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.