of Kody and his family. I was curious enough or incredibly bored enough to watch all of the episodes. I think I got a pretty good idea of what they are about. I don't necessarly approve of their lifestyle, but I do now wonder if it's my right to call what they do wrong.

I saw them as good people who have a great desire to be good citizens and give their children a good home and future. They have never mentioned any of the kids attending a polygamous school. On camera, all but one attended public school. One went to a private school, because of special needs. That is how I saw it.

My main concern is about the kids. What are the long range consequences from growing up in a polygamous home? I'm not sure. Even the best intentioned parents can harm their kids, when they don't even realize it. Is that happening here? I don't know. Maybe this question should be put before professionals or at least some study. In the meantime, I just don't think that prosecuting the parents of these children is the answer. Right or wrong it's part of their religious belief. I'm not the person to say what one should be allowed to do within their religion, unless it's hurting someone.

Yes, there is a big "ick" factor for me. It really turns me off to think of the bedroom shuffling, but it's not me. It's those women who feel okay about it. And I don't think I should be the judge of whether it's right for them. That's my take on it, though it seems to be quite unpopular on these boards.

For those don't think polygamy is popular in Utah. How would you know? Most of them live in secret. They could be your dentists, teacher, mail man, etc. People are afraid of being open about it because they will be punished, one way or the other.

 

[miimaa]

this is not accurate. the first wife had a job, and she got fired because she was on tv, and imo partly because of her lifestyle.

I thought the previous post was more about FLDS women.... not the sister wives as all but one of them work... or did work last time I watched an episode. Might have changed by now.

 

[miimaa]

Thank you askfornina and raeann! If they are all self supporting, I suppose it is difficult to expect them to conform if they are consenting.

My issue with polygamy is the imbalance. Not a lot of women who have several husbands, is that correct?

Not that I know of but it might be nice :crazy:

 

[pinkfly]

I have watched the show and I did feel that it was somewhat contrived in that it was a likable cast of people wanting to take down yet another wall in our set of norms or standards. We are allowed to see just enough to find a common ground with any point like child rearing or finances. I feel bad about the kids being torn as to when they need to lie about their sibling relationships to protect the family.

 

[ThoughtFox]

Is this family self supporting? I have never watched the show. TIA.

I have watched this show a few times when completely bored, LOL, and it's my perception that they all work. But money of course is in short supply, and on one episode they showed a huge pantry full of bulk canned goods. I'm sure running that kitchen is like running a restaurant 24 hours a day with all those kids.

I think if any of the women aren't working on any given day, they have to stay home and watch all the kids and help them with their homework.

And there was an episode in which the hubby went off on a honeymoon to California which must have been very expensive, while the other wives and kids stayed home and had to stretch the money to pay for it. Lots of grumbling at home on that show, LOL. :crazy:

I do worry about the kids, not just that they aren't getting much individual attention, but that they will be pressured to have the same lifestyle. The guy and the first wife were childhood sweethearts, but they decided to add another wife because the husband's father was in a polygamous relationship.

 

[gitana1]

Well, I'm obviously in the minority here, but I have watched the show and actually like it. Even more, I actually like the family. (Admittedly, I like the women on the show, the so-called 'Sister Wives', more than I like Kody himself).

Sixty years ago, society frowned upon divorced women, and treated them with distrust, as if they were 'loose', desperate, immoral. Even when she and her children had been abandoned by the husband for another woman.

Much more recently than sixty years ago, a black person could not marry a white person, without both fearing enormous repercussions.

Just a few decades ago, adopted children were not viewed as equally by outsiders as a couples biological children. There were seen by many as 'less' than.

A couple living together without the 'benefit' of marriage (back then referred to as 'living in sin') was absolutely scandalous.

A child born 'out of wedlock' was openly called a '*advertiser censored*'.

Right now, gay couples are struggling to be accepted, and their unions recognized.

Tolerance is a virtue.
Who am I to sit in judgement of what constitutes a family?

Ditto. I have been an outspoken critic of the FLDS. I have been researching and following their legal issues for years. I was overjoyed when the children were removed from the Texas compound and horrified when they were sent back with virtually no protections in place. I am celebrating that Warren Jeffs has been sentenced to life in prison.

This family is also in a fundamentalist Mormon church group. However, they are not from the same FLDS group we have been hearing about for so long and their sect is much more liberal.

I am for religious freedom as long as harm to innocents does not result from those freedoms. Years ago, our supreme court determined that the harm coming from the polygamist lifestyle outweighs the right to practice their religion in the manner in which they choose. And there is a ton of research to support that position as polygamy in closed societies allows for a lot of spousal abuse, poverty, welfare fraud and child abuse, sexual and physical, as well as neglect.

