On September 26, 2014 Flan wrote:
What no comment or new post about Meri being catfished and the damning voice mails!!!! CJ, you are slipping!!!!
Human nature amazes me sometimes.
What happened to Meri Brown CAN HAPPEN TO ANY MAN OR WOMAN who places their trust, emotions, feelings with an unknown person on social media - in this case Twitter.
Meri was at a very vulnerable stage in her life. She apparently was taken advantage of by a person masquerading as something or someone they were not. That's the usual MO for these kind of predators.
I've allowed limited discussion of this sordid topic of "catfishing" in my other living room, but that was only because that group is private.
My blog, on the other hand, is very open to the public on the internet. For that reason, I have moderated the conversation so that the FOCUS is on Meri Brown, the reality show Sister Wives and any comments made by the Sister Wives cast on social media.
It has become very obvious Meri made a big mistake in her life. She is now paying the price on social media. So is it necessary to rub her face in her folly, like the person who apparently had planned this from the beginning is doing?
I don't think so. Meri apparently got played. And the person who played her apparently was another woman. And that woman continues to play Meri with embarrassing voicemails, etc. That's not a proud moment for human or womankind if you ask me.
So here's my suggestion, Flan...if you want it.
There are plenty of public forums on the internet as well as several groups on Facebook you can join that are discussing this messy affair. Feel free to join their discussion.
Until Meri Brown makes a public statement, or a statement is issued from TLC or another legal entity including a valid news source such as CNN (for example), or mentioned in an episode of Sister Wives, I prefer to keep my blog living room free from discussing this mess.
Thank You
I respectfully disagree, Cynical, and please allow me to explain my point of view. First, I am a huge fan of your blog and actually visit it all the time. I enjoy this train wreck of a show, and actually don't find a lot of content about it on the internet. Aside from you and Facebook and the Previously TV forum, there really is not a lot of coverage/news on this guilty pleasure show, not a lot of places where 'fans' can come together to discuss and snark. This group of adults decided to put themselves on a reality tv, to promote their agenda, and have heavily edited and manipulated the content. They reveal very little of their true feelings towards one another. They sanitize and deceive. And they get paid very well for it. I am not a great admirer of Meri, however, I feel that what happened to her was awful, However, it is also news related to them as a unit. And therefore deserves discussion and an alization. We are all here fair, kind individuals for the most part, and should be allowed to discuss any and all news related to the show. And I'm sure that given the opportunity, the majority of our opinions would become a wave of support for Meri eventually, but after we are given an opportunity to explore this topic. I have faith in your readers Cynical, and am surprised that you don't share this view. Also, horrible things happen to victims every day. It is through discussion and denouncement of the perpetrators of horrible acts, do we shine the light on these cases and victims begin to feel empowered and not ashamed. If Meri was raped, would there be a moritorium on any discussion of that crime? Would that be swept under the rug and not allowed to be talked about? It's a disservice to the victim to ignore the crime and shame the victim. Maybe by discussion, cat fishing would be something more people would become aware of, it really is a relatively new danger on the internet. So let me conclude by saying, I hope you rethink your stance, Cynical. Of course it's your blog and you run it your way. But if you choose to censor sister wives news, you will lose a loyal follower. Please don't suppress information.
ReplyDeleteI respect your opinion, but as this has happened only on social media and has not been address ed by the Browns, TLC or featured in a reputable news outlet, I have chosen to take the high road. As I mentioned there are other outlets available to you. I simply do not find this topic to be worthy of "snarking" about. In my opinion it is quite sad and shows just how emotionally isolated women in polygamy can be.
DeleteYMMV
I admire your desire to take the high road, Cynical, but neither the Browns nor TLC have ever addressed any concerns we, the viewers, have found troubling (case in point - the Tell-Alls that tell nothing) and I definitely do not expect them to address this scandal. They will never discuss this publicly. Also, we are living in a social media world. The Browns live tweet, you set up live tweets, the Facebook page is where they announce news. More often than not, the news happens on social media First. Then the rest of the media scrambles to catch up. Case in point, Robyn's twitter meltdown. I don't mean to be argumentative, Cynical, and I truly appreciate your tolerance of my point of view. I also appreciate all the time you have put in to run this blog so that so many strangers with this crazy thing in common can come and chat :) thank you!
