Sisterwives Part 2 - Things Get Complicated

[Mum2theRoyalFlush]

QFT.  Meri has to be a victim of a nefarious online group/person out to destroy the entire family. The "happy family" narrative falls apart otherwise (though any astute viewer would have noticed that the "happy" part seems more than questionable).

It saddened me to see them returning to Christine's anniversary trip with Douchebag, and commenting about taking their therapist with them.  Kadouche is such a self-centered tool.  He's blaming his shittiness on Christine acknowledging jealousy -- that is more than common in their religious community.  But he needs an excuse to hold her away.  I suspect he also favors the wives who produce sons, just as he favors his sons.  Janelle is a money-maker AND a son-producer; Christine has one son and preferred staying at home.  Shitty McShitterson cannot seem to fathom how to value "women's work" (or women), so again, no respect for her contributions nor appreciation for what she does for the family.

Brianna broke my heart by proving she is unquestionably Sobyn's daughter.  Damn.  Either the tears or her family's position of power within the larger family has destroyed any sympathy from her peers, though.  They looked completely over the tears.  But I could also understand some resentment towards her and her siblings, as Kadouche is clearly favoring them over the others.

Kadouche looked like the spluttering idiot he is:  Completely failed to see anything wrong, still cannot accept that he might have had some responsibility for neglecting and ignoring his wives, totally focused on trying to make people see the shiny wonderfulness of his polygamous family, fails to understand that others have eyes and brains & can see and interpret for themselves.  

Mariah's turn away from polygamy was what stood out most to me.  I was so happy to hear that. Not only has she been at school (one which is open to polygamists -- remember the school tour), but she's been watching all this happen to her family and her mother.  Meri had such a privileged position for years; it must have made polygamy as the first wife quite palatable.  Seeing her mother thrown over for the new model and the ensuing depression, loneliness, vulnerability, and exploitation, though, must have really helped change her mind.  I wonder how much she pokes around online.  Poor kid, but I'm glad she's reconsidering polygamy.  

OK, I have to say something about Mariah's school. It is one of the most elite private universities in Utah, and it is NOT pro-polygamy. It's just pricey. Having toured it as an almost student, toured it again as an almost-teacher, and having taking post-graduate courses there, this is not a pro-polygamy school. It sits right in the top of Salt Lake (think about where the money is), and it's full of free-thinkers and people who can afford to go (because when I applied, there weren't tons of scholarships available, and I think that was also true for Mariah). It would be full of people anti-polygamy (people who think, people who are "open-minded"--and let's face it, polygamy is a closed-system. When Maddy found Caleb, it was inside that family unit). Just clarifying that the "campus tour" they took was SO LAME. Like much of what we see on the show.

This is on a separate subject:

When I was catfished, there were other people involved. What I mean is that other people KNEW what was happening to me, and they LIED to me about what the catfisher was doing. I flat out asked them things, and they lied to me. Repeatedly. So while I believe Jackie O is involved, who's to say her friend Stacy isn't involved, too?? It really can be more than just one person, and that makes the situation way, way worse. You have real people you know and trust (who have different faces and voices) and they all back up the catfish. It can be more than just a tiny mind-fuck. It's full-fledged ret-conning all those things you are sure are WRONG. And there are lots of tiny, little things that don't add up... but you have people telling you, "no, it's like this." or "Oh, they said this to me." I know Jackie is the problem. I just don't know if she's ALL the problem or if she has satellites who also inhabit her solar system who "help" her. I wish I knew WHY the people who helped catfish me did so. There was NOTHING in it for them. There was no reason for it to have happened at all!! It still makes me bat-shit crazy.

[apandaaries]

OK, I have to say something about Mariah's school. It is one of the most elite private universities in Utah, and it is NOT pro-polygamy. It's just pricey. Having toured it as an almost student, toured it again as an almost-teacher, and having taking post-graduate courses there, this is not a pro-polygamy school. It sits right in the top of Salt Lake (think about where the money is), and it's full of free-thinkers and people who can afford to go (because when I applied, there weren't tons of scholarships available, and I think that was also true for Mariah). It would be full of people anti-polygamy (people who think, people who are "open-minded"--and let's face it, polygamy is a closed-system. When Maddy found Caleb, it was inside that family unit). Just clarifying that the "campus tour" they took was SO LAME. Like much of what we see on the show.

