I Don't Know Why I Watch "Big Love" (HBO)

It's on several times on Sunday nights, with reruns elsewhere during the week, and I never miss an episode if I can help it.

I am not a polygamist and would never want to be. I just wouldn't share my marriage with any other woman, and certainly not three or four. I would never take orders from a first wife. I do not belong to the LDS church, let alone sympathize with a fundamentalist offshoot that is disowned by it. The women on the show are virulently anti-feminist (Barb belongs to the Eagle Forum) and I believe in women's rights. I do not see my whole purpose in life as one of producing as many offspring as possible to swell the army of the faithful and assure my husband's place in heaven. In short, I accept none of the premises on which the show is based.

But I'm fascinated with it and can't stop watching. The acting is excellent and the plot interesting. I follow each episode as enthusiastically as I used to watch the Sopranos. I find myself rooting for the women and Bill when they are persecuted by the mainstream church and other outsiders who threaten to expose them and destroy their way of life. I am happy each time the wives work through a conflict or personal crisis together and are even more committed to their extended family.

At the same time, I follow with sympathy the oldest daughter who wants to break away and become monogamous, and I cheer the young women who want to expose Roman, the "prophet" who tyrannizes over the Juniper Creek polygamist compound, and his practice of marrying them to older men when they are underage.

I just can't stop watching though. I would be disappointed if their way of life was destroyed.

I wonder if anybody else shares this peculiar addiction.

[edit on 22-2-2009 by Sestias]

Hi. My name is KJ. I'm a Big Love-lover.

It's my guilty pleasure, My husband's too. He better not get any ideas. There's only room for one wife in this house!

I'm sort of a cross between Barb and Nicki. Yeah...try and figure that out! Ever since I started watching the show, I find myself looking at the beige boxes I pass everyday much differently. You just never know what goes on behind closed doors. Maybe I don't want to know...