The Lonely Js Club: James, Jackson & Johannah

[drafan]

I don't think Jim Bob has any hand in the editing of the show.  He could control what is filmed to some extent within the contract by moving things away from the cameras, but he isn't sitting in the editing room in North Carolina as the episodes are finalized.  Can you imagine the chaos that would create?

Oh, he doesn't need to be there at all. They probably send him the footage and he picks it out. I'm sure he was the mastermind behind the thwarted knee porn (Mullet water-skiing).

[HumblePi]

Even though she's only 17 and a  year younger than Josiah, Marjorie Jackson almost looks older than Michelle. But it's fine because Josiah is the Duggar that I thought might be gay. You go boy!  (side-hug)

 

Edited April 24, 2015 by HumblePi

[JoanArc]

Welcome Misty! Don't be shy....we love good dish about Fundies, the Duggars, Gothard, etc. I hope you're doing well now that you're out....and out ;)

[kalamac]

I can't imagine the Duggars would stick with a Weight Watchers program for very long. A friend of mine did it for a while, and it seemed to emphasize fresh foods, and vegetables etc., none of which seems to be in ready supply there.

[IntoTheMystic]

Welcome Misty! Don't be shy....we love good dish about Fundies, the Duggars, Gothard, etc. I hope you're doing well now that you're out....and out ;)

Thank you. I look forward to talking about the show and stuff. Being out is a great way to live and live well. Freedom is probably the most incredible feeling in the world. :)

[JoanArc]

Thank you. I look forward to talking about the show and stuff. Being out is a great way to live and live well. Freedom is probably the most incredible feeling in the world. :)

 You need to do an AMA- maybe on the small talk thread?

 

To stay on topic - what makes you think Gothard 'got' Jana? Do you think the show edits the Duggar's lives in a positive, or negative light (ie the kids are actually awesomely well behaved, we just see the 30 secs a day they misbehave, etc). Do you think Gothardism/qf is falling apart now that a lot of truth is coming out about the lifestyle and it's leaders?

[Mrsjumbo]

I think Jana is quite thin now. I noticed that on the Jessa wedding episode. Surely she can't still think she is heavy?

[Absolom]

I truly believe if Jim Bob was involved in editing we'd see a different show.  They knew at the time that Michelle's knees were visible and I think she, not Jim Bob, asked production to block them at the time it happened.  

[JenCarroll]

She has one of those faces with a very strong bone structure. I don't think she looks MEchelle's age, but she could pass for 35 -- and will probably keep looking 35 until she's in her sixties.

[maraleia]

Thank you. I look forward to talking about the show and stuff. Being out is a great way to live and live well. Freedom is probably the most incredible feeling in the world. :)

I'd love for you to do an AMA in the Small Talk thread. BTW I'm one of the moderators for this forum and welcome to the madness. FYI raises hands lesbian here too :) As we say welcome to the family.

 

As for Jana I really want to rescue her and the rest of the girls from their parent's clutches. At least the boys have a chance at a so called career but the girls only hope is marriage and then the dreaded brood of kids.

[IntoTheMystic]

This message board is so neat! Multi-replies! I love technology! 
 

 You need to do an AMA- maybe on the small talk thread?

 

To stay on topic - what makes you think Gothard 'got' Jana? Do you think the show edits the Duggar's lives in a positive, or negative light (ie the kids are actually awesomely well behaved, we just see the 30 secs a day they misbehave, etc). Do you think Gothardism/qf is falling apart now that a lot of truth is coming out about the lifestyle and it's leaders?

I posted over there in Small Talk. Unsure what AMA stands for but if it's Anonymous Martial Arts or something --- I may have to wait. :)

Gothard likes a certain type of girl to work for him or interact with him regularly. That girl is slim, a little bashful or shy, really great at keeping sweet, and easy on the eyes. Jana is all of those things. It doesn't hurt if that girl's family has money to donate so he tends to hand pick which girls get the honor of being his helpers or whatnot. I left before Jana was old enough to work with/for him so I never saw them directly interact, but I've seen enough photos of her with a group of 'his girls' to know she was in contact with him. They do photos like school pictures every year. Jana's in many of them.

I think the show is scared to illustrate just how awful QF can be when taken to the extreme. No one wants to see babies being hit to stay on blankets or heads being shaved for shaming purposes or kids being forced to stay in the prayer closet all night with no sleep or food except bread and water. The producers should show ALL of it. Hiding the truth is a disservice to their fans who keep making them money.

