Joy and Austin: This One Time At Family Camp

[Zella]

8 hours ago, Snow Fairy said:

I got the feeling from her insta story that it has something with josh and the whole family situation

This was my impression too. I don't think Joy is a terribly complex person and she also strikes me as the most apathetic of all the sisters about social media. And she's had a lot of strangers speculating about her mental state in the past few weeks due to the trial. I don't really think it's any more complicated than she has decided to take a break from social media and felt compelled to announce it to avoid having even more speculation about her mental state. "Did she have a nervous breakdown?" "Is she mad at her parents?" "Is she breaking away?" 

If it were one of the other sisters, I'd be more likely to think it was an announcement for attention. Though my litmus test of seeking attention on social media is less announcing departures and more not being able to actually leave after announcing a departure. (See one Chrissy Teigen.)

I'm not really sure how to say this without seeming like an asshole, but Joy just doesn't seem very smart or cunning to me. I think she's on social media because she was raised to be on social media and isn't enough of a freethinker to realize that she doesn't have to be on social media. So, this is like her equivalent of one of those auto-generated "Out of the office on vacation" emails. LOL 

Edited to add: I also get strong potential New Year's resolution vibes from this. 

Edited January 2, 2022 by Zella

[Cinnabon]

18 minutes ago, Zella said:

This was my impression too. I don't think Joy is a terribly complex person and she also strikes me as the most apathetic of all the sisters about social media. And she's had a lot of strangers speculating about her mental state in the past few weeks due to the trial. I don't really think it's any more complicated than she has decided to take a break from social media and felt compelled to announce it to avoid having even more speculation about her mental state. "Did she have a nervous breakdown?" "Is she mad at her parents?" "Is she breaking away?" 

If it were one of the other sisters, I'd be more likely to think it was an announcement for attention. Though my litmus test of seeking attention on social media is less announcing departures and more not being able to actually leave after announcing a departure. (See one Chrissy Teigen.)

I'm not really sure how to say this without seeming like an asshole, but Joy just doesn't seem very smart or cunning to me. I think she's on social media because she was raised to be on social media and isn't enough of a freethinker to realize that she doesn't have to be on social media. So, this is like her equivalent of one of those auto-generated "Out of the office on vacation" emails. LOL 

Edited to add: I also get strong potential New Year's resolution vibes from this. 

Why does speculation even matter? I wonder what their pastor would say. 🤷‍♀️

[Zella]

2 minutes ago, Cinnabon said:

Why does speculation even matter? I wonder what their pastor would say. 🤷‍♀️

I've had people speculate about my mental health behind my back and to my face. It's not a particularly fun experience to be subjected to. 

[Cinnabon]

9 minutes ago, Zella said:

I've had people speculate about my mental health behind my back and to my face. It's not a particularly fun experience to be subjected to. 

I know that feeling. When I’m off SM I still do respond to private messages if anyone cares enough to inquire. But I still can’t imagine caring about what complete strangers think. Lauren and Josiah seem to have made it over that hump.

Edited January 2, 2022 by Cinnabon

[Absolom]

Who knew Lauren's prickly selfishness or standoffishness or whatever it is might be good for the couple?

[Zella]

16 minutes ago, Cinnabon said:

But I still can’t imagine caring about what complete strangers think. Lauren and Josiah seem to have made it over that hump.

I'd actually argue the inverse. I think they left social media precisely because they did care what strangers thought because she was being torn apart on it. That doesn't mean it was not a good idea--I think it is a healthier, smarter decision than how the rest of the family uses social media--but I think it's improbable that their absence and the great purge of all their pictures wasn't driven by concern about public perception and backlash. 

[Cinnabon]

18 minutes ago, Zella said:

I'd actually argue the inverse. I think they left social media precisely because they did care what strangers thought because she was being torn apart on it. That doesn't mean it was not a good idea--I think it is a healthier, smarter decision than how the rest of the family uses social media--but I think it's improbable that their absence and the great purge of all their pictures wasn't driven by concern about public perception and backlash. 

Maybe. I can 100% relate to being torn apart by SM and the news, but that’s because of the disturbing state of the world, lol. It is healthier for many to keep that stuff out of their day to day realities. Whatever the reason in their case, I think it was a great decision.

