Jessa, Ben and Their Brood: Making a (Diaper) Mountain out of a Mold House

[sometimesy]

5 hours ago, Lunera said:

I'm Jessa blocked but found an imposter page

These are really nice family photos. They all look great and very happy.

[Arwen Evenstar]

1 hour ago, sometimesy said:

These are really nice family photos. They all look great and very happy.

Yeah, really nice photos. I see a lot of warmth coming from Jessa. She loves being a mommy. No snark from me on this one!

[MunichNark]

Nice photos, only why are they so obsessed with constant photo shoots? Yes, we get it dear! You're married (insert TM here) and have babbas.

Old fashioned names are quite the rage in Germany, but I am glad that we do still have reasonably stringent rules about what not to name your child. So stuff like the ones mentioned would not be possible here.

[Sew Sumi]

To be fair, this looks like a formal People shoot. After all, they got a cover. They even dressed up Jerick when they got a cover with the announcement of Izzy way back when Derick looked normal. 

[GeeGolly]

The pics are nice, however I'm not too found of the one with Ben & Hank or the family shot right below it.

[flyingdi]

20 hours ago, Malvina said:

Indeed 

http://people.com/celebrity/jessa-duggar-seewald-plans-for-big-family/

In the People article, it says Jessa is the 4th of the Duggars 19 children.  Isn't she the 5th?  Just curious.

[Guest]

They really photoshopped her, doesn't she normally have very cystic acne? She looks great though.

[Churchhoney]

1 hour ago, flyingdi said:

In the People article, it says Jessa is the 4th of the Duggars 19 children.  Isn't she the 5th?  Just curious.

Yes. She's fifth. Josh, Jana, JD, Jill, Jessa. But anybody who's a big enough hack to write that crap "article" about the wonderful "plans" of two unemployed and unemployable near-idiots for a "megafamily" is not honest enough, or bright enough, to look that up. 

Edited February 16, 2017 by Churchhoney

[Jynnan tonnix]

31 minutes ago, Churchhoney said:

Yes. She's fifth. Josh, Jana, JD, Jill, Jessa. But anybody who's a big enough hack to write that crap "article" about the wonderful "plans" of two unemployed and unemployable near-idiots for a "megafamily" is not honest enough, or bright enough, to look that up. 

Somebody probably counted the twins as a single unit. 

[Churchhoney]

1 minute ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

Somebody probably counted the twins as a single unit. 

lol

[Marigold]

Didn't Jessa wear the same outfit for her photo shoot with Spurgeon? Only reason I remember is because i would never wear such a light color after giving birth...I was bleeding heavily. 

Jessa wore ivory both times. 

 

http://people.com/tv/jessa-duggar-baby-spurgeon-photos/meet-the-seewalds

Edited February 16, 2017 by Marigold

[sometimesy]

Binessa did a pretty good job with their Flame encounters. Here is my proposal. Have an episode of the brothers building them a tiny house of mostly scavenged materials (from other renovations). Have an episode of Jessa minimizing their stuff. Have an episode of Binessa moving their family into the tiny house. Split the pay cheque with the 'appearance' people.

Have episodes of Binessa moving all across the country on their ministry bringing media attention to all the pockets of America  where Bin was eager to minister. Take the entire paycheque.  Should be 3 or 4 kids by now.

Edited February 16, 2017 by sometimesy
too much Bin

[BitterApple]

5 hours ago, heatherrrrz said:

They really photoshopped her, doesn't she normally have very cystic acne? She looks great though.

She looks gorgeous, but yeah, that's a major photoshop job to even out the texture of her skin. It's amazing what a difference professional styling can make. When I saw the healthy looking hair and nice clothes, I almost forgot it was a Duggar in those pictures.

[lianau]

10 hours ago, MunichNark said:

Nice photos, only why are they so obsessed with constant photo shoots? Yes, we get it dear! You're married (insert TM here) and have babbas.

Old fashioned names are quite the rage in Germany, but I am glad that we do still have reasonably stringent rules about what not to name your child. So stuff like the ones mentioned would not be possible here.

I know a 4 year old Fritz . Really weird at first but fits perfectly now .