From what I've been told, the QF community is rallying around Gothard and claiming they are being attacked for being religious. They are oh so put upon and pitiful that the world should just pray for them, donate money, and ignore the nasty truths.

 

I'd love for you to do an AMA in the Small Talk thread. BTW I'm one of the moderators for this forum and welcome to the madness. FYI raises hands lesbian here too :) As we say welcome to the family.

 

As for Jana I really want to rescue her and the rest of the girls from their parent's clutches. At least the boys have a chance at a so called career but the girls only hope is marriage and then the dreaded brood of kids.

Road trip! Operation: Save Jana, We Canna Canna (sorry, watching Dirty Dancing. Er Mah Gerd!! NIKE!)

Thanks for the awesome welcome. :) Woo! Yay! Lesbians! I love us just the way we are. :)

 

Edited April 24, 2015 by IntoTheMystic

[maraleia]

This message board is so neat! Multi-replies! I love technology! 

 

I posted over there in Small Talk. Unsure what AMA stands for but if it's Anonymous Martial Arts or something --- I may have to wait. :)

Gothard likes a certain type of girl to work for him or interact with him regularly. That girl is slim, a little bashful or shy, really great at keeping sweet, and easy on the eyes. Jana is all of those things. It doesn't hurt if that girl's family has money to donate so he tends to hand pick which girls get the honor of being his helpers or whatnot. I left before Jana was old enough to work with/for him so I never saw them directly interact, but I've seen enough photos of her with a group of 'his girls' to know she was in contact with him. They do photos like school pictures every year. Jana's in many of them.

I think the show is scared to illustrate just how awful QF can be when taken to the extreme. No one wants to see babies being hit to stay on blankets or heads being shaved for shaming purposes or kids being forced to stay in the prayer closet all night with no sleep or food except bread and water. The producers should show ALL of it. Hiding the truth is a disservice to their fans who keep making them money.

From what I've been told, the QF community is rallying around Gothard and claiming they are being attacked for being religious. They are oh so put upon and pitiful that the world should just pray for them, donate money, and ignore the nasty truths.

 

Road trip! Operation: Save Jana, We Canna Canna (sorry, watching Dirty Dancing. Er Mah Gerd!! NIKE!)

Thanks for the awesome welcome. :) Woo! Yay! Lesbians! I love us just the way we are. :)

 

AMA stands for Ask Me Anything and it's something that is done on the reddit site.

[DangerousMinds]

Thanks. I had no clue what AMA meant either.

[CofCinci]

I've always wondered how Josiah is able to acquire his wardrobe pieces, especially in BFE Arkansas. Does JB let him shop at JCrew? Club Monaco? He has pieces and shoes that are very difficult to find in the thrift stores where they live.

[Literata]

 

A friend of mine did it for a while, and it seemed to emphasize fresh foods, and vegetables etc., none of which seems to be in ready supply there.

I lost 65 pounds on Weight Watchers in 2013 and have been on maintenance since then, and have kept my weight off. It's a great, easy-to-follow, sensible program. But it really makes me sick that Gothard was promoting it, and that Jana was being made to feel she was heavy. She's clearly anything but.

 

 

My heart breaks for Jana Duggar. Knowing Gothard and how creepy he is ... I would be willing to bet money that he took advantage of her more than once.

Welcome, Misty! This has been my concern for a long time. I'm wondering, though -- do you think the Duggars' notoriety might have offered Jana ANY degree of protection from Gothard's advances?

And I share your concerns about Joy. Ideally, she'd be taught to embrace her curves, but something tells me that's not the case. In light of the Duggars' rigid gender roles, I also worry about her "tomboyishness" and hope she's not being punished for it. I LOVE that she's into weightlifting and doesn't like makeup, but I can see her being packed up to Journey of the Heart anytime now to wring that individualism out of her.

[Literata]

 

Does JB let him shop at JCrew? Club Monaco? He has pieces and shoes that are very difficult to find in the thrift stores where they live.

We know the girls shop online ... maybe he does, too? But this begs the question: Do the kids who still live at home have their own money? And if so, does Boob control what they're allowed to spend it on?

