« Stuff You Should Know

Why would anyone want multiple spouses?

2010-10-05 | 🔗

Polygamy, the practice of having multiple spouses, is mostly illegal in the United States but very common in other parts of the world. In this episode, Josh and Chuck discuss polygamy and touch on a host of related topics, from Mormonism to monogamy.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
This podcast dynamically inserts audio advertisements of varying lengths for each download. As a result, the transcription time indexes may be inaccurate.
Have you ever wondered? How will the most powerful people in America got to where they are today? My name's tomorrow and on who is you'll, hear stories about people like sent majority leader, which Mcconnell speaker of the House, Nancy Policy and vice president might pants, and the Democrats most likely to challenge from and twenty twenty tune into, who is every Tuesday and the Iheart Radio up apple pie, guests or wherever you get your buyer guests, brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camry. It's ready welcome to stop. You should know from house to work started. Hello, welcome today, but I guess I was swinging his guests, then I think we should now I'm just clerk is charged with each other
in a flash for both wearing road and moustaches swimmin suing in check two swaying yeah. You have you ever heard of swinging yeah. I think I told the story once about the Atlanta Swingers Club was very close. Tracking number will now. It was discovered Atlantis when you got that Pretty strengthen may have said this, but is a long time ago it was very close to my phone number growing up and ways to get calls all the time for people seeking the Swingers club and being the Baptist family. What it was like you know, MA am Humphrey basically made them seem like they were. It was the devil, calling sure I'm sure it's pretty funny yeah. So well, on this very special episode of stuff, you should know we find out what fuelled young Chuck, Bryant, budding sexuality
it turns out. It was misplaced phone calls. The swing river and continued sexual dysfunction is another adult. Unlike you're. Just gonna have a good time, it's not my deal. But you know you don't wanna, say honestly, your hang ups on other people right now to drag well, it depends men or talking today. But polygamy, and there is a whole lot of people putting their hang ups on polygamous year. They have a hard time here in the states. They do but before we get into that check before we get into the swinging his podcast around. Yes, let's get some administrative details out. The way very important, an announcement? This is like the now you're tired of hearing about it. If you don't live in Atlanta, but this is the last southeast one of the last chances will had to say we are having here. We'll be night in Atlanta October thirteenth, it's a Wednesday block out from six p m to about eleven p m. Yes, you're going to show up to work on Thursday, not on all
four cylinders, depending on how many cylinders you have sure, but you're going to have had a great time the night before. Why chuck? What's going happened on Wednesday over thirteen. We're gonna play bar trivia and we're gonna have daily shows John Hodgman sitting beside us. Yes, editor in Chief Joanne, Dasa yeah, an awkward teen hunger fortune, Squid Billy's, CO, creator, data Willow, Willis, nice, yes, and prevent plus us area the Miller Families and Jerry will your mommy their yeah. How adorable and I hope my Brother'S- your data he may. Finally, when I bought an ipod to listen to what his son was doing here, I don't think he's turn the thing on yet MRS Mann yeah, my mama be didn't, show you, the ipod. Item. At my birthday, the you dare he's like working, you like what is that and there was a nano. Even he said, it's an ipod chalk. Surprise! You don't know that you're in it.
So that's. What's Goin on Wednesday October thirteenth night, before Tuesday October, twelve, our bodies and de facto House Ban the Henry Clay. People are playing a show at the drunken eunuch. On these points and we're gonna be there and Jerry is gonna, be there and hopefully a couple of our bodies Conan from out of town Renato, real, maybe mercy and season Can ruin hang out with a ban their quota year, SEC two nights a fun in a row. Yes, it's gonna be one week. Yes, so that's what's goin on this October's twelve and thirteen in in preparation, hollowing, now back to polygamy? Yes, all right! So with some back to polygamy, shocking our Warren Jeff's yeah thanks for this article is it in
have an interval except for a mention of big love which have never seen of you. You know, what's big love initially and build on it, not because as bad as didn't have the time, but if it is really good sure, yeah acclaimed Series HBO Paxton, you can't go around with Mr Bill Pact and I got a class act, but back two warring jes yeah. We not to be confused bill pacts bill pacts in place. Polygamous on tv or ingests is a polygamous in real life right at the very least. Here he is he's indicted for allegedly fostering the marriage between a fourteen. Rolled and a seventeen year old Right fourteen year old in her nineteen year old cousin. Yet some would call him a Federalist Josh and not just a political. He couldn't be a petty rest unless he is a homosexual, because Petre, ass, you refer specifically to the railway station.
