[Janelle Brown: Smarter Than Your Average Brown (Maybe)]

If that chart is to be believed, Janelle is at a higher "ambassador" level than Christine, which right there makes me think the whole system is a mess.  I have a hard time believing that Janelle has more drive and motivation to get out and sell this crap than Christine.  But whatever, both women are at the top of the pink Plexus pyramid.  Congrats. 🙄

[Christine Brown Woolley: Nacho Sister Wife Anymore]

On 6/12/2023 at 3:35 AM, oliviabenson said:

According to plexus site. Christine is a sapphire ambassador. And she makes $244,000 a year. 

How long has Plexus been around?  Did Christine get in super early?  According to that chart, she's nearly at the top -  not that this is anything to be proud of, it just means she has more minions working under her.

Contrast this with Jill Rodrigues from the Counting On threads who shills Plexus like a woman possessed and is only at the Silver level.

(Also, the weird snarker in me wants so bad for Jill to meet Christine at the Nashville convention).

[The Duggalos: Jinger and the Holy Goalie]

On 6/11/2023 at 4:02 PM, floridamom said:

My suspicion is that they now allow women in on these meetings to just sit there and listen. I don't think they are allowed to say anything or ask any questions knowing how MacArthus sticks to "women being silent in church" and all. 

Gosh, getting to sit silently for hours and listen to several ginormous male egos try to out-douche each other using performative word salad monologues and admiring each other's shoes?  Even I don't like donuts that much.

[Sweet Fellowship: Duggars and Friends (aka the Bates Family and Other Featured Families Thread)]

31 minutes ago, zoomama said:

that was a direct hit at the jill duggar, if you ask me. that rant definitely was aimed at SHP but also at her. sad that no one gets any grace in jillR's life but herself.

...and in hindsight, implies that she saw the documentary! tv anyone?

I'll bet she watched every single second, slobbering over the fact that all of those horrible heathens are persecuting her directly, and she probably wore her fingernail polish right off scribbling the names of every person who is now on her sh!t list, and whom she will soon be attacking on social media (but not by name...just with veiled hints because she doesn't want to be completely kicked out of the fundie club).

[Sweet Fellowship: Duggars and Friends (aka the Bates Family and Other Featured Families Thread)]

19 hours ago, the-grey-lady said:

How can anyone drink that pink mixture of chemicals and think it's healthy?

Fixed that for you. 😉 That garbage looks like runoff from a nuclear power plant.

Every time I see a bottle of that pink stuff, I swear I can smell it though my computer - a sickly-sweet fruit-punch scent turned up to 11 with components of windshield wash liquid and antifreeze.

And what, pray tell, is Jill going to do in Nashville?  She obviously won't be able to leave her hotel and traverse the streets lest she pass an establishment that serves alcohol or plays the devil's music.  So we'd better not see her out and about.

[Sweet Fellowship: Duggars and Friends (aka the Bates Family and Other Featured Families Thread)]

2 hours ago, ginger90 said:

Heidi’s mother commented on RENEE’s video of the earrings.

 

"Stink?"  Is that the Fundie word for "Sh!t?"  I've never heard that before.

"My favorites are taken" is probably the best way to placate Jill, though...as in, "I came here to buy some pink and brown cowhide earrings but Stink!  You don't have any!  If you had, I sure would have bought them!  Maybe next time! (whew)!"

[Janelle Brown: Smarter Than Your Average Brown (Maybe)]

I would read a book by Janelle only if she came clean about the tangled mess of her being married to Meri's brother before falling for the swashbuckling Kody Brown.  It would still need to come from a library, however.  Not paying for it.

[Jed! and Katey: Biblically Bunking Together]

"Don't make assumptions about my family that are 100% not your business.  You don't know what you're talking about.  Now here's a YouTube link to click about the birth of my latest kid - we start them on earning their keep as soon as their head crowns.  But seriously - stop talking about my family while you enjoy this video of my wife as she dilates to 10.  Also, shut up and leave us alone.  Next video, coming soon!"

- Jed!  

