Joy and Austin: This One Time At Family Camp

[flyingdi]

 Most of the pictures I've seen, Austin looks way more interested than Joy.  He's the one giving the adoring looks.

Joy kind of looks like she's thinking, " When do we eat around here?"

 I don't care if Joy is dumb.  She went from a girl interested in outdoorsy, sporty kind of stuff into a girl interested in nothing.  That is nothing short of sad.

[tabloidlover]

wow - that was just sad.   Did he actually say that she "has all the right responses to situations"????   wtf?   And there was less than zero chemistry between them.  Awkward

[Rabbittron]

9 minutes ago, tabloidlover said:

wow - that was just sad.   Did he actually say that she "has all the right responses to situations"????   wtf?   And there was less than zero chemistry between them.  Awkward

Who needs kemestree when you got Blob.

[riverblue22]

Haven't listened yet, just watched (headship issues) but I had to LOL at the revealing top worn by the interviewer.  Nike!  Nike! Nike!

[louannems]

All the Duggars speak in such an infuriating and vague manner.  Nothing much is ever said!  Imagine making a video that everyone is going to see and you cannot even think of something specific to like about each other.  "Everything". With the exception of flying and horseback riding, what did I just learn?

I hated that Austin says Joy always has the correct (Gothard Speak) responses!

[Churchhoney]

17 minutes ago, louannems said:

All the Duggars speak in such an infuriating and vague manner.  Nothing much is ever said!  Imagine making a video that everyone is going to see and you cannot even think of something specific to like about each other.  "Everything". With the exception of flying and horseback riding, what did I just learn?

I hated that Austin says Joy always has the correct (Gothard Speak) responses!

Yeah, that was a Gothard conversation to the core, wasn't it? Joy and her umbrella. 

[MargeGunderson]

3 hours ago, Rabbittron said:

Who needs kemestree when you got Blob.

Who needs chemistry when you have God? Science is for heathens. 

[Sew Sumi]

It bothered me when Austin said that Joy "always has the right response." That's so cultish; it reduces Joy to not much more than a parrot. :(

[Arwen Evenstar]

14 minutes ago, Sew Sumi said:

It bothered me when Austin said that Joy "always has the right response." That's so cultish; it reduces Joy to not much more than a parrot. :(

Yeah, control in some of these denominations is astounding. This is slightly OT, but if the mods would indulge it to simply let me make a point, I'd be pleased. 

A court ruled against Chris Perez, the widower of beloved Tejano singer Selena, because her father wanted to block a series he wanted to do about her. I screamed at the TV: WTF, this poor girl's been dead over 20 years and her father is still trying to control her!  The same father who because of his religious beliefs denied her the lifesaving blood transfusion that may have saved her from her gunshot wounds, and she was an ADULT, and from what I recall, her own husband (spouses are recognized as "next of kin" in Texas) didn't overrule him, either out of ignorance or fear.

Selena was so wholesome and so beloved that her fans wouldn't have tolerated anything contrary to that image. All I could think of was how Boob has done this to his kids on so many levels. Heaven forbid any of them meet an early demise, he'd still find a way not to give up control.

Joy was the product of being raised by sister mom, Jill-bot, so it's not surprising how docile she is when it comes to being manipulated.

Edited February 19, 2017 by Arwen Evenstar

[zoomama]

tried to see it --- wont load...

[cereality]

Had no idea what was going on with Joy and Austin - so I came here to catch up and watched that video. Wow. She may as well be dating one of her brothers. Austin looks like Jer, has a pilot's license and is outdoorsy like JD, and has the same - I'm 20-something and have given up on life affect as JD and Joseph. Clearly he is getting to an age where it's time to start having sex and making fundie babies, so he needs a girl who looks the part and has the right responses so she fits what he and his parents expect for a wife -- so Joy is good enough . . . . So I guess we should look forward to their life together being an obligatory slog - with babies within 9 months after marriage. I don't see ANY spark or ANY fun -- despite the fact that he said the word fun about 25 times in 90 seconds. He'll work at the camp all day, she'll go sit in the camp office to keep him company until there are babies, then he'll come home to a nice helping of TTC, they'll do bible studies, get it on, go to bed and repeat 6x a week with Sunday reserved for fellowshipping and church. Should be a "fun" 60-70 yrs.

