VioletNevermind

How the hell do Jim Bob and Michelle think they're qualified to provide marriage advice to Jessa and Binseeewald? My main takeaway from the "therapy session" was the fact that Jim Bob clearly doesn't believe that females can be sexual beings. He portrays men as these feral creatures, focused only on mating, while females are delicate, emotional flowers who can't get through a day without emoting all over her husband. What utter bullshit. Josie's pizza preparation. She definitely should have been stopped from putting each ingredient into her mouth before applying it to the pizza, but I didn't think it was very nice of Michelle to basically make fun of her neglected five-year-old daughter to the cameras, saying that she would make sure no one else ate Josie's nasty pizza. I wanted to scream at Michelle that it's HER fault that Josie is miles behind other children her age in terms of socialization, conduct, and communication. I'm no perfect mother, but good grief. It's nice to see that Jill and Derick are well-seasoned enough to offer their nuggets of marital wisdom to the soon-to-be newlyweds. Derick, in particular, came off really smug and confident that his vast experience in the marital arena qualifies him to pontificate on the ups and downs of a long-term relationship. Give me a break. Talk to me in 20 or 30 years, guys. Jessa's dress, Jessa's ring, Jessa's wedding preparations. Ugh. Let's just get this crap over with. Next week's episode is "all about Jessa." I can't wait to watch Michelle's carefully-worded talking heads.

Thanks a lot. I just woke up my daughter by accident. HA!!

* Michelle said that she frequently talks to her girls (and her boys, as she added as an afterthought) about their self-worth, remembering what struggles she had with hers growing up. Sure, because an incredibly restrictive religion and strict, patriarchal belief system will sort that low self-esteem right out! * Josie looked completely zoned out in every one of her scenes. I feel so sad every time I see her. * Benseewald is still struggling to express basic concepts without descending into a spiral of confusion and stopping to collect his mangled thoughts. Benseewald handed over his balls to Jessa long ago, never to be seen again. * Why on earth did they bring so many kids to the high school reunion? Is this something people typically do? I'm 20 years post-high school and have never attended a reunion, so I honestly don't know. I didn't see anyone else's kids there. * I LOVED the look on the lady's face at the reunion when Jim Boob said, "Ooh, I bet you have some stories to tell about Michelle!" Do they think we aren't aware that they hold up Michelle's "wild" pants-wearing high school days as examples for the kids of a godless, heathen creature? I keep forgetting that, in the Duggar world, wearing a cheerleading skirt, listening to top 40 hits on the radio, and kissing boys while vertical and fully clothed makes you a total slut. * The producers should have included less footage of Mechelle's workouts and pointless self-image discussions and more of Johannah riding horses for her birthday. (And definitely less of Famy . . . ugh).

Jessa appears to be the kind of girl who revels in not knowing things and making no attempts to learn. The spoiled vibe is very strong with that one (although I'm absolutely loving her off-the-beaten-path wedding arrangements that are an obvious F.U. to her mom).

I'm trying my hardest to maintain my interest in this show, but it's difficult. Between Bill and Jen, the Roloffs, and even the Johnstons, I really feel like we're covering old ground with the Hamill family. The only somewhat interesting thing I got from this episode was Michelle's understandable anger at people taking pictures of her family in D.C. My only concern is the fact that TLC is known to toy with viewers and make things look a certain way to amp up the drama. At no point did any of the people surrounding them appear to be taking pictures of the family. They're in D.C.; of course tourists are going to take pictures of the sights. Each time Michelle bellowed, "No pictures!" the cameras cut abruptly to a scene of tourists with cell phones pointing in another direction. If anyone took pictures of them, of course it's wrong, but I'm inclined to view that scene as classic TLC bait-and-switch. As for the climbing on the grocery store shelves from last week, Michelle is unwise to teach her kids to do that. I don't see what the issue is with asking for help. It's not as if someone would tease her for being short or demean her for needing some basic assistance. I live in an area with a significant senior demographic. Almost every time I go to the grocery store, I see a short person or someone in a wheelchair struggling to reach an item on the shelf. I casually reach over, grab it, and hand it to them. They say 'thank you' and I smile and we're both on our way. I'm 5'11" and it's no big deal at all.

