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The Duggars: In the Media and TLC


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As a reminder, the site's Politics Policy remains in effect.  Yes, Jim Bob is apparently running for office again. That does not make it an acceptable topic of conversation in here - unless for some mysterious reason, TLC brings the show back and it is discussed on there. Even then, it would be limited to how it was discussed on the show.

If you have any questions, please PM the mods, @SCARLETT45 and myself.

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On President's Day, the Duggars want a WH that honors G-d.  They're really starting to put it out there.  I'd like to see this kind of talk on the TV show and see what happens to ratings.  https://www.facebook.com/duggarfamilyofficial/photos/a.518180528315601.1073741828.510067475793573/602813113185675/?type=1&theater

I made it a POINT to comment and link info on the separation of church and state on there. People are so annoying.....some of the comments give me hope, though (lots of people commenting that religion is personal, and has no place in government).
  • Love 5
I wonder how much, if any, research either Jim Bob or Michelle do.

I think it's one of those things where they underestimate their ignorance and therefore don't bother doing any research because they don't think they need to. Not that I think research would necessarily do any good; IIRC, the best way to change a homophobic person's mind is to have them get to personally know a gay person. Of course, that isn't a surefire thing either, since Michelle has a gay sister and that obviously hasn't stopped the Duggars from being dumb about this. 

Edited by galax-arena
  • Love 2

Oh yes. Well, TX ...three words: Rainbow Lounge raid. I was living in Fort Worth at the time. Huge deal all around. Have the Duggars ever made a public statement about any sort of hate crime?

I wonder how much, if any, research either Jim Bob or Michelle do. Are they ignorant or just committed to their stance regardless? With Josh's job, do he and Jim Bob make any joint statements?

 

They are both - ignorant AND committed to their stance regardless. Personally I doubt whether they do any kind of reading outside of the Bible and Gothard materials.  Seriously. I'm sure Boob wouldn't trust newspapers or magazines and Mechelle? Well, she wouldn't even think about reading anything other than the Bible. She knows she's supposed to remain - for lack of a better term - uninformed.

  • Love 1

I suppose it's too much to hope for that Joseph has quit the show and the Duggars have invented a reason for why he's not seen anymore.  It could explain why he wasn't added to the picture.

 

I know, that's crazy talk, but for a moment I let myself smile at the thought of one of the kids doing just that.  I even fanwanked a story that he's actually holed up in a little apartment on the dime of a book publisher while he works with a ghostwriter to churn out the tell all that makes Gothard cringe, his parents blanch, and gives Joy Anna some hope that her life might have some options opening up for her.

I hope to God that is exactly what happened. Hopefully he would help support any other 18+ escapees too from the compound. Free JANA!

  • Love 2

Can we please stop the talk about how Jessa is soooo much more private than her family and hates being in the spotlight?  Jessa and her boy toy are on the front cover of this week's People Magazine - 

 

Ben and Jessa Seewald: Inside Their Newlywed Life

 

Must say I'm kind of surprised that People gave the Duggars a cover again after all the backlash last time with Jill's pregnancy. Ben and Jessa's big news is that they're going to adopt.  Yeah right. I would love to know which adoption agency would let these two unemployed, uneducated barely adults adopt a baby because you know for the Duggars it HAS to be all babies, babies, babies or nothing

  • Love 6

Adopting is usually fairly expensive, right? I thought the average total cost years ago was 50,000. Though, it makes a difference on certain factors, but I still don't see how they'd afford it right now unless they're using TLC and People checks. But, I think they'd want to get settled with housing and a savings account first. Plus, are they old enough? Or, are they saying in the future?

I'm an adoptive parent and most states have policies around how long a couple needs to be married, or committed, before pursuing adoption. The minimum I've seen is two years. There are extensive financial background checks. Not to just afford the initial adoption fees but to provide long term for a child. These two jokers are nowhere near ready for that.

  • Love 4

I'm an adoptive parent and most states have policies around how long a couple needs to be married, or committed, before pursuing adoption. The minimum I've seen is two years. There are extensive financial background checks. Not to just afford the initial adoption fees but to provide long term for a child. These two jokers are nowhere near ready for that.

