Season 9 Spoilers, Speculation & Social Media

[kicotan]

6 hours ago, sharkerbaby said:

And for the record, I would be vehemently opposed to legalizing polygamous marriages in any way shape or form.

Confession: I'm insatiably curious.

if you would be willing to indulge my curiosity, why are you so opposed?

[Kohola3]

Logistically and monetarily, legalized polygamy would be a nightmare.  Consider employer provided health insurance.  Think of what it would cost a company to pay insurance benefits for the Brown Clowns – 4 wives and a bazillion kids.  I can only assume that my co-pays would rise to pay for their coverage.  As a single person, I already subsidize ”married with kids” employees with disproportionately higher co-pays than my married friends.

How about Social Security benefits?  How could that even be calculated?  The government already does a crappy job at this – now throw in a basket of wives who have been with the man differing lengths of time.  Who gets what?

Medical decision making in cases where there are differing opinions.  Does each parent get an equal vote?  Does it differ by “length of service” to the man?  Only the biological parents?  Can each family do it differently?

How is income tax handled?  Would the Browns get five times the deductions for filing “married”?  Does each of the kids count as a deduction?  They’d never pay a cent in taxes but would still reap the benefits of welfare at the same time.

Just some thoughts…..

Edited February 24, 2018 by Kohola3

[TresGatos]

21 hours ago, LilWharveyGal said:

I'm not a twitterer either and can't even figure out how to embed the nifty screenshots.  Here's a transcript of the conversation:

Audrey Kriss:  *pulling my cup of noodle out of the microwave at my internship as someone walks up*  How's the intern life going?  I'm guessing your an intern right?  Yep.  I am a poor, hungry, intern.

Mariah:  I made you leftovers & you didn't take them...

Audrey Kriss:  OH YEAH.  I was in a hurry this morning and COMPLETELY forgot. Thank youuuu

Meri Brown:  I bet you guys can't wait till you move home!  :)

Maybe they're pitching a spinoff show with Meri, Mariah, Audrey and the Moms (Meri & Christine's) and their wacky adventures running a B&B.

[kicotan]

@Kohola3

Thanks for your reply.

Not that I think Kody's dream of polygamy will come true in his lifetime, but certain aspects of the topics you mentioned really need an overhaul, at the very least.  Like you, a single person, subsidizing government or employer welfare for married persons.  Why should you have to shoulder another's financial burden just because they chose to marry and/or have kids?  Where's the "Singles March" to protest the institutionalized discrimination of non-married persons?

Another example is Social Security spousal beneficiaries.  80 years ago, when it was implemented, our American society was a bit different.  It was assumed that when a man and woman got married, he'd be the breadwinner and she would be a housewife, so since she was surrendering her potential to earn income, she "deserved" to be provided for after his passing by way of receiving his social security benefit.  Why aren't feminists outraged at the patronizing sentiment of that aspect of Social Security?

I speculate that the best Kody can hope for would be for the government to say "ok fine, spiritually marry and cohabitate with any consenting adult(s) of your choosing, but for the purpose of government benefit, you may only pick one and that will be, for legal purposes, your spouse.  Have a nice day"

[ginger90]

An older tweet from Kody: (there are a bunch of pictures with the story)

[Kohola3]

It's a murr-cle....they totally escaped arrest!  What an incredible relief.  But, wait, now what boogie man will they use to avoid Utah in the future?

And, wow, a whole 100 people showed up....until the crowd swelled with TCL camera crews.  Pathetic.  Give it up, morons.

[xwordfanatik]

Was that the knighted one, Caleb, in the front of one of the pictures?  What a suck-up.  Ew.

[AZChristian]

1 hour ago, Kohola3 said:

And, wow, a whole 100 people showed up....

Wouldn't the Brown and Darger families alone made up half of that?

[Roslyn]

well...it was one hell of a family reunion!!

;)

[Gothish520]

5 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

It's a murr-cle....they totally escaped arrest!  What an incredible relief.  But, wait, now what boogie man will they use to avoid Utah in the future?

And, wow, a whole 100 people showed up....until the crowd swelled with TCL camera crews.  Pathetic.  Give it up, morons.