I don't know that new. Well, then, he would be a child molesters than in many people's eyes, allegedly Chuck, allegedly, allegedly, allegedly or he's in jail for it. He was convicted of a he has not been convicted. He goes to the trial in November fifteen, while he found guilty found guilty of then apparent they're. Having a hearing to find out. If he's one and the same as the person they were looking for, that's it says he's been in jail for the union's sentenced to two consecutive prison terms of five years. Following is too thousand seven conviction in Utah now there's new charges and taxes. Later while they're trying to get em extradited to Texas and he more serious charges were thrown out. I'm sorry, Texas has a much more serious charges so even more charges in Arizona he's, got charges all over the place and Oh, he is in jail in Utah and they of the governor signed an extradition
send him to Texas in MID August and denied its other? It's the waiting on a court ordered extradition, basically yeah, and that may bring him five to ninety nine years that he and up to ten thousand notify assaulted a child under seventeen year. So it makes much arbalist he's got a lot of stuff against some, I meant to say allegedly Allah replace, because I have to say I have to admit I'm not on a persona what he's been charged with or convicted of, but get having charges all of the place is nothing you for polygamous Diana up, but that, just as the leader of a sect of Mormonism called fundamentalist Mormons yeah, we should say that the church latter Day saints the Mormons, although frequently associated with polygamy, really done so since the nineteenth century we're getting to the Mormons
in their there. There polygamous lifestyle yeah later, but we, I think I think it's fair to say that you know not representative of the Mormon Churches, a whole now not at the start, the basics. Ok, let's talk about pulling me. What is it there's like? I think people ever give the definition of polygamy well before the definition. Let me to say that most westerners don't identify with anything but monogamy but culturally worldwide and in history, Madame is in minority. Actually, actually, polygamy, Saudis outnumber number by the hundreds, yeah monogamous societies, monogamy appears to be a Christian hang up, because if you go to areas before the Christmas got their pretty much, everybody historically was polygamous right. Then the Christians arrived and all of a sudden, there's monogamy everywhere. Right is another
yes and among mammals is well. Humans are, as monogamist are in the vast minority, rightly three to five percent of all mammals, engage monogamy, the rest, her polygamous right, so definition wise, a believe. It's polygamy is more than one spouse. Polygamy is more than one wife correct. Yes, so polygamy doesn't attach gender or legality to it. It's right right and then Polly Andrey. Yes, it is and having more than one husband which Jackie beforehand to sleep but was not like. Women can have more than one husband wrong, especially you are a member of the knee and by people in Nepal. Yeah women. There have- and I do think this is like a sitcom waiting. Women, their path to marry. All the brothers of a family if you marry one brother, you get there
when Darrell. If you marry Larry, you get Darrow as well knows, and it makes sense in a way for them because it allows and the resources as a family hold on family land, take care of their children with. Well, it's very culturally specific great because the these this group of people is about thirty hundred members of the ambient culture church, and they simply do not have enough land for each man, yes to go out on his own former homestead in a family right, so is it culturally bound. The reasons for this and apparently is fairly beneficial. There's a lot of consolidation of families, bloodline, a resource all of the brothers have access sexual access to the woman. Wifi you is there something you're gonna hear a lot of sexual access, which means you, you can get it on yeah
over access to delay on sexual access, each brother does, but they said they do allow them to specify, like you were. The father of this trial rightly differentiate who's, the father which- but they all raisin yeah they they all contribute to caregiving child rearing and also its high arctic hierarchical. I was wondering how like who chose the why right, I'm always as other and he's deftly the the dominant husband if I were to rewrite the rules. So if I was a tribesmen I would say we should go with like the best looking brother of the brother who has the most game yeah it's so we can all get the most attractive. It has one of the oldest brothers like a real merge, but that's what I'm saying like they just in case the elder brother is a nudge. He still the damage
