Sister Wives

This blog topic brought to you by a rather lively discussion in our latest Her Two Cents meeting.  (For more info on JMU’s premiere feminist bookclub, see this post!)

Alright, so Sister Wives.  TLC’s newest reality TV show based upon the lives of the Brown family–just your average, ordinary, every day, mundane, run-of-the-mill polygamist family living in Lehi, Utah.

Wait, what?

Yep.  One man, four wives.  Talk about a patriarchy.

Here’s a link to provide more background information about the show.  Fascinating stuff, I tell you what.

But okay here’s the thing:  As a gay American, I know how hard it is to be told that your lifestyle is unacceptable just because someone doesn’t understand it.  So I make a constant effort not to do that to anyone else.  So conceptually, I suppose I’m fine with polygamy.  Not necessarily a choice I’d make for myself, but if it is consensual and everyone involved is happy with the arrangement, than who am I to tell them not to?

But, on the other hand…

I got on somewhat of a “polygamy kick” about a year ago after reading David Ebershoff’s The 19th Wife and Elissa Wall’s autobiography Stolen Innocence about her escape from a polygamist colony.  I then proceeded to do a ton of follow up research because… well let’s face it.  This topic is FASCINATING.

And in all of my research, I didn’t come across a single polygamist woman who preached her true happiness in the situation.  Which makes me inclined to believe that something is inherently wrong with the idea of several women sharing a single man.

As if the idea of only having 1/4 of a partner in life, it is also important to remember that in the case of Sister Wives, polygamy is a one-way street.  It would be absolutely absurd for anyone to suggest that one of the wives take another husband.

What do you guys think?  Are there happy polygamist marriages out there?  What makes them work?  What hinders them?

‘Til next time,

SomethingBeany.