100 people doesn't sound too shabby. I wouldnt have expected that many, actually. 

[Kohola3]

6 hours ago, Gothish520 said:

100 people doesn't sound too shabby.

With the population of Utah and the number of polygamists there?  Like AZChristian said, a couple of families would be that number.  The Kingston clan numbers into the thousands!

[Sandy W]

47 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

With the population of Utah and the number of polygamists there?  Like AZChristian said, a couple of families would be that number.  The Kingston clan numbers into the thousands!

Kody was probably counted 3 times, he would be frenetically racing around to wherever the cameras were.

[neh]

On ‎2‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 10:21 AM, TresGatos said:

Maybe they're pitching a spinoff show with Meri, Mariah, Audrey and the Moms (Meri & Christine's) and their wacky adventures running a B&B.

NO, NO, NO,NO!

[DakotaJustice]

2 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

With the population of Utah and the number of polygamists there?  Like AZChristian said, a couple of families would be that number.  The Kingston clan numbers into the thousands!

They probably decided not to participate once they saw it was going to be The Kody Show. 

[Gothish520]

2 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

With the population of Utah and the number of polygamists there?  Like AZChristian said, a couple of families would be that number.  The Kingston clan numbers into the thousands!

The Kingstons are nuts. I would think the Browns and Dargers would be appalled if they showed up!

[Kohola3]

8 minutes ago, Gothish520 said:

I would think the Browns and Dargers would be appalled if they showed up!

Why?  It was a march to legalize polygamy.  Come one, come all - you are hardly worth a paragraph in a local paper with 100 people. Wanna make a news splash - encourage all polygamists to show up and make a statement. 

You can't march for polygamy for only "not nuts" people, it doesn't work that way.  That's part of what is so disturbing about the lack of thinking beyond themselves with these idiots.  If that law passes, the Kingstons are as legal as the Browns. 

[Gothish520]

2 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Why?  It was a march to legalize polygamy.  Come one, come all - you are hardly worth a paragraph in a local paper with 100 people. Wanna make a news splash - encourage all polygamists to show up and make a statement. 

You can't march for polygamy for only "not nuts" people, it doesn't work that way.  That's part of what is so disturbing about the lack of thinking beyond themselves with these idiots.  If that law passes, the Kingstons are as legal as the Browns. 

Oooh, that is a good point. I guess they feel you have to take the good with the bad. The Kingstons are certainly guilty of much worse abuses than cohabitation though. Unfortunately, rights for all usually includes those that don't deserve it as well as those that do. 

[the-grey-lady]

On 2/23/2018 at 9:46 AM, LilWharveyGal said:

I'm not a twitterer either and can't even figure out how to embed the nifty screenshots.  Here's a transcript of the conversation:

Audrey Kriss:  *pulling my cup of noodle out of the microwave at my internship as someone walks up*  How's the intern life going?  I'm guessing your an intern right?  Yep.  I am a poor, hungry, intern.

Mariah:  I made you leftovers & you didn't take them...

Audrey Kriss:  OH YEAH.  I was in a hurry this morning and COMPLETELY forgot. Thank youuuu

Meri Brown:  I bet you guys can't wait till you move home!  :)

If this is the kind of scintillating byplay we have to look forward to, I am hoping against hope that TLC is NOT planning some kind of Sister Wives: TNG spinoff. I think I fell asleep more than once while reading that exchange.

[Gothish520]

4 minutes ago, the-grey-lady said:

If this is the kind of scintillating byplay we have to look forward to, I am hoping against hope that TLC is NOT planning some kind of Sister Wives: TNG spinoff. I think I fell asleep more than once while reading that exchange.

LOL. That's why people hope for drama on social media - something to break up the monotony of selfies, what people are having for lunch, and what they're watching on tv. Many people think their life is way more fascinating than it actually is.

[TammyInNH]

Looooong time lurker, first time poster, I think !!!!!

I love all the snark on this forum LOL.  Also, I (like others here) don't even have to watch the show to keep up with it thanks to the posts here LOL.

Anyway, the current was filmed what ... like 14 months ago ??? More than a year ago !!   Don't you all think Sister Wives is done then ??

