New TLC Special, "My Five Wives"

[Trynn]

Please, no. They would exploit every conceivable stereotype applied to gays. There is no 'upside' in such an event.

Also, it might make gay people seem more strange... After all, only different/strange people get shows made about them; the browns, the Duggars, the roloffs, etc. we watch these shows because these people are not what society thinks of as normal.

If the goal is to normalize being a homosexual, making them the center of a reality show is probably only going to have the opposite effect.

I might not be explaining that clearly... Not always good at words.

[snarkykitty]

I wonder how them outting themselves will effect their jobs. Part of me feel that what happen with the browns.

I think that losing their jobs could have been more about the publicity or the risk of bad publicity versus the that fact that they are polygamists. I think that any organization - private, public, non-profit or not-for-profit - might feel wary about one of their employees bringing unwanted attention.

[Earthshine]

I think that losing their jobs could have been more about the publicity or the risk of bad publicity versus the that fact that they are polygamists. I think that any organization - private, public, non-profit or not-for-profit - might feel wary about one of their employees bringing unwanted attention.

Brady owns a business with his brother who didn't seem too into religion. I wonder if the show will have an effect on how much business they get.

[Stacie]

Did anyone else think that was a creepy intro? Brady opening his eyes to each wife in bed?

The ratings were 1.483. TLC signed then because they agreed to show more about themselves, sex lives, fights etc. The Dargers, of my 3 wives, declined TLC's offer so we get the Williams (or I like to call them the 6 Brady's, since they do have 5 boys and a dad named Brady!).

The show has 8 episode run and without the kids, the adults are dull.

The Darger dad really creeped me out. Something about him just isn't right...

[Coconut Flan]

The Dargers were way too regimented for my taste. No way his wives were going to be allowed to put on any excess weight or he'd have them running it off.

[Rachel333]

The title is misleading. Legally in America you can only have one spouse. If this is acceptable then why can't gay marriage be acceptable? Tlc should do a show about gay parents/families

I'm waiting for the show with two lesbians with Michelle Duggar-esque fertility. They could have 40 kids, more if there were multiples. Or, ooh, polygamous lesbians all having as many babies as possible.

[ricky_ticky]

or clips even? I can't find anything & we don't have cable so I missed the entire thing:(

I bought it for 2.99 on i-tunes.

[ILoveJellybeans]

I'm waiting for the show with two lesbians with Michelle Duggar-esque fertility. They could have 40 kids, more if there were multiples. Or, ooh, polygamous lesbians all having as many babies as possible.

Someone should make this possible!

[nelliebelle1197]

Hey guys-

I don't think they have left fundamentalist Mormonism. I think they have left their branch of it.They have been praying on the show and Brady's brother made a comment that led me to believe Brady was still a good Mormon.

[Coconut Flan]

I think they are on the path of making up their own hodge podge faith. They left the AUB or Brady was invited out from his leadership position for being a control freak. He's studying philosophy and they are flirting with Buddhism. It sounds like a Brady pick and choose.

[Becket70]

Does this guy say what he intends to do with his degree in Philosophy?

[Earthshine]

An interesting article about the Williams family:

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/arc ... ty/284307/

[Handmaiden of Dog]

I watched the pilot last night. To me the biggest WTF moment was when the 4th wife announces she wants to get pregnant again but Brady says finances are tight and he feels a little stretched already trying to give each of his 24 children enough attention. Then the fifth wife tells him she wants to look into adoption. Brady puts on a pretense of impartially announcing this at a family meeting but with the threat of "tens of thousands of dollars" for either a legal adoption or a legal battle to adopt. So of course 4th wife dissolves into tears. It doesn't look like both wives are going to get their wish. I couldn't help but think that if wife number 5 was in a traditional marriage she could get what she wanted-- perhaps adopting a handicapped child even. But to ask her family of 31 people to spend so much money on adopting another child? Sounds a bit nuts.

[yetanothermeg]

So....this week's episode was interesting. They admit that they use birth control, but a couple wives don't want to talk about it because their families of origin don't know. And Brady asks, well what do they think we are doing, abstaining? Most of the wives laugh at that, but then Nonie says, yes, they do and that Brady didn't grow up like them so he doesn't understand. Guess that cat is out of the bag on that one!

This gave me insight into the Browns too. It makes me think that the Browns abstain when a wife doesn't want another baby. So Janelle probably hasn't had sex for years. And interestingly, Christine had a late miscarriage and didn't want any more kids, so the other wives were "surprised" when she wanted to get pregnant with Trulely several years after her last pregnancy. However, her pregnancy coincided with Kody beginning to court Robin. I think Christine suddenly realized she wanted Kody back in the sack as a way to divert him from Robyn. And obviously Meri has been milking the "I want another baby" thing for years.

