S08.E06: A Shocking Revelation

[ghoulina]

46 minutes ago, purpleflowers said:

For a second I sympathized with Mariah on the deck at the mountain resort because it must be awkward to have your mother discuss personal things with you on film; but then I remembered Mariah agreed to have the cameras on her and yet has such a sour attitude! I am thrilled for her that she can finally be herself and find true peace but her attitude is reprehensible and she still has an air of entitlement IMO.

Personally, I didn't think she had a sour attitude with anyone other than her mother. She seemed very happy and refreshed when she was with her siblings and their significant others. Many of them were remarking that she seemed like a completely different person. It's possible that the struggle she's been going through had altered her personality. She wasn't truly being herself. Now everyone is noticing how much more free-spirited she is. I think she's only aloof around Meri because Meri is such a phony and Mariah has no time for it. 

 

36 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

I remember how, back in the day, many of us (myself included) thought that Mariah and Meri were basically the same person in terms of bratty, entitled, whiny attitude.  Now, Mariah is doing some serious growing and maturing, and Meri seems to be going backwards.  I used to say how Logan turned out to be a responsible young man despite having Kody as his dad.  It seems that Mariah is doing the same thing, despite having Meri for a mom.

Well put. This is EXACTLY how I see it. I used to have little tolerance for Mariah, but I think she's grown by leaps and bounds. It's interesting how well many of their older kids have turned out. Sometimes having shitty parents causes you to do the opposite and become decent people. 

[laurakaye]

7 minutes ago, RedheadZombie said:

I'm not commenting specifically to the above two posters, but to these comments in general.  There's so much to mock this family over, why the continuous shots at their regional accent?  Do people truly not realize that entire swaths of people speak the exact same way?  Southerners speak a certain way, New Jersey/New York, Boston, Cali, etc.  Weren't these people taught the sounds of letter of the alphabet?  Now I happen to believe that, as a Midwesterner, I have no accent and speak perfectly;-)  But I'm sure people from other regions think I'm ignorant, too.

I think it's less mocking them for their regional accent and more mocking them for constantly using the phrase "deal with my feelings" when they pointedly do no such thing.  That, and the fact that every fourth word out of Meri's mouth is either "dill" or "fillings."

EDIT:  I am from Michigan and have absolutely no accent, either.  Everyone else does, though.:)

Edited January 9, 2017 by laurakaye

[Wings]

59 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Last night, and most other nights too, Meri seems to have this incredible ability to say more words than anyone else, but say absolutely nothing of substance.  All we ever get is how, she's in progress, she's working towards it, she's not there yet, that it's not very clear to her, that she's trying to wrap her brain around it, that she's unsure of what direction it will go, that she's on this journey and will have to see where it takes her, that she's working on those feelings, needs to figure it out, needs to give it more time, needs to give it more thought, needs to keep communicating, needs to discuss more with therapist, needs to get adjusted, needs to wait and see,  ..........................................etc.  

And she's very confused about Mariah's feelings.  She wants Mariah to tell her what she's thinking.  Why?  I've never met Mariah, but, from just watching the show, it's quite clear how she feels.  She is resentful of her mother's actions during and after the catfish incident. She thinks her mother has lied and not told the truth about her involvement.  She is stewing in this resentment and it's likely it will continue, until her mom comes clean about it. AND she wants her mom to leave her alone and stop bringing up, as she's tired of the same old conversation, that she's likely had with Meri over and over.  I mean once you beat the horse to death, leave it alone! (Figuratively speaking of course.)    I mean, I'm no therapist, but, it seems to me that Meri's desire to know what Mariah thinks could easily be solved. 

I agree.  This sounds like Candice Cameron Burre (extremely religious) on The View.  When called upon to speak to topic she was against (transgender), her answer was always, I am just trying to understand it.  She knew saying she opposed the "morality" (or whatever) of it she would be blasted. 

Meri is doing the same duck and cover.  Who in 2017 doesn't understand that a small percentage of our population are homosexuals and widely accepted. 

Certainly she has heard of Ellen and aware of her popularity.  Rosie O Donnell with a bunch of kids. 

Her use of the word weird was not about herself,  I agree @SunnyBeBe.  She tried and failed to shift it.  

Edited January 9, 2017 by wings707

[LotusFlower]

1 hour ago, escapetoreality said:

I am new to the Sister Wives circus and as soon as Homeland starts back up it is adios -- but can someone explain how Meri perked up at the comment about sharing living quarters? Did she want that? It seems she has a bond with none of them.

Next question -- while I am grateful for Kody' tolerance of Mariah, what exactly is the tenet of this fundamentalist thing they follow?  I noticed the kids drinking alcohol, I'm just confused -- are they like "cafeteria Catholics" or do they really have the doctrinal latitude to make their own choices on these things? Is polygamy the only non-negotiable?  Confused.        

I've said this for years - that the show would be really interesting if it showed how a polygamous family really runs, and what tenets are behind it. What really stands out to me is how their a) religious beliefs, and b) where Kody spends his time are never discussed or shown.  Instead, it's all a fake tv drama, where we're supposed to be charmed and entertained by this large and engaging family with all these kids and a vague "cultural" quirk.  In reality, they're living what I think is a very common polygamist lifestyle - a man and his multiple families, one that centers around the man, who has as many wives as he wants, and where the wives and children are shortchanged.  But TLC would have a hard time selling ad space for that kind of show, so instead, we get all this fakery.  That's why I'll join you on Homeland!  

[Aethera]

Please remember not to speculate on the sexual orientation of the minor children on the show.

[RedheadZombie]

2 hours ago, Marigold said:

I think Grandma Annie was happy to see the kids break out of the "plyg mold".

I also liked how Grandma Annie is not her bio grandmother and they seem to have a good relationship.  

I remember a scene is which Annie was razzing Hunter, and he responded with a big grin, and "oh you know it, Grandma".  Let's be honest, Annie is definitely the coolest and most relatable grandmother.  There's Janelle's mother, who makes Janelle look like a manic extrovert, who wears her emotions on her sleeve.  Then there's Kody's mom, who seems like a total angel, but a little fragile.  Annie's been there done that.  She's probably the least judgmental about the world outside Mormonism of all kinds, and she seems fun, like the rest of Christine's family.  IMO, Annie set the precedent for that positive reaction to Mariah coming out.  She reacted first, and of course Robyn jumped up so she couldn't be outdone (although she was!). 

