The Duggars: In the Media and TLC

[JenCarroll]

You have no idea how much I hope you're right. But then I keeping thinking - this is America, where $$ trumps everything. Almost every time. So I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

Yeah, I agree, I wouldn't write them off completely quite yet, either.

[b2H]

It's very easy to forget the even mainstream news sources are prevented from telling the news most times.

Fixed it.  I can’t tell you the last time I saw some honest journalism, or even news reporting.

InTouch may not be beholden to the monied classes.  Heck, even the Enquirer broke the John Edwards story.

[DangerousMinds]

Jessa and Jill, and Bin and Derick, are as dull as dishwater. Nothing to see there.

Edited June 17, 2015 by DangerousMinds

[kokapetl]

It's very easy to forget the even mainstream news sources are prevented from telling the news most times.

Fixed it. I can’t tell you the last time I saw some honest journalism, or even news reporting.

InTouch may not be beholden to the monied classes. Heck, even the Enquirer broke the John Edwards story.

The same guy was behind both stories. He used to work for the Enquirer and now he's at InTouch.

[Julia]

The same guy was behind both stories. He used to work for the Enquirer and now he's at InTouch.

 

which is one of the reasons I keep thinking this goes back to politics, because someone with an axe to grind clearly fed the Edwards story to everyone in sight, even if he was the only one who bit (a PR guy from the first Bush administration who's high up in one of the big papers out west said as much when the story came out).

 

This story has been around for years, and everyone ignored it. Now an election is coming up.

 

Social conservative politicians and political organizations tend to have their greatest influence in the earliest part of the Republican primaries, when the more motivated 'value' voters make up a disproportionate percentage of the voters. More 'moderate' politicians get pushed to the right trying to compete. Their campaigns have been complaining for decades that it hurts them with the crossover voters and independents they need to win a general election. And someone went to the guy who prints candidate sex scandal stories with this one.

 

Josh may have had his picture taken with a lot of people, but only two candidates have solid connections to the Duggar family, and it happens to be the two most extreme social conservative candidates. It feels really convenient to me that the big May surprise hit Huckabee, Santorum and the FRC all at once, although I would guess the FRC is lagniappe.

Edited June 17, 2015 by Julia

[kalamac]

I have to say, I've always had a problem with the whole "oh, but they'll be punished by God" thing, because being punished by God at some point in the future doesn't mean a damn thing if it doesn't stop the crimes from happening here and now. You do something while you're still alive, you get punished while you're still alive. If God still wants to deal with you after that - fine, that's his deal, but you can't wash your hands of everything you've done purely on the belief that you'll be judged for it once you're dead.

 

 

 

edited. because I can spell 'you're' correctly.

Edited June 18, 2015 by kalamac

[Anne Elk]

Yeah, there's a lot of support for the Duggars still, but I'll bet most of it is coming from people who would support them through anything and everything -- extreme Christians and people who feel marginalized by our non-Godly society. The value of this show to the Gothardites was that it was an inroad to mainstream culture that made their lifestyle look good and wholesome and appealing. That's all over with now. The curtain's been pulled back for good. Even if the show continues, how many people are going to be able to sit there and watch Jim Bob and Michelle blather about their family values, or listen to people talking about modesty and sidehugs without thinking about exactly WHY they have these rules? It's not weird and funny any more, it's creepy.

[mbutterfly]

I see tonight's prime time lineup is "The Man Who Lost His Face," "Born Without Limbs," and "Diagnose Me.' I'm thinking the sponsors are not all that picky. 

[Churchhoney]

I have to say, I've always had a problem with the whole "oh, but they'll be punished by God" thing, because being punished by God at some point in the future doesn't mean a damn thing if it doesn't stop the crimes from happening here and now. You do something while you're still alive, you get punished while you're still alive. If God still wants to deal with you after that - fine, that's his deal, but you can't wash your hands of everything you've done purely on the belief that you'll be judged for it once your dead.

 

Exactly. And in this case, we're not just talking about sweeping it away to avoid punishment, we're also talking about sweeping it away to avoid having a young kid with a clearly serious problem get some equally serious therapy and rehabilitation. That, too, is something that isn't relevant to the afterlife. But it's very relevant to his life -- and the life of others -- right here and now on this Earth.

[SoSueMe]

Not really a surprise:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ppp-poll-obama-duggars-romney

No, not a surprise but still terribly depressing.

Although it does help somewhat to read the comments, lol.

