The Duggars: In the Media and TLC

[Tabbygirl521]

Well, at the risk of being pelted with tomatoes, I will just say it. As long as Josh makes no appearance (and I'm sure he won't since he is alluded to as the cause of pain and challenges) and we don't have to listen to the parents' usual self-congratulatory crap, I don't really have a problem with this. The other kids didn't cause this whole shit show, so if they have fans who want to watch them, I don't mind. And their appearance and activities in the promo suggest that MAYBE they are going to do things "a little bit differently" from their parents. Which would be great.

I feel they have been victims of a lot more than just Josh. Maybe maybe maybe this show will give them a way to discover who they really are and what they want out of life.

I doubt I will even watch. But I certainly find this concept less objectionable than so many other reality shows. If someone put a gun to my head, I would take the Duggar kids (minus Josh) over screaming swearing "housewives," Bad Girls Club, people marrying people they just met, spoiled brats shopping for wedding dresses, or basically anything with fake drama and fighting and hostility.

And...if by any remote chance Josh has really changed for the better, I would be curious about that, too.

[kokapetl]

I'm okay with the show only if they don't make the kidults fake smiles or cry for the camera, they owe us nothing. I don't wanna see Joy-Anna cry for the camera any further.

Edited February 24, 2016 by Kokapetl

[Churchhoney]

I feel they have been victims of a lot more than just Josh. Maybe maybe maybe this show will give them a way to discover who they really are and what they want out of life.

 

 

That would certainly be nice, but JB and M would have to have had personality transplants for it to happen. So I can't really see it. Just being 18 hasn't bought anybody freedom at the Duggar household up to now (or in most of the other biblical patriarchy homes, either), so I'm skeptical that having 18 year-olds plus on this show will have any effect. Seems to me they're only using the older kids because JB and M would have to be present all the time if the younger kids were heavily featured, whereas 18-pluses don't require that. However, for them to get freedom, world-champion mean-spirited control freak JB would have to let them off the leash a bit, and I don't see why he would, tv show or no tv show. ....

 

(If he does, I'll be thrilled for them, of course.)

[Marigold]

What song is playing in the promo?

anyone know?

Something about "courageous"

[Barb23]

What is with Jessa's hand on Joy's face in that first cap? Like, was it meant to be a comforting gesture? Because it failed

I'm hoping it's just the lighting or angle, but that is one manly looking hand on Jessa.

[WescottF1]

What song is playing in the promo?

anyone know?

Something about "courageous"

 

It should be:

[Aja]

It should be:

I know you can't see it, but I totally just blew a kiss at your post.

[WescottF1]

A few months ago Mike Huckabee's daughter was on his Facebook page making a plea for campaign donations.  I posted that video in response.

 

I am no longer allowed to post on Mike Huckabee's Facebook page.

[NikSac]

Yikes.

All of the promo pics are pretty weird but this one flat out disturbs me.

[Aja]

A few months ago Mike Huckabee's daughter was on his Facebook page making a plea for campaign donations.  I posted that video in response.

 

I am no longer allowed to post on Mike Huckabee's Facebook page.

In my opinion, the world needs more heroes like you!

 

All of the promo pics are pretty weird but this one flat out disturbs me.

Agreed. What on Earth were they going for with that?

Edited February 24, 2016 by Aja

[Obsidian]

It looks like Jessa is singing and the J J Js are harmonizing behind her. Totally agree with the sentiment that it's creepy to see them hanging all over each other like that when we know very well that's not how they were taught to interact naturally. So forced, so phony, so transparent. 

Perhaps. That's a somewhat nicer interpretation than mine. Whatever I thought they were attempting to do, I thought that Jessa has just farted and is waiting for the others to notice. (Sorry to lower the tone.)

[Aja]

Perhaps. That's a somewhat nicer interpretation than mine. Whatever I thought they were attempting to do, I thought that Jessa has just farted and is waiting for the others to notice. (Sorry to lower the tone.)

Oh my god I will never stop laughing.

[BitterApple]

The promo pics are disturbing because we know the Duggars aren't like this in real life. They side-hug their own parents ffs. Boys and girls aren't even allowed to be in the same room unsupervised, yet here they are, clinging to one another like lifelong besties. Whoever's producing this latest shitshow clearly spent some time watching the Bates family. Unfortunately the Duggars aren't good enough actors to convincingly sell the lie.

[Lemur]

All of the promo pics are pretty weird but this one flat out disturbs me.