Out of curiosity, is it the same for both private adoption and adoption through the foster care system? I could see the Duggars convincing some unwed teenage mother that God laid it on her heart to give her newborn to Ben and Jessa. 

Also if they wanted to adopt from another country. Is it easier or harder?

Fifteen years ago my uncle and his wife adopted two kids from Russia. It cost them 75k and was a pretty intricate process. I honestly hope Jessa and Bin don't do a foreign adoption. Many of those kids come from abusive and neglectful backgrounds and they need mature, stable and patient parents to help them work through their issues. Jessa and Bin are in no way prepared to deal with something like that.

  • Love 6

The Duggars seem to have this idea that children in other countries feel so awed and blessed to be in the presence of white Americans, it would never occur to them that a kid would have mixed feelings about adoption and have difficulties adjusting.

 

The idea of a kid coming into a home with cultural differences and a language barrier, and then being subjected to cold drill sergeant Jessa wielding a blanket and a plastic ruler, just makes me incredibly depressed.

  • Love 3

I find it nauseating that this couple and the rest of the family would continue to appear in People Magazine; obviously a magazine they find to be ungodly,, don't allow in their own house nor do they read it at the check out counter...in keeping up with their hypocrisy, they have been appearing on TV for 10 years now (?) also something they have cut out of their lives as being ungodly....it's something how a godly family constantly associates themselves with ungodly things, isn't it? AND profits from it to boot....!

  • Love 8
Also if they wanted to adopt from another country. Is it easier or harder?

I'm sure you still have to spend a lot of money, but the international adoption industry is shady as hell. I've heard a lot of parents say that they went with international adoptions instead of domestic because there weren't as many hoops to jump through (as long as you had the money), and they didn't have to worry about the biological parents changing their minds. (Which I have so many feelings about, but that's for another thread.) Things might have changed recently though, especially with the controversy over American parents trying to give up their adopted kids, like that one mother who sent her 7-year-old Russian son alone on a plane back to Russia. I know that adopting children from South Korea used to be trendy, but the country stemmed the tide after getting a lot of criticism from South Korean adoptees and scrutiny over how so many of the kids weren't even orphans, but children born to unwed single mothers pressured to give up their babies. I used to think that I'd like to adopt a child from South Korea - since I'm Korean and therefore there wouldn't be any transracial issues - but after reading more about the adoption industry there, felt like I couldn't in good conscience justify contributing to such a system. 

 

And even aside from the industry shadiness, there are a lot of issues with transnational adoptions in general. I've found that a lot of parents tend to have a White/Western Savior complex about "rescuing" these children, which is a really gross way of looking at adoption IMO. It does no favors for the adopted child, who often feels like they can't say anything critical of the adoption process without being made out to be an ingrate. ("If it weren't for us, you'd be wasting away in a Chinese orphanage!") And when the child is of a different race, parents have to be REALLY willing to put in the effort. A lot of parents seem to think that opting for a "colorblind" approach is the best way to go. I've read a lot of accounts from South Korean adoptees who ended up with a host of issues re: their skin color because they were often the only Asian kid in a very white neighborhood and they didn't even have fellow Asian people in their family and their parents were well-meaning but thought that the best way to deal with any racial differences was to act like they didn't exist. 

 

Basically, I agree with WTFFF in that I don't think the Duggars would have it in them to put in the necessary effort for a successful adoption. Can you imagine Jessa adopting a black child and learning about how to care for black hair? Or adopting a Chinese child and trying to learn about Chinese culture and language? 

  • Love 5

As a foster and adoption parent, Benessa are wayy too young to adopt. Certain states have age requirements. Plus the home study and proof of income. What income do they have? International adoption are very hard and costs $$$$ Domestic are in high demand for healthy white babies. Which Benessa would probably want. No way they're going to adopt an older child. All this adoption talk is just talk. And gothard is against adoption. Jessa needs to leave her cult. It's bad enough most adopted kids have emotional issues as they grow older. I can see a Duggar sending a child back

http://www.people.com/article/jessa-duggar-ben-seewald-adoption-plans

 

More details from People mag, including an accompany video, if you have the stomach to watch (I don’t).

