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Rose Plate Special: Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Season 2, Episodes 1-2
8 Plays5 days ago
We're back before Paradise with some special episodes!! You loved our Season 1 recap of the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, so all summer, we're gonna give you a recap, two episodes at a time.
Here are some of the videos and channels Sammi mentioned during the episode, for people who like deep dives into Mormonism and Christian fundamentalism:
- Fundie Fridays - honestly the best channel on YouTube
- How Mormon Doctrine Created Crumbl Cookie - Sammi's just started watching more Alyssa Grenfell and the videos are great, all from an ex-Mo perspective
- Jordon and McKay - also ex-Mormon with fantastic videos
- We also talked about Free Jinger, a forum that covers many figures in Christian fundamentalism
Recommended
Transcript
Introducing Roseplate Special: After Dark
00:00:16
Sammi
Oh, hello.
00:00:17
Steve
Hello.
00:00:18
Sammi
I'm Sammy.
00:00:20
Steve
And I'm Steve.
00:00:21
Sammi
And you're listening to Roseplate Special, After Dark.
00:00:25
Steve
Yeah, we try to go with more moody lighting, but also
00:00:27
Sammi
The mom talk. Yeah, if you're watching this on YouTube or somewhere else ah ah with video, you can see we went moody because, yeah, we don't know if mom talk is going to survive this episode of Roastplate Special covering probably episodes one and two of season two of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives because that's all I've watched so far.
00:00:35
Steve
mood lighting.
00:00:47
Steve
ah The best show on television.
00:00:49
Sammi
Sorry.
00:00:51
Steve
It's... This show is so funny, too, because it it has, like... Season two has taught me something, which is, one, this is the power of reality TV is heroes and villains are just made in the edit, right?
00:01:06
Steve
Like, we're just we're just we're just constructing things.
00:01:06
Sammi
Oh yeah.
00:01:09
Steve
We're building things as we go here. Like, everything that you knew from season one... It just, it matters less and less the further along
Reality TV Storylines: Heroes and Villains
00:01:18
Steve
you get through season two.
00:01:18
Sammi
Oh.
00:01:20
Steve
And then also this is the like reality Bravo-esque show version of like Game of Thrones, basically, it seems like.
00:01:29
Sammi
oh
00:01:29
Steve
Because I feel there's usually in these types of shows, whether it's your your housewives or, you know, your below decks and what have you,
00:01:40
Steve
I don't think what while there is a power structure and there's there's power struggles, you know especially with the with the housewives, I don't think it plays into the storyline as much.
Sororities and Social Hierarchies
00:01:53
Steve
Where here it's like everybody's trying to stab the queen and and take over and grab the throne from her and I don't know, reap all the power of mom talk, whatever that is.
00:02:04
Sammi
Hmm.
00:02:07
Steve
i don't be Being the leader of MomTalk doesn't sound great to me. I don't think I would want that responsibility. I'm available if they're if they're recruiting actively, but...
00:02:14
Sammi
But you don't want it. You know, it's so interesting. Okay. ah My mind went so many places just now because I wasn't paying attention to you. No, I'm just kidding.
00:02:22
Steve
I love that.
00:02:23
Sammi
um No, like, okay. So, you know, mean girls, obviously, course, everybody knows mean girls. But that movie was inspired by the book Queen Bees and Wannabes, which is like a sociological study of like, I think I'm trying to remember if it was middle schools or high schools.
00:02:35
Steve
Mm-hmm.
00:02:41
Sammi
I want to say it was high schools and like the hierarchical structure of like schools and like these popular groups and stuff. Did you ever read it? Okay, I did.
00:02:50
Steve
and No, I'm familiar with the book, but i never I never read it. But it's one of those books where people have repeatedly told me, you gotta read that.
00:02:56
Sammi
Yeah.
00:02:57
Steve
You haven't read that? you Seems like something you would read. Thanks.
00:03:00
Sammi
Yeah. Yeah.
00:03:01
Steve
Didn't do it yet.
00:03:01
Sammi
Well, so, yeah. So I've read it, obviously. And um I, yeah.
00:03:04
Steve
I'm real. Nerd.
00:03:07
Sammi
Yeah. Well, and ah I read it as part of, well, I read it for a project that I did for a women's studies class in college ah where I talked about sororities and like how sorority structures are similar to like what was shared in Queen Bees and Wannabes and Mean Girls and all of that.
00:03:24
Steve
Mm-hmm.
00:03:24
Sammi
Um, because of like all the hierarchy involved and yeah, this like coveted, um, spot that people want to be in. And I actually, i sent surveys around cause I was in a sorority.
00:03:38
Sammi
If you didn't know. And so I sent surveys around to like all the other houses because I knew at least like one girl in every house. So I was able to get them to distribute the surveys to their sisters.
00:03:52
Sammi
And they, I mean, i don't know how... real all the answers were. They felt real to me. um The answers that I got back were really wild, like things that people did to like either fit in or get back at people in the house.
00:04:06
Sammi
Like I had people talk about like um stealing people's, you know, significant others or stealing their stuff.
00:04:06
Steve
Mm-hmm.
00:04:13
Sammi
um Some people in a desire to fit in talked about, you know, eating disorders and self-harm and all of that kind of thing. But it was just it was really wild to like In our house, like the major conflict was just like like ah kind of more like bureaucratic political stuff.
00:04:31
Sammi
It wasn't anything that was that big of a deal. It was just like, well, this person sometimes like talks over other people. and or you know It was like something really minor. That's what I remember. It was just kind of like um yeah just kind of like, oh, well, these people feel like need to be listening more to the house in general, and and I think the pressure gets to them or whatever.
Fitting In: Social Pressures and Power Struggles
00:04:51
Sammi
And that's kind of how I thought it was in every house.
00:04:51
Steve
Yeah.
00:04:53
Sammi
So I was just like, it probably won't be like the most exciting thing, but it'll be interesting nonetheless.
00:04:57
Steve
It was juicy though.
00:04:59
Sammi
Yeah. And I was like, wow.
00:04:59
Steve
Real juicy.
00:05:00
Sammi
And I'm pretty sure that they were real because like they knew that I wasn't going to share their names or anything like that, that I was going to anonymize the data.
00:05:05
Steve
Yeah, yeah.
00:05:07
Sammi
I wasn't even going to identify the house, anything like that. Um, yeah. And I mean, I even heard like rumors about, oh, yeah, like during initiation in this one house, they'll make you take a picture in a bikini and then they'll circle your problem areas.
00:05:22
Sammi
And I was like, what?
00:05:23
Steve
a
00:05:25
Sammi
oh What? Like, yeah.
00:05:26
Steve
I wish someone would do that to me.
00:05:28
Sammi
Wild. Yeah.
00:05:29
Steve
The whole photo would just have a red border.
00:05:29
Sammi
We just... feel Like this is the problem area.
00:05:33
Steve
This is the problem.
00:05:34
Sammi
yeah um Yeah. Like it it was so wild because like our sorority, we they did like fake hazing during initiation to like fake scare us or whatever. And then they're like, we like you. Why would we haze you?
00:05:47
Sammi
Like we want you to be here. So why would we treat you badly? I'm like, well, I'm just saying.
00:05:54
Steve
you got to prove yourself through barbaric humiliation rituals.
00:05:56
Sammi
Yeah. Yeah.
00:05:59
Sammi
Right. And I mean, you know, it is interesting because I do think sororities and mom talk do have a lot in common, especially like those kinds of sorority structures that people think don't happen anymore and aren't real.
00:06:05
Steve
Mm-hmm.
00:06:10
Sammi
And they are totally real and they totally happen. um Just not in every house. But like there is this, yeah, desire to fit in Someone's got to be on the outs.
Whitney's Humor and MomTalk Dynamics
00:06:22
Sammi
There's like weird power struggles Weird competition.
00:06:27
Sammi
and yeah, like I said, I've only watched the first couple episodes and I very tangentially follow. Like i'll I don't even follow any of these women on TikTok or anything, but like every once in a while I'll see something pop up. Like after the first season, I feel like I saw a lot of Taylor's videos. And like the person I see the most is Whitney.
00:06:48
Sammi
I don't really see anybody else that regularly on TikTok.
00:06:49
Steve
Oh, yeah. Whitney stuff pops up on my feed pretty frequently, which is...
00:06:53
Sammi
I mean, okay, so here's my hot... I'm going to say everything now two episodes in, and I will probably contradict myself like next time we record. But I do think Whitney is like one of the funniest people like out of mom talk. I do...
00:07:08
Steve
Intentionally or unintentionally?
00:07:09
Sammi
Both, both, both.
00:07:09
Steve
Both. Yeah, both is the answer.
00:07:11
Sammi
And the thing is, when she tries to be funny, I think she's less funny. And when she just like doesn't try at all, she's really funny. And she just needs to like lean into that and not take herself so seriously.
00:07:18
Steve
Mm-hmm.
00:07:21
Sammi
And I think it's fun. And she makes the most like takes the most chances with her hair. And so does her husband. And I appreciate that.
00:07:28
Steve
So is her husband, yeah.
00:07:29
Sammi
They both do. It's like i remember the first season I was so confused because I was like, who is this? Like every couple of minutes it would be like a different hairstyle.
00:07:36
Steve
Mm-hmm.
00:07:37
Sammi
And I was like, wow, nobody cared about continuity. And they didn't think it was going anywhere.
00:07:42
Steve
on the slightest.
00:07:43
Sammi
So they just said, wear whatever you want.
00:07:43
Steve
No, but it was so fun because nobody addressed it.
00:07:45
Sammi
Yeah.
00:07:46
Steve
Like no one was saying anything, but I'm like screaming at my TV.
00:07:47
Sammi
Yeah.
00:07:49
Steve
Like, why is his hair different? Is she getting a new husband every other like episode? What? It was insane.
00:07:55
Sammi
Yeah, it took me like a really long time. Now, you know, and and like we know that I think there's that only I'm trying to remember who. I think there's like two women on the show who are like and confirmed not mega. And that's it.
00:08:12
Sammi
I'm pretty sure. um and I'm going to get all their names wrong because I don't even remember anybody's names. um
00:08:18
Steve
Wow. I'm
00:08:19
Sammi
So I'm sorry. And I'm still I'm still getting there. OK, I'm still I'm still trying.
00:08:24
Steve
make you flashcards.
00:08:26
Sammi
Yeah, so like I know Layla is one and I'm trying to remember the other one.
00:08:31
Steve
me
00:08:31
Sammi
um Could be the new girl?
00:08:35
Steve
ah The blonde girl?
00:08:36
Sammi
Like Miranda? Is it her?
00:08:38
Steve
ah Yeah. No, I like how I said the blonde girl.
00:08:38
Sammi
the blonde girl.
00:08:40
Steve
Like, that's going to be...
00:08:40
Sammi
That really, that really, um yeah, that really narrows it down.
00:08:44
Steve
It totally narrows it down. No one's blonde. Yeah. Well, there's there's blonde girls, and then there's pregnant blonde girls, and then there's not blonde girls who may or may not be pregnant. That's how you figure out who's who.
00:08:53
Sammi
Right. Yeah. Anyway.
Breaking Free: Taylor's Potential Rebellion
00:08:56
Sammi
So, yeah, I think it's those two who are not and everybody else probably is. There's a good chance.
00:09:03
Steve
Oh, Taylor, too?
00:09:03
Sammi
So, yeah, I mean, here's the thing.
00:09:05
Steve
Wow.
00:09:07
Sammi
This is what I hope. I genuinely hope and pray that Taylor is just so deeply indoctrinated and wants to please her family so badly that she just is like towing the line and getting along to get along and she will break free.
00:09:18
Steve
and Yeah.
00:09:23
Sammi
There's like, I mean, I wish that for all the women on the show, but like, are you familiar with ah Free Ginger? Have you ever heard of Free Ginger?