DeleteYea, I don't get the hard stance either. Just last Sunday Meri was telling us nothing changed, blah blah when in fact she was participating in some form of marital adultery, be it physical or just emotional. That is the Brown's MO. Deception. So apparently she isn't so in love with Kody or she wouldn't have fallen for this.
ReplyDeleteOh, I am sure is terribly embarrassed, humiliated and hurt. Not my problem. I hope she learns something form this and shares it with all those bonus kids she has.
The Brown's have been selling us a crock of shit for so long...and had Meri not been trapped/caught/set up, it would have continued.
SB
Right on ANNON 11:51am Meri was obviously taken advantage of. But, if her relationship with Kody was "status Quo" after the divorce this would not have happened. This blows a big hoe in the polygamy narrative, and, if Meri had not posted wo-is-me crap on her twitter for years she would not have been a target. There are lessons to be learned from her public experience from this, i dont think its a bad idea to discuss them and learn from it.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this incident "blows a big hole in the polygamy narrative." But, unfortunately, most people making comments prefer to discuss ad nauseum the salacious and unsubstantiated "proof" provided by a person with a long history of catfishing. If the comment can focus on Meri and how polygamy might play a part in her being vulnerable to such a predator, then yes. THAT is a topic worthy of discussion because participants can discuss their thoughts and beliefs and others can learn from them.
DeleteThe comments I have read and not published have focused on the "seedy" exhibition of voicemails and cards and notes supposedly from Meri. It is another insidious form of "slut shaming", and I simply won't have that type of behavior in my living room.
I am surprised no tabloids have picked up on this story and it hasn't really been talked about on other internet sites much, especially with all the people out for TLC's blood. Guess the Browns just aren't that exciting to the media which says a lot.
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprised. I have a feeling the tabloids are watching, as are TLC and the show's producers. Eventually, the audience will know the truth, whatever that is. In the meantime, we can still focus on the show, Kody, and his wives and polygamy.
DeleteI do feel sorry for Meri & I don't even like her. It's a definite cry for attention, we know who isn't noticing her. Could see another sister wifes hand in "baiting" her. Seems like it's all tied back to one other wife, sad to say. I'm surprised they all aren't reaching out for other people to love, well all except the one who is ruling the roost. My apologies if I offended you with an earlier post, it was not my intention. I wish no harm to any of these women, I just shake my head a lot.
DeleteThe "catfisher" is a horrible, nasty, and I might say EVIL person.
ReplyDeleteI actually know another person who was catfished. It started as a joke. They never met (he was busy) or spoke (he had a phone phobia) ; they communicated via chat rooms. They eventually got "engaged", then he was "killed" in an accident. It was horrible, and she still doesn't believe it was a joke. She often refers to her "fiance who was killed". Whoever would do something so evil should rot in hell.
I can't even imagine falling in love with some one I've never spent time with, I cannot relate. I guess I'm a dinosaur. I have to look in your eyes (person to person) to feel like I have any kind of a relationship at all. I think some people must be looking "too hard", It's very sad.
DeleteI feel very bad for Meri and the unfortunate situation she found herself in. If there was no fourth wife this never would have happened.
ReplyDeleteI think a good reason to talk about this a bit is that a lot of people had never heard of catfishing and the truth about it needs to get out. I knew a little bit about it, but I had no idea people would go to such lengths to hurt others.
I'm far more concerned about how this whole thing will affect Mariah and her relationship with Mariah.
ReplyDeleteTo ignore this recent catfishing of Meri is to pretend this won't effect the entire charade of the Brown's plural marriage. While it is sickening that there are people out there that do these kind of weird things, it's just more proof of the Brown women being manipulated to their own detriment. I don't understand the resistance to discuss this when so many other bizarre aspects of their lives are freely explored.
ReplyDeleteI am thankful for Jinx's ability to stay on target and not allow discussion (aka Witch hunting) to taint this blog. What the catfisher did was cruel and unsavory but the whole episode is not part of the TLC show we love to snark. It is unsnarkworthy and reeks of sadistic pain inflicting evil. Snarkers do not bottom feed, Jinx is right!
ReplyDeleteCan someone please explain catfishing to me. from what I get u think your communicating with a man, but it turns out to b another woman? Well if it's just idle convo. what's the problem. Was Meri trying to make kody jealous. I believe Meri age stunted at 16.I mean emotional age. If she sets herself a goal to get something done she's fine. I hope Meri, Janelle & Christine get the mental help they need. I think some of the children r older then the parents emotionally. That includes Kody. but if someone can please explain catfishing to me. not in relation to Meri just in general
Delete
DeleteCan someone please explain catfishing to me.
