Big Love

[NoahideHiker]

Hello wonderful Mormons!

I had a question because I am curious. Have any of you seen the show Big Love with Bill Paxton? I was wondering what some Mormons think of it? While I do not trust TV to be truthful or accurate I do wonder how accurate the writers are on the show? How much of a problem or big deal is paligomy considered and why?

Thank you very much for my questions. I'm just wanting to learn more.

 

[Bishka]

They aren't even potraying 'mormons'. They are potraying a practice that has been banned for more then 100 years. Anyone in the LDS Church who practices it will face excommunication.

That said, I think the show is in poor taste. I saw a preview and got a headache. I'll leave the rest to the other LDS'ers here.

Thanks for being so polite in asking, I do appreciate that instead of just assuming.

 

[Katzpur]

Hello wonderful Mormons!

I had a question because I am curious. Have any of you seen the show Big Love with Bill Paxton? I was wondering what some Mormons think of it? While I do not trust TV to be truthful or accurate I do wonder how accurate the writers are on the show? How much of a problem or big deal is paligomy considered and why?

Thank you very much for my questions. I'm just wanting to learn more.

Hi wonderful Baha'i!

My daughter has watched it several times and thought it was really amusing. Unfortunately, my husband and I are the only two individuals on the planet at this time who do not have cable. As Becky said, the family portrayed in the series is not even LDS. To me, this is a concern simply because a lot of people who watch the show will assume that this is a lifestyle legitimately practiced by members of our Church. Maybe you can answer a question for me about the show. How are the women in the show dressed? I ask this because there are some polygs who shop at the same supermarket I do, and they stick out like a sore thumb. The women all have really long hair which they generally wear in a single braid. They never wear makeup and you never, ever see them in pants; they're always in a mid-calf or longer skirt or gingham dress. The little girls may be wearing a shorter dress, but with pants under the dress so their legs don't show.

 

[DeepShadow]

As someone who hasn't seen the show, I've heard good and bad about it.

The bad is obvious: it misrepresents Mormons by building an abiguous association between our church and a polygamist offshoot.

That said, a member of our bishopric told me about an episode wherein a woman who joined their offshoot decided she needed to be rebaptized, despite the fact that the leadership accepted her previous (Mormon?) baptism. She insisted that she needed it because she had been studying and understood how her relationship with God had changed--she was entering a different covenant.

I respect that, in the same way that I respect a Catholic's respect of a crucifix or a Muslim's desire to pray facing Mecca: they are representing their own faith, not mine.

 

[Katzpur]

I respect that, in the same way that I respect a Catholic's respect of a crucifix or a Muslim's desire to pray facing Mecca: they are representing their own faith, not mine.

Now I'm feeling guilty. I shouldn't have said what I did about the way so many of them dress. I'm sure they have a reason for it. It's kind of funny, because I have never felt critical of the Amish for dressing the way they do. I mean, I've thought their way of dress to be "odd" by my standards, and yet I've not had any problem whatsoever in seeing it as their right to practice what they believe to be right. It makes me wonder about my own insensitivity to some of the offshoots of Mormonism. Why did I feel the need to ridicule them?

 

[jonny]

Hello wonderful Mormons!

I had a question because I am curious. Have any of you seen the show Big Love with Bill Paxton? I was wondering what some Mormons think of it? While I do not trust TV to be truthful or accurate I do wonder how accurate the writers are on the show? How much of a problem or big deal is paligomy considered and why?

Thank you very much for my questions. I'm just wanting to learn more.

I haven't seen the show so I can't really comment on it. When I was younger and lived in SLC we had a polygamist family who lived behind us. That's been my only real encounter with the practice. I was young at the time and didn't really think too much about it.

I consider polygamy a problem that was created by the government. It isn't really considered much in the LDS church today, although it is mentioned as we study church history.

 

[ayani]

Now I'm feeling guilty. I shouldn't have said what I did about the way so many of them dress. I'm sure they have a reason for it. It's kind of funny, because I have never felt critical of the Amish for dressing the way they do. I mean, I've thought their way of dress to be "odd" by my standards, and yet I've not had any problem whatsoever in seeing it as their right to practice what they believe to be right. It makes me wonder about my own insensitivity to some of the offshoots of Mormonism. Why did I feel the need to ridicule them?

i think it's kind of different when the faith is closer to home, and if that faith is sending a message through beliefs or practices that can be viewed negatively. i think i can see where you're coming from, Kathryn. they're practicing polygamy, something many americans still falsely believe the LDS church encourages or decrees.

 

[nutshell]

Hello wonderful Mormons!

I had a question because I am curious. Have any of you seen the show Big Love with Bill Paxton? I was wondering what some Mormons think of it? While I do not trust TV to be truthful or accurate I do wonder how accurate the writers are on the show? How much of a problem or big deal is paligomy considered and why?

Thank you very much for my questions. I'm just wanting to learn more.

You've probably realized it by now by reading all the other posts, but Big Love has zilch to do with mainstream Mormonism. An offshoot is being portrayed. Mormons stopped practicing polygamy 100 years ago and it was practiced differently than these fundamentals do it today.

 

[ayani]

something else about the show... it seems the ladies portraying the wives are a bit... painted up.

you know? a little too "desperate housewives" or "kirsten dunst".

 

[Bishka]

something else about the show... it seems the ladies portraying the wives are a bit... painted up.

you know? a little too "desperate housewives" or "kirsten dunst".

Y'know, I never thought of Kirsten Dunst as 'painted up'. :cover:

 

[nutshell]

GGRRRRRRR....

I can't stand Dunst. I don't know why. I don't find her the least bit attractive and I don't think she has an acting bone in her.