[Spoiler, Speculation and Social Media]

I could handle one more season of these people if we were shown something like Kody and his raging perm on the sad couch, pontificating on how the dissolution of his marriages is not his fault, and it's DEFINITELY not Robyn's fault...cut to a scene of Christine and Janelle at a restaurant toasting their new lives over giant margaritas and laughing like wild women.  Cut to Robyn, dressed like a receptionist circa 1982, with a frown that reaches her neck, dry-crying and whining that this is never what she wanted!  She misses ruling over chatting with her sister wives!  She loves them, and they clearly don't love her back!  Next scene - self-shot footage of Meri living it up on a LuLaCruise, dancing to "I Will Survive."  Then maybe an interior scene of the Mansion, with Robyn sadly packing up all of her Willow Tree figurines to sell, while Ari uses the furniture and maybe a light fixture or two as her own personal parkour course and Kody sits looking on, sullenly, wondering where it all went so very, very wrong.

TL; DR - pass the damn popcorn, I am here until the bitter end, y'all. 😜

[Jackson and Emerson: They're Boring; We're Snoring]

On 5/28/2023 at 9:18 PM, Notabug said:

Hit Target last night and tossed a couple extra things I really didn't need into my cart while thinking of the Bates and their bigotry.  

Is there any other way to shop at Target? :)

I wonder, would they turn away a wedding gift if they found out it had been purchased at Target?  Are they going to research the origin location of every item they receive and return what doesn't fit in with their moral code of the week?

[Sweet Fellowship: Duggars and Friends (aka the Bates Family and Other Featured Families Thread)]

17 hours ago, farmgal4 said:

I can’t believe that she was dumb enough to procreate with this loser.  That alone tells me all I need to know about Jilly Bean aka Dove. 🤮

Pretty sure Jill makes up her own pet nicknames.  I can't see Dave trying to get her attention like that: "Hey, Jilly Bean?  Could you be a dove and refill my hummingbird juice and while you're at it, make me a nice plate of tacos?"  I feel it's more like him just grunting and pointing while she flutters her eyelashes and giggles.

16 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Tessie's got a full face of makeup. I guess that's allowed at 15? Or is she 16 now? At any rate, it's the first time I've seen her tarted up. Sad.

I hate that I noticed this but I think the close-up of Tessie was zoomed in and cut from the picture of her with her siblings - like Jill saw the original picture and wanted to make sure everyone got a good eyeful of her newly for-sale daughter looking fetching with her fancy eyebrows and overdone makeup.

Dang, I hope at least one of these poor girls escapes Jill's makeovers and subsequent bargaining to the highest-ranking Fundie guy she can find.

[S04.E10: With Open Eyes]

15 hours ago, Alexander Pope said:

I am continuing to obsess about the Kendall/Roman hug and I think it is the emotional version of Wittgenstein's duck/rabbit or that dress that looks blue or gold to different people.  Kendall could have been strong-arming/abusing Roman, as many have suggested.  But Roman was also seeking out pain (pain and fighting are what he knows and needs, as was the case with him throwing himself into the crowd), and appeared to be grinding his head into Kendall's jacket (although at a certain point he wanted to let go and Kendall wouldn't let him).  Let's not forget that Roman was worrying that he didn't look wounded enough! He thought that if he looked too healed up, people would wonder why he wasn't chosen as CEO.  So to some eyes, Kendall did him a favor by reopening the wound.  I love and am frustrated by the ambiguity in equal measure!

Love this post, and I also love when a show gives me something to re-watch, think about, change my mind, watch again, etc.  For me it's Roman's smile/frown at the show's end when he's in the bar.  I initially read a lot into his facial expressions, mainly because Kieran Culkin is just so good.  Now, I think that he smiled when he tasted his martini because it reminded him of Geri, who - for better or worse - was once someone who gave him comfort within the context of their bizarre and fascinating relationship.  But he quickly realizes that she's out of his life, probably forever.  It was the smile of a person thinking about someone he'd loved and lost.  Maybe?  I'll have to watch it again.

[S04.E10: With Open Eyes]

The scene in the glass-walled conference room was one of the (many) times during this show's run that I forgot to breathe.

