VioletNevermind

I've been asking myself that since 2010.

Bingo. Before Robyn gets too smug about having all of King Kody's attention, she should be aware that the day will come when she's on the wrong side of 40 and her ass no longer fills out those jeans so nicely anymore. When Kody's eye starts to wander again, she'll get a taste of her own medicine. If she has any questions or needs some support when that happens, she can look to Janelle, Christine, and Meri to shed some light on the matter.

In my own divorce and child custody case (and those I've heard about), the custodial parent has to have the other parent's permission to move far away (usually more than 100 miles), especially when that move means crossing state lines. Also, moving more than 100 miles away usually means that the custodial parent has to make arrangements for transportation for the kids to see the noncustodial parent on their own dime. The thing that I find most confounding in this situation is that Robyn sent the kids to see their dad not too long ago on the show. Do they think we've forgotten that? (Edited to add: Most judges take great pains to avoid monetizing the kids' time with either parent, meaning that they would really hate the sort of conversations that are taking place on this show right now. Attempting to bargain with a father to give up his rights by dangling a zero child support balance in front of him as an incentive is not a good look.)

I am increasingly appalled by how callously Kody and Robyn discuss their intentions to terminate the kids' father's parental rights. With every passing week, it's starting to sound like they're discussing heads of cattle or puppies that need to be homed. To be honest, I am probably more predisposed than some to side with custodial mothers in these types of situations, given the hell I've gone through with my own ex-husband/father of my 15-year-old daughter, but not in this case. Divorce and child custody litigations are not for the faint-of-heart and some ex-husbands (and ex-wives) can be absolute assholes, but that doesn't mean that the children should be forced to run the emotional gauntlet. Robyn's comment that terminating his parental rights is in David Jessop's best interests because it would excuse him from paying his back child support and medical bills is disgusting. Does no one think, "Gee whiz, the kids are going to see these TV shows one day. Maybe we should dial it down a notch . . . or not publicly broadcast these intensely personal situations that could harm our kids emotionally down the road." I keep thinking about Aurora's reaction to King Kody's announcement that he was going to attempt to adopt them. She hurled herself into his arms, not noticing as he did his best to extricate himself from her hug. The younger daughter is probably so starved for paternal attention since she was moved away from her father that she'll happily go along with whatever. That leaves Dayton, a sensitive boy with special needs who certainly doesn't need these mind games. Those poor kids are being used as pawns. I wanted to kick Kody square in the nuts when he puffed out his chest and proclaimed his intentions to "go to war" to adopt the kids if their father put up a fight. I think David Jessop would have to be revealed as a child-molesting, grandma-kicking ax-murderer to not get my sympathy at this point.

Very good points made there. Children are transported to jails in buses to visit their incarcerated parents. What on earth makes this moronic family think that they can just swoop in and orchestrate the termination of a father's parental rights simply because they deem it to be a good thing? I can't begin to imagine the manipulation of Robyn's kids that goes on behind the scenes. Their arrogance makes me genuinely angry. I can just hear them in court: "Your Honor, I divorced my legal wife and married my third spiritual wife just so that I could adopt these three children from my now-legal wife's first marriage." If any judge in this nation signs off on that nonsense, I officially give up.

Or doing it because the producers asked her to for the sake of having a new storyline. I'd put very good money on that. I think everyone realizes that this show is circling the drain and they're scrambling to invent new "conflicts" in need of resolution. Every single adult associated with this show, from Kody to the guy who operates the cameras, should be ashamed of themselves for exploiting Robyn's kids from her first marriage. That's all this is and it's disgusting. If I were David Jessop, I'd be in my lawyer's office this morning, preparing my two-word answer to their adoption request: F*ck. No. I would then follow that up with a lawsuit for public slander and defamation of character.

I find myself wondering as I watch this show what David Jessop must be thinking as he hears himself be insulted by this bunch of grifters. I wonder exactly how involved in his kids' lives he really is. I don't trust a thing Robyn says.

I'm mentally writing my more detailed post, but I just have to say it: Robyn is the devil. What a slippery, deceitful woman she is. How can anyone defend her actions? It's easy to feel sorry for Meri, Christine, and Janelle, but only to a certain point. They are utter fools, every one of them. We could have made a drinking game out of how many times this bunch of idiots justified their actions by talking about how much they loved each other and how the divorce/remarriage is just for the kids. Guys, who the hell are you trying to convince at this point? Oh, and Kody? No woman with an ounce of self-esteem wants a "pitcher" with you.

