Past Seasons Talk: 7 Seasons and Counting

[zenme]

Yes. I remember this being a topic of discussion on the old TWOP forums.

[Micks Picks]

This is very interesting.  The Duggars use NFP to increase rather than decrease chances of birth, but it's birth control nonetheless IMO.  My real interest is a property on the historical registry being sold.  I've had relatives go to a lot of work to get properties on the register, and then say, 25 years later, the neighborhood changes, the original people die or move away, no one is interested anymore and they become a real pain in the rear.  The properties, I mean, because you can't alter them much or upgrade, and the people now living around them could not care less.  They need a natural (or unnatural) disaster to unload them.

[birkenstock]

I understand what you're saying, Mick Picks.  Houses on local, state, and national registries can be difficult to sell because there is so much oversight from historic preservation offices.  The ordinances are difficult to work around to make the house livable. I tend to lean in favor of some preservation efforts because it seems like people are so willing now to tear down and build new.  The new structures are many times poorly made. Also, renovations done to historic houses many times strip the house of any character.  I love seeing historically significant homes as close to its original condition as possible. However, there is a practicality issue. Not every building over 50 years can or should be preserved and there can be only so many historic house museums. There needs to be a happy medium between preserving the historical essence of a structure and allowing for livability so that people will want to be stewards of historically significant structures.  

 

I hated the way the Duggars treated the Cornish house.  They don't know how to be guests in other people's homes.  I can't imagine how many scraps and scratches were on the floors and walls when they left.  Jim Bob, Michelle, and the older children were under stress trying to take care of Josie and all of the kids under 10 but common courtesy should not be lost.  I wonder if the show provided the housing for filming purposes.     

[birkenstock]

The early Duggar specials are on right now.  It's starting with 14 kids and Pregnant Again and there are the 3 others.  It will cycle again on TLC at 8pm pst/11pm est.

 

ETA: Ugh, I'm only ~15 minutes in and had to comment.  They explained the buddy system and made it sound like it's a privilege to get a new buddy.  Jim Bob's only buddy is Michelle and then Michelle's buddy was whatever J'baby until weaned and she reserved rights to be a buddy for them at anytime. Eye roll, and a bitch, please. You are their mother, not a buddy. Do your own parenting. I know this has been discussed many times over, the special said they couldn't have a family that size without delegation. Normal chore delegation is fine but yeah not delegating childcare. Unreal.  She did seem more "there." 

Edited May 1, 2015 by Cocka doodle dont

[andromeda331]

Watching the first Duggar episode 14 Kids and Counting towards the end the voiceover says something like the eighteen births are more then most families have seen in six or seven generations. Really? Going back that far its more likely for that to be the norm, the only difference was how many of the kids made it to adult.

[xls]

I enjoyed the 14-16 past episodes. Gawd the dresses! The super mullet! The fruits and vegetables!  PER-PEN-DIC-ULAR!

Edited May 1, 2015 by xls

[Micks Picks]

I just caught these and saw a few minutes of the 14 kids and am on 15 now, but am very busy so distracted.  I need a buddy or two to get my stuff done.

 

Anyway, I didn't object to these folks in their first show and they appeared kind of reasonable.  I remember I rather liked them.  They seem the same now if you block out what we now know.  Oh, I guess I have 16 kids on.  MEchelle didn't seem creepy, and Josh was fairly good looking and very articulate.  Although I can't watch it all or watch closely, I will stick with it mostly.  Happy to remember what made them seem nice originally.

 

They started out wearing matching colorful shirts to find each other easier when they were out someplace.  Good idea.  I've done that looking for 1 person at the fair.  

[anony mouse]

Watching the first Duggar episode 14 Kids and Counting towards the end the voiceover says something like the eighteen births are more then most families have seen in six or seven generations. Really? Going back that far its more likely for that to be the norm, the only difference was how many of the kids made it to adult.

Yeah, my mom is one of seven. Her mother was one of eleven and her father one of fourteen. My dad is one of six. Not getting that statement.

[Joe Jitsu913]

Oh my word... Michelle's makeup was tragic. She actually seems somewhat normal here. Clown collar included.

[xls]

I just caught these and saw a few minutes of the 14 kids and am on 15 now, but am very busy so distracted.  I need a buddy or two to get my stuff done.

