When I first noticed Big Love I admit that my primary reason for picking it up was as guilty pleasure. I was intrigued. I have a love/hate relationship with Bill Paxton. He plays characters I don't really like. But, he infuses them with such passion that I am always getting caught up in them. The other thing it had going for it was that I have always liked Tom Cruise's wife from The Firm movie (I can NEVER remember her name) and I thought it was an interesting project for her to choose. I pretty much had no idea who the other two wives were played by (at the time) but as soon as I watched an episode or two I was hooked. Should have know Bill would suck me in :D
What appealed to me, deep down, is that I have an obsession with odd behavior. Particularly behavior people feel they have to hide. I think I want to understand it. And I like to get it from the source-- I prefer a first person account. Eric turned to me at the end of an episode and with sincerity asked 'WHY do you want to watch this?' In an instant I knew I had heard this same question with the same deep level of sincere concern from my mother years ago. See, as a teen I used to read as many books on bulimia and anorexia as I could get my hands on. Again, first hand accounts. Much to the confusion of my mother. I think she thought I was actually doing research on how to do it and how to hide it! I wasn't!! But, I can totally see why she thought this and I can only imagine how her imagination must have been running away.
So, while waiting for Big Love's Final Season to come to video, (I should mention here we don't have cable) I had a trial membership to Netflix (side note: LOVE Netflix instant streaming! LOVE it!) and my sister mentioned a show called Sister Wives to me. Now, HERE was a first person account. A TRUE version of Big Love. I didn't think that would ever happen except maybe on 20/20. WOW, I really can't believe they got them to agree to do this because, you know, it's illegal and they are on TV blatantly doing it. Crazy.
So, to answer Eric's question: Firstly, to me bigamy is interesting to look at especially for the Christian. I mean it's all over the place in the Old Testament. I find it odd that we are SO opposed to it now like we can't imagine people would have EVER participated in it. It almost strikes me as if we are distancing ourselves from it. Like slavery, or Nazi Germany. I mean, granted that is WAY back compared to those events, but it's still a part of our history. It's in the BIBLE people.
Secondly, it seems to me the marriage equivalent to Socialism. A beautiful theory that couldn't quite play out. It SHOULD work. It SHOULD be more efficient.The wife who wants to work can have children and go to her job knowing they are loved and cared for. The wife who wants to have alot of babies around her all the time can do just that. But, human emotions get in the way. For Socialism, it was greed and competitiveness. For bigamy, jealousy and self-doubt begin to creep in.
I think it's interesting. I like to study it. I don't want to try it (so don't get any ideas Eric!). But, that's how my mind works. I like to play with ideas and then just move on. I truly believe that it's ok to look into something that may be dangerous or unhealthy. I am like a spelunker, tethering myself to the truth while I take my rope and venture into the unknown. But, I don't cut the rope and stay in the dark cave-- I follow my rope back out. Not all who wander are lost.
Let me know your thoughts. Do you watch these shows? Did you read about bulimia and anorexia as a kid and freak out your parents? Do you have deep social implication thoughts about what is supposed to be mindless escape tv? Or is that just me? :D
I think on both shows, the little I've seen it does not work. The wife's are jelouse of the new young wife. And the bible stories where we get to see the women it does not work either. The man always pefers one wife to another. I think what would work is single mothers being room mates :)
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting you mention that. I just saw that discussed in a magazine and the author was saying that that was a completely ideal setup because two moms know JUST what the other needs help with. But, as always there is a problem. She cautioned that it gets complicated when one of the moms starts dating someone seriously. Thanks for the comment, Laura!
DeleteThis made me think of something else. I could totally see that happening, I could also see one mom taking on more of the burden than the other mom. Do the TV shows talk about the wife's being a status symbol? Because you do have to have money to support multiple women. Like in Biblical days the more wife's and concubines you had, the more wealthy you were. We typically do not call them concubines today, but Hugh Heffner would be one example of a man who provides financially for the women he has. They say in a nice home, he buys them nice cars, they have a several thousand dollar a month allowance, and when they do leave him, if they give a reason for leaving, its usually an emotional one. He could not meet their emotional needs, ie marriage, babies etc.
ReplyDeleteNice modern day application, Laura, with the Hugh Heffner reference! I think that just goes show that it is still going on today. We just call it something different now. How is a guy who divorces and marries over and over any different? At least this guy is trying to honestly take care of, love, and provide for all the wives. That alone makes him better than alot of the deadbeats out there.
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