 

Tammy

[Meowwww]

what I don’t get is this:  Kody et al want polygamy legalized.  So this means he wants all the Warren Jeffs type legalized?   Because most plural families aren’t like his. 

[Roslyn]

3 minutes ago, Meowwww said:

what I don’t get is this:  Kody et al want polygamy legalized.  So this means he wants all the Warren Jeffs type legalized?   Because most plural families aren’t like his. 

Actually no.  They don't want it legalized, they want it to be decriminalized.  No other state in the United States has a felony law on the books that says basically if you live with a woman who you are not legally married to, and call her your wife even through religious reasons...that's illegal.  It's not the same as bigamy which is actually getting two marriage certificates and marrying two different women, but just stating that you are spiritually married is what the Utah laws state.  The powers that be in Utah have stated that they are not removing those statutes but they aren't actively pursuing JUST polygamy, they only will use those laws when there are other abuses like fraud or abuse.  If it were legal then the polygamist families couldn't have all those single mothers getting state welfare etc, and they certainly don't want that. 

[Cara]

On 2/23/2018 at 4:53 PM, sharkerbaby said:

alright, so if it's just so silly and insane to even think it would ever happen, what's the big deal to simply repeal the law regarding cohabitation? why not just take it off the books and remove all doubt?  

 

In addition to the other reasons mentioned I think mainstream Mormans, who  make up the majority of Utah’s population are embarrassed by their religion’s history with polygamy. They are stigmatized by it. And want to have a law on the books that says “look we aren’t like that anymore.” 

Edited February 26, 2018 by Cara

[Mothra]

On 2/23/2018 at 1:30 PM, Gothish520 said:

Not that I think being on tv is all negative, even for the Browns. I really feel they have broken down barriers, at least with regard to how polygamist families are perceived. That's not to say that it has made people want to run out and become polygamists. Probably just the opposite, lol. But I, for one, don't paint all plural families with the same brush now. It still looks like a terrible lifestyle for women, and I couldn't do it and wouldn't do it, ever. But they've definitely removed some stigmas, or at least made people realize that not all plygs are gross pedophiles.

I came here this a.m. after watching the plyg demonstration on tv last night to ask someone to help me, a dangerous feminist, to understand how polygamy is so bad for women, based on what we see of the Browns.  And I'm with gothish--as I often am--in having a new view of polygamy thanks to this show (I guess we drank the Brown Koolaid) (brown koolaid--yuk!), but I feel so strongly that this kind of "marriage" is wrong for women, that it removes power from them--and then the devil on my other shoulder says to me, "what do you care?  These Brown wives say they're happy, and it doesn't look like their asshole husband abuses them, so why shouldn't they live as they please?"

On the other hand, I find it telling that so far I've not heard one of their children, male or female, say they plan to have a marriage like their parents'.  This may of course change in the future, but judging from the photos we've seen Kody was pretty young when he embarked on his male fantasy.  I think the kids know something(s) we aren't privy to--well, of course they do--and I'd like to see an in-depth interview with some of the older ones about any drawbacks of growing up in a polygamous family.

And as many have pointed out, there's no way we could legalize polygamy, if only on the basis of finances like social security and tax law, so that's right off the table.  And surely the Browns aren't agitating for legalizing their way of life.

Kody kept talking about his "freedom," comparing his situation to other disenfranchised groups, and the other guy actually talked about the fact that since they're all so conservative they have historically not been interested in fighting for the rights of others, so they really can't expect support from the NAACP or LGBTQ groups.  I appreciated that he understood and confessed to that, but my jaw is dislocated from its drop that he would compare his situation to that of groups that have faced genuine discrimination.  It appears to me that unless the family members make a big deal about their situation, there are no real bars to employment or any other aspect of modern life.  As far as I can tell, the only "freedom" Kody is missing is his own belief that he can't move back to Utah.

And another thing:  If the Browns won their case in a lower court, and SCOTUS refused to hear the appeal, then the ruling of the lower court would stand.  Did Kody leave something out about this court stuff?

Edited February 27, 2018 by Mothra
"grown up" is not the same as "growing up"

[DakotaJustice]

2 hours ago, Mothra said:

 

And another thing:  If the Browns won their case in a lower court, and SCOTUS refused to hear the appeal, then the ruling of the lower court would stand.  Did Kody leave something out about this court stuff?

