The Duggars: In the Media and TLC

[Absolom]

Actually I'm a soccer fan so I know quite a bit about it, but while women make up a decent percentage of soccer fans, the percentage of women in the US who ARE soccer fans is still quite low.  :)   I think those female soccer fans who also watch the Duggars are a tiny minority of the Duggar viewers.  Most Duggar viewers that I have encountered either began watching when they were teens or when they were on the sunset side of 50.  :)  

[lulu69]

Have they all been holed up inside their houses for 8 days? I would assume that as soon as someone from the family emerges the rag magazines will be right there to snap pictures. It's as though all of the Duggars have fallen off the face of the earth.

It is very quiet, too quiet.

Say, you don't suppose they actually DID drink the kool-aide and are on the way back to the mother ship??

Poor taste I know, but I couldn't resist. Get the rod.

[regardez]

Has TLC said if they knew about this before? I can't imagine someone emailing Oprah and all the rumors that were going on back then and they wouldn't have had any idea.

 

Also why is the statute of limitations so short?

[galax-arena]

Yes, but that discretion was easily argued as freedom of speech.

That always bugged me, because Duck Dynasty wasn't an issue of freedom of speech, since A&E isn't the government. Depending on your state, your employer absolutely has the right to terminate you for remarks you make "offsite" if they determine that your comments will hinder your ability to do your job (or in the case of a TV personality, tarnish the brand, I guess). If I had said something racist, sexist, and homophobic and my comments had gone viral, my employer would have canned my ass in a heartbeat. Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequences. 

 

That said, I agree with you that to a lot of people, Duck Dynasty was about freedom of speech (even if they had the idea wrong)... not so much with the Duggars. It's not like the Duggars are (potentially) getting canned for their anti-LGBT bigotry; I do remember that one petition to cancel the show for their hatemongering and so many people were whining about the First Amendment and freedom of speech then, too. 

[Mindymoo]

Also why is the statute of limitations so short?

Something about not having tangible evidence to prosecute once so much time has passed. It's bullshit though, because for people who were childhood survivors of sexual abuse, it can take years to come to terms with and actually speak up about what happened to them. I don't think there should be a statute of limitations on any sex crimes. Canada, land of progressives and poutine, has no statute of limitations. If Bill Cosby were a Canadian and all of those rapes happened in Canada, they could still prosecute him for his crimes from four decades ago.

[questionfear]

I'm pissed he media didn't pick up the dozens of pictures of the Duggars with Tom Cotton.

 

Yea but between their reality show fame and Josh's job there are photos with him and a ton of GOP politicians. Unless he and Tom Cotton had coffee and chatted about feeling up their sisters I can't judge any politician for photos taken before this scandal broke. I'm extremely liberal, and dislike Tom Cotton immensely from what little I've heard about him, but it's very hard to judge politicians for photos taken when the family still had a clean image to most of the world. 

[6 MeowMeowBeenz]

http://www.salon.com/2015/05/28/i_couldve_been_a_duggar_wife_i_grew_up_in_the_same_church_and_the_abuse_scandal_doesnt_shock_me/

 

THIS. The Duggars are not a one-off. This culture should in NO WAY be supported, whitewashed, encouraged, or otherwise be placed in a positive light. EVER

[Aja]

Just saw this on their blog:

 

Walgreens, General Mills, Choice Hotels, and Payless ShoeSource recently announced that they will no longer be advertising during episodes of 19 Kids and Counting. A dozen other companies followed suit, as the media continues to sensationalize the accusations against Josh Duggar.

Pardon me, I need to go punch some holes in some drywall right now.

[Skittl1321]

Whose blog?

[parisprincess]

Several of the petitions going around to keep the Duggars on TLC state that the Duggars are under attack for their support of traditional marriage.  Wow, way to change the subject and take the spotlight off of Josh's crime.  The leg-humpers are as underhanded as their heroes JimBob and Michelle. 

[Aja]

"Duggar Family Blog"

http://www.duggarfamilyblog.com/

[galax-arena]

Not only are the Andersons certifiable, but they have actually released an opinion on those 'liberal' Duggars.

