An Eye On Culture

Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I have always had somewhat (read: very) strange, random interests; things I've always wanted to know more (read: everything) about. This list includes, but is not limited to, the Salem Witch Trials, Freud's infamous hysterical patient Anna O., and Picasso's Blue Period. One of these quirky fascinations I have harbored for some years now is with Mormonism, a religion of the Latter Day Saint movement. Strange? Undeniably. True? Unfortunately. I am not a Mormon and have never even met one. In fact, not being a religious person at all, I'd venture to say that my fascination honestly springs from confusion. I'd like to believe that if I ever did meet a Mormon, they would be shocked and impressed with the amount I know about their religion. I could rant for hours about my opinions on the controversial religion that, in its fundamentalist form, preaches polygamy, certainly its most feather-ruffling doctrine, but I digress.

My "Mormon radar," if you will, has given me an interesting perspective while looking at popular culture. To put it quite simply, there are a lot of Mormons in the media, a fact that is both interesting and unexpected. From Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney to adolescent fiction writer Stephanie Meyer, who gave us everyone's favorite vampire love story, it is a demographic that isn't always mentioned.

Certainly the most popular example of Mormons, demonstrating both truth and humor, is the infamous South Park episode "All About Mormons" which simultaneously tells the story of a Mormon family moving into South Park and encountering its less-than-orthodox citizens alongside the story of Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, and the religion's birth. As my expertise can guarantee, the episode is accurate in its representation and detail of the Joseph Smith story. Trey Parker and Matt Stone went on to write The Book of Mormon, a satirical musical about Mormon missionaries that won nine Tony Awards.

While the general impression of Mormons is perhaps as rigid and overly devout, their "family next door" media presence attempts to make them seem more relatable. One place where Mormons have made an interesting mark is in television, and not just in the realm of adult cartoons. Big Love, an HBO drama starring Bill Paxton, presents the story of a fundamentalist polygamous Mormon family in Utah (the epicenter of the religion). Along with the ironic use of the Beach Boy's song "God Only Knows" as the theme song, the show caught my eye for obvious reasons. However, despite the show being enthralling and admittedly addicting, as most melodramatic TV shows are, I found myself, the amateur Mormon scholar, being distracted by the fact that the show, at its essence, was fictional. I needed something to really sink my teeth into.

And then I found it, a gift, from the Angel Moroni: Sister Wives. It was everything I loved about Big Love but with real polygamous drama. I know what you're thinking: reality TV isn't as jam-packed with reality as we would both appreciate and expect, but I have to admit, in this case, I don't care. Sister Wives follows the Brown family through their various ups and downs: the acquisition and assimilation of a fourth wife, the births of new babies, and most dramatically, the relocation of the twenty-two member family from Utah to Las Vegas after an investigation by the state of Utah. Needless to say, the show had me (and my roommates) hooked. Clearly, the message of this show was to present the polygamous lifestyle as rewarding and most importantly, easy, a fact with which I beg to differ. The jealousy, aggression, and disputes between the wives, however, were a fantastic social experiment.

Even though admitting this interest in a Latter Day Saint sect may be embarrassing at times, I have learned that it is entirely worth it to learn more about the strange interests you have. Sister Wives shows that reality TV could tailor to a variety of interests, even a twenty-year-old's fascination with Mormons. So stick with your strange fascinations. Eventually, TLC, Bravo, or A&E will make a reality show about it.