What's the difference between Hugh Hefner and Polygamists?

[Conservative Hippie]

Ok, I was thinking more in terms of why is polygamy illegal, but having mutiple "girlfriends" that live your house and share your bed regularly is not illegal. Not considering the polygamist cults out there that marry off 13 year olds and live on welfare, aren't both relationships between consenting adults? Why does calling the women "wives" (whether or not you are legally married to them) all of a sudden make it illegal?

 

[LadyShiva]

Can't comment on the cable show because I haven't seen it. I thought I had heard that one of Hef's girls IS pregnant, however. I'm guessing child and mother won't be on food stamps, though.

Holly (one of Hef's girlfriends, and the "first" girlfriend--she runs the household) wants a child with Hef. Hef has acknowledged publicly her desire for a child, and expressed a desire to "one day" marry Holly, but also admits he doesn't want to pare down to just one "blonde" just yet. The other two don't seem too concerned about this, from what I can tell.

Somebody help me out... Holly is the "first" lady, Kendra is the rapster chick, and ??? is the one working on her Master's? I'm drawing a blank on her name right now. She seems to be the sweetest and kindest of the three.

ETA: Bridget! That's her name. She seems like a real sweetheart.

Brandie

 

[LadyShiva]

Ok, I was thinking more in terms of why is polygamy illegal, but having mutiple "girlfriends" that live your house and share your bed regularly is not illegal. Not considering the polygamist cults out there that marry off 13 year olds and live on welfare, aren't both relationships between consenting adults? Why does calling the women "wives" (whether or not you are legally married to them) all of a sudden make it illegal?

It makes the IRS have to redo their forms, which makes their heads hurt and the beans don't add up right.





Brandie

 

[The Mystery Machine]

You guys do know he IS legally married and his WIFE and children live next door. Her name is Kimberley Conrad.
So his is living in an "open marriage" situation, maybe?

She is most known for marrying Playboy founder Hugh Hefner in 1989, an event which sparked worldwide media attention and, from most quarters, some disbelief that the promiscuous Hefner was serious about settling down. The comic strip Doonesbury referred to the event as the belated end of the 1970s. The marriage lasted ten years and ended amicably; however Hugh and Kimberley are still legally married. The Hefners had two sons together: Marston (shares birthday with his dad: 9 April 1990) and Cooper (4 September 1991).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberley_Conrad

 

[LadyShiva]

You guys do know he IS legally married and his WIFE and children live next door. Her name is Kimberley Conrad.
So his is living in an "open marriage" situation, maybe?



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberley_Conrad

Wow. I could have sworn he got divorced. *hrm* Every time Kimberly comes on the show, she seems very friendly with him and his girlfriends.

Brandie

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Wow. I could have sworn he got divorced. *hrm* Every time Kimberly comes on the show, she seems very friendly with him and his girlfriends.

Brandie

Well I am going to say that is the difference.

Hef would rather eat nails than marry another girl and a polygamist wants to marry more than one women.

 

[LadyShiva]

Well I am going to say that is the difference.

Hef would rather eat nails than marry another girl and a polygamist wants to marry more than one women.

That's funny!

Brandie

 

[Micca]

The difference is that polygamists are following their rules to get to heaven.
Hef is already there.

 

[LadyShiva]

The difference is that polygamists are following their rules to get to heaven.
Hef is already there.

That's funny too!

I think the clincher for Hef is all the women in this group of girlfriends like each other.

It's great for men when the women like each other and themselves... Otherwise... yeah... Toasty!

Brandie

 

[Beth76]

Somebody help me out... Holly is the "first" lady, Kendra is the rapster chick, and ??? is the one working on her Master's? I'm drawing a blank on her name right now. She seems to be the sweetest and kindest of the three.

Brandie

That would be Bridget. I think she might be married too. Hef also has older children from his first marriage. His daughter is like around 50 I think and is a big wig at Playboy.

 

[Beth76]

I think the clincher for Hef is all the women in this group of girlfriends like each other.

Yeah and they do everything together.

 

[MomofKatie]

That would be Bridget. I think she might be married too. Hef also has older children from his first marriage. His daughter is like around 50 I think and is a big wig at Playboy.

Hef has a son and daughter from his first marraige- his son doesn't have anything to do with Playboy, but his daughter, Christy, is (I think) CEO of the Playboy company.

He also has 2 children with Kimberly, who he is still legally married to. The 2 boys are in their teens, I believe, and one if not both have aspirations to be involved with Playboy when they are grown up.