 

Anyway, I didn't object to these folks in their first show and they appeared kind of reasonable.  I remember I rather liked them.  They seem the same now if you block out what we now know.  Oh, I guess I have 16 kids on.  MEchelle didn't seem creepy, and Josh was fairly good looking and very articulate.  Although I can't watch it all or watch closely, I will stick with it mostly.  Happy to remember what made them seem nice originally.

 

They started out wearing matching colorful shirts to find each other easier when they were out someplace.  Good idea.  I've done that looking for 1 person at the fair.  

Me too, I thought they were kind of cute back in the "14" days.

[Micks Picks]

Ah the commercial was Coldwell Banker and showed dogs waiting for their owners to come home and greeting, so of course my dog got a all interested and cocked his head and wiggled his butt (he has not got a tail).  He was just curious at poor old Bruiser or whatever his name was in the dog wash episode.  Somehow he seemed to know old bruiser or bubba didn't have a normal place in the family (#1).

[lulu69]

Watching 'Raising 16 Children' . I forgot about the marching everywhere in size/age order & the matchy matchy outfits lol. Also, TLC seems to downplay the whole religion issue only casually mentioning it. The Duggars actually seem, dare I say, normal? When did tlc go Gothard heavy?

[Micks Picks]

On the Road with 16 I spotted a golden retriever as they were getting ready to go.  Nobody interacts with pets.  A quick shot of grandpa when he brought them a van.  No interaction.  Ok, they're off to Disneyland.  Michelle seems human.

[leighdear]

Everybody looks so cute.  They look like they're having a lot of fun, though they obviously aren't used to the cameras yet.  

[MarysWetBar]

OMG..the artist at the Cadillac graveyard! Just some free spirit that looks half baked..talking about seeing the Duggars all coming. ..its hilarious! I bet JB was some pissed about that guy around his kids!

Oh and the two POS motorhomes shown.Was one of them the one Josh tried to take his family in recently?

Edited May 1, 2015 by MarysWetBar

[pinguina]

Just saw the episode about moving into the new house.  Michelle's voice sure sounded different than it does now.

[Sew Sumi]

Watching 'Raising 16 Children' . I forgot about the marching everywhere in size/age order & the matchy matchy outfits lol. Also, TLC seems to downplay the whole religion issue only casually mentioning it. The Duggars actually seem, dare I say, normal? When did tlc go Gothard heavy?

This was the special in which Smuggar earned his nickname. During the "fan question" bit, he responded, very snippily, to a question about individuality. And Mechelle comments that they are "diverse." Except when you disagree. LOL

 

They were full on into the Gothard kook-aid in these old specials. They showed them at Gothard homeschool camp, but it was totally downplayed to just "like-minded, homeschooling families." Of course, no one knew of the Gothard connection then, so one could only assume that meant conservative Christian. Depends on how much one paid attention to the scenes of home church, in addition to the frumpers for all. 

[NEGirl]

Also watching the special now. Just finished with the show where Jackson was born. Things I had forgotten:

* The clothes !!! - OMG Laura Ingalls looked cuter in her outfits.

* All those kids crammed into the two bedrooms

* Michelle actually sounded normal. However, the hair and make up-yikes.

* Josh  & John David were actually cute

* The TTH - I forgot how long it took to build, with six year olds help of course. Also, nice to have TLC buy all your furniture and a baby grand piano.

* The way the religon was so down played.

* Homefooling episoed with the bankruptcy - no need to say anything else that has not been said before !

 

Now watching the episode on JoHannah's birth.

[Maharincess]

These old episodes show that puberty is not kind to the boys. They were so cute back then, now not so much.

Its the opposite with the girls. Jill doesn't even look like the same person to me.

"Amazon River".

[birkenstock]

Michelle and Jim Bob were so much more likable in these specials! I can't stand watching either of them during current episodes and thought that they came across as hands on parents during the early years. I can remember now why I started watching the Duggars. What happened to Michelle? Did she become so overwhelmed that she became detached or was she always this way?

My favorite part was seeing the kids. Jana was super shy in front of the camera back then. It's amazing how much Jinger looked like Josh. They all seemed so happy. They actually wore PJs!!!