00:09:31
Steve
No.
00:09:32
Sammi
Okay, we're going to go deep into Christian fundamentalism snark culture real quick. Okay. I promise that's it's a fun place.
00:09:39
Steve
A world I didn't even know about. Okay.
00:09:41
Sammi
Okay, well, so... people who know me um might not know this. I don't know. But Fundy Fridays is one of my all-time favorite YouTube channels. And um I mean, just the most fantastic coverage of Christian fundamentalism that you could possibly ever hope to watch.
Religious Influences and Speculation
00:10:03
Sammi
I will make sure to put Fundy Fridays in the description for those who haven't checked it out. But I mean, just so many like I want it. I'm trying to remember how Jen started.
00:10:14
Sammi
I think they started with like really covering the Duggars pretty extensively, like how wild they were.
00:10:18
Steve
Mm-hmm.
00:10:19
Sammi
And like, I do think Jen became partially interested as an offshoot because of free ginger and other places like that. So basically to go back, back, back, um, The Duggars are wild, right? They're they're part of um a very restrictive church that you know like trains up a child and does the whole like keep sweet stuff and is like hitting your kids is like fine or whatever. you know It's like all that wild stuff.
00:10:49
Sammi
And for some reason that backfired. Shocking. um But they're also part of like the Quiverful movement. And that basically means like have as many kids as possible because like they're going to serve in God's army. That's like part of the idea of like being Quiverful.
00:11:04
Sammi
So so they're like part of this like Christian fundamentalist movement, whatever. And there was this website. I think it still exists. I haven't been on it in a million years, but um called Free Ginger because people thought that Ginger out of all of the Duggars would be the one who would like rebel and like because she was kind of the always the one that seemed to be breaking the fourth wall and looking right at the camera.
00:11:21
Steve
Mm-hmm.
00:11:27
Sammi
like Jim in the office and you're like, okay, so she's going to be the one who like, you know, wears pants or whatever.
00:11:27
Steve
Mm-hmm.
00:11:35
Sammi
um Seriously. like um Turned out that it was actually Jill. It was actually Jill.
00:11:42
Steve
oh well
00:11:42
Sammi
So sorry, Jill. We did not realize that that was going to happen. But I think Ginger is like a Calvinist or something like that now, which is like,
00:11:51
Steve
Who's a Calvinist? What year is it? 1642?
00:11:53
Sammi
Well, I'm just saying.
00:11:55
Steve
What do we...
00:11:55
Sammi
um
00:11:56
Steve
Those Calvinists.
00:11:56
Sammi
Well, that's that's pretty left-leaning for this crowd. Let's just put it that way. That's how... Yeah.
00:12:08
Sammi
So anyway, so she changed a little bit, but Jill jeff definitely changed the most.
00:12:11
Steve
and kind
00:12:13
Sammi
But anyway, so there are, you know, people who will look at like Welcome to Plathville and the Duggars and things like that and and kind of speculate on who they think is going to break free from conversation.
00:12:21
Steve
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:12:28
Sammi
You know, very restrictive religious upbringing or culture around them. And obviously with Mormons, that's the same type of thing. Like there's this big pressure. I mean, um whether you call it a religion or you call it something else.
00:12:43
Sammi
um There is a lot of, I mean, much like a cult, let's just say, if you leave, um you can be excommunicated and you can lose a lot of like friends and family and people may not talk to you after you leave. I mean, even we heard in like the first couple episodes when like the guys all go fly fishing, that's something that they talked about, right? So Zach talked about, well, yeah, we're not really going to church right now.
Zach's Motivations and Manipulations
00:13:09
Sammi
And like, I'm getting some like really weird comments from people about it.
00:13:13
Sammi
And it wasn't, I mean, I'm sure part of it was that he looked like a complete narcissist on the show.
00:13:18
Steve
wow
00:13:18
Sammi
And the other, yeah I'm sure is like, oh, but now you're like not coming to church too. Like that's pretty questionable, don't you think? And there's just, there's so many rules in Mormonism. Like I was just watching, I'll have to share this too.
00:13:35
Sammi
I was watching like a crumble cookie breakdown from like ah an ex Mormon And she talks about how like there's all these rules, you know, that and and then there are companies that emerge to serve these loopholes in Mormon culture.
00:13:53
Sammi
And so she was talking about like the soda shops. And then there's like this T-shirt brand that's designed to go right over your garments.
00:13:56
Steve
yeah
00:14:01
Steve
oh
00:14:01
Sammi
Because like if your garments are showing, that's bad. But if you wear a T-shirt, yeah, if you wear a T-shirt that's like exactly over your garments and the T-shirt is showing, that's fine.
00:14:05
Steve
Scandaloso.
00:14:13
Steve
So it's like garments for your garments?
00:14:15
Sammi
Yes, it's garments for your garments. And so there's a market for this.
00:14:20
Steve
Mormons are wild.
00:14:21
Sammi
Yeah. And as she's eating the crumble cookie, she goes, you know what's so sad is that these taste amazing with coffee, but they'll never know.
00:14:29
Steve
Oh my
00:14:33
Steve
oh my god
00:14:34
Sammi
So that was really good, too. I'll make sure to share that in the comments as well. But so so this is like very much, as you can see, um perhaps like a niche interest of mine.
00:14:45
Steve
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:14:46
Sammi
um And so I just I'm i'm not saying that I um agree with any of the ways that they think or are aligned in terms of ways that are like exclusionary or hateful. However, think believe that deprogramming takes a really long time.
00:15:05
Sammi
it's um, oh my gosh, what's the other name for it?
00:15:05
Steve
and
00:15:08
Sammi
Not deprogramming, but what do they say when they're like, when people like leave a church like this? Oh, I can't remember the name for it. Um, I don't know, but anyway, um, yeah.
00:15:16
Steve
know
00:15:21
Steve
It does. It takes a long, because I mean, it's, it's, yeah, yeah.
00:15:23
Sammi
Oh, deconstructing, deconstructing.
00:15:25
Steve
Well, because I mean, you're breaking down your entire existence and coming to terms with the fact that, oh, that was bad, which that would suck.
00:15:25
Sammi
Yeah.
00:15:31
Sammi
Mm-hmm.
00:15:35
Steve
I can only imagine, like, if you were super, super into something, like, ah how long have weve been doing this podcast? Like, a long time. So,
00:15:43
Sammi
Yeah, like seven years probably.
00:15:44
Steve
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
00:15:44
Sammi
Yeah.
00:15:45
Steve
And then if all of a sudden someone's just like, honestly, like one of the worst things you can do is podcast with Sammy, I'd be like, shit. like Yeah, I've been doing this the whole time.
00:15:53
Sammi
You're like, oh, no, is it social suicide? Oh, God.
00:15:56
Steve
Yeah, but but because that's the thing is like, you don't know what's bad when you're in it And then you take a step back and you go, oh, no, but then to break all of the habits that are associated with that. It's it's like, it's so much.
00:16:07
Steve
So yeah, I can't imagine.
00:16:08
Sammi
Yeah, it's a lot to disentangle. um So I'm just trying to have compassion and empathy for for people who like ah are in that kind of culture because it all it's all intertwined and and you can't. um Yeah, you can't deconstruct it overnight.
00:16:24
Sammi
um
00:16:24
Steve
he
00:16:25
Sammi
But if I was to think like who could be like the the free gingers in this group, I would really hope that it would be like Jen and Taylor. But who knows?
00:16:36
Sammi
You know?
00:16:36
Steve
Yeah.
00:16:37
Sammi
Who knows? But I and maybe Whitney.
00:16:39
Steve
Yeah.
00:16:39
Sammi
um I feel like Whitney's half in and half out.
00:16:40
Steve
Jen seems like Jen probably voted for Trump because her husband told her to.
00:16:45
Sammi
I just I think, you know, and here's like here's what I think about Jen two episodes in right now. They're trying to make me hate her and I don't want to.
00:16:54
Steve
Yeah.
00:16:54
Sammi
And I and I might regret that next time we record. But the whole thing has been so weird because I'm like, I have two eyeballs. And with those two eyeballs, I watched her husband make an ass of himself on television in season one.
00:17:09
Sammi
And nobody made him say that.
00:17:09
Steve
yeah
00:17:11
Sammi
Nobody made him do that. Nobody made him act that way. He said really disgusting, misogynistic things to her on camera. And I don't care if he didn't technically, if it was like a different set of money that he used to gamble.
00:17:27
Sammi
i like
00:17:29
Steve
But Sammy, I love him. Come on. No, wait.
00:17:32
Sammi
But when she was like, when, when, so, so like, I think it was, I don't remember if was episode one or two, I have it written down somewhere, but um when they were like, oh, well, was it his tuition money? And it was like, well, no, but it also kind of sounded like, I mean, well, he didn't have money for it. So they had to give him money.
00:17:54
Sammi
So he didn't use that money to gamble. He used that money for tuition. But right now, my hot take is, did he really drop out of medical school for virtuous reasons?
00:18:05
Steve
Mmm. God.
00:18:05
Sammi
In my opinion, this is just my opinion. This is only speculation. This is not based on fact. Don't come after me with your translucent eyelashes, like one of my favorite TikToker said.
00:18:20
Sammi
He got mad at her because she said he had translucent eyelashes.
00:18:25
Steve
and gone
00:18:26
Sammi
um That sounds like someone who's been injured in kind of a way. Anyway, so um I think that whole thing is not motivated by altruism and trying to give your marriage a shot. To me, it sounds like, if this was a completely hypothetical scenario and a completely hypothetical couple, to me, it sounds like something someone would do to control somebody else.
00:18:55
Steve
yeah oh that's what it felt like to me too yeah no i mean i was it's it's hard to be a controlling piece of shit when you're hundreds of miles away from the woman you're trying to control so you know let's
00:18:55
Sammi
Or perhaps they weren't doing well in school. And so it was like an easy way to leave. I don't know. Those are just thoughts of mine right now.
00:19:11
Sammi
I don't know. I mean, listen, i maybe he's going to be the most amazing person and she's going to be the lyingest liar who ever lied by the end of the season.
00:19:19
Steve
I can assure you he's not an amazing person.
00:19:23
Sammi
Listen, i am not I have only watched two episodes, and right now they're teeing it up like Zack's redemption arc and Jen's a liar. And it's just, it doesn't smell right to me.
00:19:34
Sammi
i don't like it.
00:19:35
Steve
No.
00:19:35
Sammi
So you're getting me... not having watched all the episodes coming in fresh going, this is something's off here. Why?
00:19:44
Steve
I'm sorry. i There's no way.
00:19:46
Sammi
You're like, i I'll spoil this for you right now, Sammy.
00:19:46
Steve
Zach, is not he does not get a redemption arc. I mean, i not going to spoil anything for you. But even like if you're trying to set that up, which they clearly are, right?
00:19:57
Sammi
hu
00:19:58
Steve
and then And then, so I mean, these are the first two like major storylines we get. I mean, Taylor's got her normal messy stuff with Dakota, but that's just like ongoing, right?
00:20:04
Sammi
Yeah.
00:20:08
Sammi
Oh, gosh. I feel so bad for her.
00:20:09
Steve
But you've got like, hey, let's talk about the soft swinging scandal again because we bring in Miranda.
00:20:15
Sammi
Yeah.
00:20:15
Steve
But And this is hilarious to me, too, because she just like pops up and and now we got to drag the soft swinging back. It's like the first season is just so crazy that I we all forgot about the soft like the soft swinging didn't play into anything after the first couple episodes of the first season.
00:20:31
Steve
So it's so it's it's hilarious that she's coming like groveling back into mom talk, dragging all this up. So you got that going on. And then you've got this acting. And I think.
00:20:39
Sammi
Yeah.