 

I live in Iowa and the assumption from those outside the state is probably that we're pretty far behind the times, but in Des Moines, we have quite a few retro consignment and resale shops that sell not only clothing, but mid-century modern furnishings, accessories, etc. I imagine the larger cities in Arkansas have similar "trendy" thrift shops; also, stores like Wal-Mart and Target also have reasonably stylish knock-offs.

 

I commend Josiah for his sartorial taste! I think he looks great.

[zenme]

Maybe he just shops at Target.

[Joe Jitsu913]

I think their nicer clothes come from shooting TLC promos and appearances.

[BitterApple]

None of the Duggar girls are fat but if you've ever seen full length pictures of them they're quite hippy with thick calves. It's only their upper bodies that are rail thin.

As long as Josie has ongoing issues, Jana will never be allowed to court. She's going to be stuck in the Tinker Toy Prison for a while.

[Jenniferbug]

So true, Literata! Nice to have another Iowan on this board (I'm from Des Moines, but now live in Newton. I'm in Des Moines often).

The online shopping question is interesting...I wonder how the money is supplied for that. Maybe they should address that in one of their Q&A episodes. Does each child get a portion of money to spend on clothing X number of times each year? Do they get some sort of allowance that they use on anything they want- some of those teenage boys don't look like they spend a lot on clothes. Do Michelle or Jim Bob need to approve these online purchases before the order is placed?

[IntoTheMystic]

I lost 65 pounds on Weight Watchers in 2013 and have been on maintenance since then, and have kept my weight off. It's a great, easy-to-follow, sensible program. But it really makes me sick that Gothard was promoting it, and that Jana was being made to feel she was heavy. She's clearly anything but.

 

Welcome, Misty! This has been my concern for a long time. I'm wondering, though -- do you think the Duggars' notoriety might have offered Jana ANY degree of protection from Gothard's advances?

Your weight loss is awesome! Congrats! I'm really going to have to look into weight watchers. People do have success with it. I'm usually low-carbing it but maybe my body needs something different.

Unfortunately, I don't think the Duggar's notoriety would protect Jana or any of her sisters from Ol' Bill. If anything, he would view having her/them as 'his girls' as a huge deal. Like, 'Look at these TV stars who love me and my preaching.' There was always a joke when I was there with others kids in my later teens. We called him Bill Got-Hard instead of Gothard because he would start sweating and staring at girls and walking around with his briefcase, book, or a folder in front of the zipper on his pants. I've never known anyone to sweat the way he did. I once sat front row letting poor Whitney Houston rain all over me at a concert (RIP, I LOVE YOU ALWAYS) and she was like a faucet. Ol' Got-Hard was more like a typhoon. 

[zenme]

Yuck! B. Gothard sounds like a horny old man! Disgusting! I hope Jana wasn't a victim of his!

[Happyfatchick]

AMA stands for Ask Me Anything and it's something that is done on the reddit site.

We know I'm old, covered THAT, but I never know what half the abbreviations are for.

[CloneSestra]

 

By the way, I'm Misty. Born and raised in Quiverfull. I was kicked out of my family and church for being a lesbian. I suppose a good shunning was supposed to cure me. I moved in with my aunt and uncle who helped me finish high school and go to college. I had severe culture shock for years. I didn't have a birth certificate, a license, or social security number. It took even longer to get all that done and without my aunt and uncle --- I'd probably be in some third world with no identity being beaten about the head to re-educate me. *sigh*

 

Are you sure your name is Misty, not "Razing Ruth"?

[DangerousMinds]

Don't you need a credit card for online shopping?

[GEML]

I'm not convinced the Duggars are in that great a standing with Gothard right now, or that his world is thrilled with the Duggars. The show brought enormous attention to him which was likely the main reason he was finally somewhat forced out of his position. And I'm not convinced that the 2015 Duggars are as willing to jump to the bidding of another man as the 2000 Duggars were.

[Wellfleet]

Don't you need a credit card for online shopping?

 

I think debit cards now work on most sites.

[DangerousMinds]

I wonder if the kids have their own?

[CarolMK]

One problem with using debit cards online is that they aren't protected in the same way that credit cards are from fraud. It happened to my older son, and we just recently added him to our credit card so he could use it for online purchases..as a college student he probably can't one on his own yet since he isn't yet 21. 

