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The Duggars: In the Media and TLC

Null 302

By Null 302
in Counting On

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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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awaken

awaken

3 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

It seems the Duggars are the only ones who did not pay their respects to the 20th anniversary of 9/11. With the exception of Medic Corps (while tipping their hat to themselves).

I am surprised, given how “patriotic” they act like they are!

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cmr2014
cmr2014

I was thinking about this and the idea that the girls weren't "harmed" and weren't "damaged goods" which led me to realize that ALL of the Duggar children are "damaged goods" and I think that's becomi

Churchhoney
Churchhoney

They put themselves on tv and have proclaimed over and over and over and over again that their way of life is the way to ensure that your children are totally safe from every evil of the world, and in

WhitneyWhit
WhitneyWhit

I don't know where to post this but I fucking met Michelle Duggar. Let me set the scene. So my cousin is getting married and we were at a shop looking at dresses here in Kentucky when the Duggars marc

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Minivanessa

Minivanessa

(edited)
27 minutes ago, satrunrose said:

I don't think TLC would try to stop a tell-all at this point unless it somehow implicated the network or production company. The number of TLC families that have had scandals is a dark joke at this point. Heck, I think scandals and shocking!! revelations are more or less the raison d'être for 90 Fiancée, their big money maker. 

Bringing this over from the Smuggar topic. The subject under discussion was the idea of Anna writing a tell-all book. Which is fun speculation and IMO as likely as a pig flying into my condo to join me for lunch. The issue was raised about whether TLC and/or JB would have any NDAs or contractual terms in place to stop such disclosures.

I agree with @satrunrose. TLC has weathered the Willis Family horrors, and the Honey Boo Boo scandals. Mama June waltzed away from TLC to star in her own series on We TV, which seems to still be in production. I assume that even if there were any contractual provisions that might have allowed TLC to stop Mama June from participating in that show, TLC didn't bother to try to enforce them.

Interesting note about TLC going for scandals: According to Wikipedia, TLC cancelled Honey Boo Boo in 2014 after the public learned of Mama June's fondness for bringing sex offenders into her life and home. There were four episodes in the can that weren't aired. Then in 2017, TLC released them in a two hour "Unaired Episodes" special. That was about the time Mama June's show was debuting on We TV. TLC is about grabbing viewer eyeballs and ad revenues, and wasn't going to let that little opportunity to use paid-for material pass it by.

I think TLC's over the Duggars. I know that TLC presented the Duggars as straight-up wholesome folks, vs. their snarky take on Honey Boo Boo and her family as trashy. I agree that JB's much more invested in the "good name" of his family enterprise, than TLC is at this time. If anybody does a Duggar tell-all in the near future, and TLC can find a way to use its paid-for Duggar episodes to cash in? It will. 

Edited by Jeeves
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BigBingerBro

BigBingerBro

12 minutes ago, Jeeves said:

If anybody does a Duggar tell-all in the near future, and TLC can find a way to use its paid-for Duggar episodes to cash in? It will. 

Could JB then sue them if the way they "cash-in" shows them in a much "less-than-holy" light??

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Zella

Zella

12 minutes ago, Jeeves said:

I think TLC's over the Duggars.

Agreed. I would be really shocked if the Duggars ever got a special on there again. In my mind, TLC is very culpable for how much they have enabled the Duggars. They could have cancelled them at any time, but it was only at this point that they finally had enough. My guess is that they bailed on the family when it became clear to them Josh intended to fight the charges, or at least made noise about doing so, rather than quietly going into the good night with a plea. 

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Minivanessa

Minivanessa

(edited)
16 minutes ago, BigBingerBro said:

Could JB then sue them if the way they "cash-in" shows them in a much "less-than-holy" light??

I don't think TLC would air anything about the Duggars that TLC's lawyers hadn't okayed after reviewing all relevant contracts. I'm not familiar with reality TV show contracts. But I have read from reliable sources, that the network owns these reality shows they have bought and can re-run them into infinity without paying the production company or the talent another dime. I think that if TLC can in the future spin whatever it owns into a few ratings and a few bucks - it will. Whether JB's head explodes over it, or not.

ETA: weighing against the likelihood of TLC doing anything snarky or "negative" about the Duggars, is how TLC just dropped the Willis family after (1) presenting them as a more hip and talented big Christian family than the Duggars and (2) Toby Willis being exposed as a sexual predator, charged and imprisoned for rape, and his own kids being disclosed as his victims. There wasn't really anything to be done about that horrific reality. The Duggars' situation differs in details and TLC wrote Josh out of the show after Joshgate I. As I think it over, there may be no way for TLC to make any more hay out of the Duggars by taking a different tack than "they're a nice wholesome family." 

