Humor will not be tolerated!! -Portia

I think I agree with Rating Pending. The question seems to presuppose erroneous ideas about how polygamy actually worked.

A man was not likely to look at potential mates and select one as his first wife and select another as his second wife before marrying the first. Typically he would fall in love with a woman, marry her, and then after a time the couple would decide that he should take a second wife. One of my ancestors married a woman and then they decided that two of her sisters should join the marriage. A fourth wife was added later on - I think he hadn't met her before his marriage. In another case a man was asked to take a second wife because her husband had died. So, she was a first wife, and later a second wife to another man.

Perhaps in some marriages the first wife sort of ruled over the second wife, but I think this was the exception rather than the rule. Typically she was merely the first wife because chronologically she was first to marry the man. The first wife was often older than the second wife. The first wife had to approve of the second wife, and obviously the second wife had to agree to share her husband with the first wife. I see no preference being given to the first wife as being more loved, worthy, attractive, or superior in any way.

vorpal blade wrote:I see no preference being given to the first wife as being more loved, worthy, attractive, or superior in any way.

Wasn't that one of the requirements anyway, that you had to love each wife equally, provide for them equally, each had to have their separate dwelling and such?

Nanti-SARRMM wrote:

vorpal blade wrote:I see no preference being given to the first wife as being more loved, worthy, attractive, or superior in any way.

Wasn't that one of the requirements anyway, that you had to love each wife equally, provide for them equally, each had to have their separate dwelling and such?

You were supposed to love them equally. It wasn't always possible to provide separate homes for them. That took a lot of money. In some cases, for example with the sisters, they didn't seem to mind living together.

The original question was:

Q Dear 100 Hour Board,

My roommates were having a particularly enlightening discussion concerning polygamy. My roommates believes that if she had been alive during this time period, she would have been selected as a first wife. I believe I might have been a second wife. Which wife would you have been?

- Sister Young #23

Today we read

ID#: 50670

C Dear Rating Pending (and other concerned Board members),

I appreciate your apparent concern for my viewpoints concerning polygamy. (Question 50552) I hate to break it to you though, I submitted that question facetiously. I am quite aware of how polygamy worked, and the standard used to determine our number as wife was my age and my roommate's chest size (both of us being perfectly aware that neither were and are a realistic standard). Please untwist your panties and settle down!

- Sister Young #23

I suppose it is possible that the original asinine question was asked facetiously. It is also possible that the rude and asinine comment #50670 was made facetiously. Perhaps Rating Pending's answer was made facetiously, and it is Sister Young #23 that is getting her panties in a bunch.

One thing we know, Sister Young's age must be 2, and her roommate(s) chest size is 1.

Maybe I'm being facetious too. And again, maybe not.

Personally, I read that question as a joke. I know that's not how polygamy worked, but reading the question sent me off thinking of my relative wifely worth rather than mentally correcting her.

But then it's always hard to tell on the internets.

bobtheenchantedone wrote:Personally, I read that question as a joke. I know that's not how polygamy worked, but reading the question sent me off thinking of my relative wifely worth rather than mentally correcting her.

But then it's always hard to tell on the internets.

I thought the same way as you.

Good points, "Bob" and Giovanni.

Are these "" because I'm a girl?

bobtheenchantedone wrote:Are these "" because I'm a girl?

Yes. When I first saw the name "bobtheenchantedone," months ago I thought, "What an odd name for a guy." I soon discovered that you are a girl. I have a hard time calling a girl "Bob," as that is the name one of my sons goes by. I have known girls by the name of "Bobby." I forget if your real name has been revealed, but I think it is some form of "Roberta" or "Bobby."

So, I was trying to be brief, and I failed.

I was just wondering.

Actually, my name has nothing whatsoever to do with bob. There aren't even any b's or o's in it. Or even in my middle name. My last name does have one o, but no b's. Oh no, wait, my middle name does have a b.

ANYWAY. Unfortunately, I think it is a little late for me to come up with a more feminine nickname...

hmmm...I actually used to go by "bob." And, contrary to what everyone has assumed, I am, in fact, a girl.

I thought you were a girl.

This reminds me of Blackadder. Good times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG9HSqjGWKY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmgeWImSA1Y

"Hello .....bob"

I thought you were a girl.

I think you were one of the people who called me "sir."

I call lots of people sir, including my own mother... but then I also call her dude...

bobtheenchantedone wrote:ANYWAY. Unfortunately, I think it is a little late for me to come up with a more feminine nickname...

Isn't there a science fiction movie where some young people discover a new planet and have the honor of giving the planet a name? They call the planet "Bob."

It is easy for me to read "the enchanted one" as "the enchanting one." I like to think you are more like the second phrase.

Neologism wrote:hmmm...I actually used to go by "bob." And, contrary to what everyone has assumed, I am, in fact, a girl.

I noticed that some people seemed to assume that you were a boy. I wondered about that, because it certainly wasn't apparent to me.

My wife's older brother used to call her "Sam," just to torment her. Funny you went by "bob."

vorpal blade wrote:

bobtheenchantedone wrote:ANYWAY. Unfortunately, I think it is a little late for me to come up with a more feminine nickname...

Isn't there a science fiction movie where some young people discover a new planet and have the honor of giving the planet a name? They call the planet "Bob."

It is easy for me to read "the enchanted one" as "the enchanting one." I like to think you are more like the second phrase.

I read her name as "bob the cheetah dome" for awhile before I actually looked closely. Attention to detail is sometimes not my strongest point.

Thats a good point. My family does that kind of thing too. We all call each other "son." I'm not really sre why...

What is a cheetah dome anyway?

I can live with being thought of as enchanting. ; )