Mormons in Media

Two Provo girls reminisce on growing up believing Donny Osmond was the biggest celebrity in the world. Also our thoughts on SLMW season 4, TFP as the Bachelorette, what we're reading and some stress over being Olympic hosts in just 8 short years.

It's a Mormonland crossover where Rebbie, Nicole, and Eli dive into the harrowing story of Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt. We talk through the ethics of family vlogging, the pressures of parenting in LDS circles, and the unique elements of our culture that may have led to so many people being brainwashed by these two women.

The killing of Alex Pretti this weekend has a lot of us wishing the church would speak out. Jake and I discuss past church statements, what seems to be the criteria for issuing one, and the complicated intersection of politics and religion in the social media era. We've got more questions than answers, but we do know one thing: don't read the comments.

We watched a docuseries that tried very hard to prove RHOSLC's Mary Cosby is a cult leader. I'm convinced she is at least a scammer, but Nicole's expectation is that a successful pastor will be mega-rich?! What! We talk about tithing across different churches, whether having a temple recommend is like belonging to a country club, and the fascinating reality of a thriving Pentecostal church being founded in Salt Lake City in 1968.

Meg and Eli are here to talk about the best (or at least most memorable) moments of the year.

Whitney's going to Broadway! She rode the villain train all the way to the bank, meanwhile Demi is very much floundering in the role. Nicole asks me questions about patriarchy in religion, temple sealings, and the the prevalence of young marriage, and it's likely I answered all the above wrong-ish. Help me out in the comments, would you?

Our first Book Club! But it’s more like an extended Instagram post, in which Mayci Neeley of Secret Lives fame tells us about the harrowing relationships that led to her becoming the Mormon Wife she is today. From her party days as a BYU athlete, to the tragic death of her first baby daddy, to her finding blogging and becoming an influencer. We really like Mayci! We're not sure how to critique this book!

Links to all the things:

- Today's sponsor!! Buy Art by Alex Steele

- Told You So by Mayci Neeley

- Hamnet the movie and the novel

- West End Girl by Lily Allen

- Hunger by Roxane Gay

- In Love by by Amy Bloom

- I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

And is every BYU athlete secretly breaking the honor code? I read Mayci's book and I have questions.

For this Mormonland crossover, Rebbie finally watches two episodes of RHOSLC! Thankfully, co-hosts Nicole Weaver and Eli McCann are experts on the subject and can answer all her beginner's questions. We talk about what makes SLC the favorite Housewives franchise, how Latter-day Saint themes show up in it, and the surprising ways it differs from Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.

Amy Watkins Jensen runs Women on the Stand - a movement that explores Latter-day Saint women's visibility and involvement at church. We talk through how her work is connected to what's currently happening with Mormon women in media, how social media can be positively used for advocacy, and whether we need a Bechdel test for decision making inside the church.

Here is a link to watch the YouTube series we talk about, "An Inconvenient Faith."