husband bright, although I'll bet sibling rivalry, Trance is paying cultural yeah through. I'm sure that there is there is like one that has game is like yeah got more sexual access to her, the Chinese, a sick gum in except that would be like they would american eyes it. You like for American, my guys from Brooklyn brothers that would find this woman tribesmen and bring her to America and I'll marry her. I could see it burns doing that I could do it may contain. So Chuck, that's the and the indian people. They are definitely a rarity even rarer, the Amazon, so we try brain yet that's multiple everything right, multiple husbands and wives. At the same time, yeah it's basically like it's a free for all. He jungle But it's not fair was to make funding. That word is laughing
because I'm not making fun yet that's their culture again, they think we're weird. I again. I think that this is such potential. This is just potential dynamite the year, but this is different cultures. They see your dad and his Nan upon it. But now I it's now is that, like there there is there some real there's, very real social like as in society and biological benefits, polygamy, sure, but there is also some very negative social and personal drawbacks to write yet will get to those two yeah. Well, what are we gonna talk? Well, yeah? Who else does it the well? It will continue the nomenclature too silly and others also bigamy they d legality to polygamy Yeah bigamy is. Is the law is that when a man illegally marries more than one woman- and that is definitely
We got the United States. Will it's the practice of polygamy in a place where its illegal illegal? Let no one? No! In the United States, you can't practice. Polygamy except the things, are very small pockets and, like you, Tom Arizona, where it's actually legal, merrily, yeah, Colorado, city, Arizona, I think, is one of late to places in the country where it's actually legal but federalist, silly that the illegal right I dont know how to say but say like in Georgia. If there's no such thing as polygamy, there's only big me, because polygamy is illegal, see. Yet now I get it, I just want to mention biggest oftentimes argh, accidental bigamist. Like they will marry before their divorce is complete, but there's also They called it rare those wretched thank when the dude it's a double life and literally has to families and
rare according to the population, but if you look up and Google NEWS search, you'll find plenty of it or listen to the grateful dead Son friend of the devil. I'll, give you the right idea, but I don't get you on. The trial is one of the few dead sons alike I like easy wind thrilling, and now I what is Polly Emory as being in love, that's more than one person that is just dumb that communal familial living where everyone is. Everyone has sexual access to everybody else. There is not necessarily in usually isn't any marriage involved, but it resembles like a polygamous household net. Yet is like a group of people all contributing to the raising of children, and probably in most cases there will be a differentiation of whose kid is who here, but it's like a mini taking a village Tereza child again
I dont know how good this is necessarily for child rearing. Yeah we're not gonna make that call, but we can't say there is a study in Malaysia. That's emerging is brand new. This thing was just published in July in its very it's a groundbreaking study. Actually, Malaysia, loud polygamy among its muslim population, because its its muslim law that you can have it to four wives, as long as you can care for all, will make woolly and treat them all equally. Well, and apparently that's that's like what you're supposed to this, not always the case, but I think like a significant portion of the children in Poland. This households, in this malaysian study there, something like twelve hundred thirty five people involved in the study and a five hundred and twenty three of the children in the household. So like a significant majority of the children, yes said that they
engaging polygamous lifestyle mail, even though their Muslims right, I once they marry interesting yeah. So I don't know how much that has more changes. They get older thou, especially, as you know, status is attached to it, while the article that here said it western zation, like younger Muslims, think polygamous got old fashioned job. Maybe that's the deal with it to me and I'm sorry I get. There are five Twenty three children were involved in the study. Ninety percent of them said the doubt and engaging polygamy. That's over one here. Oh polygamy, as the idea that a man is a very successful and should spread his seed. He is on the earth because he is rich and successful to breed more young, enrich and successful people. And that a lot of time has been endorsed when you
I have a minority of a population like early jewish doctrine, were in favour of it right, it's a really up to really quick way to jump start your population it take to get your society going and is our surprise, said some orthodox jewish still advocate polygamy, which I was a fine, the confirmation that I saw that some gave it up. Recently, but I had trouble finding that attitude except for here, and I think China did that too. There he had none of it while the norm in China did it to under Confucianism okay, so that went out a final. Did it under Confucianism Vietnam did it for practical reasons. It's not.