 

It seems pretty clear from the article that Ben and Jessa aren’t actually serious about adopting right now. It’s just nonsense talk so they could brag about how they have such big hearts for ministry and children, blah blah blah. Their entire People interview is nothing but a publicity stunt to grab headlines and be in the spotlight. I’d love to know what Jim Bob and Michelle would have to say about the cover with People branding Jessa “the sexiest Duggar alive!”. Jessa will never admit it but I bet she’s secretly LOVING the headline. Modest and godly, indeed.

Edited by Mariva

I think Jill and Derick would succeed with a foreign adoption because both have made efforts to immerse themselves in local culture while doing missionary work, but the first time we saw Jessa go to El Salvador she looked at those kids like they were going to give her cooties. I'm glad to hear that her and Bin are just paying lip service to the idea for now. 

  • Love 1

I'm sure you still have to spend a lot of money, but the international adoption industry is shady as hell. I've heard a lot of parents say that they went with international adoptions instead of domestic because there weren't as many hoops to jump through (as long as you had the money), and they didn't have to worry about the biological parents changing their minds. (Which I have so many feelings about, but that's for another thread.) Things might have changed recently though, especially with the controversy over American parents trying to give up their adopted kids, like that one mother who sent her 7-year-old Russian son alone on a plane back to Russia. I know that adopting children from South Korea used to be trendy, but the country stemmed the tide after getting a lot of criticism from South Korean adoptees and scrutiny over how so many of the kids weren't even orphans, but children born to unwed single mothers pressured to give up their babies. I used to think that I'd like to adopt a child from South Korea - since I'm Korean and therefore there wouldn't be any transracial issues - but after reading more about the adoption industry there, felt like I couldn't in good conscience justify contributing to such a system. 

 

And even aside from the industry shadiness, there are a lot of issues with transnational adoptions in general. I've found that a lot of parents tend to have a White/Western Savior complex about "rescuing" these children, which is a really gross way of looking at adoption IMO. It does no favors for the adopted child, who often feels like they can't say anything critical of the adoption process without being made out to be an ingrate. ("If it weren't for us, you'd be wasting away in a Chinese orphanage!") And when the child is of a different race, parents have to be REALLY willing to put in the effort. A lot of parents seem to think that opting for a "colorblind" approach is the best way to go. I've read a lot of accounts from South Korean adoptees who ended up with a host of issues re: their skin color because they were often the only Asian kid in a very white neighborhood and they didn't even have fellow Asian people in their family and their parents were well-meaning but thought that the best way to deal with any racial differences was to act like they didn't exist. 

 

Basically, I agree with WTFFF in that I don't think the Duggars would have it in them to put in the necessary effort for a successful adoption. Can you imagine Jessa adopting a black child and learning about how to care for black hair? Or adopting a Chinese child and trying to learn about Chinese culture and language? 

 

Extremely well-said, galax-arena...

I agree very well said gala-arena.

For some reason I can see Jessa adopting over being pregnant. It could work because I have a friend from college who married at 20 (her husband was 21-22) she was pregnant by the time she graduated (a year later). And now 7 years and 2 biological kids later they opened their home for 2 foster kids last year and now are officially their parents. It was such a sweet story because the kids were from not to great homes. Now when they married they went to school in different cities, rented a house in the middle and both worked while finishing their degrees.

Point of this story is I can see it happening in at least 5 years if Jessa and Ben are serious about it. And if they do I would love to see them adopt a kid from a different ethnic group just for the storyline (I know we have The Little Couple for that). I'd watch the spinoff. Same with Jill and Derick.

Long term lurker, first time poster :)

 

Personally, I wouldn't trust Jessa and Ben with a puppy or even a house plant, let alone an actual human child.  But I'm pretty sure the article was just for show and to get their names back in the spotlight with the new season and all.  But honestly, that photo makes me want to gag, Jessa just looks so smug. 

 

"If we have a hard time and we talk about it, you just love each other so much more afterwards," Jessa says. "After a disagreement, I often feel, 'I have never loved you more than I love you now.' "

 

Maybe it is just me but after a fight I don't throw myself into the other person's arms to pronounce my love.  That and the fact that they "Try not to argue"? Please, this is the first time either of them have moved away from home and have had to be self-sufficient.  I would bet that there is less"I love you babe!" and more "Are you incapable of putting your shoes away?" especially given that Jessa doesn't seem to enjoy housework at all.