 

Seriously, why is Jessa smiling?  And where is the hand of the girl she's leaning on?  What are they smelling?  Why aren't the rest of the girls smiling?  Is it because you only get to smile after ejecting a small human from your uterus? 

 

Questions, so many questions ...

[OhioMom]

They are jumping like the Bateseses!

I like the bangs.

[Sew Sumi]

It looks like an ad for the Scottish play.

And I'm hoping the pit stains in the jumping picture is a wink from TLC that the Duggars are going to get a slightly different edit this time. One can hope.

The jumping pics are indeed all about the baby--hail the mighty Spurgeon for resurrecting our show! And the mighty Jessa for producing him!

Oh, and Bin, the sperm donor.

Jessa as Lady Macbeth? I totally see it!

[Westiepeach]

Shit. That promo was awful. The girls are unrecognizable.

Ok. Can somebody please identify these 4 from L-R? I got 3 out of the 4. Number 2, between Jana and Jessa, looks like my local Meteorologist. And I am pretty sure she is not a Dugger. ID, please?

[Sew Sumi]

Jana, Jinger, Jessa, Joy.

[Aja]

Jana looks vaguely Korean.

[BitterApple]

I love how the stylists made it a point to give all the girls stick straight hair. That wasn't too deliberate, was it? I guess the barrel curls are reminiscent of the Josh/JB/Michelle days. It's also funny how Bin is a complete non-factor in his own family. It's like watching one of the guys who dates or marries into the Kardashians. You're only needed for photo ops and breeding. Jessa is clearly the HBIC.

[NikSac]

The way the promo pics look they should really just call it the Jessa show, or Jessa & Her Sisters. Bet she'd love it.

[kokapetl]

I love how the stylists made it a point to give all the girls stick straight hair. That wasn't too deliberate, was it? I guess the barrel curls are reminiscent of the Josh/JB/Michelle days. It's also funny how Bin is a complete non-factor in his own family. It's like watching one of the guys who dates or marries into the Kardashians. You're only needed for photo ops and breeding. Jessa is clearly the HBIC.

Jessa got ass length extensions.

[NikSac]

Wait.... What? I haven't been paying attention to Ben and Jessa and their miracle baby. I only saw the promo for the new show with the girls. Now I'm reading that Ben and Jessa really did name their baby 'Spurgeon' and I'm in shock. All these comments that I've been reading referring to the baby as 'Spurge' and 'Spurgeon' I thought were snarky jokes! Holy crap, they really named the baby Spurgeon.

[snip]

Had they given any thought to how much crap that kid is going to take in school when he's older? Have they considered that as an adult some people might think he's some kind of doctor that operates on a body part nobody has heard of? "A doctor that specialized in treatment or surgical

I know, it's pretty bad when the kid's real name is worse than anything we could come up with. Sort of screws up that whole rule about "no gross or cruel nicknames for a baby."

Fortunately for him he won't have to worry about being teased at school. He'd have to attend one for that to happen.

There actually are people already who specialize in Spurge removal, though they are generally in environmental fields instead of medical. Is a very invasive and destructive weed in some areas.

(edit for typos)

Edited February 25, 2016 by NikSac

[BitterApple]

Jessa got ass length extensions.

Wow, for two people with no jobs and a new baby, they sure do have lots of money to blow.

[NEGirl]

Hi everyone- I have been away for awhile. Will, I saw the promo for the new season and I can't honestly think of anything to say that has not been said before.  The pictures of them all are weird-almost does not look like them. And, all the girls need a good two inches cut from their hair. Bin looks like an afterthought.

[Oldernowiser]

So no Michelle, no Jill, even though Jill had the first baby. Jessa is clearly TLC's matriarch in training.

If I were Jessa, I'd sleep with one eye open.

[BitterApple]

So no Michelle, no Jill, even though Jill had the first baby. Jessa is clearly TLC's matriarch in training.

If I were Jessa, I'd sleep with one eye open.

Jessa is more attractive and more photogenic than Jill. Ditto for Ben in comparison to Derick. I think that factored heavily into which daughter TLC used as the face of the new series.

[Aja]

It smacks of trying to push Jessa into the foreground simply because she's the "hot" one. The painfully embarrassing forced personality shift, the "sexy fundie" makeover, the endless Instagram selfies. It is a completely shallow, short-sighted and ridiculously uninformed casting decision that has become the trademark of TLC programming.

 

ETA: Bitterapple, I owe you a Coke.

[tenativelyyours]

All of the promo pics are pretty weird but this one flat out disturbs me.

