S05.E14: Anthropologists Move In

[MarysWetBar]

Rewatching and makes perfect sense to me now why bobbyn is so uncomfortable with the anthropologists and their questions about structure of this family.

[jennylauren123]

Robyn:

 

"It's an active wheel that we're tryina put together every Sunday. It's an active wheel."

 

Wha? I did figure it out, but sheesh, woman, what a weird way of speaking. Fill=Feel, too. Gah!

[Mom2twoNonna2-3]

I think Christine meant that each Mom spent $50 on concessions for her family.

[Rhondinella]

Cause you can't just go to a movie to, you know, watch a movie.

 

Seriously, I almost never buy concessions from the movie theater cause I just can't stomach the prices.  If I were taking a group there's no way I'd even consider buying concessions after paying possibly $10 per ticket.

[Kohola3]

Cause you can't just go to a movie to, you know, watch a movie.

 

If you absolutely MUST have a snack, go to Costco and buy power bars or something in bulk.  You can't haul in popcorn and pop but you can stave off starvation in that whole 2 hours by passing around bags of peanuts or fruit bars.

 

But then we wouldn't have the drama of "LOOK AT US!  WE HAVE BAZILLION KIDS!  WE'RE POLYGAMISTS! AND WE PAY A WHOLE BUNCH OF MONEY FOR EMPTY CALORIES!!!"

[GEML]

I grew up in a church where going to the movies was seriously frowned upon, and we didn't have the money for concessions. So I'll admit, I still get a thrill about going to the movies and I ALWAYS buy concessions. If I can't afford it, I'll wait until I can.

So I kind of wonder if the Browns are sort of similar. Do the AUB restrict movies, or only allow certain ones? And I'm betting that most of their lives they've smuggled in their share of concessions on the few movies they did get to go see (I'm sure they rarely went to the movies together before they went public. That would be expensive in a money tight household and a potential red flag.)

But now it's a relatively inexpensive family outing compared to Disneyland or something on the Strip.

[youcantbeserious]

From TheTVDB:

 

 

Cause inviting a camera crew into their homes and lives wasn't enough, apparently.

I can just sniff TLC + $$$ involved in it. Doesn't sound to me like a thing the Browns would even think of.

If these were real students they would just observe and not bring their own experiences and bias into the project. And no family could really be themselves if they were being observed all day.

 

Kody comes across as a calm surfer dude, but he goes from 0 to 90 when he gets mad. He doesn't like to be challenged or embarrassed. I didn't think the fight between the brothers would actually cause security to step in, didn't it happen inside the car? How would the security guy even see it?

He would if he's an actor.

[youcantbeserious]

Same here. He probably didn't like that being said, that they can only afford to go a few times year. Maybe he thought it would make him look cheap and like a bad provider. When, in reality, most of us wish this family would show some more prudence when it comes to their spending. 

Yep. What about movies on cable tv or renting free dvds from the public library? Kids bugging him to take them somewhere? What about the zoo, museums? It can even be a lot of fun to walk around those huge Vegas hotel lobbies.

 

I don't see how they can be doing a real investigation. The cameras are a huge confounding factor.

I'll bet it was a LDS University, probably not worth anything if you go out to the outside world.

Quick thoughts:

How did security arrive at the car before Kody? He is such a useless father.

It looked like Gabriel was about to smile when Kody started his interrogation.

I laughed when he asked Garrison what he always says about the family and Garrison just shrugged like he didn't know.

 

Kody is such a tool.  I don't think his boys respect him at all, especially when he is "disciplining" them.

 

Not sure I can handle an entire episode devoted to Robyn. Ugh.

I don't see how any of them can hold back smacking him in the face/kicking him in his kiester for their own reasons.

[shoovenbooty]

 

I'll bet it was a LDS University, probably not worth anything if you go out to the outside world.

 

Just curious about what you mean by this? My husband graduated from an "LDS University" and he is an executive in the "outside world".

[youcantbeserious]

Just curious about what you mean by this? My husband graduated from an "LDS University" and he is an executive in the "outside world".

It didn't seem to do much good for Kody who is the subject of this discussion.

Edited February 24, 2015 by youcantbeserious

[shoovenbooty]

Thanks for the explanation. I didn't remember that Kody graduated from college (did he?), and if he did, you're right, it didn't do him much good ;)

Edited February 24, 2015 by shoovenbooty

[kassa]

The movie thing was silly.  As a group activity, at any rate, with all those various ages.  I also don't think they do that 4x a year.