  • Love 3
Personally, I wouldn't trust Jessa and Ben with a puppy or even a house plant, let alone an actual human child.

 

Yes.  The only living thing I'd trust Jessa with is that house mold. 

 

Not every woman in the world has that nurturing quality about them.  I think Michelle may have been this way and could only manage the first few children.  I think it's unfortunate that her beliefs have her feeling a need to have a bazillion kids.  I hope Jessa doesn't wind up like her mother, and I think it's fortunate that she steamrolls over Ben, that way she won't necessarily cowtow to whatever Ben wants. 

  • Love 7

Since Jessa and Ben are now married, aren't they allowed to make their own decisions? I noticed that Jill, like Kelly Bates said in an earlier episode of her show, said that the way she and Derrick did things were different than the Duggar household, in that they go to bed and get up early. Kelly had mentioned this in regards to her married kids, that once they leave the Bates house, the married kid's house rules will be their own. So if that's the case, what's wrong with Jessa and Ben using birth control? Or if they do, are they even allowed to admit it? For the sake of the show, probably not. 

  • Love 1

Just because they mentioned adoption does not mean they're going to do it RIGHT THIS SECOND. 

I'm sure they get asked a lot about having kids, because that's what their family does. They have kids and they make money off having kids.  So perhaps they discussed it and said if they're asked the question then they will say they plan to adopt.  It might be 5 years... it might be 10 years.... point is... it doesn't have to be right now and they might be fully able to handle the cost somewhere down the road.  Wishful thinking here but maybe Jim Bob has given each kid a little nest egg from the show earnings.  We have no idea how much money Jessa and the other kids have saved up.

 

My cousin and her husband have 4 young kids and live on a single income which is a good middle class income but nothing amazing.  Within the past 2 years they adopted 2 kids from Congo.  So no, you don't need to have a lot of money - you just need to have a means to get the money to keep paying the bills of your adopted kids as they live overseas before they can come home.  I know the start price of the adopted for were about $45k for both but it far exceeded that amount because congo shut down adoptions so their family had to continue to pay at least $1000+ per month for the kids foster home.  And then a lot more money to get them out of the country.


Jill is looking good - doesn't look like she has the end of pregnancy face bloat yet. 

  • Love 1

No, Jill doesn't have the puffy bloated face. I think she has been diligent eating a very healthy fresh vegetable dense diet along with lean protein and is probably aware of not consuming too much salt. I'm sure being married to Derick, he has influenced her food choices and she's healthier than she's ever been.

The girl could do with some sunshine, though -- she is soo pale! I wonder if she ever spends any time outdoors besides walking to and from the car?

  • Love 1

Why can't we get more Amy episodes like this? This is what I want to see. She may not be as strict as her cousins in the dating game but she still has her values.

Also I would love to see her interact with the Duggar more (wedding prep, sleepovers, her and the older girls just hanging out)

I find it nauseating that this couple and the rest of the family would continue to appear in People Magazine; obviously a magazine they find to be ungodly,, don't allow in their own house nor do they read it at the check out counter...in keeping up with their hypocrisy, they have been appearing on TV for 10 years now (?) also something they have cut out of their lives as being ungodly....it's something how a godly family constantly associates themselves with ungodly things, isn't it? AND profits from it to boot....!

To be fair, the Duggars have never said TV was ungodly. They have typically stated that it can be an intrusive influence.   

No, Jill doesn't have the puffy bloated face. I think she has been diligent eating a very healthy fresh vegetable dense diet along with lean protein and is probably aware of not consuming too much salt. I'm sure being married to Derick, he has influenced her food choices and she's healthier than she's ever been.

The girl could do with some sunshine, though -- she is soo pale! I wonder if she ever spends any time outdoors besides walking to and from the car?

When my friend was pregnant her face bloated up the last month and she was super good about watching what she ate, real healthy stuff and she's a real tiny person.

Unless maybe at the last month she fell off the wagon, who knows lol 

Guest

As a reminder, the site's Politics Policy remains in effect.  Yes, Jim Bob is apparently running for office again. That does not make it an acceptable topic of conversation in here - unless for some mysterious reason, TLC brings the show back and it is discussed on there. Even then, it would be limited to how it was discussed on the show.

If you have any questions, please PM the mods, @SCARLETT45 and myself.

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