 

When I see that picture of the four of them I honestly think Jessa does not realize the other three are also in the frame.  That or the photographer asked them for "serene" and she confused the word with 'careen' and did her best snapshot face while on a rollercoaster.

Edited February 24, 2016 by tenativelyyours

[flyingdi]

The rest of the girls are thinking the same thing they thought about their mother for years, "It pays to keep Jessa happy!"

[BitterApple]

It smacks of trying to push Jessa into the foreground simply because she's the "hot" one. The painfully embarrassing forced personality shift, the "sexy fundie" makeover, the endless Instagram selfies. It is a completely shallow, short-sighted and ridiculously uninformed casting decision that has become the trademark of TLC programming.

ETA: Bitterapple, I owe you a Coke.

Exactly. Jessa is the centerpiece and everyone else is just window dressing. For all her talk of hell and damnation, Jessa is like every other girl in tight shirts taking duck-lipped selfies in public restrooms. When she starts hawking products on Instagram, we'll know the transformation is complete.

I'll happily take you up on that Coke, with a healthy shot of rum stirred in. These people could turn a Mormon into an alcoholic, they're so damned infuriating.

[STFUFrank]

I would buy the sisterly/sibling love and closeness if those were the Bates siblings but I'm not impressed with the Duggars. Not very convincing.

[truthtalk2014]

Wow- I have to come back and say that the photo is worse than I originally thought.  I am talking about the one of them all jumping up as in a moon bounce.  I would fire my photoshop editor.  

 

I opened the photo in PS.  Really bad editing.  Benjamin's fingers are cut off.  They did a horrible job of cutting out the pixels of Josiah behind JD and not to mention, they left the sweat stains. Jessica had major work to her face.  Not plastic - just retouching.  You can see the bad pixel job in so many places.  Maybe TLC is hiring one of the D's?  BTW, Spurgeon was the only one I could not find severely edited.  Imagine that.  

Edited February 24, 2016 by truthtalk2014

[GeeGolly]

Well, at the risk of being pelted with tomatoes, I will just say it. As long as Josh makes no appearance (and I'm sure he won't since he is alluded to as the cause of pain and challenges) and we don't have to listen to the parents' usual self-congratulatory crap, I don't really have a problem with this. The other kids didn't cause this whole shit show, so if they have fans who want to watch them, I don't mind. And their appearance and activities in the promo suggest that MAYBE they are going to do things "a little bit differently" from their parents. Which would be great.

I feel they have been victims of a lot more than just Josh. Maybe maybe maybe this show will give them a way to discover who they really are and what they want out of life.

I doubt I will even watch. But I certainly find this concept less objectionable than so many other reality shows. If someone put a gun to my head, I would take the Duggar kids (minus Josh) over screaming swearing "housewives," Bad Girls Club, people marrying people they just met, spoiled brats shopping for wedding dresses, or basically anything with fake drama and fighting and hostility.

And...if by any remote chance Josh has really changed for the better, I would be curious about that, too.

No tomatoes here Tabbs. I snark with the best of them, however I have no problem with the show going forward.

 

As far as Josh, I am curious about him too, however I would not be okay with him profiting from his eff-ups. 

[Jynnan tonnix]

Perhaps. That's a somewhat nicer interpretation than mine. Whatever I thought they were attempting to do, I thought that Jessa has just farted and is waiting for the others to notice. (Sorry to lower the tone.)

I don't think I'll ever be able to see that photo again without this thought cropping up! I'd say you spoiled it for me, but you actually made it far better :)

[GeeGolly]

All recent evidence to the contrary - they just DID.

I would argue that they're trying. Our comments lend to a fail. :)

[JoanArc]

 

Shit. That promo was awful. The girls are unrecognizable.

Ok. Can somebody please identify these 4 from L-R? I got 3 out of the 4. Number 2, between Jana and Jessa, looks like my local Meteorologist. And I am pretty sure she is not a Dugger. ID, please?

 

 

They made it abundantly clear that THEY ALREADY HEALED from the past. YEARS ago, right? "It was nothing!" Done and over. If that were true I can't see Josh's affair having that much effect on everyone.

 

 

Jessa is more attractive and more photogenic than Jill. Ditto for Ben in comparison to Derick. I think that factored heavily into which daughter TLC used as the face of the new series.

She'll never be able to fake sincerity. The more she tries, the more The Real Jessa shine through. More attention will make her juggle more and more. No one can juggle forever, just look at her parents.

