cereality

My sense is that adoption is more about Brandon than Michael, and I also wonder if it's a race issue too. Brandon works for IBLP, presumably believes all that BS including "sins of the father." Michael OTOH seems like the type who is drawn to any kid whether they are related to her or not. Plus she is the only one of the Bates we've seen who is close to Kelly's adopted sisters - she has said before that she calls Aunt Beth and chats with her. So it doesn't seem like SHE believes an adopted person can't ever be part of the family or that race makes her less part of the family. Frankly my sense is KELLY and some of her other snotty daughters may treat those aunts differently, not Michael. I wonder if it's a race issue though. In the US these days, it seems like most kids available to adopt are not going to be white. People in my circle [northeast, lawyers] who've adopted say there is a lot of "competition" for white babies and often white babies end up with families that can provide them k-12 top private schools + country club membership and horseback lessons + trips to Europe every summer and all that. My professional circle of lawyers is well to do and even still people feel they can't provide all that is "required." I wonder if Michael fears that a black baby just will never be treated the same in her family. If it's about the family, I'd say screw your family and do what makes you happy - even if that means you adopt 2-3 kids and have your family, move away even a hr down the road, and you only see Kelly and co. for ILY and the next family wedding. I wonder if Michael feels BRANDON could not love a non white baby or a not blood related baby the same; if that's the case, then yeah SHE Is the one who is stuck because you obviously can't bring a child into a family where his/her own father will treat him as second class. Honestly I don't sense that Brandon pines for a baby in any way. If they could have them, great. If not, I think he's perfectly happy to be the uncle who engages nieces/nephews at a family party or has them over to spend a Saturday afternoon carving pumpkins and then send them home and enjoy his quiet clean house. Which again means Michael is the one who is stuck pining away while her own husband is like eh it's God's will NBD.

Not to mention her schedule isn't totally hers to begin with bc she does 2 full days of childcare for Josie's kids. She's said that before. Her obsession with a baby is just unhealthy. In yesterday's Q&A on IG someone asks to see her lock screen - it's 2 wedding pics with Brandon + her/Brandon holding the U/S pic from the miscarried pregnancy. I mean I get it she REALLY REALLY wants a baby, but it also seems like she tortures herself. Of course she'll never forget the pregnancy she lost, but IDK keeping a pic of it on your lock screen seems like torturing yourself. Like maybe you do have a day where it's a good day, you don't pine for a child that day bc you're distracted, and then you pick up your phone and oh look here's a U/S pic of the kid you could have had!? Honestly I think she also harms herself by being SOOO involved with kids. She's said before she volunteers at the church nursery, watches her zillions of nieces/nephews and sometimes when she goes home she breaks down crying over not having their own kid. And like normal people does she have the distraction of work - nope bc she chooses not to pursue nursing and her business is baby blankets - so let's again remind ourselves about how we don't have a baby of our own who'll use this blanket.

Yep. While Alyssa is by no means mother/teacher of the year, at least she STAYS HOME and appears to have some kind of schedule. I'm not saying it's the best schooling by any means, but whatever the curriculum is at least they're doing it for 4-6 hrs/day. These two will be like woohoo we're on our own schedule, we'll start school at 11. By 12 - this is BORING, time for a break - Chick Fila, Walmart run, mani/pedi. Oh wait 4 pm already, oh well, Layla can do school tomorrow. From a recent YT Q&A, EVAN is the one who has decided on homeschool 100%. Carlin is totally down for sending the kids away and getting 40 hrs/wk to herself. Evan OTOH is like uh yeah I'm not paying 10-15k tuition/yr per kid at some Christian school for 12 yrs + I'm not running on a schedule where we're up at 7 am for the next 12 yrs. 100% BS that Carlin is now citing "all the scary stuff happening in schools." These morons don't watch news so how would she know?? Gotta say - not impressed with how Layla is turning out. Not blaming the child at all bc she's a child. They are raising her to be a trained seal for clicks - as demonstrated by yesterday's dumb IG asking Layla questions and the stupid mock photoshoot in the drs office parking lot. And for a 3 year old she REALLY does not speak clearly, at all and has very little to say. She needs to be in a school all day with teachers who focus on HER - speaking to her, doing age appropriate games/activities w other kids, talking about things that aren't makeup or fashion, and laying down some rules. I mean that child snacks all day long - probably because she's hungry without actual meals daily + their way of getting the kid to shut up and cooperate is to throw Cheez Its at her.

