EarlGreyTea

That was a meh episode, but worth it for the shot of Louis' arms. Niiice. Love all the tongue in cheek comments about acting being a dead end, with no Asians on TV. And the last shot of Margaret Cho's show? Capped off the meta that was this episode.

Marjorie was pretty cute in the announcement. I like her already just for her "It's NOT John-David" remark. I ugly cackled at that. She's pretty bubbly and cute...I really, really hope she's prepared for this onslaught. I like that Josiah let her take the reins in the announcement, only appearing in the last few seconds. He seems comfortable with letting her lead. Oh good, an episode with tons of Sierra the inept wedding planner....exactly what everyone wanted! I suppose another Amy episode is next. The "next generation of Duggar brides." I wish it was the next generation of Duggar scholars!

The special announcement is officially Josiah and Marjorie, not a Jessa pregnancy (I think....9 minutes left in the episode). Marjorie was pretty cute in it. She's pretty much on the announcement for the entire time, getting the audience to guess which boy is courting. "It's NOT John-David!" Lol....the family's disdain for JD's non-courting self has extended to the in-laws.

Yeah, I chuckled when I saw it, and I usually dislike pranks. Luckily the cameraman seemed to take it in stride. I don't find the trashing the car cute, however. JD and the boys' glee in acting like morons and destroying someone's car is pathetic. They might not like someone putting sardines in their cars, when all they want to do is leave the reception with the new brides they can finally touch. Although it's not like JD has to worry about THAT anytime soon. Having said that, I don't think Josiah even owns a car, so no problem there. ;) Whoever suggested upthread both he and Marjorie pursue graphic design degrees was genius. It's good work, and I can see them working side by side.

Finally just saw the episode. I noticed how few VOs there were, hardly any like in previous episodes. Given the real Eddie's dislike of the episode, I'm wondering if he refused to do the VOs and they had to cut them out.

Right in that boat with you. Hello, fellow Mexican! I hope little Carlos/Concha/Juan/Maria etc. Duggar will have the best in life. Can't you just see JB and the kids turning up their noses at the spicy food and acting like they've been served slop? And I know it can often be a subtle nuance, but I hope they respect that there are many Latin American countries and the types of things that are popular in one (i.e., food) aren't used as much in another. I'm still not completely clear as to whether Marjorie's mother is Guatemalan or not. Josiah has always struck me as gentle and respectful. I can see him being like Jill and willing to try all the non-American fare he can.

Interesting. I wonder if maybe the dress was originally just the green color and then the two other panels were added for modesty? And yes, I hope she's got a solid support system. Even Duggar supporters are probably going over her blog, family, dress, and quotes with a fine tooth comb.

Wow, this really brings home how YOUNG Marjorie is. She's only 11 in this clip! As much as I will enjoy the Duggars becoming more diverse, I really hope they don't rush this. The photo they released of Marjorie and Josiah with flowers should be their prom photo, not pre-engagement photo. I really love Marjorie's dress and shoes in the official photo. I think she looks lovely. The long hair trend seems to be pretty prevalent in this circle. I'm waiting for a nice shoulder length cut from more of these girls.

YES. And since they're hosting we'll probably get to meet alllll of her many Latino (Guatemalan? I think I read upthread her mother is Guatemalan?) relatives, who will insist on being fed, because that's what we do. And I dearly hope they do the dollar dance - oh wait, no dancing at fundie weddings. It'll be interesting to see which side of the culture wins out on that one - dancing at many Latino weddings is a must.

Yeah, but from the tiny, tiny excerpt I read, she sounds pretty well-spoken. And even if the book's not good, it at least shows initiative, discipline, and a desire to use her mind. That already beats every single Duggar kid's education by a country mile already. She's shot ahead as the smartest Duggar in-law, leaving Ben and Anna in the dust, second only to Derick (EDIT - Forgot that Anna has some early education training, so never mind on that one. Ahead of Bin, then). ....Although I shouldn't get my hopes up like I did with Derick Duggar - er, Dillard.

FOR REAL. This could not make it any more apparent. Look at how Jill and Jessa buddied up after years of not being particularly close. These people seem to draw a firm line between the singles and the marrieds, and they sure do seem to lord it over one another. I get that it's their version of getting a job and flying the coop, but how awful for the singles. Look at how we barely see photos of Jinger on Jessa's instagram, but plenty of Ben and Jill/Derick. It is becoming very clear that all the weeping the girls did on Jessa/Jill's weddings was because they knew exactly what was going to happen. Josiah is a different kettle of fish, but we're now gonna see a whole lot of him on social media. I hope Marjorie is ready for the onslaught of media attention.

This is the one I'm really excited for. The Duggars could really use some diversity. It fascinates me every time we see a minority in this homogenized group. And if Josiah's learning Spanish, he's realizing it's a big world out there and that there are many great ways to live and communicate. Of course, I thought the same thing about Derick and Jill. At the same time, as a Latina, I'm prepared to be very annoyed at the way JB and some of the kids talk about Marjorie's culture. Turning up their noses at whatever food is prepared for them, speaking bad Spanglish, asking ignorant questions and just overall treating Marjorie's family as the foreigner.

Shakespeare's difficult to understand even for the moderately educated - can you imagine this gang trying to tackle it? Most of his bawdy jokes would go right over their heads. Except "beast with two backs," that one's hard to miss. So much amazing literature they're missing out on, but that JB and Michelle were probably not deprived of as kids. That's one thing that annoys me. Even if stuff like Shakespeare is too bawdy for them, Anne of Green Gables, Caddie Woodlawn, Little House, etc., are all very wholesome. Of course, most of the girls in those books are encouraged to educate themselves and be independent, and we can't have that. Was reading some Harlem Renaissance poetry the other day and it occurred to me that without understanding the context in which it was written (requiring at least a cursory knowledge of black history), much of those beautiful words would be pretty meaningless to the Duggars.

