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

[BradandJanet]

Only in Jill's World would a teenager want her mother's stretchy, outdated tube skirts and dresses with the most unfortunate prints and patterns imaginable.

As for the "guest suite," the barndo addition has a metal roof, and the upstairs attic "suite" has neither central heating nor air conditioning. It also has some funky wiring done by the genius himself. It's not a Holiday Inn. It's more like a no-name motel on a lonesome back road. 

Edited June 26 by BradandJanet

[ginger90]

9 minutes ago, BradandJanet said:

nor air conditioning

There’s an air conditioner in the window in the picture she most recently posted of the “guest quarters”.

[merylinkid]

3 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

The girls were way too excited to be given a chance to get her hand-me-downs. Scrambling to get to them first.

Because Jill has trained them they must compete against each other -- clothing, food, Jill's love.   Even if they wind up sharing, they still have the "must fight my sisters or I am a losing loser who loses" mentality.

[ALittleShelfish]

That video made me so incredibly sad.  I couldn't stand the shrieking but then I realized that they were just happy to get whatever scraps Mahmo tossed their way.  

And fucking Dave, snacking away... 🤬

[AstridM]

6 hours ago, farmgal4 said:

Jill made a video with “the girls.”  Apparently when she gets tired of her clothes, she passes them on to the girls.  She laid the clothes on her bed and then called the girls in to choose which items they want.  Now we know for sure that the girls are wearing BME’s old clothes while Jill buys new ones.  Those girls never get new clothes.  Watch the video.  It’s insane.

But none of her daughters wear the same size she does 🥲🥲🥲

[AstridM]

2 hours ago, emma675 said:

I don't want to body shame Jill, because she's honestly not all that big, but compared to her waif thin daughters...her old clothes aren't going to fit them. Jill has a bigger chest and abdomen from years of having children, plus she seems to eat regular meals, neither of which her non-married daughters have or do. That whole hand me down video was sad on many levels. 

Exactly! I am probably close to Jill’s size (with a naturally larger chest and a smaller waist due to lack of kids, lol), and that’s fine, but our clothes don’t fit waifs!

[libgirl2]

So Jill gets new stuff and they get her castoffs? My mother would never have done that. 

[CalicoKitty]

8 minutes ago, AstridM said:

But none of her daughters wear the same size she does 🥲🥲🥲

This explains why the girls wear clothing and shoes that don't fit, and why they always look like poor waifs.  Jill doesn't care if they have their own clothing that fits properly.  She wants new clothes for herself.

[Salacious Kitty]

I just watched the video. There really wasn't much selection to choose from, and it looked to be tops, no skirts. As was said above, they'll fit with modesty layers added. Jill doesn't want her girls in clothes that fit. She needs to be the star at all times! 🙄

[AstridM]

16 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

So Jill gets new stuff and they get her castoffs? My mother would never have done that. 

Mine, either. Disgusting. 

[libgirl2]

2 minutes ago, AstridM said:

Mine, either. Disgusting. 

On the contrary, my mom would surprise me with something she saw that she thought I might like. Even when I was older and on my own. She was so very generous. 

[AstridM]

5 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

On the contrary, my mom would surprise me with something she saw that she thought I might like. Even when I was older and on my own. She was so very generous. 

Mine, too. We were very lucky. 

[ginger90]

They scrambled for pieces of clothing and then they gave each piece to Renee to sort out. So, there was no point to the whole thing. Surprise!!

[Notabug]

32 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

So Jill gets new stuff and they get her castoffs? My mother would never have done that. 

When I was a kid, my mom and I and a couple of my sisters were similarly built and could share some, if not most, clothes. You bet your butt it was my mother borrowing OUR newer, more trendy stuff than vice versa.  She did have more dressy clothes than we did, being as it was the 60's and we would occasionally borrow one of her nice outfits to wear to a wedding or other fancy event.  Otherwise, it was my mother raiding my closet and my sisters' looking for stuff to wear.