Legal in Vietnam, but its widely practised, because the places so ridiculously war torn right that they actually need to restart their population as well right, I'm so again, it does have a lot of advantages, specifically polygyny right yeah. Let's talk about why chickens and again from this moment until we're not talking about anymore, were speaking biologically impersonally without any so any social aspects, ok, biologically polygamy, makes uttering complete sense, is
sleepy subscribed to the dark and selfish Jean idea right. What's that, while its there is the concept that we are merely vehicles for genes, right that are driven to basically exists in immortality by passing, is lying down is frequently as possible. Gotcha through polygamy through polygyny, I should say the polygyny polygyny haven't seen. Polygamy, sorry, I agree, but probably say both ways and think we're confusing people through police in a great with Jean I'm, a man kin, while a man can reproduce far more frequently healthy stallion could basically reproduced several times a day every day if he had sexual access to a lot of other leading women.
Right, you're! Ok, thank you for that man, a woman can only reproduce once every nine months after becoming pregnant, whereas she may have twins triplets. Naturally speaking, you know, Octopus, Sir, I and the result of their product of of modern science of fertility Arabs, but say you, you have twins, maybe triplets top, usually irish twins at the MAX. Ok. What is that like thirteen now irish twins is when you have like two kids or nine months apart out, I'm thinking of a bakers dozen so Chuck. So like polygyny makes sense in that. If you want to see, if you want to build up your population, a bunch have a bunch of aggravating women and guys to reproduce yet with a writer, so it makes sense biologically, but socially it's a catastrophe. Nea well one thing is hard to talk about is actual statistics, because.
Mormon, plural marriages, not the kind of thing, that's documented to keep a very private and secret, so you can go and get a bunch of statistics on abuse, but the stories that you here and anecdotal evidence suggests it. Alot of abuse happened, yeah, like girls at her fourteen years old, getting married two men, there are twenty five, twenty six, thirty forty years old. That's that's! Definitely one dark part of the dark side Polygamy, polygyny, specifically polygyny also places men in a position of absolute authority yeah just by even just by bestowing that possibility, I of the men, the man having more than one wife men. All those wiser devoted to the one man is automatically at the top of the hierarchy, yet by virtue of the arrangement and just sociologically speaking being put in, that kind of situation would probably make you drunk with power.
Just being an average person way out, men abuse their position sure and even if they don't want to abuse it. The women in a polygamous sincere they don't have their subservient there so dependent. They dont have like the skills, even if they do escape their their scenario. They dont have the skills to make it on their own. The case that they do spend the subservient wife right to hold on right. Now. I've got a lot of people who have moved on from polygamous wrote. Marriages usually use the word escape or often use the word escape. They escaped from a polygamous measures not near. I got divorced or anything like that, and then also just economically speaking, there is a division of one guys paycheck near over. You know, however many wives and children. He has he may have more than one house. There is, if you don't, do pretty well for himself maybe he's an engineer or something, but it still one person's pay
you're hurting all these people right, and you see that problem. Apparently, according to the article who wrote this one grab, stir traps grabbed her out this. When he points out there, Colorado, city, Arizona, which is one I think to places where you can be a polygamous rent, is, is basically single. Handedly put a strain on the welfare services of the state of Arizona. They're gone broke, yeah, so that's that's another aspect of it as well as at the economics of it. Yet apparently jealousy to our first wives, rather than being the dominant wife right out of All of the other ones are often just kind of left to decide well, that's as limiting loved younger and younger younger is era. Yeah there's a letter like a big plot line. The show- and I was that some of the wise become tell us of each other in like a love triangle. Would I don't see how you couldn't.