At least with Derick and Jer there was some hope that the Duggar girls' lives would change or world would grow. That hope turned into disappointment but there were/are still glimmers of it. After all - with Derick - Jill was getting a college grad; from big state u; who studied accounting; had a Fortune 500 job; lived overseas for 1-2 yrs; had a mom who wore pants and was a senior exec at a Fortune 500; presumably had friends; initially used to take her to NYC; introduce her to things like Broadway even if it involved sins like dancing; introduced her to Nepali food and exotic things like hummus and vegetables that don't come out of cans. With Jer - a college grad with an MBA; a pro soccer player who lived in a few different countries; an Italian from Jersey; who has friends; and said friends are Asian and Hispanic and [gasp] Yale grads!! I mean even if these things rubbed off on Jill and Jinger 5-10% of the time, their world would grow . . . .

With Joy - I assume Austin is from a different rural Arkansas town and came up thru homeschooling and fundie church - since he's known her since age 5 . . . . Yeah no growth happening there. It'll be 2 people who've accepted this is what life is who are together to procreate. I 100% fault JB and Michelle for Joy's (and all their kids') lack of spark or enthusiasm for ANYTHING. This is what happens when you remove kids from the world and tell them the ONLY answer to anything in life is God or family. Most of us don't live thrilling lives day to day - we aren't Hollywood actors or athletes or whatever. Yet all of us have many different sides to our lives and can latch on to some parts that we enjoy at various times. There are people out there enjoying school or work or friends or obsessed with sports/TV/music/hobbies . . . . I mean even the Bates who have the same fundie beliefs have NOT been locked away by their parents and consequently they seem SO normal compared to the Duggars. Kelly Bates has talked about one of the teen girls (can't remember which one) who loves college life (albeit commuter) SO much that once she's at school in the morning, it's hard to get her back  home even after classes are over bc she's hanging out. She's talked about another teen-20 something girl - also in college -who they see so little of now bc when she isn't in school, she's in her bedroom texting her boyfriend - like a normal 20 yr old in 2017! There's a Bates boy who is trying to launch a career in Nashville - chances are it may not succeed but whatever - he is running all over trying to play small shows and any gigs he can get to get his name out there. Even one of the sons in law - who grew up fundie himself - seems to be remarkably passionate about furniture making/restoration and is trying to launch a side business. THIS is what happens when you allow kids to have friends and peers and interests - not shut them down and send them to the prayer closet if they even suggest that they have an interest in an activity that involves not sitting around staring at their siblings . . . .

Edited February 19, 2017 by cereality

[Arwen Evenstar]

28 minutes ago, cereality said:

THIS is what happens when you allow kids to have friends and peers and interests - not shut them down and send them to the prayer closet if they even suggest that they have an interest in an activity that involves not sitting around staring at their siblings . . . .

Edited 15 minutes ago by cereality.

THIS!!!!

[ChaChaSlide]

1 hour ago, Arwen Evenstar said:

Yeah, control in some of these denominations is astounding. This is slightly OT, but if the mods would indulge it to simply let me make a point, I'd be pleased. 

A court ruled against Chris Perez, the widower of beloved Tejano singer Selena, because her father wanted to block a series he wanted to do about her. I screamed at the TV: WTF, this poor girl's been dead over 20 years and her father is still trying to control her!  The same father who because of his religious beliefs denied her the lifesaving blood transfusion that may have saved her from her gunshot wounds, and she was an ADULT, and from what I recall, her own husband (spouses are recognized as "next of kin" in Texas) didn't overrule him, either out of ignorance or fear.

Selena was so wholesome and so beloved that her fans wouldn't have tolerated anything contrary to that image. All I could think of was how Boob has done this to his kids on so many levels. Heaven forbid any of them meet an early demise, he'd still find a way not to give up control.

Joy was the product of being raised by sister mom, Jill-bot, so it's not surprising how docile she is when it comes to being manipulated.

The bolded is a common misconception. The ER surgeon actually went through, IIRC, 8 units of blood before Abraham even arrived. Unfortunately, because the bullet nicked an artery, all it did was spill out onto the floor and into Selena's chest cavity. Abraham did shout something about "no blood" but at that point it was too late anyways.