[Guest]

33 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

She looks gorgeous, but yeah, that's a major photoshop job to even out the texture of her skin. It's amazing what a difference professional styling can make. When I saw the healthy looking hair and nice clothes, I almost forgot it was a Duggar in those pictures.

Shouldn't she be one of those who wants no photoshop so she looks "relatable" lol

[DangerousMinds]

1 hour ago, BitterApple said:

She looks gorgeous, but yeah, that's a major photoshop job to even out the texture of her skin. It's amazing what a difference professional styling can make. When I saw the healthy looking hair and nice clothes, I almost forgot it was a Duggar in those pictures.

Looking at it still makes me want to chop off a foot of her hair.

[louannems]

5 hours ago, Marigold said:

Didn't Jessa wear the same outfit for her photo shoot with Spurgeon? Only reason I remember is because i would never wear such a light color after giving birth...I was bleeding heavily. 

Jessa wore ivory both times. 

 

http://people.com/tv/jessa-duggar-baby-spurgeon-photos/meet-the-seewalds

The Spurgeon  photo sweater was a marled ivory/blush yarn.  Sort of heathery.  The Harry photo sweater is all ivory, and a thicker cotton looking yarn.

I wonder if People suggested the clothing, or even purchased it for them?

[Tasya]

At least the baby is in a sleeper and not some old man outfit like the Waller spawn.

[SongbirdHollow]

8 hours ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

Somebody probably counted the twins as a single unit. 

More like "Josh who?"

[AnnieBeez]

1 hour ago, SongbirdHollow said:

More like "Josh who?"

That's what I was thinking. She's fourth now that Josh has been deleted. 

[BitterApple]

5 minutes ago, MischaMouse said:

That's what I was thinking. She's fourth now that Josh has been deleted. 

Josh has been Chuck Cunningham'd. 

[farmgal4]

3 hours ago, louannems said:

The Spurgeon  photo sweater was a marled ivory/blush yarn.  Sort of heathery.  The Harry photo sweater is all ivory, and a thicker cotton looking yarn.

I wonder if People suggested the clothing, or even purchased it for them?

The magazine brings everything needed to a photo shoot, including wardrobe.

[babyhouseman]

From what I understand, they get paid so that's a big incentive to be in the magazine.

[Jynnan tonnix]

8 hours ago, lianau said:

I know a 4 year old Fritz . Really weird at first but fits perfectly now .

My cousin's daughter in England just had a baby named "Alfie". Not short for anything. Seemed kind of odd to me as it just makes me think of the old Michael Caine movie, but apparently it's pretty popular over there. I mean, I think it's cute, but more of a nickname which should have a more formal version waiting in the wings...

[queenanne]

On 2/15/2017 at 7:30 PM, Adeejay said:

The fact that the Seewalds got the cover over the Clooneys, means the Seewalds move more copies.  Impressive.   
 

To be fair, they'd just be focusing on Amal's bump and George's face, and not the adorable twins in-arms, so I'm not surprised a baby moves more covers.

[MunichNark]

The only Fritz I know is a black Labrador...:-))))

[MamaMax]

14 hours ago, MunichNark said:

The only Fritz I know is a black Labrador...:-))))

Weimaraner.

[Arwen Evenstar]

5 minutes ago, MamaMax said:

Weimaraner.

When you cross a chocolate lab with a Weimaraner, you get a "chocodile".  My brothers roomie had one and she certainly didn't have the gentle mouth of a lab at all, but she was a great dog.

[Broken Ox]

So did anyone have Wilberforce in the pool?

[Sew Sumi]

A few did at FJ. 

[MargeGunderson]

Apparently there is a Wilberforce in the Harry Potter prequel mythology. I'd like to think that someone will point this out to Jessa and Ben and that they will freak out. 

[Adeejay]

22 hours ago, queenanne said:

To be fair, they'd just be focusing on Amal's bump and George's face, and not the adorable twins in-arms, so I'm not surprised a baby moves more covers.

I believe the Duggars move a lot of magazine copies, especially the aesthetically pleasing Seewalds.  About two and a half years ago, there was quite a backlash when People magazine chose to feature Jill's pregnancy announcement on their cover and relegated the late Lauren Bacall to a sidebar in the lower left hand corner. 

[doodlebug]

On ‎2‎/‎16‎/‎2017 at 10:41 PM, queenanne said:

To be fair, they'd just be focusing on Amal's bump and George's face, and not the adorable twins in-arms, so I'm not surprised a baby moves more covers.