I think that the kids had access to the Little House tv show or the books. When the girls were talking about their rooms, Jinger said she wanted it like Little House on the Prairie.

The girls looked so happy when they put their names on their new beds. It was interesting to see the decorating of the girls' room after the room redo earlier this week. Jim Bob and Michelle really didn't think about how to accommodate their expanding family. Johannah was alive, but it doesn't look like there was dedicated space for her in the girls' room.

The Duggars are so lucky that TLC came along or they wouldn't have had a house to live in. Their way of life has change so much since the specials. I really do think they bought used and saved the difference.

It was amazing how much ATI was actually featured in the 14 kids and raising 16 kids. They had the wisdom booklets, and the Big Sandy conference. We even saw alert banners when they were there. When I first saw the special years ago, I had no idea what it was or what it was associated with.

Once last thing, Jackson kissed Minnie Mouse on the nose! He gave away a piece of his heart to her!!!

[Brown eyed girl]

Gotta love how JimBob and Michelle forbid dancing but Michelle is doing the YMCA at Disney.

Did anyone else catch when Jimbob and Michelle were riding the teacups I swore she had a blanket draped around her like she was breast feeding Johanna?? Surely she wasn't .

Even back then they had an aversion to wearing shoes. They showed one of the little boys with no shoes on and at Michelle's birthday party I saw Jessa barefoot. I guess Jessa would rather go shoeless than wear those hideous black ankle boots that the girls wore.

[JenCarroll]

Gotta love how JimBob and Michelle forbid dancing but Michelle is doing the YMCA at Disney.

.

NO!! Has anyone tried explaining to her what that song is ABOUT? Oh, please, can I do it?

[NikSac]

NO!! Has anyone tried explaining to her what that song is ABOUT? Oh, please, can I do it?

 

Oh please do!  And please make sure it's filmed, and shown.

[BitterApple]

These old episodes show that puberty is not kind to the boys. They were so cute back then, now not so much.

Its the opposite with the girls. Jill doesn't even look like the same person to me.

"Amazon River".

The Duggar genetics are so weird. Puberty is the end of the road for the boys. The J'slaves were all Plain Janes as young girls who turned out attractive and the younger set of girls (Hannie, Jenny and Jordyn) are gorgeous.

I will say I think Josh was a really nice looking kid as a teenager. He looked just like Michelle back then.

[Joe Jitsu913]

The Duggar genetics are so weird. Puberty is the end of the road for the boys. The J'slaves were all Plain Janes as young girls who turned out attractive and the younger set of girls (Hannie, Jenny and Jordyn) are gorgeous.

I will say I think Josh was a really nice looking kid as a teenager. He looked just like Michelle back then.

Jill really looked homely back then. Her teeth were jacked up and she had bad posture. If it weren't for TLC, they'd still be rocking the frumpers and bad 80's hair. Edited May 1, 2015 by Joe Jitsu913

[Mrsjumbo]

I think Jana is the prettiest Duggar but even she looked pretty plain & dumpy back then.

[RazzleberryPie]

I enjoyed the 14-16 past episodes. Gawd the dresses! The super mullet! The fruits and vegetables!  PER-PEN-DIC-ULAR!

The did mention 'fresh fruits and vegetables' about about a million times.........but we always saw them pull out cans?

 

Anyway, I didn't object to these folks in their first show and they appeared kind of reasonable.  I remember I rather liked them.  They seem the same now if you block out what we now know.  Oh, I guess I have 16 kids on.  MEchelle didn't seem creepy, and Josh was fairly good looking and very articulate.  Although I can't watch it all or watch closely, I will stick with it mostly.  Happy to remember what made them seem nice originally.

 

They were very personable and cute then. Not many signs of narcissism, no smugness.

Just saw the episode about moving into the new house.  Michelle's voice sure sounded different than it does now.

That was the biggest thing I noticed - Michelle had a normal voice, even when speaking to all the toddlers. It wasn't high pitched, gushy, fried at the end, her eyes didn't bug, she didn't stare at Jimbob, etc.

