The real sources behind Big Love
During a press tour in January, the creators of the new HBO series "Big Love" revealed the sources they used for their story line.
Mark V. Olsen said they ''actually had the nerve to drive, very quickly, through Colorado City,'' the Arizona border town that is home to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Olsen went on to say it was ''scary, scary. We drove in, chickened out and drove right out again.''
The FLDS are the obvious prototype for the Juniper Creek community in the series.
Olsen also said they relied on a ''great magazine out there'' called Mormon Focus. ''The first cover issue shows, virtually, this family -- the suburban integrated polygamist family. So it's not a concoction.''
Actually, only a single issue of Mormon Focus was ever published. But I agree: It offered a fascinating look into the polygamous life.
So how does the family portrayed in that one-and-only issue feel about being the prototype for ''Big Love's'' Henricksons?
Great, the husband and one of his three wives said this week. Very proud.
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From an entirely different perspective: Paul Murphy, spokesman for the Utah Attorney General's Office, is as curious as everyone else about the approach ''Big Love'' will take, though he doesn't expect it to offer commentary on the state's approach to polygamy or influence its activities.
''My guess is 'The Sopranos' had no effect on the way the justice system investigated the Mafia,'' Murphy said.
Mark V. Olsen said they ''actually had the nerve to drive, very quickly, through Colorado City,'' the Arizona border town that is home to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Olsen went on to say it was ''scary, scary. We drove in, chickened out and drove right out again.''
The FLDS are the obvious prototype for the Juniper Creek community in the series.
Olsen also said they relied on a ''great magazine out there'' called Mormon Focus. ''The first cover issue shows, virtually, this family -- the suburban integrated polygamist family. So it's not a concoction.''
Actually, only a single issue of Mormon Focus was ever published. But I agree: It offered a fascinating look into the polygamous life.
So how does the family portrayed in that one-and-only issue feel about being the prototype for ''Big Love's'' Henricksons?
Great, the husband and one of his three wives said this week. Very proud.
----
From an entirely different perspective: Paul Murphy, spokesman for the Utah Attorney General's Office, is as curious as everyone else about the approach ''Big Love'' will take, though he doesn't expect it to offer commentary on the state's approach to polygamy or influence its activities.
''My guess is 'The Sopranos' had no effect on the way the justice system investigated the Mafia,'' Murphy said.
10 Comments:
If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me how many husbands I have... It's interesting plural marriage has made it to Hollywood. And I think it's probably a good premise for a series - lots of drama, comedy, etc. But in the long run it's only going to perpetuate the stereotypes that still exist, shockingly, in our information-based society. Just as all Italians aren't Mafioso, I am hereby declaring these simple truths: Most Utahns do not practice polygamy. Many of us don't wear "funny underwear". There are a fair number of us that are Jewish, Catholic, Agnostic, Atheist, Buddhist and more. We might like milk, but drink other stuff, too, including (gasp) alcohol. A lot of families only have 1-2 kids. And personally? I don't know Elizabeth Smart.
The polygamy hype about Utah is way overdone. I grew up in the Salt Lake area, went to grade school through college (hey go Utes!) in Utah schools and lived there for about 35 years and never knew any polygamists. Ok I saw some a couple of times at a store, they were from out of town and dressed like women in the 1950's or pioneer times. And I saw some on the news a few times. Buts its just not very common unless you're in Hilldale. The others are probably very discete about it. Numbers like 30K to 50K practicing polygamists is a bunch of boloney that the non-Mormons and media like to keep bringing up. Yes I'm a member of the LDS church and no the church does not secretly condone or turn a blind eye to Polygamy. Members are just as weirded out about polygamy as any one is. My great great grandfather had one "extra" wife but the church stopped that practice in the 1890s.
You only think you never knew any polygamists. There are a large number of mainstream polygamists who don't look the way you think they do, and you wouldn't know if they were polygamists, OR NOT.
Thank you, merycia, you're right. I went to school with kids from a polygamous family during the 70's - in the Hunter-Granger area (now West Valley City). It was only until I became very close friends with a girl I had in a couple of my classes that the truth kinda slipped out. What saddened me was the kids felt burdened and outcast by a secret life they were simply born into.
The thought that you can tell someone is a polygamist just by looking proves that no matter how much progress we've made celebrating diversity, there are still way too many who think you can make accurate conclusions about someone simply by how they look. Sad.
I agree with all the comments so far except for hiker. I am a member of the LDS Church and have lived in Utah over 35 years in which time I have know polygamists in school, my neighborhood and in the Utah National Guard, and most do not act or look any different then you or I. Many of the ladies that are seen in public that dress as if they are from the 50's are many time another religion and not polygamists. The one point that I want to make is how the LDS Church distances itself from the polygamists by saying we haven’t supported polygamy for over a hundred years and we are not part of this culture. Well we are. The LDS Church started the practice her and opened the door to Pandora’s Box those many years ago. Now we like to say it not our fault or practice. The LDS Church needs to take responsibility for this practice it started. It was wrong then and it is just as wrong now. It is not a victimless crime because there are so many children hurt not to mention the tax payers who take up the slack of these communities where state and federal assistance is paid to the wives and property tax is not paid of personal and real property because it is owned by the church. The LDS Church cannot start this practice, even though it was over 150 years ago and then deny any responsibility of it. The responsibility is squarely in their house.
