Sister Wives

[barkley]

They're not even friends though. She has zero relationship with Cody. She stays for herself. She NEEDS to be a victim, always. She can't be "poor Meri" if she leaves the family. If she really was committed to the Family she'd demand better treatment from Cody as a family member even if he sees her as an exwife. He doesn't even acknowledge her half the time. But why demand respect when that would change Poor Meri? Poor Meri and Sobbin Robin are quite the match

i agree to an extent but i also think this is meri's way of punishing kody for his neglect and mistreatment over the years. meri was legally married to kody but mainstream lds nor their offshoots hold this as binding as a 'spiritual marriage'*. be it temple sealing for mainstream or whatever the offshoots do-that is FOR ETERNITY, and anyone who has even a tiny bit of belief in the faith will never sever a spiritual marriage. you notice that with kody it's been 'i keep telling meri-you can leave the marriage' never 'my marriage with meri is over'-he's putting the choice of what the faithful perceive as an absolutely not to be done action on her so that she would bear the social and spiritual consequences. meri knows this, knows it drives kody crazy that she won't leave but knows that since kody still claims to have lds related faith-he will never allow himself as a faithful to end the spiritual marriage.


*my knowledge of spiritual vs. legal marriages is largely based on being friends with a large mainstream lds community when i was in my teens/early 20's. it was not uncommon b/c we lived within a few hours of a state that did drive through marriages, for young sexually eager lds couples to run off on a friday night, get legally married so they could engage in sexual activity for a week or two and then turn around and get the marriage annulled b/c sexual relations between married (by any means) adults was acceptable in the church BUT once you were spiritually married and sealed in the temple-divorce was unforgivable. it was known as 'practice marriages' (and i knew people who had several before their 'real marriage').

 

[ronandannette]

I’m not sure how literal she was being, but Christine did say she wanted Truely to have a room of her own at Robyn’s.

Well, if that's what she said, I see that as unreasonable. Especially since it is/was her plan to relocate with Truely, which would mean it would sit empty almost all the time. What on earth would be wrong with the sisters sharing a room? I'd imagine her comment (if that is what she meant, I personally don't remember hearing it) was more about wanting Kody to make a gesture towards Truely, more than anything else.

 

[wenrob]

i agree to an extent but i also think this is meri's way of punishing kody for his neglect and mistreatment over the years. meri was legally married to kody but mainstream lds nor their offshoots hold this as binding as a 'spiritual marriage'*. be it temple sealing for mainstream or whatever the offshoots do-that is FOR ETERNITY, and anyone who has even a tiny bit of belief in the faith will never sever a spiritual marriage. you notice that with kody it's been 'i keep telling meri-you can leave the marriage' never 'my marriage with meri is over'-he's putting the choice of what the faithful perceive as an absolutely not to be done action on her so that she would bear the social and spiritual consequences. meri knows this, knows it drives kody crazy that she won't leave but knows that since kody still claims to have lds related faith-he will never allow himself as a faithful to end the spiritual marriage.


*my knowledge of spiritual vs. legal marriages is largely based on being friends with a large mainstream lds community when i was in my teens/early 20's. it was not uncommon b/c we lived within a few hours of a state that did drive through marriages, for young sexually eager lds couples to run off on a friday night, get legally married so they could engage in sexual activity for a week or two and then turn around and get the marriage annulled b/c sexual relations between married (by any means) adults was acceptable in the church BUT once you were spiritually married and sealed in the temple-divorce was unforgivable. it was known as 'practice marriages' (and i knew people who had several before their 'real marriage').

You are 100% right on Spiritual Marriage. My mother never married my dad or her second husband in the Temple but she did my stepdad. Once she married my stepdad in the temple it was basically like the other marriages never happened. My stepdad is for “Eternity” even if she had split with him. I’ve tried to explain this as the reason Meri won’t leave in this thread several times. She’s a believer and as such her soul is on the line. A little hell on Earth is worth it to her vs being cast out in her Eternal life. There they will all be one big happy family again. (FTR I don’t believe any of this, I walked away at 16 and was excommunicated at 19)

I’ve never heard of these practice marriages, all my cousins were married and having babies right out of high school but I can believe it.

Somehow Sister Wives TikTok found me and one lady had a pretty interesting perspective. Listen to the things Robyn and Meri say. They’re parroting Kody, trying to keep the peace with him, walking on eggshells around him, trying to fix things. Abused women do this. I thought it was a pretty good take on it.