Yes, I should have clarified.  It was/is clearly not a polygamist training ground, but unlike the Mormon church, they're not turning people away for their parents' affiliation with polygamy.  Kodouche's awkward and loud discussion of that with the tour guide made it clear that that wasn't something that the school was especially concerned about (I imagine that like many schools, they were more concerned with the ability to pay for the schooling).  I don't doubt that Mariah's time away from home amongst other students really challenged her beliefs, as did the internet explosion about her mother and a catfish.  

It remains interesting that she got to go to the expensive school while many of the others found their way to less expensive ones.  She was really wanting to return to Utah and (it seemed) some ideal version of happy polygamist families ( & maybe getting that Mrs. on her way to the Dr. title she claims to be after--driving the ISB here).  Instead she got a freshman year with family secrets spread online and her mother's internet infamy. That would have to suck and really challenge her beliefs.  Honestly, I don't know how any of those kids don't resent and challenge Kody more openly.  I would be so angered to see my family depicted on-screen as they have been, and to see how adding another wife and more kids disrupted their own formerly stable family.  

[MakeItSo]

I just read through the comments on "Sam"'s latest blog post and lots of leghumpers/buttkissers there saying how they believe "him" and they keep asking if "he"'ll post more pictures and "he" keeps saying yes. So that should be interesting...probably scraping $$ together to pay someone who is skilled with photoshop right about now  

[Arrowoftruth]

Somebody mentioned recently that Robyn's sister was staying with them, but I think that was speculation. I know that Taralyce has stayed with them in the past -- I think when they were in the separate Vegas houses. It's possible that it's some kind of nanny -- didn't Robyn make a big deal out of needing to hire someone to help if she was running the 'business' and pregnant?

i haven't watched in like a season and a half but when did they move out of the Vegas homes?! After all that racket about to get funding for them? Where do they live now?

[Mum2theRoyalFlush]

Yes, I should have clarified.  It was/is clearly not a polygamist training ground, but unlike the Mormon church, they're not turning people away for their parents' affiliation with polygamy.  Kodouche's awkward and loud discussion of that with the tour guide made it clear that that wasn't something that the school was especially concerned about (I imagine that like many schools, they were more concerned with the ability to pay for the schooling).  I don't doubt that Mariah's time away from home amongst other students really challenged her beliefs, as did the internet explosion about her mother and a catfish.  

It remains interesting that she got to go to the expensive school while many of the others found their way to less expensive ones.  She was really wanting to return to Utah and (it seemed) some ideal version of happy polygamist families ( & maybe getting that Mrs. on her way to the Dr. title she claims to be after--driving the ISB here).  Instead she got a freshman year with family secrets spread online and her mother's internet infamy. That would have to suck and really challenge her beliefs.  Honestly, I don't know how any of those kids don't resent and challenge Kody more openly.  I would be so angered to see my family depicted on-screen as they have been, and to see how adding another wife and more kids disrupted their own formerly stable family.  

It is a good school to start in if she wants to be a doctor... But really, I don't know why she didn't start at the University of Utah which has MANY really great pre-med programs. It's got a world-renown cancer center, and there are so many good programs for medicine there. Perhaps she thought that Westminster would look great on her application to that med school--because the next closest good med school? UNLV. Soooo....

[withaj]

i haven't watched in like a season and a half but when did they move out of the Vegas homes?! After all that racket about to get funding for them? Where do they live now?

Sorry, I meant the separate Vegas rental houses -- the ones that weren't next to each other.

It is a good school to start in if she wants to be a doctor... But really, I don't know why she didn't start at the University of Utah which has MANY really great pre-med programs. It's got a world-renown cancer center, and there are so many good programs for medicine there. Perhaps she thought that Westminster would look great on her application to that med school--because the next closest good med school? UNLV. Soooo....

