Albanyguy

Every time one of the Duggars says "This is not an ad", I think "oh, yeah, it's an ad."

I think that's very perceptive and I think one reason she's been so offensive in her social media posts is that she's frustrated because she's NOT getting that kind of personal attention from her new in-laws. The Duggars are lazy, selfish and self-absorbed and, except for the occasional "We can't wait to see what the Lord has planned for you" birthday post, they really don't give a crap about the daughters-in-law. This is probably especially true for Lauren because she's married to Josiah, who has never been one of his parents' favorites. I think that Lauren was shocked and disappointed to realize how low her place on the Duggar pecking order really is.

Yes, I don't think he's faking anything here. He sounds sincere and it rings true. Coming to the realization that your whole life and belief system has been a lie must be incredibly painful and difficult to accept and take a long time to process. I find his statement easier to believe than the old Josh Duggar "Nothing is really my fault because Satan built a fortress in my heart and Jesus has forgiven me so now you have to forgive me, too" crap.

And they write such beautiful, sensitive letters.

And I think that's really the point. Keep her off-balance and insecure, making sure she realizes how lucky she is that he married her.

Wait, Ben & Jerry's isn't?

It's okay. Michelle decreed long ago that "feet aren't sexual" (except for that creepy old perv, Bill Gothard, of course).

Oh, boy, this will give the leghumpers a chance to whine about another member of the Duggar clan "being persecuted for his Christian beliefs"

Amy gets to announce her unborn baby's name in People? Jill and Jessa are going to be fuming over this!

I don't mind the use of "kiddo" if it's used genuinely as a term of affection (my mother used it occasionally when she wanted to strike a light, breezy note with us). But Anna has had children for over a decade and until a few weeks ago, she has never, to my knowledge, used the term to describe her children. It just sounds phony coming from her. She's obviously copying Joanna Gaines as she tries to craft a new social media image for herself. I think it's all part of an effort to become an "influencer" like her sisters-in-law and/or to get herself and Josh back on TV.

In the past, we've speculated that Josh (who clearly doesn't want more children, either) might slip off and have a secret vasectomy. Obviously, he hasn't and I think it's very unlikely that he ever would, if only because he's too much of a coward and lacks the opportunity. I think he's watched like a hawk, not allowed out in public without an accountability partner and not trusted to handle money on his own. Derick, on the other hand, could be a plausible candidate for a secret vasectomy. He has much more personal autonomy than Josh and I doubt that he'd have any qualms about deceiving Jill or breaking one of the strictest taboos of his faith. I think he's so firmly convinced of his own righteousness that he can justify any action he takes as God's will.

That's a good observation, but I doubt that Josh would have tried anything with Amy, even if he had been given the opportunity. She was never as passive and vulnerable as his sisters (no Gothard brainwashing) and I could seen him always being a little afraid of her.

He can try, but I think Jeremy and Derick will be able to fight really dirty to "protect" their wives' interests. Jeremy is a lot smarter than Josh (not that the bar is set very high) and Derick is a lot meaner. Jessa won't need Ben to fight for her; after years of pretending that what Josh did to her was "no big deal", she'll be ready to give him a little lesson in "payback".

She could get a really good song out of that.

"My wife, baby and I will be shopping at Trader Joe's from 12:30 to 1:45 PM. I am calling to beg you to respect our privacy during that period and to please, please, please not take our picture as we come out the door on the south- western side of the building and proceed to our car which will be parked in the second row from the left."

Same fake blonde hair, same heavy, greasy make-up, same raccoon eyes. As Elaine Stritch said "It's a look. It's not a good look, but it's a look."

But if Derick has the little room and Izzy and Sam have the big one, how will everyone know that Derick is more important than they are? I can just hear the wheels spinning in his mind: "I am the Master of the House, the Boss of Everyone! If I don't stake out the big room for myself, how will those sinful, manipulative little creatures learn to respect me and know their place in the pecking order?"

I can't believe that she took any kind of college course or earned any kind of college credit. If she had, we'd have heard about it when it happened.

Yes, we all (me, included) like to snark that "none of these people have jobs", but we sometimes overlook that "Counting On" is their job and they essentially work for TLC.

That's one thing she has in common with Michelle. All of the so-called "modesty" rules are really just an excuse for showing off. It's all "Look at me! Look at me!".

She wouldn't name her new baby "Annabell" as a "tribute" to Joy and Austin's baby (and to continue the "A" theme she started with Asa). Would she?

Couldn't agree more. Adding to that, these girls have been brought up to believe that having babies is the only reason for their existence, the only true measure of a woman's worth. It's become an Olympic event: who can get pregnant the fastest after the wedding, who gives birth at home as opposed to a hospital, who has the longest labor, who can come the closest to cheating death, who can pop out the most number of babies, who will give birth to those elusive twins. The competition is brutal and I doubt if there's any sportsmanship involved.

And besides the stupid emojis and hashtags, there's the constant repetitive use of "y'all" (three times in three sentences). Jill, we all know you're Southern, you don't have to hit us over the head with it. If I'm wrong, somebody please correct me, but I have always understood that real Southerners would use the contraction "y'all" in conversation, but would never type it out like that. Of all the Duggars, Jill seems to be the most "Southern" and it seems to have become more pronounced with time, to the point where she's laying it on a little too thick. Maybe she thinks it's cute or it will appeal to her fan base. I wonder if it's like Michelle's "baby voice", a linguistic trick she puts on to make it seem like she's "keeping sweet" when underneath she's feeling anything but sweet.

Being raised in grinding poverty will do that to you. Nurie, especially has been so under-nourished and over-worked all her life and looks so skeletal that I wonder if she'll even be able to conceive and deliver all those "blessings" she'll be expected to produce. I hope that she gets a few years of rest, nourishing food and a chance to build up her strength before she tries to get pregnant. Fat chance, I know. Jill will probably have the poor girl peeing on a stick the morning after the wedding.

True, but I think a lot will hinge on how much access Nurie's marriage will give Jill to the Duggar clan. I think right now she's dazzled by the prospect of Nurie becoming Anna Duggar's sister-in-law. She imagines Nurie becoming BFFs with Anna, Jessa, Jill, Jana, etc. and using that to work her own way into the Duggars' inner circle. She doesn't realize that Anna probably has no interest in taking Nathan's new bride under her wing (for all we know Anna and Nathan may not see each other more than once or twice a year). She also doesn't realize that the Duggars seem to barely tolerate Anna and have no use for her family (except for Priscilla Waller, whom they embrace because her husband is a IBLP big shot).