Josh & Anna Smuggar: A Series of Unfortunate Events

[AnnieGirl]

Has there been a "ginder" reveal yet for Anna's baby?

[truelovekiss]

Slight glimmer of hope in tonight's episode, seeing Mikey in Lightening McQueen pajamas. Maybe they let their kids watch Disney Movies!

[Seashell Lover]

Has there been a "ginder" reveal yet for Anna's baby?

Yes it is a girl.

[Madison Bumgarner]

Slight glimmer of hope in tonight's episode, seeing Mikey in Lightening McQueen pajamas. Maybe they let their kids watch Disney Movies!

It's possible, but maybe they just bought them because he said "Ohhh, that's a cool car." I don't hold out much hope that they are allowed to watch Disney movies. I'd love to be wrong, though because, I mean, it's 2015 FFS!

[zenme]

Slight glimmer of hope in tonight's episode, seeing Mikey in Lightening McQueen pajamas. Maybe they let their kids watch Disney Movies!

 

It's possible, but maybe they just bought them because he said "Ohhh, that's a cool car." I don't hold out much hope that they are allowed to watch Disney movies. I'd love to be wrong, though because, I mean, it's 2015 FFS!

 

Yeah, it's very possible that Anna found these pj's at a resale shop.  I've seen Mackenzie with what appears to be some kind of Disney princess dress on before, and I think Anna finds clothes, thinks they are cute, and then purchases them.  I doubt that she allows the children to watch Disney films.  I'd be highly surprised if  she did.  I wonder if she gives them cartoon character underwear too...I bet she does.

Edited April 22, 2015 by zenme

[CarolMK]

How many kids do you all think Josh and Anna will end up having? I'm betting on a total of 10, given their current ages of 27. Despite what we all think about Josh seeming to be somewhat "over it" with having so many kids, the fact that both of them grew up in large families and the pressure from being on tv show that made it's claim to fame of "19 Kids and Counting" guarantees that they'll be in the running to have as many as they possibly can. If Josh truly didn't want that many kids, he would have likely left the show when he moved to Washington DC and faded into the background. The fact that he and Anna are regular participants proves that they are living the same lifestyle that their parents do. 

[hlemommy]

Josh didn't seem to excited when Anna went into the bedroom and told him. .. so who knows

[flyingdi]

I think Josh and Jessa both have the attitude, "Well we're in this mess we might as well deal with it in the best way possible." Whereas I think Jill is just one of those people who thinks that everything must be perfect and if it's not it's because she's doing something wrong. Just an observation.

[zenme]

Josh seemed "ho hum" to find out the news of the baby.  I bet he already knew.  Plus, he was roused from his sleep rather quickly.  Josh seems the type to have to be nudged repeatedly. 

[Sunnybobs]

Does anyone else think that if Josh could he'd pull out of the show? It seems that he's enjoying his Washington role, their house & lifestyle etc. I wonder if he would pull out if he felt more secure in his education and chances to survive on his own mettle? Or is he just far too enmeshed to get out?

[msblossom]

I can see Josh and Anna ending up with 6-8 kids.

I think Josh's job with the FRC would be disappointed if he pulled out, sorry for the pun, bc his involvement with the show actually benefits what he is doing for the FRC and reaches the target audience of voters that the FRC want/need.

[Sunnybobs]

Yes I thought the same - the name & exposure seems to be what got him the FRC job & so he probably needs both, he just looks like he'd rather have other options all the time, it just shows that Jim Bob & Michelles real sin is not educating their children enough to give them real life choices for their futures

[GEML]

He can't quit the show, but it's already becoming more Anna and the kids and less Josh.

I'm betting they have 8 total. That's the size of Anna's family, still large by any standard but will give Josh the breathing room he needs.

[JessDVD]

As far as involvement with the show, Josh has a pretty good gig, he just has to make appearances a few times a season, mostly for things that he would already be coming to AR for (weddings, baby's births, etc), or not particularly big deal things at home. Aside from the births. I sure hope that they're letting those be filmed because they want to.

 

If Josh wants to get out of the show, I'd guess a good time would be after having been in political office for awhile. FRC + political office = decent resume for finding something not underwritten by the show, I think. He'll still have the name recognition, but could probably get a job without being still attached to the show. But I think it's more likely that as long as the show is on, J&A will be on in some capacity. It is, as said above, more about Anna and the kids right now.

[alt0233]

I'm so confused about the scene where she finds out she's pregnant - didn't they already tell us? I have a memory of her testing and finding out in another episode, but I don't know if I'm confusing finding out about a different pregnancy of hers, or what.

