Polygamy: Has the
Media Glorified It?
Aislinn Murphy, Staff Writer
Many of you may be familiar
with a show called Sister Wives that is
featured on TLC, a reality show based
on a polygamist relationship between
a man and his three-soon to be four-
wives. Many people are disturbed,
and some outraged, that this series
is allowed to be aired on television,
but this isn’t the only show in today’s
society that portrays polygamy. HBO’s
Big Love features a fictional Mormon
polygamist family in Utah, and Fox’s
Lone Star has a main character on the
verge of being a polygamist. Being in a
polygamist relationship, which in
volves marrying more than one person,
or a polyamorous relationship, a non-
marital relationship with more than
one person, is both more common and
more discussed in today’s society.
Being in a serious relationship
myself, I understand that it is difficult
for most people to wrap their minds
around being in a serious relationship
with more than one person. Under
standing polygamy is easier when you
get input from someone who is actually
in a polyamorous relationship or has
been in one in the past. Three students
who wish to remain anonymous (who
are referred to as Britney and Cindy
in this article; Lucy did not want to
participate) are currently in such a
relationship. I asked Britney and Cindy
the following questions:
What does being in a polyam
orous relationship mean to you? When
asked about what a polyamorous rela
tionship meant to her, Cindy replied
with, “Being in a polyamorous relation
ship means that I don’t have to ignore
my feelings towards other people, but
I can acknowledge them without the
strain of losing my current relation
ship.’’ Cindy had been in a relationship
with her girlfriend Lucy for quite some
time, but when she met Britney she
decided that her relationship with Lucy
is too important to end, but she also
didn’t want to lose a possible romantic
relationship with Britney.
Do you think being in a po
lygamous or polyamorous relationship
is more common today? If so, do you
think that the media has had an effect?
Britney did not know for sure whether or
not they were more common today, but
Cindy on the other hand thought “I do
think that polyamorous relationships are
on the rise and have gained more media
attention, but I don’t think the attention
has been positive or fair towards people
who are in stable polyamorous relation
ships.”
I asked Courtney Hewett, a
fellow Meredith student who has never
been in a polyamorous relationship, how
she felt about polygamy in the media.
She responded, “I definitely think it’s
more glorified. I mean there are all of
these reality shows about it. You see it a
lot. I’m sure that really puts the idea in
people’s heads more.”
Both those who have been
polygamists and those who have never
been in such a relationship seem to
agree that the media is having an effect
on the exposure of polygamous and
polyamorous relationships, and perhaps
not a completely positive one. Before
you judge polygamy by how they are
presented on cable TV shows, do more
research and you will find that if some
one is in that type of relationship, it is
usually completely different than the
media version.
Commencement. A Fresh,
Fictional Approach on Life at a
Women’s College (A Review)
Amy Hruby, Editor
Commencement is a stoiy of
four women who meet as freshmen at
Smith College and forge a friendship
that lasts long after they graduate.
Beginning on move-in day of their
freshmen year, the book follows Celia,
Bree, Sally and April—four girls who
have nothing in common except their
age and close living quarters.
While the novel spent most
of the summer flying off of the “Beach
Reads” table at Barnes and Noble, it
works hard to transcend “chick-lit”
and offers a poignant examination of
mi
r. o \i \i K \ i ] K M K \ r
female friendship and of the complex
choices young women are now making
in their college and early professional
years. The author, J. Courtney Sullivan,
is an alum of Smith College and portrays
the setting well, offering a believable
women’s college atmosphere that any
Meredith College student would find
relatable.
The novel‘s strong points
include its handling of feminist themes
(main character April is more radical
than any feminist I’ve ever come across)
and explorations of sexuality (readers
see the love and challenges
in leading woman Bree’s
lesbian relationship), but
the book falls short with its
few male characters, leav
ing them flat, lackluster and
less than believable.
Commencement is great
for any Meredith College
student looking for a relat
able read that’s a nice break
from studying. Once read,
it’ll probably end up being
passed amongst friends and
creating arguments about
which one is the Celia,
Bree, Sally or April of the
group.
J, tn Nin .si li.ia \ \
Disclaimer: A free copy of
this book was provided for
review by Anchor Books.
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