 

Indeed he did. 

http://www.newsweek.com/sister-wives-polygamy-lawsuit-446855

 

Eta - from what I've read the HR99 that the "March" was protesting was intended to close loopholes and stop what amounts to nuisance lawsuits like the Brown lawsuit. 

I still feel that the main reason for the suit to begin with was for publicity/plot purposes. If memory serves, the Browns never bothered to appear in court to defend their stand - it was the Dargers doing the legwork. 

Edited February 27, 2018 by DakotaJustice

[Jazzhands]

Kody did indeed leave something out, namely the decision of the federal court of appeals, which vacated the opinion of the district court in favor of the Browns and held that the Browns lacked legal standing to challenge Utah’s polygamy law because they faced no credible threat of being prosecuted under it.  The Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from that decision, which is now the final legal word on the matter. 

None of that plays into the narrative of the most recent episode, “Risking Arrest” (because they were not, in fact, risking arrest), so I’m sure that’s why it was ignored. 

[Gothish520]

1 hour ago, DakotaJustice said:

Indeed he did. 

http://www.newsweek.com/sister-wives-polygamy-lawsuit-446855

 

Eta - from what I've read the HR99 that the "March" was protesting was intended to close loopholes and stop what amounts to nuisance lawsuits like the Brown lawsuit. 

I still feel that the main reason for the suit to begin with was for publicity/plot purposes. If memory serves, the Browns never bothered to appear in court to defend their stand - it was the Dargers doing the legwork. 

I wonder if it's because the Browns don't live in Utah and the Dargers still do? Kody says he wants/hopes to move back to Utah some day, but even if he doesn't, I understand why he would still want to fight to decriminalize polygamy.

[Kohola3]

2 hours ago, Gothish520 said:

Kody says he wants/hopes to move back to Utah some day, but even if he doesn't, I understand why he would still want to fight to decriminalize polygamy.

Because it's a desperate attempt at remaining on TV.  He'll do anything including having them film the march and then air it a year later when 1) we know what didn't happen and 2) don't care.  I'm sure he's throwing hairbrained ideas at TLC by the handufl just to see if one will stick.  Otherwise, it's back to food stamps.

[Gothish520]

39 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Because it's a desperate attempt at remaining on TV.  He'll do anything including having them film the march and then air it a year later when 1) we know what didn't happen and 2) don't care.  I'm sure he's throwing hairbrained ideas at TLC by the handufl just to see if one will stick.  Otherwise, it's back to food stamps.

LOL, if I were in his position I'd try to keep things going as well. 

As for not caring, of course, many people don't care. I don't care about a lot of things that happen in the world. Aside from not wishing them harm (because, as a decent human being, I don't make it a practice to wish ill will on people), I don't care one whit about the Duggars or Whitney Thore or the Kardashians or The Chrissleys or the thousand other people who have reality shows. But I still find this family interesting, and find their fight for what they believe in interesting. It sure seems to rile some people up though, which is highly amusing.

[Kohola3]

20 minutes ago, Gothish520 said:

It sure seems to rile some people up though, which is highly amusing.

Perhaps they object to things like welfare abuse (Christine and her "food pantry"), multiple bankruptcies, no health care insurance - all of which costs tax paying citizens and means subsidizing their "lifestyle".  I don't find that amusing at all.  More like blood sucking in the name of "god told me it's OK".

[AZChristian]

1 hour ago, Kohola3 said:

Perhaps they object to things like welfare abuse (Christine and her "food pantry"), multiple bankruptcies, no health care insurance - all of which costs tax paying citizens and means subsidizing their "lifestyle".  I don't find that amusing at all.  More like blood sucking in the name of "god told me it's OK".

Several of the kids had "no insurance" fines added to speeding/not stopping for stop sign tickets a few years ago.

[Celia Rubenstein]

Wait, didn't they just talk about how much they have to pay in insurance for all the kids they have driving now? It was said in an interview during the scene about all the cars that had to be moved to get the trailer of Maddy's junk into the driveway. They counted up something like 15 or 18 drivers they had to pay for.

