Mormons Make Great TV
As humans, we are deeply flawed. We will lie, cheat, and steal…but most of all, we’ll watch any sort of gruesome reality show because we crave drama that isn’t our own.
Growing up, I remember my mom watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I knew about Lisa Vanderpump before Vanderpump Rules entered the chat. But I never understood her fascination with a bunch of women fighting on-screen…until I got older.
Last year, I attended Summer House’s Danielle Olivera’s app launch party, where most of the cast was in attendance. After spending the night unknowingly surrounded by Carl Radke and Lindsay Hubbard (the night before the end of their engagement), Paige DeSorbo and Craig Conover, and more…I had to find out who the hell these people were.
Now, at 26 years of age, I’ve pored through most of the Bravo catalog myself. I’ve caught up on Summer House, the majority of the Real Housewives franchises, and I was there for Scandoval.
Reality TV has taken over since the Writer’s Strike brought show production to a grinding halt and it’s finally catching up to us. After a slow summer of barely any new scripted shows, it was time to fixate on reality.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives aired on September 6 on Hulu. And at first glance, it seemed like a tell-all documentary about the horrors of Mormonism…but actually, it was a reality television show about crazy Mormon women who founded “#MomTok” on TikTok.
Everyone’s watching, but honestly…this isn’t the finest Mormon television I’ve seen. If you’ve already watched The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and can’t get enough of the “Bad Mormons,” then here are a few shows that are just as shocking.
The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City
I think the real reason I wasn’t utterly shocked by The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives was because prepared for it by this show. Because, sure, there’s nothing scarier (I mean better) than a bunch of 20-something Mormon women making TikToks…until you’ve met a group of disgraced Mormon women double their age with double the drama.
In terms of reality television this show has been through everything in only five seasons: Jen Shah, now imprisoned for fraud, Monica Garcia, who ran an anonymous gossip account about her fellow housewives, Meredith Marks, who has a strange Transatlantic accent…I could go on.
Constant drama, mentions of Mormonism, and many quotable moments, this show makes The Secret Lives look like child’s play.
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey
If you want more of a documentary ( shockumentary?), then watch Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey on Netflix. All about the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints cult that’s led by Warren S. Jeffs (from jail!), you’ll hear all about the male-dominated, polygamist group in this tell-all docu.
The series documents the physical, psychological, and emotional abuse of young women in the FLDS, with a focus on the survivors who have safely escaped. There are mentions of child abuse, sexual assault, and more, so be cautious when viewing — this content may not be safe for everyone.
However, if you want the dark truth about some sectors of the Latter Day Saints sect, this is a good start.
Under The Banner Of Heaven
A mixture of fact and fiction, Under The Banner Of Heaven stars Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones. It follows Detective Jeb Pyre as he investigates the murder of Brenda Wright Lafferty and her daughter in Salt Lake Valley. Along the way, Pyre (Garfield) starts to uncover the truth about the LDS religion.
It’s one of Garfield’s best roles (and yes, I’ve seen his Spiderman) as he grapples with his faith while investigating a major murder. It blends fundamentalism, ethics, and the Mormonism in a way that has you questioning what’s real and what isn’t.
Based on Jon Krakauer blockbuster of a novel, it’s a great fictional take on the FLDS that will have you binge watching the entire show in one night.
Murder Among The Mormons
Your classic true crime documentary: Murder Among The Mormons follows Mark Hofmann, one of the most notorious forgers in American history. In an almost unbelievable tale, the three part series combines a deep excavation of LDS and murder.
Hofmann faked documents relating to the Latter Day Saints religion, including letters “from” Joseph Smith, Lucy Mack Smith, and David Whitmer. When Hofmann was close to getting caught, he set off three bombs across Salt Lake City, Utah to kill three people.
It’s a bizarre tale that turns deadly, but is an easy binge watch for you and your friends.