 

They were full on into the Gothard kook-aid in these old specials. They showed them at Gothard homeschool camp, but it was totally downplayed to just "like-minded, homeschooling families." Of course, no one knew of the Gothard connection then, so one could only assume that meant conservative Christian. Depends on how much one paid attention to the scenes of home church, in addition to the frumpers for all. 

I think they were heavier on including the Gothardy stuff in these first specials - the character traits, wisdom booklets, homeschool conference trips, etc. No one was of courting age yet, and they hadn't really been exposed to social media, bigger fan bases, speaking tours, etc., so there wasn't the mention of modesty and courting every three seconds, which was actually refreshing.

 

Michelle and Jim Bob were so much more likable in these specials! I can't stand watching either of them during current episodes and thought that they came across as hands on parents during the early years. I can remember now why I started watching the Duggars. What happened to Michelle? Did she become so overwhelmed that she became detached or was she always this way?

It was amazing how much ATI was actually featured in the 14 kids and raising 16 kids. They had the wisdom booklets, and the Big Sandy conference. We even saw alert banners when they were there. When I first saw the special years ago, I had no idea what it was or what it was associated with.

 

I will say I think Josh was a really nice looking kid as a teenager. He looked just like Michelle back then.

Josh was nice looking then. Then. Not now, then, before the smugness took over and he gained a middle-aged, paunchy posture.

 

The ATI stuff was full force in these specials. Michelle is so different. She's more about the kids than about herself and churning out more kids. It's really sad to see her turn into the insane, selfish, neglectful person she is now.

 

Oh, also, Jessa kicking the other girls out of the bed in the RV - yup, Jessa's always had that inner bitch, too. It's just allowed to come out now.

[anony mouse]

Yeah, the one thing I noticed was the one special Michelle's birthday, one of the kids made a pop up card, and how she took the time to interact and praise him - Really noticeable difference how she treated the kids back then.

[xls]

Made me wonder if any Disney cartoons or movies were okay with gothardites? The kids seemed to know who Micky Mouse and Snow White was. Normal stuff.

[truthtalk2014]

Scrolling through Hulu and watching MEchelle visiting the flea market and she has no problem with her back muscle as she carries Josie.

[leighdear]

Maybe Disney books were ok, since they could be quickly read through to make sure there wasn't anything objectionable.  But they had lots of thrift store toys back then for the littles, so I imagine they knew who all the major cartoon characters were. 

[NikSac]

Scrolling through Hulu and watching MEchelle visiting the flea market and she has no problem with her back muscle as she carries Josie.

 

It's like magic. It disappears and reappears at will.

[RazzleberryPie]

Made me wonder if any Disney cartoons or movies were okay with gothardites? The kids seemed to know who Micky Mouse and Snow White was. Normal stuff.

Used to be no, because Disney movies usually involved theaters (you boycott the building and production company, bc they produce and show everything from G-rated cartoons to Rated X porn and horror flicks), plus most fairy tales have some sort of magic involved, and anything that shows magic, witchcraft, dragons, fairies, ghosts, monsters, etc. is all sorcery or demonic. If you entertain those elements, you're not wholesome and worshipping the devil.

 

They also usually feature some rebellion against parents/authority, and that's bad.

Edited May 2, 2015 by RazzleberryPie

[birkenstock]

It's like magic. It disappears and reappears at will.

Michelle carried Josie in her stroller with oxygen up and down the Little Rock house stairs in an old episode. Think two flights. I was impressed because it took strength and balance. She is full of bs. She spoke to baby Josie in a really high pitched voice - I think she's kept that voice going for whatever reason. Josie is no longer an 8 month old, Michelle.

[cmr2014]

Despite the hideous clothes, I thought that the kids all looked a lot happier in those specials. Compare the smiling faces and their interactions with one another (Jessa actually touched on of her siblings!) with their interactions today -- pasted on smiles, Gothard platitudes, and side hugs. Maybe it's because it was all so new, and the opportunity to be on TV meant fun things like trips to Disneyland that would never have happened without the show. J'chelle also seemed more attached and present in her children's lives.

[BitterApple]

In the earlier specials there were five less kids fighting for resources and parental attention. Even though they were crammed into tiny spaces, a 900 sq.ft. house was a lot easier to take care of than the 7000 sq.ft. monstrosity they live in now. The J'slaves workload probably quadrupled with the subsequent pregnancies and move into the TTH.

