VioletNevermind

True, but unfortunately, the Duggar kids are well known for their lack of basic knowledge.

When I had my daughter, I couldn't have been in a worse situation (bad marriage with a man who refused to work). I would have killed to have been given a free house, regardless of the size. Josh has some nerve to criticize that so-called "small" house. Sure, maybe it's small compared to a 9,000-square foot home inhabited by almost two dozen people, but most of us would be more than happy with it, especially when we're unemployed and in our late teens (Bin) and early 20s (Jessa). Snarky, bitter little comments like the ones Josh makes about that house and a few other things make me question his sincerity when he visits places like the home for unwed mothers. You just know he's brushing the dust of those places off his shoes on his way out the door.

* Maybe it's just me, but I really don't understand this modern-day obsession with large-scale gender reveal parties. I've had a child whose gender I didn't learn until her birth and I was out of my mind with excitement about it, but sheesh. Painted flamingos, balloons, hundreds of pink and blue candies, confetti, secret envelopes . . . yeah, just reveal it already. * Josh's snarky little comments (again) about the size of his old house., now inhabited by Bin and Jessa. Real nice, Josh. * I will admit right here in front of everyone that I (and my 14-year-old daughter) laughed like maniacs when Marcus fell on the floor in front of the coffee table right after MEchelle fake-ass blabberings about how thrilled they were to be babysitting the kids. Jim Bob's hysterical laughing right in Marcus' face as he pulled himself up from the floor put it over the top. * Josh and Anna's trip to the home for underprivileged young mothers. I have a hard time believing that was spontaneous as we were led to believe. Still, I will grudgingly say that it was nice of them to give the ladies the bear. * I see that we're still pretending Sierra is a party planner extraordinaire. I've attended elementary school pageants organized by volunteer PTA moms that flowed better than this woman's events. *cough* melted ice cream *cough* * I'm kind of relieved that the new baby is a girl. Mackynzie will need help raising her brothers (but I'm hoping that Anna will not fall into the MEchelle trap).

This episode was . . . interesting . . . sort of . . . I guess. They really are out of ideas, aren't they? I realize that this show has been on for a long time, but is an episode that focuses on the crew's behind-the-scenes views of the family really necessary? The whole thing felt a bit pointless. The endless regurgitation lately has been pretty ridiculous. I've said it before, but I'll say it again: I feel like TLC and the Duggars are planning their impending swan song. The striking similarities in the new show about the Willis family feels like further evidence that this show is circling the drain. Two notable moments: * When one of the Howlers said they visited the "Veterinary Memorial." What a killer endorsement for homeschooling! * The rehash of Josie's pants-pooping incident. Most of us are permitted a bit of dignity, especially in our more unfortunate moments that are best left private. Not Josie! Her parents sold her dignity from the moment she was conceived.

My mind is spinning from the five damn hours of Duggarmania I've been subjected to in the last 24 hours . . . * I was blown away in the most pleasant way when Derick said that he and Jill were willing to allow their children to choose their own destinies, i.e. go to college, decide which career path they'd like to follow, etc. We'll see if that actually happens. * When the little informational message popped up that said, "Jill has changed over 10,000 diapers," I felt so sad. Along with her sisters, Jill has already done a mother's work many times over for years and years. I'm a big fan of kids helping out around the house where they're needed, but I also think that young people should have the opportunity to explore their own interests. Not one of these kids has had that and it's absolutely unfair. * Michelle talks to Josie as if she's two-years-old. It's gone from odd and sad to creepy real fast. Even Josie looked at her as if to say, "Lady, can you please allow me to grow up?!" * Once again, Michelle got to hold court as the established, experienced mother, imparting wisdom to the plebes. I think I really do hate her. * I can see Jill turning into a mini version of Michelle before my eyes. She clearly loves the attention that her fundie status brings her and is very much aware of the cameras. I guarantee you all that she will be pregnant again before 2016 (you heard it here first). * Cathy is still awesome and, judging by the look on his face during Derick's birthday party, her poor husband couldn't be less interested in this whole trainwreck. * Sorry for including this here, but did anyone else see the intro of The Willis Family, immediately following 19 Kids? They're religious, they're homeschooled, and the kids have all J names, too. Some of the names are even the same as the Duggars'. Is this show a hint that TLC is looking for a Duggar replacement? I don't even know what to say. I'll give it a chance, but I don't think I'll be able to stomach another show like this, especially if they're going to spend every episode singing.