Also, Paulie, wife #1 on My Five Wives, admitted that she was taught she had to live polygamy in order to go to heaven, but she no longer feels that way and her oldest daughter is in a monogamist marriage. The Browns have never admitted that they have to practice polygamy in order to get to heaven, they always couch it as a "lifestyle choice". Paulie also said she feels special since she was Brady's first wife and his only legal wife and she knows that she "has a special place in Brady's heart".

[skankbiscuit]

That part cracked me up - the "special place in Brady's heart" Yeah, Paulie you were SO very special that he was already dating someone 7 months into your marriage :( He was already married to someone else before you gave birth to your first child.

[Earthshine]

I watched the pilot last night. To me the biggest WTF moment was when the 4th wife announces she wants to get pregnant again but Brady says finances are tight and he feels a little stretched already trying to give each of his 24 children enough attention. Then the fifth wife tells him she wants to look into adoption. Brady puts on a pretense of impartially announcing this at a family meeting but with the threat of "tens of thousands of dollars" for either a legal adoption or a legal battle to adopt. So of course 4th wife dissolves into tears. It doesn't look like both wives are going to get their wish. I couldn't help but think that if wife number 5 was in a traditional marriage she could get what she wanted-- perhaps adopting a handicapped child even. But to ask her family of 31 people to spend so much money on adopting another child? Sounds a bit nuts.

I suspect he just humored the 5th wife about adoption so he didn't have to argue with her about it. Maybe he figure that there is no way any adoption agencies would consider them and he wouldn't have to be the bad guy by telling her no. This is the only way I can wrap my mind around his actions.

[acheronbeach]

I'm waiting for the show with two lesbians with Michelle Duggar-esque fertility. They could have 40 kids, more if there were multiples. Or, ooh, polygamous lesbians all having as many babies as possible.

Forty Kids and Counting?

This would be fucking amazing, especially if it was as stereotype-laden as the Duggars' show. The Duggars are corn-fed aw-shucks clean-livin' Bible beaters.

The "my two wives - lesbian edition" would be two vegan, batik-wearing, incense-burning lesbians who hug their problems out and sing kum ba yah to the acoustic guitar. Probably who live in Seattle and love listening to Indigo Girls.

Cuz TLC is subtle that way.

[DuggarTime]

Seems like it would be difficult for them to get pregnant if they were trying. They only see him once every 5 nights, and you can only get pregnant a few days out of the month... how could you be sure it lined up?

Anyways, I feel bad for them. Seeing your husband every 5 nights is not enough.

[bumblebee]

Well they've all managed to get pregnant at least four times by him so they're all fairly fertile even on a rota and given the ages it seems it was fairly consistent over 20 years. I don't like the set up but no wife was short changed in the baby dept, even if they are lacking in the husband deptarment. I'm really glad no show so far has tried to romanticise 40+ kids with several wives.

[Adrienne83]

Seems like it would be difficult for them to get pregnant if they were trying. They only see him once every 5 nights, and you can only get pregnant a few days out of the month... how could you be sure it lined up?

Anyways, I feel bad for them. Seeing your husband every 5 nights is not enough.

Afternoon delight!!! :D

[Adrienne83]

I suspect he just humored the 5th wife about adoption so he didn't have to argue with her about it. Maybe he figure that there is no way any adoption agencies would consider them and he wouldn't have to be the bad guy by telling her no. This is the only way I can wrap my mind around his actions.

I was thinking the same thing too. He even had this pitiful look on his face when they were talking.

[Toothfairy]

The double standard against women. I want to see a show about a woman with five husbands.

[Chicken bones]

I found this a much more interesting show that SW. The interaction between the wives was much less forced and staged. I also felt bad for the wives who have been shut down on the fertility front; as one said, this is all she wanted since she was 18 - to be a mother. Sure, I agree that would stretch the family even thinner, but I believed the women's pain. The less polished production of the show too made their talking heads feel less like a daytime soap that the ones on SW do.

[Ellimenopy]

I found this a much more interesting show that SW. The interaction between the wives was much less forced and staged. I also felt bad for the wives who have been shut down on the fertility front; as one said, this is all she wanted since she was 18 - to be a mother. Sure, I agree that would stretch the family even thinner, but I believed the women's pain. The less polished production of the show too made their talking heads feel less like a daytime soap that the ones on SW do.

My overall impression of this show is that these are decent people. Whereas the Browns are pretty much all horrible people. Even so, I still see lots of jealousy, and it just doesn't feel healthy. I think all of Brady's families would have been good families if they were separate, but there's still something wrong with all of them together.

[Alachantal]

The double standard against women. I want to see a show about a woman with five husbands.

I would pay good money to watch a show like that.