Hmm . . .

Edited by Jeeves
I'm having more thoughts that I shoulda had in the first place . . .
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Churchhoney

Churchhoney

14 minutes ago, Zella said:

Agreed. I would be really shocked if the Duggars ever got a special on there again. In my mind, TLC is very culpable for how much they have enabled the Duggars. They could have cancelled them at any time, but it was only at this point that they finally had enough. My guess is that they bailed on the family when it became clear to them Josh intended to fight the charges, or at least made noise about doing so, rather than quietly going into the good night with a plea. 

If I didn't feel bad for his sisters and his children, I'd think it'd be hilarious to see the coverage of Josh fighting the charges. To my very mean mind, his arrogant ass and his parents; arrogant asses deserve to be made a rotten spectacle of in just the way I expect that would play out.  

As it is, if he doesn't go for a plea and end the circus pretty quietly, I'm going to be depressed. 

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quarks

quarks

1 hour ago, Jeeves said:

 I'm not familiar with reality TV show contracts. But I have read from reliable sources, that the network owns these reality shows they have bought and can re-run them into infinity without paying the production company or the talent another dime.

This somewhat depends upon the production studio and whether or not said production studio is a subsidiary of the same multimedia conglomerate and how many studios are involved. The situation with NBC's The Voice, for instance, is a touch more complicated, since it's not produced by NBC Universal or any of the various Comcast subsidiary studios, and NBC/Comcast didn't purchase worldwide first broadcast rights. And in some cases, talents on non-scripted shows have formed their own production companies/limited production companies and/or obtained production credit on their shows, which can allow them to earn some limited royalties through those production credits, and retain certain rights. 

I don't think that any of that is going on with Counting On, a non-scripted show produced, distributed and broadcast by TLC which typically pays a one-time worldwide appearance rights fee, per episode, and which does not list any of the Duggars in the credits as producers/co-producers/executive producers. But I suppose in theory it could. 

In terms of whether or not TLC will ever film them again - well, I don't like to say never, since Hollywood is kinda notorious for going back and working with people who supposedly would never work in Hollywood again. But I doubt it will happen at any time soon. 

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Guest

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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CouchTater

CouchTater

Hi all.  I finally broke down and got Discovery Plus.  So much content!

I didn't watch the original run of Counting On, so I've checked out some episodes today and zzzzzzzz.........  Although I did just watch "It's Official!" courting episode of Jeremy and Jinger; it was interesting watching their early relationship.  She was so much more into him than he was into her. He seemed so fake and phony.  Ugh.

Anyhoo, all that to ask:  are there any "signature" episodes or seasons that you recommend, that are interesting?  I can't watch the entire series, I don't think.  I just can't!!

Thanks in advance.

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lascuba

lascuba

10 hours ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Watch the only episode @Zella has ever seen, the marriage bootcamp. Lauren is pregnant and using it as an excuse to avoid everyone, including Josiah. It's a classic! 😁

Hands down the funniest moment in Duggar television. I think of Josiah reciting his vows every time someone mentions him or Lauren.

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CouchTater

CouchTater

(edited)

Based on @emmawoodhouse's recommendation I did watch the marriage retreat episode last night.  It did not disappoint!  Once it started I realized I had seen it before, but I wasn't as familiar with all the "characters" at the time and didn't understand Lauren's deal (still don't LOL).  

The part I didn't like about the episode was watching Jinger and Jeremy's garage sale.  Jeremy is so punchable on camera.  And he doesn't know that doce means 12 in Spanish, after 4.5 years in Laredo.  What a tool.

Edited by CouchTater
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GeeGolly

GeeGolly

23 minutes ago, BigBingerBro said:

Isn't the episode where Bin aspires to become a rapper pretty classic as well?  I can recall some pretty cringy moments as well as some epic faces from Jessa....

Oh my. I temporally blocked that from my mind. Cringiest episode ever!

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lascuba

lascuba

31 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

Oh my. I temporally blocked that from my mind. Cringiest episode ever!

My favorite part is when Jessa went to the Indian restaurant with Flame's wife, nervously ordered something "NOT SPICY," and then they never showed the food arriving or Jessa eating it. Her facial expressions must have been too over the top even for TLC. It's certainly not the most important thing left of the cutting room floor, but it's still one of the top 10 scenes I'd pay money to see. 