Didn't she claim to have some bullshit back issue at some point that prevented her from picking up her children?

I just thought it was so strange that they go to such great lengths to hold up blankets during ultrasounds to block any view of Michelle's stomach, but it was all hanging out last night. There wasn't anything modest about those birth scenes. As for the film crew, I think the Duggars have more control over what's shown than most reality TV families.

That's almost word-for-word what I thought. Anna has no hope for dignity as long as Michelle and the rest of the cavalry are in the vicinity. At what point is it okay for a woman in the throes of labor to tell intrusive family members to eff off? I still remember giving birth with my mother-in-law practically climbing in to get the baby herself.

Whew, that was about two hours too long. An hour would have more than sufficed for a show that was nothing more than a series of cobbled together clips from old shows that we've already seen several times. One thing I thought was strange was that the very (VERY) graphic birth shots were not blurred out at all. Not much modesty there. * I still hate Michelle. * I still say Jana deserves a trophy for all of the crap she's put up with all these years. * I still want to slap Josie's parents for neglecting her special needs even to this day. * I still think I'm crazy for continuing to watch this show, but at least I know I'm in good company.

This episode was pretty good. I thought the man (I never remember anyone's names) was very enterprising and inventive. His charcoal water filtration system seemed to work well. I did wonder why the woman didn't pitch in with the bow drill so that he could rest in between attempts to start a fire. Surely she could have done more than just hold the bottom of the bow drill with her foot.

I enjoyed that, too. That scene reminded me of my early attempts at cooking. It seemed like something I would have done before I learned to slow the hell down and think about the process (with the help of the almighty Alton Brown's Good Eats). I can envision Jessa as a teenager, relying on her good looks and IDGAF attitude to get her out of kitchen duties. I don't think she ever had the slightest interest in cooking. Her bossiness clearly lent itself better to the SDRT, yet another one of Michelle's responsibilities. Funny how that keeps happening, huh? With a bit of practice, I can see her being a fine cook for a household of a few people.

* The bedroom redo. *yawn* I have enough of my own house chores to do. I don't want to watch Jim Bob painting walls. Wake me when he does some parenting. * Is it just me or does Derick seem to be developing into a tiny bit of a jackass? There are little things that he does here and there that make me feel that way. He seems to be trying too hard to play the funny guy to the TLC cameras, i.e. the way he held Marcus until he cried. I'll be curious to see what kind of father he'll be. When he first came onto the scene, I thought he would be Jill's saving grace, but my hope in him is dwindling each week. * Anna's midwifery appointment was . . . eh. It's not how I chose to give birth to my daughter, but to each his own. I had to chuckle when Anna described her "inspiration board" to Jill. Jill learned firsthand how quickly our special plans can fly right out the window during birth. I had plans to forgo pain meds during labor and was surprised to find out how quickly those plans were abandoned when things got real in the delivery room. I tip my hat to those who can do it without drugs, but I could not, with or without an inspiration board covered in irritatingly helpful messages from people who knew nothing of my pain. * I have to admit that I was a bit overcome with intense loathing for Michelle during the scene with Josie's seizure. I didn't think it would upset me that much. Mothers can't be expected to shadow their children 24/7, but this is a "mother" who is known for passing her babies off like hand-me-downs to her older children the moment they're able to barely sit up by themselves. Jana deserves a goddamn award for the crap she's had to deal with single-handedly in that family. If it looked like she cried like she was Josie's mother during the seizure, it's because SHE IS. I hate Michelle. When she used the word "glitch" to describe Josie's seizures, I nearly spilled my coffee down the front of my shirt. I can't say much more here right now without cursing A LOT more.

I'm astounded that this freshly-married 22-year-old Duggar girl and her barely coherent 19-year-old husband are pregnant already . . . said no one who visits this forum regularly. Jessa was the one Duggar I had serious hope for. Sheesh.