Michelle: “It seems like someone is always in the kitchen preparing a meal.” No, bitch, you mean your grown daughters are preparing meals while you do whatever the hell it is that you do as your eight children under the age of 16 (including one with obvious special needs) raise themselves. Just thought I’d fix that statement for ya. Super childish note: I got a small chuckle out of the “BJ” the kids etched into one of the pies. My immature glee is dampened by the fact that none of them know what it means. *sigh* Ben goes to the jewelry shop and forgets the ring. Ooookay. There’s no way that goofy-ass, unemployed (beyond being Jim Bob’s toilet scrubber) kid is paying for the ring himself. The only thing I can think when I see him struggling to express a basic train of thought is "Bless your heart." That's Southern for "Good Lord, what a lovable dumbass." Next week, we’ll be treated to yet another Michelle-centric episode. She’ll discuss her struggles with bulimia from 25 years ago. So, instead of dedicating an episode to one of the Lost Girls, their homeschooling curriculum (HA!), or an honest update on Josie’s development and progress at five-years-old, we’ll endure more navel-gazing from the deplorably self-centered family matriarch. Can’t wait.

Did it feel to anyone else like a lot of this episode was little more than a John-David advertisement? I HATE the fact that they’re auctioning off this mouth-breather while poor Jana remains at the TTH as an indentured servant. 25-years-old in their culture/lifestyle is like 45 in ours, which certainly isn’t old, but you get what I’m trying to say. What these yahoos are doing to their adult daughters is just criminal. The saddest part of it is that it’s surely occurred to them that they could run from a legal standpoint, but they won’t. Derick's mom seems like a very good, patient woman. It's a shame that she's dealing with such a crappy situation. I have to wonder how much she enjoys appearing on camera, especially in such a vulnerable state. The gift basket was nice and I actually believe that Jill would have done that even if the cameras hadn't been watching. The Inappropriate Ride-along has been done before and commented on, so there’s not much more for me to say other than how inappropriate it was. I have a hard time understanding how the Tontitown police department signed off on this. As usual, Jim Bob made a complete mockery of a serious profession- one that is currently being dogged by some pretty intense nationwide scrutiny. The Duggars don’t give a shit how they come across to people.

I'm still grappling with the moronic, half-assed decisions these people are making. Meri and Kody divorce to ensure that Kody can adopt children whose father has not given up his parental rights. Meri has to be one of the most gullible women I've ever seen. They make a major life/financial decision based on nothing more than questionable hopes and dreams. Unless Robyn's ex-husband is a violent, unpredictable nutcase, he should be able to see his kids as often as possible. He is the one who filed for divorce, not Robyn. So far, the only so-called bad thing he ever did was "beg for her purity" (*gag*). Whenever she's been pressed for details about how, exactly, he was so abusive to her, she's started to cry and coyly refused to answer. Give me a massive break. I'm certainly no stranger to dealing with asshole ex-husbands, but if I were David Preston Jessop, I'd be camping out in front of my local courthouse tonight so I could firm up my custody/visitation agreement and file charges for slander against the Browns first thing tomorrow morning.

I have to watch that episode one more time to fully digest the idiocy. THESE WOMEN ARE FOOLS.

I've been watching this train wreck from the beginning and have always found each of these women to have appallingly poor self-esteem, but this is a new low. I could care less about Meri's feelings. She's just as much to blame for this whole mess as Robyn. It's Christine and Janelle I feel sorry for. This basically says to them: "You're both too old, fat, and barren to justify a legal marriage. I'm going to marry my 'hot' younger wife who's only been on the scene for a few years, so suck it up and wait until it's your night to have sex with me." Kody couldn't pay me to believe any reason whatsoever that he could come up with to justify divorcing Meri. I'm also not fully convinced that Meri is the one who initiated the divorce. I can't wait to see what bullshit they try to feed us tonight. I hope each and every one of those kids runs far and wide from this mess and never looks back. They're the true victims here, not the dumbass grown women who could run, but don't.

I missed part of this episode and have to catch it tonight On Demand, so I'm a little out of the loop here. Jill drives to Derick's work three times per day? Is one of them for lunch?! Please tell me she doesn't have lunch with him at the office every day. These people really don't believe in space, individuality, and autonomy, do they?

THAT'S the movie title I was trying to think of last night when they drove up to the, um, birthing center.

