Love's Labor Lost

As Big Love wraps up on HBO after five seasons, let us turn our attention to the real Utah.

First comes the case of Brandon Davies, formerly of Brigham Young University's basketball team. He was dismissed from the team because he didn't live up to BYU's honor code. His offense was having sex with his girlfriend. Some of the other school no-nos include drinking alcohol, coffee or tea, abusing 'substances', using tobacco and not going to church regularly.

Now did Davies turn himself in to the school's authorities post-coitus or did his girlfriend? If neither of them did, who ratted them out? Or are there surveillance cameras everywhere?

The coach is correct when he says it's not about whether the honor code is right or wrong, but that each student agrees to abide by it. Exactly. So if you can't keep your one eyed trouser snake in your jock strap for four years, find another school to attend. Maybe anywhere else on the planet.

On the other side of the coin we have Kevin Brown, father of five kids who became piano virtuosos. That in itself requires a lot of dedication and weirdness. Dude came off as some total nut job, which apparently he was, although he managed to make a lot of dough from the sweat of his children.

He did not abuse his male progeny, lest you think he was some sort of a pervert. No, he's just been charged with molesting the three girls. He and his wife were injured on Valentine's Day when their Porsche ran off the road because he was speeding. He survived which could be a good thing if he lives long enough to be convicted and sent to prison for life.

A Bigamist is Not Italian Fog

There's a new show on The Learning Channel (TLC) and as you probably guessed, it's exploitative and contains absolutely nothing you should actually want to learn.

It's called Sister Wives and it's about a polygamist and his three wives. They're about to add another wife to their group! And, if the state of Utah steps in, they'll be going on trial!

Bigamy is a third degree felony in that great state. Now usually they wouldn't be prosecuted if they were just living together and shutting their mouths about it, but no, they have to go and have a television show and ruin it for all the other polygamists in the state.

And not for nothing, TLC, but the people on Big Love are good looking and not morbidly obese. If Utah is crawling with polygamists, as we suspect it is, couldn't you have found a group more camera friendly?

No Apology for 'Big Love'

The Hendricksons ~ America's Favorite Polygamous Family

The next episode of HBO's "Big Love" features a scene wherein Barb (played by Jeanne Tripplehorn) goes through an endowment ceremony as she faces losing her membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

According to the Associated Press:

On Monday, Mormon church leaders criticized HBO for its decision to include the ceremony and said airing the material shows the insensitivity of the network's writers, producers and executives.
"Certainly church members are offended when their most sacred practices are misrepresented or presented without context or understanding," the church statement said.

and

Only church members in good standing can enter temples to perform or witness sacred ceremonies. The ceremonies are centered on religious teachings and re-enactments of Bible stories to help Mormons prepare an eternal place for themselves -- and others by proxy -- in heaven. Members take a vow not to discuss the rituals outside temple walls, although details of the ceremonies are widely available on the Internet.

Apparently the church is afraid that people viewing the rite will think it strange.

These guys are dressed for the FIRST TOKEN OF THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD OR SIGN OF THE NAIL, another ceremony.

To me, they just look like they're ready to make pizzas.

Part of the problem is that when you have secret handshakes and/or rituals, people seem to guess the worst about them.

I am totally fine with people practicing their religion in any way they see fit as long as they don't abuse children and animals. I don't care how many wives they have as long as I don't have to pay for them.

However, you get a group like the LDS fighting against same-sex marriage tooth and nail and I'm thinking they really should be exposed. Just to level the playing field.

Big Love, Big Religion

HBO's series, "Big Love" is one of my favorite television shows of all time. It seems to me that every episode this season has improved on the previous one.

In last night's show, Bill takes his family on a Mormon road trip culminating in their arrival in western NewYork state at the Hill Cumorah.

Yes, that's a real place and here's a picture from their website http://www.hillcumorah.org/

You can visit this summer in July and see the pageant depicting "America's Witness for Christ" with a cast of 650! An extravaganza even greater than last night's Academy Awards!

If you click on the link, for Moroni's sake turn down the volume. It is freakin' loud!