2 hours ago, Lm2162 said:

Omg don't get me started...People have these obsessions with images in their mind and we're supposed to cater to them. My husband had a PhD and a law degree when he got married, worked full time teaching college, had published widely and worked in theatre on the side. But because he is in a wheelchair, there was drama over him "not standing at the altar." Even though he was getting married, is now a dad, and is more accomplished than most of the "devastated" family members. Their comments devastated him. Particularly around things like marriage and kids, we have these weird particular cultural things (like walking down the aisle) that *must* happen and people don't understand how their total obsessions with those particular things can hurt others. And we're expected to pity and cater to the people with those obsessions. 

Our culture is slowly but surely breaking away from the man/woman marriage, and the 2.1 kids.  As a nurse who's child-free, I cannot tell you how many holidays I was expected to sacrifice because other women chose to have children.  Every frickin' Mother's Day.  I have a mother, too.  Good Lord, many traditional families are blinded to their sense of entitlement.

[Galloway Cave]

2 hours ago, okerry said:

I absolutely disagree. Every child has the right to at least know who their father is, even if the decision to see that father has to wait until the child is of legal age. And unless they're dangerous/abusive, every father has the right to at least visit that child. Cutting the male out of the process and pretending he does not exist is not the solution to a two-woman marriage.

You are twisting what I was saying. I didn't say a child doesn't have a right to know either parent, I said I didn't know a child had a right to either parent, meaning that they need to have a mom and a dad as parents. They can have two moms or two dads and have a perfectly wonderful family. I said nothing about not knowing who the identity of the sperm donor (that is up to the parents involved, or to the child once they reach age). Many sperm banks allow information exchange now so it isn't as big a deal as it was a generation ago. I'm not even going to touch your last sentence because it is too offensive to me and I don't want to get booted.

[Sista Snarky]

Meri only seems to perk up when someone is heartbroken & on the verge of weeping as much as she does...on a constant loop. 

She finds "peace" in  dysfunction...as long as it's a sign that the dysfunction is cheerleading for Meri.

Meri has the emotional & mental level of....a troubled teen.

She should realize that & take steps to learn how to use her inside the head voice in certain situations instead of creating more issues to cry about...Meri.

Keep it simple stupid. Go invest the time & energy in learning & understanding how to be an adult & how to have positive productive adult conversations with her adult daughter...who is now emotionally & mentally more mature than her mother.

Learn to have serious conversations without crying & laughing. 

Stop trying to "figgure" out the Catfish... creating more bonds & friendships strangers on the internet who may be as emotionally stunted & obsessed as Meri. 

Edited January 9, 2017 by Sista Snarky

[RedheadZombie]

2 hours ago, okerry said:

I absolutely disagree. Every child has the right to at least know who their father is, even if the decision to see that father has to wait until the child is of legal age. And unless they're dangerous/abusive, every father has the right to at least visit that child. Cutting the male out of the process and pretending he does not exist is not the solution to a two-woman marriage.

And I can see why Robyn would say such a thing and the other SWs might agree - because their own kids have very little more than a sperm donor for a father, either. Interesting.

Most men donate to sperm banks for the money they receive, because they believe they have superior genes that need to be passed on, or because they have empathy for women or even couples who are struggling with fertility.  If these men knew they were required to take part in these children's lives, which means next step would be required child support for multiple children, sperm banks would become extinct.  These men sign off on the resulting children, and have no "rights" to them.  Just as women who donate their egg have no rights to the child that is born of it.  There are plenty of married couples where the man has a low count, or low quality, and they use a sperm donor.  Is that sperm donor more of a father than the man who raised the child?  Well, I don't think so.  And most of these fathers aren't telling their kids they came from a sperm bank.

Maybe I'm influenced from being adopted, but I don't believe in the magic and superiority of biology, over families created in other ways.

[Galloway Cave]

32 minutes ago, RedheadZombie said:

My wife and I think the prosecutor and the State of Utah were positively salivating over the opportunity to crucify this family and make an example of them.

Ooops, I know MrSmith was the one who originally wrote this! Anyhoo, the State of Utah had issued a statement about month before the Browns staged their Flight from Utah that they had investigated the Browns but had decided not to prosecute them because they found no violations. 

[laurakaye]

19 minutes ago, Sista Snarky said:

Stop trying to "figgure" out the Catfish... creating more bonds & friendships strangers on the internet who may be as emotionally stunted & obsessed as Meri. 

I think that Meri and Cheryl wanting to discuss their catfisher with Therapist Liza was just their way of finding a legit way to keep talking about "him."  I am convinced that both of those women are still riding emotional highs from the way "Sam" made them feel, and if they keep talking about him as if he were real, they can get a "hit" of that emotional drug.  They were way too giggly during that trip.  They came off as 13-year old girls discussing the cute boy at school rather than a potentially dangerous woman posing as a man and threatening them.

Edited January 9, 2017 by laurakaye

[Galloway Cave]

2 minutes ago, RedheadZombie said:

Maybe I'm influenced from being adopted, but I don't believe in the magic and superiority of biology, over families created in other ways.

Thank you, that's what I have been trying to say with all my bumbling, stumbling Meri-fied talk!

[sheshark]

39 minutes ago, RedheadZombie said:

 

I'm not commenting specifically to the above two posters, but to these comments in general.  There's so much to mock this family over, why the continuous shots at their regional accent?  Do people truly not realize that entire swaths of people speak the exact same way?  Southerners speak a certain way, New Jersey/New York, Boston, Cali, etc.  Weren't these people taught the sounds of letter of the alphabet?  Now I happen to believe that, as a Midwesterner, I have no accent and speak perfectly;-)  But I'm sure people from other regions think I'm ignorant, too.

 

1

What baffles me is the vowel sounds are mixed up.  "I think" is "I theenk" and "I feel" sounds like "I fill".  So short i sounds like ee and long e sounds like short i.

[Roslyn]

Well, I watch the show via amazon, so I can't see it until the next day.  I usually buzz through the real time conversations before bed and last night I popped over to their facebook page to amuse myself with the comments.  It was about 50/50 between sympathy for Meri or sympathy for Mariah or even outright rage that Mariah could possibly treat her mother this way.  Well.  After watching for myself today I didn't see Mariah treating Meri badly at all.  About the only thing she did that was a touch shitty was with a passive aggressive stance...say nothing, which would leave long pauses (uncomfortable ones) and Meri falls right into that trap and really stupid things just fall from her mouth to fill the silence.  First when Meri said "weird" I think she WAS talking about Mariah and she quickly corrected herself when she realized it was offensive, repeating over and over how "weird" was for HER feelings.