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Churchhoney

Churchhoney

(edited)

As one watches the various Duggars and adjacents doing all this stupid crap, it might be valuable to ponder the fact that to a whole heckuva lot of viewers these people are revered role models. (There are haters in their social media fan followings, but I'd bet quite a bit that a significant majority are leghumpers all the way.) 

So there's something about nastiness, insecure vindictiveness, worship of ignorance, humorlessness, fear and hatred of anything and anyone who's different and so on that many of our fellow humans revere and try to emulate as they've watched this family for over a decade. 

Worse. Most of these leghumpers think of themselves and the Duggs as The Very Best Christians the world has to offer -- and thus the world's and the country's only hope of salvation from Satan.  What in the world was shown on these tv shows that would make anyone think that? And yet they have and do. Insanity. 

 

Edited by Churchhoney
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GeeGolly

GeeGolly

(edited)

The Duggars and Bates represent a good portion of Americans. I don't think they're revered for who they are as individuals, as much as they are a reflection of many of their fans. They offer validation for uber conservative believers.

Of course there is a subsection of braindead super fans, who are not that different to the kind folks who are super fans of the Kardashians. 

Edited by GeeGolly
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Churchhoney

Churchhoney

(edited)
45 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

The Duggars and Bates represent a good portion of Americans. I don't think they're revered for who they are as individuals, as much as they are a reflection of many of their fans. They offer validation for uber conservative believers.

Of course there is a subsection of braindead super fans, who are not that different to the kind folks who are super fans of the Kardashians. 

Indeed.

But I don't think that before reality tv, we really had such a culturally significant moneymaking mechanism that gained its profits by repeatedly and continually making the lowest-common-denominator of person into a highly visible "celebrity."  (and doing this with many people, not even just a few)

And unfortunately people revere celebrities in ways that we don't revere, say, our neighbors (even when the celebrities and the neighbors are actually quite similar).. People generally always have and always will regard "fame" -- no matter how it's come by -- as elevating a person who has it.  

So....I still think it's well worth pondering what it means for tv networks to get rich on making the Duggars and Kardashians into well paid, super-visible "celebrities"! It's human nature to see celebrities as role models, in my opinion And we do have a different, dumber version of celebrity now than we had in the past.

And I expect that for this reason, reality tv has gone some way toward further dumbing down and coarsening our society. You might say society already was dumb and coarse and didn't need any help getting there. And that's certainly accurate in a lot of ways. But to me that's all the more reason why we ought to contemplate the potential for things we do to worsen that condition! 

Just because something regularly happens doesn't mean its consequences shouldn't be questioned and examined.. In fact, it's my opinion that the things we overlook and regard as old hat and no biggie are often the things that need examination the most!

 

 

 

Edited by Churchhoney
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Scarlett45

Scarlett45

21 hours ago, CouchTater said:

Hi all.  I finally broke down and got Discovery Plus.  So much content!

I didn't watch the original run of Counting On, so I've checked out some episodes today and zzzzzzzz.........  Although I did just watch "It's Official!" courting episode of Jeremy and Jinger; it was interesting watching their early relationship.  She was so much more into him than he was into her. He seemed so fake and phony.  Ugh.

Anyhoo, all that to ask:  are there any "signature" episodes or seasons that you recommend, that are interesting?  I can't watch the entire series, I don't think.  I just can't!!

Thanks in advance.

I liked Jeremy & Jinger’s wedding. Also Joe & Kendra’s. 

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louannems

louannems

(edited)

I loved the episode where Joy is searching for a matching pair of shoes while getting ready for a date with Austin.  She's on her hands and knees digging through a box of shoes and you can see the soles of her feet are absolutely filthy.  She eventually picks a pair of  flats that are equally filthy.

Edited by louannems
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Scarlett45

Scarlett45

12 minutes ago, louannems said:

I loved the episode where Joy is searching for a matching pair of shoes while getting ready for a date with Austin.  She's on her hands and knees digging through a box of shoes and you can see the soles of her feet are absolutely filthy.  She eventually picks a pair of  flats that are equally filthy.

I remember that. I would’ve been absolutely MORTIFIED to have my feet that filthy and on film no doubt. Of course we all get dirty, but dang.

 

And she was about to go on a date, even if she showered the night before, the floor must’ve been disgusting to for her feet to be pitch black as she was getting ready. 

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louannems

louannems

11 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

I remember that. I would’ve been absolutely MORTIFIED to have my feet that filthy and on film no doubt. Of course we all get dirty, but dang.

