Women as Chattel
We recently gingerly dipped a toe courtesy DVD aftermarket into the HBO series "Big Love." There was ginger on several fronts, but probably primarily on the basis that we have all the tube-addiction or habituation we need, given sports avidity (oh so sorely tested here these last months), a certain propensity towards the Daily Show and Steven Colbert, recent discovery of Arrested Development, and assorted other interests (movies, Dancing with Anyone Who Can Stand Up, Olbermann, etc.).
But this seems to be an entertaining, surprisingly lighthearted romp through polygamy, as done by three-wife, seven-child family. Three houses, more or less making up their own cul-de-sac, both literally and figuratively. We have only seen two episodes, and are not burning for more, given other tube interests limned above and actual lives-to-be-lived. But entertainment value was pretty high on first watching. A big part of that is that already there is what seems a wholly non-LDS amount of open competition among the wives (possibly even conspiracy), not to mention relishing of amorous activity. I thought it was supposed to be just a job according to J. Smith, but these folks obviously wandered off the path. We do have the next disk racked up and ready to go.
But the perfect real-world antidote/counterpoint for me is that I just read Jon Krakauer's "Under the Banner of Heaven." A disclaimer is probably needed that I have relished every Krakauer piece I have read, and that includes I believe at least three other books and quite a few magazine articles. This book is also excellent, but more of a challenge and distinctly more gritty than his prior works given theme that weaves together a history of the violence-ridden Mormon martyrdom-adventure and specific horrifically violent familial homicide committed in the early 1990's by hard-core "fundamentalist" Mormon renegades.
I gather that there are numerous fundamentalist Mormon sects scattered around. Krakauer mentions enclaves in BC, Alberta, Oregon, Arizona, Texas, and Mexico (Utah goes without saying). The most common distinction between these groups and the mainstream Mormon church appears to be an insistence that polygamous marriage is something more-or-less insisted on by the church's prophets. The mainstream Mormon church under considerable duress officially rejected polygamy a good while back, e.g. 1890's (though practice was apparently continued in secret by church heirarchy - much as it had been practiced for years by them prior to finally sharing with the masses). The official rejection of polygamy was essential to get the Federal Government off the church's back. That seems to have worked, as I believe Mr. Romney's organization is the most rapidly-growing denomination in the world thanks largely to the very aggressive international missionary/proselytizing program that all church members are expected to participate in.
I also have the impression from Banner that the fundamentalist cults - which seem to often have very cantankerous running battles going with the mainstream LDS church - may often go even further than that church in their intolerance for other belief systems, something that is hard to countenance in this country. But equally conspicuous is that the fundamentalists appear to be even more outrageous in treating women as second-class citizens - something the LDS church is already famous for. The mainstream church in my experience tends to virge on misogyny in terms of subjugating wives to their husbands and probably even sisters to brothers.
There is a lot that is disturbing about this whole business, as you were probably already well aware of if you are awake and possessed of one of those "inquiring minds." And I've barely mentioned the cold-blooded killing with a hunting knife of sister-in-law and infant because the former counseled abused wife to seek divorce. While the material is dark, I highly commend the book to your attention. I believe it is essential that we have some sense of the range of potential behavior around us, given that most of us have a pretty limited circle of acquaintances.
You can always take the edge off with a soapy (if non-reality-based) episode of Big Love.
But this seems to be an entertaining, surprisingly lighthearted romp through polygamy, as done by three-wife, seven-child family. Three houses, more or less making up their own cul-de-sac, both literally and figuratively. We have only seen two episodes, and are not burning for more, given other tube interests limned above and actual lives-to-be-lived. But entertainment value was pretty high on first watching. A big part of that is that already there is what seems a wholly non-LDS amount of open competition among the wives (possibly even conspiracy), not to mention relishing of amorous activity. I thought it was supposed to be just a job according to J. Smith, but these folks obviously wandered off the path. We do have the next disk racked up and ready to go.
But the perfect real-world antidote/counterpoint for me is that I just read Jon Krakauer's "Under the Banner of Heaven." A disclaimer is probably needed that I have relished every Krakauer piece I have read, and that includes I believe at least three other books and quite a few magazine articles. This book is also excellent, but more of a challenge and distinctly more gritty than his prior works given theme that weaves together a history of the violence-ridden Mormon martyrdom-adventure and specific horrifically violent familial homicide committed in the early 1990's by hard-core "fundamentalist" Mormon renegades.
I gather that there are numerous fundamentalist Mormon sects scattered around. Krakauer mentions enclaves in BC, Alberta, Oregon, Arizona, Texas, and Mexico (Utah goes without saying). The most common distinction between these groups and the mainstream Mormon church appears to be an insistence that polygamous marriage is something more-or-less insisted on by the church's prophets. The mainstream Mormon church under considerable duress officially rejected polygamy a good while back, e.g. 1890's (though practice was apparently continued in secret by church heirarchy - much as it had been practiced for years by them prior to finally sharing with the masses). The official rejection of polygamy was essential to get the Federal Government off the church's back. That seems to have worked, as I believe Mr. Romney's organization is the most rapidly-growing denomination in the world thanks largely to the very aggressive international missionary/proselytizing program that all church members are expected to participate in.
I also have the impression from Banner that the fundamentalist cults - which seem to often have very cantankerous running battles going with the mainstream LDS church - may often go even further than that church in their intolerance for other belief systems, something that is hard to countenance in this country. But equally conspicuous is that the fundamentalists appear to be even more outrageous in treating women as second-class citizens - something the LDS church is already famous for. The mainstream church in my experience tends to virge on misogyny in terms of subjugating wives to their husbands and probably even sisters to brothers.
There is a lot that is disturbing about this whole business, as you were probably already well aware of if you are awake and possessed of one of those "inquiring minds." And I've barely mentioned the cold-blooded killing with a hunting knife of sister-in-law and infant because the former counseled abused wife to seek divorce. While the material is dark, I highly commend the book to your attention. I believe it is essential that we have some sense of the range of potential behavior around us, given that most of us have a pretty limited circle of acquaintances.
You can always take the edge off with a soapy (if non-reality-based) episode of Big Love.
posted by Sir Gumbo at 9:40 PM
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