Everything else you said is spot on, Abraham is a master manipulator and control freak like JB; shortly after Selena died he got Chris to sign a contract where he would only get like 25% of Selena's estate and virtually no rights to her image, even though, as her spouse at the time he was legally entitled to everything.

Edited February 19, 2017 by ChaChaSlide

[Arwen Evenstar]

9 minutes ago, ChaChaSlide said:

The bolded is a common misconception. The ER surgeon actually went through, IIRC, 8 units of blood before Abraham even arrived. Unfortunately, because the bullet nicked an artery, all it did was spill out onto the floor and into Selena's chest cavity. Abraham did should something about "no blood" but at that point it was too late anyways. Everything else you said is spot on, Abraham is a master manipulator and control freak like JB, shortly after Selena died he got Chris to sign a contract where he would only get like 25% of Selena's estate and virtually no rights to her image, even though, as her spouse at the time he was legally entitled to everything.

After I posted this, I knew about him saying "no blood", but later went to Wiki to read about the extent of her injuries..a 400 foot trail of her bleeding out as well as ER doctors gave up after an hour told me that it might not have made a difference anyway. I wasn't aware of his machinations to cut Chris out of what was rightfully his. Makes me despise Sr. Q. even more than I did before

So sad that such a beautiful young woman was senselessly and tragically cut down in the fullness of her flower. I don't really care for Tejano music, but my eyes start tearing up every time I watch her.

Thanks for filling in the missing info.

[ChaChaSlide]

11 minutes ago, Arwen Evenstar said:

After I posted this, I knew about him saying "no blood", but later went to Wiki to read about the extent of her injuries..a 400 foot trail of her bleeding out as well as ER doctors gave up after an hour told me that it might not have made a difference anyway. I wasn't aware of his machinations to cut Chris out of what was rightfully his. Makes me despise Sr. Q. even more than I did before

So sad that such a beautiful young woman was senselessly and tragically cut down in the fullness of her flower. I don't really care for Tejano music, but my eyes start tearing up every time I watch her.

Thanks for filling in the missing info.

Replying in small talk, don't want to derail.

[Arwen Evenstar]

41 minutes ago, ChaChaSlide said:

Replying in small talk, don't want to derail.

Agreed...

Is it just me or do Joy and Austin have a vanilla pudding vibe? I can't get excited for this couple...I just can't!

[Sew Sumi]

There's no "there" there with these two. At.all. 

[cereality]

This courtship will be vanilla pudding bc I don't get the sense that either person is into it wholeheartedly. Of all the courtships we've seen so far - for the Duggars or the Bates - at least 1 person was head over heels. Jessa acted like she was too cool for Bin and yet Bin was lusting after her bc he could not WAIT to get it on with the hot girl and bc of that you saw at least one side with genuine excitement for the wedding, proposal etc. Jill and Derick were equally desperate for each other; she wanted to be the first to marry and have a family and this guy allowed that and he just seemed happy that he was able to get a girl. Jinger and Jer seemed much like the Jill and Derick motives to me. On the Bates side, I feel like the couples have been MUCH better matched and wanted to marry as much as any regular boyfriend/girlfriend. Brandon and Michaela seemed the most one sided, which isn't to say Brandon doesn't love her but I had the feeling he was getting to an age where it was time to take a wife and make babies and Michaela happened to be lusting after him; and indeed Michaela was googly eyed and desperate for him so she's the one that brought the courtship excitement and he politely did nice things to make her feel special.

Here - Austin pretty much acts like it's time for a wife and family and conveniently he's known Joy since age 5 and she says the right things and acts the part, so he'll be able to make life work with her. And Joy - at the sad HS graduation, she pretty much said that she has nothing to do now so she'd just help around the house and with the kids. So hey - if Austin came calling, why not, she's known him forever, can make it work with him and has nothing else to do now that she has a high school diploma so now might as well start making babies . . . .

So I expect a very obligatory, polite courtship between these two - just going thru the motions they need to go through to get to the first kiss at the altar.

[Mollie]

15 minutes ago, cereality said:

And Joy - at the sad HS graduation, she pretty much said that she has nothing to do now so she'd just help around the house and with the kids. So hey - if Austin came calling, why not, she's known him forever, can make it work with him and has nothing else to do now that she has a high school diploma so now might as well start making babies . . . .

Joy doesn't have a high school diploma.  None of the Duggar kids have one.