Edited June 18, 2015 by SoSueMe

[alegria]

Not sure if this is the correct forum, but the Duggars were mentioned... Well worth reading!

 

Rachel Dolezal Was Raised by Christian Fundamentalists. No Wonder She Wanted a New Identity.

 

http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2015/06/17/rachel_dolezal_was_raised_by_strict_fundamentalists_the_revelation_sheds.html

Edited June 18, 2015 by alegria

[Albanyguy]

Nope. Not ever. Americans will forgive a great deal but they will never forgive child molestation.

I agree, but I may be far more dense than I believed myself to be. I usually can get on the fence and see all around, but I can't see josh ever making a come-back of any kind. I just don't see it. I think the nearest he gets is some itty bitty cameo on specials about the "marrieds". I can forgive Josh, no prob. "bing!" Consider it done. (My kids would say NMP).

But to see him talk, even now in old clips, just makes my SKIN crawl. I believe he's done with that part of his life, but I don't want to SEE him any more. Its an unnecessary visual reminder that... Hey, that's the guy who...

 

I think you're absolutely right. I've heard a few people say "Well, what about Woody Allen and Roman Polanski? They've been forgiven and America has embraced them again."

 

Well, no. A lot of people haven't re-embraced them (including me), but even among those who have, there's really no comparison to Josh Duggar. Allan and Polanski have been able to continue their careers because they had successful careers to begin with. They make movies that garner critical praise, win awards and that audiences want to see. Even if you loathe them, you can understand why they haven't become complete pariahs. Josh has no previous successes, no reservoir of achievement to draw upon. He's an uneducated, inarticulate man with a pompous, unattractive personality and no marketable skills. All he has on his resume is that he was the spokesman for the FRC and he certainly can't return to attacking other people for their lack of "family values" without having his own can of worms opened. There's no reason for anyone to want him back. As for Jim Bob and Michelle...

 

Their little kids are aging. No one cares about the adult kids, at least after the marriage and the birth of the first baby. Their superstar girls are duds as far as maintaining their own show.

 

 

And this is the best argument for putting them back on the air. Let the ratings dwindle until TLC cancels them due to lack of interest, which I'll bet will happen a lot faster than most people think. At least then, they won't be able to credibly claim that they're being persecuted for their Christian faith.

[galax-arena]

Rachel Dolezal Was Raised by Christian Fundamentalists. No Wonder She Wanted a New Identity.

http://www.slate.com...tion_sheds.html

Conspiracy time! Rachel Dolezal is STILL a Christian fundie, she's just playing the long con. By pretending to be transracial, she is doing her best to delegitimize the transgender identity. Don't believe me? Look at all the conservative evangelicals/fundies appropriating the Dolezal clusterfuck to do that very thing.

 

She saw the Caitlyn Jenner writing on the wall and knew that the time was here to come clean. Well played, Rachel. Well played.

[Oldernowiser]

No, not a surprise but still terribly depressing.Although it does help somewhat to read the comments, lol.

"It's a dry stupid"is one of the best descriptions ever...lol.

[kassygreene]

I have to say, I've always had a problem with the whole "oh, but they'll be punished by God" thing, because being punished by God at some point in the future doesn't mean a damn thing if it doesn't stop the crimes from happening here and now. You do something while you're still alive, you get punished while you're still alive. If God still wants to deal with you after that - fine, that's his deal, but you can't wash your hands of everything you've done purely on the belief that you'll be judged for it once your dead.

For that matter, waiting for the ultimate punishment by God really doesn't matter to the malefactor who believes he's confessed, repented, and now is clean.  That the wider world doesn't share that opinion is usually considered unfair...

[realityfan26]

They're deleted as quickly as they're posted.

 Please point me to the repository of negative postings on the Duggars' Instagrams and FB pages. There AREN'T ANY.

Actually, I've been sporadically checking Josh's Instagram & he seems to leave everything. He's got over 53,000 comments on the IG just prior to the scandal. I haven't read every comment, but a good amount are negative. Also, the number of comments hasn't gone down.

[Literata]

It's not up to me to "forgive" Josh -- it's more a matter of my never wanting to see him or his parents on my TV again. I have compassion for him in that I hope he's gotten the help he needs, but the fact remains: He fondled a preschooler.

If his sisters have forgiven him, dandy. If God has forgiven him, even better. But I still don't want to have to catch a glimpse of a hand that reached up under his sister's skirt, and I think it would be appropriate for him to just stay away.