Last I recall, she decided she wanted to be a PA so that's the track she's on. She was worried med school would get in the way of a family life and PAs are in demand. I think that's what Logan's doing, too.

[SilverBeach]

Update - Truely and Solomon just came on set.  And Shitty didn't seem to acknowledge Truely, only had eyes for Solomon.  Uck.

Not being unkind here -- but I really hope and pray that the adults pay attention to the fact that adorable Truely is in serious need of speech therapy!

 

I majored in speech pathology as an undergraduate, and I notice this every time that poor child speaks. Services are provided at no cost. Early intervention is critical. I hope she is in therapy and they just don't talk about it. To not get Truely the help she needs would be downright neglectful.

[Fascinated]

Viewing those photos again gave me a weird vibe. I hope the catfish is not an obsessed fan but, if I were Meri, I'd actually be very comforted that this sordid business is out in the public domain.  I would feel much safer. 

[SilverBeach]

Kdouche is in total denial that Meri had a full blown emotional affair, which is just as much an affair as if sex were involved. He is also in total denial that the emotional affair was fulfilling to Meri because the family wasn't. Instead, Meri had to be duped into this online foolishness. What willful blindness.

[Mum2theRoyalFlush]

OMG. I went down the rabbit hole and *read the comments* at the end of the last 2 blog posts on "he who is not a superhero's" blog. WTF.

Does she write ALL the sockpuppets' comments??

And then there are the Twitter comments. People who don't think that Meri "revealed" enough. Um, if she has a legal case against him/her/They, she CAN'T. I got a TRO against my catfish, and I wasn't allowed to say *anything* about the person if I wanted to go forward with litigation because of slander. Luckily, there was no blogging in 1990, because libel applies when it is written. Here's why Sam can say what "he" wants: he has voice mail. Meri left it. She knew she was being taped, that means her tape is legal. Now, there may be parts of the story that then become she said/she said because "Sam" is not who Meri thought he was. That's another issue all-together.

Here's the BIG thing: Meri probably can't prove that Sam "hurt" her financially. The well-spring of publicity hasn't hurt the show AT ALL. So, Meri can't probably prove certain legal items. However, she probably has a really good case for stalking and other items that she can. not. discuss. if she is taking them to trial. One never tips the hand one has until one MUST during the trial.  My guess, she's going to go for emotional damage, and that's what we saw her discuss last night. Her friend the Vegan in Vegas has said they have MONTHS of evidence. So, I think we'll see more to this as Meri decides how far she's going to take it.

I got a TRO, moved to a new city, changed my number, and none of my friends knew it. They had to leave a message at my parent's house and I would call them back. For a YEAR. I also felt threatened. I would find notes on my car, threats about my friends and family. It's all about control. So, I honestly think the only case Meri can go forward with would be emotional abuse---and Jackie has no money. What is Meri going to sue FOR? What will happen is even if Meri wins, she'll end up paying all the legal fees. When it came down to that FOR ME, I walked away. There wasn't anything I could get, and what I wanted was to GET AWAY.

Obviously, my own personal opinion is coloring this picture, but I think my POV is valid having survived such an event.

I need to add that the girl before me ALSO couldn't tell me anything or it violated her terms. She had a TRO and had settled. Because she had a non-disclosure, she couldn't SAY anything. She felt just awful about it when we finally both had our TRO's and lunch. I looked her up while I was in "hiding."

[Skellington]

I was reading the comments in "My Response to the Tell All" post. One of the puppets' names, CGW, hyperlinks to Gravatar. "Gravatar allows you to manage all of your online identities in one place on the web." 

I guess that's how she manages them all. 

 

[MakeItSo]

I was reading the comments in "My Response to the Tell All" post. One of the puppets' names, CGW, hyperlinks to Gravatar. "Gravatar allows you to manage all of your online identities in one place on the web." 

I guess that's how she manages them all. 

 

nice find there, Skellington!

[Georgiana]

 

I was reading the comments in "My Response to the Tell All" post. One of the puppets' names, CGW, hyperlinks to Gravatar. "Gravatar allows you to manage all of your online identities in one place on the web." 