The Andersons say that they have for years publicly held and criticized the Duggars for being too worldly and soft on parenting and "anemic" in terms of sticking to their fundamentalist values in public. I read most of their blog the first time I came across it because its level of batshit craziness provided a lot of entertainment, and I don't recall any public call-outs toward the Duggars. AFAIK, the only time the Duggars are mentioned are when ZsuZsu's defending them from the evil liberal hypocrites. So for all their current scoffing at how anemic the Duggars are in publicly professing their values, the Andersons have also been fairly anemic in calling them out. I guess Steve Anderson could have said something in one of his sermons, but I've hate-watched a bunch of them and don't recall any mentions of the Duggars, either. I feel like Zsu is trying to make it sound like they've ALWAYS been against the Duggars because heaven forbid she was once on the side of those evil reprobates. 

[Bella]

Evidently from a fan blog, which I refuse to visit:

 

as the media continues to sensationalize the accusations against Josh Duggar.

 

No, it's called reporting, not sensationalizing. It's really, really, really hard to sensationalize molestation, because normal people with brains realize how bad it is.

[Absolom]

"Duggar Family Blog"

http://www.duggarfamilyblog.com/

That's a fan blog not the Duggar official blog.

[Bella]

^Thanks, Absolom, I will edit my post.

 

The fan is an idiot.

[Aja]

That's a fan blog not the Duggar official blog.

 

Ah, ok. I don't know if that makes it any better or not, but best to be clear. Thanks for the info, Absolom! *goes back to punching holes in drywall*

[Churchhoney]

Can they please blur out Joy's knees?

 

But not her toes! (Or Anna's either.)

 

Thanks!

 

BG

[Absolom]

Ah, ok. I don't know if that makes it any better or not, but best to be clear. Thanks for the info, Absolom! *goes back to punching holes in drywall*

No, it doesn't make it any better since they are a large part of perpetuating the Duggars are great image.  

[Dawn16]

Yea but between their reality show fame and Josh's job there are photos with him and a ton of GOP politicians. Unless he and Tom Cotton had coffee and chatted about feeling up their sisters I can't judge any politician for photos taken before this scandal broke. I'm extremely liberal, and dislike Tom Cotton immensely from what little I've heard about him, but it's very hard to judge politicians for photos taken when the family still had a clean image to most of the world. 

This photo looks like it was taken at some event, where politicians basically go around with their spouses meeting everyone and paste on fake smiles to suggest what the people are saying is fascinating.  I don't know what other involvement Cotton had with the Duggars, but I wouldn't judge anyone based on their treatment of the Duggars when even their Gothard connection was not official public information.  I AM interested in how they treat the Duggars now. 

[JoanArc]

 

This photo looks like it was taken at some event, where politicians basically go around with their spouses meeting everyone and paste on fake smiles to suggest what the people are saying is fascinating.

It was during his campaign.

[NextIteration]

"Duggar Family Blog"

http://www.duggarfamilyblog.com/

 

Ew, but how kind of them to provide links to tell the sponsors that have high-tailed it away from the Duggars, "Excellent Job"!

Edited May 29, 2015 by NextIteration

[Aja]

 

Ew, but how kind of them to provide links to tell the sponsors that have high-tailed it away from any the Duggars, "Excellent Job"!

Hahaha, thanks, Duggar Family Blog! NUGENT RULZ!

Edited May 29, 2015 by Aja

[Fl Mom]

I'm not a huge Oprah fan by any means, but I'd LOVE to watch her have a go at them!  That would be must-see TV for me.

I'd like to see Megyn Kelly or Geta Van Sustern have a go...even though Greta's a Scientologist, I think she would be brilliant.

[Honeycocoa]

 

Things in the media are quieting down, I don't like it.

 

 

 

The magazines came out today. People is "Duggers Dark Secrets" and In Touch really goes for it with "House of Horrors"  So all the Dugger fans who don't go on line much ( but do go through check out stands) are suddenly noticing.  The In Touch article has photos of the police report, the People article is pretty general, neither of them has any information we haven't already seen here.

 

It's interesting to me that the Dugger family FB page etc seem completely un touched. They used to  delete anyone who disagreed with them and they have gone completely silent.  Which is honestly appropriate, but so un like them. 

I'm picturing them slowly working their way through all the canned food.  I hope their friends drop off some fresh fruit for the kids.

[Bella]

They have been so silent that had it not been for the crisis management rep making his statement about them, I'd wonder if they were still alive. Since they have zero judgment and even less sense, I'm rather fearful for them. I don't want to see any of the Duggars, including Josh, come to harm because of this news.

[Sew Sumi]

"Duggar Family Blog"

http://www.duggarfamilyblog.com/

Lily and Ellie (mother and daughter team) are so far up the Duggars' asses that they can see out of Jim Bob's eyeballs. 

