Sister Wives

[BlondeAgent007]

Anybody else surprised they aren't more wierded out that two of the Dargers are twin sisters? Twins seem to have a really deep connection to each other. I've watched documentaries and most identical twins also dream to marry identical twins one day. Since there doesn't seem to be any sexual affection between the wives, this setup doesn't seem all that strange.

Then I think about it (or re-read what I wrote) and I'm like, "Linds, what are you THINKING?" I just... I don't know. Any twins out there to put in some insight?

That's how the owners of my gym are and I love it. The wife teaches healthy cooking and exercise classes. She's recently (in the last 3 or so years) lost a lot of weight but sometimes still has trouble finishing the reps. She might get short of breath or finish with less than perfect form, but she's always encouraging and positive. I'd rather take a class from her, that pretty much any other trainer I've ever used!

See, that I can totally have respect for. This type of person would have lots of great tips as well for somebody trying to lose a lot of weight that are realistic.

[Stacie]

Here's my take on the the episode...and I've seen every one so far...

1 - The Browns do function as a 4 in one family....but I think it works for them and is more realistic. I think the Dargers saying that everything is pink and rosy all the time is crap. Either that, or they've just convinced themselves that is the truth. I think they are smart, strong women - but Joe comes across as a dictator. They seem happy to follow along with that though, I don't think they're not happy.

2 - I like the way the Browns talk about their kids much, much better. Yes, they're supposed to be "one" family, but still, each child has a real mom that actually gave birth to them and the Brown acknowledge that. They look at all the kids as "our" kids, but still acknowledge that they are Kody and Meri's, or Cody and Janelle's, etc. The Dargers, in the show and on their website (yeah, I went snooping today) do not say who belongs to who. At all. The only mention like that is when (Alina, I think) mentioned that two of her daughters are married. But then again the way they've described everything they could be anyone's kids.... and some of the kids are just Joe's stepkids, but that's not how they're presented.

3 - I was surprised a couple of the Darger kids vocalized that a plyg lifestyle is not for them. I somehow see Joe being an "it's my way or no way" kind of guy....

4 - no way I could be married to either of them. They wouldn't make it past the first date.....

[Buzzard]

Married two of them on the same day, then married a twin sister 10 years later? That just rubs me as seriously nasty. Overall, it does seem that they are more functional than the browns... please tell me this isn't a "feeler" for a new spinoff like the Bates show!

The house thing really pisses me off. I've never liked Robyn, everything about her strikes me as shady. Its one thing to 'accept' the debt in a divorce, especially because there has been some hints that the relationship may have been abusive. Its a WHOLE other ball of wax to leave that debt as a seeming secret when you marry into the family, AND bring another baby into the world knowing its over your head. The browns just seem to roll with life with no clear path towards anything.

Four houses is asinine. The cost of them is one thing, but the maintenance is another. Four houses means 4 tax bills, 4 power accounts, phone accounts, internet... everything is multiplied. They whine for episodes that the "family" isn't together, living next door isn't going to change that. They need a large house with 4 masters, a man cave for cody, and a duggar size kitchen/dining room. Maybe they should talk to Kodiak steel about designing something...

[GiggleOfGirls]

The more I think about it, the more it would make sense for Meri and Robyn to SHARE the 6 bedroom house. Then Meri could have her wet bar, Robyn could have a live-in sister wife to help with her small children and all the babies she's going to be having, and the family could save a buttload of money.

I think they're all better off if they don't get the houses anyhow though. Less debt, possibility of moving to another combined living situation, etc.

[GiggleOfGirls]

Four houses is asinine. The cost of them is one thing, but the maintenance is another. Four houses means 4 tax bills, 4 power accounts, phone accounts, internet... everything is multiplied. They whine for episodes that the "family" isn't together, living next door isn't going to change that. They need a large house with 4 masters, a man cave for cody, and a duggar size kitchen/dining room. Maybe they should talk to Kodiak steel about designing something...

Amen! :clap:

[SquirrelySquirrel]

I can't be the only one dying to know which Darger bride got the wedding night, right? Or did he have both on the same night? I almost think marrying 2 women on the same day is creepier than marrying identical twins. And word is the other wife is the twins' cousin.

I feel dirty.