HAHAHAHA Nike really?? I realize they're too Godly for TV 🙄 - though it is an electronic babysitter for them now - but do they not realize that Nike advertising is done by the likes of Serena Williams, LeBron, Ronaldo, Nadal?? Do they know who any of these people are. Let's see Serena selling shoes or Carlin? Hmm tough choice . . . . And their gross parenting continues. Goldfish crackers and some other snack spread out on the thin paper that covers the pediatrician's exam table, as Layla also sits on the exam table of course on the un-papered part, with her shoes taken off and ALSO sitting on the exam table maybe 4 inches away from the snacks. You know the same table that kids having been sitting on for 8 hrs today with full diapers, snotty noses, and whatever else. And the same shoes that Layla has walked thru Target parking lots and fertilized lawns with. IDK about you but I def try to put my shoes with fertilizer, asphalt dust, car tire residue, and whatever dog urine I stepped over on the sidewalk within inches of my food. This kid is 3. Why exactly can't she go 45 min without a snack?? You people are home ALL freaking day - feed her before you leave and if she asks for a snack there, say no, you'll have to wait!? This isn't even a case of - I had to pick the kid up at daycare and run to a 5 pm appt and she'll be starving; and even then parents do NOT feed their kids on the exam table - they have a quick snack in the car/parking lot.

So I watched some of it - skipping the hours of discussion about her foot. Impressions - -They keep saying SHE/HER. "SHE said a pregnancy would be a-ok, it doesn't worry her at all." I was like uh wait the neuro was a man (the migraine/headache neuro sub specialist was a woman but are they really talking to a migraine specialist about pregnancy and driving), then at one point Carlin goes "she said she'd need to ask the dr about whether an in hospital seizure restarts the driving clock." Uh so they're having planning/life altering conversations with a nurse or NP/PA - who'd have to ask the dr certain things?? No shade against nurses, NP/PAs. But if you have SUCH important issues to discuss, why not with the MD? Has the MD just punted them to an NP/PA for these hand holding, how do we continue our social media blitz using her health types of convos? -They are totally trying to get pregnant/will be trying in 6 mos max/are banking on an "accident" soon. When leaving the house, Evan is like - I want to know what things look like if I get her knocked up now or next year. And then after the "doctor," Carlin tries to back pedal and be like "we just want to know whether we get pregnant in 4 years or 5 years or whatever," but the "doctor" even said "if it's an accident, NBD just call us as soon as you know." Uh idiots we know you, you're "planning" on an accident this year. -I 100% don't believe that anyone is saying pregnancy is NBD. I genuinely believe it'd be more like, if it happens we can deal with it, but think hard about whether it's worth the risks; even if the meds are allowed during pregnancy - who knows if they'll work the same during pregnancy; if pregnancy re-triggers whatever issues happened with Zade etc. -Evan was GIDDY as he goes - when you're pregnant you'll be at the dr like every other week between the clotting disorder/high risk pregnancy dr + neuro. YT $$$ cha-ching . . . . -Evan seems TERRIFED at the idea that a dr could say, she can drive again. He goes on and on about how he'd been soooo anxious about that, that he'd rather just keeping driving her. I mean we know he's said he's never going back to being an electrician or any other 40 hr outside home job - BUT I do wonder if there's more there. Like maybe right now he doesn't get any family pressure from his parents etc. - bc look SUCH a good husband, he NEEDS to be home with wife [he doesn't - Uber exists]. But maybe with Carlin able to drive again, his parents start being like - wait why can't you work now? -Same reaction re CarFax - they really didn't check to see if a used car had been in a wreck?? But hey perfect excuse for a Tesla SUV - a sedan won't cut it with soon to be 3 kids. Cheapest Tesla SUV goes for like 65k. They spend like drs and lawyers, so hey what's another 65-70k.