And, yes, when my mother gave me clothes to wear, it was not her castoffs, but brand new stuff fresh from the store that she thought I'd like.

Edited June 26 by Notabug

[laurakaye]

3 hours ago, BradandJanet said:

As for the "guest suite," the barndo addition has a metal roof, and the upstairs attic "suite" has neither central heating nor air conditioning. It also has some funky wiring done by the genius himself. It's not a Holiday Inn. It's more like a no-name motel on a lonesome back road. 

Complete with a rusty and scary bug-infested print shop, non-stop screechy music, and terrifying graveyards landscaping.  And a crazy lady for a landlord.

Those poor girls are never going to be able to wash out the scent of Jill's Dollar Store knock-off Giorgio perfume from those polyester blouses.

Edited June 26 by laurakaye

[libgirl2]

6 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

Those poor girls are never going to be able to wash out the scent of Jill's Dollar Store knock-off Giorgio perfume from those polyester blouses.

I was thinking the same thing.... stinky polyester blouses. 

[oliviabenson]

Wonder how Kaylee feels since she drinks raw milk and plexus! Truly a vile combination!

[ginger90]

Kaylee hasn’t posted since the end of May. A bit odd, imo.

[libgirl2]

2 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

Kaylee hasn’t posted since the end of May. A bit odd, imo.

Especially since she went to LV, so she must still sell plexus. 

[Salacious Kitty]

28 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

Especially since she went to LV, so she must still sell plexus. 

She was wearing a lanyard, so she was acknowledged as a seller.

[libgirl2]

2 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

She was wearing a lanyard, so she was acknowledged as a seller.

She might be acknowledged as one but not really selling. 

[crazy8s]

2 hours ago, ginger90 said:

Kaylee hasn’t posted since the end of May. A bit odd, imo.

She did comment on Jill's fb page on the pic of mama in her mother of the grad gown. Needed to tell mama how beautiful she she is.

Then again that could have been Jill commenting as Kaylee and then replying as herself to Kaylee's comment 😂

 

Edited June 26 by crazy8s

[Salacious Kitty]

4 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

She might be acknowledged as one but not really selling. 

Oh I agree that she's not successfully selling to anyone but herself. But she is still a Brand Ambassador, whatever the hell that really means. 

Edited June 26 by Salacious Kitty

[oliviabenson]

2 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Oh I agree that she's not successfully selling to anyone but herself. But she is still a Brand Ambassador, whatever the hell that really means. 

It means she is a sucker/a fool…

[oliviabenson]

3 hours ago, ginger90 said:

Kaylee hasn’t posted since the end of May. A bit odd, imo.

Guess she couldn’t get her own downline as quickly as she expected.

Jill is looking for 3 fools lol.

[Salacious Kitty]

Jill was looking for 3 suckers even before Vegas. Posting about her trip was wholly unsuccessful. 

[farmgal4]

5 hours ago, CalicoKitty said:

This explains why the girls wear clothing and shoes that don't fit, and why they always look like poor waifs.  Jill doesn't care if they have their own clothing that fits properly.  She wants new clothes for herself.

Exactly.

[Madtown]

7 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

So Jill gets new stuff and they get her castoffs? My mother would never have done that. 

Neither would mine.  Sadly, I have a feeling, the girls probably think these are new clothes.

[crazy8s]

2 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Oh I agree that she's not successfully selling to anyone but herself. But she is still a Brand Ambassador, whatever the hell that really means. 

I am not sure the point of her signing up was actually to sell anything. Just her signing up and buying whatever early purchases were points for mama to go to Punta Cana. I believe Kaylee also signed up another sucker under her so more points for mama.

I noticed in Jill's latest top 15 shout outs, Ellen, who was ill and in the hospital part of the time, still finished 5th and Jonathan's sister in law, signed on by Ellen was not even mentioned.