You know how we have compared Kody to Michael Scott??  Well, it was Meri's turn to take on the Michael Scott parallel for a moment.  When she was sitting there...completely unable to "picture in her mind" how on earth a lesbian woman could POSSIBLY have a child...all I could think of was we need Dwight Schrute to pull up next to her with a laptop and pull up a few video websites to show her.  I agree with others...MERI was looking into invetro not all that long ago...just DUH!!??  What I honestly think...and I am just judging on what her facial expression was...is that she was picturing her daughter being intimate with a woman and was skeeved by it.  THAT is what that expression was to me.

Okay...their conversation from a different point of view.  I personally have "one of those mothers"  Think...Mommie Dearest for a moment.  By the time I was 18 I was filled with rage and so when I was having conversations with my mother I'm sure that someone who had no clue of my past would think I was a nasty, bitchy brat who wasn't "grateful" for my mother.  What I see between Meri and Mariah is that there is something ELSE going on.  Something we haven't been shown.  Something beyond the catfish.  What we DO know is that Meri is stuck in a child like mind state.  Mariah was HERS, and her ONLY possession that she had as a young plig woman.  She had to share everything, but Mariah was hers.  Sure, they all sit on camera and claim that "all the kids are ours", but we see otherwise from our seats in the audience over the years. They moved to Lehi when Mariah was in the 10-ish range and so then, when Kody was spending time with Meri...it was one on one with his daughter.  I think that cemented that very close relationship he has with Mariah and doesn't seem to have with any other of the girls.  Every time he was with Christine it was a gaggle of kids...same with Janelle, but with the boys he favors.  His time with Meri was time with Mariah as an only child.  And it shows. Mariah is Daddy's little girl. 

I'll go out on a limb and take a leap...I will guess that Meri had SOMETHING deep happen in the age 9-12 range.  When she talks in the single TH segments.  She talks slow (because she has to think every little word).  She also has that odd dip her head, give a little "I know something you don't know" look, and her lips press together as she talks.  In that moment she morphs into a child, and speaks and thinks like a child.

Other people have noted that Robyn and Kody talk to her like she's a child.  She gets stuck on just one me...me...me...me...me over and over and can't seem to move forward from HER feelings, HER needs etc.  When talking to the Darger wives about how she must have her own kitchen and "do her own decorating!?" the look on her face was "WHAT....my BELIEFS have to come BEFORE my ability to decorate my OWN kitchen!!??"  The age 9-12 is an irritating age.  Kids want to be as independent as a 17 year old, but don't have the ability to reason out things to get that level of independence yet.  They also think the world is all about them and by the teen years the drama can quickly get overwhelming. Kids that age also lack the ability to recognize body language and facial expression like  a late teen to early 20 young adult. 

Meri uses other people to "buffer" when things get "hard". Just like a kid doesn't want to approach Dad with something that they think he won't react well, so they go to Mom and use her as a go between.  Meri did this with Mariah when she was young.  Mariah became Meri's security, her bestest friend, her confidant.  So when Mariah is leaving for college, Meri is losing her bestie....AND her buffer.  We've seen her use the little kids to buffer, even just the last week when she had to hold the baby physically between herself and Robyn to "discuss her trip".  AND WHY didn't she even feel the need to ever mention it to Christine and Janelle....do they not count??  HHmmmm

Meri is stuck....emotionally stuck.  Something in her life stunted her, she brought up "building a wall" when she feels rejected.  Hmmm.  She wasn't born into a polygamous family like Christine.  Her parents converted "when she was young".  How young? From the get go in the marriage she made demands that things are done because of her way, her feelings.  She is (was) the legal wife and so if Kody gets other wives SHE gets equal money and NO PDA to look at...because of her jealous feelings. 

Mariah is growing up.  Maturing into a young woman with feelings, needs and opinions of her own.  She has grown away from her emotional clinging mother.  She has stated, in a mature way that she needs space from Meri always demanding to talk about how Mariah "feels" towards Meri.  Meri can't wrap her head around it, because she isn't at the same emotional maturity that her daughter is.  Robyn speaks to her like a child....because Meri is very childlike.  They need to just put Meri into real therapy and they could probably all stop the group sessions entirely. 

OH!!!  AND....even Nancy TOLD them to STOP digging at each other on camera.  And there it was....at the beginning of the show, when Kody was talking about their trip and Meri (dripping sarcasm) blurted out "OH...we can all live in the same HOUSE again!"  The look on Kody's face was priceless.

[SunnyBeBe]

6 minutes ago, sheshark said:

What baffles me is the vowel sounds are mixed up.  "I think" is "I theenk" and "I feel" sounds like "I fill".  So short i sounds like ee and long e sounds like short i.

Oh, man, you would be going nuts living in the south. (NC)  It's unreal the way things are pronounced.  I'm from here and it amazes me. I know that I have my own issues with accents, though, I do try to be proper.   I suppose that I don't notice things like that too much, considering.  OH, I did notice that Robyn leaves out a lot of "t's."    Like only one 't' in the word important or none in the name Dayton.  lol   It doesn't bother me too much though.  I wish that I had a midwestern accent. 

Edited January 9, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[Kohola3]

Quote

I don't think they did it for ratings, because the show went downhill when they all separated.  

That was one big bad backfiring decision on Kodouche's part.  He 1) assumed we would all be riveted by the unfolding drama and 2) knew it gave him an excuse to get to Vegas which he admitted was always his dream.  He is so freaking short sighted that he never thought through what would happen to the Happy Family tableau once they found out they were much more content living away from each other.  Stupid, stupid, stupid.

[Sista Snarky]

51 minutes ago, RedheadZombie said:

I do find it ironic that Mariah is now sporting the very eyebrows she mocked and humiliated her mother over. 

I'm not commenting specifically to the above two posters, but to these comments in general.  There's so much to mock this family over, why the continuous shots at their regional accent?  Do people truly not realize that entire swaths of people speak the exact same way?  Southerners speak a certain way, New Jersey/New York, Boston, Cali, etc.  Weren't these people taught the sounds of letter of the alphabet?  Now I happen to believe that, as a Midwesterner, I have no accent and speak perfectly;-)  But I'm sure people from other regions think I'm ignorant, too.