[GeeGolly]

I agree that Lauren left SM because she found the negative comments to be too hurtful. But what that tells me is she must have also taken the positive comments to heart.

I think for a celeb to maintain a SM presence they need to take likes and 'hates' with a grain of salt, or just not read them.

They really need to ask themselves why they're posting in the first place.

[Cinnabon]

7 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

I agree that Lauren left SM because she found the negative comments to be too hurtful. But what that tells me is she must have also taken the positive comments to heart.

I think for a celeb to maintain a SM presence they need to take likes and 'hates' with a grain of salt, or just not read them.

They really need to ask themselves why they're posting in the first place.

And ask themselves whether they’re actually “celebs,” lol. No one but leghumpers are going to remember Joy and Lauren in another few years. Others will remember the Duggar name because of Josh’s offenses.

[GeeGolly]

1 minute ago, Cinnabon said:

And ask themselves whether they’re actually “celebs,” lol. No one but leghumpers are going to remember Joy and Lauren in another few years. Others will remember the Duggar name because of Josh’s offenses.

Humpers and haters too.

But, yes, they'll soon go the way of Kate and John. There will come a day when a birth or wedding won't even be mentioned in a tabloid.

Joy will survive this. Jeremy, Jessa and Jill and Derick will have a tougher time.

[Zella]

13 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

 

I think for a celeb to maintain a SM presence they need to take likes and 'hates' with a grain of salt, or just not read them.

They really need to ask themselves why they're posting in the first place.

I think this really gets at the heart of what I find so problematic about influencers and people like the Duggars. They're treating their social media accounts as interchangeable personal and business accounts and that is never going to work for either purpose. 

[Cinnabon]

Really makes you wonder how much JB and M lied to her when you hear her talk about how she looked to Josh as a “role model” growing up 😣.  
 

 

[Churchhoney]

16 minutes ago, Cinnabon said:

Really makes you wonder how much JB and M lied to her when you hear her talk about how she looked to Josh as a “role model” growing up 😣.  
 

I think JB and M did most things by formulas.

And Joshley was the "first-born son" and therefore "the leader of their home" when it came to the other kids. Their cult, especially, but also their churches "taught" them that, in those words, frequently. So that's what they taught the kids. 

They were probably also dim and misguided enough -- and had their egos tied up enough in the certainty that the son born to be leader of their home would be great -- to read his lifelong smarminess, phoniness and shiny hard-edged arrogance as talent, charisma and leadership potential instead of worrying signs that he might be naturally narcissistic, duplicitous, self-absorbed and maybe somewhat brutal. And wonder if they should try to address those things somehow and at least move away from declaring him the little emperor. 

 I'm sure he was constantly held up as a role model. Several people have noted that he was portrayed as a role model in the small churches they were in with the Duggs, too. 

In my dream world, this kind of thing makes me hope that some of the Duggarlings will someday start questioning these platitudes they were fed and move on to better thinking. 

 

Edited January 2, 2022 by Churchhoney

[Ljohnson1987]

I doubt Joy or any of the Duggars can stay off of social media for a month. Except Anna. 

[SMama]

3 minutes ago, Ljohnson1987 said:

I doubt Joy or any of the Duggars can stay off of social media for a month. Except Anna. 

Anna is off SM only because she has to out of shame.

[Cinnabon]

6 minutes ago, Ljohnson1987 said:

I doubt Joy or any of the Duggars can stay off of social media for a month. Except Anna. 

I don’t think they can either. Remember Joy is the one who posted a fucking ad on the first day of the trial. Can’t let a pesky trial get in the way of shilling useless goods.

Edited January 2, 2022 by Cinnabon

[JoanArc]

1 hour ago, Ljohnson1987 said:

I doubt Joy or any of the Duggars can stay off of social media for a month. Except Anna. 

New insta account: DoyannaJuggar

”They’ll never know it’s my sock puppet” 

[lascuba]

 

On 12/29/2021 at 12:27 PM, Ljohnson1987 said:

Lauren will never use the degree she earned. Anna has a college degree as well. College degrees in the cult are useless. 

Anna doesn't have a college degree. She took some ATI certification course in education. 