Well maybe it's time for these societies to come out of the closet. Perhaps, if polygamy was not illegal, many of these people would be more inclined to have their kids in public schools, where they may be better monitored, and not as secretive about their lives overall.

In any case, nothing I have seen on this show indicates that any of the ills associated with polygamy are occurring here. This is a case of consenting adults, three of whom grew up in the sect and two of whom did not (Janelle and Kody), who have chosen this lifestyle. There is no evidence of any kind of coercion here and they have stated that it is fully their children's choice as to whether they follow the lifestyle as adults, although the parents hope they choose to stay in the religion. In fact, from what I have seen, the Browns seem very open-minded and accepting.

This lifestyle is definitely not for most. It's not for me. I do see a level of misogyny involved. And while I'm not a jealous type, I am territorial about my space. Plus, I need to know that my sweetheart is always available for me and not some other gal!

But this family seems no different than most in their level of happiness, etc. It seems to work for them, with some predictable bumps along the way
and when compared to some of the horror we see out there, I don't see reason for alarm.

Yeah, maybe it's gross to us. But again, they chose this as consenting adults and I think they should have that right.

I like the Browns. They seem sincere. I respect that they want to fight for their religious freedom. As a feminist and a woman, I don't respect their lifestyle but unless I see evidence that children are being harmed, or spouses being coerced and abused, I do not think it is my right to dictate how they live their life. And this is coming from someone who thinks the FLDS compound in Texas should be bulldozed and all the kids placed in long-term foster care or with hardcore social services involvement for years.

We see what our social context tells us is there. They see something different. This is reality t.v. but I have been trained to spot the b.s. and chicanery. I don't see anything more than four adults who are living the way that they desire, in a transparent manner, hoping people will be a bit more tolerant.

 

[gitana1]

this is not accurate. the first wife had a job, and she got fired because she was on tv, and imo partly because of her lifestyle.

Kody had a great job and so did Janelle and Meri. Janelle worked for a government agency for decades and Meri worked with troubled teens. Christine stayed home and cared for the kids. Janelle was very happy with that arrangement saying she loves her kids but would rather be working than at home with them all day, every day.

Robyn had a job before she moved to Utah. She was unable to find a job in Utah by the time they moved. Their search for homes indicate that the financing was based on their payment for the reality show so I think they are stuck for awhile. They stated they are looking for new jobs now, at least four of them are.

They all seem to be very outspoken, especially Christine. Although Kody usually tends to have the final say in matters of huge importance, these women don't seem to be letting him run the show. Their voices are definitely heard in that house.

 

[Prancy]

I finally figure out who Kody reminds me of. It's Val Kilmer from a few years ago. It's something about their teeth, hair and eyes.

 

[krimekat]

from the episodes I have watched, Wife #1 (Mary) had a job in UT & was upset when she lost it due to the televised show. Wife #2 (Janelle) had a BUSY & important job that kept her out of the home. There was an episode of her being dropped off downtown in front of a building in Salt Lake. And I have a friend who has a friend (who has a friend) in the healthcare industry that worked with her in an insurance company.

Not sure about the new one (brunette) . . . and I know Wife #3 (Christine) is the Mom of all the families! Kody was in advertising sales. I am not sure what they make from TLC & I am anxious to see what is happening in Vegas! How can you afford so many children? Four homes? Four families?

It is just me & my cat; I rent & own my car; I make over $100K & I'm struggling (HUGE student loans) . . . how on Earth can you support 17 kids?

 

[Cracka*Jaxx]

How can you afford so many children? Four homes? Four families?

It is just me & my cat; I rent & own my car; I make over $100K & I'm struggling (HUGE student loans) . . . how on Earth can you support 17 kids?

I always wondered the same thing. Most families with a few children and both spouses working, can barely afford to even get by. But because Kody is legally only married to one wife, the others can probably get public assistance of some kind.

I always liked Mary (or Meri) best. I can only think she had very low self esteem to go along with the 'sister wife' thing. And you can see that a lot of bad feelings arise when Kody spends more time with one or another of them. Just an observation.

 

[oh_gal]

While I respect the views of others, I don't support a lifestyle where women put themselves in such a demeaning position -- and while you may think that they're outspoken and have their say, what kind of life is it for them to have to "share" one man between the 4 of them? (Like he's such a prize!). And what message does that send to the children, both the girls and the boys of the family?