Prior to that, Roman seemed to be obsessed with his injuries and not wanting to be seen - especially when he notices Geri.  During the battle between the siblings, Kendall takes Roman's face in his hands as if he's trying to re-open every single scrape and cut on Roman's face.  I feel like there's a lot going on here but it's going to take some re-watching to sort it out...Roman threw himself into that group of protestors asking to be hurt.  He seemed nonchalant about it at his mother's house but once he saw Geri at the meeting, he freaked out.  Because his one and only former source of comfort had abandoned him?  And then he said unspeakable things to Kendall about his kids - was he asking to be hurt all over again because at that point, nothing mattered?  Part of my love for this show is watching the siblings interact and forming their actions and backstories based on what we've been given.  

And on a lighter note, Connor's multi-chapter explanation of how the sticker system worked at Logan's apartment was very funny to me - typical oldest kid coming at his younger siblings with complicated rules, only to have Kendall put a sticker on an item with Roman following suit because to them it was just a game.  I also loved Shiv asking where Logan's medals were and Connor admitting that there was a prior walk-through of Logan's apartment, where Connor was the only participant.  Good on Connor, he deserved that for being the Roy kid forced to handle Logan's funeral arrangements solo.

(come back to my tv soon, Alan Ruck).

[S04.E10: With Open Eyes]

On 5/29/2023 at 12:29 AM, jeansheridan said:

But Keiran got a drink I think was Gerri's preferred cocktail and got to look cool one last time.

Ah, yes - I knew there must have been significance to that martini.  It was Geri's drink of choice.  That was a great touch.

23 hours ago, Alexander Pope said:

But Connor was at that dinner too, doing a really funny imitation of his dad.  It showed us that there was a relationship there we didn't know about, and that the other three kids didn't have.

I love that there was a relationship between Connor and Logan that we didn't know about.  Connor's backstory is mysterious but I think there are enough clues to put it together, mostly.  What I found more interesting is the non-reactions from the kids watching the video (other than Roman crying, but that makes sense). None of them seemed particularly surprised to see their dad relaxed and enjoying himself.  That was a completely different Logan than we've ever seen on the show.  They must have known that he had that side to him, and that Connor had a different relationship with their dad.  But the fact that we never really saw that until now is another piece of their puzzle.

 

23 hours ago, RedDelicious said:

Except Roman. I think the smile is that he is aware, and the frown is how they got there and he still has a lot of grieving to do.

That was so good.  Freedom, followed immediately by the pain of grief.  So - maybe not so free, yet.

One last thing that I didn't see mentioned was Shiv and Roman in the water, telling Kendall to "smile, bitch."  Jeremy Strong smiled so hard, his entire face got involved - his eyes, forehead, etc.  It was actually a bit jarring, as I don't think we've seen a true Kendall smile over the entirety of this show.

Succession will be missed!  This is in my top 3 favorite shows, ever.  Alas, endings.  Alas.

 

[Sweet Fellowship: Duggars and Friends (aka the Bates Family and Other Featured Families Thread)]

13 hours ago, merylinkid said:

There are still small kids at home and yet somehow they had a whole afternoon to themselves to take a tour.  

This.  Nice afternoon out for Ma and Pa while Renee takes care of everyone left at home.

But seriously, just STFU, Jill.  If what's in the movie is so bothersome to you and you recommend a language filter on it, and you're too holy to allow your kids to watch it, then why bother visiting at all?  This drives me nuts.  If you fundamentally disagree with the contents of this popular movie (I personally watch it once every holiday season along with A Charlie Brown Christmas), then what on earth is the point of being there?  Honestly I would have more respect for her if she and Dave just sat in their car outside the house sipping Big Gulps and snarking about the other folks going inside the house - at least it would be true to the person she constantly tells us she is.  Just like visiting the Andy Griffith house - if it's something that you cannot morally abide, why are they giving them their money to visit?

Jill wants it both ways - she wants to see these places but she has to point out that she's far too Christian, really, to be there at all.  Same thing with her and Big Daddy going out with Timmay and making sure we all know that Tim IS NOT DRINKING ALCOHOL.  Come to think of it, Jill - based on what she herself has told us - should not even be in that type of establishment in the first place.  She should either be true to the persona she portrays, or give up the holier-than-thou crap when she lowers herself to go someplace that the unwashed masses also visit.

TL;DR - STFU Jill.  