 

[ayani]

Y'know, I never thought of Kirsten Dunst as 'painted up'. :cover:

no... but they've, you know, got that kind of scrubbed, pretty whole-someness that's not quite that wholesome. man, you see it on these TV and movie wives *all* the time. it's quite a look. and rather boring.

 

[!Fluffy!]

something else about the show... it seems the ladies portraying the wives are a bit... painted up.

you know? a little too "desperate housewives" or "kirsten dunst".

I disagree completely. As a matter of fact I'd say the exact opposite. During one of the episodes two of the wives chided the third for her overly modest attire, out of concern it might actually draw attention to their secret lifestyle. They go out of their way to blend in with everyone else in their ordinariness so as to stay under the radar. The women are attractive but not glamorous at all.

Also Big Love writers went out of their way to make it quite clear from the first segment through the last episode that the family is NOT Mormon, it is a major theme of the program. LDS should be grateful - HBO through this show has gone a long way toward enlightening the general public about the difference between Mormons and the bigamy cults.

I found it to be an intriguing subject. The presentation is excellent - sensitive, informative and carefully researched. HBO has succeeded in crafting something beyond the usual TV trash with this one.

 

[Bishka]

Also Big Love writers went out of their way to make it quite clear from the first segment through the last episode that the family is NOT Mormon, it is a major theme of the program. LDS should be grateful - HBO through this show has gone a long way toward enlightening the general public about the difference between Mormons and the bigamy cults.
.

I am grateful, but that doens't stop me from thinking what an idiot show it is. Normal US citizens aren't 'enlightened' like many of the people here. They'll see they warning and ignore it completley. They'll still be ignorant, I've had people ask me if I practice polygamy after this show came out. See what a grat job HBO is doing?

Personally, I'd rather see it off the air, but I doubt my jabbering about it is going to do any good.

 

[spacemonkey]

I am grateful, but that doens't stop me from thinking what an idiot show it is. Normal US citizens aren't 'enlightened' like many of the people here. They'll see they warning and ignore it completley. They'll still be ignorant, I've had people ask me if I practice polygamy after this show came out. See what a grat job HBO is doing?

Personally, I'd rather see it off the air, but I doubt my jabbering about it is going to do any good.

I was wondering if you have ever seen the show? Like stated earlier, the writers of the show go out of their way to show that polygamists are a fringe group among Mormons. The season finale's biggest scene involved the family being "outed" as polygamists. I'm pretty sure that anyone who has asked you if you are a polygamist it was out of their own ignorance and not a result of the show. I'll tell you that the show helped me understand about the FLDS (is that what they call themselves?) when I read about them catching the head of it in the news.

 

[Bishka]

I was wondering if you have ever seen the show? Like stated earlier, the writers of the show go out of their way to show that polygamists are a fringe group among Mormons. The season finale's biggest scene involved the family being "outed" as polygamists. I'm pretty sure that anyone who has asked you if you are a polygamist it was out of their own ignorance and not a result of the show. I'll tell you that the show helped me understand about the FLDS (is that what they call themselves?) when I read about them catching the head of it in the news.

Pardon me for my mistke then.

I statd I hadn't seen the show, only a brief preview and that was enough for me. Why they wanted to make a show about this is beyond me still.

 

[RevOxley_501]

As someone who hasn't seen the show, I've heard good and bad about it.

The bad is obvious: it misrepresents Mormons by building an abiguous association between our church and a polygamist offshoot..

Firstly, that isnt true---the show makes it well known what the True LDS belief is on the subject. The church that Bill paxton belongs to is kind of an unnamed version of the FLDS. And it is well known that they are a separate group from the LDS church. So it doesnt paint LDSers as polygamist AT ALL. Actually, in my limited experience--these people act, talk, walk , everything like true LDS believers---i mean they really have it down. And i have only seen a few things that might make the church blush---those things being the way LDSers react to polygamy (disgust).

That said, a member of our bishopric told me about an episode wherein a woman who joined their offshoot decided she needed to be rebaptized, despite the fact that the leadership accepted her previous (Mormon?) baptism. She insisted that she needed it because she had been studying and understood how her relationship with God had changed--she was entering a different covenant.

I respect that, in the same way that I respect a Catholic's respect of a crucifix or a Muslim's desire to pray facing Mecca: they are representing their own faith, not mine.

Speaking again of the offshoot, Bills character, and two of his wives (eldest and youngest) are a good bit separated from the FLDS--the prophet serving over them is too controlling and evil---and he is painted that way (like i said, very true to life). Bill just claims to have a testimony that supports polygamy---his first wife had a hard time with it but she accepted the covenant as well. the second wife is the prophet of the FLDS's daughter, and she dresses as described by whomever it was on page one. The third wife---well she is just incredibly hot, and she is the one that desired rebaptism because she felt like she was joining the true LDS church--kinda

 

[RevOxley_501]

and about the attractiveness of the wives

Bill's wives are well---the first wife is hot, for a lady of her age---i mean smoking hot. the second wife is just---annoying and not very attractive, the third wife---absolutely amazingly hot--. The wives of the FLDS prophet look like every mormon i have ever seen except they all wear very modest clothes and have the long hair thing---his youngest wife is around 14 and is kinda skrewy in the head.

the two hot wives are not so painted that they dont resemble LDS women--whom they are trying to mix with--honestly they look quite normal to me---on the show they are often without makeup and rather plain

 

[Bishka]

This actually is under debate.

It's under the LDS section, if anyone wants a debate, put it in the debate section.

 

[RevOxley_501]

ohh no, i wasnt trying to debate----im sorry if it seemed that way--i was just letting you hearmy opinion as an actual fan and viewer of the show

sorry