All of the "will they or won't they" crap where Buddy is concerned is just that: crap. We have a full season ahead of us to listen to her talk about whether or not to "cross the fleshhold" with this person. Great looking couple, am I right? (Yikes.) http://www.toofab.com/2015/09/08/my-big-fat-fabulous-life-whitney-thore-boyfriend/

Damn this silly woman. She makes me feel mean because she seriously annoys me. I'm glad she views herself as a strong, confident, super-capable woman, but I sure don't. I've watched every episode out of pure curiosity and all I see is an obnoxious, ungrateful, spoiled, lazy, overgrown kid with an incredibly scripted TLC show that will almost certainly not see 2017. I can count on one hand the times I've seen her discuss anything without braying like a donkey and calling other people "jelly haters." I don't think she's satisfied unless all eyes are on her and the discussion is focused on her issues. It must be exhausting for those around her. So much of this show is built on Whitney's past as a dancer, but I'm still not seeing any dancing. Her moves in the dance class she teaches look more like a workout or a Zumba class. She also has not lost any weight since the last season. What has she been doing all this time? I honestly want to know.

First of all, I laughed for a solid minute (as in, outright guffawed) when Dan mistook Michelle's intention to start juicing as taking steroids. Jesus, how dumb is he? I hated the fact that he disparaged eating vegetables so vehemently in front of the kids. Whether he likes them or not, he should at least try to encourage the kids to eat vegetables along with their pizza. I see that TLC is trotting out their tried-and-true "Let's Force this Family to Eat Heathly and Commit to Exercising" storyline. We've seen this template on countless other reality shows. Neither the parents nor the kids really want to do it and you know that they're returning to their unhealthy habits the moment the cameras are loaded back into the truck. Lord knows I'm not judging anyone's health choices, but I can't stand this phony, contrived crap. "Hey kids, let's visit the local organic market to shop for $5 lettuce before we hit Wendy's for lunch." "Hey kids, let's pretend to permanently eliminate every food you love from your diet!" "Hey honey, let's start a hardcore and completely unsustainable exercise program that we will not follow after filming wraps." So utterly formulaic. Uncle Whatshisface didn't seem enthusiastic about being part of this week's storyline at all. I don't fault him; my brother would've had a similar reaction to being asked to perform solo babysitting duties with his twin three-year-old nieces. Additionally, he would've laughed in my face if I had asked him to create Color Run posters. Dan and Michelle seem more than a little bit uncomfortable with each other and the show. There's a weird, tense undercurrent to all of their interactions. I truly don't think this show has a long-term future.

Watching the promos for this season's premiere, I see that Kody has decided to slick that straggly rat's nest back and go with a full-on ponytail. I'm going to work on reacquainting myself with my disgust for these grifters in time for 9/13.

Oh, this show . . . I've tried and tried to like it. I really don't think it's going to happen. I'm usually a pretty soft touch when it comes to shows with young kids, but there's something so irritating about these people. Every scenario feels so forced and staged. I won't harp on every aspect of tonight's episode that I disliked, but I must point out the feet on the countertops during food preparation- AGAIN. The camera even zoomed in on the twins' feet while they were stirring the pancake batter. I'm trying to be sensitive about the fact that they're little people who would naturally have trouble with high counters, but do it on the kitchen table, seriously. And what was with the dad throwing (and breaking) a mixing bowl?! It was as if he was totally fine with the fact that the bowl broke. Odd people.

Just when you thought it couldn't get worse for Anna Duggar, it does. I can only have so much pity for her since she went into this "marriage" with eyes wide open, fully aware of what kind of nasty jackass she was marrying, but I still feel sorry for her. However, that pity has a time limit. If she doesn't divorce this fool, she has effectively accepted her lot. I realize that she has four kids and zero marketable job skills, but she can make it work as countless women before her have. When life gets tough, you have get a little tougher.

This episode illustrates precisely why I'm nervous about this show. Jazz is only 14-years-old. My daughter is about two weeks older than Jazz, so I'm deeply immersed in the thoughts, feelings, and inner workings of teenage girls at the moment. Jazz actually reminds me of my daughter. They're both talkative, insightful, funny, and quite mature for their age, but they're still teenage girls, with all of the insecurity and self-doubt that comes with that age. I dislike the fact that Jazz is being exposed so much. Haters and trolls on YouTube are one thing, but there are some really sick people out there who would have no hesitation in hurting a girl like Jazz. That worries me very much. The fact that Jazz will be attending high school with the very kids who will watch this show is also pretty unsettling. I sincerely hope this show is a one-off and returns maybe once a year for updates. One more thing that continues to bug me: sometimes I wonder if this show is more for the viewing public's education or Jazz's mom.