00:20:40
Steve
If you want to say like, okay, Jen's a liar and blah, blah, blah. And Zach's going to get his redemption arc. And he's been trying, right? He's been popping up on my TikTok feed a little bit more than I would like.
00:20:51
Sammi
Oh, really?
00:20:53
Steve
Yes.
00:20:54
Sammi
Thank God I haven't seen him a once.
00:20:56
Steve
Yeah, he's he's trying to make dad talk happen or something. I don't know.
00:20:59
Sammi
No.
00:21:01
Steve
It's horrible. It makes me want to die.
00:21:01
Sammi
What a loser. Get out of here.
00:21:02
Steve
So, no, don't we don't want to see this, man.
00:21:03
Sammi
You're not the man we want to see, okay? I think... Now, Whitney, her whole... relationship situation sounds fraught, but I do think her husband is also funny.
00:21:14
Sammi
So I'll watch him anytime, but I don't really care about anybody else.
00:21:16
Steve
Yeah. So the thing that I think really illustrates who Zach is as a person is you watch the second episode where they're having a Halloween party.
00:21:30
Steve
And they basically it's like a test slash. just like set up to try and trigger Zach, right? Or i guess a more articulate way to put it would be they're trying to Nathan Fielder him with a major like drama point from the first season.
00:21:49
Sammi
Yeah.
00:21:50
Steve
So what happens in the first season? ah Jen goes to Chippendales and she exists in the company of men, but nothing bad happens.
00:22:00
Steve
Of course, it's fine.
00:22:01
Sammi
Like she literally doesn't do anything and he spends thousands of dollars and yells at her.
00:22:01
Steve
Women can do whatever the hell they want. Literally just less than nothing.
00:22:07
Sammi
That's what happens.
00:22:07
Steve
Yeah, it's horrible, horrible.
00:22:09
Sammi
Mm-hmm.
00:22:11
Steve
And it's like hard to watch horrible because you're like, oh my God, he's so awful. And you can see how it affects her.
00:22:15
Sammi
He was like threatening divorce because she was sitting in an audience. Like, I can't forget that.
00:22:19
Steve
Mm-hmm.
00:22:21
Sammi
Stop trying to make me forget that show.
00:22:23
Steve
Mm-hmm. Yeah. So we set up a fake Chippendale scenario with three of the husbands, right?
00:22:25
Sammi
Yeah.
00:22:32
Steve
And they dress up like Chippendales dancers. They do funny little dances. And Zach's sitting right there.
Confrontations and Honesty in MomTalk
00:22:39
Steve
And his reaction, while slightly more muted than season one, you can still tell he hates and
00:22:45
Sammi
Now that's on episode three.
00:22:45
Steve
hates
00:22:47
Sammi
So I haven't seen that yet because that it's OK.
00:22:48
Steve
Oh. I'm sorry. Okay, I thought it was episode two. I'm sorry.
00:22:51
Sammi
Episode two ends. They're at the party and then there's like sirens. And I was like, oh, is that when the strippers come or Chippendale dancers or whatever?
00:22:58
Steve
Mm-hmm.
00:22:59
Sammi
I'm assuming.
00:22:59
Steve
Yeah. right, I'm spoiling things for you that But the point is, is like,
00:23:00
Sammi
Yeah, no, that's OK. But it was like, yeah, it ends with the wee woos. And I was like, OK, I see what's going to happen here.
00:23:07
Steve
This is, it is so illustrative. Like even in this contrived stage scenario where specifically it's just like, hey, you're on camera. You gotta pretend to be normal and not care about this for five seconds.
00:23:22
Steve
Here's your chance. And he blows it. He blows it. So what who is he? ah I know exactly who he is. I don't care.
00:23:29
Sammi
Yeah.
00:23:30
Steve
Jed could lie about anything. She could be a liar. He stole a piece of shit.
00:23:34
Sammi
Yeah.
00:23:34
Steve
Like that's all there is.
00:23:34
Sammi
I mean, I think that's the thing. It's like, I don't even care. First of all, any of the things that they have said that she might be lying about or exaggerating about, I don't think she is because it doesn't make her sound good.
00:23:48
Sammi
It doesn't. You know what i mean? Like it's it doesn't.
00:23:49
Steve
yeah what's what To what end would she be lying about these things?
00:23:51
Sammi
It doesn't benefit her. It's humiliating. So why would she just like when people say, why would Taylor be lying?
00:23:53
Steve
Yeah.
00:23:57
Sammi
There's no benefit to Taylor lying. I just nothing because she lost everything and and she was humiliated and her family is so fucking mean to her.
00:24:00
Steve
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
00:24:09
Sammi
Like it's like there's there's no upside to her having told the truth about everything that happened in that whole situation.
00:24:09
Steve
Yeah. Well, and...
00:24:14
Steve
Yeah.
00:24:17
Steve
Oh, and...
00:24:17
Sammi
I'm sorry. I don't believe anybody else saying anything different from what Taylor saying, at least so far.
00:24:21
Steve
yeah Yeah. Yeah, because yeah there's there's no benefit.
00:24:23
Sammi
Yeah.
00:24:24
Steve
like ah Taylor has taken a the truth will set you free approach.
00:24:29
Sammi
Yeah.
00:24:30
Steve
And it's, I mean, there's, there's no, like, why would you make up any of this stuff? it It doesn't help her.
00:24:36
Sammi
Right.
00:24:37
Steve
I mean, I love it. I think it's great. If she made that I'm fine.
00:24:40
Sammi
Yeah.
00:24:41
Steve
I'm glad you made that up. That's true.
00:24:42
Sammi
Good TV.
00:24:42
Steve
But for her good TV, but for her personal benefit and like her mental and emotional wellbeing, none of that is good, and which is hilarious when Miranda comes in and she's just like, well, I mean, I guess I was technically part of this off swinging scandal, but like one time I kissed a boy and the rest of the time we were just high-fiving and that's it yeah yeah and then taylor's ah taylor's like looking at her and and taylor's like wow she's straight up ate ass like i don't even think she says that but like she starts just like listing off hyper specific you know things that they've done she's like we all showered together we banged our husbands in the same bed yeah oh my god i'm sorry but but like
00:24:42
Sammi
Good TV. Yeah.
00:25:00
Sammi
Yeah, she's like, it was just like spin the bottle. I'm like, I don't believe you.
00:25:18
Sammi
I think, again, that might be of episode three, but and is it later at the Halloween party that they talk about it?
00:25:24
Steve
No, they they have like another they have like another sit-down.
00:25:25
Sammi
oh
00:25:27
Steve
Because there's an initial sit-down with Miranda,
00:25:27
Sammi
Okay.
Cultural and Religious Influences on TV
00:25:29
Sammi
Right. And that so that was episode two. And it was kind of like a nothing burger. It was just kind of like, okay, well, I'm sorry.
00:25:29
Steve
too, where she's trying to do this.
00:25:34
Steve
who
00:25:35
Sammi
I'm sorry. Okay, it's fine.
00:25:37
Steve
Yeah.
00:25:37
Sammi
And then and then Jesse was like, um, ah as the resident pot stirrer, this is not enough pot stirring for my liking. I would like this to be stirred more, please.
00:25:47
Steve
Yeah.
00:25:47
Sammi
I was like, okay.
00:25:51
Steve
I'm pretty sure I'm 98% sure that Jessie is a Trumper, but also she's fun.
00:25:51
Sammi
But yeah.
00:25:55
Sammi
Oh, yeah, she's funny.
00:25:55
Steve
So. Yeah. Hmm.
00:25:57
Sammi
Again, i mean, i don't know. Yeah, i i I hope some of these women see the light and at least there's a couple of, of you know, real nice ones in the bunch.
00:26:06
Steve
yeah
00:26:08
Sammi
um But anyway, real quick, let's just go let's just do do do do do go back to the first episode. Let's kind of go through some of this stuff point by point. um Not in super detail. We don't have like a big agenda for this. I just wanted to chat about it because I find Mormon culture endlessly interesting. I've always found this kind of culture, like Christian fundamentalism, so interesting. Like um i've I've talked about this on other podcasts, but like I grew up in like a very ah progressive Lutheran church.
00:26:36
Sammi
And i had no idea that like this kind of world existed until like I dated a guy in high school that went to a church that's like Christian was like a Christian fundamentalist church where people would say like, that's the first time I heard the word secular.
00:26:49
Steve
yeah
00:26:52
Sammi
And I like had no idea what that meant. Yeah.
00:26:54
Steve
yeah it's it is it's like watching this show i mean the way that they're weird is so unique but it's also such like a massive thing i mean it's like hey what if a cult was a whole ass state like that that's crazy right
00:26:56
Sammi
Yes.
00:27:04
Sammi
Yes.
00:27:11
Sammi
Right. Yeah, almost two states.
00:27:14
Steve
so
00:27:15
Sammi
Yeah.
00:27:15
Steve
Yeah, and and they are, so you're watching this and and it's like they're weird, but they're weird in ways that you never previously considered people could be weird.
00:27:26
Steve
And that's why I like it.
00:27:26
Sammi
Yes.
00:27:27
Steve
ah we've We found new layers to the weird, which is good.
00:27:27
Sammi
Yeah, that's... Like the rules. Yeah. I mean, it's like, listen, every religion has its rules. Right.
00:27:34
Steve
Mm-hmm.
00:27:35
Sammi
But like, you know, it's like, I don't know. You look at like an Abrahamic religion or whatever. A lot of the times people who follow it like aren't well. In Christian fundamentalism, they're also looking for loopholes.
00:27:48
Sammi
But it's like it's weird to me. It's like, okay, if this religion lays down rules and you believe every word of the scripture that the rules lays out, and then you're constantly trying to find ways around it, it's like, maybe it's time to find something different to follow or do something different with your time.
00:28:00
Steve
Yeah.
00:28:08
Sammi
i don't know. It's just odd. So it's like, you know,
00:28:11
Steve
With them, it's it's never the letter of the law. or it's It's always the letter of the law, but not the spirit of it, right?
00:28:16
Sammi
Right, that's what I'm saying.
00:28:17
Steve
Yeah.
00:28:17
Sammi
it's like
00:28:18
Steve
they're they're all are they're all like That's why they're all Republicans, because they're like constitutional absolutionists. Yeah.
00:28:23
Sammi
Right. Yeah. It's just, it's just odd. Cause it's like, yeah, it's like, you know, I, I, I know a lot of, I've, there's a lot of people in my life who follow different religions and it's like, but the, but the, yeah, like the, like you said, the spirit is different. It's like their um philosophy is always kind of like, I'm doing this because I'm striving to become a better person. And I believe that if I follow these things that I'm going, like I'm, it's going be better for me and it's going be better for the people around me. It's gonna be better for my family. And like, I'm doing it in,
00:28:50
Sammi
in a loving devotional kind of way. And, and also it's not hurting anybody else. So like, what do I care? I don't care.
00:28:57
Steve
know
00:28:57
Sammi
You know? um And I'm like, Oh, that's great. You know? But this, this is just like, yeah, it's, it's weird. It's different. Like one of the things that that crumble cookie video brings up is like this whole, like making an exception for like sodas and things like that, partially because of Mitt Romney. Cause like he was into soda. And so they had to like make it okay.
00:29:18
Sammi
Yeah.
00:29:20
Steve
this all This always happens, too. I mean, this is...
00:29:22
Sammi
I'm like, that's wild. like
00:29:24
Steve
But religions, love they love this shit, right?
00:29:25
Sammi
and
00:29:26
Steve
Like, even... ah Shout out to all my my Midwestern Catholic homies, right? Like, why why during Lent can you eat fish on Friday?
00:29:30
Sammi
Right.
00:29:36
Steve
And i
00:29:36
Sammi
Well, it's not that you can eat fish on Friday. It's that you can't eat red meat on Friday.