 

And she was about to go on a date, even if she showered the night before, the floor must’ve been disgusting to for her feet to be pitch black as she was getting ready. 

I doubt if Joy showered the night before or even for several days.  She always had that smelly look!

I remember the dating days and I spent a long time in the shower right before going out.

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Ijustwantsomechips

Ijustwantsomechips

11 hours ago, CouchTater said:

Based on @emmawoodhouse's recommendation I did watch the marriage retreat episode last night.  It did not disappoint!  Once it started I realized I had seen it before, but I wasn't as familiar with all the "characters" at the time and didn't understand Lauren's deal (still don't LOL).  

The part I didn't like about the episode was watching Jinger and Jeremy's garage sale.  Jeremy is so punchable on camera.  And he doesn't know that doce means 12 in Spanish, after 4.5 years in Laredo.  What a tool.

You must see the episode when Jessa was pregnant and preparing for Henry’s birth. Janna and Joy came over to help her clean.  Joy had to scrub snot off the sofa and Spurge cried to get into the baby swing. Janna flipped him over and into the swing like she was throwing sacks at the dock. She literally flipped him into the swing like Spongebob flipping a crabby patty 🤣

1 hour ago, louannems said:

I loved the episode where Joy is searching for a matching pair of shoes while getting ready for a date with Austin.  She's on her hands and knees digging through a box of shoes and you can see the soles of her feet are absolutely filthy.  She eventually picks a pair of  flats that are equally filthy.

She slid them on her feet and out the door. Disgusting 🤢 

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drafan

drafan

Some really WTF moments:

Mullett water skiing in a swim-schmatta with her knees blacked out.

Some Jboy with a bowl of chopped-up iceberg lettuce from a bag pumping 25 rounds of junky ranch dressing onto his "salad".

JB yapping about Eye-talian food.

Mullet's reconstructed (ruined) vow renewal dress with JB requesting "leg-o-mutton sleeves".

Mullet feeding some Jbaby pureed vegetables straight from a can.

 

And the worst ever:

Making Jill and Jessa go on TV and defend Joshley. And the follow-up episode with Jill, Jessa, and Mullet attending the seminar on abuse "in case they ever need it".

Ugh. Enough. 100 dollar bills would have to fly out of my TV in 5 second intervals to ever get me to watch any of them again.

 

 

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MsJamieDornan

MsJamieDornan

10 hours ago, louannems said:

I loved the episode where Joy is searching for a matching pair of shoes while getting ready for a date with Austin.  She's on her hands and knees digging through a box of shoes and you can see the soles of her feet are absolutely filthy.  She eventually picks a pair of  flats that are equally filthy

There some things you just can't unsee. Ever.

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CouchTater

CouchTater

Eek!  Just found the episode with Joy's dirty feet.  Girl!!!  Take a shower.  Or 3.

You know, I've been working from home since March 2020, and rarely wear socks (and never shoes, of course).  My feet never get dirty.  And what happened to the pre-date shower?  Yuck.

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Nysha

Nysha

1 hour ago, CouchTater said:

Eek!  Just found the episode with Joy's dirty feet.  Girl!!!  Take a shower.  Or 3.

You know, I've been working from home since March 2020, and rarely wear socks (and never shoes, of course).  My feet never get dirty.  And what happened to the pre-date shower?  Yuck.

She already knew that she was going to marry him so it's not like she had to impress him. Not to mention that normal hygiene doesn't seem to be a thing for the Duggars.

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YupItsMe

YupItsMe

5 hours ago, Nysha said:

She already knew that she was going to marry him so it's not like she had to impress him. Not to mention that normal hygiene doesn't seem to be a thing for the Duggars.

And they weren’t going to fool around, or even get physically close to each other, so no need to smell good…

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LilJen

LilJen

On 11/14/2021 at 9:46 PM, drafan said:

Some really WTF moments:

Mullett water skiing in a swim-schmatta with her knees blacked out.

Some Jboy with a bowl of chopped-up iceberg lettuce from a bag pumping 25 rounds of junky ranch dressing onto his "salad".

JB yapping about Eye-talian food.

Mullet's reconstructed (ruined) vow renewal dress with JB requesting "leg-o-mutton sleeves".

Mullet feeding some Jbaby pureed vegetables straight from a can.

 

And the worst ever:

Making Jill and Jessa go on TV and defend Joshley. And the follow-up episode with Jill, Jessa, and Mullet attending the seminar on abuse "in case they ever need it".