Also, it doesn't seem that the Clooneys are flaunting the bump Kardashian or Beyoncé or Duggar style,  There haven't been many pictures of them recently and, from the ones I've seen, she's wearing loose fitting clothing and not the form-fitting, paparazzi friendly stuff that the famewhores wear.  For that matter, I believe the Clooneys have not actually said a single word publicly about the pregnancy; all the news has come from friends and family.  If Amal was willing to wear a tight tee so we could see if her belly button has popped and stand in profile with George kissing her bump; they would have made every magazine cover in the world from People to Business Weekly.  Good on them that they don't seem to want or need the PR.  I suspect they will sell a photo op with the babies once they're born and give the money to charity ala Brangelina, but I doubt they're doing any PR until then.

As for the Duggars, well, we've seen them give birth on the toilet, it's pretty easy for me to understand why they are on People this week.

Edited February 18, 2017 by doodlebug
correct usage

[Mollie]

1 hour ago, doodlebug said:

Also, it doesn't seem that the Clooneys are flaunting the bump Kardashian or Beyoncé or Duggar style, . .  I suspect they will sell a photo op with the babies once they're born and give the money to charity ala Brangelina, but I doubt they're doing any PR until then.

In contrast to the Duggars who, of course, think that they are a charity.

[doodlebug]

17 minutes ago, Mollie said:

In contrast to the Duggars who, of course, think that they are a charity.

Well, of course.  George and Amal have actual talents, education and abilities.  And, ya know, real jobs.  Unlike Jessa and Ben who think that having virtually every waking moment filmed is a career.  Poor Amal, all that work becoming a respected human rights attorney; when she could've been like Jessa; uneducated, unmotivated, underwhelming.

[Nysha]

1 hour ago, doodlebug said:

Unlike Jessa and Ben who think that having virtually every waking moment filmed is a career. 

It may not be a career, but it is their job. Will it last forever, no, but how many legitimate actors get on one hit show and then never have another hit? Isn't Ben studying to be a preacher? In their circle, women don't work outside the home, so why would Jessa be doing anything more than what it takes to get her show renewed? When the show ends, they expect Ben to pastor a church and Jessa to be the perfect preacher's wife, but for right now, they're both working at being stars of a reality TV show. I don't agree with their life choices, their religion, or their hypocrisy, but since I'm pretty sure they're both bringing home a paycheck from TLC that's way more than what I'm getting from my local college, I don't see how they can be considered "unemployed".

[doodlebug]

21 minutes ago, Nysha said:

It may not be a career, but it is their job. Will it last forever, no, but how many legitimate actors get on one hit show and then never have another hit? Isn't Ben studying to be a preacher? In their circle, women don't work outside the home, so why would Jessa be doing anything more than what it takes to get her show renewed? When the show ends, they expect Ben to pastor a church and Jessa to be the perfect preacher's wife, but for right now, they're both working at being stars of a reality TV show. I don't agree with their life choices, their religion, or their hypocrisy, but since I'm pretty sure they're both bringing home a paycheck from TLC that's way more than what I'm getting from my local college, I don't see how they can be considered "unemployed".

Until I've seen evidence that they actually receive the proceeds from the filming and that it's not funneled through Jim Bob and divided up amongst all the adult kids as an 'allowance'; I would not consider it a 'job' myself.  We also know that they spend mere weeks every year filming their dog and pony show.  What worthwhile pursuits are filling up the rest of their time?  There are plenty of reality TV families who do something other than pose for pictures when the cameras are off.  Take a look at The Little Couple for instance.  Hell, even the Kardashians do stuff other than filming their show and they are, like the Duggars, famous for being famous.  I realize the family sex scandal and their parents' attempt to conceal it has tainted the Duggars; but I don't see Jessa or any of the rest of them doing anything else.

As far as Ben studying to be a minister, where is he studying?  What classes is he taking?  What degree is he working towards currently?  Perhaps I've missed it, but it doesn't look to me like he is enrolled in any course of study currently and he's got more than enough time to do so if he really wanted to do it.