I'm trying to think of what else I can possibly say about a mish-mash of episodes I've already seen and commented on. * We were reminded of Sierra's utter uselessness. I'd love to know what this woman does for a living, because it sure as hell isn't wedding planning. * Bin(jermin) and Jessa seem so comfortable with each other. It's actually nice to see. Jill and Derick are still quite courtly with one other and seem nervous to have physical contact. * I still can't comprehend the whole "trashing the car" thing at a wedding. Writing silly things on the windows is one thing, but I would murder anyone who spread filthy, wet trash all throughout my car on my wedding day (fair warning). * I LOVED the one J-boy's comment about taking his brother's girl as a practical joke on his wedding day. Best laugh of the week so far. * Josh's Wedding Song, Part 2. His singing is best left to the shower. * Yet another segment about Jim Bob and Michelle's courtship, engagement, wedding, blah blah blah. It's hard to pay attention to these constant rehashes of the same crap. * JOSIAH IS COURTING?! Wow. That's the last one I would have suspected. I'm honestly chilled by the fact that they're 17 and 18. I'll take the rest of my comments to their topic. (My God, poor Jana.)

* Bubba the Dog's first appearance on the show was weird. We're really supposed to believe that the Duggars, who have given away/neglected more pets than they have now, are responsible, dedicated pet owners? Alrighty! Hang in there, Bubba. * Good God, Jill was wearing pants. Sure, she was wearing a skirt over them, but still. * I may be in the minority, but I think those husband-coached natural birthing classes are such a load of crap. 12 weeks (!) to learn how to rub your wife's arm and say, "It's okay, honey" and "Every contraction gets us closer"? Maybe it's just me. *shrug* * Hey, Anna, maybe Michael is too young to sit on your lap with free access to the sewing machine needle? She wasn't holding his hands back at all. Just a thought. * The "jurisdiction reboot." I loved the scene with Joy Anna confidently ticking off the reworked list with Michelle standing off to the side, nodding wisely with that dumbass vacant stare on her face. Also, I have to say, Josie did quite a good job gathering the laundry. I'm all for kids having chores and responsibilities, but I wish more attention was paid to these kids' educations and a little less paid to manual labor around the house when they have an able-bodied mother waltzing around like a lady of leisure. I truly don't understand what that woman does all day. She sure as hell doesn't oversee things. That's 25-year-old CinderJana's job.

* No offense to Dan, but why the hell would anyone want the uncle of the baby to announce the gender to the grandmother? I've had one child and no one on earth knew 1. that I was pregnant or 2. the gender before I told my mom personally. I don't understand why they couldn't have waited for Cathy to be out of treatment or take a quick trip to the hospital to tell her. Or Skype/FaceTime her. Anything but send Derick's brother and film Cathy in such a frail, vulnerable state. The poor woman is ill and might not be able to enjoy her grandchild as long as she would like. The least these assholes could have done was share that moment with her personally before the entire pack of Duggars grabbed the spotlight yet again. * I can't comprehend the logic of buying the pink and blue candy before the ultrasound instead of just waiting and buying one set of candy. * How sad is it that Jill's "buddy team" still views her as their de facto mom? * Michelle's interactions with Cathy are sickeningly smug and phony. I almost can't watch.

Welp, I guess that's that. The cancellation isn't a surprise at all. This family was boring and the show made me kind of sad. Those women are even more insecure and sad than the Browns- and that's saying something. What crisis-laden family will you shove down our throats next, TLC?

*Holy crap, Michelle fed one of her kids (the peanuts to Jessa)! Too bad that kid is 22 and getting married and not one of the Little Lost Girls. * I can't help but picture a future Josie as a 17-year-old barefoot girl, picking her nose and staring into space while Michelle shrieks inanities at her in that incredibly high-pitched voice. * Guinn is just wonderful. She has a warmth about her that is refreshing and makes Michelle look SO much worse by comparison. * I'm sorry, but Sierra is a pretty shitty wedding planner. Her missteps at both this wedding and Jill's are too many and ridiculous to outline here. 40 degrees might not be considered cold by many of us, but in Arkansas, it's chilly. She shouldn't have been calling around to shops looking for heaters the morning of the wedding. Also, where was the seating outside at the reception? Oh, I forgot- you don't need to sit down when you aren't being served anything to eat except for a light snack. * Speaking of light snacks, I love the fact that Jessa dared to go against her controlling parents and do a few things her way, but I hated that she served her guests and volunteers a plastic cup of ice cream with a sprinkling of toppings (for the first 30 people) as a thank you for attending and/or helping. * Benjermin. Just . . . Benjermin. I also hated it when that moronic pastor said, "Ya'll ready?" three or four times. It was as if he was trying to be cute and sassy, but it just came off douchey and inappropriate for the event. His teasing about the first kiss taking three hours wasn't cute either. * I just want to take a second to remind everyone that this poor boy who can just barely express himself is 19-YEARS-OLD. 19. * I had such incredibly high hopes for Derick, but like many of you, I think tonight was the beginning of the end where my respect for him is concerned. I hated that he copied Josh's kiss-in-the-aisle routine as folks left the stage. Derick is drenched in Koolaid. * Shut up, Josh. (A quick note to the producers: This is the last Duggar wedding you can televise without inducing severe burnout in your viewing public. What more could you possibly show us? Let me know when a Duggar girl gets married in a maternity dress and maybe I'll watch another wedding out of pure curiosity.)