HA! An absolutely perfect characterization.

First of all, I just have to ask: What the hell happened to the 7 Little Johnstons? I was so sure that TLC was grooming them for reality stardom. As much as I think they deserved this more than these unknown folks, they probably dodged a bullet. Still, I really liked them. They seemed very real marriage-wise and the way they interacted with their kids. I also LOVED the fact that they refused to insist that the world conform to their specific needs. Self-sufficiency (within reason, of course) is awesome. So far, these people seem like nice, decent people. Nothing more, nothing less at this point. This show really begs the question of whether or not we need another show about a little family. I thought we had the little family ground covered with "The Little Couple," but I guess not. I do like and admire Bill and Jen, but this show feels a bit more real. You can tell that there are no nannies or maids waiting in the wings to jump in when things get rough. I'm not sure yet if I'll continue watching. Still, it's kind of cool that a family that lives about 20 minutes from me in Arnold, MD (no creepiness here-- there was a story on the local news) is being featured on a reality show. I've never seen them in my travels, though.

Oh my God, the Duggars are back again to hold me hostage for one hour every Tuesday night (and the five minutes it takes to write this) . . . * First of all, what’s up with the Jill/Derick “kiss count” and the “side hug” hashtag? I wanted to hurl a dinner plate through my TV much sooner than usual tonight. TLC is trying so hard to normalize this family’s insanity. * I see that Mechelle is just as oblivious and selfish as ever. Her comment about loving being a grandma was laughable. She “loves” it so much because most grandmas get to spend happy time with their grandchildren, then hand them back to their parents for the messy stuff, just like she does at home with her own kids (except for the spending happy time part, of course). * As much of a bitch as I think she is, there’s something very refreshing about Jessa’s interactions with her family. You always know where you stand with her. I loved the fact that she openly stated that her bridesmaids would have to be happy with their dresses. Damn straight, sister. I still hate the way her sarcastic mother talks about her. It’s easy to see why Jessa became such an emotionless automaton. * It’s nice to see that Ben is still the bright, insightful, budding Mensa member he always was. Jessa is going to eat that boy alive until a year from now when he realizes that marrying someone just so you can have sex without her father killing you probably isn’t the best game plan. * The moldy house. Wow. I know Jessa put on a defiant face and said she didn’t care that her house is such a dramatic downgrade from her sisters’, but damn. Still, I’m not too worried about it. I would have loved to have seen my parent’s faces if I’d asked them what kind of house they were going to provide for me after I got married. I think we enter some very sticky territory when we start to expect things like that and get upset when they don't meet our standards. * I thought marriage would mature Jill a bit, but . . . no. She still acts like a 14-year-old girl with her first boyfriend. I was a bit put-off by Derick’s almost paternal praise of her meal in the kitchen (“Good job!”) and the way Jill beamed and collected another kiss from her daddy-husband. Derick is in the process of drinking bathtubs of the fundie Kool-Aid as we speak. * The intro included something about Josie having seizures. I realize that these terrible things can happen to anyone at any time, but I’m furious afresh at the fact that they refuse to get any services for that poor child. * As for Derick and Jill’s baby announcement, I feel stupid watching a show about things that I knew months and months ago. I think I’d better get used to it.

Your strength is admirable. Wish I could say the same.

I'm usually able to stick it through long enough to watch each episode of this train wreck, then post a bullet-pointed response here afterward. I wasn't able to stay focused during this two hours at all, particularly after the bait-and-switch ending of the first episode re: the divorce. I love a good clusterfuck reality show (looking at you, Duggars), but I'm becoming very weary of these people. I loathe Kody, but that goes without saying. I'm not a fan of any of these women, but if I were forced to choose a favorite, I'd pick Janelle simply because she's the most level-headed of the four (that's not saying much, of course). Robyn, however, is just demonic. She conceals her deplorable sneakiness beneath a wide-eyed "I just want the best for all of us" demeanor. Give me a break. That bitch knows exactly what she's doing. She jumped aboard this sinking ship, fully aware that she'd be better off than she was as a single woman with three young children, one of whom has special needs. I try to put myself into their shoes mentally and convince myself that these relationships are healthy and worthwhile and it just doesn't work. I would pay good money to watch Kody spend a full week with an emotionally healthy woman. His ego wouldn't last 48 hours. Two final questions: Does that male "anthropologist" EVER take his hat off inside, particularly while eating in someone else's home or in his professor's office during a formal meeting? Call me old-fashioned, but good grief. This guy has more baseball hats and skullcaps than anyone I've ever seen. Also, did we ever find out "who's the love wiiiife . . . who's the sex wiiiife?"