Even among the most devoted polygamous near families. I don't see how that couldn't happen, like jealousies, sewing and I'm the most non jealous person on the face of the earth, but that would even make me jealous yeah. I would think yes, maybe not. I think that what the search shock you ready- let's talk about, the Mormons all of you guys have been very good and patient. Thank you for waiting Let's do Mormons yes, this is a brief overview of Mormonism we're not in any way we can do a whole podcast one day on them, but its religion, founded by Joseph Smith, Junior early teen hundreds and he claimed to have received messages, divine messages from an angel, the directive to golden plates. That basically told the story that he translated to
actually become the book of Mormon, so the book of Mormon was written and it does not contain specific info about polygamy, but supposedly he practice look at me. After receiving another personal divine message saying: if you go out and have multiple wise, then you will be a king in Heaven yeah. Basically to be a successful mormon. You kind of had to practice polygamy. It was a directive from God again. It says nothing about it in the book, Mormon right, nothing about a pet there's. A cool website called the wives of Joseph Smith, in Germany alone, ankles they have thirty four four by rising out, but it has. Each name has like their age whether they had a husband at the time we were married to Joseph Smith and then there's like a linkage
hyperlink to a bio on is very cool to make sure that these people, these women, are forgotten right because they were part of the founding establishment of Mormon sure right. So he had thirty four for what I could see, some of whom were sisters, and the youngest was fourteen right now, one of his kids just a Smith. The third was like one of them malaysian muslim kids, because when he came of age is like I'm not practising polygamy, I've seen at first hand and I'm not doing it yet. He sees made a separate sector. I e branched off because you want to stay down with the Mormons. He just wasn't doubt polygamy, exactly a guy who was polygamy, was the successor to Joseph Smith, Junior the founder of the church of Latter Day saints again M young you'll notice, as a university has yet Brigham YA
had even more children, apparent or even more wives apparently had fifty five from what I understand bow in his were much more verifiable, apparently just a Smith D, never publicly Two polygamy right Brigham Young was like took out the fifty five. They like hello, hello by the mid eighteen hundreds. It was so prominent here. Fifty five times uses it. Fifty weapons in eighteen hundred. There were so many mormons out doing this that the church, while they didn't officially bring it into their literature. They did acknowledged
in an official announcement- and I refer to it- is fifty two plural marriage right. So you got plural marriage in eighteen. Fifty two! Yes! For years later, something big happened. The Republican Party Abe Lincoln Party at the time. I think he may have been an attorney still, but he was a law, a log, cabin republican right, yet because he lived in the log cabin and he's republican right. But so Lincoln's party came up with their eighteen fifty six platform and it was based largely upon reading the United States of the twin relics of Barbarism Chuck one with slavery. The other was polygamy right right. There are slavery, yet these were the twin evils that were basically keeping the United States backward from progressing forward Supreme Court agreed yeah and that launched a what you could call
I an unconstitutional government assault on the religious Mormonism, yet has polygamy. They want to quash it basically, yet you tall try Utah applied for statehood during this in their like. Not as long as you got polygamous, you give your polygamous mormons and will deal with you after that they criminalize cohabitation, now what else they prevented you from voting or holding office. If you're polygamous debt is so illegal, it's really no and they actually froze church assets. They might even morally confiscated their property yeah. So they really persecuted the Mormons based on polygamy, yeah, ah, and whether you agree polygamy, you're, not the United States government, and lay the government's data. You talk really really went after them for their practice of polygamy well, yeah! That's why the the church of Jesus Christ of the latter day saints we're having so many problems. They wanted statehood now that that day and eighty nine
said, you know what we had another revelation and we're gonna change that doctrine. So can we be state now right and they said yes, you can be. They set up specific laws there, though, that they didn't in other states? Oh, if you were, if you were caught as far as the Mormons were concerned after in eighteen. Ninety when they said that they have that other revelation right. They said if you were caught practicing: plural marriage. You be excommunicated from the church and some people said well, you know what you can't excommunicate us. If we former owns And that from that was born the Mormon for fundamentalists who still practice to this day, Warren just as a Mormon fundamentalist, yeah droop, and I believe it Joseph Smith, Junior had a divine revelation and they believe that they will be kings and have enough. They have multiple widespread. So there's there's some defence to this among Mormon Fundamentalists, one by one.