It's involves more than idle conversation.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catfishing
We can talk about their bankruptcies, failed businesses, favoritism, weight gain and bad makeup, but we can't discuss the fact that a wife had an affair? I think most people are sympathetic and not out for a witch hunt. I am not a Meri fan but I feel awful for her and this situation has made her more human to me. I don't think the Brown's will discuss this at all, just like everything else.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate jinx taking the high road. The catfishing has been referenced multiple times in comments' discussions, so I think we all have been aware of it even just from this blog. It's not necessary to dissect alleged details from a known liar (the catfisher) in a public forum.
ReplyDeleteSorry, but I don't feel sorry for Meri. Maybe it's because I don't really understand what definition of having an affair is to people. Did she go on a date or sleep with someone. I think of affair as setting out on Kody and meeting someone at a motel for sex. Did she do this? I am not sure. Yes, I think that it is wrong for someone to catfish her. It's childish and dumb. I don't like playing games with people's feelings. I am with CJ on this issue. I can wait for her to discuss this or TLC decides to cover this on the show. Now back to the Kody and Robyn show. Those 2 deserve each other.
ReplyDeleteCJ, while I understand your reluctance to make this unfortunate incident a topic for the living room, I have to say that I can see both sides of the issue: On the one hand, we all watch the show for cracks in their story and we examine their social media and news reports for the truth and when we find the truth that is so buried in their reality program, we make an argument for how polygamy damages women and it does. But on the other hand, what happened to Meri could and does happen to a lot of people who are lonely so to have the published and discussed, even if it is to prove their lies, is sort of douchey. To be frank, Meri is probably one of the most fragile wives and probably has always been one of the most fragile. Her security as wife has been tossed aside with each new wife and her lack to carry but one pregnancy to term while the other women were baby machines couldn't have made her feel any less secure and then now she is probably in menopause and her husband and his last baby mama have manipulated into giving up her legal status and so she is vulnerable and then this happens...but, deep down in side, I remember her smirks at Janelle and Christine and I think, girl, you deserved this...but I agree....somethings are best left out of the living room and maybe this is one of those things.
ReplyDeleteMeri said she and Kody wanted multiple wives from the beginning. Janelle came in when they were still newlyweds. She says she wanted this. I think maybe she didn't want this, she just said whatever she thought Kody wanted to hear. She wants someone to call her own and she'll never have that as long as she has to share her husband, or ex husband now. None of the wives are happy and I hope the children see this as they grow up and start their own families.
ReplyDeleteI am not against polygamy because I strongly believe adults should be able to have the type of relationships with other adults that fit their lifestyle (I'm in a racially, religiously, and culturally mixed marriage and had people say such relationships are wrong).
DeleteI have met many polygamy families and some were able to work things out and be loving towards each other. The husband was very attentive towards his wives and kids. Other families were dysfunctional.
That being said, like you, I feel that Meri just went along with Kody's lifestyle because she wanted to be with him. Not because she wanted to be in a polygamous marriage. I think she fell deeply in love with him. However, once the realization of polygamy had set in, reality hit her really hard. Esp. since Kody ended up with Meri's sister-in-law as a first co-wife.
The only reason why I feel sorry for Meri is because life is short and I believe everyone should be with someone who cares for them. Judging from the show and the book they had written, I have a hard time believing Kody cares deeply for Meri like Meri cares (or had cared) for him.
My only hope is that if any of the women are unhappy in this situation that they are strong enough to live and lucky enough to find someone who will love and care for them deeply.
If this catfishing incident is real, I hope it doesn't stop Meri from leaving, if she wants to, and finding the love that she wants and needs.