Well, what do you know? The Johnston family did get a show. I was concerned that the Hamills (Our Little Family) would replace them. I really like this family. So far, there doesn't seem to be a trace of the kind of manufactured TLC drama we've all grown to love. The kids seem real, the parents are definitely real, and no one seems likely to become a diva at any point. I like the fact that the parents are fixing up their house and don't mind televising the process, warts and all. As for Anna's (?) consequences, this isn't necessarily a criticism, but when I watch children being disciplined on TV, I always wonder how that could affect them in school, etc. The teenage years are difficult enough. I can't imagine being a kid and having my entire school watch me being punished on national TV. The same thing goes for reality show potty training. Just . . . no.

I have the attention span of a five-year-old when it comes to TV, so it's really tough for me to commit to a show, much less a new one. I have to say, I kind of like this one. I discovered Sutton Foster through the now-cancelled (too early!) Bunheads. Her acting style reminds me of Lauren Graham's, which can't be a bad thing. I'll stick this out for a couple more weeks. (God, I miss Gilmore Girls.) I also didn't get the Wisconsin joke, but I'm two years behind Foster's character, so I didn't expect to get it. As for the cooking shows, Debi Mazar's is called Extra Virgin and it's actually Hilary's sister, Haylie, who has a cooking show. That one is called Real Girl's Kitchen. Debi's is pretty good, but Haylie's? Eh. Way too much filler crap and not enough cooking.

I want to be the first one to mention it: "Benjerman?!" What's up with this pastor? (Oops, beaten to it!)

I think you just blew my mind. That is an incredible observation.

* More so than any episode in recent memory, this one really drew attention to the fact that Michelle does so little actual work for her family. Grandma does 70 loads (!!!) of laundry per week. Jessa rules in the "classroom." Jinger, Jessa, and Jana team up in the kitchen. Jessa handles packing for family trips. Jana raises the kids. The list goes on. I was appalled when Michelle said, "I don't know who will take over for Jessa when she leaves, but they have big shoes to fill." Damn, she has absolutely no shame. I can never decide if I'm more pissed that Grandma is spending her golden years washing underwear or Jana is spending her precious early 20's doing . . . just about everything else. * I trained my cat to pee in the litter box. I trained my dog to "ask" to go outside to poop. I worked with my daughter to teach her how to interact with her world. The distinction feels significant (and way creepy) enough to point out here. * How can poor Binseewald's parents stomach this humiliation? They're being made to look like fools, just being pulled along for the ride. * The football game. First of all, why were the ladies forced to "fellowship" in the stands and sign that stupid pink football while the guys played? I have several female family members who would have not only gone toe-to-toe with the guys in a game, but probably would have kicked several of their asses up and down that field. Second, could Boob have been more creepy? "Bin is gettin' Jessa, so I'ma win this-here game!" I play this weird little game when I watch this show where I try to imagine my father saying the things Boob says. It doesn't work at all, probably because my dad viewed his three daughters as his children, not his girlfriends. Potato-potahto, right Boob? * Michelle's comment to Jessa during the cooking segment: "You're the woman!" Way to proliferate those gender stereotypes! We wouldn't want a man to think he should pitch in in the kitchen. * Commentary from Jana was pretty scant during this episode. I can't begin to imagine what the poor girl is thinking during all of this. What on earth could the focus of this show possibly be once Jessa's wedding and Jill's baby storylines have been beaten to death? Every time I think they've exhausted all possible storylines, they pull out a few more.

I wondered the same thing. Jessa was completely disinterested in the kids. My four-year-old niece lives 20 minutes away and we jump all over each other when we get together. Frankly, I think Jessa is beyond sick of children in general, given the fact that she's spent most of her 22 years raising them.

Thank you! This is the the fourth reality show where I've watched small children being potty trained on camera. It's unnecessary and sets the kids up for future ridicule by their peers. The poor souls on "My 600-lb Life" willingly signed over their privacy, but the half-naked, potty training kids are at the mercy of their parents.