[cmr2014]

I don't really think that "forgiveness" is the issue as far as the TV show goes. The question really is -- do people want to watch a show about this family? If they do, TLC will keep it going.

 

Personally, I think that viewership would drop way off -- maybe not enough to end the show right away, but enough to enrage JB who will expect a certain $$ figure per episode 

 

I think that their audience is made up of three groups: the Duggar lovers, the Duggar haters, and the people who turn in occasionally to see what is up with "those weirdos with all the kids" when there is nothing better on TV. My guess would be that the show would lose about 20% of the first group, and 80% of the second and third groups.

[MarysWetBar]

Until they get around to deleting them. Let's also realize that their fanbase is comprised mainly of teenage girls. Girls who basically stick their fingers in their ears and cry, "I can't heeeeeear you!" to any criticism that may survive on a social media post for longer than five minutes. I don't think a lot of them really get the serious nature of what Josh did. They buy the "he was young; he made a mistake" bit hook, line, and sinker. I don't put a lot of value in what these people say.

And to me that is the tragedy of all this. Those girls and that family have minimized molestation..incestual molestation and there are half brained idiot impressionable young fangirls following their every move and thinking its NBD.Well it IS a BFD in society and to those that have been abused. I haven't posted much because i honestly am so sickened by this family and the greed and the hate they spew and espouse.I just can't. The only thing that will make me happy at this point is to see Jessa and Ben and Jill on the cover of People in their Dunkin Donuts uniforms. ..pulling a double shift with no time to spend three hours on curling their hair or spackling on foundation.

[Vermicious Knid]

E! Online is still covering every instagram and tweet from Jill and Jessa. Don't know if it's featured on the broadcast E! News because I haven't watched since Steve Kmetko left.

 

I can't wait until the Nones grow up enough to be in positions of power.

[Happyfatchick]

At the risk of sounding dumbish (duggarish), may I ask if Vermicious Knid is an anagram of some type? Last time I didn't understand call names, they happened to come from Game of Thrones or even Harry Potter, I think. One may have even been from a video game. I'm feeling a little lost that we aren't using names like Sheldon or Leonard. Or even Zulu and Spock. R2D2 and 3CPO. I "get" that.

[mynextmistake]

I think speaking for yourself would be better, if you read their instagrams and fb you can see millions of Americans have done forgave them

Speaking only for myself, I think people who have done forgave Josh Duggar to the point that they are demanding TLC keep him on their TV screens are a) a few ants short of a picnic and b) few and far between. Except on the Duggars' social media accounts, which can be expected to be pro-Duggar because the Duggars get to edit them, very few of the comments I've seen on this story are pro-Josh.

[Vermicious Knid]

From Willy Wonka actually, so not at all recent.

http://roalddahl.wikia.com/wiki/Vermicious_Knids

[Wellfleet]

And this is the best argument for putting them back on the air. Let the ratings dwindle until TLC cancels them due to lack of interest, which I'll bet will happen a lot faster than most people think. At least then, they won't be able to credibly claim that they're being persecuted for their Christian faith.

 

This is what I think will happen as well. The Duggars may be back, in some form, in the Fall or possibly early in 2016 - but will peter out fairly quickly once the curiosity factor has been exhausted. No Boob or Me-chelle, no Josh and family. Probably as people have been speculating - just the married girls, maybe Josiah and Marjorie. Just the idea of listening to Ben, Derick or Jill in a TH is mind-numbing to me. And Jessa would only be a little better. And not for long.

[GEML]

I don't think it was Gothard people supporting the show. If anything, the show brought far more attention than this group ever wanted.

But I think it was a huge hit with the church-of-the-month evangelical/fundy-lite crowd. Anyone who has been part of a church knows them well. They swoop in, get involved in everything, are always asking for prayer because something in their family is always in crisis, and then, suddenly, out of nowhere, they get insulted by something or someone and they leave the church without a backwards glance. They stay home a few months and then the same scenario is played out all over again at another church.

There are probably a decent number of people who think to themselves, "Well, I might not have made it to church this week, but we all watched the Duggars. That counts for SOMETHING!"

[OhioMom]

Conspiracy time! Rachel Dolezal is STILL a Christian fundie, she's just playing the long con. By pretending to be transracial, she is doing her best to delegitimize the transgender identity. Don't believe me? Look at all the conservative evangelicals/fundies appropriating the Dolezal clusterfuck to do that very thing.

 

She saw the Caitlyn Jenner writing on the wall and knew that the time was here to come clean. Well played, Rachel. Well played.

 

But she also admitted she's bisexual.

