I know we have all seen and love the Mormon Cult Classic 'Johnny Lingo.'
Equally universal is the disgust (or humor) which we all register upon learning of the island society's marriage customs. From our modern Western view we see the giving of cows in exchange for a bride as, at the very least, preposterous.
So when the scene between a few women depicts how each woman, as a statement of social position and individual worth, discusses with the other women how many cows were traded for her, we all shake our heads at such absurdity. 'I am a 2 cow wife!' is quickly rebutted with 'Well, I am a 4 cow wife!'
Funny how the same cultural practice has been carried over in our society, the only change being the currency of payment. Instead of being a '5 cow wife', here one is a '1 karat wife' or a '24 karat gold band' wife. I have seen many women asking to see another's ring, and I have thus seen the same scene ensue as we all found remarkably comical in 'Johnny Lingo'. I hate to see people evaluate their individual worth upon an arbitrarily valuable geologic formation.
Of course, one could argue that Mr. Lingo played the game and look what it did to Mahanna. Wowee. Perhaps many guys pay the modern equivalent of 8 cows for a ring with hopes that the same transformation will occur. I would rebut this by assuming that a majority of girls do not have fathers who continually refer to them as 'Lisa, you ugly' or 'Erica, you ugly' so they should not have the same complex as Mahanna (although it could be argued that the media does this . . . hmmm).
Furthermore, if a guy cannot help a girl realize her beauty throughout the courtship then she needs to find a new Johnny. Of course, this may just be something poor people say.
Robert Keele
St. George, UT