I have no doubt that that scene was staged for the cameras and she already knew the results.

Good grief, this woman is absolutely exhausting. I'll miss the weekly snarking now that this first season is over, but this is easily one of the most irritating shows starring one of the most irritating people I've seen in a long time. Is she EVER calm or soft-spoken? Actually, I have many questions: * Why is every guy featured on this show classified as "smoking hot?" I'm sure they're lovely men (even if they are clearly paid for their appearances), but . . . yeah. * Why has Whitney not lost any weight between the final episode and the Q&A? Is she actually on a weight loss plan or just pretending for the sake of the show and moaning about PCOS? At what point does the weight loss start? * Is this all it takes to get a reality show? So far, all we've seen is a loud-mouthed, unemployed woman in her 30's who can't get her life together, her parents, and a handful of her friends. * What on earth is so fantastic about Buddy? What the hell am I missing? * Is it just me, or does Whitney's friend, Ashley, seem too good for her? * Why are we still pretending that Whitney is this fantastic dancer when she's really nothing more than a glorified Zumba instructor with moves that were considered passé 10 years ago? * Could the producer who joined Whitney in the Q&A have been more phony? (Answer: no.) She's coming back this summer. They're trying so hard to turn this show into a thing. Just no. I wanted to love this show, but I just can't. Whitney radiates selfishness, childishness, and a stubborn unwillingness to grow the hell up and act like a woman in her 30's. I'd love to tell you that I'll refuse to watch in the summer, but I hate-watch "19 Kids and Counting," so my credibility is shot right there.

Hell, yes! I love it. Your post really highlights how spoiled, entitled, and lazy Whitney is. If this show doesn't start to focus on her health and efforts to lose weight instead of her dubious "dance career" and boring love life, it will not last long.

I can no longer discuss this show in paragraph form because there's not enough substance, so I'll address it in bullet points: * I am genuinely angered when I hear people telling Whitney that she's got to "get out" of her parents' house for her own good. She is there as a result of her parents' kindness and perhaps misguided desire to help her. She's their guest and a source of annoyance for them, not the other way around. Whitney's sense of entitlement is like another person in the room with her. * The whole thing with Sean, her old college friend. Talk about a contrived storyline. I don't care that her dad asked him how much he made as a dog-sitter because I know he was asked to do it for the cameras. The minor hissyfit in the dining room with her brother also came across as very scripted. * I love that Whitney claimed to have made the decision to cut things off with Sean because he lives across the country. Sure, that's the reason. * Why did Whitney's . . . um . . . client cut the "dance routine" out of the wedding? Are we to assume the obvious/worst (her friend realized that Zumba-ing down the aisle is really effing dumb)? * She made her friend travel five-plus hours to massage her while she laid on the bed, nude under a hotel comforter. I have no more words for that. * The bar scene with the two men was so incredibly scripted. I wouldn't be surprised if the producers didn't ask Gramps to suggest something weird. (By the way, TLC, thanks for making my dumb ass Google "squashing." Dear God, friends, don't click on images.) The last episode is next week. I honestly can't see how they can carry this show forward into another season without committing to a real storyline with some momentum. If I'm going to watch this, I'm going to need to see some effort and changes, not just Whitney's screeching and braying about her "sordid" past with her schmucky friend and what a drag it is to live at home for free in your 30's without having a real, grown-up job.

Okay, now I'm actually kind of angry. Kody is just unreal. If I were Robyn's kids' dad, I would be incensed that this fool was trying to marginalize me as a father. And what does it say about Meri's self-esteem that she's willing to put up with this nonsense? I can't imagine that Janelle and Christine are thrilled about not being chosen as the "real wife." Either Kody is absolutely incredible in bed, to the point that he has a svengali-like power over these poor women (not likely), or they have serious emotional issues. The real victims in this situation are the kids. Just think- we only see a fraction of the crazy that goes on in that family.