[galax-arena]

At least then, they won't be able to credibly claim that they're being persecuted for their Christian faith.

These people will find a way to claim persecution either way because they have a persecution complex a mile wide. Just look at all the evangelicals/fundies saying today (in the wake of gay rights) that this is their "Dietrich Bonhoeffer moment." Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a pastor executed by the Nazis for plotting against Hitler and vocally opposing the persecution of Jews, so. Yeah.

 

I feel like putting the show back on air will send the message that child molestation really isn't something to be taken seriously, and it will validate the Duggars' claims that they handled the aftermath fine. And IMO that's completely socially irresponsible, so I hope TLC doesn't go there. (Although I don't think TLC gives a shit about social responsibility.) So take the show off air, and if the Duggars want to bitch about anti-Christian persecution, let them.

But I think it was a huge hit with the church-of-the-month evangelical/fundy-lite crowd. Anyone who has been part of a church knows them well.

Or people who are more culturally Christian than anything else and/or romanticize ye olden days.

[Julia]

These people will find a way to claim persecution either way because they have a persecution complex a mile wide. Just look at all the evangelicals/fundies saying today (in the wake of gay rights) that this is their "Dietrich Bonhoeffer moment." Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a pastor executed by the Nazis for plotting against Hitler and vocally opposing the persecution of Jews, so. Yeah.

 

Wow, really? How do you suppose they missed the part where Bonhoeffer fought for years to try and keep politics out of religion?

[juneday]

And to me that is the tragedy of all this. Those girls and that family have minimized molestation..incestual molestation and there are half brained idiot impressionable young fangirls following their every move and thinking its NBD.Well it IS a BFD in society and to those that have been abused. I haven't posted much because i honestly am so sickened by this family and the greed and the hate they spew and espouse.I just can't. The only thing that will make me happy at this point is to see Jessa and Ben and Jill on the cover of People in their Dunkin Donuts uniforms. ..pulling a double shift with no time to spend three hours on curling their hair or spackling on foundation.

I completely agree. The Duggars have a large following of young people-particularly teenage girls-who believe everything the Duggars say. They believe the Duggars are this righteous, pious, pure Christian family where all the kids are happy and loving all the time and everything is grand. So now Michelle and Jim Boob are saying "oh, he was ONLY 15, it was ONLY over the clothes, they were asleep!" and the thousands of young girls who religiously follow this family on social media and watch the show now may, and probably do think, even if subconsciously, think that molestation and sexual abuse are no big deal. Just innocent mistakes. I think that's a dangerous way of thinking. Sure, you can forgive somebody-and great if you do! But that doesn't excuse what the other person did or make it right in the eyes of society or the law or morally.

This whole thing and the way a lot of the leghumpers are responding to this is so odd to me because if any atheist or agnostic family or even just a "normal" Christian family that hadn't paraded their supposedly superior belief system around for ten years had come out with a sex abuse scandal like this, they would be going nuts. They would probably shun the family and talk about how the abuser should be put in prison and how sick it all was. However, in this situation, they didn't. What makes this one different? Prairie dresses and tater tot casserole, lol? I don't really understand why people follow the Duggars so blindly and believe everything they say. Molestation is molestation, no matter what family.

[Chaos Theory]

Wow, really? How do you suppose they missed the part where Bonhoeffer fought for years to try and keep politics out of religion?

Because intelligence, insight, and self awareness are considered dangerous enemies to fundie religions?

[Happyfatchick]

 I feel like putting the show back on air will send the message that child molestation really isn't something to be taken seriously, and it will validate the Duggars' claims that they handled the aftermath fine. And IMO that's completely socially irresponsible, so I hope TLC doesn't go there.

Yes, ABSOLUTELY!!! You say it much better than I, but THIS THIS THIS is my point!!!

[Dawn16]

From what I've seen in real life and online, Duggar fans also include middle age and up women who sort of want to be fundamentalists but aren't really.  Homeschooling 19 kids, while being modest and subservient all sounded really good in theory, although they couldn't do that themselves.  They saw Michelle as an ideal that they couldn't quite live up to.  My MIL would gush about how sweet and self-sacrificing Michelle was, and what a wonderful mother.   I also feel that, in the minds of many women of all ages, society has gone so far toward casual relationships that the other extreme, exemplified by the Duggars, was appealing.  I imagine that accepting the reality of the molestation has been a struggle for fans, and it is easiest just to say that it was long ago and not that bad, God forgives, and the poor Duggars are being persecuted for their faith.  I just wish more would understand that public minimizing harms other past and present victims of sexual assault.     