 

They don't take dissenting viewpoints well at all, and of course they don't realize that they are protecting a child molester with their idiotic stance with the advertisers. I've always said fundies don't understand irony; this is yet another example of irony in action. 

[3 is enough]

 

They have been so silent that had it not been for the crisis management rep making his statement about them, I'd wonder if they were still alive. Since they have zero judgment and even less sense, I'm rather fearful for them. I don't want to see any of the Duggars, including Josh, come to harm because of this news.

My thoughts exactly.  It's almost too silent.  

 

Does anyone know how much crisis management would cost in a case like this?  Curious since Jim Bob evidently balked at the minimum fee.  Yet he had no reservations about blowing $250,000 on his senate campaign.  What a dick.

 

So the "my experience with the Duggars" stories are starting to trickle out.  They don't surprise me, but wow, it is going to get really ugly.  I wish all those kids could get out now.

[Sew Sumi]

In all fairness, we don't know if he balked at the fee for the crisis management firm. There were a few different things listed, and it said that he could have rejected any or all of them. I think he balked more at being "transparent" and/or being willing to take punishment, both via the law (although that ship has sailed) or, more importantly, through the court of public opinion. That's not going so well for him right now, and we saw just how transparent they were about the whole thing. 

[NextIteration]

I'm a wee bit confused on the PR Crisis Management - hypothetically, isn't that an expense that Discovery may have wanted to cover for them anyways?  But as stated it may not have been the fee.  Or, maybe they did find one now and it was just a little too little a little too late, as far as hitting the wayback machine.

[mbutterfly]

Probably because Cotton is an Iraq and Afghanistan combat Veteran. Why sully the guys political career because he posed with a bloated Joshua Duggar.

I pretty much agree. Unless a politician comes out in support of Josh (beyond saying something like I'm praying for him) then I don't think he can be blamed for a photo before this all came out. 

[Bella]

Discovery hasn't done any detectable crisis management for TLC since the latter pulled the show from the schedule.

 

I also have serious questions as to whether JimBob is cooperating with TLC. At. All.

 

He wants his show back, he wants his money, he wants any spinoff money, he wants it all on his terms. Yes, I'm guessing at that, but JimBob has shown himself to be a control freak and I doubt that that has changed in the past 9 days.

[trimthatfat]

Where is the source of the story that Jim Bob turned down crisis management? I would think he wouldn't have a choice since TLC's parent company would likely have a bigger say than JB. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the situation since I haven't been in this thread much. And hey, it's Friday and my reading comprehension tends to suck the closer I get to 5pm. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Edited May 29, 2015 by trimthatfat

[Bella]

Where is the source of the story that Jim Bob turned down crisis management? I would think he wouldn't have a choice since TLC's parent company would likely have a bigger say than JB. 

 

I forget where (my brain is turning to mush after reading every. single. post. in this forum, unfortunately). However, there was a link to a statement by a highly regarded young crisis manager who put out a rather heated statement saying that he had been in talks with the Duggars and that, for reasons he then listed, he felt he couldn't work with him.

 

The young consultant took some heat for making such a statement, but some of us found it quite telling. I also felt like the young man might have been so disgusted with the situation and found JimBob so awful that he took that avenue to say so. No, it might not have been textbook professional conduct, but I don't blame him for it. And it was the only indication we've had all week that JimBob is in communication with anyone.

 

I am not assuming that TLC/Discovery would cover the Duggars' crisis management, btw. 

[Wellfleet]

They have been so silent that had it not been for the crisis management rep making his statement about them, I'd wonder if they were still alive. Since they have zero judgment and even less sense, I'm rather fearful for them. I don't want to see any of the Duggars, including Josh, come to harm because of this news.

 

100% agree. I think the silence is primarily because Boob simply has no idea what to do or say. He confirmed what I have believed for a long time - that he has been much luckier in his life than he is smart. He was not bright enough to sign on with a PR firm, regardless of the cost and regardless of what the firm would want him to do. Maybe he wasn't even bright enough to check out some PR firms in the first place. So now he is well-and-truly-stumped. 

[JoanArc]

 

They have been so silent that had it not been for the crisis management rep making his statement about them, I'd wonder if they were still alive. Since they have zero judgment and even less sense, I'm rather fearful for them. I don't want to see any of the Duggars, including Josh, come to harm because of this news.

