For this week’s blog post I am choosing to write about TLC’s newest reality show hit Sister Wives. This is a show that based on the lives of a polygamist family that lives in Nevada (Recently moved from Utah). This is the story of a man named Kody, his 4 wives and his 16 children. The show has recently made a huge hit on reality television and is in its second season. Kody and his family see this show as a chance to educate the public about the beauty they find in polygamy and the lives that they lead. For them this is a legitimate opportunity. However, why is it that we watch it? Personally, I know what I watch this show. First off I love it and as a religious studies minor, I find it FASINATING. I do not understand their life style it is not one I would choose to lead; however, it is one that I encourage myself to learn about and am trying to understand and more importantly respect. But for me, that is a scholarly and personal stance on why I watch the show. Therefore, I forced myself to question why is it that other people watch this show?
This show and this family face a great deal of hate and judgment. This is shown in the show itself and all throughout other media sources such as the news, talk shows and all of the internet. People of American culture have been normalized to think that polygamy is in fact immoral not matter what religion or culture you are. It is a stereotype that all forms of polygamy are forms of female oppression and abuse. However, this show is working to show that this is not always the case. I found this to be a great example of what many people would consider a variation on “the third world woman.” I feel this way because although these women are not of the third world they are still looked upon as women that are almost seen as other than what normalized western culture is. Polygamy is not an acceptable western ideal and therefore they are looked at through western bias.
I also find it interesting to question why it is then that we watch this show if it is completely counter hegemonic. Media studies tells us that it is through media that we learn what dominant ideologies are. However, this show is clearly not a dominant ideology of our culture. Then why do we allow it on our broadcast? I believe that this show is not put on TV to educate us (the reason I watch it) it is on TV for us to judge. This show has such a high viewing because it is in our nature to judge those who are not like us. Since majority of our culture find this life style to be immoral it is only moral for us to view it and judge those who are “getting it all wrong.”
My last observation about this show was its viewing time. I have begun to realize that this show is really only put on during nighttime slots. I feel that this is because nighttime slots are not considered family slots for children of certain ages. I have a theory that since this show is not aggressive in nature and is generally a decent and whole hearted show, this means people believe that children would be dangerous to children. Although it is here for us to judge it is clearly not here for non judgmental impressionable children.
Therefore, I feel like there might be some corrupt nature behind the true meaning of the Sister Wives.
Interesting take on show. I see the connection you are making to Mohanty, but I wonder if in fact this show does to some degree still fit within the idea of hegemonic masculinity. After all, it is sister wives rather than brother husbands. There is a strong inference that polygamy, while not socially acceptable is much more sensible than polyandry.
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