This show is absolutely maddening, but I can't seem to look away (goddamn you, TLC). My biggest issue (well, one of them) is the fact that Whitney is an enabled, pampered princess who's living in a fantasy world where she thinks she can skate through life without any effort whatsoever. To quote her dad, "Trying to get Whitney to help out around the house is a challenge." Whitney's retort was, "I want my dad to know that I'm a functional, 30-year-old person." You couldn't pay me enough to star in this show and have my dad discuss me as if I'm a child. Whitney has no excuse not to take care of her laundry and pick up after herself at the very least. She refers to living at home as being "stressful." No, sweetheart, you know what's stressful? Making sure there's enough food in the fridge to feed everyone every day. Juggling kids' schedules. Keeping your car in decent condition. Earning enough money to pay your rent or mortgage. You know . . . WORKING. This show wouldn't be so frustrating if a few things were different. It's one thing to fall upon hard times as an adult and need to rely on your parents once more to get back on your feet. It happens to the best of us, especially in this tough economy. Whitney doesn't seem to be one bit thankful for her parents' generosity and willingness to allow her to come back and not pay a dime of rent. To hear her tell it, her biggest issue is the logistics of sneaking men up to her childhood bedroom without her father hearing (yeah. right.). My grown child damn sure wouldn't have the option of leaving moldy dishes in her room and refuse to clean her own clothes. I can't help but wonder what her life will be like at 35 or 40 if this is the way it is at 30. She doesn't have a care in the world except to focus on herself and her health. How many of us would kill for that opportunity (but have too much self-respect to create that situation)? This show has a weird, mocking undertone. Even her friend, Buddy, is treated that way. TLC's shameless exploitation of anyone and anything possible rolls on . . .

I thought I was the only one who remembered Ruby. I'm also reminded of her when I watch this show. Ruby was also loud and unafraid to voice her opinion, but perhaps a bit more likable than Whitney, in my opinion. Ruby's show started to go downhill when the producers decided to play up an abuse storyline, but (as I recall) refused to actually reveal any of the details of the abuse. They blamed her weight gain on it and attempted to have her work with a therapist, but I think people lost interest when she didn't lose any weight and actually gained a bit more. I can see this show going the same direction. There doesn't seem to be much of a point to it. So far, I've seen a lot of unhealthy eating, ranting about "haters," and dancing that looks more like a light aerobic workout than a dance routine.

Oh, this show. I was hoping I'd find it a little less off-putting by episode two, but . . . yeah. Whitney complains about a lack of boundaries, but then asks her mother to shave the backs of her legs and gets upset when her father comes into her bedroom to bring her a list of chores. This woman is 30. I was living as a full-fledged, independent, gainfully employed adult at 10 years younger, and as a mother at seven years younger. Whitney interacts with her parents the same way my 14-year-old daughter does with me when she doesn't get what she wants. She shouldn't have to be asked to clean up after herself and be reminded to unload the trash bags from her truck. Does she pitch in around the house or cook dinner two or three nights a week for her senior parents? My guess is no. She comes off as very entitled, pampered, and desperately in need of constant validation and attention. One word: exhausting. As for her dancing, I know there's a section dedicated to that, but I'm going to add my comments here since so much of these episodes focused on her dancing. I really don't think she dances, in the strictest sense of the word. Her movements look more like aerobics. To bill herself as a dancer is being more than generous. I don't expect her to be Fred Astaire, but you have to do more than undulate and smirk at yourself in the studio mirror to call it dancing. I feel for Whitney and in large part, I truly understand her struggles on a deeper level than I care to admit. I just don't know how much of her life can be justified into a reality show that people will take the time to tune into every week, particularly when the star is a bit . . . um . . . obnoxious. More importantly, I just can't figure out what the show wants to be about. She says it's about self-esteem and acceptance of overweight people. Great, but so far, all we know is that she's messy, unemployed, living with her parents (but complaining about boundaries), and focusing exclusively on dancing. All of that is fine, but we need a message and not just a series of "shocking" scenes. I don't want to see this woman's raw, rashy inner thighs. I don't want to know her hip measurements. I don't want to watch her change her pants in a parking lot in full view of everyone. I'm really glad that Whitney is lucky enough to have such supportive friends and a nice, quirky mom, but, in my opinion, there's just not enough here to sustain a television show.