Happily Ever After

Would you like to see popular fiction oriented toward poly relationships? Can you picture romantic comedies, sitcoms, children's stories, etc. with polyamorous characters and narratives? Do you have ideas for a story line or issues that should be dealt with by popular media regarding poly love and families?
 
I think it would be useful for their to be a broader acceptable range of relatoinships displayed on TV. Though that was happening (e.g., Sister Wives, Big Love, The Family). Not always in a light that I would prefer, however.

I would prefer overall more realistic portrayals of love and life. Kind of like how war movies took a dramatic turn in realism after we emerged fromthe trauma of the Vietnam war - John Wayne to Saving Private Ryan (or even Band of Brothers) is a very marked experience for the viewer. That kind of realistic portrayal of the balance of ideal, reality, pressures, and whatever. Included in that would be a broader range of how people actually manage through the difficulties of relationships, various forms of openness would be a part of that view to be sure.
 
Ms.V and myself are planning out some children's fiction books with polyamorous families in the background, along with other "issues" for want of a better term. I think it's definitely somthing that should be put out there more in a realistic way.
x.S.x
 
I think it would be useful for their to be a broader acceptable range of relatoinships displayed on TV. Though that was happening (e.g., Sister Wives, Big Love, The Family). Not always in a light that I would prefer, however.

I would prefer overall more realistic portrayals of love and life. Kind of like how war movies took a dramatic turn in realism after we emerged fromthe trauma of the Vietnam war - John Wayne to Saving Private Ryan (or even Band of Brothers) is a very marked experience for the viewer. That kind of realistic portrayal of the balance of ideal, reality, pressures, and whatever. Included in that would be a broader range of how people actually manage through the difficulties of relationships, various forms of openness would be a part of that view to be sure.
I used to resent sitcoms for painting an over-idealized picture of family and relationships. However, now that I'm aware of the harsh realities to the point of saturation, I like such sitcoms for providing a happy escape from the reality and providing moral lessons about how to deal with bad situations and live better, however unrealistic these lessons are portrayed.

Do you think it would be possible to have poly-focussed sitcoms that deal with ethical dilemmas and provide moral authority for poly partners and families?
 
There's a sitcom on the web called "family" about a poly family.
 
The Sci-Fi show Caprica portrayed a polyamorous family. Granted, they were also terrorists, but nevertheless it was still refreshing to see.
 
Do you think it would be possible to have poly-focussed sitcoms that deal with ethical dilemmas and provide moral authority for poly partners and families?

Sure it's possible. Is it something I would watch? Probably not. I have lived through my own "poly dilemmas", currently live with two partners, and when that's not enough poly in my life, I read and post here.

Sitcoms make light of things (situational comedy). I think there needs to be more awareness about what poly actually is (and how varied it can be) before the media can go poking fun at it without the unwashed masses taking that as the truth.
 
Sure it's possible. Is it something I would watch? Probably not. I have lived through my own "poly dilemmas", currently live with two partners, and when that's not enough poly in my life, I read and post here.

Sitcoms make light of things (situational comedy). I think there needs to be more awareness about what poly actually is (and how varied it can be) before the media can go poking fun at it without the unwashed masses taking that as the truth.
What about like a Will & Grace type sitcom but with poly? That show actually could have incorporated poly with all the different relationships that went on. They must just not have thought about it. Although, could Will have been described as having Grace as a platonic primary while dating until he found that guy that he ended up with (policeman)? It was all very monogamy oriented, wasn't it? (been a while since I've seen it)

The Sci-Fi show Caprica portrayed a polyamorous family. Granted, they were also terrorists, but nevertheless it was still refreshing to see.
I love Caprica. When are they going to come out with the second season? That was the best sci fi show I've seen since Star Trek, I think. Anyway, which family is poly? The woman who was building the computer for the avatars to go to heaven? Was that woman she murdered her metamour (am I using that term right? first time I've attempted to use it - just came out actually)? That would be interesting if the polyamorists were monotheists.
 
The character played by the English actress Polly Walker was poly. She had two husbands in the show and I'm not sure how many wives. Apparently it was a group marriage. And yes, they were all monotheists. Sadly, the SyFy channel cancelled the show.