Ugh. Enough. 100 dollar bills would have to fly out of my TV in 5 second intervals to ever get me to watch any of them again.

 

 

JB seriously requested leg of mutton sleeves? Is he a secret expert on 1890s fashion?
 

I have heard of the Derrick-attempts-an-obstacle-course segment, and it sounds like it would be super entertaining.

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awaken

awaken

2 hours ago, LilJen said:have heard of the Derrick-attempts-an-obstacle-course segment, and it sounds like it would be super entertaining.

Lol, yesterday I saw an outdoor trapeze lesson area and remembered the derick obstacle course fiasco, and the Josh’s buttcrack trapeze incident!  🤢 so memorable!  (And not in a good way)

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Tabbygirl521

Tabbygirl521

On 11/14/2021 at 6:37 AM, BigBingerBro said:

Isn't the episode where Bin aspires to become a rapper pretty classic as well?  I can recall some pretty cringy moments as well as some epic faces from Jessa....

I think this is the only episode I’ve ever managed to get all the way through, including the “(14,15,16,17,18,)19 Kids” eps. They are So.Boring. 

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Churchhoney

Churchhoney

(edited)

There are stories about this virtually everywhere. (and there'll be another big event to cover -- the sentence!)....So a real piece of good news, to me, is that, for a while at least, it may be just a little harder to promote their kind of legalistic, patriarchal "faith" as something good for you and your family. 

Here's a long recap of the whole Duggars-come-to-prominence-and-bring-this-guy-named-Bill-Gothard-with-them story, in case anybody wants a memory refresher. Some interesting deets. (This is an expansion and slight rewrite of a piece from a few years ago -- which many folks here probably read --  republished this morning) 

EXCERPTS:

HOW THEY GOT ON TV: In September 2003, just two months after Josh had returned from IBLP’s Little Rock Training Center, Michelle wrote an article for the widely read magazine Parents. Duggar’s piece described how her 16-person family managed their oversized brood—a buddy system, two deep freezers, a door-sized family activity schedule. She also emphasized their evangelical faith. Homeschooling, Duggar wrote, is “the best way to teach our Christian values.” The curriculum they chose, which Duggar did not identify by name, “emphasizes character—honesty, integrity, initiative, and responsibility.”

That article caught the eye of Eileen O’Neill, a Discovery executive the Hollywood broadsheet Variety has credited with having “turned TLC into a powerhouse.”

“I had just about finished my maternity leave and was reading, you know, [a] Working Mom magazine-type article,” O’Neill told Television Week in a 2009 interview. O’Neill, who announced her departure from Discovery Communications in February and did not respond to TPM’s interview requests [GEE, I WONDER WHY], saw something special in “Michelle Duggar, who I think at that point had had 15 children, and we decided to do a one-up” (a one-time television special).

GOTHARD, WOMEN, AND ST. PAUL (WHICH I FEAR MAY LEND A BIT OF CREDENCE TO THAT PICKLES STORY) -- Bill Gothard actively discouraged women from working outside the home. Women who finished his ATI curriculum were often encouraged to go work for him at IBLP—where sources who spoke to TPM described unrelenting and humiliating work conditions, often uncompensated. Since 2012, more than 30 women have come forward with allegations that Gothard subjected them to sexual harassment while working at IBLP over the years. For one woman, that harassment allegedly included Gothard’s own version of “counseling” for a childhood rape.

One former follower describes Gothard as a “very motivational speaker” who, some former followers would later allege, was also a micromanaging, controlling ideologue. Now 87 and never married, Gothard founded IBLP in 1961 in the Chicago suburb of Oak Brook, Illinois, near where he still lives. During the burgeoning culture wars, he captured the attention of conservative Christians who feared the secular world would tempt and despoil their children. Because he “used the Bible’s words in ways people hadn’t heard before,” said one former follower, “they thought it was revolutionary. They thought this was God’s will or God’s way to show them where they had been wrong for years.”

In her family, Gothard “was revered as this person who could not mess up, almost like a saint or a god,” said Joy Stillwell Simmons, now 39, who was part of ATI from the time she was eight until she was 29. “My mom would refer to him as a modern day Apostle Paul.”

SOME OTHER TIDBITS ... 

