The Lonely Js Club: Jason, James, Jackson & Johannah

[Purpose to defraud]

I agree. The Duggar Daughters show would be a repetitive snooze-fest with a shelf life of 2-4 years MAX, but for some strange reason that I cannot figure out, we're all still here talking about them and TLC is counting (pun intended) on that fact to keep the monster alive. LOL!

 

Also, where does one find a hot African American neurosurgeon? I'm asking for a friend, really...

I feel responsible, well in one tiny part, for clicking on Duggar stories. I guess even those of us who comment snarkily are feeding the monster. I'm very bummed there are more shows coming. Heck, I've never watched any, but just want these people to go back into obscurity,

[GeeGolly]

I think part of the reason people watch is because they are appalled, and they look to see if there is any glimmer of the kids or even JB & M altering their reality.

 

Also they are controversial, even without train wrecks happening. They spur conversation ranging from intelligent, to snarky, to humorous.

 

I think they also force self-reflection, for both the haters, humpers and everyone in between.

[Churchhoney]

 It's just immature day dreaming. Jinger's as drunk on the koolaid as the rest of them, actually does have some domestic skills, and will be married off as soon as they can get a willing fellow and a TV filming schedule coordinated. 

 

I don't think it means that it isn't a dream of hers, though, and that she didn't know what was in her mind and what kinds of things obscurely felt congenial to her. I was extremely sheltered and the victim of constant brainwashing attempts as well and hadn't actually spent time in a city other than a couple quick drives through Cleveland (without stopping),. But I knew from early on that cities really appealed to me, even if I might not have been able to explain what they were, and I don't see why she couldn't have known as much. Cities are pretty much a human archetype, after all. I do think the Duggar kids seem to be on the brain-dead side, but they're still human.

 

That said, I'm quite sure Jinger is way more successfully brainwashed than I was and would almost certainly marry in the arranged fashion. But I don't think that means her dream of cities wasn't real or won't still be lurking in there somewhere, even when she's married to some guy whose ideal is living nearish to JB and M in the Arkansas back-of-beyond. It just means that her mind was successfully contorted by her hideous parents and that she wasn't lucky enough to be one of the feistier ones who could actually reject the contorting and follow her own mind. All the sadder, to me, really.

 

Nobody outside the family ever heard about my interest in cities before I bolted (and I successfully concealed it mostly from my family, too). But I'm sure that if anyone had heard it they wouldn't have given me a tinker's chance of fulfilling that desire. (My look and affect apparently suggested to most people that I was only well suited to be a member of the Gashlycrumb Tinies.) But I did. I think that kind of obscure wish is real and meaningful in kids (and everyone). I think even the kid daydreams of being astronauts and firemen are real. To me, they're not just meaningless but an actual hunger for exploring, for facing danger bravely, for helping other people -- all human archetypes just like cities. If they weren't real, they wouldn't have fueled so many people to struggle, work hard, fight and emigrate and so on, through history, seems to me. But it's a survival-of-the-fittest-daydream world. And it's tragic, to me, that those dreams are so easy to kill, especially by bad parents whose own dreams of controlling everything (another archetype) can just overwhelm the fledgling dreams of their kids.

 

So I still think Jinger's a tragedy. Just as, no doubt, at least some of the other Duggar kids are.

Edited September 25, 2015 by Churchhoney

[CarolMK]

With Jill and Jessa getting their own TV specials now, I bet that Jim Bob is now busy searching for suitors for Jana and Jinger. It'll most likely be the only way this show will stay on the air, if viewers were watching for the older daughters. I would not be surprised if TLC granted them an entire season of Jana or Jinger's courtship, engagement and wedding specials. And of course the upcoming baby specials shortly thereafter.

[Adeejay]

With Jill and Jessa getting their own TV specials now, I bet that Jim Bob is now busy searching for suitors for Jana and Jinger.

 

Reviewing applicants is more like it.  From what I hear, a lot of guys have asked to court a Duggar daughter.  According to Princess Jessa, most of the would be suitors are "creeps and weirdos".  So, it's just a matter of finding acceptable suitors like fugly Derick and dumb Ben.

