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| Why was Mariah at Janelle's house? |
This was a typical, superficial attempt to show the Browns giving back to society by doing volunteer work, told in a typical reality show format.
If you've ever watched Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay, you'll know what I mean. Ramsay goes to a failing restaurant to help them become profitable again. He has major conflicts with the restaurant owners. They trade mean words about each other. Someone (usually the owner) cries. By the end of the show, Ramsay and the owners suddenly have a Kumbaya moment, make up and Ramsay leaves knowing that he's saved yet another restaurant from ruin.
That's basically how this episode was constructed. The Browns send 3 teenagers (Aspyn, Maddie and Logan) to Utah to do volunteer work. While there, they encounter a recalcitrant young woman who is so anti-polygamy, she leaves Aspyn speechless and Maddie in tears from her less than nice retorts ( Logan, wisely, doesn't get involved). The Brown teens return to Nevada with their new Utah 'friends' to show them how the Brown version of polygamy works. At a picnic, the recalcitrant teen softens her stance somewhat, Maddie and Aspyn dress up in FLDS dresses, and later, Christine calls the men of the Kingston group 'bastards'. Recalcitrant teen realizes Kody is a real dad. Sadly, the only thing missing was everyone singing Kumbaya around the campfire. At the end, I was left with about a hundred questions - most beginning with the word Why. Like, why did I waste an hour of my life watching this?
Why would Christine believe Tonia would want to take Aspyn away from her? Why would Christine not know of the abuses of the Kingston Group? (better file those with the questions why is Christine afraid of toasters, why does Christine believe anyone who's not AUB is a shark, why would Christine allow Aspyn to ditch classes)
Why was Kody shown 'interrogating' Aspyn about her ability to maintain the company line concerning polygamy? Did I hear her say 'polygamy has been very very good to me' to Kollene (formerly known as the recalcitrant teen)? Why was that clip shown at the beginning where Aspyn said she wasn't interested in polygamy, and then miraculously, a few seconds later she now wants to be in a plural marriage? Was she changing her tune because Mariah "I want to be a doctor and a plural wife" wasn't going on this trip?
Why was Logan only shown uttering maybe 7 or 8 sentences in the entire show? Why did Logan yawn when Maddie was talking and crying? Why wasn't his yawn edited out by production? Why was Logan even there? Why was Logan's hair so dark?
Back to Christine, why did she bring up the 'problems' she was having with Kody? Why did she think if Tonia had told her to leave Kody, that she would have actually left? What makes her think the problems she had with Kody are over? (see preview for next week's show) Am I the only person getting really tired of Christine and her holier than thou "this isn't what I signed up for" attitude?
And I still can't get over Christine saying she didn't know men could be bastards. Earth to Christine: Wait up and smell the Postum percolating!
Is anyone glad that Meri did not cry, or say the word 'wet bar' in this episode? Does the picture above illustrate that Meri and Robyn could share a kitchen without being abusive to each other? Does Hunter know Kody is wearing his shirt? 
Did anyone feel weird when Kody made a point of saying his favorite picture of his family was taken at Robyn's wedding reception? Why did Kody need to say he had 1 pair of running shoes at each of his wives houses? Why does Kollene look like she's not falling for Kody's slick talk? Who was Kollene's stylist and can production hire them for the Kodettes and Brown teens?
Was anyone surprised when Nicole mentioned her 27 mothers were too busy fighting for the attention of their husband, ignoring their children altogether? Was anyone surprised this went right over the heads of Kody and Janelle? Isn't 'plural monogamy' basically how the Browns are living right now in their four separate homes?That's all for now...
No wait, I've got something more to say.
I've only watched the Duggers maybe a couple of times, but it seemed each time they were shown doing some kind of charity work. Considering that Figure 8 produces the Dugger's show as well as Sister Wives, I just find it hard to believe they couldn't come up with a better show on par with the Duggers.
The producers took a Utah charity, Holding Out HELP, and made it into a vehicle to exclusively highlight the Browns. The production values in this episode were lousy. The storyline was predictable. The research was incomplete. Google Kingston polygamy Utah and you come up with a wealth of information - how it's a huge business empire with a predilection for polygamy, violence, and underage daughters marrying their uncles. It's no wonder Nicole describes the polygamy she grew up with as "... a bunch of control freaks who get into power and prostitution."
But that important point was glossed over. We never got Kody and Janelle's reaction to Nicole's bold claim. Why not? Were they afraid Kody's balding head would suddenly explode? All we got was Christine's 'teary eyed' statement that she didn't know men could be bastards, and if you weren't paying close attention you would think she was talking about all men rather than the Kingston version. I've left out the FLDS because I am certain Christine knows exactly how they operate. After all, how many tears did Robyn shed whenever SHE tried to talk about the abuses of the FLDS?
It was all so exploitative - an attempt to show that the Browns version of polygamy is the good kind, the others are the bad kind. So sorry if you had the misfortune to be born into the wrong kind. Can I show you my pairs of running shoes I have in each of my four homes? How about I take you on a tour of my homes to rub your noses into what you did not have the good fortune to be born. Hey, wanna see a picture of the beginning of the end of my children living as brothers and sisters? It was taken at Robyn's wedding reception (that TLC paid for). Too bad the film editor did not edit in a replay of Meri telling Christine how she needed basically to keep sweet and change herself instead of thinking Kody needed to make any changes.
Who needs a headboard saying to 'Keep Sweet' when you've got Meri to keep errant wives in line?
I'm finished now.
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