[Sew Sumi]

Now that AR doesn't mandate testing for homeschoolers any longer (it's optional as of 2014), who knows what kind of "diploma" Joy, Josiah, or the twins have? I think the older kids at least have GEDs, since testing was required when they were homeschooled. But from Josiah on down, I imagine all they'll get are those hastily printed pieces of paper from "Duggar Academy," signifying that they completed the most basic computer program requirements. 

I still can't get over James doing basic multiplication flash cards when he was 13 or 14, but that's for another thread. 

Edited February 20, 2017 by Sew Sumi

[Fosca]

I'm hoping that if Joy did/does enjoy doing outdoorsy things that she'll be able to do them at the camp.  That might make the marriage worth while, especially if they don't reproduce right away.

If she's as dim as she appears to be, having that relative freedom might well be enough for her to be happy.  Which is what's important in the end, after all.

[JoanArc]

1 hour ago, Fosca said:

I'm hoping that if Joy did/does enjoy doing outdoorsy things that she'll be able to do them at the camp.  That might make the marriage worth while, especially if they don't reproduce right away.

If she's as dim as she appears to be, having that relative freedom might well be enough for her to be happy.  Which is what's important in the end, after all.

How low the bar continues to drop. "She can go outdoors unattended!"

But yes, happiness is important.

[BitterApple]

Wow, they are officially the most awkward Fundie couple ever. Priscilla Waller and her gay husband have better chemistry than those two. When Austin was asked what was the best thing about spending time with Joy and he responded "seeing how she acts in different environments" I was like, what is she, a freaking dog he took out of the shelter for a test run? 

Also, they've known each other since they were five and can't nail down any specifics regarding each other's personalities? Real deep relationship y'all got going on there! I've also noticed Joy has dropped some weight. She must be on the mandated starvation diet for the wedding. 

[MunichNark]

7 hours ago, cereality said:

 Brandon and Michaela seemed the most one sided, which isn't to say Brandon doesn't love her but I had the feeling he was getting to an age where it was time to take a wife and make babies and Michaela happened to be lusting after him; and indeed Michaela was googly eyed and desperate for him so she's the one that brought the courtship excitement and he politely did nice things to make her feel special.

This!!! A hundred times. I keep feeling that he has some sort of book or guideline on "how to make wifey feel special". I don't know why I feel like this, but every time she posts yet another "ooooh special" moment on Insta, I keep thinking that he's doing this because he thinks he should or must. It just never feels truly authentic to me

[Albanyguy]

10 hours ago, BitterApple said:

Also, they've known each other since they were five and can't nail down any specifics regarding each other's personalities?

For that to happen, they'd need actual personalities, wouldn't they? I'm not being snotty. One of the guiding child-rearing principles of Gothardism is stamping out any trace of personality in young children. Children are to be regarded as cogs in the machine, identical foot soldiers in God's Army. Individualism and personality quirks can lead to critical thinking and rebellion against authority. If you can raise a child to be so bland and anonymous that the only thing you can say about her is "She has a servant's heart and she likes pickles!", then you've done your job. Joy and Austin don't know anything special about each other because there isn't anything to know.

[flyingdi]

12 hours ago, BitterApple said:

Wow, they are officially the most awkward Fundie couple ever. Priscilla Waller and her gay husband have better chemistry than those two. When Austin was asked what was the best thing about spending time with Joy and he responded "seeing how she acts in different environments" I was like, what is she, a freaking dog he took out of the shelter for a test run? 

Also, they've known each other since they were five and can't nail down any specifics regarding each other's personalities? Real deep relationship y'all got going on there! I've also noticed Joy has dropped some weight. She must be on the mandated starvation diet for the wedding. 

I imagine growing up in the TTH is much like being in a animal shelter.  All those kids yipping for attention and not enough to go around.

[Arwen Evenstar]

9 minutes ago, flyingdi said:

I imagine growing up in the TTH is much like being in a animal shelter.  All those kids yipping for attention and not enough to go around.

More like a puppy mill!

[GeeGolly]

16 hours ago, BitterApple said:

Wow, they are officially the most awkward Fundie couple ever. Priscilla Waller and her gay husband have better chemistry than those two. When Austin was asked what was the best thing about spending time with Joy and he responded "seeing how she acts in different environments" I was like, what is she, a freaking dog he took out of the shelter for a test run? 