On topic, I think Josiah is the best dresser among the Duggar boys and Marjorie seems to have a nice style of her own. They both have ...flair? I guess is the word I'm seeking, so it may be very interesting to see these two together in the future.

[JellyFishQueen]

Does Jana and the other children get paychecks from TLC? Or does it just go to the parnets?

[ramble]

especially in BFE Arkansas

I have no clue where the kids get their clothes, but just as a bit of information, Northwest Arkansas is an area of about 500,000 people. While obviously not the size of a city it's not itty bitty. And fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on who you talk to, the area is consistently growing at a fast pace. Tontitown pretty much rolls right into Springdale which rolls into Fayetteville & Rogers & on into Bentonville. They don't live in the middle of nowhere. While there aren't a lot of high-end department stores there are two decently sized malls & there are several funky, independent clothing stores along with some good, quirky used clothing stores. Edited April 25, 2015 by ramble

[JenCarroll]

I have no clue where the kids get their clothes, but just as a bit of information, Northwest Arkansas is an area of about 500,000 people. While obviously not the size of a city it's not itty bitty. And fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on who you talk to, the area is consistently growing at a fast pace. Tontitown pretty much rolls right into Springdale which rolls into Fayetteville & Rogers & on into Bentonville. They don't live in the middle of nowhere. While there aren't a lot of high-end department stores there are two decently sized malls & there are several funky, independent clothing stores along with some good, quirky used clothing stores.

Yeah, I've been there several times. A friend I grew up with moved out there for her husband's work; the husband moved on but my friend is still there. The first time I went was probably around 1990 or a little earlier and wow, it has built up since then. They didn't even have jet service; you had to come in on a prop plane back then. Then they built a whole new airport. All the Walmart employees and service contractors set off a huge boom. There's even a synagogue, which I've always thought of as B'nai Walmart and now I can't remember what it's actually called. Anyway, the fact of a synagogue opening in NW Arkansas actually made the New York Times.

I may be out there this summer, in fact. It's been about ten years since I last visited so the Duggars weren't really a "thing" for me, but I'd like to drive by the TTH this year if we can.

Edited April 25, 2015 by JenCarroll

[Saylii]

Does Jana and the other children get paychecks from TLC? Or does it just go to the parnets?

The short answer is that there are multiple legal ways that Jim Bob could get one giant check for all children instead of the adult children getting seperate paychecks. The Duggar contract with TLC has never been made public. It is assumed that the paycheck is one lump sum for Jim Bob, Michelle, and 18 kids. It is assumed that Josh and his family are paid seperately.

A bonus for any child who marries is that their spouse could negotiate their own contract with TLC, probably before the courtship is announced. Any grandchildren born could also get a nominal sum from TLC seperate from Jim Bob. So Derick (& Izzy), Ben, and Marjorie probably all get seperate paychecks that would benefit their significant others.

Now the adult children can sign their own contracts for speaking engagements, appearances, brand promotion, etc so likely the married children have that option to make money on their own. Jim Bob is also pretty much legally allowed to exert as much influence as he wants on his own children, which is probably why we haven't seen any single kids like Jana break away yet. She probably has access to some money, but it would be like her share of the book advance and any part of the paycheck that Jim Bob lets her have.

Edited April 25, 2015 by Saylii

[Almost 3000]

Who is Razing Ruth?

An internet scammer who blogged and posed as a quiverful girl who fled her family. She as quite the banner girl with a huge following for the anti-quivers Free Jinger set but really she was probably a middle aged lady who had a couple of money making stories going for years.

[GEML]

It started out in communities where too many people had the same surname, so there simply weren't enough names originally to go around. This lead to too many same named children in a class, some names started getting very odd, and then spelled very odd so that children wouldn't get lost on the Internet.

So whereas it used to be a problem if you couldn't find your name on a rack of novelties, it's now considered a problem if you google or FB your name and your isn't one of the first to come up.

[andromeda331]

This lead to too many same named children in a class, some names started getting very odd, and then spelled very odd so that children wouldn't get lost on the Internet.

 

 

This has been the case with my friends and family, the ones with common names hate them because everywhere they go there's always tons of people with their name school, work even out to eat. My sister-in-law's parents always got calls from her school saying she was constantly ditching, except it was another girl with her name. My grandma got married and one of her sister-in-laws had the same first and middle name too, it stopped being funny when the bank and credit card companies kept mixing them up and calling her about late payments instead of her sister-in-law. They picked unusual names for their kids so they wouldn't have to go through the same trouble. 