Edited February 25, 2016 by JoanArc

[BrakeLites]

I think the sisters look lovely, but I only recognized Jessa, then only after I continued to scroll to the rest of the shots. Other than that, I didn't identify a single one of them until I went back and looked hard. Weird. Especially Jinger. She has transformed completely to me in that first promo shot. But enough of the shallowness.

 

That said, I agree completely with the observations about the creepy-weirdness of the touching, especially Jessa's hand on Joy's face. Just strange for a family that has been devoid of all physical contact since they were weaned. Let's face it, they aren't even emotionally close, not at all like those Bates girls. Just a very odd and obvious choice of spin in these shots. 

 

While I understand outrage at their return, I'll watch, even though I see this "new" series as short-lived, and as boring as that garbage they brought back in the fall. I'll watch because I have a real desire to get some indication that all of those younger kids are okay. They are the ones I'd like to see with their own show, frankly. Guess you can't do that without at least indicating that their sperm and egg donors exist, but, lord help me, I really want "the littles" to be alright, physically, emotionally and mentally and I worry now more than ever that they aren't and can never be.   

[NewDigs]

Jana, Jinger, Jessa, Joy.

I still require Sew Sumi's cheat sheet.

[Quilt Fairy]

I think Jessa's hand is up to show that all-important wedding ring on her finger.

[Joe Jitsu913]

Shit. That promo was awful. The girls are unrecognizable.

Keep your arms down, John-David.

Our ensemble cast? Where is fricken Jill? This the Jessa and friends Hour.

Jessa is starting to resemble Jessica Biehl, IMO. That's not a compliment BTW, since Jessica Biehl is very plain looking.

[Loves2Dance]

Jessa needs to stop looking like Jodi Arias to me...those promos are rough!

[cmr2014]

The promo pics are disturbing because we know the Duggars aren't like this in real life. They side-hug their own parents ffs. Boys and girls aren't even allowed to be in the same room unsupervised, yet here they are, clinging to one another like lifelong besties. Whoever's producing this latest shitshow clearly spent some time watching the Bates family. Unfortunately the Duggars aren't good enough actors to convincingly sell the lie.

I agree. I don't buy this "new" happy, leaping Duggar clan.

 

The show, for the last ten years, has consisted of little more than an endless explanation of their "rules." There is no hugging, laughing, or dancing in the Duggar household. 

 

The girls dress modestly -- did you know that? They don't hold hands or kiss before marriage, because Jesus! 

 

Wearing their hair slightly straighter (at least for a day), is far and away the most interesting thing any of those people has done in YEARS! Watching a bunch of young adults with no jobs loll around and talk their family rules over and over is not must-see tv -- I can't see this lasting.

[truthtalk2014]

Jessa needs to stop looking like Jodi Arias to me...those promos are rough!

OMG- you seriously gave me a good laugh!  Jodi Arias!  HAHA!

 

I am equally impressed by Joy going for the Stevie Nicks look.  BTW, I love Stevie!  

[Aja]

I think Jessa's hand is up to show that all-important wedding ring on her finger.

Oh my god, Quilt Fairy, you're right! Oh barf!!

[handshakefulness]

 

I think Jessa's hand is up to show that all-important wedding ring on her finger.

Of course Blessa's idea of "healing" is to smirk while presenting the Godly Diamond on her sister's head.  It's very Susan-Sarandon-in-that-Soap-Opera on Friends making sure she takes up as much of the camera's shot as possible.  At least the other three barely-recognizable sisters have the good grace to look somewhat serious! 

[Missy Vixen]

I won't be watching but I can hardly wait for the recaps of each episode from those who can't resist. And it will be FASCINATING to see how TLC spins their "still healing" storyline this season, especially since Jilly Muffin and Jessa Blessa have been telling anyone who'd listen that there was nothing wrong with them in the first place. The touchy-feely photos are a laugh a minute to those of us who have observed that this family does not touch each other -- and Jessa Blessa has been treating her sisters with disdain for quite some time now.

 

One also has to wonder if TLC will bring in a fake therapist to join their fake party planner. And I'm toying with starting a pool on which episode Joshley Madison will make his triumphant return; there are ratings and ad dollars at stake here, people!

[JoanArc]

 

And I'm toying with starting a pool on which episode Joshley Madison will make his triumphant return;

Season finale. TLC knows how to to hook a return audience.

[Vermicious Knid]

I have no doubt the show will be 100% staged. TLC, removing the 'real' from Reality.

[Tabbygirl521]

Regarding hugging, I recall seeing Jill give someone a full-on hug in one of the more recent eps or photos. Maybe hugging someone when leaving or arriving from CA.