 

[Minivanessa]

3 hours ago, crazy8s said:

I noticed in Jill's latest top 15 shout outs, Ellen, who was ill and in the hospital part of the time, still finished 5th and Jonathan's sister in law, signed on by Ellen was not even mentioned.

Now that I've read that memoir about a high-achieving MLM consultant - "Hey, Hun" - I just think that Jill's constant efforts to push Plexus and build a downline are pathetic. Annoying, yes. But, pathetic.

That book really illustrated for me just how badly the odds are stacked against people joining an MLM. The consultants who move up into the top earner ranks seem to come into it with a strong network of contacts who have the money and inclination to buy products and sign up themselves. It also helps if someone enters the MLM company early on, either when the company itself is new or is just moving into their region, so their area is not yet saturated with consultants (or whatever fancy title the company uses for that role). 

I can't imagine that Jill's net income from Plexus amounts to much. The huns are indoctrinated to talk about their "earnings" from their fabulous MLM "business," but the numbers they sling around are their gross payments. The MLM companies encourage them to attend seminars and conventions where they supposedly are taught all about "business development," but it's rah rah stuff. I'm sure they don't mention boring details like, ya know, keeping balance sheets showing their gross income, expenses, and net income/loss. No glitz or glamour or inspiration in that stuff. Sigh. 

I remember that at least once, Jill has posted a picture of a cheap-*ss five dollar bag that her "generous company GAVE" her, with enthusiastic comments about it. That's pathetic, but typical of how the MLM companies and uplines work to keep their downlines sweet with "gifts" and "prizes," and letting them "earn" trips on which the downlines actually have to pay their own way either completely or in significant part.

I never thought I'd say this, but I feel sorry for Jill in her deluded quest for status and wealth via Plexus. (This doesn't change my opinion of her bigoted nauseating beliefs and the awful way she treats her children. Just saying.)

Edited June 27 by Minivanessa

[merylinkid]

Maybe if Jill didn't chase after status (pride) and wealth (greed) she wouldn't fall for MLM scams.    Maybe if she got a real job and Dave stopped watching the map all day, they could actually support all their kids without having to fall for a get rich quick scheme.

[crazy8s]

1 hour ago, Minivanessa said:

I never thought I'd say this, but I feel sorry for Jill in her deluded quest for status and wealth via Plexus.

8 years and still at Gold level pretty much says it all. Jill seemed to really push her down line this year to sign up new people so she could go to punta cana because she was pissed about not qualifying for whatever pay to go event was before that one.

[Salacious Kitty]

9 minutes ago, crazy8s said:

8 years and still at Gold level pretty much says it all. Jill seemed to really push her down line this year to sign up new people so she could go to punta cana because she was pissed about not qualifying for whatever pay to go event was before that one.

And she's talking nonstop about the Alaska cruise as if she would qualify. It's for Emeralds and Diamonds. And Diamonds are getting an all expenses paid trip to Hawaii in a few months. 

[GeeGolly]

Jill's youngest 4 are 12, 11, (almost)9 and 6. The next 2 kids are 1 & 2 years away from 18. So in two years Jill's minor children will be 14, 13, 11 and 8. As we have discussed many times, other than their permanent gigs, their grifting days are almost over. I'm guessing God will be telling her to quit Plexus around that time too.

So I'm wondering what will be Jill's next move. One guess I have is she'll try and become an influencer.

[libgirl2]

9 hours ago, Minivanessa said:

Now that I've read that memoir about a high-achieving MLM consultant - "Hey, Hun" - I just think that Jill's constant efforts to push Plexus and build a downline are pathetic. Annoying, yes. But, pathetic.

That book really illustrated for me just how badly the odds are stacked against people joining an MLM. The consultants who move up into the top earner ranks seem to come into it with a strong network of contacts who have the money and inclination to buy products and sign up themselves. It also helps if someone enters the MLM company early on, either when the company itself is new or is just moving into their region, so their area is not yet saturated with consultants (or whatever fancy title the company uses for that role). 