I guess that's how she manages them all. 

 

Actually, I think it's the opposite.  Gravatar is a service that syncs up all your online presences.  So if I wanted to keep my facebook, instagram, linked in, twitter, etc. the same and up to date, this would be a service that allows me to make an update in a central location and then pushing that update out to each profile, rather than having me have to update each one individually.

She doesn't want them touching too much.  

[TXGirlInAMaterialWorld]

I found it very interesting that now all the older kids say they do not plan to have a polygamous marriage.  Wonder how Kody and the Sister Wives feel about that?  I don't think Janelle would really care, she seems to have kind of haphazardly stumbled upon the lifestyle during her first marriage (to Meri's brother).    

[Pretzel]

I found it very interesting that now all the older kids say they do not plan to have a polygamous marriage.  Wonder how Kody and the Sister Wives feel about that?  I don't think Janelle would really care, she seems to have kind of haphazardly stumbled upon the lifestyle during her first marriage (to Meri's brother).    

I don't think any of the parents is too pushy about it. They believe in the "calling", but if none of their offspring was to get the calling, then so be it. I just can't see them imposing their life style on their kids. I have no doubt they'd appreciate it if one of the kids embraced the lifestyle, but deep inside, I guess, everyone knows how messed up their polygamous relationship is and how hurtful it can be. I assume that the older kids have all made up their mind about it because they saw how much it hurt their mothers, and how hard it it is on their father to satisfy the needs of 4 wives and all his children at the same time. 

Can any of you imagine Alyssa Bates (e.g.) stating on BUB "Nah, I don't want as many kids myself, I think XX (1,2,3...) is definitely enough!"?

I definitely can't, because the expectations to live their parents' lifestyle is just there for many fundie kids. Gil and Kelly Bates (and all the other Gothard-sheeple, and Maxhellians etc.) don't believe in raising independent, open-minded kids.

The Browns, on the other hand, seem to be proud of having brought up self-confident individuals, and I don't think they'd be willing to mess with their kids' life decisions. The Brown kids are all siblings. A few seasons ago, Aspyn and Mykelti weren't really sure about polygamy and didn't rule out the possibility of living plural marriage. Today they're all saying NO to it. It could have made up Mariah's mind, too, seeing how her sisters have changed their attitude. Or it could have just been that she saw her mother so deeply hurt from PM, that she reevaluted her thoughts. It could have been that she's fallen in love with someone, for the first time felt real jealousy and realized how hurting it could be, or whatever. 

We don't know what it was. I'm just glad that these (special brand fundy) kids are allowed and raised to make up their minds and change their opinions as they see fit. Mariah was a little embarrassed to admit she doesn't really consider PM anymore, but kudos to her for giving an honest answer. 

[Pretzel]

Btw, it is Aurora who has the Sobyn gene. Breanna is the quiet one who barely speaks a word and is barely noticed because of King Sol and Sobby Rory, Sobyn's older daughter. 

[Queen Of Hearts]

I was thinking about the BatDouche last night and the most recent pictures she posted.  My first thought was that they were photoshopped.  But then I came up with another theory.  Apparently Jackie has a long history of catfishing people and then using their pictures, identities, stories, etc. for future catfishing.  It's possible that she has catfished some guy with a beard in the past and video recorded any video chatting she has done.  Then all she would have to do is mute it, point a camera to a screen and talk using her creepy man voice and Meri might have been tricked into thinking it is really him.  If the video connection was at all laggy it would be easy to explain why the lip movements didn't really match up with the words.  Maybe I am giving BatDork too much credit here, but it wouldn't surprise me if she did something like this to con her victims into believing "he" existed.

Questions like this is why I am really angered and disappointed at Meri for lying and spinning things during the Tell Nothing on Sunday.  She had a chance to expose how catfish operate, perhaps saving thousands of people in the future from falling victim to similar crimes.  Instead, she spins to the point I'm shocked she didn't fall down from dizziness!