[mkitten]

I can't be the only one dying to know which Darger bride got the wedding night, right? Or did he have both on the same night? I almost think marrying 2 women on the same day is creepier than marrying identical twins. And word is the other wife is the twins' cousin.

I feel dirty.

You're not alone....

[famof4]

You're not alone....

One said she is the first wife and the other said she is the second wife on the last Sister Wives. If he married them both on the same day, how did they decided who was first wife and who was second wife? Also which one is the legal wife and how did they decide that?

[Morton Fan]

You're not alone....

Ugh, I creepily thought the same thing. Why do I care? Yet somehow, I'd love to know how the decision came to pass ... flipping a coin? Did they decide beforehand? Did he spend the entire first NIGHT with one wife, or just the first ... consummation? I find it a creepy marriage for necessitating these kind of decisions!

[Morton Fan]

the different families in different houses that just share the father is the traditional Mormon polygamy, historically. Very few had the compound houses.

This isn't necessarily true. There is many a compound house to be found in the Salt Lake city area (some empty now since so many polygamists have moved out of Utah). There are several walled "compounds" near where I grew up that include many homes, each with multiple wings and kitchens. They are extremely hard to resell, as you can imagine.

And in Colorado City, there are NUMEROUS compound homes - it helps that the FLDS are very involved in the construction industry and they can make their own!

[Deleted06]

Ugh, I creepily thought the same thing. Why do I care? Yet somehow, I'd love to know how the decision came to pass ... flipping a coin? Did they decide beforehand? Did he spend the entire first NIGHT with one wife, or just the first ... consummation? I find it a creepy marriage for necessitating these kind of decisions!

I will forever think of Joe as "Filthy McNasty."

[Stacie]

I can't be the only one dying to know which Darger bride got the wedding night, right? Or did he have both on the same night? I almost think marrying 2 women on the same day is creepier than marrying identical twins. And word is the other wife is the twins' cousin.

I feel dirty.

Yeah...I was thinking the same thing. Ro Sham Bo for first dibs at the new hubby? I think it's gross enough to know your guy was with another woman the night before, but on the same night? Ick factor...

[Stacie]

This isn't necessarily true. There is many a compound house to be found in the Salt Lake city area (some empty now since so many polygamists have moved out of Utah). There are several walled "compounds" near where I grew up that include many homes, each with multiple wings and kitchens. They are extremely hard to resell, as you can imagine.

And in Colorado City, there are NUMEROUS compound homes - it helps that the FLDS are very involved in the construction industry and they can make their own!

There's a "compound" in Livermore that we've joked for years is a polygamous compound....big wall around it, gate entering it, big house with two smaller houses behind it.

[Stacie]

The more I think about it, the more it would make sense for Meri and Robyn to SHARE the 6 bedroom house. Then Meri could have her wet bar, Robyn could have a live-in sister wife to help with her small children and all the babies she's going to be having, and the family could save a buttload of money.

I think they're all better off if they don't get the houses anyhow though. Less debt, possibility of moving to another combined living situation, etc.

That would not fly. Meri is too independant...she likes having her space. And while she may love all those kids and will help out, I don't think she wants to go back to "having" to take care of anyone's but her own unless it's on her terms. And I can't blame her.

[GiggleOfGirls]

That would not fly. Meri is too independant...she likes having her space. And while she may love all those kids and will help out, I don't think she wants to go back to "having" to take care of anyone's but her own unless it's on her terms. And I can't blame her.

I can't blame her for not wanting to do something like that either (goodness knows I wouldn't want to!) but practically speaking, it would make more sense.

[takers401]

One said she is the first wife and the other said she is the second wife on the last Sister Wives. If he married them both on the same day, how did they decided who was first wife and who was second wife? Also which one is the legal wife and how did they decide that?

In their book Love Times Three they mention that age means something in their Independent Fundamentalist Mormon faith (age implies wisdom) and since Alina was older than Vickie she (Alina) got to be the first wife. It doesn't mention who got the wedding night, but I would assume Alina? They had their faith ceremony first and then a few weeks later Alina and Joe had a civil ceremony.