I don't recognize the Bates kids from when they were really young - but people on Reddit are repeatedly saying that one of the shots is of a teenage Michael carrying 2 younger Bates kids and another shot is of an elementary aged Josie walking next to Michael.

Bates must be feeling pretty uneasy today. The trailer for the documentary re IBLP is up - linked on People's homepage. Starring Jill Duggar and Derick - among others who've left IBLP. I know the Bates justify it in their own heads as - so what it's the Duggars not us - but pretty sure Gil was/is on IBLP's board, Brandon works for IBLP, Gothard attended Chad/Erin's wedding and had a birthday cake at the wedding etc. I'm sure Carlin, Josie, Alyssa, and Zach are too worldly to admit it but the ties were there through and through - and unlike Jill or Jinger, they haven't even come out and said - this was our parents, not us, we grew up and realized it was a cult. I guess Carlin's too busy talking about her toes and toasting her boutique with sparkling water as she pretends to have a sophisticated garden party/picnic with her BSB besties . . . .

Is she losing her Reddit leghumpers? The people who for years have defended every little thing - now a good % of them are saying she misses the attention she gets from health things and very little attention is on her right now due to so many pregnant sisters with special announcements. Reddit also pointed out that yesterday the dr gave her a boot that was just like a flat velcro slipper to keep her toe still. Today at the neuro's office - she is wearing a boot up to her knee?? People are saying they've had significantly less sturdy boots for full on foot injuries and others are saying with broken toes, usually it's more like tape it to another toe and get on with it (like people DIY it or if they go to a dr, the dr just tapes it). Did they stop by a medical supply store or do an Amazon order for that boot? Also 2 kids at the neuro's office really!? WTF I know you all don't have jobs or lives but these are serious doctors offices where they need silence; the person who waited 3 mos for their follow up really wants the dr to do their exam and answer questions in peace without screams from the room next door which chose to haul along their 1 + 3 yr olds. Could they not have dropped the kids at G&K's for an hour?? I'd say Evan could just wait in the car for an hr with the kids but let's be real I think with both of them attending the appointment, they probably only understand 50% of dr instructions, so with just Carlin attending - she'd probably spend her whole time talking to the dr about her foot injury and whether she can get a pedi, instead of what she's there for.

Something is mentally wrong with them. Her toe was already jammed but oops THREE people stepped on it on Mothers Day + another sister drove a scooter over it and then today she hits it with her other foot?? Uh usually when injured, after the first person nearly steps on you - you'd back up from the crowd to protect yourself, not just stand there as others step on you + drive scooters across your foot? She surely looked VERY happy and smiley headed to the dr and then walking around their lobby, reception, and parking lot barefoot. And Carlin, you have zero idea what "walk of shame" actually means. Maybe spend some time at a real college and that'll show you that you neither "party party" nor have ever done the walk of shame. Anyone else left the impression that when she goes "we got a GOOD dr" that = someone who isn't telling us to stop filming + is going to do something we can put on film. Now at home Evan is "dragging" Carlin to the sofa. Uh Carlin - you are already on one side of the sofa; you can hold onto the side of it and hop or sit on it and move your rear to whatever location you want. And as Carlin lays on the couch, the xray is strategically on the sofa so it'll be in the camera shot + Ellie has been called in . . . .