I get it that Jessa is forced to be a homemaker by her restrictive religious beliefs.  Then, why doesn't she work on expanding those skills?  Why isn't she learning how to cook from scratch or sew or garden or really doing much of anything other than taking selfies while making ducklips?  Considering she considers being a homemaker and mother to be her real career, you'd think she'd want to do better than the obviously shit** job her mother did.  I have multiple family members who have become homemakers by choice and, to a woman, they've all devoted great amounts of time to trying to do the best job they can and to learning as much as they can about the various aspects that interest them.

And, unlike the Kardashians who've gotten filthy rich, I think we can all agree that the Duggar kids haven't and, as soon as the show is over; they are going to be without any source of income and undoubtedly beholdin' to JB&M for their existence.  I don't think Jessa has a big old savings account somewhere that they will be able to drawn on when the show is over; and I don't think the show is going to be around all that much longer.  So, why aren't she and Ben already hard at work figuring out what comes next financially?  Because, they're not.  Because, apparently, letting Jessa's parents control them and their kids via their wallets for the rest of their lives is preferable to becoming productive members of society.

Edited February 18, 2017 by doodlebug

[Arwen Evenstar]

17 minutes ago, Nysha said:

It may not be a career, but it is their job. Will it last forever, no, but how many legitimate actors get on one hit show and then never have another hit? Isn't Ben studying to be a preacher? In their circle, women don't work outside the home, so why would Jessa be doing anything more than what it takes to get her show renewed? When the show ends, they expect Ben to pastor a church and Jessa to be the perfect preacher's wife, but for right now, they're both working at being stars of a reality TV show. I don't agree with their life choices, their religion, or their hypocrisy, but since I'm pretty sure they're both bringing home a paycheck from TLC that's way more than what I'm getting from my local college, I don't see how they can be considered "unemployed".

They at least have realized the grifting and gift grabbing are distasteful. I admired Jessa for donating her baby shower gifts to women in need. She's at least taken heed of public perception and is attempting adulting.

i wouldn't expect Jessa to work outside the home, since the Gothard idealism wouldn't have allowed it, but it's abundantly clear that she's the brains and drive behind Benessa for the time being. She's finding "pulling the cart" pretty tiring since Bin is still something of a man child. But I would have expected Bin to have at least found some sort of a job driving a forklift or a good company that would let him still go to school. The TLC money won't last forever. I don't think they would  get as much snark as they do if we knew they had a viable path forward for life after TLC. Let's face it, the shark has already jumped the shark. I personally would enjoy them much more when they have "something interesting to write home about", or catching up or VSEs. I'd be totally fine with that. I've kind of had my fill of Mopey Muffy, Derpy Derick, and Beyond Dumb Joy.

[Arwen Evenstar]

22 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

I get it that Jessa is forced to be a homemaker by her restrictive religious beliefs.  Then, why doesn't she work on expanding those skills?  Why isn't she learning how to cook from scratch or sew or garden or really doing much of anything other than taking selfies while making ducklips?  Considering she considers being a homemaker and mother to be her real career, you'd think she'd want to do better than the obviously shit** job her mother did.  I have multiple family members who have become homemakers by choice and, to a woman, they've all devoted great amounts of time to trying to do the best job they can and to learning as much as they can about the various aspects that interest them.

Taking selfies while making duck lips! LMFAO 

[DangerousMinds]

2 hours ago, doodlebug said:

Well, of course.  George and Amal have actual talents, education and abilities.  And, ya know, real jobs.  Unlike Jessa and Ben who think that having virtually every waking moment filmed is a career.  Poor Amal, all that work becoming a respected human rights attorney; when she could've been like Jessa; uneducated, unmotivated, underwhelming.

Best comment ever.

[BitterApple]

50 minutes ago, Nysha said:

I don't agree with their life choices, their religion, or their hypocrisy, but since I'm pretty sure they're both bringing home a paycheck from TLC that's way more than what I'm getting from my local college, I don't see how they can be considered "unemployed".

I don't disagree with your post, I'm just surprised that with all their fame and massive social media followings, they aren't doing more to hustle and earn other sources of income, especially considering the shelf life for a reality star is very short. They seem content to just coast in life. There's no drive or ambition in any of them. 