[PinkSprinkles]

The excessive Y thing kills me. It just makes me think of the show 16 and pregnant. If you go on Wikipedia and look up the 16&P episode summaries, it gives the names of all the babies born on the show, and the subsequent siblings born after. If you want your brain to hurt, I recommend looking it up.

Someday (within 3 years) when Jinger gets married, if she chooses to take her husband's last name (as if it's a choice in fundydom) I would love it if she quietly changed her legal first name to Ginger. She wouldn't have to make a big deal of it, but it would just make her life a lot easier, if she plans to distance herself from her family. She strikes me as someone who doesn't love the spotlight and chaos, so I can see her shying away from TLC and the clan after getting married.

 

I think it would be smarter of her to keep the unique spelling. It's already part of her "brand" and can be useful in the future if she wanted to do speaking engagements/write a book. People would know immediately who "Jinger <new last name> is", but not "Ginger <new last name>". 

[GEML]

You can see why it's popular in places like Utah, where there are fewer last names, historically than other states, especially in small towns. And that's not a slam on Utah - it's also true in WV, for the same reason. My sisters and I all have VERY fancy sounding middle names from European countries.

And like everything new, it was once old. It was popular around the turn of the century in the same areas and cultures for the same reasons. If you want some "proof" I'm re-reading LM Montgomery's JANE OF LANTERN HILL and one of the characters talks about not being able to give her children much, but she can give them unique and fancy names. That book was published over 80 years ago.

[mbutterfly]

You can see why it's popular in places like Utah, where there are fewer last names, historically than other states, especially in small towns. And that's not a slam on Utah - it's also true in WV, for the same reason. My sisters and I all have VERY fancy sounding middle names from European countries.

And like everything new, it was once old. It was popular around the turn of the century in the same areas and cultures for the same reasons. If you want some "proof" I'm re-reading LM Montgomery's JANE OF LANTERN HILL and one of the characters talks about not being able to give her children much, but she can give them unique and fancy names. That book was published over 80 years ago.

My family must not have gotten that cue from Montgomery as my name is simply Anne-with-an-e. I love it though. 

[GEML]

A Cordelia Seewald or even a Diana Seewald would be a welcome change! :)

[lookeyloo]

My name has a "Y" where when spelled more mainstream is an "I".  I have spent my life explaining how to spell it.  It is just a five letter name, but still hard for people even when I spell it very slowly.  And some people I know cannot seem to get it right.  I used to want to change my name to "Jane Doe"... but that would lead to another set of problems.

[mbutterfly]

A Cordelia Seewald or even a Diana Seewald would be a welcome change! :)

Do you all think it likely that the Duggars would not have allowed the children to read the Anne books? What a shame it would be!

[JenCarroll]

I think it might be a little beyond most of their reading levels...

[Fuzzysox]

Since they travel so much they might have a ot of opportunities to shop at higher end thrift stores than back home. We have a Plato's closet and a Clothes mentor in our neighborhood that sell name brand merchandise at fair prices.

Edited April 27, 2015 by Fuzzysox

[GEML]

I don't think the Duggars have read any ANNE books, but the Seewald daughters might have. Anne was raised in a good Calvinist home, after all! ;)

[msblossom]

A Cordelia Seewald or even a Diana Seewald would be a welcome change! :)

Or how about Matthew or Marilla? :)

[msblossom]

This is off topic, but my husband told me last week that the actor that played Gibert Blythe passed away, I think of a brain hemorrhage. :(

[DangerousMinds]

He passed away about 2 weeks ago IIRC.

[GEML]

I'm so sad about it. That movie had a huge impact on me growing up. Im betting the Seewald family has seen it. It's popular in a lot of Christian circles and its Calvinist quotes and ties would've been noticed. (Although perhaps not the irony) but there's no way the Duggars have read them or seen the movie. Which is such a shame.

[Mrsjumbo]

This is off topic, but my husband told me last week that the actor that played Gibert Blythe passed away, I think of a brain hemorrhage. :(

Omg, that is so sad! I did t hear about that.

And this is really really off topic, but one of the kids on Mr jumbo's baseball team looks exactly like that actor. I showed my boys & they were amazed. He could be his twin from the 1st Anne movie.