A metamour would be the lover of your lover. Not sure how that applies in a group marriage. :)
 
What about like a Will & Grace type sitcom but with poly? That show actually could have incorporated poly with all the different relationships that went on. They must just not have thought about it. Although, could Will have been described as having Grace as a platonic primary while dating until he found that guy that he ended up with (policeman)? It was all very monogamy oriented, wasn't it? (been a while since I've seen it)

This is the second time today I've read you using the term platonic primary/secondary. Can you explain what you mean? Because to me, it's sounding suspiciously like trying to pass off friendship as a special subtype of poly.
 
I read that as meaning that not every relationship needs to have a sexual component to it.

My girlfriend and....I suppose....my other girlfriend, have lived together for over ten years and classify their relationship as polyamorous. One is bi, the other is not. So technically, they are each other's primary.
 
This is the second time today I've read you using the term platonic primary/secondary. Can you explain what you mean? Because to me, it's sounding suspiciously like trying to pass off friendship as a special subtype of poly.
Ok, please enlighten me. I've been working on understanding platonic love and non-platonic love as both forms of love instead of hierarchizing them. My idea is that platonic polyamory is licit and common in mainstream culture because monogamy is/was primarily designed to control sexual reproduction.

It may sound like I'm just playing with definitions, but think of it in context. When you're a single person hanging out with someone else's (monogamous) partner, they are likely feeling concerned if you start spending a lot of time as friends together. It is also likely that when you're not around, your friend's partner is going to be asking a lot of questions about why you're such good friends and where it's leading. Even if you promise that it's just friendship, there's likely to be some insecurity and jealousy. So making it explicitly "platonic polyamory" would hopefully resolve the tension of monogamous expectations and fears. Especially if the couple you were dealing with already had an open relationship, it would be that much less problem for you to develop a strong friendship, don't you think?
 
Ok, please enlighten me. I've been working on understanding platonic love and non-platonic love as both forms of love instead of hierarchizing them. My idea is that platonic polyamory is licit and common in mainstream culture because monogamy is/was primarily designed to control sexual reproduction.

It may sound like I'm just playing with definitions, but think of it in context. When you're a single person hanging out with someone else's (monogamous) partner, they are likely feeling concerned if you start spending a lot of time as friends together. It is also likely that when you're not around, your friend's partner is going to be asking a lot of questions about why you're such good friends and where it's leading. Even if you promise that it's just friendship, there's likely to be some insecurity and jealousy. So making it explicitly "platonic polyamory" would hopefully resolve the tension of monogamous expectations and fears. Especially if the couple you were dealing with already had an open relationship, it would be that much less problem for you to develop a strong friendship, don't you think?

Buh????

Platonic love is non-sexual and non-romantic. Since polyamory is being open to or cultivating more than one romantic relationship (ethically, of course), I don't understand this "platonic polyamory" you're defining.

In the scenario you've given, I'm sure that making words up to describe the friendship one person has with another is really only going to confuse their partner and create more tension and suspicion in what is already an unhealthy hypothetical situation.
 
When you're a single person hanging out with someone else's (monogamous) partner, they are likely feeling concerned if you start spending a lot of time as friends together. It is also likely that when you're not around, your friend's partner is going to be asking a lot of questions about why you're such good friends and where it's leading. Even if you promise that it's just friendship, there's likely to be some insecurity and jealousy. So making it explicitly "platonic polyamory" would hopefully resolve the tension of monogamous expectations and fears. Especially if the couple you were dealing with already had an open relationship, it would be that much less problem for you to develop a strong friendship, don't you think?

Not at all. I have a very good female friend with which I spend a lot of time, and I don't think it is a supposition to say that TP has ever been jealous, and I have brought up with this friend how her fiancée feels about our friendship and have asked him directly; both answers (to preclude him placating me to escape an awkward question) were the same, he's not jealous and never has been.

Your example assumes that jealousy and suspicion are certain as a result of a platonic (and I'm using the commonly accepted definition, not your contextual one) relationship.
 
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