[Aja]

That's an excellent point. It's probably less traumatic to dismiss child molestation than it would be to look squarely at the gaping holes in the foundation of your belief system, or to think that the shining, superstar Duggars that we should all try to emulate are actually fallible humans just like all the other fallible humans. In addition to all the other stuff I love about the Duggars, for people who put themselves forward as an idealistic manifestation of the fundy dream, they seem to have almost no faith in their own convictions. Whereas I was dubious before, I'm now convinced that they are master snake-oil salesmen in the name of Jesus. And being disillusioned with one of your own for being a child molester isn't an indictment on Christianity, for heaven's sake. Quite the opposite. If that argument doesn't come from insecurity, then I'm just lost.

Edited June 18, 2015 by Aja

[bigskygirl]

Reminder: This is the Duggar Media and TLC related news thread. This thread is not about Rachel Dolezal, Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, or who spill the beans about John Edwards. Posts about other celebrities or politicians accused of molestation, lying about their private lives, or sexual orientation will be hidden or edited in the future.

 

Also, the discussion of should the Duggars came back on TLC has entered the beating of the dead horse repetitive arena. Please state your opinion and move on. The barn doors need to be close and the poor horse needs a rest.

 

Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

[Adiba]

The latest copy of People mag. has a small article regarding how Jill and Jessa are " coping" with the scandal aftermath. The article reiterates the same old " forgave Josh, in the past, etc.", however the one thing that stood out is the statement that both women want to return to a life in the public eye. "Return?" Have they ever really left?

Also, it only further reinforces my opinion that they (Jill and Jessa) consider the release of the police report as having "ruined" their PUBLIC lives, aka TV show, rather than having much if any impact on their private lives. After all, if they were made to forgive Josh in church in front of their circle of family, friends and acquaintances, the molestation and the girls' identities have been known in their community for some time.

[Dawn16]

That's an excellent point. It's probably less traumatic to dismiss child molestation than it would be to look squarely at the gaping holes in the foundation of your belief system, or to think that the shining, superstar Duggars that we should all try to emulate are actually fallible humans just like all the other fallible humans. In addition to all the other stuff I love about the Duggars, for people who put themselves forward as an idealistic manifestation of the fundy dream, they seem to have almost no faith in their own convictions. Whereas I was dubious before, I'm now convinced that they are master snake-oil salesmen in the name of Jesus. And being disillusioned with one of your own for being a child molester isn't an indictment on Christianity, for heaven's sake. Quite the opposite. If that argument doesn't come from insecurity, then I'm just lost.

My perspective as a Christian is that, when you base your faith on people, rather than God, your faith tends to be insecure.   I've never really considered the Duggars to be true followers of Jesus and many of their beliefs seem to be contradicted in the Bible in my view, but they had very "showy" beliefs that convinced a lot of people that they were the ideal.  And many people never want to let go of their heroes or let them have human weaknesses.  We also have few vocally Christian celebrities, so it's understandable that many people latched on to them.  In the case of Michelle, we also have few "motherly" heroes in pop culture, and it was so easy to place her on that pedestal. 

[Aja]

My perspective as a Christian is that, when you base your faith on people, rather than God, your faith tends to be insecure.   I've never really considered the Duggars to be true followers of Jesus and many of their beliefs seem to be contradicted in the Bible in my view, but they had very "showy" beliefs that convinced a lot of people that they were the ideal.  

That is SO true. Buddhists say "if you meet Buddha on the road, kill him" because anybody claiming to be Buddha has to be a fraud. There are similar sentiments in Christianity about false prophets. Gothard and his ilk have been an issue for centuries. At this point I'm not sure that Michelle is capable of reading the Bible and applying what she's read to her own life without the input of Jim Bob or Gothard or whatever other male she's decided is the Earthly representation of the divine. And that, to me, is sad. Subjugation and brainwashing out of greed and twisted power-lust is sad and awful.

[CofCinci]

If you like Greg Proops, check out his last two podcasts. He's slams Josh and the Duggars for their hypocrisy a few times.

[GEML]

The episode where Michelle meets the minister Charles Stanley was fascinating to me. She acted like a 15 year old meeting a rock star. That was as animated as I've ever seen her, and that includes the birth of all of her children. I wondered just how she and Jim Bob acted emotionally, physically, when in Bill Gothard's presence. I'd actually like to see it, now.