[DangerousMinds]

With Jill and Jessa getting their own TV specials now, I bet that Jim Bob is now busy searching for suitors for Jana and Jinger. It'll most likely be the only way this show will stay on the air, if viewers were watching for the older daughters. I would not be surprised if TLC granted them an entire season of Jana or Jinger's courtship, engagement and wedding specials. And of course the upcoming baby specials shortly thereafter.

I can't believe most people out there aren't sick and tired of hearing about these nutjobs' "courtships" and weddings and babies. Blah, blah, blah. So boring. In many of the episodes, they simply showed the same (boring) footage over and over again.

[Adeejay]

I can't believe most people out there aren't sick and tired of hearing about these nutjobs' "courtships" and weddings and babies.

 

As difficult as it might be to believe, they are millions of people who actually *gasp* like the Duggars and enjoy watching them.

[JoanArc]

As difficult as it might be to believe, they are millions of people who actually *gasp* like the Duggars and enjoy watching them.

Not according to their ratings.

[kokapetl]

There aren't camps of indentured viewers somewhere. Millions of people watched the show, and did so out of their own free will.

I enjoyed watching them. I liked the lower rating pre courtship wedding seasons better.

Edited September 25, 2015 by Kokapetl

[birkenstock]

I can't believe most people out there aren't sick and tired of hearing about these nutjobs' "courtships" and weddings and babies. Blah, blah, blah. So boring. In many of the episodes, they simply showed the same (boring) footage over and over again.

The season did drag on and the courtship talk/wedding prep was way too repetitive. I can't decide if that was the Duggars' fault or TLC.  I don't think that the Duggars are that interesting outside of the fact that there are 19 kids. However, people love weddings and babies. 

 

It was ridiculous how many times the girls told us who they were engaged to and how many times we saw footage of Derick's proposal to Jill.  They didn't need to explain what courtship was or their modesty standards every episode.  I think TLC knew that viewers were interested in the wedding prep so stretched out a five episode arc to 20 episodes and then threw in random filming that featured a random J'kid or JB/Mooch talking about themselves. I'll be honest and say I was interested and even excited for Jill when she was courting Derick and pregnant with Izzy. I also came around to Jessa and Ben. I thought the show needed to reduce the BS repetition and have Jim Bob and Michelle at a minimum.   

 

IMO TLC/Figure 8 really biffed it when it came to developing storylines for the kids other than Josh, Jill, and Jessa. The show followed the kids for 10 years and didn't let us get to know their personalities or interests. Over the seasons, they showed the howlers build a greenhouse and some other shed-like thing, what were they actually like and what did they do day-to-day? What was JD actually like? Hell, watching the littles play and interact with each other would have been 100% more interesting than Michelle talking for the zillionth time about how she showed her knees in high school. Maybe, we saw all the kids' best footage and those were their personalities or they were purposely guarded. But, yeah, the series wasn't riveting TV.   

 

ETA: Sorry, i didn't realize I was in the lonely Js section. Going on what I wrote above - the show didn't really tell us anything about Jinger other than she was Jessa's bff (well until Jessa married) and the family photographer, Jana is a conundrum, and Josiah was randomly a black sheep.  Out of the Duggars, I would watch a special on any of the lonely Js. I don't know why I keep up with the Duggars or care about them, but at the end of the day, I do want to see the J'kids do well. Sorry for the rambling.   

Edited September 25, 2015 by Cocka doodle dont

[Churchhoney]

 

 

IMO TLC/Figure 8 really biffed it when it came to developing storylines for the kids other than Josh, Jill, and Jessa. The show followed the kids for 10 years and didn't let us get to know their personalities or interests. Over the seasons, they showed the howlers build a greenhouse and some other shed-like thing, what were they actually like and what did they do day-to-day? What was JD actually like? Hell, watching the littles play and interact with each other would have been 100% more interesting than Michelle talking for the zillionth time about how she showed her knees in high school.

 

 

I wonder why this is, but I think you can make a good case for its happening because JB and M were very much driving the bus.

 

In JB and M's view it was a show about them and their great holiness, not a show about kids. That's what Michelle's frigging bikini and knee fetish is about. Her "mission" is to use these stories to show godly she is and how uber-important "modesty" is. And at the same time it nicely shows off how sexy she is and how she should always be the center of attention. (At least during the moments when Jim Bob isn't the center of attention.)