 

On the other hand, I could see an adult taking a certain age range of kids to a specific movie 4x/year.  The tweens to one kind of movie with one or two parents, the little ones to a different kind of movie with one or two parents, etc.  Presumably the teens are going with friends.  

 

Might be hard to keep things even, but taking 4 kids at a time would not be ridiculously expensive once a month or so, especially if they went to matinees and snuck in snacks.

[youcantbeserious]

Thanks for the explanation. I didn't remember that Kody graduated from college (did he?), and if he did, you're right, it didn't do him much good ;)

Sorry if I had offended you. That was not my intention. My focus was strictly on Kody. Bearing in mind there are exceptions to most things in life, but it's a safe bet

that any religiously affiliated institution will major in religion. And unless a graduate can successfully branch off into something else, there isn't much of a

lucrative future ahead.

[shoovenbooty]

 

Sorry if I had offended you. That was not my intention. My focus was strictly on Kody. Bearing in mind there are exceptions to most things in life, but it's a safe bet

that any religiously affiliated institution will major in religion. And unless a graduate can successfully branch off into something else, there isn't much of a

lucrative future ahead.

No, you didn't offend me. I'm sorry, it was my fault for wording my original question poorly. I went for the short question instead of clarifying! I didn't understand if you were saying that LDS universities are only attended by LDS people and that the education there isn't legitimate outside of the LDS culture/religion. That was why I pointed out that my husband was educated at an LDS university and holds a job in the outside world (nothing related to the LDS religion, MLM, online jewelry, a reality show, etc.). I realize by asking the short question I may have seemed offended or upset, and if I offended you, I apologize.

 

 

Edited to try and change the format, but it won't let me. Oh, well!

Edited February 24, 2015 by shoovenbooty

[Galloway Cave]

 

 

but it's a safe bet

that any religiously affiliated institution will major in religion. And unless a graduate can successfully branch off into something else, there isn't much of a

lucrative future ahead.

As a non-religious person even I don't quite know what to make of that statement. But to answer the original comment, the anthropology students were from UNLV. 

[youcantbeserious]

As a non-religious person even I don't quite know what to make of that statement. But to answer the original comment, the anthropology students were from UNLV. 

I had never commented on the anthropology students. But I will say you can check online the salaries of pastors, reverands, priests, rabbis, etc.. Unless they're head of those mega chapels on tv ala Oral Roberts or the old PTL Club, these are not high paying fields.

Edited February 24, 2015 by youcantbeserious

[Galloway Cave]

Oh, OK I was just responding to this in one of your posts:

 

 

GIMIPIZZAUOLDTROLL, ON 08 FEB 2015 - 7:16 PM, SAID: I don't see how they can be doing a real investigation. The cameras are a huge confounding factor.  YOUCANTBESERIOUS, ON 24 FEB 2015 - 08:56 AM, SAID: I'll bet it was a LDS University, probably not worth anything if you go out to the outside world.

I guess I'm all kinds of confused now. Sorry. I'll see my self out the door now.....

[MaryMitch]

BYU is a "LDS university" and has many distiguished alums: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Brigham_Young_University_alumni

 

I'm not religious myself, but I would respect the education of any graduate of BYU.

Edited February 24, 2015 by MaryMitch

[Absolom]

 

 

but it's a safe bet

that any religiously affiliated institution will major in religion.

I hope one of us is just confused.  My daughter went to a Catholic university to get her doctorate in law.  No religious studies were required.  Undergrad did not require religious studies except to actually major in religion.  Perhaps you can clarify exactly what you mean.  Thanks.

[Skyblue]

As someone with an anthropology degree, I was not impressed whatsoever. I was really let down by the questions they asked. It felt like they held back A LOT. I guess I shouldn't have expected anymore from the Brown family, they aren't even honest with themselves.

[youcantbeserious]

I hope one of us is just confused.  My daughter went to a Catholic university to get her doctorate in law.  No religious studies were required.  Undergrad did not require religious studies except to actually major in religion.  Perhaps you can clarify exactly what you mean.  Thanks.

I posted to express myself, not to debate or challenge every single person on  the face of this earth whom it may apply to. But you admit yourself that your daughter

was required to major in religion. Othe Universities it is not a requirement. Why are you so defensive.

[Absolom]

I'm beginning to understand. I did not say my daughter was required to major in religion.  I expressly said she was not required to do so.  I am not in the least defensive. I have nothing at stake in this discussion.  I think you are either not understanding what people are writing or are sadly misinformed about how higher education in the US works.  I was trying to figure out if you really meant that all religiously affiliated universities and colleges existed only for religion majors and was trying to let you know that they don't.  