[Sweet Fellowship: Duggars and Friends (aka the Bates Family and Other Featured Families Thread)]

Can't even LOOK at alcohol?  That must make grocery shopping very difficult.

[Sweet Fellowship: Duggars and Friends (aka the Bates Family and Other Featured Families Thread)]

2 hours ago, BradandJanet said:

Is Jill's Plexus push shot in the same field in the same clothes as her Everybody's So Mean to Me complaint? That was a quick change of mood. I guess the invitation to Nashville helped. 

Good eye!  But I get it - when you've spent hours on your makeup, hair, nails and accessories, and then worked very hard to pair your sexy flashy modest black spangled blouse with a purple and blue pattered skirt and you're looking very hot but not in a heathen way, you've got to make the most of those photo shoots.  So she knocked off the haters and gave praise to Plexus in one afternoon.  That's good time management.  I'm sure the kids were just fine while she was off playing Nice Christian Supermodel in the field of (hopefully) poison ivy.

1 hour ago, ozziemom said:

Sounds like she has to spend it at the conference so surprisingly Plexus is the real winner. 

So you shill Plexus, Plexus gives you points, those points transfer into cash but you can only use the cash towards more Plexus at the Plexus conference in Nashville for which you have to pay your own transportation and lodging.  Sounds fantastic, sign me up - I have always wanted to see Nashville from the inside of a Holiday Inn conference room.  

[S02.E05: NMB NMP]

On 5/22/2023 at 2:27 PM, cpcathy said:

Kudos to Bridget, her just eating her breakfast, not even looking up was such great quiet acting. I felt that. That said, Sam was wrong and could have brushed off Joel fibbing to her.

The quiet parts of this show are really well done.  The scenes of Tricia in her empty house are so good - that feeling of when the kids are gone, what are you supposed to do with yourself?  And Sam walking into her own empty house after learning about Holly - where she's simply sitting on the couch, looking around, crying and trying to take off her necklace - it seems like we're peeking in on a person doing something real and even somewhat boring but that's what being alone/lonely looks like.

I feel like Sam brushed Joel off because after finding out about Holly, she may have been wanting to talk about it with Joel at breakfast.  But then the waiter revealed that Joel had been lying to her too (handing Sam the windbreaker), so she felt doubly betrayed.  It's not pretty but I understand her reaction.  It felt genuine.  Looking forward to see how Sam comes to terms with all of this new knowledge.

[Sweet Fellowship: Duggars and Friends (aka the Bates Family and Other Featured Families Thread)]

10 hours ago, jacourt said:

Is there not one inch of space in that house that doesn't have some crappy dust collector on it. 

If you ever feel the need to sneeze, just pull up any picture of the interior of Jill's barndo.  Works every time.

 

1 hour ago, ginger90 said:

How's that weed smell, Jill?  I hope it triggered your allergies.  OH WAIT - never mind, Plexus fixed that.

If your income is so amazing, feed your kids and buy them shoes that fit.

[S04.E09: Church and State]

16 hours ago, nb360 said:

Do we learn why Logan has the marks on his back?

I've assumed the marks were from being beaten as a kid by the aunt and uncle who took in Logan and his siblings - either that or he got them at boarding school.  Thanks to Ewan's eulogy we learned that Logan was sent away to school but was weak and sick, and came home on his own.  

[The Lonely Js Club: Jana, Jason, James, Jackson & Johannah]

13 hours ago, CalicoKitty said:

Dave and Pris posted pictures of them staying in their stateroom reading the Bible when they went on a cruise.  I guess they just came out to eat.  I wonder how many of this group have become more "worldly" and participated in activities.  A Carnival Cruise can be pretty lively in ways they are not used to.

At a logical level, I don't understand why these people would go on a cruise if it meant they needed to hide in their cabins to prevent spraining their necks from whipping their heads around and judging everyone so hard if they dared to venture out amongst the heathens.  On a petty level, I am hoping to try my first cruise in a couple of years, after having saved up enough money where I'm comfortable using it for a trip.  But these people?

