2008 Woodie Awards
Moral outrage. Sometimes.
Issue date: 4/24/08
It also doesn't bother me that this polygamist cult, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the fundamentalist branch of an inherently fundamentalist church, is in particular facing such difficult times. In fact, I would (and have) support Spitzer and Michael Vick before I'd ever support polygamists.
Despite the prevalence of the behavior in the rest of the mammalian world, polygamy in a fundamentalist religious setting does not tend to allow people, women in particular, to escape from their situation and results in extreme brainwashing above and beyond that of your average run-of-the-mill cult or religion. (Why do you think polygamist "ranches" are invariably in remote places?) And even though the authorities are getting in on the pretense of alleged sexual abuse by someone of the age of consent, it's fine.
The real problem with this, and the reason that the story will fade from the headlines, is simply that the footage is awful. Polygamist wives wear high-cut ankle-length dresses with sleeves that extend to the hand, and never cut their hair, for the intended purpose of eschewing any possible sex appeal. Polygamist husbands talk slowly and give no impression of being aware of concepts outside of one of the youngest "theological" texts in existence, the Book of Mormon, and women. This doesn't give TV a lot to work with.
Once the inherent shock value of showing moving pictures of women showing no skin is gone, there's no real point in running the footage. Also, with charismatic polygamist and convicted rapist Warren Jeffs in jail, there's no one interesting around either.
Eventually though, this too will fade from the news. The children, at least the younger ones, will probably be returned to their mothers, who will continue in some way to be attached (if not legally) to their vapid polygamist husbands.
Who will continue their legitimately morally reprehensible brainwashing, cousin-marrying ways. And once again, the roving bands of those heavily armed with airtime and print and with unimpeachable moral standards will prowl freely in the world of current affairs, looking to ambush moral reprobates and others who know how to have a good time. Perhaps someday, someone in the Bush Administration might give an answer to questions about whether torture is an official policy of the United States. Or perhaps, in an odd reversal of history that seems to be the standard these days, easier targets will come into the scope and our national sins will remain unpunished while we continue to distract ourselves by sending the easy pickings to the guillotine.
Despite the prevalence of the behavior in the rest of the mammalian world, polygamy in a fundamentalist religious setting does not tend to allow people, women in particular, to escape from their situation and results in extreme brainwashing above and beyond that of your average run-of-the-mill cult or religion. (Why do you think polygamist "ranches" are invariably in remote places?) And even though the authorities are getting in on the pretense of alleged sexual abuse by someone of the age of consent, it's fine.
The real problem with this, and the reason that the story will fade from the headlines, is simply that the footage is awful. Polygamist wives wear high-cut ankle-length dresses with sleeves that extend to the hand, and never cut their hair, for the intended purpose of eschewing any possible sex appeal. Polygamist husbands talk slowly and give no impression of being aware of concepts outside of one of the youngest "theological" texts in existence, the Book of Mormon, and women. This doesn't give TV a lot to work with.
Once the inherent shock value of showing moving pictures of women showing no skin is gone, there's no real point in running the footage. Also, with charismatic polygamist and convicted rapist Warren Jeffs in jail, there's no one interesting around either.
Eventually though, this too will fade from the news. The children, at least the younger ones, will probably be returned to their mothers, who will continue in some way to be attached (if not legally) to their vapid polygamist husbands.
Who will continue their legitimately morally reprehensible brainwashing, cousin-marrying ways. And once again, the roving bands of those heavily armed with airtime and print and with unimpeachable moral standards will prowl freely in the world of current affairs, looking to ambush moral reprobates and others who know how to have a good time. Perhaps someday, someone in the Bush Administration might give an answer to questions about whether torture is an official policy of the United States. Or perhaps, in an odd reversal of history that seems to be the standard these days, easier targets will come into the scope and our national sins will remain unpunished while we continue to distract ourselves by sending the easy pickings to the guillotine.
Be the first to comment on this story