I agree.  I never understood why people simply believed Lehi when they denied it.   They certainly didn't want to go public that they were responsible for that spectacle, people are already critical that a religion controls the government.  The only reason polygamy was disavowed was to get statehood.   Utah's fine feeling superior to the polygamists, and pretending they don't see them.  But make it public, and they want to make a show of it.  I truly believed the Brown's fear.  Janelle, who rarely shows emotion, was full out panicking and actually helping to throw things in a moving truck, versus being overwhelmed and passively observing.  I don't think they did it for ratings, because the show went downhill when they all separated.  The draw for many was watching them in one giant house, and hearing how they worked together as a unit (Christine caring for the kids, the other adults working, etc). 

As someone with a Jersey accent I always understand that if/when a topic is about someone from NJ...there will be "tawk" about things like "cawfee" & "fambly"

I just laugh & have no fucks to give about that sorta stuff...so I don't see it as offense. Just a way to lighten the mood of a topic. 

Edited January 9, 2017 by Sista Snarky

[SunnyBeBe]

I almost forgot, but omg, was that a breathtaking view or what? (Scene where Meri and Mariah were sitting and talking) It was one of the most beautiful views that I've ever seen!  Please remind me the name of the mountain or resort.

Edited January 9, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[Natalie68]

16 hours ago, sweet201 said:

Meri's makeup is positively ghastly. I was shocked when I saw how young, thin and lovely she looked on some of the couch session clips during the road trip show compared to now. I feel like they've all aged a lot but Meri really does not know how to work with what she's got.

On the same token, WTF is up with all the older girls' dark hair and terrible eyebrows? I'm all for people looking the way they want to look, but man, Madi, Mykelti and Mariah were all absolutely beautiful with blonde hair and natural brows. Now it seems they all go in on the jumbo size burgundy Miss Clairol, and Mykelti and Mariah draw their brows on with Sharpie while Madison's have disappeared completely. Not a good look for anyone.

I watched the 2 hours of this (not the 3rd) and I had to sit on my hands from tweeting that Anastasia eyebrow lady to PLEASE, take a road trip to Vegas and fix those mother/daughter brows.  They are simply awful.  There are these things called mirrors and how they looked at that job and said, yep that'll do is mind blowing.  It was hard to concentrate on anything else.  I would rather they not have ANY eyebrows than that magic marker designed mustache over their eyes (in Mariah's case, Meri's were just a thick McDonalds arch over her eyes).  I am really not this shallow.  It is strikingly bad enough that I couldn't stop looking and wondering how and why.  All I know is they looked better pre TLC days.

Mariah is a brat just like her mom.  Thing is I understand Mariah's anger at mom.  I was pleasantly surprised this is one episode that Kody and Robyn weren't the number 1 irritants.  Caleb was sweet with the kids.  Question about Truly.  Do kids grow out of that speech issue? 

I need to tell my husband he is not allowed in the living room when I am watching this.  I had to pause it for a good 10 minutes as he ranted about Sol being there when Meri and Robyn were talking about Mariah.  He didn't think the child should be there during it.  I shrugged and let him ramble.  I agree this was a discussion for the adults but really how much did Sol understand (legit question, I have no idea the age when littles understand adult things)?

[riverblue22]

I watched through Robyn's talk with Meri and had to shut it off.  I can't take any more of Meri's self-absorption, she's drowning in it and I felt like she was dragging me down too.  Everything she said to Mariah was wrong.  She needs to keep her insecurities to herself, or at least away from her child.  Why not tell Mariah that she is working on acceptance, it was a shock, but she is so glad that Mariah came forth and told the family.  Why not tell Mariah she looks forward to meeting her friends and she is welcome to bring them home anytime.  Why not just tell Mariah that it will all work out for the best and that she sees a promising future for her?

Meri is a burden to the entire family when she is like this.  She needs to get outside herself--volunteer--help folks who have real problems--and stop dwelling on the fact that she and Kody are not the center of the family universe.  It wouldn't kill her to get more involved with other family members, help out Christine or Robyn or volunteer to take kids to their activities.  If she wants to stay in the family she had better find a way to be a positive contribution.  If she wants to move on, then do it.  But don't hang her problems and mental health issues on her daughter.

[smacaluso2003]

6 hours ago, SuzyLee said:

I think Mariah has lost all respect for Meri and I can't say that I blame her.  Meri never should have discussed the catfishing crap or her marital issues with Mariah in the first place.  I'm sitting here trying to envision seeing racy pictures of my mother suggestively eating a banana all over the Internet; it would definitely make me think differently about her, at the very least.  Regardless of whether Meri's marriage to Kody was legal or not, they view it as a real, binding relationship, so, yes, Meri was attempting to cheat on her "husband."  Mariah knows this.  I've been close to my mother my entire life and somehow skipped over the whole "my mom is my enemy" phase as a teenager.  Now, at the age of 40, I view her as my best friend.  That being said, my mom has always maintained healthy boundaries surrounding her marriage to my father.  She has never bitched to me about my dad, much less confided in me about another man she was cozying up to.  Meri has undermined herself by treating Mariah as a friend, confidant, and replacement partner practically from day one.  For Meri to take full responsibility for her broken relationship with Mariah (and begin the work to repair it) would require a degree of introspection that I'm afraid Meri just isn't capable of.  The dysfunction in this family on every conceivable level is just jaw-dropping.

BBM

Especially if you are talking about Robyn's jaw!!

Edited January 9, 2017 by smacaluso2003

[Isumpin]

6 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I agree with many of the observations upthread about how Meri just can't seem to get out of her own head.  I've been pretty critical of her, but, last night, I caught a glimpse of someone that I really do believe is CLUELESS.  The way she just can't seem to wrap her brain around things....I've always thought that she was pretending to be that way.  And how she's not able to process things.  She says that a lot.  Well, I think it's TRUE!  She really doesn't seem to be able to get it.  It's like her mind is stuck somewhere in 1969.  Yes, it's her daughter who has announced she is gay, but, her sentiments reminded me of a devoutly religious person, who lives in a isolated region of the country, (never met a gay couple)  and who was born before 1932. (No offense to those seniors over the age of 85.)  Has her head been in the sand since her daughter was born?  

If she was really honest and had no idea that Mariah was gay, then why did others in the family who hadn't even known Mariah for that long know? 

And when Meri used the term "weird," in her conversation with Mariah, I do believe that she meant that the idea of Mariah being gay was weird.  I don't buy that turnaround excuse she used about her meaning that her own reaction was weird.  She tried to backtrack, but, I don't buy it. 