Also, they've known each other since they were five and can't nail down any specifics regarding each other's personalities? Real deep relationship y'all got going on there! I've also noticed Joy has dropped some weight. She must be on the mandated starvation diet for the wedding. 

I was thinking like a car and a test drive.

Both Jill and Jessa have made similar comments. It's amazing that Anna, Derick, Ben and Jeremy are never sore losers, always handle disappointment with grace, never lose their tempers, always treat others with respect and always put God first. Yeesh, how'd they find all these needles in the haystack?

[DangerousMinds]

19 hours ago, JoanArc said:

How low the bar continues to drop. "She can go outdoors unattended!"

But yes, happiness is important.

Won't she still need an accountability partner if her husband is not with her?

[Arwen Evenstar]

1 hour ago, DangerousMinds said:

Won't she still need an accountability partner if her husband is not with her?

She's marrying into another house of spies, so they've got it all figured out.

[JoanArc]

12 hours ago, DangerousMinds said:

Won't she still need an accountability partner if her husband is not with her?

Married women get a bit more freedom. Roughly equivalent to 8 year olds in the outside world.

[Barb23]

Did anyone else notice on the previews for next week that Boob has his concerned "I think I'm going to throw up" look on his face when Austin asks if he can court Joy?  I'm sure he does it just to shake up the guys but why can't he put a smile or at least a different expression on his face? 

[LilJen]

On 2/19/2017 at 2:25 AM, Sew Sumi said:

Vapid TLC schlocky interview with Austin and Joy, done the same day as that awful promotional photo shoot. It does nothing to change my opinion that Joy is several fries short of a Happy Meal.

https://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/counting-on/videos/joy-and-austin-discuss-their-courtship

Yeah, big ol' NIKE!! on the interviewer's cleavage.

He definitely seems more into her than she is into him.

[Churchhoney]

Joy seems like a portrait in clinical depression to me. She loathed everything about school, but in a very low key way. She had absolutely no plans whatsoever for doing anything after school, including not even expressing an interest in sitting on the porch sipping lemonade and gazing sleepily into the middle distance or the like. And now she appears less interested in her first love/soon-to-be-husband/ticket-outta-the-TTH/whatever than any person I've ever seen. 

I always thought the other Duggar kids were pitiful. But next to Joy the four older girls have been whirlwinds of enthusiasm and initiative. Jill actually did want to be a midwife enough to read maybe 50 pages to get to the point, go along on baby-birthing expeditions and so on; she flew to Nepal to grab Derick, and she was all over him in their courting. Jessa has clearly enjoyed writing savagely Calvinistic condemnations of all and sundry on social media and would do anything including tap dance to keep this show on the air. Jana seems to initiate a lot of work and kid projects and such around the house she's stuck superintending. And Jinger's in mad lust with Jer.

They're all massively pitiful when compared to most people who aren't Duggars, yet next to Joy they look like actual examples of the passionate and adventurous spirit of young adulthood. Joy just looks as if she has almost no substance whatsoever and what tiny substance there is is being continually crushed by the weight of all of Duggardom piled on top of her. I hope she's not a sign of things to come even farther down in the Duggar pile, but it wouldn't surprise me if she is. 

As JB goes off to talk at the "fathers' conference," I certainly hope they've ordered him to give a speech on "How to have way too many children and soul-murder them all." That's certainly the only thing he's any good at. 

Edited February 21, 2017 by Churchhoney

[Arwen Evenstar]

Oh, Churchie, I love you so much! You have been able to articulate exactly what may be wrong with Joy.less Joy. In comparison to her older sisters, they've at least found some sort of hobby or purpose. But, as you said, it probably would get worse on down the line. The Lost Girls are already showing dead eyes, and Jordyn is one the saddest looking children I've ever seen. Josie looks happier only because what special needs she may have force others to pay more attention to her, or as the baby, she just gets more attention.

Joy doesn't fit her moniker st all, because she's anything but joyful. Even if she had no plans after SOTDRT, we would at least expect her to be excited about "marrying her Boo". Boob really is good at soul-murdering his offspring. 

Since she's losing that full face and healthier build, the poor girl can't even enjoy her food anymore, now that she's been put on the mandatory pre wedding diet. If she wanted to slim down, fine, but it's almost a given that she's been body shamed into it.

