S05.E17: Meri: Behind the Scenes

[Rhondinella]

With Meri about to make a stunning decision that could change the Brown family forever, now is the perfect time to take an in-depth look at all of the major events Meri has gone through in the past five years, and beyond.

 

 

[islandgal140]

Wow! Why did it seem like this was just as much a Robyn episode as it was a Meri episode? Did any other SW get a separate TH and pic-in-pic reaction shots while watching clips? This is probably to set up the upcoming cock and bull story to justify the wife swap, but still.

Lawd, how many times do we have to relive the great move?!?!

WTF was up with that paparazzi? I can't believe that anyone would have paid cash money for any Brown photos even during that so-called height of controversy.

[Temperance]

So Meri is one of 27 (!) children. Her mother had seven children and her father had 27 children with all of his sister wives in total. Yikes!

I was somewhat surprised that Kody asked permission to court her from her father  before he asked her out or even let on that he liked her. 

 

Her initial relationship with Kody reminded me strongly of the Duggars, including the young age, the passing on of the family's beliefs, etc.

 

I thought that that explained a lot about her. Her obsession with fertility, her desire for a big family and her general belief and acceptance of polygamy. It's probably been handed down the generations since the beginning of the church. (In the episode where they went to see where Joseph Smith died, Meri mentioned one of her ancestors (and a follower) was present at time.) I think the family wants to give the kids choice particularly since both Kody and Janelle made the choice on their own, but the rest of the wives probably feel some sense of wanting to pass it down as it was passed down to them. 

 

Mariah seemed more mature in this episode.

[youcantbeserious]

( oddly perhaps ) I felt Meri's polyg background explained nothing about her consistent jealousy. Being 1 of 27 kids growing up, she

should have been used to it & know what's ahead for her should she continue family values. I also suspected something else is up

with her besides that. She may very well be manic depressive since nothing makes her happy & that connection with a wet bar. Aren't

they not allowed alcohol? Kody let that pass unless he's no stranger to the suds himself.

 

 

[youcantbeserious]

This month, I saw the teaser about Meri going to a divorce lawyer..Then there's a shot showing Robyn & Kody acting shocked a shell, as if they had no idea. Cock & bull is right! No psychic is needed to know Robyn & Kody were DYING for this to happen. For all we know, it may have been encouraged by extra $$$ from TLC network.

[RazzleberryPie]

( oddly perhaps ) I felt Meri's polyg background explained nothing about her consistent jealousy. Being 1 of 27 kids growing up, she

should have been used to it & know what's ahead for her should she continue family values. I also suspected something else is up

with her besides that. She may very well be manic depressive since nothing makes her happy & that connection with a wet bar. Aren't

they not allowed alcohol? Kody let that pass unless he's no stranger to the suds himself.

I think she's so good at manipulating (same goes for Christine and especially Robyn), because she's it's all she's known growing up in a polygamous community where they had to maneuver for any resource. This also explains why they're so materialistic about expensive, yet generic things like McMansions, fake nails, wetbars extras, private college, etc., but can't comprehend that the money they have won't last - kid of like 18 yr old NBA players who spend all their initial $$ on shoes and cars, then are dead broke at 25. 

 

As for alcohol and the wet bar, she explained in detail that they didn't drink, but she wanted to lay out pastries and entertain at her house on that precious wetbar. Her obsession with the wetbar was quite entertaining.  They did, however, show them on some trip, where they did a beer flight tasting, and said they could taste it bc they'd broken from their church and weren't under those rules, or some BS. IIRC, Robyn looked terrified of the beer, but Christine was the daring one who acted like a 14 year old who snuck a sip of her uncle's beer at a BBQ and was now Ms. Sophistication.

[Kohola3]

Aren't they not allowed alcohol? Kody let that pass unless he's no stranger to the suds himself.

 

Maybe their professed religion is against alcohol but they have long shown themselves to have no actual religious affiliation beyond anything that fits what they want at any one moment.

 

Want concubines and a slew of little bastards?  Call yourself a Mormon polygamist but conveniently ignore any of the other rules and regs.  And be sure and suck the government dry using public benefits. Don't forget "doing unto others" by cycling bankruptcies through the tribe.

[Featherhat]

So Meri is one of 27 (!) children. Her mother had seven children and her father had 27 children with all of his sister wives in total. Yikes!

I was somewhat surprised that Kody asked permission to court her from her father  before he asked her out or even let on that he liked her. 

 

Her initial relationship with Kody reminded me strongly of the Duggars, including the young age, the passing on of the family's beliefs, etc.