As for electrician - on a recent Q&A YT they pretty much said he isn't ever going back. They went on about how he only did electrical school bc he needed something to do bc his receptionist job wasn't going to support a family, but it was never his passion. Apparently all the rest of us work for passion 🙄. And then went on about how is living his best life home 24-7 with his wife and kids (yep they said that) and working at BSB and doing YT, and yes he did openly say YT is a job for them - so they are at least "acknowledging" that's where the $ is coming from. They are under the delusion that he can go back to being an electrician any time he wants. Good luck with that - the further you get away from your school and training, you will forget how to do things, and you have zero experience on your resume. Sure he can tell people he has zero experience bc he had to care for his wife and sometimes people can be understanding and yet they all know how to use Google. So when they google you and realize that for 5 yrs you've been snarfing down cheeseburgers on YT, they may also question your - taking care of wife - reasoning for not working. They also went on about how now isn't a time to decide re going back to electrical [lol - after saying he isn't going back] bc Carlin still can't drive. It's interesting how they feel that an electrician salary of at least 70k (bc it's more like 110k for new union electricians in my high cost of living city so Knox prob gets him at least 70k) is not worth it bc Carlin would have to take 2-4 Uber rides/wk on the wks she actually shows up to her hobby shop. As for the EEG - IDK maybe someone follows that more. I tend not to listen when they talk about that. My big picture view is whenever it comes up they grouse about how the drs/health system aren't making her a priority so she's STILL waiting. I understand that healthcare is slow right now bc so many ppl have so many post Covid complications, but are they genuinely still waiting on a test ordered 9 mos ago? Or is it that they never schedule it and whenever they go to schedule, they are told - ok we are scheduling 3-6 mos out right now (which is likely) and then they don't schedule, months slip by, they do the call again and oh look, we'd have to wait 3-6 more mos. But that's just my impression.

Noticed that. And am I the only one who thinks it's rude to attend someone else's baby shower with your FIVE kids in tow - and then be like haha everyone knew we were there bc Maci and Prince Rhett cried the whole time?? WTF. This is someone else's day, you really think it's ok for your kids to disrupt? Bring the baby, fine, many baby showers are ok with that. But could the other 4 kids not have stayed home, you know with their FATHER?? Just goes to show that John does jack $hit with the kids and he views parenting 100% as Alyssa's problem. John was prob relieved to have the house to himself for a few hours - as if he had no role in making a half dozen kids and thus shouldn't have to be bothered. I mean this is the same man who bitched at someone's wedding bc Alyssa was in the wedding party (Katie maybe?) and she either had to stay the night with the bridal party or leave super early to get ready and John [gasp] had to get his daughters ready and to the ceremony on time. I mean Alyssa put every single thing - dresses, tights, underwear, hair brush, hair accessory - into a giant zip lock with the kid's name. John basically had to pop each bag open and put everything in there on the child - and let's be real he probably had Ally do 95% of it - and he still bitched. But I don't feel bad for Alyssa one bit. They know how babies are made. Her husband could have cared less re having another or not. So yeah she could've shut that factory down after kid 3 - but nope NEED A BOY. Well you got him so deal . . . .

I was thinking the same - Trace announced the kid's name/they'll have upcoming baby showers plus the birth; Erin will now get a ton of attention for her next miracle - gender reveals, showers, and birth and watch out if it's a boy; upcoming showers and birth for Whit; people on other threads are saying Erin's video hinted/said Tiff is pregnant too. I assume Tori is pregnant/will be pregnant soon. I think Josie is also getting to the point where baby 3 is on the table. Jackson's wedding is coming up this fall. I assume another brother is going to announce an engagement in the next months/year. Meanwhile C/E are running to the inlaws every other week and doing lame ass activities like "reminiscing" about their courtship. And last week's YT brought in a whopping 93k views - about ~$450. And this week's YT features a "drive thru" challenge - where they order and snarf down whatever the person in the car in front of them ordered. Lol. I've never seen 25 and 28 yr olds with kids who are SO bored. You know boredom = make a baby.