6 hours ago, Zella said:

I think this really gets at the heart of what I find so problematic about influencers and people like the Duggars. They're treating their social media accounts as interchangeable personal and business accounts and that is never going to work for either purpose. 

The problem is that their business IS their personal life, or what they claim to be their personal lives. That can't be at all emotionally healthy, but that's the cost of making your private life part of your financial plan. 

5 hours ago, Cinnabon said:

Really makes you wonder how much JB and M lied to her when you hear her talk about how she looked to Josh as a “role model” growing up 😣.  
 

 

I don't even think it requires lying, though we all know how much JB and Michelle lie. These people are so into the narrative that absolutely anything is redeemed if you believe in Jesus that committing horrific acts and then seem to demonstrate repentance and parrot the right Bible passages is enough to make that person a role model to them. It's why those born into this belief system all have those ridiculous "inspirational" stories about Jesus saving them form their awful sins at 7 years old--they are constantly bombarded with stories of people who committed horrible sins but were saved and are now followers of fundie Jesus, that they want to share a similar story. 

Josh did something horrible, he was punished and he "repented", and became a model son in their eyes. I think that really was enough for Joy and JD (who said he wanted to be like Josh up until AM) and the rest of them to truly see him as a role model. He did what sinners are supposed to do, provide a great example of redemption.

[Absolom]

Anna claims a correspondence style degree in something like Christian Education from an apparently unaccredited program that we don't think has ever been named. 

[GeeGolly]

23 minutes ago, lascuba said:

Josh did something horrible, he was punished and he "repented", and became a model son in their eyes. I think that really was enough for Joy and JD (who said he wanted to be like Josh up until AM) and the rest of them to truly see him as a role model. He did what sinners are supposed to do, provide a great example of redemption.

Funny you should say this. "A great example of redemption" is almost word for word what Jessa's comment was on a recent post of the Taco4Life guy's, celebrating 4 years of sobriety.

[emmawoodhouse]

9 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

Funny you should say this. "A great example of redemption" is almost word for word what Jessa's comment was on a recent post of the Taco4Life guy's, celebrating 4 years of sobriety.

I guess he has a lot to repent for. I just remembered that in addition to getting fired for being drunk on the job, he cheated on the harridan when she was pregnant with either her first or second kid. He's a real peach.

[Zella]

Every time I hear something new about them, I feel like I'm trying to catch up on backstory on a character from a long-running soap opera. Are there any evil twins?!

Edited January 3, 2022 by Zella

[iwantcookies]

Anna’s degree is in 

Joshua studies on how to make him sandwiches and fetch his slippers like a dog

[lascuba]

2 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

Funny you should say this. "A great example of redemption" is almost word for word what Jessa's comment was on a recent post of the Taco4Life guy's, celebrating 4 years of sobriety.

Heh, I didn't see that post but it's nice and/or disturbing how much fundie speak I've picked up. 

[beckie]

I think Joy really enjoys Instagram. People don't take time to make those stupid reel things if they don't. I don't think she'll make it.

[Cinnabon]

So much for Joy staying off SM.

 

 

[Zella]

I'm not gonna lie--that Happy New Year post on January 11 had me laughing pretty hard. If she's not going to go through with her one-month sabbatical, okay, whatever, but talking about going off social media for a month and then breaking that to post about a holiday that came and went over a week ago is some real chaotic energy. 

[Cinnabon]

Just now, Zella said:

I'm not gonna lie--that Happy New Year post on January 11 had me laughing pretty hard. If she's not going to go through with her one-month sabbatical, okay, whatever, but talking about going off social media for a month and then breaking that to post about a holiday that came and went over a week ago is some real chaotic energy. 

Joy is not very bright.

[ginger90]

I guess YouTube doesn’t count. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[beckie]

She has a reel with Evie saying no over and over on Instagram, that I didn't see a date for. I figured she probably wouldn't be able to keep off social media. She likes it too much.

Edited January 12, 2022 by beckie

[GeeGolly]

14 minutes ago, beckie said:

She has a reel with Evie saying no over and over on Instagram, that I didn't see a date for. I figured she probably wouldn't be able to keep off social media. She likes it too much.

That reel is from a couple of days prior to taking her break.

[quarks]

I kinda see this post as confirmation that she is taking a break from social media. 