[cmr2014]

One other thing that I forgot to mention is that the kids are clean!

 

This is a huge pet peeve of mine, and I've commented on it a lot, but the difference is really noticeable. Even the littlest kids are clean in the older specials. Someone up-thread mentioned that the kids wore Pjs, and there were sheets on the beds.

[DangerousMinds]

So the kids may or may not be familiar with Disney and "Little House."

[dorcastrilling]

On the Moving In show Michelle had real.tears streaming down her face. For a piano. Given them. After thinking she would have to wait for years. Tears.

None since; not at the weddings. Not for Josie, either of worry or relief. Maybe for Jubilee, could never bring myself to watch that.

Tears over a freebie piano. Just cannot get over that. Sure I have been reduced to tears over an unexpected kindness, but I have also cried when my kids were suffering, at their weddings, normal things.

[Wellfleet]

On the Moving In show Michelle had real.tears streaming down her face. For a piano. Given them. After thinking she would have to wait for years. Tears.

None since; not at the weddings. Not for Josie, either of worry or relief. Maybe for Jubilee, could never bring myself to watch that.

Tears over a freebie piano. Just cannot get over that. Sure I have been reduced to tears over an unexpected kindness, but I have also cried when my kids were suffering, at their weddings, normal things.

 

Me-chelle's tears-of-joy over the piano didn't ring true at all to me. It totally came off as a performance - and a very poor one. I could almost see her thinking "This is a major gift - I guess I need to hustle up some suitable reaction..." And of course, she overdid it.

Edited May 3, 2015 by Wellfleet

[Happyfatchick]

I just went to Youtube and pulled up some past eps, because I never saw them enough early on to catch anything about them. I didn't have the sound on, just wanted to see behavior and clothing, etc. The one ep had a sign underneath Jessa that said she was 11 at that time. Dear Sweet Holy Baby Jesus: THE HAIR!!!!!!!! I honestly hate Mechelle's hair this minute and would PAY to see the girls (all of them along with MeChelle) get a decent cut. She looks like she's trying out for a part in the Lion King. It's like a dark explosion around her head. Thank God the older ones have developed some sort of style since those days. Every one of them had dry looking, frizzy fried flyaway hair. (With the exception of the close ups of a different time frame when either they were loading up with a conditioner/tamer/gel/Vaseline - maybe all!) Camera man kept getting in head shots from the back. In THOSE shots, the hair was just gunky looking. Also Dear Sweet Holy Baby Jesus: THANK YOU that the Little House dresses haven't been recycled all the way to today. One pattern fits all! (No, I mean literally, all the girls could have fit under Mechelle's big tent dress together.) Horrendous!

[JenCarroll]

My very favorite part of the 14 Kids special is in the introductions, where Jedidiah loses track of which one he is, and goes for one that's easier to pronounce. "My name is Josi -- uh, Je-diah Duggar."

[Literata]

I had never before noticed MEchelle's bitch-face when she was riding in the front seat with Smuggar as he drove Anna to the midwife's house to have Marcus. Her comment was relatively snarky, too: "Anna, he's going good," referring, I believe, to the care he was taking with his driving. Yes, Anna was being a little irritating, but cut her some slack; she was in some pretty heavy labor (which begs the question: Did they not stop and think that they were likely going to have to drive 50 miles while she was in labor? But anyway...).

 

MEchelle may call Anna her "daughter-in-love," but I don't buy it. 

[Almost 3000]

I had never before noticed MEchelle's bitch-face when she was riding in the front seat with Smuggar as he drove Anna to the midwife's house to have Marcus. Her comment was relatively snarky, too: "Anna, he's going good," referring, I believe, to the care he was taking with his driving. Yes, Anna was being a little irritating, but cut her some slack; she was in some pretty heavy labor (which begs the question: Did they not stop and think that they were likely going to have to drive 50 miles while she was in labor? But anyway...).

 

MEchelle may call Anna her "daughter-in-love," but I don't buy it. 

I truly never understood that drive to a midwife. It made no sense. That said, Anna has really had lousy birth experiences. I hope with insurance, that I assume they now have, her next delivery will be better and that she closes the door on the TLC crew.