When Meri said that she didn't know how to react to the news, well, there were 4 other women in the room who's reactions she could have mimicked if she really didn't know what to do.  I call it BS.  

As this season has provided so much focus on Meri, it has dawned on me that she would a very difficult person to contend with and tolerate.  I get how Kody is over it.  I really do. 

My thoughts EXACTLY.  Just kept saying I,I,I,I,I, EVERY time Meri started. OMG. Get a clue woman.

Edited January 9, 2017 by Isumpin

[RedheadZombie]

1 hour ago, Lm2162 said:

I haven't had time to watch the whole thing yet. Can someone tell me what Maddie said? 

I'm assuming you may be referring to my comment about Maddie and her sex life.  If so, it was during the scene in which Kody was discussing the housing arrangements in that lodge.  There were two separate little buildings, which were independent of the main house.  Paedon had been given one because he's gigantic, and the beds are more his size.  Janelle was given another because she had requested it before hand.  Maddie opens her mouth and slyly starts to ask about "the walls" in the main house - implying they need to be thick enough so the entire family doesn't have to listen to the newlyweds going at it.  Maddie seemed quite pleased that Janelle gave up her assignment so the newlyweds can bang as loudly as they choose.  I found it distasteful and a little manipulative, because it seemed a little Duggar-like, where the married siblings like to rub it in the non-married siblings that they're having all the sex.  It didn't really seem to bother anyone except Kody.

1 hour ago, notnowimbusy said:

Mariah is pretty darn naive if she thinks she can drop a bombshell on the family, and not expect them to ask questions, take the time adjust and just let it sink in.   If you want them to accept your decision, help them understand, answer questions.  You came out to be open, so be open.  Robyn definitely knew, but Janelle's reaction surprised me.  I guess she was just happy Mariah wasn't dying of cancer.  Christine's face was priceless.  You know she was expecting a wedding announcement.      I get that Meri can be selfish and one-sided, but if this did come out of the blue, I think I'd be wanting to have a conversation with my daughter.

  Interesting that Mariah got the idea that being gay was a sin, made you a horrible person, seems to have come from "their" church - the one they belonged to in Utah, the one they sent their kids to, to be around other kids of the same faith.   During the time in Utah, they seemed to adhere to some sort of church beliefs, but since the move it has become "whatever".   They can't afford to alienate their "viewership" by actually standing up for something they used to hold as serious beliefs.  Robyn says being gay is ok - well then Kody has to go along with it.  But keep in mind kissing while courting just transfers unwanted hormones!     When they left, and spent that time in separate homes, away from each other, things took a big turn.  

This whole thing is no longer about polygamy, but more like a guy who is married, and has a good relationship with his ex-wives (except for Meri).  

When they left Utah, Mariah was the only kid intending the church school.  The rest of the kids were in public school. 

[SunnyBeBe]

16 hours ago, sweet201 said:

Meri's makeup is positively ghastly. I was shocked when I saw how young, thin and lovely she looked on some of the couch session clips during the road trip show compared to now. I feel like they've all aged a lot but Meri really does not know how to work with what she's got.

On the same token, WTF is up with all the older girls' dark hair and terrible eyebrows? I'm all for people looking the way they want to look, but man, Madi, Mykelti and Mariah were all absolutely beautiful with blonde hair and natural brows. Now it seems they all go in on the jumbo size burgundy Miss Clairol, and Mykelti and Mariah draw their brows on with Sharpie while Madison's have disappeared completely. Not a good look for anyone.

I wanted to mention that I also have wondered what is going on with the hair, makeup, eyebrows, clothes, etc.  Why would you go in the opposite direction from what makes you look good? I don't get it at all.  These ladies are no longer children.  I just wonder if anyone ever tells them the truth about their choices. 

Poor Meri.......I think that ladies over 40 get stuck in their makeup routines and it's very difficult to break.  Same goes with hairstyles. 

[notnowimbusy]

When my daughter went off to college, right before was definitely a period where she was pulling away.   It wasn't because she didn't love us, or wouldn't miss us, it was her own survival.  She had to pull away to make it less painful to leave.   I got that.   But, man when she came home from her first year for the summer, OMG the attitude!  She knew EVERYTHING!  We knew NOTHING.   Mariah is in that mode now, but with an entirely new lifestyle in the mix.  

As a mom, I know I had to pick my battles.   But I was her mom, not her "friend".    Meri really has nobody else, but Mariah has three other "mothers", so if she doesn't hear what she wants from her mom, she can go to any/all of the others until she gets a sympathetic ear.  

I am kind of fascinated that Mariah has clearly no interest in polygamy, or any of the so called "Kody Religion" that comes with it.  So, with her new insight into different lifestyles, acceptance of new things, a more broadened view of the world, she can't get past the idea that her mother had an affair - although not physical, out of a sense of need/neglect, and yet she can't see that her own father has essentially done the same thing, but in a more physical, permanent way, in the name of a religion that he doesn't seem to follow - with the exception of multiple wives.   When times get difficult for him with a wife,if he's feeling neglected, or unloved, or ignored, he simply goes off to another wife.   Bottom line, what's the difference?   Mariah should realize it's all a scam.   

[Isumpin]

While watching Meri go on and on, I keep Thinking that Meri and Mariah's relationship has not been close for a while IF ever. She did not see this coming?  my brother is gay and even our grandmother who was not close and very religous KNEW. So Meri has obviously been checked out for years and IMO you reap what you sow.  

[Isumpin]

6 hours ago, laurakaye said:

 and now she acts like she can't figure out how her daughter can have children of her own.  Give me a break.

And like Mariah said "I am not explaining it to her."

[sheshark]

54 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Oh, man, you would be going nuts living in the south. (NC)  It's unreal the way things are pronounced.  I'm from here and it amazes me. I know that I have my own issues with accents, though, I do try to be proper.   I suppose that I don't notice things like that too much, considering.  OH, I did notice that Robyn leaves out a lot of "t's."    Like only one 't' in the word important or none in the name Dayton.  lol   It doesn't bother me too much though.  I wish that I had a midwestern accent. 

 

I have lived in NC and Georgia.  No problem with the drawls.  And often visit relatives in Boston.    Yep, I am from New Jersey, and love my cawfee.  I learned in college speech class that it is proper English to speak with your local accent.  But does everyone in Utah (been skiing there) and LV (gamble a bit) switch the vowels?  I never noticed that.  Or maybe because I just want to punch Kody in the alternately weary and puzzled face.  OK, rant over.  