[mccav]

I don't remember how we found out she was pregnant with M4, but wasn't there a cupcake "gender" reveal with just Josh, Anna, and their kids shown during the commercial break of another TLC show a few months ago, or did I dream that?

[Wellfleet]

He can't quit the show, but it's already becoming more Anna and the kids and less Josh.

I'm betting they have 8 total. That's the size of Anna's family, still large by any standard but will give Josh the breathing room he needs.

 

I don't know. Look at what three kids in less than four years has done to Josh, and he isn't even the one birthing or taking care of them. He's what - 27 now? On a bad day he could pass for 45. Five more, including little M4, may just find him as medicated as his mother. Or worse...

[JenCarroll]

I don't know. Look at what three kids in less than four years has done to Josh, and he isn't even the one birthing or taking care of them. He's what - 27 now? On a bad day he could pass for 45. Five more, including little M4, may just find him as medicated as his mother. Or worse...

Yeah, he is looking worse and worse. It's starting to worry me a bit. No one should look like that at 27.

[Wellfleet]

Yeah, he is looking worse and worse. It's starting to worry me a bit. No one should look like that at 27.

 

True enough. I'm beginning to think there's possibly some kind of underlying - and undiagnosed - chronic problem going on with him. Back in the day, I knew a fair number of 20-somethings who burned the candle at both ends - even while working full-time - and it was amazing to me, but they still looked better than Josh does now. Not a good sign considering that we can pretty much bet that he doesn't look that way because he's out drinking and carousing 4 nights a week.

[Seashell Lover]

May be if he was out every night getting drunk he would look a lot better.

[Mrsjumbo]

It really annoyed me when Anna looked very relieved to be pregnant again & said something to the effect of "this is the longest I've gone between pregnancies". You have a freaking BABY at home! Some normal people space out their kids by years! It's as if she would panic because she wasn't immediately pregnant after her last one. MEchelle Jr, in some ways.

Edited April 23, 2015 by Mrsjumbo

[Chai]

I don't know. Look at what three kids in less than four years has done to Josh, and he isn't even the one birthing or taking care of them. He's what - 27 now? On a bad day he could pass for 45. Five more, including little M4, may just find him as medicated as his mother. Or worse...

I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

[Apple Clark]

It's not really "annoying" to me, it's just really sad. Why the hell would you be trying to get pregnant if you've got three adorable, healthy little kids at home? Marcus is a BABY, isn't he only about a year old? If he is somewhere around a year, she's been desperate for another baby since Marcus was about 1 or 2 months old. She's been drinking the Duggar Kool-Aid, that's for damn sure....

Edited April 23, 2015 by Apple Clark

[Marigold]

Agreeing Josh does not look so good...he looks bloated and like he has some inflamation going on in is body (too many processed foods? Food allergies?)

I'm OK if they are happy with having another baby but it seems like Anna is a bit out of touch with how her husband is feeling about having kids so close.

[GleamingMist]

It really annoyed me when Anna looked very relieved to be pregnant again & said something to the effect of "this is the longest I've gone between pregnancies". You have a freaking BABY at home! Some normal people space out their kids by years! It's as if she would panic because she wasn't immediately pregnant after her last one. MEchelle Jr, in some ways.

 

AGREE!!  I almost threw something at the TV when I heard her say that.  Marcus is still a baby imo (My son is the same age as him) who needs his mom for plenty still.  She should be happy with the spacing, it gives more bonding opportunity than if they are falling out of you every 14 months. 

 

When Anna gave that spiel last season about enjoying the kids she has and not needing more to be validated I thought you go girl.  But as usual it was all just lip service.  I hope after this one she takes a step back and look at her poor husband.  I'm not sure he can handle any more blessings. 

[3 is enough]

Marcus will be 2 on June 2, I believe the baby is due sometime in July?  Mack and Michael are actually closer- there is only 20 months between them. 

 

Yes, Josh seems a bit overwhelmed and less than thrilled.  Stopping now, with 2 boys and 2 girls would be the way to go, but that remains to be seen.

 

Meanwhile Josh is praying for a male birth control pill that he can take on the sly.  I know scientists have been talking about it for years, but will it come quickly enough for Josh?

[TheDoctorsCompanio]

I think Anna is fine when no one around her is pregnant. Her sister was expecting then Jill was expecting last summer at the same time so Anna either felt left out or caught the fever. Now she is pregnant with Jessa for a little while.