[sawasdee]

Well, definitely two different guys! But am I the only person who sees a strong resemblance in the lower, half face one to David Giuntoli, of Grimm?

[Eternalbluepearl]

I remember in the first season of the show, Meri and Kody go to a fancy restaurant for their anniversary. Meri is discussing her jealousy of Robyn and tries to explain it to Kody by saying imagine if I had another husband. Kody is repulsed by the idea and says the thought of her with another guy sickens him. He can't even talk about it. Now, 5 years later, Meri would be leaving Kody if Sam were real and Kody basically acts like...So what? What a different relationship they have now. 

[Queen Of Hearts]

Well, definitely two different guys! But am I the only person who sees a strong resemblance in the lower, half face one to David Giuntoli, of Grimm?

I don't know who that is, but a lot of people have speculated that half face guy is actually a Photoshopped combination of 2 or 3 guys, so it is possible.

All About The Tea has a good article today about the timing of the filming of the Tell Nothing vs. when the worst of the catfish files were published.  It seems that the worst of things wasn't exposed until after the show filmed.  Meri's lying makes a little more sense - she likely thought she could get away with it.  She's not very bright, and likely thought it could all be covered up.   http://www.allaboutthetea.com/2015/11/24/sister-wives-tell-all-timing-and-shady-discrepancies-pollute-meri-browns-catfish-truth/

[eightykatie]

I've been giving it some thought. After Meri, Kody remarried twice. Neither of these upset Meri's status as special or most-loved wife. I wonder if that's why she was OK with Robyn at first. 

Then after Kody marries Robyn, Meri finds herself down the pecking order. That was not her plan!

I also wonder if she was much more connected to the family when they lived in Utah. It seemed like they often used her living room for family get-togethers. So they were all in and out during the day. Now in NV, I don't think they'd be much reason for anyone to hang out at her house. Christine and Janelle now have their own space that fit them and their kids. Add to that Mariah leaving - and you have a very isolated Meri. Ripe pickings for an amazing man who seems made of fairy tales and stardust. And instead was a giant wart-filled toad!

[Georgiana]

The Sobbing Sorceress and the Clever Queen

by Gee

Once upon a time there was a beautiful queen who fell in love with an immature prince.  The queen married the prince, and everything was as it should be.

But one day, the prince got into his head that because he had married a queen, he was now a King!  In fact, the Prince thought, he had ALWAYS been a king...a SPIRITUAL King...he just didn't know it until that moment!!

Flipping back his long hair, he went to the Queen his wife and told her that because he was a King now, he ought to have MORE than just the Queen.  He ought to have MORE wives!

Besotted with him as she was, the Queen agreed.  But the Queen was clever.  She made the Prince agree that SHE could choose the women he would marry.  Once he agreed, the Queen chose women that she KNEW the Prince would not find as beautiful as her (for the new women were rounder, and the Prince liked thin women).  She used her powers as queen to bully the new women into submission.

And for a time, all was well for the Queen and the Prince.  The Prince had his wives and many children, and the Queen had her Prince, of whom she was the favored and most beautiful wife. And they lived happily.

But it was not ever after.  For with time, the Queen's beauty began to fade and the Prince began to want a new, younger, prettier wife.  The Queen, still rather beautiful and sure of herself, decided to pick a wife as she had before.  But this time, the prince would not have a rounder woman.  He wanted someone he found to be beautiful.

But the Queen was clever here too.  She chose a beautiful woman, more beautiful than ANY of the wives including herself....but one who had a soiled past.  The Queen thought that the soiled past of the beautiful woman would prevent the Prince from ever respecting or loving her.  

But this woman was not a woman, but a sorceress.  And the sorceress bewitched her tears so that every time they fell, they were like a love potion that caused the Prince to fall more and more in love with her, forgetting all others.   With every imagined slight, and even sometimes when the situation wasn't even about her, the sorceress would cry.  She would cry and cry and cry, and with every tear, the Prince fell more in love until he forgot all about the Queen and his other wives.