[Natalie68]

2 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Logan has commented a couple of times before about how alcohol is not really condoned in their faith, but, he drinks beer anyway.  I think that isn't uncommon.  Even the ladies, like Meri have drank wine on the show.  It's frowned upon, but, not something that will totally get you kicked out. 

Oh, the Mormons that I know, don't drink caffeine either, nor smoke, swear or reveal their body. They do dance, listen to secular music and attend public schools. 

Until my Mormon cousin was married in the temple she drank (me under the table many times), had premarital sex, gambled and then her husband was found for her (she liked him well enough but liked her non Mormon boyfriend better) and that ended.  I say 'found for her' because despite being an adult she would not go against her parents and marry the one she loved but the one that they felt was appropriate.  He ended up working out apparently since they are still married 27 years later from what I hear.  She also swore like a sailor.  

[TeaTV]

2 hours ago, Marigold said:

Meri was so proud that she produced the only teen to want to live polygamy!!!!

and to find out it was merely because she wanted to be around a bunch of "lesbian "sister wives" has to have made it even harder for her.

[TeaTV]

4 hours ago, Granny58 said:

everybody isn't assuming that.  Robyn said it and that is the topic of discussion.  

By "everybody" I meant the forum discussions and probably used the wrong word :)  In retrospect, I probably should have said "so many people including the cast of SW" :D
All Robyn said (unless I missed it) was that she could be artificially inseminated.
Then again, the issue was never about gays having children in the first place and the fact they all danced around it was fascinating.

I can't begin to imagine the drama once Mariah actually brings a lesbian home (IF she every brings one of her partners home).

[TurtlePower]

5 hours ago, MrSmith said:

My wife and I dealt with scorn, anger, and hostility from my parents for over a decade because we decided not to have children. They mostly blamed her because, of course, there's no way I could be self-aware and have come to the conclusion that I was not suited to fatherhood at that time and therefore decided not to inflict myself on unsuspecting, defenseless, innocent third parties. Of course, by the time I got to my late 30's, I had a much better handle on my emotions and reactions and I would now make a great father, but the question has long since been asked and answered. My parents seem to be mostly resigned to this now and have calmed down the last several years, but it was rough going there for a while.

Similar thing for me. I cannot have kids (and am fine with it); I think my parents and in-laws were somewhat disappointed we didn't "try harder" to make that happen.  But I see my brothers and sisters in law and don't envy kid-life. A husband, a dog and a cat are enough for me and we're busy with our jobs anyways.

[TeaTV]

3 hours ago, laurakaye said:

 I think Meri wanted a hunky son-in-law to crush on, and it bothers her greatly that she won't have that...meanwhile, her arch-nemesis JANELLE, of all people, gets Crush-Worthy Caleb as her son-in-law.  It's not fair!

Their tenets are dependent on which way the wind is blowing Kody's gnarly locks.

 

Thanks for taking my ball and running with it. I never went so far as to see how envious she may be of the awe-inspiring Caleb! And of course she can't come out and actually say that to anyone (including herself) and her sister wives and husband are too self-absorbed to see it or too nice/afraid of confrontation to suggest it to her face.

Also thanks for coming up with the phrase: "Kody's gnarly locks". <3 lol

[SunnyBeBe]

Maybe, someone who's Mormon can chime in on this.  I know that Kody touched on it, but didn't hold any judgment.  In the Book of Mormon, isn't it a tenant of their faith that you have to be married to be a part of your own planet in your eternal life? I'm not trying to be funny, but,  I do think that with your Celestrial LIfe, you are supposed to be married and men who have more wives are given more power and glory than those who have only one wife. Not sure what you do if you have no wife.  And the more children you have the better too.( Mainstream LDS still believe that many kids are a plus, but, they no longer go for the many wives theory. )  Although, I"m not sure how it works if your children are adults and have their own planet with their own wives and children.  

Meri didn't say that she was worried about this aspect of it, but, I do wonder if it was in the back of her mind.  

Edited January 9, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[Isumpin]

I had to rewind during the Meri Kody and Robyn talk, just to make sure I saw what I thought I did. While Kody was drumming his fingers and moving his hands Robyn reached out like a mom with her hand to make him stop.  I laughed out it was so funny.  

[ginger90]

I'm posting these in the order they were tweeted by Meri. I don't think she needs to look any further than her own words to figure things out

https://mobile.twitter.com/MeriBrown1/status/818281754142248960?p=v

https://mobile.twitter.com/MeriBrown1/status/818283203286863873?p=v

[Adeejay]

21 hours ago, Armchair Critic said:

I still think Mariah is a brat

I agree.  Mariah is used to being the center of the Brown universe.  It's always about her.  Maddie and Mykelti were getting all the attention.  I can't help but believe her coming out at this time was to have the spotlight refocused on her.

[Isumpin]

4 hours ago, DakotaJustice said:

... I have seen Meri do her live sales on her LLR group and she can be quite unpleasant and snippy, plus the makeup especially the eyeshadow is excessive to say the least.

I have also and she's very rude a lot but they all fawn to get those leggings.  IT's her way or the Highway as someone said above. 

[MrSmith]

3 hours ago, Galloway Cave said:

Ooops, I know MrSmith was the one who originally wrote this! Anyhoo, the State of Utah had issued a statement about month before the Browns staged their Flight from Utah that they had investigated the Browns but had decided not to prosecute them because they found no violations. 

Sure. That works for the State of Utah perfectly well. They investigate the Browns (or make the Browns think they're being investigated), effectively run them out of town, and then once the family leaves the State's like "Well, [since they've left the state] we didn't find anything to prosecute them for". So, the State gets to have their cake and eat it, too, because they can look all magnanimous to you and other people who believe them when they say they found no violations, they get rid of the public polygamists who are a thorn in their side, and they save all kinds of money since they don't have to actually arrest, house, feed, clothe, and prosecute the adults - not to mention the public assistance the children would require since they'd be sent to foster homes. So, you can drink Utah's Kool-Aid if you want; as for me, I'll abstain because I've seen shit like that often enough in my life to know better than to trust a party (government or not) whose interests are served no matter what the outcome.

[Galloway Cave]

2 minutes ago, MrSmith said:

So, you can drink Utah's Kool-Aid if you want;

Please don't insult me. I was just giving the timeline on what happened. Utah investigated, closed the case because there wasn't anything to prosecute per their guidelines (only prosecute for welfare fraud, child abuse or domestic violence) and a month later the Browns packed and left.