00:29:40
Steve
You can't eat red meat.
00:29:41
Sammi
That's why you do eat fish.
00:29:41
Steve
you can't eat but but it but a use but But here's the thing.
00:29:44
Sammi
Right.
00:29:44
Steve
it used like It was supposed to be like, just don't eat meat. But then they're like, well, we're got a fuck ton of fish.
00:29:47
Sammi
Right.
00:29:49
Steve
like let's Let's give them a little fish here.
00:29:50
Sammi
So we're going to eat fish.
00:29:51
Steve
Get a little fish.
00:29:51
Sammi
Yeah.
00:29:52
Steve
Get a little treat. But this is what they do. like Every rule is arbitrary. And then someone at the Vatican can be like, we're going to kind of change this one up a little bit. And then it and then it changes the whole thing.
00:30:00
Sammi
Yeah.
00:30:01
Steve
And then all of a sudden, it's like whatever like dogmatic thing you've been following in lockstep. It's like, well, now we got a little loophole. It's...
00:30:09
Sammi
Yeah, I mean, that's why soaking exists. But anyway, so.
00:30:13
Steve
And that armpit thing, i don't even know how that works.
00:30:15
Sammi
Oh, God. Yeah, i forgot what that's called. But anyway, yeah, like, yeah.
00:30:17
Steve
Yeah. It's called no fun. I probably.
00:30:19
Sammi
And like that, that thing where like other people jump on the bed while you're, yeah, while you're stationary.
00:30:23
Steve
Yeah. yeah
00:30:27
Sammi
Yeah.
00:30:29
Steve
Quick cut to Steve's computer screen. When, when he Googles, what's the Mormon armpit thing called?
00:30:38
Sammi
What's the phrase for that? Yeah, I mean, it's just wild. So it's like, yeah, I grew up in in a church that was like, listen, these were rules written by people a lot.
00:30:49
Sammi
What's it called?
00:30:50
Steve
It's called bagpiping.
00:30:55
Steve
Stop.
00:30:59
Sammi
my God.
00:31:00
Steve
Bagpiping.
00:31:02
Sammi
Oh, I almost teared up.
00:31:03
Steve
five Oh my god.
00:31:05
Sammi
Um, anyway, so yeah. And it's like, my God, you know, like I just, I just worked our city's pride. I'm on the board for our city's pride and people are always like, you know, we're not people, you know, there's like those alarmists who are like, it's so perverse, you know?
00:31:18
Steve
the
00:31:21
Sammi
And it was like just people vibing and listening to a band and eating food and making crafts.
00:31:24
Steve
<unk> hanging out yeah
00:31:27
Sammi
And then, and in the Mormon, uh, you know, youth culture bagpiping exists. so Okay. So what do you got to say about that?
00:31:33
Steve
and i can't i cannot with the bag piping like i'm just like i'm thinking of like like like ducktales scrooge mcduck just going wild on a dick like that's crazy that's
00:31:45
Sammi
um so anyway yeah no it's like it it's just been weird to me because it's like yeah I grew up in a church that was like this stuff was written by people thousands of years ago do you really think we need to follow it to the letter like these were people you you know had a set of like social norms and um laws and whatever.
00:32:06
Sammi
And it is totally reasonable to adapt that to today's culture and what's acceptable in our society.
00:32:13
Steve
Yeah.
00:32:15
Sammi
And um really think of these more as like lessons and not hard and fast rules. Of course, like, you know, certain things you should, you know, like the commandments or like They're pretty good.
00:32:29
Steve
yeah
00:32:30
Sammi
By and large, they're pretty good. um So it's just odd to me. Yeah, it's like we're going to follow these really strict rules and like women have to document their lives.
00:32:41
Sammi
And so that's why that we have all these Mormon mommy bloggers, which I've talked about before, and YouTubers. And this reality show is really part of these women abiding by that rule that they should be documenting their family's life.
Tech Talk and Personal Anecdotes
00:32:56
Sammi
They're doing it.
00:32:57
Sammi
They're doing it on reality TV.
00:32:57
Steve
Now.
00:32:58
Sammi
You don't like it. OK. um But then, yeah, like the whole like, you know, if you do all these things and follow all these rules and you'll get your own planet.
00:33:08
Steve
Which is pretty sick, like.
00:33:09
Sammi
Yeah, I mean, maybe I do it for my own planet.
00:33:11
Steve
Oh, Christians get to go to heaven, but if you're like, you can have the Steve planet, that's awesome.
00:33:15
Sammi
Yeah, like own planet. Pretty cool. ah But.
00:33:18
Steve
Yeah, I mean, assuming like it's a good one, you know, it's like you ever play that game, No Man's Sky and like sometimes you just land, and you're like, ah, this planet kind of sucks.
00:33:18
Sammi
Yeah.
00:33:21
Sammi
Yeah.
00:33:25
Sammi
Dude, I still need to play that game because like for a while people were talking about that it wasn't good and it was really buggy. And then people like, no, it's actually good now. And I still haven't played it. um Same with Red Dead Redemption 2, which was on sale the other day for like $15. And I was like, if I get all these things done, I will reward myself and buy it. And then I did not get those things done. So I could not buy it.
00:33:44
Sammi
Um, so thank you.
00:33:44
Steve
Good for you. It's self-control.
00:33:47
Sammi
I also just got like, well, I only spent $7.
00:33:47
Steve
would have bought it anyways.
00:33:52
Sammi
Um, okay. I was going to go to episode one, but real quick. Okay. You ever ah have a credit card with a bunch of reward points on it and you just let them build up and you don't even look into what you could use them on until one day you spend $1,700 worth of points on technology or is that just me?
00:34:05
Steve
Yeah.
00:34:11
Steve
I do. I do have the problem where like my points build up and I'm like, oh, I can have free things. I probably should have been using these.
00:34:16
Sammi
Yeah.
00:34:17
Steve
Mm
00:34:17
Sammi
Yeah, I had. um So I'm like moving off of one of my cards and I thought I could really only redeem it on travel.
00:34:21
Steve
hmm.
00:34:25
Sammi
And it turns out, no, there's all kinds of things you can buy, including like one of those like wrote like ah lawn mowing robots.
00:34:28
Steve
No.
00:34:37
Steve
Whoa.
00:34:37
Sammi
But I didn't buy one of those. um Instead, i got this like podcasting kit. um What's the brand? um DJI or something like that. like They make like ah microphones and stuff, too.
00:34:48
Steve
Yeah, they make the gimbals for cell phones and stuff, yeah.
00:34:50
Sammi
Yeah.
00:34:50
Steve
Mm-hmm.
00:34:51
Sammi
And they make like those lavalier mics and stuff. So they have like a 4K camera that like um it's like pocket travel size and you can like snap it real quick. Portrait landscape.
00:35:01
Steve
Hmm.
00:35:02
Sammi
It comes with a mic and I'm trying to remember what else, but you can stream with it too. so i was like, oh, I can take it on the road.
00:35:08
Steve
Oh, portable streaming setup?
00:35:09
Sammi
This is like, yes.
00:35:10
Steve
Yeah, there you go.
00:35:11
Sammi
I was like, and it's like a thousand dollars. Yeah. Okay, so I got that. And then I got another monitor. um so that's coming. And then I got a projector, like for the basement.
00:35:23
Steve
Whoa.
00:35:24
Sammi
And it was like $1,700 worth of stuff. And got it for $7.70. And I'm excited about it.
00:35:27
Steve
That's great.
00:35:27
Sammi
Anyway.
Season Two Drama: The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
00:35:28
Sammi
seven dollars and seventy cents and i so excited about it
00:35:31
Steve
I love that view.
00:35:32
Sammi
anyway
00:35:32
Steve
That's good. Now you can project secret lives of Mormon wives.
00:35:35
Sammi
Yes.
00:35:35
Steve
It's gigantic.
00:35:35
Sammi
In my cardio cinema. I can't wait while I'm on the treadmill. I can watch it. So, yeah, this is this is like the highlight of my week so far is having ordered all that stuff.
00:35:46
Sammi
And but yeah. So, hey, first of all, pay attention to the points that are amassing on your credit card. But if you're not, then you get a little you get to treat yourself big.
00:35:57
Steve
You get treat, yeah.
00:35:58
Sammi
Yeah, you get like I literally hadn't spent points probably for five years.
00:35:58
Steve
A big treat.
00:36:03
Steve
Yeah.
00:36:03
Sammi
I got so much stuff. OK, anyway, so we're in episode one and I thought they said so they're at this like influencer event, like at a pumpkin patch. And I thought they said cowboy pills.
00:36:14
Steve
Yeah.
00:36:14
Sammi
And I was like, what's cowboy pills? But it's actually cowboy pillows. And I looked it up and it looks like it's like a clothing brand that's about like boobs.
00:36:17
Steve
Mm-hmm.
00:36:21
Steve
Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I looked it up too because I was like, what is this?
00:36:23
Sammi
Right.
00:36:25
Steve
And I'm like, I think this is just like clothing for women who think Morgan Wallen did nothing wrong.
00:36:25
Sammi
Is that what it is?
00:36:30
Steve
Like, that's the vibe.
00:36:31
Sammi
Yeah, but they but yeah and they're it's just like it's just like the pictures of girls being like, ugh, its like it is says like cowboy pillows across their boobs, um which I just think it's so funny that you know mom talks like, listen, we have like we're getting a lot of eyebrows from the Mormon community, so the first thing that we did with this episode is, you know and they're all like they're like, we're going against the patriarchy, and I'm like, that's cool, listen, you
00:36:41
Steve
Yeah.
00:36:59
Steve
With cowboy pillows.
00:37:00
Sammi
You can go to Cal. Yeah, sure. That's fine.
00:37:02
Steve
i'm I'm suing them for trademark infringement because my clothing brand is actually called Hee Haw Hooters.
00:37:09
Sammi
Oh, no.
00:37:09
Steve
And yeah, this seems...
00:37:11
Sammi
Cheater brand. It's a cheater brand. Yeah. um Yeah, they even have one that says in cowboy pillows we trust. um
00:37:20
Steve
Great.
00:37:20
Sammi
Pretty wild. Pretty wild. um Makes me feel like I can make money doing lots of stuff when I see stuff like this.
00:37:26
Steve
Literally anything. Yeah.
00:37:28
Sammi
um But yeah, it's so funny. They like open where where they're just like, we're fighting the patriarchy, except in the voting booth.
00:37:37
Steve
Also, the the intro for season two, my God, like, they're like, what if we crank the horny levels up to 11?
00:37:38
Sammi
Yeah.
00:37:45
Steve
They're just like emerging from like a steamy lake and they're just shh.
00:37:45
Sammi
yeah
00:37:50
Sammi
Yeah, it was good. i I did take note of who came out like wet and who didn't. I was like, noted, noted.
00:37:57
Steve
Hmm.
00:37:59
Sammi
um And you were right about the Morgan Wallen thing because some of these t tank tops just say Wallen pillows instead of cowboy pillows. I'm not even
00:38:09
Steve
See, that's the problem with this.
00:38:09
Sammi
lying
00:38:11
Steve
It's beyond parody at this point.
00:38:12
Sammi
Yeah, it's yeah, it's just like and that's the thing. ah I mean, that's the thing that just makes it not, you know, it can unless you completely reject it all.
00:38:23
Sammi
It's you can't be fully redeemable because you're doing shit like that.
00:38:26
Steve
no Also, like how Morgan Wallen gets called out because he said the N-word like a hundred times really loud.
00:38:28
Sammi
Mm
00:38:32
Sammi
hmm.
00:38:33
Steve
And then when people were like, hey, you shouldn't do that, his response was to make a double album about how he's not really sorry. Who does that?
00:38:39
Sammi
Yeah, i what an absolute trash bag. But anyway, so this was the first event that they did. um And yeah, I wrote, yeah, fuck the patriarchy, but we're mega though.