 

Watching kids play or, heaven forbid, develop into individuals isn't part of that agenda. Developing into individuals is obviously heavily discouraged in this gang. Just listen to them purpose to talk -- In what group of individuals does no one know any words except "special" and "blessing." Listen to what happened when Jinger hazarded the hope that she might live in a "city." Both Michelle and her robot-daughters smacked down that modest proposal before you could say "JimBob's an idiot." No individualism allowed here. It's not acceptable in their Gothard-y "religious" world, nor is it acceptable to these two egomaniacs who pumped out 19 kids but who I'm not sure could pick all 19 out of a lineup. And when it comes to showing the kids' schooling, well, that would have made it visible to all how horrible it is and how JB and M give less than half a crap about it. Not such good PR for for Jim Bob's teevee "mission," so hide that part.

 

There may be another reason for why the show had 19 kid characters and barely developed any of them, at least until the "courtships" started. But I think a darned likely explanation is that doing that wouldn't have fit Jim Bob's and Michelle's stupid plan, which is all about them and their very special relationship with Jesus, and, did I mention, about them.

Edited September 25, 2015 by Churchhoney

[JenCarroll]

Millions of people watched the show, and did so out of their own free will.

Their top episode of all time pulled a bit over 4 million viewers. It will be interesting to see what the numbers look like for the new specials.

[Absolom]

The Duggars' normal over several years hovered in the close to a million to a million and a half range.  Without pulling out a birth, engagement, or wedding, they don't usually get multi-million viewer ratings.

[JenCarroll]

The Duggars' normal over several years hovered in the close to a million to a million and a half range.  Without pulling out a birth, engagement, or wedding, they don't usually get multi-million viewer ratings.

Right, thanks. I was looking for an average number but it eluded me, so I just posted the one fact I could recall. But you're right, they haven't had millions of regular viewers.

I just don't even have a guess about what kind of viewership the specials will bring in.

[Julia]

Right, thanks. I was looking for an average number but it eluded me, so I just posted the one fact I could recall. But you're right, they haven't had millions of regular viewers.

I just don't even have a guess about what kind of viewership the specials will bring in.

 

I hope it's wildly unsuccessful, obviously. But I also really hope the two ladies involved are smart enough to realize that they could use this hit of money to prepare themselves for the rest of their lives and not blow it on organic cheesecake ingredients or mime trips.

[CarolMK]

My guess is that if the new specials feature only the two married Duggar girls, and no Jim Bob and Michelle, it might have the potential to do fairly well. I think a great deal of viewers, myself included, were sick to death of Jim Bob and Michelle proselytizing to the world. On topic here, I also think if any of the lonely J club kids are included on the show, the ratings might in fact actually go up if the specials truly focus on the adult Duggar kids and their own interests and lives, not their parents. 

[yankee1151]

Just listen to them purpose to talk -- In what group of individuals does no one know any words except "special" and "blessing."

Don't forget "neat," "pickles," and "PER-PEN-DIC-U-LAR." Oh, and "LIBERAL CONSPIRACY"..... 

 

I think the other reason so few of the kids are featured is that they actually don't give a flying fuck about being on TV, (or flat out don't want to be) but can't say no to Daddy, so they are relegated to the background for fear they may let some actual reality slip. JD and Joseph come to mind here. I don't think Jana wants any part of this dog and pony show either, but Boob and Mullet trust her to "keep sweet" so she's allowed to talk. 

 

The only Duggar special I will ever watch is one in which one or more of them leave the cult. Jinger or Josiah preferably but any of them will do... 

[kokapetl]

Right, thanks. I was looking for an average number but it eluded me, so I just posted the one fact I could recall. But you're right, they haven't had millions of regular viewers.

I just don't even have a guess about what kind of viewership the specials will bring in.

AP gave an average of 3.2 million. That actually sounds right for the last three seasons, which began with Benessa's permission to court episode. Those three seasons comprised of an astonishing 40 hours approx, over 14 months. Edited September 26, 2015 by Kokapetl

[Purpose to defraud]

I wonder why this is, but I think you can make a good case for its happening because JB and M were very much driving the bus.

