When it comes to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 3, there is a lot of hate for Whitney. And I get it. She only came back to the show to get something that she wanted, making it clear that she views the entire situation as business.
She’s an ambitious woman, and there’s nothing wrong with that. If this were a man, people wouldn’t have the same hatred. While they would likely dislike the person, there wouldn’t be the vitriol that is being thrown at Whitney for her decisions.
Now, I’m not even a Whitney fan, but I do respect her ambition in business. And I’m not on board with tanking her votes on Dancing with the Stars when she is the best dancer on the series — which isn’t surprising considering her training.
Whitney is upfront and honest on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
One of the biggest reasons I respect Whitney is that she’s just honest about her reasons for coming back. There was a lot of speculation after Taylor learned that ABC would audition the women for a place on Dancing with the Stars, and Whitney just came right out and confirmed it. She wanted that opportunity, and she was going to do what she needed to for that opportunity.
That meant coming back to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. In a way, it meant coming back to #MomTok, although it’s clear that she doesn’t really want that. She doesn’t see the women as friends anymore, but she can be civil with them on a business level.
We have to remember that social media influencers are entrepreneurs. It’s all a business, and while some of them have become friends, that’s not always going to happen when you have big personalities.
Whitney isn’t the only one growing her business
There was a lot of focus on Whitney coming back purely for one opportunity. That opportunity could lead to others, because if she wins, brands can use that. Of course, she was going to jump at the chance to grow her business.
And she’s not the only one!
Can we remember that Jen came back after taking some time off? Now yes, Jen left for some very different reasons, and it was brought up in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. I’m not saying that she only came back for a chance to be on Dancing with the Stars, but it likely played a role in her sticking around.
Let’s also look at the way Taylor Frankie Paul has landed the lead on The Bachelorette for the new season, and the entire buildup to the season has been different than ever before. There’s not as much secrecy in the storylines to come, and part of that is #MomTok and Taylor’s own ambitions.
Most of the cast on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives have used the show to boost their brand awareness. Mayci published a book and made that a huge part of season 2 (and her Baby Mama brand was a large part of season 1), while Jessi’s hair business (which was going from before the series and #MomTok) has constantly come up in the TV series to help boost her brand.
Even Miranda returned to #MomTok after the first season of the reality show. She realized the business opportunity that it could be, and she managed to make a return. Do we blame her for that? Well, I certainly don't!
Each of these women is ambitious, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, especially when they tend to be the breadwinners of their families. The hate Whitney is getting isn’t all that fair when you consider that she’s just honest and upfront about it. Now, whether she manages to start her own #MomTok is another thing, as that just seemed like a childish statement when she was told she wasn’t all that welcome back to the group, but I don’t blame her for seeing The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives as a jumping off point in a way that so many other reality stars have used their shows. There's nothing wrong with that!
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is available to stream on Hulu.