Jessie, I am against polygamy but I do believe that people should be able to live any way they choose. However, I don't find anything good about having to share a penis with multiple women. I strongly believe that if these women are born into this lifestyle, this is all they know. The ones that choose this principle are not educated enough or have the necessary skills to leave. This group of women are not online, they don't watch tv and they all dress alike and wear those prairie dresses and have their hair done in a bun or ponytail. I think more women would leave this lifestyle if they had the means to do so. They need a strong support system to help them when they leave. In my opinion, I feel that polygamy is degrading to women and children. It's what they are taught at an early age and this is what they believe in. They think that they will burn in hell if they do anything against the principle. Plus, how many families living polygamy are like the Browns. How many of these families live off the government. How many of them can reap the benefits of TLC money. TLC money ruined this family. I respect your opinion that adults should choose how they want to live their lives. I just can't get behind supporting polygamy. I also respect other people's religion but I find it hard to believe that Kody will get a planet to live on when he dies and he can call up his "wives" who he wants there with him. I don't believe his religion is real. There, I said it. I broke my own rule about not talking about religion, politics or sexual preference. I think that Kody makes up his own set of rules as he goes along. He seems to go back and forth on issues and goes with whatever fits the present situation. Kody is a phony. He is a narcissist. He only cares about himself. He does not care about any of the women's feelings. He feels that they should take care of their own issues. He does not know how to handle conflict except run to the next house.
DeleteWarren Jeff religious sect and Kody Brown's belief aren't the only type of polygamy around. Not all polygamous relationship have women dressed in prairie clothes or living on government assistance.
DeleteThere are many different types of polygamy some aren't based on religious belief. Some people actually view polygamy as something they were born to be in (I have a friend who explained this to me). Some choose such a relationship because they want a part time husband or because they enjoy the big family and the list goes on and on. Some choose polygamy for medical reason (A woman I had spoke to has a medical condition which makes sex very painful for her.).
I will not argue that polygamy is not degrading to women and children. I will argue that not all polygamous relationships are degrading to women and children. Furthermore, judging from your statement, you assume polygamy is just "one man with several women". I know one family that has one woman with two men (and yes, they know which man fathered her children).
Finally, as for sharing a penis (or a vagina). It is MY belief...no not religious belief, just personal belief (and anyone can say it is stupid or ignorant or whatever) that everyone who has ever slept with more than one partner has shared a penis or vagina at one point in their lives. University campuses is one major example of the hookup culture. Find a guy or girl that is likable, sleep with them, rinse, and repeat several times over. I had roommates while in college that would bring a different guy to our apartment almost every week. These guys would have slept with other girls I knew from class, etc. Some of them even became pregnant by the same guy.
At least in a polygamous relationship, everyone knows who is sleeping with who, their medical background, etc.
Again, I am not against polygamy if that is the type of relationship the adults FREELY choose to be in. Just like I am not against gay, monogamy, or open relationships, etc. if that is what the adults in such relationships FREELY agreed to (as in no one forced them or brainwashed them, or threaten, etc. anyone to be in said relationships).
Irene Spencer and Kristyn Decker both discussed having emotional affairs with men other than their husbands in their memoirs. Yes it's a generalization, but I think it's quiet common for polygamist women.
ReplyDeleteCJ, I totally respect and agree with your decision to not pile on at this point. When things were first being pieced together and all the comments were trying to make sense of it all, my head was spinning from the convoluted web of the story and all the players. I stopped even trying to understand and just stopped reading any of it. But I believe at that time it was just everyone trying to make sense of a weird turn of events.
ReplyDeleteWith the release of these voicemails and threatening texts?tweets, it changes everything. It became real. It is time to see a human being who is broken, suffering and humiliated and not just fodder for a snarky comment. We wouldn't behave in such a way in our own real lives, so why do it online.
Thank you CJ. Good call on this sad bit of business. The catfisher and JYD are just horrible people preying on the vulnerable. These people have too much time on their hands if they are able to invest in this type of evil. If there is anything good to come from this is for people to have an awareness of what catfishing is (I never heard of it before it was mentioned on this blog), and just have a heightened awareness of how careful you should be in using social media. Teach this awareness to your kids too.
ReplyDeleteI definitely can appreciate the hesitation of discussing all the details of this latest turn of events. It's just such a sad situation for all involved. I had never heard of "catfishing" until last year when one of the Heisman trophy nominees? was involved. There is, however, a "side eye glance" cast on this network, and particularly this family. Fool Me once, shame on ME; Fool Me twice...tends to make viewers want a more detailed explanation of the current state of affairs (no pun intended). And, incredibly, there really aren't very many sites covering this story. I look to this site for informed, truthful, explanations.