Edited February 25, 2015 by Absolom

[RazzleberryPie]

Sorry if I had offended you. That was not my intention. My focus was strictly on Kody. Bearing in mind there are exceptions to most things in life, but it's a safe bet that any religiously affiliated institution will major in religion. And unless a graduate can successfully branch off into something else, there isn't much of a lucrative future ahead.

Not sure where you're based or where your info comes from, but quite a few colleges/universities in the US and UK are affiliated with churches, and are excellent schools with very few religion/theology majors. Just about every Ivy League university in the US and a lot of prestigious ones (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Notre Dame, Pepperdine, Duke, Rutgers, Loyola, even Baylor and SMU) are associated with a religious background, and have schools/divisions of religion, but the primary focus isn't training clergy. 

 

As for people major in religion with the purpose of becoming clergy, I don't think their intentions are to have an education that leads to a financially lucrative career.

I'll bet it was a LDS University, probably not worth anything if you go out to the outside world.

Not sure if or where Kody went to college, but Brigham Young is LDS affiliated, and a pretty good school. 

[mbutterfly]

Sorry if I had offended you. That was not my intention. My focus was strictly on Kody. Bearing in mind there are exceptions to most things in life, but it's a safe bet

that any religiously affiliated institution will major in religion. And unless a graduate can successfully branch off into something else, there isn't much of a

lucrative future ahead.

I don't think it is true that any religiously affiliated institution will major in religion. Many of the finest universities in this country are affiliated with a religious body. 

[youcantbeserious]

 

As for people major in religion with the purpose of becoming clergy, I don't think their intentions are to have an education that leads to a financially lucrative career.

 

I never said that was their purpose but was referring to what they would major in.

Edited February 25, 2015 by youcantbeserious

[youcantbeserious]

I'm beginning to understand. I did not say my daughter was required to major in religion.  I expressly said she was not required to do so. 

Absolom, on 24 Feb 2015 - 4:04 PM, said:

My daughter went to a Catholic university to get her doctorate in law.  No religious studies were required.  Undergrad did not require religious studies except to actually major in religion. "

 

In your quote above, you wrote " except to actually major in religion ". I was speaking about religously affilated schools. Bringing your daughter into it made it confusing. This si what defensive people do:  turn a topic unrelated to them into something personal.

[SistaLadybug]

I think what Absolom meant was that religious studies are only required if one is majoring in a religious discipline.  In other disciplines, they aren't required at all.  There are schools devoted exclusively to teaching and producing people who will be joining the clergy, but most colleges and universities that are affiliated with religious institutions aren't such schools.  You can go to a church-affiliated university, e.g., Notre Dame, Georgetown, Brandeis or you can go to a theology school/seminary.  These don't always overlap.

[riverblue22]

 

My daughter went to a Catholic university to get her doctorate in law.  No religious studies were required.  Undergrad did not require religious studies except to actually major in religion. "

 

 

Yes, when one is an actual religion major, one must take religious studies at a church affiliated university (or at any university).  But at the universities in question if one is say, studying law, religious studies are not required.

[Absolom]

 

In your quote above, you wrote " except to actually major in religion ". I was speaking about religously affilated schools. Bringing your daughter into it made it confusing. This si what defensive people do:  turn a topic unrelated to them into something personal.

I don't see anything confusing about discussing a catholic university when discussing religious institutions of higher learning.  It was directly related to religious related universities.  It was an illustration of a point not defensive at all.  People on boards like this do that all of the time to illustrate a point as in give an example.  

 

About the Sister Wives and attending LDS schools, I don't think they can do it.  The LDS aren't very friendly to AUB members so I have serious doubts that they'd be admitted unless they switched churches.  

[shoovenbooty]

 

About the Sister Wives and attending LDS schools, I don't think they can do it.  The LDS aren't very friendly to AUB members so I have serious doubts that they'd be admitted unless they switched churches.  

I know that Brigham Young University admits people of every religion (my husband and his 2 roommates who attended the school were all different religions), and people who are not religious at all. The Sister Wives, Kody, and any of their children could attend. There may be private LDS schools where they wouldn't be able to attend, I don't know.

[Absolom]

I'm curious about that.  Perhaps they can't overtly discriminate against fundamentalist mormons, but I've heard that they try not to admit them.  A Lutheran for instance wouldn't bother them, but they aren't fond of the fundamentalist versions of their faith.  They probably can't have an official policy of discrimination.  

[RealityCowgirl]

I was a Presbyterian (SHARK!!!!) in the running for a BYU presidential scholarship. Went elsewhere, but religion was not an issue. I teach a course for a Catholic university, where students of all religions (and no religion) are enrolled. There is a "Catholic" ethic to which we commit that pretty much adds up to "being a good person."