[CoolMom]

 That the wider world doesn't share that opinion is usually considered unfair...

 

I had a very wise friend who was dying of an awful disease who used to tell her young son "the only fair in life is a carnival".  Believe me I see a lot of things that "aren't fair" from my point of view then I have to remember another wise phrase I've come to live by "No my circus, not my clowns".  

 

I don't really think that "forgiveness" is the issue as far as the TV show goes. The question really is -- do people want to watch a show about this family? If they do, TLC will keep it going.

 

Personally, I think that viewership would drop way off -- maybe not enough to end the show right away, but enough to enrage JB who will expect a certain $$ figure per episode 

 

I think that their audience is made up of three groups: the Duggar lovers, the Duggar haters, and the people who turn in occasionally to see what is up with "those weirdos with all the kids" when there is nothing better on TV. My guess would be that the show would lose about 20% of the first group, and 80% of the second and third groups.

 

Best description of the viewers ever!  I fall into #3 because I have always felt they were a little...off.  But my young teen tuned in when she was bored and liked the older girls.  So, I watch with her because it's what I do.  I also warn her over and over to remember that "reality" tv is never really reality. 

[roamyn]

Take it witb a grain of salt or not, but OK magazine is reporting that none of Josh's family came up to DC to help him move. The rag says his family is angry with him.

While I don't no if any of that is true, it is true that he hired Kate Gosselin's b/f to help them.

[Absolom]

Steve was there as a bodyguard to keep the paps at bay.  They used a professional moving company to return to Arkansas.  I'm not sure that proves the family is mad at Josh since they were busy working on his bank foreclosed house if rumor is to be believed. 

Edited June 19, 2015 by Absolom

[Iguessnot]

Take it witb a grain of salt or not, but OK magazine is reporting that none of Josh's family came up to DC to help him move. The rag says his family is angry with him.

While I don't no if any of that is true, it is true that he hired Kate Gosselin's b/f to help them.

Well unless you have a camera crew tagging along for a bogus story, it doesn't make sense for them to go to DC just to help move back to Arkansas.

[Anne Elk]

I don't doubt that there is some serious buried resentment against Josh in that family. Not only is there whatever pain he caused with the original molestation, which they've probably all had to repress ever since, but this is the second time now that his actions have brought down the family fame empire. And it looks like the ones who are really going to bear the brunt of it are the other kids in the family, not Josh himself. Even if the TLC show continues in some form, it's never going to be what it once was, and I don't think anyone is going to be offering the younger kids expensive honeymoons and high-paying DC jobs. And from what little I've seen of the show, it doesn't appear to me that Josh has the kind of personality that makes this stuff easy to forgive and forget.

 

I don't think anyone will be allowed to actually express any of these feelings, because it's all about keeping sweet for Jesus. And they'll probably all become even more insular and family-centric, because that's what they believe is the right thing to do, but frankly, they'd all be a lot better off if they just avoid Josh for a while.

[GEML]

I think the children from Justin up have every reason to be pretty angry. They've given up their childhood, likely their education, and what small sense of privacy they might have had for the TV show. It made their parents wealthy and did pretty well by all of the older children (even JD got a plane and Jana traveled a great deal) but their lives are likely to be smaller.

It was inevitable that the show would end at some point, but that they could pinpoint one person? I don't think many of us saw that coming.

[Suzee2]

In Touch is reporting that the DHS investigation continues.

 

http://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/child-services-investigation-into-duggars-continues-as-they-remain-silent-61236

[NikSac]

In Touch is reporting that the DHS investigation continues.

 

http://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/child-services-investigation-into-duggars-continues-as-they-remain-silent-61236

 

I hope so, for the kids' sake. Not that I even know if anything is wrong anymore, but I'm sure glad to see someone looking into it.

[farmgal4]

The episode where Michelle meets the minister Charles Stanley was fascinating to me. She acted like a 15 year old meeting a rock star. That was as animated as I've ever seen her, and that includes the birth of all of her children. I wondered just how she and Jim Bob acted emotionally, physically, when in Bill Gothard's presence. I'd actually like to see it, now.

With Gothard, they probably act about like they would if they were meeting Jesus.

[Micks Picks]

Weren't the Duggars there at Anna's sister's wedding to TFDW?  Gothard was there and took part in the ceremony. I don't know if any interaction between the Duggars and Gothard took place in that episode.

[kassygreene]

From the TalkingPointsMemo Cafe this morning: The Duggars, Duck Dynasty, And The Irrational Tribalism Of Conservatives.