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All thatandan instantly self-ironized hashtag how will #MomTok survive this?
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wivesis more than just aReal Housewivesknockoff, though.
(Or whatever syrup you prefer to drizzle into your custom soda.)
As a backdrop for TV storytelling, Mormonism has significant perks.
The first is voyeuristic: How does this belief system function?
What are the rules of this particular social world?
Why do these people believe this stuff?
(Really?Caffeine?)
The other is self-reflective: Could I ever believe it?
Why does it matter whos invited to your kids naming ceremony?
Could I put up with my husband throwing a tantrum after I went to a Chippendales show?
Its the same impetus that drives obsession withBridgerton.
What would it be like to live with much stricter, more archaic social norms?
Infuriating, and, maybe … thrilling?
Thats true in the grand scheme, but it makes for a less interesting show.
What defines a traditional marriage, anyway, when theyre all bringing in more money than their spouses?
Secret Wivesbenefits from the social pressures of Mormonism without making look at this unusual religion!
the primary thrust of the story, and the rigid rules in turn supercharge the showsReal HousewivesDNA.
She learns shes not capable of negotiating that contradiction when shes quickly pegged as a hypocritical attention-seeker.
The rules of an LDS belief system are fodder for a whole world of attaining and losing power.
The comparatively squishy, fluctuating etiquette codes ofRHOBHorSummer Housecant hold a candle to them.