[trimthatfat]

I hope Josh goes to the doctor if he isn't feeling well. He looks like he's nearing a mid-life crisis and he's not even 30 yet. He just looks unwell - sweaty and bloated.

[Jenilane6]

Toilet birth alert for anyone who hasn't seen it.  Should be happening in the next ten minutes on TLC (Eastern Time).

[Seashell Lover]

Why should Smuggar go to a doctor as he is a Duggar and nothing bad happens if you are a member of the Duggar Cult.

[JenCarroll]

I think Anna is fine when no one around her is pregnant.

So basically, never... :-)

[Darknight]

I know Anna is very uneducated, but she's getting some bad comments about her post about God planning babies but parents do not. I wish she could just get some critical thinking skills.

[Literata]

 

I think Anna is fine when no one around her is pregnant. Her sister was expecting then Jill was expecting last summer at the same time so Anna either felt left out or caught the fever. Now she is pregnant with Jessa for a little while.

The sad thing is, that's all these women know. Most of us have other things in our lives from which we derive some sense of satisfaction and self-esteem. They derive it through procreation; that's all.

[GEML]

I think Josh really likes his DC job, works hard at it, would like to work harder at it, and advance. But he needs more education and family support to do that. Or, he needs his family to simply leave him alone for awhile. And by family, I mean the whole shebang. He's not the one who should be "designing" wedding invitations, for instance. He should be studying college classes.

[Chalby]

I just looked at Josh and Anna's Instagrams and yes, both are pretty single minded in their topics, but Anna's has gone off the rails.

 

I totally agree with you. I found she was developing this 'appearance' soon after Michael's birth. I remembered one show when she was observing how the second child impacts the 'peaceful routine' she had going with her daughter. In fact, any observation of difficulty she states is followed by chronic giggling (which teems with desperation). I guarantee Josh will not be empathetic of her efforts, as he grew up with a mother who had 19 kids, "without complaint". I also find that Josh behaves like the fourth child, except he would be the spoiled fourth child. He rarely considers how she'll be impacted by his decisions (aside from the token verbalizing which is done half-heartedly). He makes the decisions while she stares up at him as though he's the next saviour.  I felt so embarrassed for her when the film tech asked him to sing the song he sang at their wedding (to which he jumped at the chance) and he belted out his song like a seasoned stage performer. It was Godawful - him singing this song and not even looking at her, while she stared adoringly into his eyes. Good grief, Charlie Brown. lol

... I think she's going to want to keep having babies for as long as Josh's sisters are pumping them out -- so, basically, eternally.

Sadly, I think Anna thought she'd be treated with kid gloves like Michelle always was. What she and the sisters don't realize is that none of their husbands are going to treat them like they are breakable china. Michelle only got away with it after Jana and Jill were old enough to be mother surrogates. And Josh is no Jim Bob (which I am grateful for, yet he is not a version of anyone empathetic or caring).

[Chalby]

... but so far, she seems to be a genuinely involved and loving mom. Even in the "Let's teach even my BOY child to sew" scene (F-you, Interwebs!), the way she was cuddling and interacting with Michael surpassed any such interaction we've seen between MEchelle and any of the J'kids except Josie. 

Yep, Anna has found her calling. She is a wonderful, hands-on mother.

[Chalby]

I would bet that there is some measure of natural family planning or at least natural ovulation awareness going on

I don't think so. Anna is always commenting that she would like another child, but I am pretty sure that Josh has lost interest in the bedroom olympics.

[NEGirl]

I also think Josh likes his job. I don't think he is stupid, He just has never had the chance to have a decent education thanks to J'Chelle's homefooling.  I thinnk his education is so lacking that it would be very difficult for him to comple college level classes. He never had algerba,, calc.,engilish lit., or "real" science classes. Bankruptcy education does not qualify for college acceptance.

Edited April 25, 2015 by NEGirl

[Neet]

I think I've seen Ben talk about "real" marriage before, too. Don't know why these people intentionally cause an uproar like this.
https://instagram.com/p/16R2u_mraH/?taken-by=annaduggar

[JoanArc]

I guess Anna has to churn out  a few tweets every so often to back Josh's employer's views.

 

I seem to remember a lot of polygamy going on in the bible, and God not really caring, Anna.

[HumblePi]

This is a quote from the Josh & Anna Duggar official website. http://ja20.com/

 

"Josh is working as Executive Director at FRC Action, where his passion is to encourage Christians to engage in politics, promoting Faith, Family & Freedom."

 

This is a quote from Change.org which is a website operated by Change.org, Inc., an American certified B Corporation incorporated in Delaware that provides a freemium petition tool for 65 million users and hosts sponsored campaigns for organizations.

