‘Seeking Sister Wife’: What is modern polygamy? Here’s why Tosha Jones’ mother Teresa thinks she’s with a cult
Wrapping one's head around the idea of polygamy is not exactly easy. The idea of one man and many wives has always been strange to anyone looking at it from the outside.
For the cast of 'Seeking Sister Wife', having to deal with misconceptions is not uncommon. The negative stigma attached to plural families is that of deviancy (seeing that one man sleeps with multiple women) or that those plural families are often associated with cults.
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For people who switch from monogamy to a plural lifestyle, the transition can be even more trying, seeing that their friends and families often find the concept rather alien, in a sense. And it looks like Tosha Jones, Sidian's wife, may be dealing with just that.
Seeing that Sidian's first wife left the family on account of not wanting to be a part of this arrangement and for personal reasons, Tosha is now the first wife. The Joneses have been very clear that they definitely want to have a plural family and seem to be pursuing the same. As per the trailer, Tosha explains that she and Sidian have adopted a more 'modern' version of polygamy, that doesn't tie into any religious beliefs. While the Joneses are a plural family and hope to have multiple wives, they do not follow religious rules or obligations that come with being polygamists, like the Mormons do.
In the latest episode, Tosha sits down with her mother, Teresa, as they discuss the concept of plural marriage and what it entails. Teresa doesn't seem to onboard with the idea -- she is visibly worried that her daughter is a part of a cult. Teresa doesn't look like she's on board with the whole idea of a plural family, seeing that she's possibly a person who believes in monogamy. They look at a few old photos and reminisce about the old days with Teresa even making a comment saying, "Who thought this little girl would look for a second wife?".
Tosha informs her that the Joneses are modern polygamists and that the religious aspect doesn't concern them. Teresa is also worried about the kind of people Tosha and Sidian might court, especially if they meet them via the internet. Her concerns seem rather valid because unless a person has a deep understanding of polygamy, they would be in it for all the wrong reasons. Tosha assured her that they usually meet people within their own social circles. The couple hasn't met the right match just yet, but the pair is on the lookout.
Catch new episodes of 'Seeking Sister Wife' on Mondays at 8 pm ET/PT on TLC and Discovery+.