I can't imagine that Jill's net income from Plexus amounts to much. The huns are indoctrinated to talk about their "earnings" from their fabulous MLM "business," but the numbers they sling around are their gross payments. The MLM companies encourage them to attend seminars and conventions where they supposedly are taught all about "business development," but it's rah rah stuff. I'm sure they don't mention boring details like, ya know, keeping balance sheets showing their gross income, expenses, and net income/loss. No glitz or glamour or inspiration in that stuff. Sigh. 

I remember that at least once, Jill has posted a picture of a cheap-*ss five dollar bag that her "generous company GAVE" her, with enthusiastic comments about it. That's pathetic, but typical of how the MLM companies and uplines work to keep their downlines sweet with "gifts" and "prizes," and letting them "earn" trips on which the downlines actually have to pay their own way either completely or in significant part.

I never thought I'd say this, but I feel sorry for Jill in her deluded quest for status and wealth via Plexus. (This doesn't change my opinion of her bigoted nauseating beliefs and the awful way she treats her children. Just saying.)

My friend's husband and a few of his friends did Amway for awhile. He was going to become very wealthy and retire young. He didn't. None of them did. The money they spent on the overpriced products in addition to seminars (travel, hotel stays), books, audio recordings, videos.... pretty much wiped out the few dollars they made. And none of these people had money to begin with. 

He came to my parent's house (I was still living at home) to show us "The Plan". My dad watched for a bit and got up and left the room. He had seen the same spiel 20 years prior from co-workers who were going to get rich. 20 years later they were still at the same workplace. 

Edited June 27 by libgirl2

[Absolom]

5 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

So I'm wondering what will be Jill's next move. One guess I have is she'll try and become an influencer.

Perish the thought, but David might actually have to work at some point.

4 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

My friend's husband and a few of his friends did Amway for awhile. He was going to become very wealthy and retire young. He didn't. None of them did. The money they spent on the overpriced products in addition to seminars (travel, hotel stays), books, audio recordings, videos.... pretty much wiped out the few dollars they made. And none of these people had money to begin with. 

He came to my parent's house (I was still living at home) to show us "The Plan". My dad watched for a bit and got up and left the room. He had seen the same spiel 20 years prior from co-workers who were going to get rich. 20 years later they were still at the same workplace. 

My coworker who took on Mary Kay had to have help with a loan from her parents and then some of us helping her find a second job to pay off the rest of the Mary Kay debt and then pay the loan from her parents.  It was fairly ugly for a couple of years.

[libgirl2]

19 minutes ago, Absolom said:

My coworker who took on Mary Kay had to have help with a loan from her parents and then some of us helping her find a second job to pay off the rest of the Mary Kay debt and then pay the loan from her parents.  It was fairly ugly for a couple of years.

Wow, that is really sad. There is a reason that people who do MLM seem to jump from one to another. I have a friend who has done several of them and at this point has given up. 

About 35 years ago, my ex had worked for a company that let go the man who recruited him. He was sad because he really liked the guy. A year later, he gets a call out of the blue about a business opportunity. He was really excited. He gets an envelope in the mail with a VHS tape.... it was NuSkin. He was so pissed off! 

[LilJen]

On 6/22/2024 at 10:22 AM, Lady Edith said:

What is this “Plexus Pink Squad” stuff?  I thought they were the “Sparkling Jewels for Jaysauce” or some shit. 
…and those earrings are hideous. 

The earrings remind me of fishing lures.

[BradandJanet]

Now, that people can work many salaried jobs from home, there are better options than an MLM, which is rigged to offer just enough incentives to keep the players in the game until they go broke or give up. Jill obviously has some useful computer skills (yasssss) and a "passion for graphic design" (snort). 

Both Jill and David have/had professions that together would have supported a family (an entire army for God is another matter). Jill could have set up a small home salon and cultivated a customer base of God-fearing women who longed to keep their outdated hairdos and makeup. She would have been able to set her work schedule. David could have printed commercial material along with the religious stuff. Their Ohio neighbors, the Amish, manage to interact with the outside to sell quilts, furniture, and building services to the "English" without being sucked into a pit of sin. 