[Cherry Cola]

The best/funniest part of the episode was Mykelti walking into the glass door.   I seriously laughed until I cried and rewound it about 15 times.  Yeesh.  I bet it hurt though! 

[Kohola3]

3 minutes ago, Galloway Cave said:

Utah investigated, closed the case because there wasn't anything to prosecute per their guidelines (only prosecute for welfare fraud, child abuse or domestic violence) and a month later the Browns packed and left.

Kadoofus used the whole thing to his selfish advantage.  He always wanted to live in Vegas so used the bogus persecution as the perfect excuse.  The timing says it all - they bailed a MONTH after case was dropped, not before.

[Granny58]

7 hours ago, Lm2162 said:

Over a third of kids of straight parents don't have dads in their lives. Maternal abandonment has also recently increased. The data on those situations shows that those kids suffer socially, academically, mentally and financially. The data on kids of stable lesbian and gay couples shows that they don't.

Beyond that, a *majority* of children are now born outside of a committed union. 

Maybe straight people should worry about their own issues with parental abandonment before they worry about stable gay families. 

Also, many heterosexual couples and single people use donor sperm or surrogates for infertility. Straight and/or single older or infertile women often use donor eggs. Way more than you know, because many keep it secret (since they can because there's a man and woman in the picture). Are they equally wrong? 

Finally, if people truly only want gay couples to adopt and think using donor sperm or surrogates is wrong, perhaps they should fight against the rampant discrimination against gay couples by foster and adoption agencies, should also fight for adoption to be less of an enormous financial burden, and should fight against the workplace discrimination that causes many gay couples to be financially not as well off as straight ones. Condemning people who work with the few options they've got doesn't seem to work. 

this is a false equivalence.  All crappy parents should straighten up.  The topic was that many people eventually want to find their bio-roots...and who could blame them?

6 hours ago, trose said:

Why is everyone assuming Mariah's future children will never know their father? Is it beyond imagination that she may be inseminated by a friend who takes part in her child's life and not just some anonymous doner?

actually, that would be great. 

[Granny58]

5 hours ago, laurakaye said:

I think the very best part of this episode was hearing Logan talk about how Mariah confided in him first out of all her brothers and sisters.  Testament again to the part Logan played in the lives of his siblings.

Thank you...that reminds me of something I wanted to say.  When the older sibs were all out together and Mariah said that Kody was so supportive, the one sitting next to her (??) actually almost finished her thought for her and they all agreed.  That makes me believe Kody really does feel that way (supportive and protective) as they all acknowledged it.  OK, score one for Kody.  Still, his hair's a mess.  

[CofCinci]

7 hours ago, Marigold said:

people often get stuck on minor details and overlook the big picture.

Robyn did have the best thought when she said "imagine how great it will be when Mariah comes home with someone she TRULY loves" 

Meri is missing the big picture...she is stuck on gender.  Meri misses the big picture in most things. 

Meri isn't missing the big picture. Her picture extends beyond Mariah bringing someone home. Meri is worried about her daughter's eternity.  The biggest of big pictures -- View extends from the home and into the planets.  Meri believes fully in her faith. She imagines Mariah locked away into a dark void while everyone that they love dances in the light on Kody's planet. She has existential dread for her daughter. 

Reason #47493 why I'm an Athiest. 

[Granny58]

4 hours ago, Roslyn said:

Well, I watch the show via amazon, so I can't see it until the next day.  I usually buzz through the real time conversations before bed and last night I popped over to their facebook page to amuse myself with the comments.  It was about 50/50 between sympathy for Meri or sympathy for Mariah or even outright rage that Mariah could possibly treat her mother this way.  Well.  After watching for myself today I didn't see Mariah treating Meri badly at all.  About the only thing she did that was a touch shitty was with a passive aggressive stance...say nothing, which would leave long pauses (uncomfortable ones) and Meri falls right into that trap and really stupid things just fall from her mouth to fill the silence.  First when Meri said "weird" I think she WAS talking about Mariah and she quickly corrected herself when she realized it was offensive, repeating over and over how "weird" was for HER feelings.

You know how we have compared Kody to Michael Scott??  Well, it was Meri's turn to take on the Michael Scott parallel for a moment.  When she was sitting there...completely unable to "picture in her mind" how on earth a lesbian woman could POSSIBLY have a child...all I could think of was we need Dwight Schrute to pull up next to her with a laptop and pull up a few video websites to show her.  I agree with others...MERI was looking into invetro not all that long ago...just DUH!!??  What I honestly think...and I am just judging on what her facial expression was...is that she was picturing her daughter being intimate with a woman and was skeeved by it.  THAT is what that expression was to me.

Okay...their conversation from a different point of view.  I personally have "one of those mothers"  Think...Mommie Dearest for a moment.  By the time I was 18 I was filled with rage and so when I was having conversations with my mother I'm sure that someone who had no clue of my past would think I was a nasty, bitchy brat who wasn't "grateful" for my mother.  What I see between Meri and Mariah is that there is something ELSE going on.  Something we haven't been shown.  Something beyond the catfish.  What we DO know is that Meri is stuck in a child like mind state.  Mariah was HERS, and her ONLY possession that she had as a young plig woman.  She had to share everything, but Mariah was hers.  Sure, they all sit on camera and claim that "all the kids are ours", but we see otherwise from our seats in the audience over the years. They moved to Lehi when Mariah was in the 10-ish range and so then, when Kody was spending time with Meri...it was one on one with his daughter.  I think that cemented that very close relationship he has with Mariah and doesn't seem to have with any other of the girls.  Every time he was with Christine it was a gaggle of kids...same with Janelle, but with the boys he favors.  His time with Meri was time with Mariah as an only child.  And it shows. Mariah is Daddy's little girl. 

I'll go out on a limb and take a leap...I will guess that Meri had SOMETHING deep happen in the age 9-12 range.  When she talks in the single TH segments.  She talks slow (because she has to think every little word).  She also has that odd dip her head, give a little "I know something you don't know" look, and her lips press together as she talks.  In that moment she morphs into a child, and speaks and thinks like a child.

