Tuesday, January 20, 2009

would polygamy work today?

I watched the season premiere of one of my fave shows on TV, Big Love. It's on HBO (obviously - it's got everything worth watching, unless you're the Babysitter... lol ok no more Babysitter jokes). The show deals with a polygamous yet pretty modern family. They look like normal people on a normal suburban street, but these three neighbors are in fact three wives of a very lucky man who owns a chain of Home Depot-type stores.
It got me wondering - technically, having more than one wife is cool with the Torah. But would it really work? Could a man really find three Jewish women able to get along? Without the guy having a nervous breakdown?
And let's face it ladies - we're ALL the jealous type. Could we handle having our man marry another woman, much less two or three?
And with the 'recession' happening right now - how could one man support three women with Jewish shopping habits?

16 comments:

EsPes said...

no please dont stop the babysitter jokes! i love them! (no offense babysitter!- u know everyone luvs u!!!!)

comfortablynumb said...

I dont know if itll work but it will definitely solve the 'shidduch crises'

Jacob Da Jew said...

I was actually thinking about that scenario...but lets put a sci-fi twist on it, shall we?

What if I clone my wife a few times? Would she be jealous of herself?

What if one clone would have kids, the second focus on cooking and the third...well, just "fun and games"?

Crazy,eH?

Jewish Side of Babysitter said...

Want to be surprised?

I think I actually watched it once!
I remember seeing an add for it by a city bus stop or something, so I decided to check it out. I saw one show, and it was a bit disturbing, I felt bad for the wives, it was strange.

Espes: aww thanx!

Jacob Da Jew: I actually wrote a post about that once! Since I seemed to have been high in demand to babysit, and couldn't be every where at once, I was thinking that it would be cool to clone myself, but then I wondered if I'd be jealous of my other clones.

But interesting about a wife being cloned, that would be crazy, but also then you wouldn't get the full picture of your wife. You wouldn't get her whole personality. Because the cooking, cleaning, having kids, fun, all bring different experiences which makes a person. If one would do chores all day she may became a grouch.

Anonymous said...

Definitely wouldn't work for me. I've already told my husband what would happen if he was ever with another woman. I would repeat it here, but it's not for the faint of heart. Though, I'm sure from me saying that you can imagine what it is that I said.

nameless, faceless said...

Absolutely not. I hated that show, and my ex-fiance kept trying to get me into it. I really just don't understand the mental state of a woman who would be alright with sharing her husband with other women, and on top of that, find some odd comfortable friendship of female solidarity/affirming sisterhood with the other ladies who take her husband's cock.

Just don't get it and also, it makes me a little angry. Can you tell?

Anonymous said...

I could never do that. I would be way to jealous. If the couple had a fight, instead of working it out, the husband would just go to the other wife. Things wouldn't get resolved and cause major issues.

Mikeinmidwood said...

Not going to happen. The shidduch crisis would turn the other way, and become a divorce crisis. It could work if it were the norm, as it was in the past. And it will really wont work with womans rights, some will demand to have 2-3 husbands.

harry-er than them all said...

it would work if hes in kolel. 3 father in laws, 3 wives working....same lack of responsibility. i love it!

Lady Pieface said...

I don't think I'd deal well being one wife of many...but the idea of three husbands isn't unappealing. Sure, my cable bill would go sky-high BUT the lawn would always look nice, someone would alway have pocket change to buy me a slurpee, and maybe, JUST maybe...one of those husbands could be Dr. Who.

A girl can dream, right?

Maidel said...

hahaha interesting thought Soprano!

and Mike, it prob would solve the shidduch crisis! (maybe that's the reason for it...)

Anonymous said...

On a serious note, the idea of one husband-multiple wives may be workable under certain conditions. The corresponding idea of one wife-multiple husbands has a whole different -- nearly insurmountable -- problem:

How will anyone ever know the paternity of any child born in such a family?

Ookamikun said...

da jew, that sounds familiar. From gemorah, no? For fun wife was given an herb that made her sterile.

Frayda, that would depend on the relationship between the wives. If they wouldn't be jealous of each other, the second wife would force the husband to make peace with the first wife.

I've been reading Fans webcomic and towards the end is how the love triangle is resolved. Though all 3 are friends and owe each other their lives. Then again, it's a work of fiction.

Anonymous said...

Moshe,

I believe that your "sterile" reference is to the generation of Lemech -- the one who killed Kayin (Cain) by mistake, in Parshas Beraishis (Genesis). Rashi points out that the fact that both of his wives -- Tzilah & Adah -- had children was unusual, as men used to keep only one wife for having kids while the other -- more beautiful -- wife was made sterile and was used for pleasure only.

Ookamikun said...

I remember a mention of what they actually gave them. Probably from daf yomi.

chanie said...

1) Women will have to get rid of shopping habits (not an issue for those who hate shopping.

2) Some men don't mind, some want to give their first wife all their energy, because they think she deserves it.

3) Some girls don't mind, some girls don't want to share.