Isn’t that what happened last time? They trained all of them to pray for a baby - not knowing if she could have more after her surgeries + to pray for a boy. Meanwhile Z&W had their kids praying for a brother for Bradley. Well I guess they had to tell the Paine kids that God doesn’t like them as much or is teaching them a hard lesson or is punishing them for their bad behavior or they aren’t Godly enough bc God ONLY gave them a girl, whereas Bradley got a brother 🙄. And yet I 100% think this is Chad/Erin’s brand of faith. Jinger Duggar has given lots of interviews for her book release and she clarifies that fundies are 100% about obedience by making the child afraid of God - like she’d get into the car thinking omg maybe we’ll get in a car accident bc God will punish me bc I said I hated my sister bc I was mad at her for stealing my jeans or bc I took a glance at a boy at the store bc I though he was cute. I really do think C/E are this “traditional.” Not that they care but you can really eff up a child bc giving them this logic. God forbid something happens to Erin in this delivery or she can’t have any more kids at all after #6 — these kids are going to think it’s bc they rolled their eyes once, not bc their dumbass parents wouldn’t stop/wouldn’t listen to drs who told them this was too high risk etc. I believe Erin had been told it’s really high risk to have more - she still had #5 and now #6. Guess they dr shop and/or just don’t go to the dr until she’s actually pregnant so no dr can say - look you have 5 kids who need you, think about whether you want to undertake risky pregnancy 6, if it were me/my wife I wouldn’t chance it. @Dehumidifier - totally agree about Chad picking up a job at Lowe’s or Home Depot but it’ll never happen. I mean working with black guys, Hispanic guys, non Christians, coworkers who got their girlfriends pregnant, [gasp] women - and having these ppl as his boss - nooooo. It’s ok it’s better to raise kids 8 to a room than to interact with the “other” even for money.

The obsession with BROTHER FOR CARSON is such that they have zero rationality at this point. Carson is what 8-ish? So yeah when Carson is 14 or 18, he’ll surely think of his 6 or 10 year old brother as his best friend bc he has a dick. I’m sure they’re like oh it doesn’t matter bc they’ll have a “sweet bond” like Trace and Jeb/Jud whichever is his buddy. Uh great Trace takes Jeb/Jud out to ice cream on their bday yearly, does a few skiing runs yearly, and maybe throws a football with them for 5 min when he visits. Is this crap REALLY worth risking your life for?? As much as I snark on them, I wish everyone good health and I just think that certain of these girls are pushing their bodies in ways that could just not end well - Erin comes to mind, as well as Carlin (who I assume is now even MORE ready for #3 bc as she said what am I supposed to do ONLY have 2 - even though I don’t like kids?!). I mean aside from all her gyn surgeries doesn’t Erin have the clotting disorder too? I know there are shots blah blah but I feel like those things are safe to do like 1-3 times, not pushing your body to bear kid #6 like 18 mos after having kid #5 which was prob only a yr after gyn surgeries?! And Chad you’re the oldest 36 yr old I’ve ever seen, so good luck with 6 kids on an odd job salary. Fear not daughters - if it’s another girl, we can fit someone on a mat on the floor under the triple bunk. If it’s a boy, Prince Carson you better start considering that you are about to lose the special place you have in that family as yours isn’t going to be the only pediatric sized dick in that house and oh yeah you’re room sharing again.

Lived in NYC for a decade so yep my first reaction was - uh Ryker like the prison?? They really want their kid’s name to conjure images of a cruise around a notorious filthy NYC prison?! These 2 may want to leave their east Tenn bubble once in a while or you know use the internet - you know that thing they and all their sibs are trying to make a living off of?! Isn’t the wife German or Austrian or something? I recall she was seeking a visa or asylum or something - some immigration status that they consider a-ok for her bc she’s blonde haired, blue eyed but you know they’d oppose it for certain other populations. Why not any nod to the German or Austrian or wherever roots w a middle name like Christian, Hans, Nico, Lukas etc?! Bc Cruise to me seems South American/Hispanic though I realize that would be Cruz.