00:38:50
Sammi
um And the biggest news right now is that Whitney has left mom talk. She's doing her own thing.
00:38:58
Steve
She's doing her own thing. How do you even like, okay, so you're you're not with that specific group of moms, but like mom talk is it's bigger than just them.
00:38:59
Sammi
Yeah.
00:39:06
Steve
Like you, yeah, yeah it's what you're not an LLC.
00:39:07
Sammi
Now, yeah.
00:39:10
Steve
Like you're not an organization.
00:39:11
Sammi
Also, like nobody, i don't think anybody is like, is like, oh, now Whitney's in mom talk. Now she's out and now she's back in again and now she's out. Like nobody else is paying attention, which is why I brought up queen bees and wannabes.
00:39:23
Steve
Oh my God.
00:39:25
Sammi
And to the fact they go to a mean, like they go to a Halloween party and half of them are dressed up as mean girls characters. I mean, this is what I'm saying.
00:39:32
Steve
Except for Miranda who lookably a lobster.
00:39:32
Sammi
It is, it is literal. This is not. you know This is not me going in and going, um you know oh, in like Nathaniel Hawthorne really meant this.
00:39:44
Steve
Yeah.
00:39:45
Sammi
it's like it's It's just a literal reading of the text. okay i'm not
00:39:48
Steve
quite Quite on the nose here.
00:39:49
Sammi
There's no symbolism here.
00:39:49
Steve
Yeah.
00:39:51
Sammi
um yeah Miranda the Co-Swinger is back. and she' is like It was nothing beyond spin the bottle. and Honestly, I would respect you more if you were just honest. Just be honest.
Taylor and Dakota: Family and Social Pressure
00:40:01
Steve
Yeah.
00:40:01
Sammi
But again, there is a lot of pressure in Mormon culture. And they're like, they probably rehearsed this.
00:40:06
Steve
Absolutely.
00:40:09
Sammi
Like, well, if we're this level of honest, then we don't have to get more honest than this.
00:40:14
Steve
absolutely
00:40:15
Sammi
And it'll look like we're owning up to something. Like, oh, gosh, now I'm trying to remember – Oh, somebody said, i think this was on TikTok. Somebody said like, you know, that Dakota said some, I think it was Dakota who said something like, now I'm like mixing it all up because I was like, I picked strawberries this morning and then I was like hauling them as I was watching this. And then I watched some TikToks about it. So anyway, it all blended together.
00:40:41
Sammi
Blame the strawberries and the grass allergy that I do have.
00:40:41
Steve
Mm-hmm.
00:40:46
Sammi
So, um but anyway, I think it was Dakota who said something like, um like, you're like, you always catch everything that I do or something like, like, you're so good because you're, you're just like on to everything.
00:41:00
Sammi
Unless I was watching... somebody else. Anyway, some loser man said that. And someone in the comments said, they say that kind of thing to throw you off because there's something else they're hiding and they want you to think they've caught everything.
00:41:14
Sammi
And I was like, 100% same thing happened to agree with that.
00:41:16
Steve
No. Mm-hmm.
00:41:20
Sammi
So that's why I think, you know, it's like, it's like, yeah, well, if I act like I'm telling the truth and I reveal this one thing and I'm like, and here it is. Yeah, you caught me.
00:41:30
Sammi
You knew that I was lying. And here's the truth. Their their whole, I think their strategy is like, ah don't ask me like what's beyond that truth.
00:41:33
Steve
no
00:41:40
Sammi
Right. Like is another actual bigger truth or whatever. um So that's what I think. And Dakota was like, so basically the other story, story is like Dakota was a cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater.
00:41:54
Sammi
um They talk about in this pumpkin patch, but also like it's, I mean, I get why it's a big deal because they're Mormon. Cause I like, I don't like, obviously I don't like cheaters.
00:42:03
Steve
Mm-hmm.
00:42:07
Sammi
However, i think in the early stages of dating, when things are kind of like not defined,
00:42:12
Steve
Mm-hmm.
00:42:13
Sammi
I have a little bit more leeway and grace for that.
00:42:13
Steve
People do their shit.
00:42:17
Sammi
But at the same time, like he was doing things with Taylor that put the respect of her family in jeopardy.
00:42:18
Steve
Yeah.
00:42:27
Sammi
And to the point that when she comes out and airs that out later, when Dakota comes over and is with her family, Taylor's dad looks at her and is basically like, you're such a whore.
00:42:38
Sammi
I'm like, what the fuck? Like, it was so gross.
00:42:40
Steve
Yeah.
00:42:41
Sammi
It was so gross.
00:42:42
Steve
Well, yeah, especially the way he did it. Like, I get it if you're you since you're dating and you're dating multiple people and bla blah, blah, blah.
00:42:44
Sammi
Yeah.
00:42:47
Steve
Like, that's fine. But the the way that it's presented here is just like, this girl was his, like, daytime good girl and then nighttime Taylor.
00:42:51
Sammi
Gross. Yeah.
00:42:56
Sammi
And he called Taylor at night. Yeah.
00:42:57
Steve
Yeah.
00:42:58
Sammi
It was like, that's so gross. And when Taylor said that makes me feel like a piece of trash, I like 100 percent understood how she felt and she should feel that way.
00:43:04
Steve
Mm-hmm.
00:43:06
Sammi
And he was doing that. And so it's like I think if it was a different scenario and he wasn't who he is, maybe it's like, you know what, maybe you can forgive that. But like that's not the only way he's toxic.
00:43:18
Sammi
So like that was just like the icing on top.
00:43:19
Steve
It's also extremely awesome to just have a whole segment of the show where it's just like, okay, here's Taylor. Here's the girl Dakota was was cheating on her with.
00:43:29
Sammi
Yeah. Yeah.
00:43:29
Steve
And then just let's go through the text message notes.
Zach's Manipulation in Season Two
00:43:33
Sammi
yeah
00:43:34
Steve
And then they're just comparing side by side. She's like, oh, I don't have any of this. And she's like, I got all this here. Let me just, let me scroll through for you.
00:43:42
Sammi
Yeah, that was, I mean, i don't remember, was that?
00:43:43
Steve
i just Just dramatically just reading it. It's great.
00:43:46
Sammi
Yeah, was that episode one or two? I don't remember. But okay, yeah.
00:43:48
Steve
He's the first one.
00:43:50
Sammi
And yeah, it was so sweet when she was like, I'm sorry. And like, I'm sorry too. And like, it wasn't either. They realized it's not either of our faults. This is, we are not the enemy.
00:43:57
Steve
No.
00:43:59
Sammi
He is. And I was like, yeah, get them girls.
00:44:03
Steve
Get him.
00:44:03
Sammi
um So that was cool. That sisterhood. I loved that so much more than mom talk. um Then we find out that Jen was almost free of Zach.
00:44:14
Sammi
And I was like, damn it. Damn it, Jen. Because she's like, we're separated.
00:44:17
Steve
This close. Mm-hmm.
00:44:18
Sammi
And I was like, yes. and then And then he's like, hi. And I'm like, what? Get out of here. Get out of here. don't want to see you. And like it was weird because i was like, so what happened in New York? Because didn't he get into school there?
00:44:34
Steve
Yeah.
00:44:34
Sammi
But then they went to Arizona.
00:44:36
Steve
But then, yeah, then they went to Arizona instead because, yeah, he was like, they they were in New York last season and he's like, oh, I'm going to and NYU Medical.
00:44:36
Sammi
That's fishy as well.
00:44:41
Sammi
Right. They like took videos there and stuff.
00:44:44
Steve
Yeah, it's the whole thing. It's the whole thing. And then they're like, yeah, we're moving New York for month. And then all a sudden he's like at Arizona State or something.
00:44:51
Sammi
Yeah. What happened? Like, was that kind of that also seemed kind of weird, right?
00:44:57
Steve
Yeah, and and just over it like I'm sure if you like follow the extended lore of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, you'll get to the why.
00:45:09
Steve
um But they definitely kind of swept that under the rug. like they They did not want to talk about it.
00:45:14
Sammi
That's why I'm saying like there's some things like that that just it's like it makes me question whether... I don't know.
00:45:25
Sammi
Like it just like I knew somebody who um she was like the kind of person that like if something bad happened, people just thought that she did it.
00:45:30
Steve
Yeah.
00:45:36
Sammi
You know what i mean?
00:45:37
Steve
yeah
00:45:38
Sammi
That kind of reputation. um But she like talked about like getting into like Stanford or something like that. but like deciding not to go. and it just always sounded fake.
00:45:51
Sammi
I don't know. It was just like, and her integrity wasn't that good to begin with. So was just kind of like, and she would just like use it as an aside. And I'm like, what is so straight?
00:46:00
Steve
Yeah, I got in a Stanford.
00:46:01
Sammi
That's kind of, but I said no to them.
00:46:02
Steve
They said yes to me, but I said no to them.
00:46:05
Sammi
I'm like, why would you say no?
00:46:06
Steve
Yeah, why would you say no?
00:46:06
Sammi
Like outside of like finances maybe, but like, I don't know.
00:46:07
Steve
That's so weird.
00:46:10
Sammi
I would probably be like, yeah, I'm going to Stanford.
00:46:12
Steve
Yeah, you figure it out.
00:46:12
Sammi
That's cool.
00:46:13
Steve
You figure it out.
00:46:13
Sammi
I'll figure it out. Yeah, I'll be broke forever, but I can say I went to Stanford.
00:46:14
Steve
Yeah.
00:46:17
Sammi
um No, it was just like, it it was just odd. And like, that's kind of like the vibes that I get from this where it's like, it's like, yeah, we went to New York for like medical school is a big deal.
00:46:23
Steve
who
00:46:28
Sammi
Like,
00:46:29
Steve
Yeah.
00:46:30
Sammi
If you're getting in somewhere and you're going to school somewhere, like that's a big deal. so just switch state unless unless it was like, well, we signed it and I was on a wait list.
00:46:41
Sammi
And for some reason, the school in Arizona was the one that I really wanted or something like that, which.
00:46:46
Steve
Yeah, yeah.
00:46:47
Sammi
It could be like, I mean, that happens. You get waitlisted and you change your mind. But they didn't really like approach it that way.
00:46:51
Steve
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:46:56
Sammi
so that was the thing that was kind of confusing to me. So I will look into it more. Don't you worry. I'm going to be all over this because I'm there's just something that sounds so confusing to me.
00:47:11
Sammi
um Oh, yeah. And he was part of Arizona. What is even Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine?
00:47:20
Steve
Arizona College? i don't know what that is.
00:47:22
Sammi
Arizona College.
00:47:23
Steve
It's not Arizona. It's not Arizona State. It's not Northern Arizona.
00:47:26
Sammi
No, it's literally.
00:47:26
Steve
Those are the three Arizona schools I know.
00:47:29
Sammi
It's part of Midwestern University in Arizona. I've never heard of that.
00:47:34
Steve
made up.
00:47:36
Sammi
Like, because, like, I know that they're like.
00:47:38
Steve
Midwestern University of Arizona. That's the most fake-ass college I've ever heard.
00:47:42
Sammi
Yeah, because like Arizona State, I think they have like a, you know, they have like a fellowship that I know, like some nurse practitioners I know have gone to and stuff like that, you know, so like whatever.
00:47:54
Sammi
um yeah I've never heard of this school. Yeah.
00:47:57
Steve
No. This is like University of Phoenix. Yeah, NYU let me in, but... ah
00:48:02
Sammi
I mean, maybe it's really good and we don't know anything. um You know, who who says? ah we We don't know. and We don't know nothing. um someone Someone said it's a reputable school that has good opportunities for a DO school.