[famof4]

In their book Love Times Three they mention that age means something in their Independent Fundamentalist Mormon faith (age implies wisdom) and since Alina was older than Vickie she (Alina) got to be the first wife. It doesn't mention who got the wedding night, but I would assume Alina? They had their faith ceremony first and then a few weeks later Alina and Joe had a civil ceremony.

Interesting. Thank you

[Witsec7]

So let me guess, the Browns and the Dargers think polygamy is ok but don't support marriage equality for same sex couples? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Rosa]

Colorado City has the compounds because it was founded (as Short Creek) with a communal ownership structure and out of the way of law enforcement, to have those unified family structures.

But 19th century Mormon polygamy was almost always woman-headed households that men visited occasionally, and that was the pattern that most of the splinter groups (Kingston Clan, the LeBaron settlements most of the time) continued up through into the 1960s and '70s. There were exceptions - Brigham Young's household was so big, it was a tourist attraction (though he also had wives who lived separately, in different towns) and men with 2 or 3 wives would sometimes be able to all live together under one roof in the 19th century all-Mormon towns. But a woman and her children living nearly on their own was the more common settlement pattern in the beginning. 19th century news articles in the rest of the US fluctuated between comparing Mormon sister wives to Muslim women in harems, and feeling sorry for the pioneer women with no man on the farm to do the heavy work.

[Beeks]

So let me guess, the Browns and the Dargers think polygamy is ok but don't support marriage equality for same sex couples? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I may be mis-remembering but I thought the Browns were pro marriage equality (at least in the sense that they thought it should be legal, they might still think it's immoral).

[SisiL78]

So let me guess, the Browns and the Dargers think polygamy is ok but don't support marriage equality for same sex couples? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I'm not sure if it was for good PR or not, but during a previous season they hosted a dinner party with some gay men that (I think) Janelle worked with. They talked as if they were supportive of marriage rights for all sorts of types of marriages, include same-sex.

Now, I take anything I see anything on tv (especially TLC) with a grain of salt. Then again, I do give them credit for acknowledging that they aren't the only ones who should get marriage rights.

Personally I think that they are rather dysfunctional, but they also are the most realistic of the TLC reality families. Their kids are pretty normal and they show more care for their kids futures than others. They also haven't shown any judgement of people who don't follow their beliefs. They might be whiny, unrealistic, and rather irritating, but they also aren't as hateful and arrogant as the Duggars and Bates and Roloffs are.

[Witsec7]

I'm not sure if it was for good PR or not, but during a previous season they hosted a dinner party with some gay men that (I think) Janelle worked with. They talked as if they were supportive of marriage rights for all sorts of types of marriages, include same-sex.

Now, I take anything I see anything on tv (especially TLC) with a grain of salt. Then again, I do give them credit for acknowledging that they aren't the only ones who should get marriage rights.

Personally I think that they are rather dysfunctional, but they also are the most realistic of the TLC reality families. Their kids are pretty normal and they show more care for their kids futures than others. They also haven't shown any judgement of people who don't follow their beliefs. They might be whiny, unrealistic, and rather irritating, but they also aren't as hateful and arrogant as the Duggars and Bates and Roloffs are.

Well that is an upside to the Browns.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

Well that is an upside to the Browns.

The Browns support marriage equality and when I watched the Lisa Ling special on polygamy in Utah, the two communities (gay and pligs) were actually working together to change the laws to get the government out of their personal lives. It was really interesting.

[precious_one]

The Browns support marriage equality and when I watched the Lisa Ling special on polygamy in Utah, the two communities (gay and pligs) were actually working together to change the laws to get the government out of their personal lives. It was really interesting.

I watched that documentary with Lisa Ling and found it to be really interesting.

I just watched another documentary about a former polygamous family from the Warren Jeff's compound. It was about a young man that was kicked of the compound and his mother and sisters fled in the middle of the night. The mother said she would go back if her husband asked her to but the kids acted like they didn't want too. The kids were doing well in school and adapting really well to their new world.

[snarkbillie]

They also haven't shown any judgement of people who don't follow their beliefs. They might be whiny, unrealistic, and rather irritating, but they also aren't as hateful and arrogant as the Duggars and Bates and Roloffs are.

Except for Christine's repeatedly referring to those outside of the faith as "wolves". I.E. "The kids can't have a social life, because that's feeding them to the wolves." OR "They can't go to that church because it's full of wolves!"