[Fuzzysox]

I can't see Joyless getting excited about planning her wedding. She wants no part of being married, but has NO choice. She should have followed Jana's lead, stay single til the one YOU want to marry wants to marry you not the other way around.

[kokapetl]

I really wish I could see this video

[Churchhoney]

16 minutes ago, Kokapetl said:

I really wish I could see this video

Just picture a still photo of Joy and a schlump on a couch. The schlump appears to have some mild but very vague enthusiasm for Joy, but nothing he'd bother to write home about (if he ever left home). Joy has a look on her face that flyingdi described well above: "Joy kind of looks like she's thinking, 'When do we eat around here?'"

That's about all there is to it. But it's massively sad when you think that this is actually intended to be the most exciting and joyful thing that ever happens to Joy in her entire life. This is her pinnacle. Yikes. 

Edited February 21, 2017 by Churchhoney

[cereality]

So watching some of the wedding special last night, all I could think was - Austin is a Duggar. Seriously he looks like Jed and has zero personality like all the Duggar boys. At the house he was standing next to Joy as she was giving instructions re flowers and he wasn't so much as smiling or looking at her. Same thing at the church putting the flowers together. I mean the wedding was in Nov so there's no way they weren't courting or getting to know you or whatever. And on the off chance they weren't it wasn't like it wasn't occurring to him that he supposedly likes this girl. And then not even one smile or hint of happiness?? I'm not suggesting he start making out with her - but any 22 yr old male that likes a girl would do little things like try to help with her projects instead of her brothers and then chat with her, joke around etc - even subtly so everyone wouldn't notice. He was standing there like - I'm a member of Gods army, our mission is weddings, get it done . . . .

He's obv comfortable in their home - in next weeks preview he asks Jed where JB is and then goes upstairs to talk to him. Who does that?! We always saw Derick and Bin wait downstairs for their beaus and presumably their parents too.

[BitterApple]

8 minutes ago, cereality said:

So watching some of the wedding special last night, all I could think was - Austin is a Duggar. Seriously he looks like Jed and has zero personality like all the Duggar boys. 

Austin looks like the love child of Si and Jed. I have a feeling this is a Brandon Keilen/David Waller situation where Daddy took Austin aside and said "find a girl and get married." Joy just happened to be convienenrly nudged in his line of vision, similar to Michael and Priscilla.

[GeeGolly]

7 hours ago, Churchhoney said:

Joy seems like a portrait in clinical depression to me. She loathed everything about school, but in a very low key way. She had absolutely no plans whatsoever for doing anything after school, including not even expressing an interest in sitting on the porch sipping lemonade and gazing sleepily into the middle distance or the like. And now she appears less interested in her first love/soon-to-be-husband/ticket-outta-the-TTH/whatever than any person I've ever seen. 

I always thought the other Duggar kids were pitiful. But next to Joy the four older girls have been whirlwinds of enthusiasm and initiative. Jill actually did want to be a midwife enough to read maybe 50 pages to get to the point, go along on baby-birthing expeditions and so on; she flew to Nepal to grab Derick, and she was all over him in their courting. Jessa has clearly enjoyed writing savagely Calvinistic condemnations of all and sundry on social media and would do anything including tap dance to keep this show on the air. Jana seems to initiate a lot of work and kid projects and such around the house she's stuck superintending. And Jinger's in mad lust with Jer.

They're all massively pitiful when compared to most people who aren't Duggars, yet next to Joy they look like actual examples of the passionate and adventurous spirit of young adulthood. Joy just looks as if she has almost no substance whatsoever and what tiny substance there is is being continually crushed by the weight of all of Duggardom piled on top of her. I hope she's not a sign of things to come even farther down in the Duggar pile, but it wouldn't surprise me if she is. 

As JB goes off to talk at the "fathers' conference," I certainly hope they've ordered him to give a speech on "How to have way too many children and soul-murder them all." That's certainly the only thing he's any good at. 

I think it's been harder for Joy because she not only is the original lost girl but she also spent a fair amount of time playing with her brothers. She's great at skateboarding and likes shooting hoops. I wonder if her interests were influenced by her brothers and then boom - you're a lady now. Maybe she's had to tamp down her dreams to fly planes and fix cars and clean toilets.  I'm thinking she probably thought she had more time before she would be courting/engaged/married/pregnant. I'm also wondering if she thought courting/engaged/married/pregnant would feel great and right when it happened and she is feeling lost and confused at not fitting the part like a Duggar daughter should.