Other people have noted that Robyn and Kody talk to her like she's a child.  She gets stuck on just one me...me...me...me...me over and over and can't seem to move forward from HER feelings, HER needs etc.  When talking to the Darger wives about how she must have her own kitchen and "do her own decorating!?" the look on her face was "WHAT....my BELIEFS have to come BEFORE my ability to decorate my OWN kitchen!!??"  The age 9-12 is an irritating age.  Kids want to be as independent as a 17 year old, but don't have the ability to reason out things to get that level of independence yet.  They also think the world is all about them and by the teen years the drama can quickly get overwhelming. Kids that age also lack the ability to recognize body language and facial expression like  a late teen to early 20 young adult. 

Meri uses other people to "buffer" when things get "hard". Just like a kid doesn't want to approach Dad with something that they think he won't react well, so they go to Mom and use her as a go between.  Meri did this with Mariah when she was young.  Mariah became Meri's security, her bestest friend, her confidant.  So when Mariah is leaving for college, Meri is losing her bestie....AND her buffer.  We've seen her use the little kids to buffer, even just the last week when she had to hold the baby physically between herself and Robyn to "discuss her trip".  AND WHY didn't she even feel the need to ever mention it to Christine and Janelle....do they not count??  HHmmmm

Meri is stuck....emotionally stuck.  Something in her life stunted her, she brought up "building a wall" when she feels rejected.  Hmmm.  She wasn't born into a polygamous family like Christine.  Her parents converted "when she was young".  How young? From the get go in the marriage she made demands that things are done because of her way, her feelings.  She is (was) the legal wife and so if Kody gets other wives SHE gets equal money and NO PDA to look at...because of her jealous feelings. 

Mariah is growing up.  Maturing into a young woman with feelings, needs and opinions of her own.  She has grown away from her emotional clinging mother.  She has stated, in a mature way that she needs space from Meri always demanding to talk about how Mariah "feels" towards Meri.  Meri can't wrap her head around it, because she isn't at the same emotional maturity that her daughter is.  Robyn speaks to her like a child....because Meri is very childlike.  They need to just put Meri into real therapy and they could probably all stop the group sessions entirely. 

OH!!!  AND....even Nancy TOLD them to STOP digging at each other on camera.  And there it was....at the beginning of the show, when Kody was talking about their trip and Meri (dripping sarcasm) blurted out "OH...we can all live in the same HOUSE again!"  The look on Kody's face was priceless.

This is one of the most insightful posting I have ever read.   

[MrSmith]

51 minutes ago, Galloway Cave said:

Please don't insult me. I was just giving the timeline on what happened. Utah investigated, closed the case because there wasn't anything to prosecute per their guidelines (only prosecute for welfare fraud, child abuse or domestic violence) and a month later the Browns packed and left.

Actually, if you look at the information available, the Browns moved to Las Vegas in 2011 and the State of Utah didn't drop the criminal case against the Browns until 1 Jun 2012.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sister_Wives

Quote

Season 2 ran 23 episodes from March 13, 2011 to November 27, 2011, though many sources refer to the episodes airing from September 25, 2011 to November 27, 2011 as Season 3. This is due to a short hiatus from June 5, 2011 to September 25, 2011.

In episode 5, Kody, Christine, and their children take a trip to Las Vegas, which we later learn is the beginning of the Browns' subsequent move to Las Vegas. The final episodes of Season 2 follow the Browns with their real estate agent Mona Riekki through their struggle to find a home in Las Vegas suitable for polygamists, telling the kids that they are moving, and the subsequent move to Las Vegas.

And from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_v._Buhman

Quote

On July 13, 2011, the Browns filed a complaint in United States District Court for the District of Utah, challenging Utah's criminal polygamy law[13] and released the following statement: <statement snipped by me>

On June 1, 2012, the criminal case against the Browns was dropped.[15]

However, the civil suit filed by the Browns remained active after U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups refused to dismiss it, saying "strategic attempt to use the mootness doctrine to evade review in this case draws into question the sincerity of [the Utah County Attorney's] contention that prosecution of plaintiffs for violating this statute is unlikely to recur."[16] The hearing on the case occurred in January 2013.

Even the courts didn't believe the State of Utah was sincere in their prosecution of the Browns! At least now you have the timelines correct, though.

[maraleia]

So I was checking Meri's twitter feed and she hasn't followed any LGBTQ sites to get any insight so I suggested some for her to follow. I was genuinely trying to help because if she doesn't get information from outside her circle she will never get it. Also, how didn't she know that Mariah was becoming her true self with all of her far left twitter posts off late. She literally is the most radical of her siblings and going away to college was what helped her get out of the bubble.

[Galloway Cave]

23 minutes ago, MrSmith said:

Even the courts didn't believe the State of Utah was sincere in their prosecution of the Browns! At least now you have the timelines correct, though.

The State wasn't even sincere in their prosecution! During the first season, Lehi PD/State of Utah initiated an investigation into the Browns to see if there was any of the violations detailed in The Primer, based on public pressure. An article ran in several online newspapers late December 2011/early January 2012 saying that there were no violations and that the Browns were not going to be prosecuted (I lived in Utah at the time and read several of the articles). It was three weeks later that the Browns moved. The timing was discussed at length at TWoP and on CJ's blog. Maybe that June 2012 date was the official closed date of the case? I don't know. But the AG had stated publicly the case was a no go before they moved. The point being, the Browns had been out and about as polygamists for years prior to the show and the state had plenty of time to go after them. And from the looks of their finances and the wives' talk about sharing food purchased with Christine's food stamps, they probably had a case. But they didn't. Apparently since The Primer was developed in 2004, the State hasn't gone after even the most horrible cases of plyg abuses, like the Kingston sect.

[SnarkyMcSnarkerson]

5 hours ago, LotusFlower said:

I've said this for years - that the show would be really interesting if it showed how a polygamous family really runs, and what tenets are behind it. What really stands out to me is how their a) religious beliefs, and b) where Kody spends his time are never discussed or shown.  Instead, it's all a fake tv drama, where we're supposed to be charmed and entertained by this large and engaging family with all these kids and a vague "cultural" quirk.  In reality, they're living what I think is a very common polygamist lifestyle - a man and his multiple families, one that centers around the man, who has as many wives as he wants, and where the wives and children are shortchanged.  But TLC would have a hard time selling ad space for that kind of show, so instead, we get all this fakery.  That's why I'll join you on Homeland!  

I suspect there would be a large audience and plenty of ad-buyers for that show - but this family only wants to be shown enjoying polygamy (nevermind that their misery is often on display on this show anyway!), so it will never happen :(