 

"Josh Duggar has also taken a position at the so called "Family Research Council". The Family Research Center is such a hate-filled, anti-gay organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2010 labeled it a “hate group” for its “dissemination of false and demonizing propaganda about gays and lesbians.”

 

The Duggar family seek to remove freedoms from gay, lesbians and transgender people by demonizing them. FRC is basically a lobbyist company whose objective is to have laws changed that will remove the rights that gays and lesbians have fought long and hard for.

[bigskygirl]

Josh needs to stop blaming his family for his lack of education and job skills. Time to grow up, grow a pair and stop parroting what his parents and Gothard taught him years ago. He is nothing but an extension of his family values and beliefs. Imo, he goes not have an original thought of his own.

[Sew Sumi]

Anna follows that Radiance Foundation, and reposts their memes all the time. So, I think this is more her doing than being "forced" to in order to make Smuggar look good for his bosses. I looked them up, and they're pretty militant. The founder, an adopted African American (this is important to his platform), speaks at CPAC and other far right-wing conferences that the Duggars also attend (and often speak at). 

Edited April 25, 2015 by Sew Sumi

[galax-arena]

Anna follows that Radiance Foundation, and reposts their memes all the time.

Ugh, I remember when she retweeted a pic from them that used #BlackLivesMatter to condemn - what else? - abortion. Like I'm supposed believe that she really gives a shit about the lives of black people. 

Josh needs to stop blaming his family for his lack of education and job skills. Time to grow up, grow a pair and stop parroting what his parents and Gothard taught him years ago. He is nothing but an extension of his family values and beliefs. Imo, he goes not have an original thought of his own.

I think that Josh and Anna and perhaps the entire Duggar clan are prime examples of the Dunning-Kruger effect in action. 

Edited April 25, 2015 by galax-arena

[bigskygirl]

It is sad. I cannot imagine what it must be like for Josh and the rest of the kids growing up in that environment with little education, sheltered live, and being told people outside our belief system are bad. The world and the human race is far from perfect but being not able to go out and explore the different cultures, beliefs, and what makes people unique would drive me bonkers. The Duggars would not care for me because I am the type of person who questions what I read, see, and what others say. I like to form my own opinions and thoughts, and I certainly do not like someone telling me how I am suppose to act and feel in the real world. I would give Josh and Anna a run for their money. *lol*

[GEML]

I don't think Josh is blaming anyone. I actually think he's desperately trying to make up lost ground without blaming them which is one of the reasons he's so exhausted looking. Imagine being in a world where you are not only out educated, but out educated by two or three times by everyone around you. That said, for what Josh's job is, I think he's probably pretty good at it. But he will have to work hard to keep it, and twice as hard to advance to something better. He's a tiny little fish in a great big powerful city.

[Wellfleet]

I don't think Josh is blaming anyone. I actually think he's desperately trying to make up lost ground without blaming them which is one of the reasons he's so exhausted looking. Imagine being in a world where you are not only out educated, but out educated by two or three times by everyone around you. That said, for what Josh's job is, I think he's probably pretty good at it. But he will have to work hard to keep it, and twice as hard to advance to something better. He's a tiny little fish in a great big powerful city.

 

Yes, coming to Washington had to have been serious culture shock for Josh in many ways. Being surrounded by complete strangers who don't necessarily share his beliefs and attitudes, for the first time in his life at 25. So many people who know so much more than he does, and hearing these people speak easily about many concepts he's never even heard of before. Not being a "major presence" in the room - again maybe for the first time in his life. Having grown up in such a narrow closed-off world must have made Washington even scarier for him than it would be for most young 20-somethings starting new jobs there.

[JoanArc]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jytyJQ8LZcU

 

Filmed Saturday. Josh, gluttony is not a secret sin. Also, I'd like to know what's the one country that redefined marriage? Lots of countries ahve perfectly legal gay marriages - I guess God doesn't care unless it's in the US?

[Darknight]

I also think Josh likes his job. I don't think he is stupid, He just has never had the chance to have a decent education thanks to J'Chelle's homefooling. I thinnk his education is so lacking that it would be very difficult for him to comple college level classes. He never had algerba,, calc.,engilish lit., or "real" science classes. Bankruptcy education does not qualify for college acceptance.

He could change that. He can take baby steps. But I don't see him doing that

[andromeda331]

He could change that. He can take baby steps. But I don't see him doing that

 

 

I don't really see that either. He's not really willing to do the hard work when it comes to anything.