That's a Happy New Year's day post, and yesterday was January 11, 2022. My guess is that she created in back in December, scheduling it to go up automatically on January 1, 2022, and instead added an extra 1 by mistake, making it autopost on January 11, 2022, and didn't notice because, as she said, she's taking a social media break.

[YupItsMe]

Joy had a very short IG story posted. Just showing the kids playing outside in the nice weather.

[Cinnabon]

11 hours ago, YupItsMe said:

Joy had a very short IG story posted. Just showing the kids playing outside in the nice weather.

Sheeeeee’s back. 

[Lady Whistleup]

Two pictures:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZmYvCRrSfV/

Evelyn looks cute in jeans.

[BigBingerBro]

So what, they carried her into a field of snow - put her down, took the photo and left?   So odd....

[ginger90]

I wouldn’t play in the snow either with no hat, no gloves or mittens, and my jacket unzipped. Yes, I’m old, but still!!

[GeeGolly]

Pull her in a sled? Make angels? Eat the snow? Throw the snow? Does Joy not get she's the adult and needs to show Evie what snow is all about?

[crazy8s]

28 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

Pull her in a sled? Make angels? Eat the snow? Throw the snow? Does Joy not get she's the adult and needs to show Evie what snow is all about?

at least stop by the TTH for a few old campaign sleds....

[Absolom]

Hopefully they did more with her after getting the photo.  She's definitely Austin's daughter.

[Cinnabon]

I wish she would have taken a longer break from SM. Right back to exploiting the kids! 😢

[Lady Whistleup]

The Forsyth face genes are very strong. For awhile I thought Evy looked more like Joy but now she's all Austin.

[Rootbeer]

4 hours ago, ginger90 said:

I wouldn’t play in the snow either with no hat, no gloves or mittens, and my jacket unzipped. Yes, I’m old, but still!!

That was my first thought.  If Joy really wanted the kid to enjoy the snow, then dress her for it,  I wouldn't want to spend more than a minute outside with no hat or gloves and my coat unzipped in those conditions.

[Cinnabon]

2 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

That was my first thought.  If Joy really wanted the kid to enjoy the snow, then dress her for it,  I wouldn't want to spend more than a minute outside with no hat or gloves and my coat unzipped in those conditions.

We should probably just be glad she’s wearing shoes.

[madpsych78]

Evelyn looks a lot like Gideon as well. And both resemble Michelle Tanner from Full House.

[cmr2014]

On 2/5/2022 at 3:22 PM, Cinnabon said:

I wish she would have taken a longer break from SM. Right back to exploiting the kids! 😢

I think that she's pretty lonely -- actually, I think they all are. Joy has exactly one friend -- and she lives a couple hundred miles away. Austin is gone all day and she's at home with a couple of small children.

I think that SM allows her to feel some level of connection to the outside world. I don't think it registers with her at all that she's exploiting the kids for clicks

[Lady Whistleup]

8 hours ago, cmr2014 said:

I think that she's pretty lonely -- actually, I think they all are. Joy has exactly one friend -- and she lives a couple hundred miles away. Austin is gone all day and she's at home with a couple of small children.

I think that SM allows her to feel some level of connection to the outside world. I don't think it registers with her at all that she's exploiting the kids for clicks

She doesn't seem very close to her siblings either. 

[Westiepeach]

25 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

She doesn't seem very close to her siblings either. 

I always thought she was too young to hang out with the older girls, and too old to hang out with the lost girls. Smack dab in the middle.

[ozziemom]

1 hour ago, Lady Whistleup said:

She doesn't seem very close to her siblings either. 

In a normal family she would be close to her brothers that are near her in age. But she was not allowed to hang out with them and was forced to go shopping and wear makeup. Of course in most families today, Joy and the Howlers probably would not have been born.

[irisheyes]

10 hours ago, cmr2014 said:

I think that SM allows her to feel some level of connection to the outside world. I don't think it registers with her at all that she's exploiting the kids for clicks

I don’t think she even views her IG as a money maker. I know she’s done some of those promos, but I think that in her mind, there are those sweet granny’s who watched them on TLC and want to see pictures of her kids as they grow. If she’s trying to be an influencer, she’s doing a bad job of it. She hasn’t even come up with cute #sayingsofgiddy.