 

[barkley]

Somehow Sister Wives TikTok found me and one lady had a pretty interesting perspective. Listen to the things Robyn and Meri say. They’re parroting Kody, trying to keep the peace with him, walking on eggshells around him, trying to fix things. Abused women do this. I thought it was a pretty good take on it.

both myself and dh remarked on this while watching and it's like he's scripted for them responses on what he's going to bring up. janelle has said as much in the media-

"In a solo interview about the exchange, Kody's second wife Janelle Brown told cameras it was odd to watch Robyn accuse Christine of lying because she'd known the pair were having problems for a long time. She said she felt like Robyn and Kody (who was present for the conversation, which took place in Christine's backyard) were trying to "invalidate Christine, just tell her that she's being crazy" and leaving the family "on a whim."

it seems a matter of pick and choose (i suspect on kody's direction) on how much each of the wives know of each other's relationships and how it's revelation becomes public-

" it was a rare moment of tense dialogue between the women of the Brown family, who don't usually talk about their individual relationships with Kody to each other."

yet in sunday's episode robyn is quick to respond (a.k.a.-recite from rehearsals with kody)
(after christine said that some of the kids in the family told her that they saw that her marriage to kody had been struggling since they lived in las vegas) with a a response that seems to me was clearly planned to address issues that involved janelle (oopsie robyn???)-


"in vegas? OK, that's a lie,"

"'cause I remember the conversations, I remember what was going on," robyn added "I remember janelle and kody making their relationship better than it ever had been".



dh knows and lived the concept under another faith that he left prior to our marriage. he warned me ahead of time when we went to visit his still practicing family but it was/is still disconcerting to both of us to hear women reduced to being parrots of whatever is said or put forth by their husband (and in many cases-their sons and any and all male family members down to young preteen children).

 

[sarah4770]

A few years ago there was a poster on this board, who was “quiverful”, meaning she kep reproducing, because it was her religions belief. It wasn’t until her husband got arrested for sex trafficking minors, that she got a job and left him. So I really don’t judge women who were brought up in a cult. It takes a lot of deprogramming . And a lot of strength to get out.
so christines role was to be the “ nurturer”. And while I don’t really like Christine, I do empathize with her and I feel like she took some very scary steps to be free. And also set a good example for her daughters. So i don’t blast her.
edit: this was meant to be a quote of someone who quoted me. It did not go through.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Gwendlyn is now on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/gwendlynbrown?utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan

Some interesting comments coming out. (cut and paste from REDDIT below).
Also mention elsewhere that some of the siblings have called Kody on his favouritism and he says "he prefers those who prefer him". If I find that comment I'll post it here.

• Someone asked her if Janelle has left Kody yet, she said she doesn’t know she hasn’t watched the show (Sidebar: makes me think Janelle has left but she isn't sure if it has appeared on the show yet??)
• Logan’s wedding was assigned seating. She said Kody was seated next to his “wife” (emphasis on wife).
• No love lost between her and Robyn - she said some disparaging comments (I can’t remember what) then laughed and said “just kidding we love everyone in the family” then laughed again sarcastically.
• She does not speak to Paedon and never will again. She said she doesn’t wish anybody dead except him. Yikes.
• Someone asked if Kody is as abusive in real life and he is on TV and she said that he was an absent father but she understands him because he was thrown into plural marriage without knowing if it’s something he wanted himself. She says he’s a lot better now and working on healing himself.
• She says Kody supports Leon and is not transphobic.

 

[CdnCarrie]

 

[CdnCarrie]

 

[CdnCarrie]

Again not mine - cut and pasted from elsewhere.



Gwen did an Ig live too.

Kody does watch the show and he called her when he saw her say that she thought her parents should have divorced a long time ago. He told her he was hurt by that but that he forgives her. And he hopes she forgives him too.

She said her dad is "worse" than he is on the show but she thinks he's getting better and healing. (in comments she says she sees him about once a month maybe)

All the kids behaved better when the cameras around (lol)

Gwen watched just the first episode this season but most of the kids don't watch anymore.

She doesn't like Robyn at all.

She thinks "Meri is a sweetie but she's just really busy now."

She likes Aurora.