If they couldn't afford insurance for a couple of kids who were driving a few years ago, I don't know how they're paying for all those kids to have insurance now. I suspect they DON'T.

 No wonder it felt like they were over explaining. They were most likely lying. 

[AZChristian]

1 minute ago, Celia Rubenstein said:

Wait, didn't they just talk about how much they have to pay in insurance for all the kids they have driving now? It was said in an interview during the scene about all the cars that had to be moved to get the trailer of Maddy's junk into the driveway. They counted up something like 15 or 18 drivers they had to pay for.

If they couldn't afford insurance for a couple of kids who were driving a few years ago, I don't know how they're paying for all those kids to have insurance now. I suspect they DON'T.

 No wonder it felt like they were over explaining. They were most likely lying. 

Either that, or they finally realized that - in the long run - insurance premiums end up being cheaper than fines for NOT having insurance.

Or they're lying.

[Celia Rubenstein]

I don't know ... insurance for 15 drivers, a lot of them under 21, vs. the occasional fine ...

I did a really quick search and it looks like the fine it would be somewhere between $500 to $1000. I don't how much it will cost to have insurance for all those kids, tho..I could see them taking a gamble and counting on fines to be less expensive than insurance.  I don't know what would happen if one of the kids was in an accident and got sued ... Maybe they're just counting on God's special grace to protect them all, you know .... the way the Duggars do !

[Kyanight]

9 minutes ago, Celia Rubenstein said:

I don't know ... insurance for 15 drivers, a lot of them under 21, vs. the occasional fine ...

I did a really quick search and it looks like the fine it would be somewhere between $500 to $1000. I don't how much it will cost to have insurance for all those kids, tho..I could see them taking a gamble and counting on fines to be less expensive than insurance.  I don't know what would happen if one of the kids was in an accident and got sued ... Maybe they're just counting on God's special grace to protect them all, you know .... the way the Duggars do !

 

Three of my sons are under the age of 25 and they are on my car insurance because it is cheaper.  (At least in the state of Colorado).  Farmer's insurance.  We pay over $900 a month for four cars.   I got an estimate from Allstate and Progressive and it was almost identical.  I don't want to do "The General" or whatnot because I want to KNOW that if any of us have an accident, it will be taken care of quickly and professionally.   Honda Accord 2013, PT Cruiser 2006, Jeep Compass 2015 and Mazda whatever the hell it is 2013.

[Celia Rubenstein]

So keeping it really simple and using your figures ... 4 cars, $900...

If the Browns are insuring 16 cars, it could cost roughly $3600 a month.  

 Let's actually take the five adults out of it ... deduct $1,100 dollars a month. It would still cost over $2500 a month for those kids to all be insured, versus a couple of them racking up a fine of maybe thousand dollars a year. 

$2500 x 12 = $ 30,000 a year just for the kids. Pay that or roll the dice you may have to pay ... $5000 in fines. ? 

Even if you cut that figure in half down to $15,000 I would bet they are allowing a significant number of those kids to drive uninsured. 

 Of course I am just *totally* speculating and using wildly rough approximations of costs and fines etc. I am not an insurance agent or a Las Vegas traffic cop and I cannot guarantee anything I've said is true or accurate ?

Edited February 27, 2018 by Celia Rubenstein

[Mothra]

8 hours ago, DakotaJustice said:

Indeed he did. 

http://www.newsweek.com/sister-wives-polygamy-lawsuit-446855

 

Eta - from what I've read the HR99 that the "March" was protesting was intended to close loopholes and stop what amounts to nuisance lawsuits like the Brown lawsuit. 

I still feel that the main reason for the suit to begin with was for publicity/plot purposes. If memory serves, the Browns never bothered to appear in court to defend their stand - it was the Dargers doing the legwork. 

Thank you, Dakota--this excerpt says it all and illustrates your point:

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said on Monday that District Judge Clark Waddoups, who ruled in the 2013 decision, shouldn’t have considered Brown’s lawsuit because his family never faced charges related to bigamy and don’t face the threat of persecution.