I agree with many of the comments above. My point was that you can live in Utah and may hardly ever know any polygamists (atleast not that you are aware of), so its not like they're everywhere. I know a lot of Alcoholic families in Utah and have seen their broken homes and lives. I know of many "undocumented" illegal families in Utah, but again I personally know of no polygamists. Yes I grew up hearing about the Allreds, Labarens, and Greens, thanks to their own news worthy issues. Anyway, anothertaxpayer blames it all on the LDS Church. Yes the church started it, but they have no influence over those people now. Most Mormons don't associate or mingle with any polygamists and the polygamists have their own church. They won't obey what President Hinkley tells them. Only the State can have influence over the situation or kind and wise neighbors who will go talk to those people. The state leaders and officers are just like anyone else, they don't want to be mean and harras the generally law abiding people, just like they don't bother the illegals. Its not that they secretly empathize with the polygamists, they just don't know what to do about them. Do you?
Hiker says, that I “blame it all on the LDS Church”, which is not what I said. I said, “The LDS Church needs to take responsibility for this practice it started”, and “The responsibility is squarely in their house.” That doesn’t mean that it is all the LDS Church’s fault, but I am saying that they can’t shed their responsibility. Polygamists have to take their responsibility for this illegal practice as well. As I said before it is not a victimless crime, it defrauds taxpayers, it abuses and neglects children, both male and female. Then you have someone like Warren Jeffs from the FLDS who isn’t even a man, but nothing more then a petty crook and a pedophile. If Hiker is going to stick to his statement that he has lived here for 35 years and never knew of any polygamists, then go for it, but he must have been blind. I would be willing show him many place in just this valley where they are, Salt Lake City, Bluffdale, Riverton and every other community in the valley. 30K to 50K is probably on the conservative end of the population. Hiker must have led a very sheltered life or maybe just doesn’t want to see them. It is easier that way, to just not see them. Then you don’t have to deal with the very young wives, or the boys that are kicked out of the family because some old pedophile doesn’t want to share. Keep a blind eye, at least that way you can say it’s not my problem. It must be someone else’s fault, but it’s not mine.
Just like when I travel in Europe I claim to be Canadian, I tell people here in California that I am from Colorado.
One of the biggest laughs I get: (stranger) "Where are you from?" (Me) "Utah... and no." Sometimes there is a brief pause, but always there is laughter. Because they always know EXACTLY what I mean.
Like exutahchick said, how many times can you hear "Which wife were you?" or "so you don't drink?" as you are slamming a white russian before you start going insane.
I rolled my eyes when I heard about the show, because to those of us born and raised in Utah, it's been played out. But to be fair, it is a new premise for a regular series. Anyone who takes anything on tv such as Sopranos, Big Love, Sex in the City, etc. as educational is really a lost cause anyway, the way I see it. (You mean there aren't tons of attractive rich mid thirty year old women sleeping with anything in New York? Ok, maybe... but...)
I was raised LDS, but I left when I was 6 years old. I was never aware of any polygamists in my life, though I saw the pioneer dressing types around town a fair amount. I've always wondered how they would react to polyandry in their midst? "A woman can love all her children as a man can love all his wives!" so much wrong with that statement I don't know where to begin. Comparing a man's wives to children, etc etc.
Do you know if the kids from polygamist families at your school grew up to be polygamists as well?
I agree that the LDS church appears to be trying to pretend they had nothing to do with the beginning of polygamy in Utah, and I believe that they do have a responsibility to help those hurt by it where they can. However, I've seen the church help a lot of people so maybe they are.
The Salt Lake City Tribune has a writer whose sole job is to cover polygamy yet polygamy hype in Utah is "way overdone?" Apparently The Tribune thinks there is enough polygamy in Utah to hire a "beat reporter" to cover it.
I have never been to Utah so I can't say one way or the other on how much or how little polygamy goes on there. All I can tell you is that your reputation isn't being helped when your major newspaper has a reporter exclusively covering the polygamy beat.
Whatever the case, I think everyone can agree that "Big Love" isn't based on fantasy.
I am not a Mormon and I'm not a polygamist. However, I don't really have a problem with plural marriage (and that includes multiple husbands and wifes if that's what people want). Why should the state enforce what type of relationships people can enjoin? Just allow these entities to function the same way as a company and let people marry who they want. I wouldn't foist it upon other churches but at some point in time, Judaism and Islam (which still does) supported polygamy. As far as I'm concerned, marry away, it does not bother me!
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