Is that if you have more than one wife, you are less likely to philander, then I That's just a few of the more likely to Flanders. When do I don't know, I mean to me, and I've been around cheating and seen it and stuff like that. I think you're either To do that, you're, not the matter if you're here, angle, if you're married, if you're has three wives or one wife, Europe cheater, United Cheater above. I think that I think that there is, I think, socially structurally. Their absolute power makes you more of an arrogant person. I agree, and I could see up. Since because you cheating is a choice either, do you? Don't you right decision not to do it or you make the decision to do it right
everybody wants to do. I think that you could make the case that source socially again, sociological. Somebody is somebody in that position. I would say, be more likely to extra hands to care for children come on I got two hands and you multiply that by eight, why you get sixteen hands to care for you, but you must, by the six kids sums eight wives near forty kids, nine. So
what your preliminary caught. Maybe if you didn't tell us kids, you would need extra wives to care for them and also we should probably take a break here and say: real quick were like chicken, our both monogamist writer area, okay. So but at the same time, if there is a form of polygamy where it's not detrimental, I dont really see that in this article I don't have the teachers on its there s. One s came auto shop, how long is it doesn't hurt? Somebody else, ginger, Pallaby, the supplement to the S last came on our right, but it is illegal. In these United States federally, there are several laws passed, an eighteen hundreds state, wise, only a handful of states that actually have specific laws but Utah's one of em, and that was part of the deal I think specifically outlawing yeah when they are granted statehood. And they get around it, though a lot of times, because they dont officially,
Mary, more than one woman level live a married life style. They in The ceremony they just won't have like an official marriage certificate right. They'll have still been they'll, be merry by the church and the churches eyes exactly right. There are other ways to do this to theirs that whole cohabitation thing it's pretty hard to prosecute and until nineteen fifty three Ligaments families of groups were arm raided by the police routinely in that time out west and then a nineteen. Fifty three, this rate had there's a backlash against it, because the media publish pictures of children being sent off the foster home, realise being left without husbands and all of a sudden sentiment turned a little bit against raids on polygamous family. Might I think the rest of the United States is very confused on how to approach polygamy, yeah so Kay
chuck anything else. I just do have one little funny thing about our trivia night in Atlanta await over about telling me I'm gonna throw some. I do have one more thing I did there is there's been established, a couple of things about the benefits of monogamy as too these. However, they ve developed, deter polygamy, ok right, and there is actually a genetic arab love evolutionary basis to monogamy. You have more sexual access The one person right, so you may be all only be able to reproduce nine months at a time right, but you can many many times right during your reproductive years and your arm. The care giving for those children will pallaby of higher costs, you're a cohesive family unit. So that's my little thing: that's your less bit
What do you have about our tribute? I forget him in this but met Frederick of stuff. They don't want you to know. Fame came by and apparently there is former. Nor add employee name Stanley fallen, who claims that, on October thirteen the night of our trivia in major cities over the United States. Massive UFO fleets will be over. Sending us warnings about global warming- and I said the scarecrow- I heard over his master work for nor add, like that means like there's no way could be a crackpot course eat said it with and firmly cheap. But will I think that this is yet another reason come out October. Thirteenth is we're on the roof of this joint yeah in new vehicles sitting Mr Brok has the messages? Warming recycler save new Are there any stuff just like that? LEO is right.
People are out there there like a common attributable to conceal UFO overhead yeah. That's that's like we just doubled. The number of people are going to be acting so actually to be that girl from say by the Velvet College years. I don't get it. She had a big film break in independence day. She ran up to top of the roof and allay and had that sign is cheering independency pow gone, maybe she'll, be it actually event lots of them if you have anything you want to, let us know, but you know what, if you are a member of a polygamous polly, amorous bigamist horse finger family seriously were very clear. Is there any way that polygamy can be beneficial to a family? You, if you have personal experience with this kind of thing, citizen, email seriously, let us you can send it to stuff podcast, wait a minute chuck.
Even said anything about the search bar. We shouldn't even be here right now. You ready. Okay, if you want to know more about polygamy, yes, you can type Oh, why why the swinging search bar search for it has worked up If you want to send us that email can send a clear stuff, appropriate house the words that count Furthermore, on this and thousands of other topics, is it works out com? What more house words check out our blogs on the house works not come.
Page brought to buy the reinvented two thousand twelve Camry, it's ready or you. We are living in complicated times, I'm seventy rule, MSNBC Anchor and NBC News correspondent. In my new plug cast modern rules, I'm gonna be spending time unpacking. Some of the hair is of today's tat. I decided I was with you survived survival funds, but people are bored, they won't needs. Its american Listenin subscribed to my new pod cas modern rules on Apple five test, the iron radioactive. Wherever you get her factor,
Transcript generated on 2020-01-22.