 

I thought that that explained a lot about her. Her obsession with fertility, her desire for a big family and her general belief and acceptance of polygamy. It's probably been handed down the generations since the beginning of the church. (In the episode where they went to see where Joseph Smith died, Meri mentioned one of her ancestors (and a follower) was present at time.) I think the family wants to give the kids choice particularly since both Kody and Janelle made the choice on their own, but the rest of the wives probably feel some sense of wanting to pass it down as it was passed down to them. 

 

Mariah seemed more mature in this episode.

 

Well if Christine was originally correct that they don't kiss before marriage then its a good bet that they ask permission to court to some extent (we know that probably wasn't the case with some of his other wives, or only after the fact). And Kody was a young man hoping to go far in this religion (ie wanted more than one wife) and so had to be respectful etc, and it seems she was well connected esp from a convert family POV. From the footage, it has seemed that Meri wasn't comfortable with more wives but agreed because she did love Kody and had grown up with it as normal. She wasn't expecting Janelle though.

 

 

Maybe their professed religion is against alcohol but they have long shown themselves to have no actual religious affiliation beyond anything that fits what they want at any one moment.

 

 

 

 

That's not unlike a lot of different denominations of any religion though. There are protestants who think drinking and dancing are a sin and protestants who think god doesn't mind about drinking and dancing and even more variations when you go wider. Many Mormon fundamentalist groups treat mainline modern LDS strict rules as "guidelines" or otherwise not as important as other aspects. If the AUB doesn't have a prohibition against alcohol then they aren't going against their rules.

 

I'rs hard to know how much their church factors in their lives at all because they have never discussed it even when their kids attended a church school and they were living in a neighbourhood with many polygamists. Therefore we think its only these assclowns but in reality there *was* a whole community. What's going on now they are in Vegas is even more obscure to untangle. I don't think they hold regular services because Kody looked 100% flailng at basic preaching, but that doesn't mean that they have abandoned that structure, despite Kody clearly doing what he wants. That doesn't seem to be too unusual even in regulated groups like CP if you are an elder man with several wives.

[Kohola3]

My issue with their "religion" is the changing of rules to fit the situation.  Plus the whole trumped up "we attend church services at home" while Kody fumbles along when the camera is on so badly that it's clear he never does it.  The kids are literally rolling their eyes at his antics.  Until the call it the religion of sexual subjugation, I'm not buying it as a religion in any shape or form. The definition of religion includes having moral codes of which the Brown Clowns have exactly zero.

[GEML]

Call me cynical, but I imagine that the most important factor from their church's point of view is that they tithe. And I'm willing to bet that they do.

[Xena]

The Browns were watching Meri's question to Kody about how he would feel if she had other husbands.  On the couch watching the scene, Kody explains how it was a 'gotcha' moment for him. 

 

<blinks> Did he really just say that?   I was sitting there, expecting that he was building up to offer an apology, but then... no.  He really believes it was an insult for Meri to ask him that.  She didn't ask him to HAVE empathy, she just wanted him to THINK about having empathy.  It hurt his penis that she would think so little of him, that she would dare have him consider such a vulgarity.

Edited February 18, 2015 by Xena

[3girlsforus]

Call me cynical, but I imagine that the most important factor from their church's point of view is that they tithe. And I'm willing to bet that they do.

 

 

I agree. I wonder who they tithe to since they go to the Church of the Golden Haired Boy. Do you just send a check directly to the AUB? I've had similar questions about the Duggars since they have their "own" church as well. I figure they ship their tithe off to the Gothard group.

[Absolom]

Shockingly many people who belong to groups who preach tithing do not actually do it.  :)

[3girlsforus]

That's true but in some denominations or sects tithing is actually tracked by the church and used as a measuring stick for their standing in the church. I think the thought is that AUB is like that and Kody cares about his standing in that group... so he tithes. 

[SometimesBites]

That's true but in some denominations or sects tithing is actually tracked by the church and used as a measuring stick for their standing in the church. I think the thought is that AUB is like that and Kody cares about his standing in that group... so he tithes. 

LDS is wicked methodical about tracking tithing, so I imagine FLDS, et al, use a similar playbook. I once worked for a mormon lawyer, and once during a slow paperwork week, he had me doing church-related records updating. Details galore, enough to make the NSC jealous.

[islandgal140]

Call me cynical, but I imagine that the most important factor from their church's point of view is that they tithe. And I'm willing to bet that they do.

 

 

Reverend Lovejoy: "And once again, tithing is ten percent off the top. That's gross income, not net."

 

I'm sorry I just had to share that one. Simpsons commentary on religion are some of the best.