IMAGINE WHAT THIS GOTHARD LINE DID TO THE DUGGAR SISTERS -- Gothard’s philosophy on sexual assault is detailed explicitly in his publications, including in the Wisdom Booklets. When a woman is attacked, one booklet reads, “She is to cry out for help. The victim who fails to do this is equally guilty with the attacker.” [OF COURSE, IF YOU DO CRY OUT YOUR WHOLE FAMILY WILL ETERNALLY BRAND YOU A FAMILY-DESTROYING SNITCH...SO....TOUGH CHOICE HERE]

GOTHARD REASON FOR OPPOSING DIVORCE -- Gothard has written extensively about the grounds for divorce, which in his view is almost always impermissible. As IBLP lays out in detail in Wisdom Booklet No. 26, “To allow for divorce and/or remarriage in the case of marital unfaithfulness” is the same as destroying Christ’s relationship with the Church, and the believer’s relationship with the law.

EDUCATION! NOT! -- Gothard enticed followers with promises that his teachings would lead to great knowledge and achievement. ATI, Gothard has written, “was designed to train up world changers,” the heart of a grandiose vision that many former followers say intrigued them—at first. Gothard actively discouraged his followers from attending public school, college, or even medical school, instead urging them to address medical issues on a “spiritual level.”

GOTHARD FLAUNTS HIS SICK RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUNG WOMEN -- While working closely with Gothard there for the next three years, Leigh said he subjected her to “holding hands, playing footsies, stroking the hair and that type of unwanted physical affection.” At the time, she was in her early twenties and he was in his seventies. She said she traveled frequently with Gothard, including on a visit to the Duggar home in 2006, where he held her hand in the presence of Jim Bob and his daughter Jill.

ALWAYS THE FEMALE's FAULT AND NEVER EVER "REPORT" -- Leigh had been raped as a child, and Gothard “counseled” her personally about it. The “counseling,” she said, consisted of blaming her for being raped because she wasn’t wearing modest clothing, had “lustful thoughts,” and “didn’t cry out to God” to stop her rapist. “He told me the sin—the pain I felt in my heart over the years—was because of my sin in it,” she said. “So he had me confess my sin for being raped as a child.” “We just trusted him, I guess,” Leigh continued. “He would listen to my story, get physically close, get me to try to cry into his chest.” That made her uncomfortable, she said, but she “grew up believing he was infallible.”...“I would help him counsel girls who had been sexually abused by family members,” she said. “That was not an uncommon thing. He would counsel them with that [same] material, he would immediately send them home and never report the offenders [to authorities].” Mark said he knew others who had received that same “counseling,” including a girl who had been raped by her uncle when she was five..

THE DUGGS WERE THE GOTHARD RECRUITMENT DEPARTMENT IN THE 21st CENTURY -- Yet in Discovery and TLC’s hands, the Duggars became the sanitized poster children for this insular, authoritarian, and increasingly discredited religious sect, packaged as innocuous for a mass television audience. And IBLP used the Duggars’ fame to promote its teachings. The Duggars, said Leigh, were Gothard’s “model ATI family,” and were “held up as ideal in the IBLP world.” In the 2000s, 'IBLP enrollments were loyal viewers who’d been inspired by the show, according to Leigh, who has discussed the matter with recent staffers at IBLP headquarters. As depicted by TLC, the Duggars were a loving, virtuous family—and their biggest fans wanted to know their secret....."They were joining because they had seen the Duggars on TV and wanted to live like them.”'

THE "CURIOSITY" LINE CAME STRAIGHT FROM GOTHARD -- Robert Norvell, who ran an IBLP training center in Eagle Mountain, Arkansas, for 12 years, said the Duggars had contacted him in 2003 about sending Josh to his facility. Jim Bob “just told me that Josh was having some struggles and just wondered if I could take him for a while,” but he turned them down because his facility was full. Norvell said he did not know about the sexual abuse until the May 2015 In Touch report. But he dismissed the abuse as insignificant, pointing to Gothard’s teachings. “What you’re hearing about Josh is a stupid thing that a little boy did,” Norvell said. “In the seminar, Bill [Gothard] calls it a natural curiosity. Had it been as traumatic as they make it out to be, the sisters would have been bitter, and the sisters are not bitter. I know the whole family.”

AND THERE's MORE -- quite a bit more, actually, especially if you want to know more about Gothard and IBLP -- Here --https://talkingpointsmemo.com/theslice/josh-duggar-bill-gothard-institute-in-basic-life-principles

Edited by Churchhoney
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Albanyguy

Albanyguy

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Gee, no mention by Fox News about how they bent over backwards to support the Duggars when the molestation news first broke. I guess they're hoping everyone's forgotton the Megan Kelly interview special.

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