I'm curious which of the dismal duo came up with the idea of being full-time domestic missionaries. I'd guess David since he doesn't strike me as being particularly energetic or ambitious, and the job seems to consist of preaching to like-minded church people and occasionally printing the same basic tracts. Jill, on the other hand, has some drive and a true passion for worldly luxuries like restaurant meals, resort vacations, and clothes and jewelry for herself, but few means to get them.  

What will become of these two grifters? I'm sure Jill will keep us posted. 

[Minivanessa]

I wonder - and of course we will never know - how much money attributable to those Plexus trips have been stated as "income" to Jill on her 1099s from Plexus. She didn't go on that Caribbean cruise, so I suppose what she "earned" for the conventions and even the Punta Cana retreat wouldn't have been a lot. They paid their own airfare and lodging for the Nashville, Austin, and Las Vegas meetings, and I can't remember if they only paid airfare to Punta Cana or also had to pay for their room. I was thinking of that when I read this in the "Hey, Hun" book, from a former MLM consultant -  not the author (company wasn't named):

Quote

I “earned” a cruise from my upline; however, after qualifying I realized it was only partially paid. My husband and I figured it was an investment in my business and a fun getaway for ourselves. It was fine, but we had the smallest cabin, terrible flights, and everything cost more than we anticipated. The worst part? Come tax time, I was slapped with a $10,000 fine from the IRS because I was supposed to file quarterly taxes. My income was inflated thanks to that “free trip” being tacked on as earnings. It was devastating. .  .  . I would have never worked so hard to “earn” the trip had I known it would be so detrimental.

   -- Paulson, Emily Lynn. Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing (p. 67). Row House Publishing. 

Given their many dependents and probably not much gross income, Jill and David probably won't be hit with tax consequences as devastating as that, but I assume she has seen and will see some amounts declared as earnings on her 1099s for those trips, i.e., the value of whatever costs Plexus covered or waived.  

[merylinkid]

1 hour ago, BradandJanet said:

I'm curious which of the dismal duo came up with the idea of being full-time domestic missionaries.

Oh definitely Jill.    Would have taken effort by David to think of it.   She saw it as a way to get endless vacations without actually having to work.   Also she gets to brag about how dogly she is by being a "full time ministry"   She couldn't brag about being a hairdresser to the 80s.   I think she also realized that David was never going to be a hard worker who would move  up into a prestigious job that would make her look better so she made him a "minister" instead.    David has admitted he just recycles the same sermons over and over so this isn't someone drawn to preaching.     This is someone who wants to get paid to do the bare minimum.

Edited June 27 by merylinkid

[AstridM]

13 minutes ago, merylinkid said:

Oh definitely Jill.    Would have taken effort by David to think of it.   She saw it as a way to get endless vacations without actually having to work.   Also she gets to brag about how dogly she is by being a "full time indutry."   She couldn't brag about being a hairdresser to the 80s.   I think she also realized that David was never going to be a hard worker who would move  up into a prestigious job that would make her look better so she made him a "minister" instead.    David has admitted he just recycles the same sermons over and over so this isn't someone drawn to preaching.     This is someone who wants to get paid to do the bare minimum.

Many snarkers on Reddit also think Jill wanted David home and not tempted by slutty single women in the workplace. Did he cheat? I doubt it, but he may have had wandering eyes (or Jill thought he did!)

[merylinkid]

17 minutes ago, AstridM said:

Many snarkers on Reddit also think Jill wanted David home and not tempted by slutty single women in the workplace. Did he cheat? I doubt it, but he may have had wandering eyes (or Jill thought he did!)

Nah, cheating takes effort.   She just wanted him home because without him home and just small kids around, she wasn't getting enough personal attention.    With a job, David had something other than her to focus on.    At home, dependent on her grifting, he has no choice but to make her the center of attention at all times.