00:48:17
Sammi
I mean, I think it's cool that it was going to be a DO. I think DOs are kind of interesting. But anyway, ah whatever. um
00:48:25
Sammi
um Oh, I guess it's pretty expensive. So that's when someone said that the tuition is really expensive.
00:48:29
Steve
Yeah. It's too bad he gambled away his tuition money, allegedly.
00:48:32
Sammi
Lots of lots of tests, um good rotations and resources. Well, OK, well, this this Reddit says it's good, but um but who knows?
00:48:44
Sammi
um I'll look into that, too. I'm going to look into all of it. ah Nothing will slip by me
00:48:49
Steve
My name's Sammy and I'm looking into it.
00:48:52
Sammi
I'm going to Google it more later, but I don't know. It was just kind of weird. Yeah, I was like, I wrote down in my notes, so he dropped out of medical school. Do we think it's just because he's committed to her something else?
00:49:03
Sammi
Because it just seemed weird. And then he's like, they're not going to church. To me, this is what it sounds like. if i was If I was a manipulative husband, not saying Zach is,
00:49:17
Steve
Mm-hmm. Which you are.
00:49:20
Sammi
But if I was one, um i would start banking all the sacrifices I made. And then when things go bad, I can say, listen, I dropped out of medical school for you.
00:49:29
Steve
Yeah.
00:49:34
Sammi
i moved back to Utah for you.
Mormon Culture and Social Dynamics
00:49:37
Sammi
i did this and that for you to make this work. I went to ketamine therapy for you. and it's and nothing I do is ever good enough. And All you do is tell people that I gambled away my tuition and that I'm a misogynist and a narcissist.
00:49:55
Sammi
And look at look at how much I've given to you.
00:49:56
Steve
yeah
00:49:59
Sammi
I can't give enough.
00:49:59
Steve
oh that That would be classic Zach because one thing that really gets driven home in this season, especially in the first couple episodes, is we know that he's a misogynist and a narcissist and a piece of shit and all this.
00:50:12
Steve
However, allegedly, I love...
00:50:12
Sammi
Allegedly. Allegedly.
00:50:16
Sammi
I'm just trying not to get in trouble here, okay?
00:50:18
Steve
He is, he is so like focused on optics this season.
00:50:18
Sammi
Yes.
00:50:24
Steve
Cause I think like, he doesn't actually know that he's a horrible person, but he watched season one and was just like, Oh, I'm coming off really bad.
00:50:34
Sammi
Yeah,
00:50:34
Steve
He's like, I'm going to be cool and accepting. Oh yeah. Do you want to like be within five feet of another man? That's cool with me. I don't have jealousy issues. Oh,
00:50:43
Sammi
yeah he's like, I need to tweak. Okay.
00:50:45
Steve
So he's like clearly obsessed with optics. He does this like fake apology tour thing with the girls or like talks them or whatever. But the whole time he's bad at optics.
00:50:56
Steve
Like he's saying this and then and then the next scene is like him doing something dumb and misogynist. youre like You're like, you can't even take five minutes to not be a pile of shit, dude.
00:51:07
Steve
Like, come on.
00:51:09
Sammi
Yeah. i Yeah. I that's that's what I'm saying. Like, even the things where he was like, OK, so within the first couple episodes, he says stuff like, oh, can you not um talk about how I'm related to Ben Affleck? Because that's actually not real.
00:51:26
Sammi
And she's like, but your family says that. And he's like, well, it's a joke. She's like, they didn't say it to me as a joke. And he's like, well, and she's like, your grandfather said that you met him when you were young or whatever at an event or something.
00:51:41
Steve
Oh my god. Which is, that whole thing is just like so bizarre, right?
00:51:43
Sammi
Which I don't know.
00:51:46
Steve
it's like and And again, it has to be it has to be because like, I don't know, like somebody ancestry.com'd him or something and then it was he's like, whoa, we gotta get ahead of this one.
00:51:46
Sammi
I bet they do say that.
00:51:57
Steve
Optics.
00:51:58
Sammi
i think I think his family says that.
00:52:01
Steve
Yeah.
00:52:02
Sammi
And I think they're serious and I don't think they joke. But again, optics, he's like, it looks bad.
00:52:07
Steve
Yeah.
00:52:07
Sammi
And then he's like, well, don't say that I gambled away the tuition because that's bad. And it's like, to me, it sounded like that they got off on a technicality with that one.
00:52:15
Steve
Yeah.
00:52:16
Sammi
You know, so it's like, yeah, you I mean, you can fully see. It's like, i I was friends with someone like this. I didn't know that that's what this person was doing.
00:52:27
Sammi
But then it was like, i i asked all I did was ask a question. okay There was something that they were supposed to give to me and they lied about it.
00:52:38
Sammi
They just kept like obfuscating.
00:52:38
Steve
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
00:52:39
Sammi
And i I probably told you the story. I'm being vague on the podcast. But I was like, where's this thing that you said that you were going to do? And instead of just being honest and being like, I lost it or like this thing is you are not going to get this thing that I promised to you.
00:52:50
Steve
yeah
00:52:53
Sammi
And I'm sorry, which would have been fine. Like it wasn't an issue. I just wanted this person to be honest with me. They they just decided to come back and say, well, when I donated to you, you never gave me baked goods. Yeah.
00:53:08
Sammi
And they just, they listed every grievance they ever had with me. But it was a lot of stuff like that. Like, well, I've done this for you and I've done this for you and I've done this for you and I've done this for you.
00:53:16
Steve
And as you know, Sammy, we're going by the point system and right now you're running a deficit.
00:53:18
Sammi
Yeah. And I was like,
00:53:20
Steve
So it's perfectly fine that I didn't give you the thing I said I was going to give you. Like, what is it?
00:53:23
Sammi
I was like, Jesus, what? And I'm like, who keeps score in a friendship? That's so odd. It's like, I do, you know, it's like, I'll loosely try to keep score.
00:53:30
Steve
Hmm.
00:53:32
Sammi
Like, oh, my friend um paid for a movie when we went. So I will remember in my brain to pay for dinner next time or whatever. You know, it's like, but if I forget, i know that my friends, my real friends aren't going to be like, um I paid for the movie last time and you didn't offer to pay for dinner.
00:53:40
Steve
Hmm.
00:53:50
Sammi
Like, what? but like No, like, that's so weird. Or like, if you had an issue with it, you know, just say, hey, you know what, I paid for a lot of stuff lately when we hang out, you know, and I'd be like, oh, my God, I totally forgot. And I'm so sorry. And like, I'll make it right, you know.
00:54:05
Steve
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:54:06
Sammi
Like i that I've done that before, too, where like a friend felt slighted because they did something nice for me and they felt like, you know, unappreciated. And I was like, I don't ever want you to feel that way. I'm so sorry that you felt that way.
00:54:16
Sammi
Here's, you know, a thing to, you know, to to show my appreciation. And they're like, hey, thanks. No, you know. That's like a normal friendship thing. But this guy was like, this is everything that i've wear I've been waiting for years to tell you all this shit that I didn't like that you did. And I'm like, oh, okay. I guess we're not friends.
00:54:38
Sammi
um I thought we were. So egg on my face. um So that's kind of, that's the vibe that I get from Zachary. He's like, he's just waiting to spring.
00:54:49
Sammi
Like, i'm going to put all this stuff in the bank in my mind.
00:54:49
Steve
Yep,
00:54:52
Sammi
And when you do one wrong thing, oh boy, you're going to hear about it. You're going to hear about it. And in the meantime, don't say anything even a little bit bad about me. Like I, it also felt kind of like triangulation, right?
00:55:04
Sammi
Even though like Jesse and, um, wait, who was he talking to? Demi and Jesse, was it?
00:55:12
Steve
yep ye
00:55:12
Sammi
Right. And they were kind of like, They were being critical, but they were not like in a super bad way. They were just kind of like, sometimes I wonder if what she says is true, which like, if you're getting a different story from him and her and he is an expert gaslighter and you know what i mean?
00:55:24
Steve
Mm-hmm.
00:55:30
Sammi
Like... And maybe maybe she exaggerates a little. Whatever. Like, I'll i'll give that. um Yeah. Like, I think that that's a really valid criticism. But they didn't say like, oh, like such bad things about her. It was just like, well, they just they're questioning some things. And he takes that back to her and goes, yeah, they said some really bad things about you. And I did not like that at all.
00:55:52
Sammi
So like I can be the hero and they can be the villains. Yeah. And I noticed that like I tracked that immediately. And then he was like, and I wouldn't do that to my friends. Like I wouldn't go to my friends and like, listen, you do things that I don't like all the time, but I'm not going to go to my friends and tell them that you do that because I don't want them to get that impression of you.
00:56:14
Sammi
I'm like, come on, you don't say anything.
00:56:18
Steve
Never.
00:56:18
Sammi
You said all that bad stuff on reality television in front of, you know, millions of viewers, but you would never say it to your friends in a closed room without a camera. Come on.
00:56:32
Sammi
You really think you really think I'm that naive?
00:56:32
Steve
Never.
00:56:34
Sammi
Please.
00:56:34
Steve
Not this beautiful, special boy. He would never.
00:56:37
Sammi
Yeah, he's so full of shit. um Anyway, that's so that'll be my hot take from now on that I don't buy the Redemption arc and um just mark it now. I literally haven't watched past the first two episodes and that's how I feel. and they're not They're not going to get me. They're not going to ensnare me.
00:56:54
Sammi
Okay. um Yeah. Basically, Taylor doesn't deserve the shit that Dakota did, but nobody's surprised that he's trash because...
00:57:03
Steve
Of course.
00:57:04
Sammi
He's pretty obviously trash. um
00:57:06
Steve
Yeah.
00:57:08
Sammi
ah Whitney and Miranda hang out in the first episode, which is like what i it's like, oh, the two pariahs, I guess.
00:57:15
Steve
Oh my gosh.
00:57:16
Sammi
and It's just kind of odd. um
00:57:19
Steve
Miranda, God bless her. I like i like what someone is just like, hey, I am just here transparently chasing k clout. Please, God, let me on the TV show.
00:57:28
Sammi
Yeah, I mean, good for you.
00:57:29
Steve
I'm hot and did naughty stuff and i can be mean if I want to be.
00:57:32
Sammi
But I'm going to lie about it. Just be honest.
00:57:33
Steve
Yeah.
00:57:34
Sammi
You'll get more airtime if you're honest. Come on, Miranda.
00:57:36
Steve
yeah
00:57:37
Sammi
Anyway. um And then, yeah So the only other note I have for the first episode is, yeah, this ketamine therapy thing. ah Talk about another loophole. Like, you're like, heaven forbid we do coffee, but ketamine is fine.
00:57:47
Steve
Yeah.
00:57:50
Steve
Yeah. Horse tranks, sign me up.
00:57:53
Sammi
I'm like, what?
00:57:55
Steve
That's dope. i love that.
00:57:56
Sammi
Listen, yeah. I mean, if people want to do that, microdose, whatever, that is like totally...
00:57:59
Steve
ah Joseph Smith didn't even know about ketamine. He didn't he didn't he wasn't into club drugs.
00:58:02
Sammi
There's...
00:58:07
Sammi
Yeah, I mean, I don't know. How else did he come up with those golden tablets? He probably licked a couple toads.
00:58:12
Steve
Yeah.
00:58:12
Sammi
Let's be honest.
00:58:13
Steve
ah least At least a few.
00:58:16
Steve
At least.
00:58:16
Sammi
um Oh my gosh. It's just so weird. like And again, like I don't care, but it's like it's just such a strange line you're drawing.
Taylor's Family and Self-Perception
00:58:26
Sammi
And they're like, well, they don't say anything about that.
00:58:26
Steve
Hmm.
00:58:30
Sammi
So it's so we can do it. It's like... They don't say anything about anything like the Internet, you know, but you got to make you got to extrapolate rules about the Internet.
