RandomX

And the denim mermaid skirt!

I’m probably mistaken. If I find a reference, I’ll post it.

And what’s the point when she’s no longer in the running for MOTY awards? It’s always been performative.

Someone please post anything JillR shares about SHP. She’s such a narcissist that she won’t be able to resist. She is nails-on-a-chalkboard irritating and a danger to civilized society … but I’m down for a tantrum.

I have’t read Jinger’s book — had it reserved (hard copy at the time) through my library but relocated and haven’t yet had the chance to establish a new local library. Does she discuss how her parental practices do/will differ from JB&Ms? I know she has indicated her children will attend school, but I’m not sure whether she discusses that in any detail in her book. Thanks.

I agree that Derick would approve. I also think he would have been content for some time with God-bothering missionary work if 1) the TLC/JB gravy train had funded it and 2) his growing family had adapted to it (clearly Jill did not). interesting looking back on how lip service was paid to Josh Duggar going to law school. The arrogance of the Family Research Council arc is still breathtaking. Were there ever any show references to JimBob having a home (or even work) office?

Well played by Jinger. She’s become the family diplomat.

Some of my optimism for progress was pinned to the Dillard boys attending school. I guess now that hope has to rest on the Derick’s investment in seeing his children carry on his family’s Pistol Pete legacy. A bit less inspiring. If Jill had an actual K-12 education instead of serving as an around-the-clock mother to her siblings, and parents who cared about their children launching snd succeeding in this world, she could have been a medical or health professional and lived her original dream of midwifing or adjacent care. She had the work ethic (a school would have helped with “Duggar time”), somehow retained enough curiosity to pursue midwifing as she could while still living in the TTH, and she’s bright enough to have taken on courses if she could outgrow the Duggar attitudes. I wonder if that’s ever even occurred to her. I wonder if she knows Abby is using her nursing license and that sparks any thoughts. I don’t discount the SM work — though she and most of her siblings would benefit from curating better content — or the book. SM is a job in and of itself, but it can also be fickle; it didn’t see them through the post-TLC/JB falling out; and they need to recognize that it requires an investment of time that she/they haven’t demonstrated they can make. The book: that depends. The “JB betrayed our trust” stories will sell this book, but I’m not sure about future books unless she (more than they) can separate meaningfully from beliefs in which she was raised.

To add to this, Jill posted yesterday in an Instagram reply that she loves her parents. I don’t doubt that.

It’s another baby cage. 🙁

I oddly started reading about the Duggars on snark websites without watching any of the specials or episodes. The only episodes I’ve seen to date were Jill’s wedding and (IIRC) some lead-in episodes of her courting experience, and that was due to me recovering from an outpatient surgery and reading that those epis were airing. Basically all I know is what I’ve read here and elsewhere — yet there are so many IBLP Studies PhDs (if SOTDRT can grant its own degrees, so can I) here that I feel well-steeped in the Duggar and affiliated family cult history. I share your feelings of waning sympathy as the children become adults and perpetuate their hateful beliefs and horrible child-rearing practices. I came into SHP with the view that Derick is a bitter, hateful person and a subvertly manipulative husband. And then … SHP actually has shifted my perspective. Derick did not come off as smug to me. He spoke only in support of her and when she was struggling. She interrupted him at least once and he immediately shut up and let her speak (I understand this has also happened on their youtube videos, which I haven’t seen). In what I found to be an effective way of “showing and not telling,” Derick and Jill’s interactions and body language were miles away from the clips of other cult adjacent couples: JB & Michelle and the Holts (even with Bobye’s side eyes). There were no adoring submissive gazes. The eye contact and handholding read to me as supportive vs approval-seeking or controlling. Maybe it was effective stagemanship or maybe they received hugely sympathetic cuts and direction that no one else received. I doubt that — only the institutions (I count JB as an institution) seem to avail themselves with pro help, though Derick’s law school and (albeit brief) legal experience likely gave him some insights into effectively presenting oneself and one’s narrative. Now I’m considering Derick to still be bitter, likely still hateful, but now a healthier partner for Jill. I’m interested to see whether my perception shifts again when their book comes out since he is listed as a co-author. I wish Jill and other cult survivors strength in recovering. She and I would never be BFFs, but I empathize with her situation. I hope she and other survivors will reach a recovery stage where they can experience compassion for the burdens that others carry, even if those burdens differ from their own.

Yes (IMO), but with the focus shifting to the damage done by IBLP and similar groups. For instance: the documentary will delve into a topic like immediate obeyance, explain “blanket training” and how that dovetails into obeyance and teaching submission, then show clips of Michelle talking about / doing blanket training. They take this approach to tease out several issues and also use non-Duggar examples to illustrate. That said, the Duggars ARE the most familiar to the general public; there’s a lot of Duggar footage available; and for a few individual non-Duggar accounts of abusive past behavior by IBLP and affiliated individuals — most of which happened in at least semi-private circumstances — individual interviews are effectively used because there’s no B-Roll available for obvious reasons. I will one day celebrate a vicious, scathing and accurate take-down of JB and Michelle. This had a broader focus and while I personally root for JB&M to reap what they’ve sown while still walking this earth, I also believe the SHP is more effective by being centered on the damage done to children and young people caught up in the IBLP cult.

I agree with your bet! I don’t know that they have the pull to do a pre-screened media interview unless it’s self-generated. Their star has dimmed quite a bit (Thank Goddess!).

Yes, and I don’t mind any of the daughters using the Duggar name in whatever form they choose. The show made them (mildly) famous/notorious with the benefits flowing to their parents. They pre-earned as children whatever social capital the name / show still carries.

I don’t follow Jill on SM and only see what’s posted here, so may not have the full context. That said: I’m glad when I see her kids presented as individuals and not always in general chaotic ensemble mode. I hope they get back to school next semester I held out hope that they were Quiet Schooling but that has faded.