[Salacious Kitty]

1 hour ago, Minivanessa said:

I wonder - and of course we will never know - how much money attributable to those Plexus trips have been stated as "income" to Jill on her 1099s from Plexus. She didn't go on that Caribbean cruise, so I suppose what she "earned" for the conventions and even the Punta Cana retreat wouldn't have been a lot. They paid their own airfare and lodging for the Nashville, Austin, and Las Vegas meetings, and I can't remember if they only paid airfare to Punta Cana or also had to pay for their room. I was thinking of that when I read this in the "Hey, Hun" book, from a former MLM consultant -  not the author (company wasn't named):

Given their many dependents and probably not much gross income, Jill and David probably won't be hit with tax consequences as devastating as that, but I assume she has seen and will see some amounts declared as earnings on her 1099s for those trips, i.e., the value of whatever costs Plexus covered or waived.  

For the Punta Cana trip she "won," the hotel was paid for, but they were on the hook for the extra day they stayed. I believe they were responsible for everything else (airfare, non banquet meals, golf, etc). For the conferences, they paid for the hotel as well. Maybe the Diamonds get all expenses paid. No clue whether Plexus tacks expenses on their 1099s. 

[ginger90]

From the Plexus Help Center:

 

1099 Information 

In compliance with U.S. Treasury regulations, Plexus Worldwide is required to issue Form 1099-NEC and report to the IRS any non-employee (including Brand Ambassadors) earnings that total more than $600 for the year (including commissions, gifts, prizes and awards).

Those who earned less than $600 for the year will NOT receive a 1099. Plexus advises that Brand Ambassadors contact a tax professional for any tax related questions they may have.

[Salacious Kitty]

Jill's taxes must be a giant clusterfuck. 😂

[Turquoise]

So Jill made a post yesterday of how DBD spends HOURS in the print shop. Two videos are attached. I didn't put the sound on to avoid Jillybean's screech, but first video shows the printing machine running. She walks all around the machine. No Dave, just machine running. Then she walks to door and Dave is kneeling next to car next to a young man, maybe one of the sons? Appears a tire was being changed, but Dave is just kneeling. Hood is closed. Younger man moves hubcap and then she must have spliced video because now hood is up and Dave/other are standing. Dave appears to be tightening a cap and walks off. End scene. So all he really did in that video is kneel by a tire and tighten a cap.
Second video is half a dozen children doing the folding and assembly of the infamous smiley face tracts. Again Dave is nowhere to be seen.
HOURS I tell you...

Edited June 27 by Turquoise

[crazy8s]

9 minutes ago, Turquoise said:

So Jill made a post yesterday of how DBD spends HOURS in the print shop. Two videos are attached. I didn't put the sound on to avoid Jillybean's screech, but first video shows the printing machine running. She walks all around the machine. No Dave, just machine running. Then she walks to door and Dave is kneeling next to car next to a young man, maybe one of the sons? Appears a tire was being changed, but Dave is just kneeling. Hood is closed. Younger man moves hubcap and then she must have spliced video because now hood is up and Dave/other are standing. Dave appears to be tightening a cap and walks off. End scene. So all he really did in that video is kneel by a tire and tighten a cap.
Second video is half a dozen children doing the folding and assembly of the infamous smiley face tracts. Again Dave is no where to be seen.
HOURS I tell you...

She called it multi tasking. I don't think that's what it's called when the printing machine is running itself and you are outside.

Dave loaded the printer and let it run during the day and then the kids were collating at night. Dark outside and Gabriel's watch appeared to show 9:30 or 10:30.

[Salacious Kitty]

Hannah really needed to pin her hair up while working with what I think was the folding machine. I was scared for her long braids hanging down front. 

[ginger90]

That whole printing shop is crazy. Long hair, no shoes, no protective equipment, and of course the electrical setup, and the gas and diesel cans are still in there.

Edited June 27 by ginger90
Forgot the picture of the cans, same place as last time.