00:58:36
Steve
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:58:41
Sammi
Right. I don't know. um So strange. um And then I didn't really pay attention to the last party very much um because it wasn't that interesting. But then we get to episode two.
00:58:53
Sammi
And yeah, this is when we first have Taylor and Miranda talk. And yeah, like at this point, the controversy controversy. is really minimal. um It's just kind of like, yeah, anyway, well, it's good to see you and it's fine and things are awkward, but we'll move past it. And um i guess your story is different from mine. So that's where we're going to leave it for now. Like it was just kind of an odd conversation in general. It's just kind of like, yeah, I guess we need more soda to have this conversation or whatever. Yeah.
00:59:30
Steve
Help take the edge off.
00:59:31
Sammi
couple of dirty sodas and the truth is going to come out.
00:59:36
Steve
That's a
00:59:37
Sammi
um But yeah, yeah, this was weird. So, oh, and then there's like a boot store scene, um which was fine. They're like, we're going to get boots for a party.
00:59:48
Sammi
And we're so excited. Look at these g glammy boots. um Is that where Zach talked to them in the boot store or was it separate? I didn't take good notes here. I was busy hauling strawberries.
00:59:57
Steve
I think he I think he talked to them in the boot store, which is sure.
01:00:01
Sammi
Okay.
01:00:03
Sammi
Yeah, they're like, this is a place where we can film. We can take this over for a little bit and buy a couple of boots and they'll let us film. um But yeah, like it was just so weird because like, yeah. um Wait, is it Demi?
01:00:17
Sammi
Not Demi, right? Sorry, Demi.
01:00:18
Steve
Yeah. To me.
01:00:20
Sammi
ah and to me and just see. So they're they're trying, they're like, yeah, we're going to come attack. We're really going to, you know, give it to him. And then he he was like, actually, I'm going to Jedi mind trick you into thinking that Jen is absolutely the problem.
01:00:30
Steve
Mm-hmm.
01:00:36
Sammi
They're like, Maybe Jen is the problem. So this was when this happened. um And then we get to the scene with Taylor's family after that. And yeah, her parents are so terrible to her. It's awful.
01:00:48
Sammi
It's awful. It's just absolutely awful. I totally get why Taylor is the way she is because, I mean, we don't have the luxury of seeing everybody's like parents on the show, but yeah.
01:01:00
Steve
Oh, boy.
01:01:00
Sammi
Boy, like they're just really awful to her.
01:01:01
Steve
Yeah.
01:01:04
Sammi
And I just always want to give Taylor a hug.
01:01:05
Steve
It's not good.
01:01:07
Sammi
It's just like, yeah
01:01:10
Steve
it's It's kind of hard to watch. It's just like, oh. And then, yeah, they're just like, why got yeah why can't we just be a big happy family? It looks like he's here just trying to be a good dad.
01:01:20
Steve
It's like, I don't think that's what he's doing.
01:01:22
Sammi
I don't think so. I don't think so. I think he wants to be on TV.
01:01:24
Steve
Doesn't look like it to me. Yeah.
01:01:27
Sammi
um Yeah, that's the other thing. Yeah, it was just so weird. And then like to have her dad be like, well, what is that? Like, she's like, he would only call me at night. And then her dad was like, well, what does that say about you, Taylor?
01:01:37
Sammi
I'm like, it says that she was manipulated by a terrible man. What do you mean?
01:01:41
Steve
Yeah, you can only call me night.
01:01:42
Sammi
and she's.
01:01:43
Steve
Ah, but you answered the phone, little missy.
01:01:45
Sammi
It's like she went through like this weird scandal. She like obviously got like married and had kids way too young. Right. And then was trying to find herself, found herself in a bigger problem, became like a social outcast and then was just looking for somebody who who said that they like approved for and wanted to spend time with her.
01:02:08
Sammi
And Dakota gave her the validation and probably the love bombing that she was looking for. And so she just took what she could get. and and so I would say, Taylor's dad, what does that say about you as a parent that she feels like she has to seek validation in that
01:02:22
Steve
yeah
Family Dynamics and Self-Worth
01:02:25
Sammi
way?
01:02:25
Sammi
Did you not teach her her own self-worth? This sounds like a parenting failure to me anyway. um Yeah. Her family sucks. Was that her sister who was like, who just like laid down the law and that dinner where she was like, everything needs to be separate.
01:02:28
Steve
No, probably not.
01:02:39
Steve
Yeah.
01:02:40
Sammi
Okay. I can't deal with this. I was like, I think that was her sister. I was like the only voice of reason at the table.
01:02:47
Steve
Oh, yeah.
01:02:48
Sammi
Being like, no, this is not you should try to work it out. Why would you try to work this out? This is terrible. Like you both like you need to go to therapy. You need to figure your shit out and you need to be separate go to your own quarters. was like, yeah.
01:03:02
Sammi
um Oh, yeah. This was where, yeah.
Jesse's Dramatic Halloween Party Plan
01:03:05
Sammi
And then Zach talks to Jen. He's triangulating. Then, okay. Then we get to the Halloween party. And Jesse is like, so this is what we're going to do. We're going to have um Chase here. that And that's like Miranda's ex that was probably more interested in Taylor than Taylor was interested in him is what it sounds like.
01:03:27
Sammi
He denies that. I call bullshit. um And then they bring in like a Chippendales host to teach the men to dance like the Chippendales dancers, which I think is like a fun and funny idea.
01:03:37
Steve
Oh, yeah.
01:03:40
Sammi
um And she's obviously doing that to see if she can get Zach to crack. So good for her. I think it's funny. Jessie is good at creating good TV. Like, and she's fully owning it.
01:03:50
Steve
Oh, yeah.
01:03:51
Sammi
She's just like, stir the pot. That's what I do. So sorry. Can't get mad at me. Cause that's what I do. You want extensions or not? Okay. You want my extensions? You got to let me do mean shit to you.
01:04:03
Sammi
ah And so, yeah, at the end of the second episode, they just, yeah, like Jen and Zach are sitting down and they're like trying to navigate this truth that I feel like,
01:04:18
Sammi
This is what it
Reality TV Manipulation: Vanderpump Tactics
01:04:19
Sammi
feels like. It feels kind of like LVP coaching people off camera and then them coming on camera with a story that sounds consistent. That's what it feels. It feels exactly like that.
01:04:31
Sammi
Oh, how weird that this magazine showed up in my suitcase. Very much like that. Oh, but now it's a conversation point.
01:04:39
Steve
I mean
01:04:40
Sammi
Now it's here. So we have to talk about it.
01:04:43
Steve
she's so good at it though like name a better reality TV puppet master yeah she gets it.
01:04:45
Sammi
Yeah, but like it it is true. Like, yeah. Yeah, she totally did. Like she would definitely have like conference calls with people and be like, this is how we're going tell it.
01:04:56
Sammi
This is what it felt like to me. um And it was like it sounded like Zach being like, well, if you want this to work or whatever, um but we're going to make it look like it's your idea.
01:05:07
Steve
Yeah.
01:05:12
Sammi
i don't know. Like the whole thing is just strange.
01:05:14
Steve
Yeah.
Trad Wife Culture and Political Beliefs
01:05:15
Sammi
Um, but again, when you're in this kind of a culture and like divorce hard to do, um, you know, it's like, it's interesting because all of these women are more financially successful than their husbands, all of them or their boyfriends or whatever.
01:05:36
Steve
yeah
01:05:36
Sammi
And so they are in a
01:05:38
Steve
Men who are already extremely insecure.
01:05:41
Sammi
Right.
01:05:41
Steve
ah true
01:05:41
Sammi
You know, and it's like they're in this position. And that's what I would say. Like, I mean, outside of like the cheating, whatever, i would say Connor seems like kind of the most comfortable with Whitney just like doing her thing and making her money.
01:05:55
Steve
because he wants to do his thing on Tinder, allegedly.
01:05:57
Sammi
Well, yeah, whatever he wants to do.
01:05:58
Steve
I know what he wants to go.
01:05:59
Sammi
um
01:06:00
Steve
Go kiss the boy. That's fine.
01:06:01
Sammi
i I don't know. um But, you know, like, anyway, it's interesting because there's been a lot of like trad wife discourse on TikTok and other places, you know, and because we're, you know, hurtling towards or already in ah fascism, um there is a rise in trad wife
01:06:11
Steve
Mm-hmm.
01:06:26
Sammi
culture narrative discussion and like like when you was just say I was just gonna bring this up
01:06:29
Steve
Oh, you and i talked about this extensively. I literally, I sent, I sent Sarah a text. It's just like, there's this girl that I like, I did like a school thing with and she was like, cool. And she married like a union organizers, socialists and good politics. And I'm like,
01:06:48
Steve
Then they got divorced and now she's like really into right wing reactionary stuff and being a trad wife. And then, and i was like, what's up with that? And then, and then immediately not even a text back.
Financial Challenges Post-Divorce
01:06:59
Steve
It's just like, here's a 10 minute long voice memo. And you're like, without taking a breath.
01:07:03
Steve
Okay.
01:07:04
Sammi
Here are all the pipelines.
01:07:05
Steve
I just laid it out.
01:07:08
Sammi
I missed a couple, but I was like, I was, yeah, I was like oil pulling seed oils, beef tallow, Lululemon, landmark forum, you know, raw milk.
01:07:09
Steve
was pretty good. It was impressive.
01:07:16
Steve
It was, Yeah, know you you totally nailed it. It was also like the most Sammy-ass thing that's ever happened.
01:07:23
Sammi
Yeah. I was like, these are all the pipelines that you have to look out for. um So yeah, like trad wife stuff.
01:07:28
Steve
Yeah.
01:07:30
Sammi
Like, you know, it's like as soon as like the cottagecore stuff became more popular, I was like, be careful. You might fall into a pipeline um if you trip.
01:07:37
Steve
Mm-hmm.
01:07:39
Sammi
So now it's like, yeah, it's like this whole like like the milkmaid stuff and whatever. And just like, you know, in like 1950s fashion and all that stuff um can get into territory where it's like – And now there's like women who are like, it's empowering.
01:07:55
Sammi
It's like the ultimate girl boss move to marry someone who makes it so that you don't have to work because like you're actually controlling him.
01:08:02
Steve
Yeah.
01:08:04
Sammi
So checkmate. And I'm like, m you know,
01:08:05
Steve
Boom. Reverse psychology. Got him.
01:08:09
Sammi
Yeah. And it's like, there's all the, but thank goodness, there's like a lot of women who have left that kind of lifestyle and, you know, are like, were married for 20 plus years or whatever.
01:08:21
Steve
mean
01:08:21
Sammi
And now they're starting to tell their stories on TikTok as well. um And I'm sure other places, that's just where I am most of the time.
01:08:27
Steve
didn't nothing.
01:08:28
Sammi
But they'll talk about like this is, you know, when you are financially dependent, um like if you get divorced, you lose everything.
01:08:28
Steve
Mm-hmm.
01:08:37
Sammi
You don't have any. you You end up with nothing.
01:08:39
Steve
and did nothing
01:08:39
Sammi
And a lot of the times like they do sign prenups or things like that or, you know,
01:08:40
Steve
yeah
01:08:44
Sammi
the the man with means that they were with hires a really good lawyer, they get screwed, whatever. um and so it it's really weird and scary. So like these women who are traditionally like in this Mormon culture would be financially dependent on their husbands, are all financially independent and extremely successful.
01:09:02
Steve
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
01:09:07
Sammi
And so there's not that part that's holding them back. And I think that does scare a lot of insecure men and so i'm interested to see how this all plays out because they don't have that keeping them inside of like a trad wife relationship dynamic um so yeah i don't know i i have optimism i would love to see some of them make some major shifts but i also am not holding my breath Um, but hey, there's, um, also some crossover stuff talking about LVP.
