Comments on: Zeitcast #20

By: Ronin

Ronin — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:54:28 +0000

Cynthia- I am very familiar with Morgan Spurlock’s modus operandi. Around 2002-2003, he was in the Detroit- Ann Arbo r area lookingfor folks to goand spens 30 days living with a traditional , fundamentalist family. Spurlock’s goal was to show that Americans were over-reacting to the Sept 11 attacks, that Radical Islam wasnt a problem,and white Americans were racists against all Muslims. I saw an ad in both themajor Detroit papers,and went to the auditions, held in the Marriot in downtown Dearborn, Mi.
They interviewed me, found out that I had lived in the UAE for a year when a teenager,and was very familiar with Islam, familiar with the modern history of the mid-east, and had taken 2 classes with prof Juan Cole, at the Univ of Michigan. I was immediately rejected. about 18 months later, when the show was aired, I realised that they had chosen the most ignorant, stupid type of redneck yahoos they could find!!!! Spurlock’s goal was to try to whitewash islamic extremist/fundamentalist ideology and to be an apologist, so he chose the 2 Americans who would portray the worse that American society has to offer.
-Sid( my real name)

By: sister blah 2

sister blah 2 — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:12:39 +0000

I agree Ronin. That’s why I said “oh no!” to myself in the opening seconds of the show when she was first identified as LDS–I knew there was almost no chance it could turn out well. I think it’s the kind of thing that we’re better off avoiding since the game is rather stacked against participants. I feel that way about ALL reality TV.

-Cynthia

By: Ronin

Ronin — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:43:32 +0000

I saw the “30 Days” program, and I am not surprised that the LDS housewife came off poorly. Morgan Spurlock’s program is made to ambush people,and bring out the worse in them. And he makes it a point to not feature people who are smart and articulate and educated and who can think on their feet.
the result was predictable,and Morgan Spurlock achieved what he wanted- i.e. to portray our Church and its members as a bunch of ignorant and prejudiced yahoos.
Iwant at all surprised to see what happened to the LDS housewife. At least I hope she was smart enough to have negotiated a good compensation package for her troubles.

By: kristine N

kristine N — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:19:27 +0000

Well Amri, the comment you ascribe to me is true (I have wondered how I would handle being asked to engage in polygamy and kind of prepared myself mentally for the “eventuality” of that, while it’s not even on my husband’s radar) even if I didn’t write it.

Nice job.

By: Jami

Jami — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 05:42:10 +0000

Amri, That blog sucked an hour of my life away. It is so seriously funny.

On the Californian Sunday: Our ward was talking about Zeezrom and “the doctrines of the world” when I had the sudden prompting to ditch Sunday School and check on my baby in the nursery. Good thing I did too. Otherwise, my head might have blown up and that would’ve been ugly.

By: Tracy M

Tracy M — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:16:51 +0000

I know- that bummed me out too- I was hoping her heart would be a little softer towards the families she was experiencing.

Although I suppose some would claim she is holding to the rod, and I’m lost in the wilderness with my misfiring compass.

By: Kevin Barney

Kevin Barney — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:37:56 +0000

It was dishearening to hear about the 30 days program. When you first mentioned it I was hoping that actual, personal experience with such a loving family would have had an influence on the woman, but it was not to be.

You know, I think that if I had to, I could be a brother-husband to someone in a polyandrous marriage. Not that it’s something I would want to do, or that I think it would be at all easy. But I’m descended from polygamists, and I figure if they could do it, I could do it–even from the perspective of having to share a spouse.

By: blt

blt — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:47:19 +0000

Brad,
Yeah, it was absolutely typical . . . if you ignore the fact that you have hooves instead of feet.

By: blt

blt — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:44:34 +0000

Cynthia,
Nice job. I am seriously considering Scientology after watching the train wreck.

By: Susan

Susan — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:36:02 +0000

I very much enjoyed this zeitcast. Nice job of hosting, Brad.

Thanks for the insight into what is perhaps the hardest question to answer among my non-LDS friends. Since I live in Texas, there has been great interest in this topic. I finally started telling people that polygamy was an economic principle since there were more women than men and women didn’t have many rights in the 1800s. That satisfies most casual questioners and I don’t have to get into the fact that I don’t understand “Nauvoo polygamy” myself.

I do have journals from some polygamous ancestors. The wives were sisters; the oldest sister consented for the younger sister to be a plural wife. I almost felt bad for GGgrandpa. He was nearly henpecked to death.

I’ve read a few books about early Mormon history and most of the women involved in polygamy support and defend it. I am glad I’m not called on to try it at this point, however.