[Gemma Violet]

On 2/16/2017 at 9:20 PM, Jynnan tonnix said:

My cousin's daughter in England just had a baby named "Alfie". Not short for anything. Seemed kind of odd to me as it just makes me think of the old Michael Caine movie, but apparently it's pretty popular over there. I mean, I think it's cute, but more of a nickname which should have a more formal version waiting in the wings...

Lily Allen had a hit song "Alfie" in England about ten years ago (not the Dionne Warwicke song...another Alfie), so that may explain the popularity.  It was a weird but catchy song, a definite earworm.

32 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

I don't disagree with your post, I'm just surprised that with all their fame and massive social media followings, they aren't doing more to hustle and earn other sources of income, especially considering the shelf life for a reality star is very short. 

Here's what I'd do if I were Jessa (or one of the other girls):  I'd market myself like a Kardashian.  I'd put out Jessa hair bands, Jessa earrings, Jessa paper dolls, Jessa makeup, Jessa coloring books, Jessa backpacks, Jessa notebooks, Jessa bracelets, and on and on.  Of course, that would take knowing something about marketing, but you'd think JimBob could hire someone to take care of that.  Of course, I guess he'd lose control of all things Duggar, and we can't have that, can we.

[Natalie68]

1 hour ago, BitterApple said:

I don't disagree with your post, I'm just surprised that with all their fame and massive social media followings, they aren't doing more to hustle and earn other sources of income, especially considering the shelf life for a reality star is very short. They seem content to just coast in life. There's no drive or ambition in any of them. 

Certainly there is a fashion designer among their concert pianists, professional table lickers, interior designers, car detailers, etc.  They could tap into the fundiewear scene.  But they choose to live in fear of shower rods, non fundies, schoolin', whathaveyou all on the dime of those that click the DONATE button.  Nothing respectable about that.  At least Kim Jung Boob had some hustle and a skill of some sort.  Not one of these kids seem like the type to pick themselves up by their bootstraps.  They are more interested in creating their own army that WE will end up supporting when TLC gets tired of these chuckleheads.  

[sometimesy]

@Gemma Violet and @Natalie68

Bin and Jeremy (ice cream!) should get their girls moving on the blog, videos, and merchandise. But they have to punt Boob. He doesn't allow the family to do anything without the anchor siblings that drag them down,  and he doesn't encourage the professional advice these people will require. Yep, actually pay people to help you set up your blog, design your merchandise.

I also think Bin should do the inner city thing, but just visit and highlight what is needed, how to help and then his tv ministry is legitimate and helpful to other people.

[BitterApple]

25 minutes ago, sometimesy said:

@Gemma Violet and @Natalie68

Bin and Jeremy (ice cream!) should get their girls moving on the blog, videos, and merchandise. But they have to punt Boob. He doesn't allow the family to do anything without the anchor siblings that drag them down,  and he doesn't encourage the professional advice these people will require. Yep, actually pay people to help you set up your blog, design your merchandise.

That's so true. The siblings come as a package and Boob would never let a real entertainment/business manager come in and ex him out of his share of the pie. Jessa is the most photogenic and has the most mainstream look out of all the older daughters. She could do well promoting herself in the Christian market, especially as a lifestyle brand. Pioneer Woman has been ripping off church potluck recipes for years and she's built herself a pretty tidy empire. 

[sometimesy]

@BitterApple and the kids are already a broken set. Boob just won't let it go. The adults outnumber the children, the original foundation of their fame is over, so it's time for the individual kids to use their celebrity fundy status for themselves. I agree with you that Jessa is the most likely to succeed but I threw Jinger in there because she likes to have the fashion angle/photograpy, gives Jessa some family support and Jinger has the husband with the business degree.

[Joe Jitsu913]

I shall refer to the Seewalds as Benessa and Spank (SPurgeon and HANK). I'm sorry but Henry Wilberforce Seewald?  Henry Wilberforce????!!!  Wtf! 