I don’t watch them enough to know definitively if Allie cooks, cleans, or diapers the boy. But indications are she does some of these things, as ppl say the birthday video features Alyssa barking at Allie to take the laundry upstairs. She’s also posted IGs before “gushing” about how Allie LOVES to make her sisters’ lunch 🙄. Yet this was a totally age inappropriate activity at the time as Allie basically served her sisters cold tortillas with unmelted cheese. So I have to imagine in the last yr or 2 she has progressed to using the microwave or oven sometimes.

This is the part that's even more disappointing. Before Prince Rhett arrived, John was the one who was like - everyone thinks I'm the one who MUST have a son, but nope it isn't me, it's Alyssa. When Alyssa now famously was like "that's just how boys get treated," John was the one who looked at his daughters' faces and was like that's ridiculous. When the reveal revealed it was a boy and Allie's face fell [bc mommy had just said any boy would be treated better], John was the one who hugged and kissed Allie before he even hugged his wife. Yet now that Prince Rhett is here, all that is out the window. John is just as obsessed with BOY as Alyssa. I mean even in pics, John's smile reaches his eyes with his SON in a way it never did with his daughters - or maybe it did for a minute with Allie bc she was his first. But he was never as IN LOVE with any kid as with his BOY. So the girls are on their own. In a way the other girls are luckier bc they'll have sister mom Allie to turn to as they grow up as mom and dad give two $hits about them. But it's the most unfair to Allie - when she doesn't feel like cooking or cleaning or putting away the laundry, she doesn't have an older sister who can be like - you don't have to do that today, I'll handle it for you. It's all very Jana Duggar or Michaela Bates . . . Michael was able to buy into the fundie BS 1000% of having a servant's heart blah blah. Jana always just seemed miserable to me bc she clearly realized at some point that she was just being used. So if Allie has/gets that realization, she'll have the same miserable memories of her childhood that mommy has of her own.

You’re right on this. As much as C&E suck, Layla didn’t get dropped the moment the boy arrived. Evan still dotes on Layla - and in a day to day way - not in a - I’ll talk to you on your annual birthday date way. And Carlin is dim enough that she only talks to Layla about makeup and dresses, but she still talks to the child. I don’t see either of them saying “wow” and turning away if Layla showed them a gift.

Wasn’t trying to suggest John is the only boy, meant that John’s brothers are older and he was sandwiched by girl siblings on either side. He’s talked before about how he always ended up playing dress up and weddings with his sisters bc older bros didn’t want little bro tagging along. Meant that while he doesn’t remember it, yeah his girl siblings saw his manhood bc no doubt they were changing their brother just like Allie is now.

I'm not watching a half hr of these people but I guess by planning to build another bedroom/bathroom over the school room, the - we don't want any more kids - BS is out the window? Bc if they're going to knock down a wall in one of the girls' bedrooms to make it a bigger room for all 4 girls, and thus let Prince Rhett take Allie/Macie's existing room, what exactly do they need ANOTHER bedroom for? All their kids are accounted for with a downstairs guestroom still left over. But let's be real, no way are they gonna let Prince Rhett grow up with no brothers if they can help it - I mean what if the boy starts dancing or wearing pink?? But per the Reddit folks, in a recent video John scoffed about - well if we have more kids it'll prob be girls anyway. So they may be prepping for the mental reality that in order to give Prince Rhett a brother, they may end up having 2-3 more girls first. Excellent plan for a man who DOES NOT WANT even his existing kids + a wife who only wants sons. Funny how the Reddit leghumpers hump Carlin/Evan day and night but HATE Alyssa and John esp for how they treat Allie. IDK from what little I've seen, Alyssa seems like the type who is VERY RESENTFUL of ANYONE who she perceives has it "easier" than she did. That's part of why she has NO PROBLEM treating Addie and Ellie like maids because NO FAIR when she was 15-16, she was cooking and cleaning for a dozen+ kids and Addie/Ellie only have 5 kids at home now. Same thing for Allie - why should she allow that 8 yr old to have an easy ride when 8 yr old Alyssa was cooking for a dozen+ people with then 12 yr old Michael?? Uh but Alyssa your issues need to be taken up with G/K and/or with a therapist, not with your EIGHT YEAR OLD child. I bet she spends 95% of her day pissed with Allie for not responding to her brother's diaper needs fast enough or not potty training her sisters or not getting their lunches ready on time. And John has said before that he was the youngest boy surrounded by girl siblings in his family as his older bros were significantly older than him; so he doesn't know or remember that in fundie families - girls ARE taught that boys have dicks and that's where their specialness comes from. And they're taught this bc they see said dick 7000 times/day as they change diapers. So yeah John, your fundie daughters aren't gonna be protected from your son's manhood bc your lazy ass fundie wife ain't changing any diaper that she can pass off on Allie or even Lexie.

