Why I can't Stop Reading Mormon Mommy Blogs.

[pellegrino]

My wife got this from friend. I found it to be a fun read, even though at the end it kind of petered out.

http://www.salon.com/life/internet_culture/?story=/mwt/feature/2011/01/15/feminist_obsessed_with_mormon_blogs

Their lives are nothing like mine -- I'm your standard-issue late-20-something childless overeducated atheist feminist -- yet I'm completely obsessed with their blogs. On an average day, I'll skim through a half-dozen Mormon blogs, looking at Polaroids of dogs in raincoats or kids in bow ties, reading gratitude lists, admiring sewing projects.

I'm not alone, either. Two of my closest friends -- both chronically overworked Ph.D. candidates -- procrastinate for hours poring over Nat the Fat Rat or C. Jane Enjoy It. A recent discussion of Mormonism on the blog Jezebel unleashed a waterfall of confessions in the comments section from other young non-religious women similarly riveted by the shiny, happy domestic lives of their Latter-day Saint sisters.

It does nothing to resolve the tensions in Mormonism regarding motherhood and feminism, but it's interesting that this aspect of Mormon culture is reaching a broader audience.

[myboynoah]

My wife got this from friend. I found it to be a fun read, even though at the end it kind of petered out.

http://www.salon.com/life/internet_culture/?story=/mwt/feature/2011/01/15/feminist_obsessed_with_mormon_blogs

It does nothing to resolve the tensions in Mormonism regarding motherhood and feminism, but it's interesting that this aspect of Mormon culture is reaching a broader audience.

So what is the basis of their obsession? Amusement? Horror? Anthropology? Crafting and scrapbooking? Envy (God forbid)?

[pellegrino]

So what is the basis of their obsession? Amusement? Horror? Anthropology? Crafting and scrapbooking? Envy (God forbid)?

who knows? I imagine there's a bit of all of that going on.

[Mrs. Funk]

No joke--in a Provo eatery near you, three young females are discussing this article and the pressure to "do it all" and be it all and be perfect moms and such. Anyway, it was timely.

[myboynoah]

who knows? I imagine there's a bit of all of that going on.

I should have read the article first. Seems like it tends to be a bit of envy, but not to change places. There also seems to be a fantasy element involved. It certainly isn't horror.

Interesting.

[Mormon Red Death]

The author just seemed really miserable with her life.

[pellegrino]

The author just seemed really miserable with her life.

yeah, that's what I thought too. I guess if the only example of family life is your own tortured memories of your parents fighting, divorcing, using you as a pawn and you manipulating them to get what you want, then I can see how having a family would be seen as a negative.

[tooblue]

who knows? I imagine there's a bit of all of that going on.

I agree that it's a little of all of the above but I'm also quite confident that it's mostly anthropological based upon their educational background.

As an aside, in some ways, in my MFA program, I am looked on with the same obsessive curiosity. One of my program directors confided in me this past summer that her mother grew up LDS and left the church as a teenager. She's fascinated by the culture and family her mother left behind. My current research adviser has family in Puerto Rico who are members. He also has a close friend who left the church as a teen because he didn't want to serve a mission and almost every discussion we have ends with a discussion about missions and genealogy. He has discovered that all of his family history records can be found at the family history center in Salt Lake City. Part of his art practice is making or reenacting pilgrimages. I've suggested he make a pilgrimage with me to a family history center after I graduate.

Beyond the fascination there is an unusually large number of individuals that seem bent on rescuing me. More than one well-meaning soul has approached me with the advice: "Can't you be someone else while you are in the program ... it would be so much easier for you in this type of program ... you're in Germany, no one will know if you're just someone else for a little while?"

I just smile and change the subject. Ironically, one of the few people who have made a concerted effort to accept me as I am is the gay performance artist / stand up comedian from New Mexico. A formerly devout Catholic from Boston, we had some great philosophical discussions about religion and gay marriage.

People have become more and more fascinated by Mormons and it's only going to increase in intensity in the years to come. I think what's most fascinating for them is that, while we are peculiar, we aren't "that" peculiar, despite what the isolated Utah navel gazers say.

[Moliere]

So what is the basis of their obsession? Amusement? Horror? Anthropology? Crafting and scrapbooking? Envy (God forbid)?

It's funny you put (God forbid) in front of envy. Why would she not be envious? You have women that for the most part are well educated (some probably have bachelor degrees), very talented, and are constantly serving others and despite their lack of worldly credentials they have found amazing fullfilment in a life of having and raising children.

[CardiacCoug]

Good article. My wife tells me that the Mormon Women Project has had something like 20,000 hits because of this article, so that's a good thing.

I have a few decidedly non-Mormon, non-religious female relatives who have been the most dedicated readers of my wife's blog. And sometimes it seems like LDS women hate to read other Mormon mommy blogs because they get jealous and irritated/annoyed by them. It is definitely an interesting phenomenon.

[kccougar]

I loved the comments. Quality photography = professionally done = a vast mormon conspiracy.

[Mormon Red Death]

I loved the comments. Quality photography = professionally done = a vast mormon conspiracy.

My favorite

Recruiting tools

You do know these blogs are recruiting tools right? These women and there photos may not even be real. A few years ago they named a former advertising exec to head the church and since then they launched a huge new "Alternative advertizing campaign" last year to target new markets and are looking for ways to go "Viral." Like I tell my daughter, never assume what you read on the internet is the truth unless you can verify the sources yourself.

[Paperback Writer]

...You have women that for the most part are well educated (some probably have bachelor degrees), ...

Would be interested if the reality of LDS women with college degrees is changing if not the stereotype. In my family, my sisters are at least as educated as me and my brothers (they have MS or advanced degrees). My mother has a graduate degree as does my MIL. My SILs have at least a bachelor's degree and one has an MBA and is a VP in a well known company. My wife has a bachelors degree. But I'm not sure how many of my LDS female acquaintances have college degrees. The majority did attend college but unlike my spouse have chosen not to pursue a professional career. It seems many of the LDS female HS graduates in my area are earning their college degrees but I don't have anything close to an empirical study.

Has the married LDS female profile changed from "some have bachelors degrees" and stay at home to raise a family to "many have bachelors or advanced degrees" and stay at home to rasie a family or have a professional carreer and raise a family?

[LiveCoug]

Would be interested if the reality of LDS women with college degrees is changing if not the stereotype. In my family, my sisters are at least as educated as me and my brothers (they have MS or advanced degrees). My mother has a graduate degree as does my MIL. My SILs have at least a bachelor's degree and one has an MBA and is a VP in a well known company. My wife has a bachelors degree. But I'm not sure how many of my LDS female acquaintances have college degrees. The majority did attend college but unlike my spouse have chosen not to pursue a professional career. It seems many of the LDS female HS graduates in my area are earning their college degrees but I don't have anything close to an empirical study.

Has the married LDS female profile changed from "some have bachelors degrees" and stay at home to raise a family to "many have bachelors or advanced degrees" and stay at home to rasie a family or have a professional carreer and raise a family?

Figured this place was a good place to pose the question...

http://www.cougarboard.com/board/mes...tml?id=6436258

[Pheidippides]

Figured this place was a good place to pose the question...

http://www.cougarboard.com/board/mes...tml?id=6436258

Unfortunately, you'll only get answers as to whether or not the wives in question have a college degree. You will learn nothing as to actual education and intelligence. Other than the implicit stupidity by association bit, of course.