 

I am beyond glad they highlighted that scene from season 1 with Kody saying the thought of Meri with more than 1 husband was vulgar. Showed him for the giant flaming jackass that he is both in the past and present. That continues to be one of the worst things he ever said. The actual worst thing he has ever said? IMHO, I think that happened this season when he said that he was in no way responsible for the mental and emotional well-being of his wives. Bitch what?!? 

[Absolom]

Ratings are in:  1.458 M viewers and a .4 rating.  That's not as big of a drop from 9 PM as I expected.

[DakotaJustice]

Ratings are in:  1.458 M viewers and a .4 rating.  That's not as big of a drop from 9 PM as I expected.

But still pretty lame, IMO.

Wonder if they'd have been renewed if TLC had some other (better) shows in development or ready to launch?

[GEML]

I imagine the AUB asks for tax returns, and in the case of the Browns, their television contracts. I've speculated for years that they are being ultimately backed by their church, which has big money. They may have co-signed on the houses for all we know. The Browns have a big-name DC attorney who will represent them all the way to the Supreme Court. That's not free. There's money around them somewhere, and it's bigger money than TLC.

[Featherhat]

I once knew a Rev who was even more blunt than Reverend Lovejoy, though it was only a "request that we think about it". In smaller more fundamentalist communities I imagine its harder not to give, as said above Mormons have a massive tithing culture and *they know who you are and you are living on their land* a lot of the time. I think it is really hard to judge the Browns religion a lot of the time. I believe Kody's only devotion is to himself and if he still keeps ties with the AUB then it benefits him. I think most of his wives have convinced themselves at this point, even though they may be over Kody as a person.

 

Yeah they Meri/Kody scene was awful. Oh, what, Kody. What if there was a sudden dearth in the number of males vs females and men couldn't find wives and were "being sluts on the street" like those extra "harlot monogamists". Could Meri not save those men like your forefather's preached for "single" women?

[RazzleberryPie]

LDS is wicked methodical about tracking tithing, so I imagine FLDS, et al, use a similar playbook. I once worked for a mormon lawyer, and once during a slow paperwork week, he had me doing church-related records updating. Details galore, enough to make the NSC jealous.

But have they actually left the AUB or not? I thought they'd broken away and had their own church?

 

 

Reverend Lovejoy: "And once again, tithing is ten percent off the top. That's gross income, not net."

 

I'm sorry I just had to share that one. Simpsons commentary on religion are some of the best.

 

I am beyond glad they highlighted that scene from season 1 with Kody saying the thought of Meri with more than 1 husband was vulgar. Showed him for the giant flaming jackass that he is both in the past and present. That continues to be one of the worst things he ever said. The actual worst thing he has ever said? IMHO, I think that happened this season when he said that he was in no way responsible for the mental and emotional well-being of his wives. Bitch what?!? 

I'm glad they highlighted it, too. I thought it was probably a producer planted question, but a very genuine question that a lot of us had about polygamy. Can women have multiple husbands? Why or why not? I don't think it was vulgar at all.

[OldWiseOne]

But have they actually left the AUB or not? I thought they'd broken away and had their own church?

 

I didn't think they had their own church, just that they held their own Sunday services at home since there wasn't a branch of "their" church in Vegas.

[GEML]

I think their church is simply an "outreach" church of the AUB. As long as they tithe and don't mention the church officially on the show, I imagine the church officials give them a wide berth. There are always families like that in every denomination.

[Absolom]

Their church is just their family (as many as they can coerce into showing up) in the living room of one of the houses when they know in advance it's going to be filmed or so it appears.  Maybe they do get together more often than that, but it's at Kody's whim.

[BlackWidow]

....Lawd, how many times do we have to relive the great move?!?!....

 

   ever notice there is a lot of time wasted on the repetitive clips in general? So now we are re-watching them re-watching themselves. Geesh...

[youcantbeserious]

" As for alcohol and the wet bar, she explained in detail that they didn't drink, but she wanted to lay out pastries and entertain at her house on that precious wetbar."

To be honest, I can't recall/may not have seen that episode. Even if I did, I wouldn't believe it. Isn't that what the fridge and shelves are for? Meri has a stiff unemotional face when she lies. I saw that face when they were leaving Utah for Vegas & she acted as if she were in fear of cops passing by. She had an even better unemotional face going into the divorce lawyers office. Too bad she can't be made to take a lie detector test as they do on the Steve Wilkos Show.

[youcantbeserious]

 

"  Can women have multiple husbands? Why or why not? I don't think it was vulgar at all. "

I will never be a polygamist or member of their faith, but I understand why it's done. The Browns belong to a fundamentalist branch of the LDS which approves of

polygamy for the husband only. I also understand that Kody missed the chance to explain that, rather than make it seem his objection was his personal feelings.

I don't know if this was due to bad editing, bad script or him being the usual screwup.