Agreed, 100%. I have to say, there's no way in hell I'd allow my 14-year-old daughter to be filmed by TLC, whether it's with Jazz, Kate and her eight, or any of the assorted little people who have reality shows on the channel.

I almost feel like I'm wasting my time watching and commenting on this show because I most definitely don't think it will last. First of all, the camera angles and forcing the women to perch in the teensy chairs are extremely obnoxious, even by TLC standards. I'm 5'10", but I was taller before I shrank a couple of inches, so I know a thing or two about towering over others. I get that these are women are much taller than most of the people they encounter, but I'm not sure that the premise is meaty enough to build an entire show around their "struggles." Maybe skilled documentary filmmakers could turn this into something worth watching, but this is TLC. Enough said. Haleigh. Girl, come on. Why does she not tell her dad where to stick his pronouncements? There's something really icky about his passionate objections to his adult daughter's marriage. I mean, really, her dad demands that she leave the wedding if HE gets a weird feeling during the ceremony?! I married a WILDLY unsuitable man (druggie, abusive, refused to work, the list goes on) at 21 and my entire family objected, but they allowed me to make my own mistakes. That's how you deal with adult children. Haleigh's poor husband. What is so wrong with him that I'm not seeing? Nothing except an overbearing, controlling, creepy dad who can't let go of his little girl, I suspect. The high school girl. I smell a set-up all over this storyline. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if her "prom date" is really a 20-year-old plant from the drama department of a local community college. And not a good one. The online dater. I'm glad she seems to have found her match tonight, but she needs to tone down the competitiveness a little bit. It's really off-putting. I think the cameramen play visual games with this woman's height more than the others. She looks like a grasshopper in most of her talking-heads. There's no reason to debase these women like this. And finally, Lindsay. What's with the five inches of cleavage and boobage hanging out of her shirt, the six inches of stomach hanging out of her too-short, ill-fitting pants, and those ubiquitous boots? Talk about an inappropriate outfit to wear to meet your dad and younger brother after 16 years. Is there no such thing as a personal moment anymore? Apparently not, especially if you're appearing on a TLC production.

I really like this family, even Ari, who needs to get a grip and remember who's paying for things. I was impressed with 14-year-old Jazz's attitude toward cars: "Its only purpose is to get from point A to point B." Very refreshing attitude for someone so young (and I totally agree!). I love Jazz's relationship with her mom. Any time they're near each other, they have physical contact of some kind. Jazz is a very lucky girl to have such a supportive family and I think she realizes that. I'm in for the long haul, but I still have grave concerns about the fact that TLC is airing it. We're all aware of their track record. Here's hoping they'll do Jazz and her family justice. I also hope that the super-obvious fakery is kept to a minimum.

That was my takeaway, too. TLC is well-known for their creative editing (that's putting it politely).

I'm so conflicted about this show. First, Jazz is absolutely delightful. She seems like a loving, caring, funny young lady with as much maturity as can be expected from a 14-year-old. I was impressed with her poise when she began appearing in interviews several years ago and I remain impressed with her as a teenager. My daughter is also 14 and I would be happy for her to have Jazz as a friend. All of that being said, I have to admit that I'm unsure about whether or not this show will ultimately be a good thing for Jazz. As a card-carrying lifetime member of the Duggar Hater Fan Club, I don't trust TLC at all. There is no way in this world I would allow my family (particularly not my vulnerable teenage daughter, transgender or not) to be portrayed on TLC. I also have some reservations about Jazz's mom, as some of you have mentioned. There's something about her that seems to enjoy the fact that she's on TV a little bit too much. Dad seems solid and the twins are adorable. Grandma and Grandpa have some learning to do, but at their age, I tend to give them a pass. At least they're trying. Clearly (and luckily), Jazz has all of the family support she needs. High school and growing up in general are mortifying enough at times without issues as sensitive as these being broadcast for the world to see. The fact that the boys at Jazz's school who treat her badly are seeing this show makes me very uncomfortable. When the girl at the soccer clinic said that "high school is wild fire," all I could do was shake my head. That describes my high school days perfectly. Some schools are absolutely ruthless and I went to one just like that. If you were different in any way, you either kept your mouth shut and your head down or you got your ass kicked (and hoped that's all that happened). All I can do is hope that Jazz's family/school support system are all over any issues that might arise at school. We've certainly come a long way with acceptance of LGBT issues and transgender people, but there's a long way to go. I wish Jazz luck and a very happy life. My heart goes out to her.

