pondering polygamy

I've been thinking about polygamy all morning.

Outside of religious custom, I just don't see what the advantages are for anyone involved. The wives only get husband on a rota every few days, and have to discuss all their personal troubles with money, cars, kids with the other wives. And the husband is run ragged trying to please everyone and trying to look after all those kids. He gets sex with multiple women, but he's so stressed out with all the daily stuff, he can't keep up with the night time romps, especially when each wife is all fresh and ready to see him after her two nights off. Beyond readily available babysitters, what can be the advantage?

This is all from the new HBO show, Big Love, so it might not have a great deal of connection with how actual polygamous families live. In this one, the oldest wife is the most together - she's confident, has a career, organizes everything in the family and doesn't seem particularly jealous of the other wives, probably because she's got other things going for her.

But the other two are young and desperate for their husband's attention. They manipulate and whine and get upset, as you would, if you could only have your new husband on a rota. So why would they want to do that? And if the first wife, the Boss Lady, has everything going for her, why would she want the hassle of these extra wives?

And husband is running himself ragged with a viagra dependency trying to please everyone.

It might work in a closed society of Mormons perhaps. And i'm willing to believe that in other cultures, where there is a tradition behind it, it might possibly work. I'm not sure the wives would be happy then either, but maybe they are. I don't know enough about it.

But the way they've got it set up on the show, everyone is living this modern life in some city in Utah, and they've all chosen to live this way. I just don't see it.

Also, is it possible that a Mormon girl could get away with saying things like ' I think chastity takes courage,' or 'what church activities could you take part in?' to her workmates at the Dairy Queen without being totally ostrasized or ridiculed? Is that TV or is that just Utah? You certainly couldn't get away with it at the Dairy Queens i know.