I'd be willing to bet that Hef and Kimberly have an agreement where she is compensated nicely for the favor of NOT divorcing him. I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to marry anyone else, ever, Holly included. Being still legally married to Kimberly is a great excuse for not giving Holly her fondest wish- a wedding ring and a baby or 2. I wish Holly would get a clue and move on to someone more her age who COULD give her what she wants- Hef sure won't.

 

[LadyShiva]

That would be Bridget. I think she might be married too. Hef also has older children from his first marriage. His daughter is like around 50 I think and is a big wig at Playboy.

I'm not finding any mention of Bridget being married.

My hat is off to Hef for having his daughter take over Playboy. I don't find Playboy offensive, though, so YMMV. I think it glamourizes the female form overdramatically (*cough* plastic *cough*), but I am not offended.

Oh, and I read it for the articles. *chuckle*

Brandie

 

[ZephyrHawk]

The difference is that Hef has never promised his girls anything. There have been many girls before the three next door. Were it not for the inevitable passage of time, there would likely be many girls after as well. They could be gone tomorrow on his whim, or on their own. He has not agreed (whether legally or before his personal diety) to provide for them, honor them or comfort them, and they are perfectly aware of this. It's all just for fun. Marriage, however you look at it is a committment of one type or another.

And to the poster looking for multiple husbands, try Nepal. Polyandry is almost a completely unknown arrangement, but it does occur.

 

[LadyShiva]

And to the poster looking for multiple husbands, try Nepal. Polyandry is almost a completely unknown arrangement, but it does occur.

And as my good friend countered when he heard of Nepal, "And none of the husbands are in town at the same time!" Nepal's polyandry came about due to the husbands being traders and being on the very dangerous road for long periods of time. The women still needed to be cared for, therefore, multiple husbands are allowed in that culture.


Brandie

 

[Beth76]

I'm not finding any mention of Bridget being married.

I saw it on imdb. I can't vouche for the truthness of it however.

 

[shortbun]

The difference is that the girls Hef 'dates' are in it for the money and exposure. Polygamists....who the heck knows why they do it except they think it's mandated. Hef's a creepy old man these days, shuffling down the corridor and knocking on the chosen girl's door. Those girls are just gold diggers willing to put up with him for a while for fame. It just gags me.

 

[blue_eyes5212]

The difference is that the girls Hef 'dates' are in it for the money and exposure. Polygamists....who the heck knows why they do it except they think it's mandated. Hef's a creepy old man these days, shuffling down the corridor and knocking on the chosen girl's door. Those girls are just gold diggers willing to put up with him for a while for fame. It just gags me.

When I think of Hef all I can think of is Viagra and diseases!

 

[Mugg Mann]

I thought it was a great question by the OP. Here's a few different thoughts that branch out in different directions.

-I have no doubt whatsoever that Hef's "girlfriends" are using him as much as they are being used, whether as a stepping stone to greater fame, lifestyle or whatever.

-I have a serious problem with the child abuse component of many polygamist marriages, and outside of that, I have no problem with them whatsoever. Most of the participants in a polygamist marriage are people who consider themselves to be deeply religious and are doing so because that's what they believe their interpretation of a deity wants them to do. As to abusing the government for support, that's another issue and another thread altogether.

About once every couple of weeks, the opportunity presents itself to correctly point out that there are only two things that differentiate a "bizarre" cultish practice from the "traditions" of a large religion; the number of people who believe in that religion and the length of time they have been doing so. This is yet another example of that.

-This is also another opportunity to recommend one of the best books I've read in years. Jon Krakauer, the author of "Into Thin Air" (A great book about an ill-fated Everest expedition), wrote a book called "under The Banner Of Heaven". It starts as an investigation into the murder of a polygamist wife and her child, and uses that as a springboard into an examination of the whole relationship between government and religion. As good an eye-opener as I've read in a long time.

-As to the actual question posed by the OP, not much, except Hef's smart enough to go about it legally. As long as everyone in the relationship is and has always been a consenting adult, our government as well as other people have no business passing judgement.

YMM, and probably does indeed, V....

 

[Sheree Bobbins]

We have polygamists in Bountiful, B.C. which the provincial government has tried to prosecute. They have given up the case for now. They're going to try to go after them federally in conjunction with our Charter of Rights and Freedom.

When the government special prosecutors try to get the polygamists (who marry young girls of 14!), these young wives insist that the sexual unions were consensual. Talk about cognitive dissonance! (Where your attitude changes to reflect your behaviour. I think that's terrible.

I also consider Hugh a polygamist.