Welp, that's that. I've enjoyed raking these shady ass charlatans over the coals with you all these years. I'll miss that in a way, but it's clearly better that they're off the air and no longer able to peddle their crazy to the naive masses. Some final thoughts: I remain concerned for poor Josie's future potential, who has never received the services she clearly needs. I still want to swoop in and adopt each of the Little Lost Girls and give them a shot at a halfway normal childhood. I'm glad Josiah will have the opportunity to start his marriage in private, as it should be. I don't feel the slightest bit of pity for Jim Bob and Michelle. I have given family pets more one-on-one attention than Michelle Duggar gives to her kids. Finally, I hope Jana gets the hell out of there. If there was ever a better time, it's right. effing. now. In closing, a quick quiz for my fellow forum readers: How many years will pass before Josh Duggar either 1. succumbs to alcoholism, 2. leaves his wife, and/or 3. is caught by paparazzi in a compromising position with a young lady? 1. One year 2. Two years 3. Five or more years 4. One or more has already happened

I sincerely hope that they don't trot her out to speak about this. She's had enough of her precious golden years stolen by her charlatan family and their skidmarks. Speaking of family, I've been wondering what Miss Cathy thinks of this crap. As if that poor lady isn't going through enough right now.

HA! This thread could end right there and I'd be happy.

I really don't even know what to say at this point. That interview was brutal to watch. If I wasn't sure if Megyn Kelly/FOX was throwing softballs at the Duggars before, I'm absolutely convinced of it now. Each and every question was geared specifically toward validating their parents' interview on Wednesday night. She played right into their hands. I don't know why I expected any different, honestly. Why has no one admitted that some of the girls were awake during some of the "inappropriate touching" incidents?! Jim Bob, Michelle, AND the girls are still maintaining that Josh touched sleeping, unaware girls. They basically insinuated that no harm was done. These poor young women! You know they were coached and prepped within an inch of their lives before this interview. I was struck by the fact that Jessa sat there watching Jill sobbing and did nothing. How can you not even extend a hand to a crying person, especially if it's your own sibling who shares your experiences? For a so-called loving, Christian family, they sure don't walk the walk. Why, why, why were the girls not questioned about any teachings they might have received re: Josh's conduct being partly their fault? That crap is in the first chapter of the Gothard indoctrination materials. I plan to watch again at midnight to see if my perceptions change, but I doubt that they will. I am sickened all over again.

What a ridiculous, softball interview. The choice of FOX's Megyn Kelly for the first and only interview thus far was not a coincidence. * I kept waiting for Jim Bob and Michelle to admit that the girls came to him in tears, seeking help with what Josh had done. That never happened. The prevailing fiction is that the girls were asleep and otherwise unaffected during all but two of the incidents. They bent over backwards to frame Josh as a repentant, reluctant fellow victim. It was around the 14-minute mark that I first wanted to put my fist through my television screen. * We could have made an excellent drinking game of how many times either Jim Bob or Michelle uttered the words "over their clothes" or stressed Josh's tender age at the time of the incidents. I'm sorry, but 14 or 15 is damn well old enough to know not to fondle your underage siblings' genitals. * With any other interviewer, the Duggars would have been asked why their religious teachings tell them to basically lay some of the blame on the female victim(s) of sexual abuse. I'd have paid $1,000 to see how they'd have responded to that question. * Michelle needs an Oscar for her tearful performance at the 22-minute mark. She was dabbing her eyes as if her life depended on it. * I was sickened by Jim Bob and Michelle's focus on Josh as opposed to their daughters. The tears and emotions only flowed when they were talking about their precious, fallen boy. * I'm going to need to see some receipts for the visits the girls had with licensed, accredited counselors. * Did anyone else consider the behind-the-scenes aspects of tonight's interview? Just picture it: 25-year-old Jana and her younger sisters were upstairs, watching their siblings just like usual, while Jim Bob and Michelle sat downstairs, trying to keep the boat afloat. * Megyn's factoid about how teens who touch children rarely re-offend was pretty transparently pro-Duggars. * I'm slightly horrified that Jessa and Jill are being trotted out on Friday to share their recollections and feelings. You know they'll toe the party line along with their parents. * As angry as I am after watching the interview (and the rebroadcast airing now), I know enough to hold my breath for the real anger that's coming on Friday when I watch the girls' interview.