Her favorite Brown is Ysabel and Christine.

Christine is doing amazing and loving her life and is the best.

 

[sk!mom]

What did I miss? Why such hate for Paedon?

 

[mom2rtk]

What did I miss? Why such hate for Paedon?

At some point (not sure which season) Christine made a comment that they couldn't leave Gwen and Paedon home with each other. I guess at some point he had hit her. No idea if this was typical sibling squabbling or something more.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Paedon has also not been supportive of Gwen coming out. Sounds like he bullied her as a child.
Maybe issues with him being only boy with absentee dad?
He has mentioned hitting his sister (back when in Vegas) on TikTok and apologized.

 

[barkley]

just finished watching this week's 'little people big world'-matt roloff and kody seem to be taking notes from the same parenting books. yeah-bad mouthing all your children and how badly they've turned out while whining about how you can't understand why they are estranged from you is guaranteed to have them running back to you

 

[prairie_girl]

just finished watching this week's 'little people big world'-matt roloff and kody seem to be taking notes from the same parenting books. yeah-bad mouthing all your children and how badly they've turned out while whining about how you can't understand why they are estranged from you is guaranteed to have them running back to you

Guess my ex was reading a few chapters too…

 

[CdnCarrie]

https://www.theashleysrealityroundu...-kody-is-nicer-on-the-show-than-in-real-life/

https://www.theashleysrealityroundu...s-that-i-might-do-it-again-shes-scared-of-me/

 

[barkley]

i love the ashley's site-it and soapdirt are my go-to tabloid sites.

 

[Dakota731]

I guess I can understand that part of it. But I think it's kind of hilarious to have a "cooking show" where she's showcasing her talents making things with packaged gravy mix and pre-fab pie crusts.

I just made a Mississippi pot roast with gravy mix last night, and it was delicious! In fact I got the recipe from the disboards lol. The Pioneer Woman has had her cooking show for years using pre-fab ingredients, and she’s doing pretty well. A lot of people are busy and appreciate the shortcuts especially when the recipes are good. I’d much rather cook simple foods that my family will eat then haute cuisine that they won’t.

 

[barkley]

I just made a Mississippi pot roast with gravy mix last night, and it was delicious! In fact I got the recipe from the disboards lol. The Pioneer Woman has had her cooking show for years using pre-fab ingredients, and she’s doing pretty well. A lot of people are busy and appreciate the shortcuts especially when the recipes are good. I’d much rather cook simple foods that my family will eat then haute cuisine that they won’t.

i just recently discovered a recipe called '8 can chicken taco soup'-easiest thing ever and stuff i always have on hand anyway so i gave it a try. tasty soup that i can throw together in a heartbeat-we've had it twice now and no complaints! i like to make full blown from scratch stuff but a few quick and easy recipes in my arsenal help out allot.

 

[Dakota731]

I try to remember these are real people with real feelings. I don’t blame the other wives for being upset. Christine entered a “covenant” with all of them not just Kody. Janelle’s first reaction was that she might not ever see Truly again. For her at least Truly is also her child. I realize the whole arrangement has gone to hell in a hand basket and everyone played their part in that but they’ve been a family, good or bad for over thirty years. They’re allowed to have feelings about it. And not for nothing, Christine is no saint. She’s absolutely entitled to do what is right for her and the surgery thing would have been my final straw as well but she contributed to the downfall of her marriage with her insane jealousy. She went into the whole thing with eyes wide open. They all did.

Meri was only 19 and Christine 21 when they married Kody, so I don’t know how they were really going into plural marriage with their eyes wide open at those young ages. And how much were they able to contribute to the saving of their marriages if they were they only partners willing to work on the relationships? Kody has made it clear that he isn’t in love with either woman and hasn’t been for years - if ever in Christine’s case. That would be a hard pill for any wife to swallow.

 

[Allison Joy]

So I have an interesting theory. Kody likes being and is a good dad to young children. By extension, he likes being and is a good husband so long as the wife could still give him kids and/or still had young kids. But after say… age 12 or 13 (that’s almost totally arbitrary) he doesn’t know what to do. And so his relationship as both dad and husband begins to deteriorate. And I wonder if this is something Kody hasn’t fully realized himself. So is it really that Kody has changed, or is it how he interacts, or both?

It’s far from a perfect theory. But it seems to fit the current family dynamics right now.