Crossover Events and Reality TV Catch-Up
01:09:42
Sammi
There was some like Vanderpump Villa drama. Was that on the show itself?
01:09:45
Steve
Oh, ah yeah, you can you can watch it.
01:09:46
Sammi
Can I watch that episode and see it? Cause, my God.
01:09:49
Steve
Yeah, it's it's a it's a little crossover promotional episode thing because Vanderpump Villa is a Vanderpump Rules sort of spinoff of basically like Lisa Vanderpump owns this bed and breakfast thing.
01:09:51
Sammi
Okay.
01:09:58
Sammi
I haven't watched it yet. Yeah.
01:10:05
Sammi
Yeah.
01:10:05
Steve
um And.
01:10:06
Sammi
I do know the premise of the show. i just didn't know. i was like, did that get aired at all?
01:10:10
Steve
you know So that yeah the the special guests were some of the girls from Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. And there's this weird thing.
01:10:20
Steve
So there's this really he's kind of like the Jax Taylor of Vanderpump Villa. His name is Marciano.
01:10:25
Sammi
Oh.
01:10:27
Steve
um
01:10:27
Sammi
That's cool name.
01:10:28
Steve
And Marciano is like, I don't know, he's he's weird. Like, he does he does this thing. I don't like when guys do this.
01:10:39
Steve
But she's like telling him about something and he and he's like, oh my God, that's so sad. Too much touchy touchy. Like, he was just, a he's too aggressive.
01:10:46
Sammi
ah
01:10:50
Steve
I don't like that. Not good. Especially when it's when it's used like a woman is in an emotionally vulnerable moment and you're like kind of like copping a feel in a weird way.
01:10:53
Sammi
Yeah.
01:11:00
Steve
It was gross and weird. ah
01:11:01
Sammi
That's so strange.
01:11:02
Steve
Yeah, and and it was some like like just weird like boundary line crossing stuff with Demi and um it was it was odd. ah But also... it I would not have been surprised if it was Lisa Vanderpump coached because it was perfect because you're watching it.
01:11:18
Sammi
ah
01:11:19
Steve
You're like, uh, Marciano icky. But then in the back of my head, I'm like, how will this factor into the show?
01:11:26
Sammi
Yeah.
01:11:26
Steve
Basically.
01:11:27
Sammi
Yeah. She, I mean, oh gosh, talk about manipulation. Yeah, for sure. um That's really interesting. Okay. I'll have to watch that and and give my take on that as well. I have so much homework to do. I'm very behind on like all reality TV. Yeah.
01:11:43
Steve
I'm disappointed in you.
01:11:43
Sammi
I've just been like painting like a loser. That's all I spend my time doing these days.
01:11:48
Steve
Wow.
01:11:49
Sammi
and just Just logging off and touching grass. So I...
01:11:51
Steve
A real, real Georgia O'Keeffe over here.
01:11:55
Sammi
Well, have you seen my paintings? They're pretty good.
01:11:59
Steve
Yeah, your paintings are good.
01:12:01
Sammi
no I need to get back to being chronically online. What's wrong with me?
01:12:03
Steve
Mm-hmm.
01:12:04
Sammi
um
01:12:05
Steve
Sounds like a lot of therapeutic artwork and not a lot of brain rot. I don't know what the issue is.
01:12:11
Sammi
Oh my gosh, she's becoming well-rounded. um Before you know it, she'll be self-actualized.
01:12:14
Steve
boring yeah ah you know it's cool being mentally ill yeah
01:12:16
Sammi
gary Scary, scary. um But anyway,
01:12:21
Sammi
that's what the internet tells me. um So anyway, ah this episode ends with, yeah, like the it's like sirens and cops. And I'm like, that always means strippers or someone has food poisoning or a poop baby. I've watched enough reality TV to know that.
01:12:38
Steve
who would just see wink
01:12:40
Sammi
So yeah, it's never that exciting when it's sirens. It's always something kind of mundane. So um that's where I'm at right now. But I will, who knows, maybe next time we record, I'll be like, these people are not my favorites. I hate all of them. I don't believe any of the things I believed five minutes ago. I've changed my mind and mom talk will not to survive this.
01:13:04
Steve
Will MomTalk survive? Yeah, MomTalk is going to survive? Yeah, what's ah you don't you know what's going to ensure that MomTalk survives?
Future of MomTalk and Content Creation
01:13:11
Steve
um Once the season three checks start coming in. Then that's how you ensure the survival of MomTalk.
01:13:14
Sammi
Oh, yes.
01:13:18
Sammi
Yeah, 100 percent. 100 percent. But yeah, I think it's been interesting so far. I'm excited to see where it goes. And when is, wait, when's Paradise starting? Soon, right? Like in a couple of weeks?
01:13:28
Steve
July Mm-hmm.
01:13:30
Sammi
Oh, my God. So we'll have some Mormon wives. We'll have some Paradise.
01:13:35
Steve
We have it all.
01:13:35
Sammi
And that's perfect, too, because doesn't like Hakim like make it onto one of the Mormon wives episodes or something like that, too?
01:13:42
Steve
Oh, yeah. So there's there's a lot going on. There's a lot of crossover action.
01:13:45
Sammi
so many crossovers. It hurts my brain.
01:13:47
Steve
There's crossover events. It's going to be good, though.
01:13:49
Sammi
i can't I can't handle it.
01:13:51
Steve
We're going to have so much content.
01:13:51
Sammi
um
01:13:55
Sammi
Yes, we're going to have all all the content.
01:13:55
Steve
I hate that word. Why is everything just content?
01:13:59
Sammi
I don't know. It started like 10 years ago.
01:13:59
Steve
I sound like Jerry signed. What's the deal?
01:14:01
Sammi
I remember when it started.
01:14:02
Steve
Yeah.
01:14:03
Sammi
i remember. I was there.
01:14:04
Steve
yeah
01:14:05
Sammi
i was there the day content started.
01:14:06
Steve
as their
01:14:09
Sammi
It was actually like 12 years ago. i remember.
01:14:10
Steve
you made you made content a thing.
01:14:13
Sammi
No, I didn't make content a thing, but I remember when I heard it at a conference and I was like, this is going to become a thing. And it did. I just knew. it wasn't like they had gotten it from somewhere too, but it wasn't like everybody was saying it was like marketers and advertisers were saying it, but like normal people weren't saying it.
01:14:29
Steve
no
01:14:30
Sammi
So bizarre. And now we all just say, yeah, it's content. Yeah. I went on a rant on LinkedIn and I was like, everything is AI slop. And I painted something and got outside. And so look at it. Look at the thing I made.
01:14:41
Steve
it was
01:14:44
Sammi
And it's actually like really well received.
01:14:44
Steve
oh my god
01:14:45
Sammi
I got really ranty in it and people were like, that's so beautiful. and I was like, ah I guess this is how I have to deliver my rants is with with a painting. So that's, you're going to see a lot more of that on your feeds.
01:14:56
Steve
that's the track that's the track beautiful
01:14:58
Sammi
Come look for it. um But yeah, so... um I don't know. We can probably do this in another week or so and then we'll start doing Paradise. So I will catch up and watch more episodes. We will share more hot takes.
01:15:09
Sammi
But if you like this, um please ah tell us in some way.
01:15:15
Steve
and Yeah,
01:15:15
Sammi
And we'll keep making them because this is like a one-off but also job security for the job we don't get paid to do.
01:15:20
Steve
yeah exactly. And I just love the Mormons.
01:15:23
Sammi
yeah
01:15:24
Steve
I'm i'm watching them. And if if I don't, like, all I do is I watch trashy reality TV and, like, I can only talk to the gals at work so much about this stuff.
01:15:35
Sammi
Yeah.
01:15:36
Steve
And i i if if I don't have this outlet with Sammy, i I literally will explode because I have to talk to people about the dumb things that I, yeah.
01:15:41
Sammi
We can't have that happen.
01:15:44
Steve
Yeah.
01:15:44
Sammi
You will not survive this.
01:15:44
Steve
And then it gets weird too when people like don't watch this stuff and then I'm like, okay, so, and then I just kind of like jump into it and you just see them like, what's wrong?
01:15:55
Sammi
I want the notification sound on my phone just to be you going, I love the Mormons.
01:16:00
Steve
I love them. Every time I text you, I love the Mormons.
01:16:04
Sammi
Yeah, I love the Mormons. Oh, wait, hold on. Steve just texted me.
01:16:07
Steve
This dude. He loves what?
01:16:10
Sammi
He loves the Mormons. I don't know what to tell you.
01:16:13
Steve
I love him. These crazy gals and their sodas and their bag piping.
01:16:14
Sammi
Yeah, so definitely...
Ex-Mormon Content and Self-Actualization
01:16:20
Sammi
Definitely watch that Grumble Cookie video because it was very interesting.
01:16:22
Steve
ah well.
01:16:24
Sammi
It's really fun to watch. like um Oh my gosh, I'm trying to remember her name. I will look it up quick. um But I really like, um in terms of like ex-Mormons, oh, Alyssa, Alyssa Grenfell.
01:16:35
Steve
Mm-hmm.
01:16:36
Sammi
I really like Alyssa's stuff. um I have not watched any of Alyssa's takes on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives because I wanted to go in fresh. So like I haven't really watched much of anything or or like anytime I've encountered someone's TikTok, I don't even spend that much time on it because I i just don't want to be spoiled for it.
01:16:48
Steve
Mm-hmm.
01:16:57
Sammi
But she does have a full like one and a half hour reaction to the whole season, like what we just did for two episodes.
01:16:57
Steve
yeah
01:17:04
Sammi
Um, and, and, uh, then, yeah, she ate crumble cookies and recently talked about like crumble and like, um, some like purity film, like thing, you know, like those things that like edit, uh, movies to make them clean or whatever.
01:17:19
Steve
ah you talking about Angelvid?
01:17:19
Sammi
And, uh, and Not that one, but the other one.
01:17:23
Steve
Oh.
01:17:23
Sammi
There's like two of them.
01:17:24
Steve
I don't know that one.
01:17:24
Sammi
And she talked about one of them.
01:17:25
Steve
I just know Angelvid.
01:17:26
Sammi
but um But I think she mentioned like Angel Vid as well or whatever it's called.
01:17:26
Steve
Okay.
01:17:30
Sammi
and then um And then she talked about like the garments and the soda shops and all that. So it's very interesting to hear from an ex-Mormon just like about all the loopholes and the way that she interprets those now being on the other side of things.
01:17:45
Sammi
So I highly recommend it. um But I also really love Jordan and McKay. So I'll put their channel in the description as well. If you want to hear more from ex-Mormons, they are fantastic sick um ah YouTubers. So i will make sure to put their stuff in. And of course, Fundy Fridays as well, because it's just a great... if this becomes a special interest for you as well.
01:18:10
Sammi
um I want to give you all the content you can handle. And these are ones that they have really rich, in-depth, fascinating takes on all this stuff. Some from personal experience and a lot of research. So um really good stuff.
01:18:25
Sammi
ah the opposite of AI slop, which was the topic on last week tonight as well. Right after I went on that rant um on LinkedIn, a few hours later, John Oliver talked about it on the show.
01:18:37
Sammi
Coincidence? I think not.
01:18:38
Steve
you He's been reading your feed.
01:18:40
Sammi
So, yeah. So go outside, touch grass, um go get yourself a dirty soda.
01:18:46
Steve
Yeah, don't do needle drugs. Please.
01:18:49
Sammi
but ketamine therapy, is that okay? Yeah.
01:18:51
Steve
Yeah, you won't get into a K-hole so you can touch the hand of God and find self-actualization? Just do it. Yeah, you can do that too.
01:18:58
Sammi
What about ayahuasca? Do they do that too?
01:19:05
Steve
Ketamine therapy is ayahuasca without the travel bill.