ReplyDeleteCJ I don't feel sorry for Meri or Robin in any way shape or form. However I do respect u giving them the benefit of doubt & respect. I do think Meri maybe going off the rails along with Christine or they r good actors. Some of the stuff they read could make it worse. On another subject it don't seem like over 2 years ago that Robin brought kids to meet there dad I think for the holidays. I think something happen & Kody couldn't go. Do u remember that?
ReplyDeleteOn another subject it don't seem like over 2 years ago that Robin brought kids to meet there dad I think for the holidays. I think something happen & Kody couldn't go. Do u remember that?
DeleteI can remember an episode when Kody and Robyn were rushing to get going to Montana. It was Christmas but only Aurora and Breanna were in the car. I believe the reason Dayton was missing was because of the ATV accident that happened earlier when Robyn's kids were visiting their father during summer vacation. After that episode, Dayton didn't appear for at least one season. Maybe Robyn wouldn't allow Dayton to go to his father after the accident. I do remember last season when the Browns went to Wyoming, Kody mentioned something about picking up the kids who were in Montana. I assumed he meant Robyn's kids.
I would like to know how everyone can be so sure that she was catfished. The individuals involved are still swearing up and down that they are "real people", and I haven't seen any definitive proof that Meri was tricked by another woman. It all seems to be rumor piled on top of rumor. Perhaps she was not tricked at all and simply had a physical or emotional affair with a person that opted to publicly humiliate her after the fact.
ReplyDeleteIts part of their lives and they chose to put their lives on TV. Once you choose to put your whole flipping life on TV then you get the good and the bad. This is the bad. Really really bad for Merit.
ReplyDeleteGrody brags about how he can completely fulfill 4 women. I'd love to hear him explain this can of worms. Seems like Meri decided to multiply the love....
As the kids say, "cosign!" There may be a time to talk about the situation in some depth, but now is not the time.
ReplyDeleteI am so very sad for Meri. And last night, she could not have looked any more miserable. Kody is totally checked out from Meri and Christine. I could not believe he told her that he would love her (Christine) if she acknowledged the family or something to that effect. And also how he completely refused to just make anything just about the two of them. Janelle is his BFF and Robyn is his wife. Meri was destroyed by the paper work shuffle and sought comfort where she could. They are so desperate for love. Christine and Meri are both broken women who I feel so very sorry for. It is better to be alone than miserable in a "marriage."
ReplyDeleteHow did Meri get played? She put herself on social media. Certainly she is smart enough to know the dangers and pitfalls? But beyond that, she is a MARRIED WOMAN! Or so she tells us, over and over again. These kinds of things happen when you open yourself up to an emotional relationship. What if this wasn't a catfish and we just found out it was a guy. I would be just as outraged because of the lies they continue to tell us.
ReplyDeleteWhat does all of this say about TLC? First the Duggars and now the Browns? What kind of vetting do they actually do regarding their shows and who the choose to film? There will come a time when they no longer have an audience for these obviously untruthful and salacious types of shows and that time is drawing closer with every scandal. They appear to pay people to lie about their lifestyles and they overlook all of it for the sake of ratings. This is will come back to bite them if they don't choose more wisely who they film. And, has anyone else noticed that both of these shows filled with scandal are based on a religious premise and practice? Not a good look...not good at all.
ReplyDeleteI started watching this show because I was interested in the dynamics between the wives. I would never consider polygamy, so I wanted to see what went on in the minds of the women who did. And at the show's beginning, I thought that any one of these women could be my next-door neighbor, or someone I'd see at the grocery store, etc. Very removed from what I knew of polygamy, with the long dresses and caps, under the veil of secrecy.
ReplyDeleteNow, a few years have gone by, and I'm still interested in the dynamics, but it's very clear that we are watching Meri, Christine, and Janelle suffer in real time (well, in real TLC/Brown time). As a woman, it's uncomfortable to see this progression - from a fairly happy and seemingly well-adjusted but unusual family to a family where it's crystal clear that one of the wives is extremely miserable, and expected to repress her emotions every single waking moment.
As for Meri being catfished...while that has not happened to me personally, I can certainly see how a woman desperate for some love and attention could quickly make an online connection that wasn't smart nor safe. I'd imagine that the adults in the family did not take kindly to Meri's flirtation, and likely made her feel completely awful, humiliated, and her tweets the silly shenanigans of a middle-aged woman. I don't think Meri has one person in her life to talk to about her misery - because in the land of the Sister-Wives, a wife who expresses misery gets stepped on by the other wives in an effort to exalt herself before her husband.