I think their is more hope for the Littles because, you know, they can write a book on courting and modesty in just a couple of years.

[sometimesy]

Austen "Just act cool and as soon as we're hitched we're outta here."

Joy "K"

[louannems]

During the Survival Camp episode, Joy was annoyed with Jinger's constant texting to Jeremy. And having to listen to Jinger constantly espousing the wonders of Baaaabe. But Joy did say that "Who knows, maybe I'll be the worst one yet", implying that when her time came to court, she might be the most lovestruck girl ever.  And now that she's courting, she must feel so confused that she really doesn't feel anything at all towards Austin.

[Andalusian]

5 minutes ago, louannems said:

During the Survival Camp episode, Joy was annoyed with Jinger's constant texting to Jeremy. And having to listen to Jinger constantly espousing the wonders of Baaaabe. But Joy did say that "Who knows, maybe I'll be the worst one yet", implying that when her time came to court, she might be the most lovestruck girl ever.  And now that she's courting, she must feel so confused that she really doesn't feel anything at all towards Austin.

Or maybe she does and has no idea how to really react or show it?  Having seen the ridiculousness of her sisters may have been very off-putting or confusing for her.  It's hard to say with these people.  At least Joy has known Austin in some capacity for more than a week.

[Arwen Evenstar]

10 minutes ago, louannems said:

During the Survival Camp episode, Joy was annoyed with Jinger's constant texting to Jeremy. And having to listen to Jinger constantly espousing the wonders of Baaaabe. But Joy did say that "Who knows, maybe I'll be the worst one yet", implying that when her time came to court, she might be the most lovestruck girl ever.  And now that she's courting, she must feel so confused that she really doesn't feel anything at all towards Austin.

Yeah, I remember her saying that. She's awfully reserved for someone who is about to marry her Boo. Cringer had a shit eating grin that couldn't be wiped off.  With Joy, we got "nuthin".

[Lady Edith]

I think that Joy had so much life in her before her reprogramming.  She was enjoying life as a tomboy and her smile lit up her eyes.  Once she hit puberty and became a young lady in Michelle's eyes, I believe that every ounce of what made Joy, Joy, was squashed.  And I think that's why she is showing no enthusiasm for her relationship.  Everything that made her happy as a youngster was eliminated from her world.  So if she shows enthusiasm for Austin, well maybe their relationship would disappear too.  And maybe she really doesn't want that.  

[Fuzzysox]

13 minutes ago, Lady Edith said:

I think that Joy had so much life in her before her reprogramming.  She was enjoying life as a tomboy and her smile lit up her eyes.  Once she hit puberty and became a young lady in Michelle's eyes, I believe that every ounce of what made Joy, Joy, was squashed.  And I think that's why she is showing no enthusiasm for her relationship.  Everything that made her happy as a youngster was eliminated from her world.  So if she shows enthusiasm for Austin, well maybe their relationship would disappear too.  And maybe she really doesn't want that.  

I would hope that she can say no. But sounds like it was a done deal made by the dads so Joy has no say now or ever.

Run Joy Run before you become a Stepford wife completely miserable and stuck.

[Arwen Evenstar]

46 minutes ago, Fuzzysox said:

I would hope that she can say no. But sounds like it was a done deal made by the dads so Joy has no say now or ever.

Run Joy Run before you become a Stepford wife completely miserable and stuck.

Marriage is her only ticket out and she knows it.

[MargeGunderson]

Joy's only seen 3 options  for her life: marry and have a passel of kids, don't marry and take care of siblings/relatives (Jana), and don't marry and be a spinster teaching someone else's kids (Tabitha). If she's not interested in any of those options, I can understand her apparent lack of enthusiasm about anything. How depressing to be so limited.

[Albanyguy]

2 hours ago, sometimesy said:

Austen "Just act cool and as soon as we're hitched we're outta here."

Joy "K"

Austin: "I don't want to marry you any more than you want to marry me, but it'll be a lot easier on us if we just go along with it. Otherwise, we get shipped off to Alert and Journey to the Heart."