(Italics mine)

[Kohola3]

25 minutes ago, Mothra said:

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said on Monday that District Judge Clark Waddoups, who ruled in the 2013 decision, shouldn’t have considered Brown’s lawsuit because his family never faced charges related to bigamy and don’t face the threat of persecution.

But............it got them another TLC episode and a chance to blather on about their downtrodden status.  So scored a win there by filming an incredibly boring episode about absolutely, well, nothing.

[ginger90]

If they have loans on any of the vehicles, they would have to carry insurance here. Does that vary by state?

Edited February 28, 2018 by ginger90

[DakotaJustice]

In California, you're required to carry at least minimum liability insurance. The carriers report it all to the DMV electronically including cancellations and non-renewals. 

Also, 18 drivers? Seems a bit high. 

Kody and the wives - that's 5. 

Mariah, Logan, Mykelti, Maddie aren't dependents. 

Janelle's kids - Savannah is too young. Logan is gone. As is Maddie. Does Hunter need to be on the policy or not? 

Christine's kids - not sure about Aspyn's status. Paedon is 18. Truely obviously too young. Don't recall the ages of the remaining 2. 

Robyn - I think one of her girls is driving age plus Dayton. Can he drive with his eye issue? 

So 12 of driving age? 

[AZChristian]

45 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

If they have loans on any of the vehicles, they would have to carry insurance here. Does that vary by state?

If they don't carry insurance on financed vehicles, the financing bank or loan company will insure it . . . and you don't even want to THINK about how much more that costs.

[Meowwww]

3 hours ago, Celia Rubenstein said:

So keeping it really simple and using your figures ... 4 cars, $900...

If the Browns are insuring 16 cars, it could cost roughly $3600 a month.  

 Let's actually take the five adults out of it ... deduct $1,100 dollars a month. It would still cost over $2500 a month for those kids to all be insured, versus a couple of them racking up a fine of maybe thousand dollars a year. 

$2500 x 12 = $ 30,000 a year just for the kids. Pay that or roll the dice you may have to pay ... $5000 in fines. ? 

Even if you cut that figure in half down to $15,000 I would bet they are allowing a significant number of those kids to drive uninsured. 

 Of course I am just *totally* speculating and using wildly rough approximations of costs and fines etc. I am not an insurance agent or a Las Vegas traffic cop and I cannot guarantee anything I've said is true or accurate ?

Good god.  When the show quits airing they will all lose not only their homes but cars too

[Kohola3]

7 minutes ago, Meowwww said:

When the show quits airing they will all lose not only their homes but cars too

Well, since a number of them had to be manually pushed out of the way, one wonders how many are actually drive-able.

[Normades]

I wonder if Audrey and Mariah move home, would they be permitted to share a room? I can't imagine them allowing a straight, unmarried couple sharing a room.

[neh]

On ‎2‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 6:33 PM, ginger90 said:

An older tweet from Kody: (there are a bunch of pictures with the story)

Does that young woman in the picture have a beard?

[DakotaJustice]

4 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Well, since a number of them had to be manually pushed out of the way, one wonders how many are actually drive-able.

non operational vehicles don't need to be insured, at least not in California. 

I wonder how the neighbors in the cul de sac feel about having a bunch of junkers next door? 

[AZChristian]

At one point, Kody was the president of the HOA . . . maybe he told the rest of the residents that they'd put it to a vote.  LOL.

[xwordfanatik]

11 hours ago, neh said:

Does that young woman in the picture have a beard?

Looks like dirt to me.  I can't really tell.

 

11 hours ago, DakotaJustice said:

non operational vehicles don't need to be insured, at least not in California. 

I wonder how the neighbors in the cul de sac feel about having a bunch of junkers next door? 

They're all wishing to God those stupid plygs never moved to their cul-de-suck.  Neighbors from Hell?!

[Meowwww]

15 hours ago, neh said:

Does that young woman in the picture have a beard?

Zoomed in and it looks like maybe there was a spot on the camera lens....raindrop?   No beard when zoomed in. 

[neh]

5 hours ago, AZChristian said:

At one point, Kody was the president of the HOA . . . maybe he told the rest of the residents that they'd put it to a vote.  LOL.

I think that he became HOA because all the wives had a vote.