Whether or not a Brown child felt comfortable at an LDS school is one thing. But, as others have said, it's doubtful the institution would exclude them based on their AUB connection.

Edited February 25, 2015 by RealityCowgirl

[Absolom]

Just an aside, but I know that one very well that the Catholic schools and universities take students of all and no religion.  A hefty percentage of daughter's law school class was Jewish and her room mate was Muslim.  They had both a resident priest and rabbi on campus. :)   The school closed for Jewish holidays as well as Christian and secular ones.

 

I wonder what the Browns really meant about attending the movies.  It seemed such a stage for TLC event.  The emphasis on how long it took to print the tickets was a really TLC heavy thing where they drop an anvil on the audience's head to prove their point.  As someone else said if they were used to doing this kind of thing wouldn't they use one of the discount ticket services and have everything ready plus Kody would know to have the count ready when he went to buy the tickets.  I'd hate to have to find four movies a year that would appeal to their entire group.  

[MaryMitch]

I haven't seen this article from Feb 24 posted yet:

http://allaboutthetea.com/2015/02/24/sister-wives-anthropology-study-proven-fake/

 

This shows some social media posts by people associated with this episode, including someone from the production staff and the two "anthropologists"

[youcantbeserious]

I haven't seen this article from Feb 24 posted yet:

http://allaboutthetea.com/2015/02/24/sister-wives-anthropology-study-proven-fake/

 

This shows some social media posts by people associated with this episode, including someone from the production staff and the two "anthropologists"

Thank you, MaryMitch. If there was no disclaimer, then this fraud and the show can be sued.

Edited February 28, 2015 by youcantbeserious

[Kohola3]

This shows some social media posts by people associated with this episode, including someone from the production staff and the two "anthropologists"

 

A total load of BS which was exactly what everyone on this forum knew from the get-go.  TLC must think we're morons.

[SometimesBites]

Finally broke down and am watching the last of the episodes from this season (sometimes you just cave in and order the chicken fried steak with biscuits and gravy...you may kick yourself later, but oh well). Sorry for chiming in late, but thoughts about this episode:

• I have a negative vibe off both "students" for different reasons. She's irritating as hell and is obviously in this to be in front of the camera; he comes across as an arrogant know-it-all.
• The carnage of that grill was beyond belief. I paused during the meal, and the steaks were BLACK. We've seen him do this before, for god's sake. How many times do you pee on the toilet seat before figuring out how to put it up first, Kody?
• I actually thought the feed-Kody prank was hilarious, but not in the way the wives thought it was funny. What's funny to me is that he went along so willingly as person after person FED HIM. Trust me, if I was sitting at the dinner table chatting and even one person walking up and randomly stuck a fork full of food in my face, I'd wonder what was going on. Kody not only mooches food off the women and his kids--on camera--but there's something in his psyche that is so comfortable with such a scenario, that he just opens his mouth like a little baby bird, every time. All his blather about HOW UNCOMFORTABLE it made him is after-the-fact BULLSHIT. He loves every inch of the attention. And the "here's some chocolate marshmallow Robyn" moment on the couch...brain bleach, please, and make it a double.
• Robyn is uncomfortable with the conversation about how other people "live together for an extended period of time and are committed but not legally married."  How can those words come out of her mouth and she not even realize the ghastly irony of her "discomfort." I just can't. She is too stupid.
• And she doesn't even want her children to hear that there may be SOME OTHER CHOICE. On behalf of your children, Robyn: FUCK YOU.
• Church: Phoney, and done for the cameras. Hypocritical turds.
• Maddie: Would love to see her striking out away from all things strongly religious, just to see what what's out there BESIDES religion. (Only my opinion--no offense intended to anyone's faith.) The conversation should have been Maddie, Janelle, and Kody. Period. Period. Period.
• Gosh, lucky movie-goers who happened to be going to see a film with the Browns there. And of course, Christine wigs out over the mall security guard, like maybe he's going to take Kody to prison and split up the families. Probably going to have to pack up the family and flee to Anaheim, find themselves a cul-de-sac of half-timbered tudors within walking distance of Disneyland.
• Kody does "big course correction, not daily discipline." Yeah, Kody...that's why your sons are SO ANGRY WITH EACH OTHER. They so obviously disrespect Kody--typical of situations where kids are mostly ignored by a parent until the shit hits the fan. Newsflash, Kody: if you don't do the "daily discipline" you will have NO authority when it's time for "course correction."

Edited March 24, 2015 by SometimesBites