The Duggar MO for responding to crises and criticism is to never directly reply to critics, but to passively do an FU moment a few weeks later. I don't think they understand that won't work this time. They can't post some happy bible verse about forgiveness on an instagram picture and have that be that. The house is not a house anymore, it's a bunker. Derrick has a job, did he just take off, quit, work from home, what?

 

Honestly, for the family's sake, I hope Michelle slipped one of her Xanax's into Jim Bob's coffee.

Edited May 29, 2015 by JoanArc

[Sew Sumi]

I forget where (my brain is turning to mush after reading every. single. post. in this forum, unfortunately). However, there was a link to a statement by a highly regarded young crisis manager who put out a rather heated statement saying that he had been in talks with the Duggars and that, for reasons he then listed, he felt he couldn't work with him.

 

The young consultant took some heat for making such a statement, but some of us found it quite telling. I also felt like the young man might have been so disgusted with the situation and found JimBob so awful that he took that avenue to say so. No, it might not have been textbook professional conduct, but I don't blame him for it. And it was the only indication we've had all week that JimBob is in communication with anyone.

 

I am not assuming that TLC/Discovery would cover the Duggars' crisis management, btw. 

He also tweeted, confirming that he was NOT working with the Duggars. When a young, hungry guy like this turns down a potentially mega-account, you know there were irreconcilable differences between the parties. 

 

Bella, I agree that Boob is ultimately the stumbling block (heh, see what I did there?) in whatever negotiations are going on. He probably wants a huge payout if the show is being taken off the air permanently, probably far larger than TLC is willing to give. Or he wants a piece of any spinoff and wants to appear in it. I don't see him backing down from any of these positions. I bet the TLC attorneys are ready to rip their hair out right about now. But Duggar Hubris, as we saw about a month ago as Boob proclaimed that the show would never be canceled because it was TLC's highest-rated, will eventually be his downfall. 

Edited May 29, 2015 by Sew Sumi

[mccav]

The silence may be a result of them being busy putting all their home improvement lessons to use. Inside Edition just reported that Josh and family are moving to the house in AR they recently purchased. Said the Duggar family is helping with renovations.

[Churchhoney]

Where is the source of the story that Jim Bob turned down crisis management? I would think he wouldn't have a choice since TLC's parent company would likely have a bigger say than JB. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the situation since I haven't been in this thread much. And hey, it's Friday and my reading comprehension tends to suck the closer I get to 5pm. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

 

 

Here's the stuff about the crisis manager. My sense is that JimBob decided to call the guy himself, rather than TLC, but who knows? In any case, working with most crisis managers, especially if you're an individual rather than a giant corporation, is kind of like working with a lawyer. The client and the professional have to agree about the ground rules, or they won't work together, regardless of who wants them to.

 

Here are the stories from the blog that first (I think) reported it:

 

http://realmrhousewife.com/2015/05/25/exclusive-duggars-crisis-manager-hired/

 

http://realmrhousewife.com/2015/05/27/exclusive-duggar-family-crisis-manager-not-hired/

 

 

The Christian Post has also done an interview with the guy:

 

http://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-pr-expert-says-josh-duggars-apology-is-not-enough-to-satisfy-sexual-molestation-scandal-139688/

[Fuzzysox]

I don't know. Unless Denny's paying off somebody he incestuously molested, I kind of doubt it.

You were pretty close. He has been paying someone he molested. He can be Josh's cellmate.

Edited May 29, 2015 by Fuzzysox

[backformore]

http://www.fishwrapper.com/post/2015/05/29/josh-duggar-molestation-funny-or-die-video-photos-pictures-pics-videos/

 

Funny or Die video. 

Edited May 29, 2015 by backformore

[Sew Sumi]

The silence may be a result of them being busy putting all their home improvement lessons to use. Inside Edition just reported that Josh and family are moving to the house in AR they recently purchased. Said the Duggar family is helping with renovations.

I imagine Boob's Howlers and Ben have been working on this since he bought it, so that isn't really news. Now, the issue is how long will it take for them to really renovate it? If they did Smuggar's mold house properly, a real mold abatement company probably demolished the walls, etc., and the interior had to be redone from the insulation to drywall on up. Given the timeframe, I imagine they started on that house LONG before TLC made it seem they did (especially given that they ended up enlarging the kitchen). What I'm trying to say is that even with an army of Howlers, it's going to take MONTHS to get that place in order. I imagine the real timeframe they are now looking at (I think they originally planned to rent out the place for a while) is to move in after Anna has the latest MSpawn. That gives them another 6 weeks or thereabouts. But with this recent scandal, have they left the reservation to even work on the place???