Cruises.  The Swiss Alps.  Italy.  Australia.  China.  And the other 78 yearly vacations around the continental USA they seem to take constantly.  The majority of us don't have the means to do this, so how can it be that some has-been, Z-list disgraced reality stars can zip around the world on a whim?  It hurts my brain and it ticks me off, because deep down I assume they only go for the social media aspect and so they can say they've gone, and not because they've studied the area and wanted to go for the history, or the art, or because they really want to experience a culture other than their own.

/rant

EDIT: @GeeGolly might have answered part of my question but if JB did give his kids a payout, they have to know that blowing through that money means they're not going to get any more, right?  It's not as if JB's pockets are as deep as they once were, and will likely never be again.  

[S04.E09: Church and State]

20 hours ago, CatWarmer said:

Entire conversation:

Shiv: Hey! Lukas: It's a yes. Yes? Yes. Shiv: Uh. From... Yeah? Yeah! ( Suspenseful music playing ) Okay. Great move. Smart. Lukas: Yeah. They think they're interested. And, uh, I think I can make a US CEO work. Shiv: Great. Let's, uh, let's make a meatball burger. ( Chuckles softly ) Lukas: Yeah. Good night.
 

I need to know what a meatball burger is and how it relates to Shiv and Lukas.

The quick, smarmy line from Kieran Culkin to Frank right as Roman got up to deliver his eulogy: Frank says something to Roman: "Are you okay, son?"  Roman replies, "Already pre-grieved.  Not your son."  So biting and cruel from Roman, and then seconds later Roman becomes so overcome that he can't speak and has to be escorted back to his seat.  That's the brilliance of this character, IMO - he can go from a mean little sh!thead to a complete wreck in the space of a minute.  I at once hate him and then feel sorry for him and then I hate him again and then I'm terrified he's going to get trampled to death.

I'm going to need a few new shows to watch that come close to the brilliance of this one when it's all said and done.  The closest I can think of regarding a group of messed-up siblings was Bloodline.  Or, I could (and likely will) just re-watch Succession in its entirety.  

[Sweet Fellowship: Duggars and Friends (aka the Bates Family and Other Featured Families Thread)]

17 hours ago, the-grey-lady said:

Kaylee's frosted blue eyeshadow and wagon wheel spokes mascara make me feel like I've time traveled to 1986.

Kaylee is probably matching her eyeshadow color to her baby's gender...as one does.  So if anyone asks her if she's having a boy or girl, she can just close her eyes.

 

17 hours ago, farmgal4 said:

She used to be exceptionally cute, but in the past several videos she’s looked beaten down, a good 10 years older than she is and just plain old miserable.

I feel for all of these girls but Tessie in particular, for some reason.  She looks far too world-weary for being only 15/16.  She constantly hunches her shoulders in pictures because she's tall and either feels awkward or has been told my Mahmo to slouch so she's not taller than her he-man brothers.  But there's no light in her eyes.  Maybe that's just the normal look of the Rod daughter who knows she's the next passenger due to get on Jill's Marriage Express and she's terrified.  

So Renee convinced the other kids to "pitch in" and buy Jill an electric bike?  Pitch in using what?  Coins collected from under the couch?  Recycling soda cans?  How does one pitch in when they have nothing to contribute?  I'm guessing Timmay and Jonathan went halfsies on the bike.

As for Jill's dramatic post to the haters, I love how she's sitting in a field holding a flower.  The next picture, she's pretending to smell it - but I'm pretty sure it's a weed.  

[Christine Brown Woolley: Nacho Sister Wife Anymore]

No disrespect meant to those that read on their phones - my eyes just can't do it.  Plus I love the feel of a book in my hands.  I am a dinosaur in my work's breakroom as I settle in with a library book while everyone else is holding their phones, lol...to the point of when I do see someone else with a book, I have to sneak a look at what they're reading. :)

I'm just happy that Truely loves to read.  She has been my favorite Brownie since she was born, with that adorable white-blond fuzzy hair and those huge eyes, staring Kody down and letting him know that she was on to his shenanigans, even as a toddler.

 

[Christine Brown Woolley: Nacho Sister Wife Anymore]

If there's going to be any potential downtime anywhere, I am bringing a book...car rides, long lines, appointments, airport, etc.  Good for Truely and I love that she's reading real books and not staring at a phone.

/off my lawn