My Thoughts on Ruby Franke

In the digital age, the confluence of reality TV and family vlogging has birthed a peculiar yet disturbingly enticing spectacle: the lives of family vloggers broadcast for millions, merging personal tragedy with public entertainment.

The recent Hulu documentary featuring the Franke family serves as a chilling exemplar of this phenomenon, revealing the dark underbelly of what might seem like benign family entertainment.

The Franke Family

This analysis dives deep into the Franke family’s saga, unpacking the role of Mormon doctrine in their harrowing narrative, and reflecting on the broader implications of exposing children in family vlogs.

Ruby Franke, once a celebrated YouTube family vlogger with a subscriber count reaching into the millions, faced arrest in 2023 on multiple counts of child abuse. After seeing what she did to her two youngest children, I think she should have been charged with attempted murder.

This case has torn open the veneer of the perfect family life often portrayed in vlogs, revealing a starkly different reality. The show also brings to light passages from Shari Franke’s book, the eldest daughter, providing a firsthand account of the turmoil within. As an ExMormon, my perspective on how Mormon beliefs may underpin such dysfunction offers a unique lens through which to view this tragedy.

The Ruby Franke Documentary

The documentary, which has climbed to the top of Hulu’s watchlist, employs over 1,000 hours of archived footage, body cams, doorbell cams, and more, showcasing the invasive level of surveillance that family vloggers often endure and embrace. It’s a harrowing and groundbreaking exploration of a generation raised in the information age, where privacy is often sacrificed for public consumption.

The Role of Mormon Doctrine in the Franke Tragedy

Central to the Franke narrative is the influence of Mormon doctrine. The belief in and the casting out of devils, a literal interpretation taken by the Franke family, has had a profound impact on their lives. The documentary does not shy away from illustrating how intertwined Mormon culture and doctrine are with the family’s decisions and justifications for their actions.

The arrest of Ruby and the continuing loyalty to the church by family members like Kevin Franke and Ruby’s parents, despite the unraveling of their family unit, raises critical questions about the intersection of faith and moral responsibility. Kevin, seemingly still a professor at BYU at the time of the events, and Shari, an active church member and author, both continue to navigate their faith amidst the fallout.

The legislative implications are also significant. House Bill 322, influenced by the Franke family’s situation, mandates that parents of child performers, including those in family vlogs, must deposit 15% of the child’s earnings into a trust. This legislation highlights a growing recognition of the need for protection in an era where children’s lives are content fodder.

The Harsh Reality of Ruby Franke’s Parenting

Moreover, the show starkly portrays the effects of the so-called “love” preached in some interpretations of Mormon doctrine—a love that can manifest in harmful discipline that Ruby Franke believed was for her children’s own good. The documentary juxtaposes these beliefs with the disturbing reality of the children’s treatment, challenging viewers to reflect on the fine line between discipline and abuse.

Ruby’s approach to parenting, underpinned by her religious beliefs, included extreme measures like denying her son a bed for months, a punishment she deemed necessary for his spiritual and behavioral lapses. These actions, along with her husband Kevin’s passive complicity, highlight a disturbing dynamic often glossed over in their vlogs.

Family Vlogging and Its Ethical Dilemmas

As we peel back the layers of this harrowing story, it becomes evident that the Franke saga is not just about a family falling apart under the public eye. It’s a poignant critique of the pressures and pitfalls of living one’s life for the camera, especially when children are involved. The Franke family’s story forces us to confront uncomfortable questions about the ethics of family vlogging, the responsibilities of parental authority, and the profound influence of religious doctrine on personal behavior.

This story, while extreme, is a canary in the coal mine for the emerging issues at the intersection of technology, media, and family life. As we move forward, society must grapple with these challenges, ensuring that the wellbeing of the most vulnerable, the children, is never sacrificed on the altar of public consumption or religious fervor.