[lascuba]

I remember reading an old article about the Duggars that someone had dug up. There were only around 10 kids, and even then Jim Bob was making a concerted effort to shop the family around. He'd contact various papers in several states trying to get his family coverage, and no one was biting at the time. JB can't seem to break that habit...even with marriages and grandchildren, in his mind any fame as to come via the family unit. Jessa and the rest can branch out a bit for their own money with speaking tours and the like, but any major independent income stream isn't going to happen without the kidults having to include their siblings as part of the package. And I don't think it's all about the money for JB. I think his identity--even more than Michelle's--is completely tied up in the number of children he has, in being a patriarch, in looking at the sea of children and grandchildren and his properties in which they all live and the TLC show and the People covers and knowing that *HE* did that, that he controls it all. And all those children are so emotionally broken that they won't risk hurting him by doing their own thing. I'm sure having grown accustomed to a certain standard of living is a big reason why they haven't really tried to live independently, but the thing is, Jessa at least has a decent chance of maintaining that lifestyle  by being famous on her own. The fact that she hasn't? The fact that her continued and increased presence on the show is still in service to the Duggar brand? That speaks volumes, and I doubt it's simply laziness on her part.

Jessa and her nuclear family could have a go at their own show. Sure, they won't have the freak show factor of 19 kids, but what they do have is a couple made up of two people who grew up in cults with charismatic leaders who fell because of scandal.  There's Jessa herself, whose upbringing we know a of about and so we know for a fact that there are things she does that go directly against what her parents believe in. That's a hell of a lot of material for a "reality" show right there, but it's not going to happen, because these people don't know how to say "I love them but I really think they're wrong about this." The Duggars have always tried to sell this fiction that they're totally cool with everyone no matter their views, as if people chose to live they way they did  over simple differences of opinion and not rigidly held beliefs. They could have had 5 episodes JUST on Jessa coming to terms with Ben's love of any music with a beat and how to reconcile that with her parents' open hatred of most music and dancing, but no, they tried to be cute by making it about how clueless the Duggars are about worldly music. But doing it any other way would have meant admitting that Jim Bob and Michelle weren't right about everything, and Jim Bob's ego can't take that, nevermind that they're all too stupid to know that even that little bit of conflict and nuance would only help their brand, not hurt it. 

[Arwen Evenstar]

25 minutes ago, lascuba said:

They could have had 5 episodes JUST on Jessa coming to terms with Ben's love of any music with a beat and how to reconcile that with her parents' open hatred of most music and dancing, but no, they tried to be cute by making it about how clueless the Duggars are about worldly music. But doing it any other way would have meant admitting that Jim Bob and Michelle weren't right about everything, and Jim Bob's ego can't take that, nevermind that they're all too stupid to know that even that little bit of conflict and nuance would only help their brand, not hurt it. 

Yes, it would help their brand, not hurt it among us heathens. We'd be pleased they admitted to making a few small concessions. Like the married Bates girls who wear pants at their house, but skirts at their parents'.

They were making their own choices and still showing respect to their parents in their family home. 

But Fundys? Aw hell no! Among their own kind, the competition of who is the Most Pious of Them All is alive and well. Any concessions would cause clutching of pearls about "backsliding" and "ruining their testimony". Remember when Jill R blogged about a rock climbing outing that the wearing of pants was a "one time thing, because in this instance, more modest".

[lascuba]

2 minutes ago, Arwen Evenstar said:

Yes, it would help their brand, not hurt it among us heathens. We'd be pleased they admitted to making a few small concessions. Like the married Bates girls who wear pants at their house, but skirts at their parents'.

They were making their own choices and still showing respect to their parents in their family home. 

But Fundys? Aw hell no! Among their own kind, the competition of who is the Most Pious of Them All is alive and well. Any concessions would cause clutching of pearls about "backsliding" and "ruining their testimony". Remember when Jill R blogged about a rock climbing outing that the wearing of pants was a "one time thing, because in this instance, more modest".

I'm always wary of giving the Bates any credit  for anything because framed pictures of white supremacists is a deal breaker for me, but yes, they are so much better at publicly expressing individuality and disagreement. Alyssa is the perfect example...when she was recently married, she said in an interview how much nicer it was to live in a quiet house, how her parents' house was  loud all the time, and it was so obvious how much she hated living in that house but still loved her family. While Erin said that she liked having her siblings over all the time because she wasn't used to being alone and she didn't like it. And neither of those things was a big deal, it's just how different personalities react to the same upbringing. I can't imagine a Duggar ever saying either of those things. No one can admit to disliking any aspect of their upbringing, nor can they admit to not being like everyone else despite their upbringing expect in the most insipid of ways ("I don't know how to make minute rice for only 3 people!")