And then to hear Smuggar passively aggressively complain about how much nicer Jill's wedding was (not his exact words)! When his was thrown by the Kellers, who even (gasp!) served food! He really is bitter about how much more interested the audience is in the girls, isn't he?

Yeah, that's true about the meds. And I hope they got all that mold out of the house. Frankly I'm surprised he can keep on a nice face even with sinus headaches, a stuffed nose and watery eyes. AND living in that weird shed with no air conditioning pre-marriage. I would be supremely grouchy. Ben and Jessa grow on me until their next ignorant Instagram post, then I remember how close-minded and intolerant they can really be. Most of that's not their fault, but I do think we have a responsibility to broaden our horizons and formulate different opinions from our parents once we become adults. Which Ben and Jessa have, to some extent, so maybe there's still a chance they can become tolerant of different lifestyles and beliefs, which is my main issue with them.

I am so excited that Hillary will be announcing tomorrow. Besides the fact that it's my birthday tomorrow, Rachel is never more entertaining than during a presidential election season. She did some great segments in 2012 on the Republican primary chaos, and then great analysis on the debates. I'm expecting her to be in fine form during this upcoming election too. I also really loved the panels she hosted post-debate with Al Sharpton, Chris Matthews, Steve, Schmidt, etc. Their flabbergasted reaction to Clint Eastwood's speech was one of my favorite things about the election. I really prefer MSNBC as a whole during an election cycle, frankly. In non-election years I'm not as interested. Apparently I'm not the only one since their ratings really skyrocket during elections and then plummet when they're over.

I think those sitcoms were all products of a much more diverse time. I really think television became so homogenized because of 9/11, when fear and mistrust of the foreigner really ran rampant, and people seemed to want a return to traditional values. Think of the great 1990s sitcoms featuring minority families that all but disappeared in the early 2000s. It's been over a decade now, and I think that's why the media finally seems more open again to diversity. Contrast that with the relative prosperity of the 1990s, which then bred a lot of diversity in the media, and the 1970s, when people began to demand diversity in the wake of the civil rights movement. We're just now finally getting back to diverse sitcoms after a long hiatus - Black-ish, Fresh off the Boat, etc. - that I can see why people may be gun shy about not rocking the boat.

I think he's a bit of a doofus who needs to invest in some allergy meds (seriously, Ben, I have horrible allergies too but a nice prescription med cleared them right up) but I can see how she sees him as dashing. He actually listens to her, and right at this moment he's probably making her lunch in the peace and quiet of their home, with no kids screaming and no one else to take care of. In lieu of moving out and getting her own job, or going to college, which let's face it, would never happen, he was her best chance. To quote my favorite Dixie Chicks song, he's her version of wide open spaces.

Tori is 19, Joe is 20. Young by mainstream standards to get married, but pretty much on target for their circle to be married. Maybe you're thinking of Carlin, who is 16. Alyssa is 20 and she's already married and pregnant. Tori could do worse than Joseph, I guess. He's definitely the cutest Duggar male, not that that's saying much (looking at you Smuggar and JD).

I think it was just an ill-fitting suit. It looked awful - if it was tailored I'd have demanded my money back. And it was shiny enough to see your reflection in it. Ben looked much better at his wedding, imo.

Stop it with the constant flirting with customers/people associated with the challenges. It's so skeevy. Yes, male contestants, we get it. You're masculine, you're virile. You don't need to ogle every woman that crosses your path. Also, stop making the contestants do challenges in their chef jackets. I really, really hope they have a rotating set of jackets, because I sure as hell wouldn't want to wear the same one all day doing challenges and whatnot.

I guess it's because I've only watched the show very sporadically before the last few seasons, but I thought Michelle was very gracious toward Cathy in this episode - acting cheerful, calling her Grandma. I liked also how she made sure everyone at the rehearsal dinner for Jill's wedding knew it was a Dillard event and asked everyone to pray for Cathy. Even if she was being fake, Cathy doesn't know her well enough to realize it.

I'll be honest, one of the main reasons I want a Tori/Joseph pairing is so that TLC and UP can have a Pacquaio-Mayweather style fight over who gets to air the wedding, distribution rights, photos, etc. It would be almost worth hearing Michelle blather on about the seasons of life.

I like how Jana is apparently the designated sous chef. I never thought she did much of the cooking? Anyway, maybe I'm giving Jessa way too much credit but it's interesting how she's re-branding herself into this domestic goddess with the endless food pictures, coupled with the workout photos. It may just be because she's a millennial who has to document every meal, but I think it also works well as a possible marketing tool for future endeavors. If she and Ben are serious about this public speaking venture, it's smart to make a strong identity on Instagram as a homemaker, which appeals to much of their target audience.

Yeah, they're super trendy right now. As a millennial I'm pretty sure it was borne out of our need to constantly record everything and take photos of ourselves in social situations so that we look happier and more popular than we really are. ;) I imagine it is extremely popular amongst Jill's set since women are only celebrated in Gothard culture for having kids, hence the celebrations every time. What else are they going to celebrate? Not graduating college, not getting a job promotion, not getting an advanced degree, not retiring, etc. So I get why it's especially popular in those circles.