I'm a few days behind - have they said they're going to Arkansas - like on IG or YT? Or are we just assuming it bc they're desperate for content. His parents regularly watch his YT - how cringeworthy that your parents are seeing that your means of financial support is making an ass out of yourselves/your kid. They posted an IG clip of mommy and daddy watching this week's YT laughing along.

Official explanation - we HAD to come to Nene’s a day early because “we had a meeting for an appointment.” Uh Carlin first that’s not proper English. Second the weekend doesn’t start on Thursday either. What’s this appointment? BSB business without Z&W in tow - seems unlikely. Something at Vanderbilt? Really they’ve dumped the kids at Nene’s and are off reminiscing about their relationship. Funny how they have some problem being together in their own home in the present but are always 1000% on board to re-live how it started. They’re in downtown Springfield Tenn pointing out the dance studio where I assume they practiced for the wedding, some coffee shop etc. Is Carlin 100% ok health wise? Bc she is recreating some pic from 2017 where she’s hanging on a ladder off the side of a building. Uh she’s at minimum 6 ft off the ground and more likely about 8-10 ft. So back to normal life then?

Back in Nashville again as of last night. Were they not just with mommy and daddy LAST WEEK?? And of course Wednesday is the perfect day to start a long weekend.

How many people in fundie world do you think have heard AND believed the exact description of what Josh was looking at? I expect - JB Duggar knows bc he sat in on all of Josh's defense lawyer meetings + Jill/Derick Dillard and Joy/Austin bc they clearly did not believe JB's bullshit and went to court almost daily to hear/see it for themselves + Jinger/her husband who didn't attend trial but I think are worldly enough to get it. I mean other brothers attended the trial - the ones who are in their early 20s now and you could tell they were 100% in with JB's kool aid - their poor brother sitting their in leg shackles was just being persecuted, as all god loving people are blah blah. It was only Jill and Joy and their husbands who you could tell went in there NOT to confirm what JB was spewing but see the actual images, hear from the government lawyers etc. Do you really think IBPL sat down and did a board meeting and said ok we have a problem, this family who was the face of our org and on TV, their oldest son is going to have a very public trial and he was looking at X - victims ages A to B, y# of videos; z # of still photos; in the worst of the videos THESE are the acts being done to the victims. NO WAY. It's all FUNDIE SPEAK - Satan; the lord is testing Josh and the Duggar family; Josh is being persecuted but he's going to go spread the Lord's truth in prison blah blah. This is what JB was conveying to his family, IBPL, Gil and thus Gil and all the other fundies are conveying this to their families. Oh he was tempted by Satan who amongst us hasn't been blah blah. Uh no assholes he wasn't just jerking off bc he saw a woman in a bikini or watched a video of a woman willing working in the sex industry. So when you soft pedal it like that it's very easy to equate everything with regular porn and blame Satan/Anna/whomever.

You have to wonder if they asked for a flat bed tow truck, rather than AAA/whoever responded just putting a spare tire on the car and telling them to get to a mechanic for a tire alignment. Like I can imagine the guy being like - uh you don't NEED a tow, are you SURE you want one bc it's $125 for me to just hitch the car up and then $x/mile after that!? I can also imagine either a confused or eye rolling tow truck driver, as he saw the wife all teary and the husband praising the Lord . . . as this dude was like uh it's a TIRE!?