The other wives, long used to neglect by the Prince and mean treatment from the Queen, did not see the addition of the sorceress as a disruption.  Their lives continued much as they ever had.  At first, the Queen appealed to them for warmth and friendship, but after years of living under this same Queen's cruel yoke and suffering many insults at her hand, the wives responded coldly.  

Lonely and deserted, the Queen wandered her gardens.  One day, she heard a man's voice whispering to her.  The voice said such sweet things, made such declarations of love, that the Queen was soon in love with the voice.  The voice begged the Queen to run away from the Prince and marry him!  And so the Queen agreed!  But before she did, she pulled back the curtain of vines the Voice hid behind to see....only a catfish in the mud.  Utterly broken, the Queen cried and cried and eventually her tears made a pond for the catfish to live in.  

THE END

[VelociRapture]

The Sobbing Sorceress and the Clever Queen

by Gee

Once upon a time there was a beautiful queen who fell in love with an immature prince.  The queen married the prince, and everything was as it should be.

But one day, the prince got into his head that because he had married a queen, he was now a King!  In fact, the Prince thought, he had ALWAYS been a king...a SPIRITUAL King...he just didn't know it until that moment!!

Flipping back his long hair, he went to the Queen his wife and told her that because he was a King now, he ought to have MORE than just the Queen.  He ought to have MORE wives!

Besotted with him as she was, the Queen agreed.  But the Queen was clever.  She made the Prince agree that SHE could choose the women he would marry.  Once he agreed, the Queen chose women that she KNEW the Prince would not find as beautiful as her (for the new women were rounder, and the Prince liked thin women).  She used her powers as queen to bully the new women into submission.

And for a time, all was well for the Queen and the Prince.  The Prince had his wives and many children, and the Queen had her Prince, of whom she was the favored and most beautiful wife. And they lived happily.

But it was not ever after.  For with time, the Queen's beauty began to fade and the Prince began to want a new, younger, prettier wife.  The Queen, still rather beautiful and sure of herself, decided to pick a wife as she had before.  But this time, the prince would not have a rounder woman.  He wanted someone he found to be beautiful.

But the Queen was clever here too.  She chose a beautiful woman, more beautiful than ANY of the wives including herself....but one who had a soiled past.  The Queen thought that the soiled past of the beautiful woman would prevent the Prince from ever respecting or loving her.  

But the woman was not a woman, but a sorceress.  And so the sorceress bewitched her tears so that every time they fell, they were like a love potion that caused the Prince to fall more and more in love with her, forgetting all others.   With every imagined slight, and even sometimes when the situation wasn't even about her, the sorceress would cry.  She would cry and cry and cry, and with every tear, the Prince fell more in love until he forgot all about the Queen.

Lonely and deserted, the Queen wandered her gardens.  One day, she heard a man's voice whispering to her.  The voice said such sweet things, made such declarations of love, that the Queen was soon in love with the voice.  The voice begged the Queen to run away from the Prince and marry him!  And so the Queen agreed!  But before she did, she pulled back the curtain of vines the Voice hid behind to see....only a catfish in the mud.  Utterly broken, the Queen cried and cried and eventually made a pond for the catfish to live in.  

THE END

Is saying, "Still a better love story than Twilight," appropriate here?

In related news, that was phenomenal. Well done madam, well done indeed!

[Firiel]

@Georgiana Please turn that into a serialized story.  I would read every episode. 

[theinvisiblegirl]

I've been giving it some thought. After Meri, Kody remarried twice. Neither of these upset Meri's status as special or most-loved wife. I wonder if that's why she was OK with Robyn at first. 

Then after Kody marries Robyn, Meri finds herself down the pecking order. That was not her plan!

I also wonder if she was much more connected to the family when they lived in Utah. It seemed like they often used her living room for family get-togethers. So they were all in and out during the day. Now in NV, I don't think they'd be much reason for anyone to hang out at her house. Christine and Janelle now have their own space that fit them and their kids. Add to that Mariah leaving - and you have a very isolated Meri. Ripe pickings for an amazing man who seems made of fairy tales and stardust. And instead was a giant wart-filled toad!

I think this probably had something to do with it.