[Churchhoney]

I don't know. Unless Denny's paying off somebody he incestuously molested, I kind of doubt it.

You were pretty close. He has been paying someone he molested. He can be Josh's cellmate.

 

 

Yep. I was afraid my bluff would be called the minute I read a Hastert story in which the FBI mentioned (more than once?) his history as a high-school wrestling coach. They weren't just throwing that in for local color.

 

I remember exchanging jokes at the time about the long line of candidates that dropped out draped in closet skeletons before the mantle landed on Denny, and how a high school coach might have had more opportunities than others to be caught with a dead girl or a live boy. I guess by the time they got to him as a Speaker candidate, the GOP was tired of looking under beds.

 

He and Josh can reminisce about their days of being thought leaders for the Republican party.

 

Will be interesting to see if this does knock the Duggars off the front pages.... In some outlets it will, but the DH story still doesn't have nearly as many tentacles into different subject areas as the Duggar story does.

Edited May 29, 2015 by Churchhoney

[AmandaPanda]

Unless there is a proven link between Hastert and Josh Duggar, let's leave the talk of Hastert's indictment out of this thread, please. Take it to the Prayer Closet or anywhere else on the Internet that is for discussing politics. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

This photo looks like it was taken at some event, where politicians basically go around with their spouses meeting everyone and paste on fake smiles to suggest what the people are saying is fascinating.

I don't fault anyone for being in a picture with someone at what is essentially a huge PR event. Unless you hate them enough to have a very public feud, you just smile, take the picture, and move on. A friend of a friend is a musician and he has some seriously crazy fans (not in a cute "awww, you came to four shows in a row!" way either). He smiles and takes pictures with everyone after his shows but that doesn't mean he is friends with them or shares their beliefs or condones their behavior. So regardless of my opinion of Tom Cotton, a photo of him with Josh before the scandal broke doesn't change my feelings toward him (Cotton, that is) one way or another. Part of being a public figure is photo ops at events like that. To me it's the equivalent of getting a picture with someone at Comic Con.

[brandyelf]

Here's a handy guide to fashion:

http://gawker.com/the-duggars-creepy-homeschool-curriculums-guide-to-fash-1707722189

[mbutterfly]

He also tweeted, confirming that he was NOT working with the Duggars. When a young, hungry guy like this turns down a potentially mega-account, you know there were irreconcilable differences between the parties. 

 

Bella, I agree that Boob is ultimately the stumbling block (heh, see what I did there?) in whatever negotiations are going on. He probably wants a huge payout if the show is being taken off the air permanently, probably far larger than TLC is willing to give. Or he wants a piece of any spinoff and wants to appear in it. I don't see him backing down from any of these positions. I bet the TLC attorneys are ready to rip their hair out right about now. But Duggar Hubris, as we saw about a month ago as Boob proclaimed that the show would never be canceled because it was TLC's highest-rated, will eventually be his downfall. 

One might wish to be a fly on the wall. I'm sure they've dealt with JimBob's Hubris. I hope they are giving it good thought. I'm sure it is cheaper to film shows like my 500 pound scrotum, but why not aim entirely at the sorts of people who used to like Clean Sweep and What Not to Wear and The Little Couple. Even the Roloffs were kind of interesting. 

Here's a handy guide to fashion:

http://gawker.com/the-duggars-creepy-homeschool-curriculums-guide-to-fash-1707722189

Are you telling me that Gothard actually used the "Color Me Beautiful" color system? I got a little confused about what was real and what was snark since almost nothing seemed even possibly real as relates to God's holy word. 

[lottiedottie]

Here's a handy guide to fashion:

http://gawker.com/the-duggars-creepy-homeschool-curriculums-guide-to-fash-1707722189

:::jots down notes::: Those are some handy pointers! LOL

[dillpickles]

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--K2W0U1Kl--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/1273992073120642630.jpg

Let's play the immodest harlot game!

[JoanArc]

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--K2W0U1Kl--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/1273992073120642630.jpg

Let's play the immodest harlot game!

Identify the eyetraps? How about how THEY HAVE NO FREAKIN' FACES. My eyes went right to the countenance!

 

[dillpickles]

Identify the eyetraps? How about how THEY HAVE NO FREAKIN' FACES. My eyes went right to the countenance!

I'm personally defrauded by the lack of flip flops in these pictures.