Prairie Dress Fashion: Oprah Asks FLDS Teens About Their Clothes (VIDEO)

As part of her hour-long special from the FLDS Yearning for Zion ranch, Oprah talked to a group of teenage girls about their lives and asked them about their distinctive taste in clothing.

(Earlier Oprah had asked another group of FLDS women about their hairstyles.)

"Can you explain what the dresses are about?" Oprah asked, adding, "Do you know what people call your dresses on the outside? Prairie dresses... Can you explain to me why they all look alike?"

"We just believe that our bodies are sacred from here to here so we cover it," one girl answered, gesturing from her neck to her ankle.

Another piped up, "Mine looks different from hers... To you they probably do [look alike], but to us we say, 'where'd you get your dress?'"

Oprah burst out laughing at that remark. "Olive, that is funny!"

She also asked the girls about swimming. They swim in the dresses, although one girl admits they don't swim very far.

Then Olive got a cell phone call and the dress talk ended.

WATCH:

Comments

[Judyisacutie]

Notice how the girl in the middle gets the phone call. Who brings a cell phone to an interview with Oprah, anyway? I wonder if she was placed there with the phone so a monitor could break up the conversation when it reached a touchy subject. One of the other girls could have been hiding a cell phone in that big prairie dress with an open line so a minder could hear everything that was said and call the girl in the middle to interrupt the flow of the conversation.

[Z-Liberator]

This is the way they choose to live a free life in America, So let it be!.

It is a Free Country, Look it up!

[Susan DeVilder]

It may be a free country for you, but there is no such thing for these teen girls. I've recently read a book about life inside the FLDS, and some of these teens, as young as 14, could be forced into marriage with men old enough to be their grandfathers. They have no choice to marry and sometimes they are forced to marry men who are already married to their sisters. One teenage girl as the age of 14 was forced to marry her first cousin, because their prophet was told by God that he was the chosen one for her. So tell me again about this free country?

[afrayedknot]

And ... in order for the old geezers to marry the teens, they have to clear out the boys. I wouldn't want the girls' lives for any young woman, but I feel most for the boys who just get dropped off in nearby towns to find their way in the world on their own. They're young teenagers and have a piss-poor education that's largely about the bible, church teachings and the book of mormon. They know nobody, haven't a clue about the world they're now in and aren't prepared for it in anyway.

[Judyisacutie]

I know a better question for Oprah, "Would your religion allow Oprah Winfrey to marry a white FLDS man?"

[LeftLeanWing]

Hopefully the answer is Oh Hell No !

Why would Oprah want to be be wife no 12 ?....... whom he marries for her money.

[Niasia]

yeah this whole things just creeps me out! I hate to think "communities" exist like this in the "free" world. I feel for those young women.

[LeftLeanWing]

Yet somehow I find the Amish absolutely wonderful fascinating and the REAL DEAL

[zukervati]

The 2012 Republican coif of choice!

[MNSusan]

I tuned in to Oprah for the first time in months. ...A mistake, as usual. The woman speaks about possible sexual abuse of the girls, right at the table, in front of the children; she didn't stop even as the man with whom she was speaking, pointed out that fact to her. She found the teenage girls' claims that they find their clothing highly differentiated, *ridiculous*. ... an insulting and provincial approach to the interviewing situation.

[huffyfan2]

I think they'd make me look fat. No thank you.

[jafsie]

They SWIM in those dresses?

[inorbit]

I loved Olive, who said she wanted to be a lawyer.

Rescue Olive!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!

We need to rescue Olive!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!

Let's start a movement!

[MNSusan]

... Olive was *amazing*.

[bobbysgurl]

I didn't watch the show, because Lisa Ling had already done a piece for Oprah on the subject.

My question is--did they interview or even show any teen boys during this interview?

[arizonastudent01]

of course not. They are "lost boys". Competition with the old farts.

[ksuparents]

Lots of wrongs are done in the name of religion..­.always have always will!

[NYCartist]

Saw photos of the mothers in those dresses, when they were going to court. I thought at the time that I'd love to have one.

[godlessliberal]

I watched this interview and I have to confess i was impressed by some of the young ladies. To me they seemed happy and some of them were quite witty. That being said their lifestyle still makes me cringe and I don't agree with it.

[highhorse313]

These young girls and grown women are brain-washed and manipulated by the men in their religion. They probably never had an independent thought or action in their life which is severely regulated keep them isolated and exert better control. Sadly, there is nothing we can do about it - unless they are sexually abusing the girls - then the law can step in. In my opinion as an educated and independent woman, the men who enslave these women and girls are evil.

[lizr]

how are you with all the fundamentalists home schooling their kids in male dominated values?

[kaaramel]

Define independent thought. We are all influenced by other people hence there is no such thing as independent thought or original ideas.

[LeftLeanWing]

Isn't brainwashing when they erase most or everything that is already there in your brain?

I believe this can be described as unorthodox or non-traditional socialization.

We just have a tough time imagining surviving in this type of environment.

Wouldn't want to be one .

[liviapeacock]

While it is freakishly reminiscent of the way strict Muslim societies treat their women to some extent, part of me thinks a small pinch of this modesty wouldn't be a bad thing for main stream American teens who give blow jobs in public places and snap nude pics of themselves and send them to their "friends."

There has to be a happy medium somewhere.

[lakeworthdem]

I too was thinking as I watched the segment that some of the ways of this society would be wonderful for our kids right now!!! The modesty, the work ethic, and the love of school. I did get the impression that these teens did some independent thinking--wanting to go to college to become a lawyer, and the one girl who left with her mother, but returned because SHE wanted to go back to that life style. There's a lot to be said for innocence and the love of family.

And for those who are so disapproving, what do you think of conservative fundamentalist women who pretty much don't make a move without their husbands telling them what to do and how to think?

[littlepuffycloud]

I didn't see the point of her visit...sh­e was clearly mocking the group and her question about sexual abuse at the dinner table in front of 7 or 8 small children was out of line. Oprah seemed almost like a bully to me. Do they watch television? Are they familiar with Oprah? Pure exploitati­on...I kept waiting for Dr. Phil to pop up somewhere inside the compound.