 

In JB and M's view it was a show about them and their great holiness, not a show about kids. That's what Michelle's frigging bikini and knee fetish is about. Her "mission" is to use these stories to show godly she is and how uber-important "modesty" is. And at the same time it nicely shows off how sexy she is and how she should always be the center of attention. (At least during the moments when Jim Bob isn't the center of attention.)

 

Watching kids play or, heaven forbid, develop into individuals isn't part of that agenda. Developing into individuals is obviously heavily discouraged in this gang. Just listen to them purpose to talk -- In what group of individuals does no one know any words except "special" and "blessing." Listen to what happened when Jinger hazarded the hope that she might live in a "city." Both Michelle and her robot-daughters smacked down that modest proposal before you could say "JimBob's an idiot." No individualism allowed here. It's not acceptable in their Gothard-y "religious" world, nor is it acceptable to these two egomaniacs who pumped out 19 kids but who I'm not sure could pick all 19 out of a lineup. And when it comes to showing the kids' schooling, well, that would have made it visible to all how horrible it is and how JB and M give less than half a crap about it. Not such good PR for for Jim Bob's teevee "mission," so hide that part.

 

There may be another reason for why the show had 19 kid characters and barely developed any of them, at least until the "courtships" started. But I think a darned likely explanation is that doing that wouldn't have fit Jim Bob's and Michelle's stupid plan, which is all about them and their very special relationship with Jesus, and, did I mention, about them.

Yes! Back when I was lurking here, there was a conversation about why they kept showing Josie's birth, when it was upsetting to her. The answer, IMO, is it was Mechelle giving birth, her moment of glory. And that was her last crowning achievement (pun intended.)

[Absolom]

3.2 sounds very high or selectively averaged  for a show that was only able to pull around that for Jessa's actual wedding episode.  Before they began the engagements, they were on the edge of cancellation with many episodes not even breaking a million. 

[Churchhoney]

3.2 sounds very high or selectively averaged  for a show that was only able to pull around that for Jessa's actual wedding episode.  Before they began the engagements, they were on the edge of cancellation with many episodes not even breaking a million. 

 

There's no way the 3.2 is an overall average. Look at the numbers in this Variety story, for example. And there were lots of shows in the less-viewed portions of the run, and comparatively fewer in the hot-property portion ..

 

http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/tlc-19-kids-and-counting-series-high-rating-1201298033/

 

SEptember 2014 --

 

"On Tuesday, the season premiere of “19 Kids” drew its largest audience to date, teaming with the best-ever season premiere for “Little People, Big World” to lift TLC to No. 1 for the night among cable networks in all key female demos.

Originally called “17 Kids and Counting” when it bowed in 2008, the TLC series averaged a best-yet 3.29 million viewers in the 9 o’clock hour Tuesday, more than double the audience it drew with its summer finale on June 10 (1.59 million)."

 

EMMLTA: I'm wondering whether AP took that "averaged a best-yet 3.29 million viewers" thing and "translated" (and incorrectly rounded) it to mean that 3.2 million was the average viewership. That sounds sickeningly likely to me. And if anything like that did happen, AP, get your reporters to read things carefully and study some elementary math (since you clearly don't have careful editors.) .... And if you can't find better data, at least just report what's there -- like the numbers in this story -- don't make shit up.  Also, why the heck doesn't AP buy access to historical ratings data so they could have actual data sources for these stories? (Yeah, I know they have a money crunch. But who doesn't? And if AP can't afford this, who the heck can? Grrrr.)

Edited September 26, 2015 by Churchhoney

[birkenstock]

Yes! Back when I was lurking here, there was a conversation about why they kept showing Josie's birth, when it was upsetting to her. The answer, IMO, is it was Mechelle giving birth, her moment of glory. And that was her last crowning achievement (pun intended.)

That's the crazy thing, they loved highlighting their kids' medical procedures and health scares. On the show we saw Jana and Jill get their wisdom teeth extracted, Jason's orchestra pit fall, Hannie's bike incident that led to stitches by a plastic surgeon, and Josie's first year of life plus her seizures. I'm leaving something out, but it's amazing that the show could focus on what physically happened to those kids and not their personalities. I know the family dynamic is fractured at best,but come the F on. If I can they show Jason in a wheelchair dazed on pain medication while his family is on stage at a speaking engagement, you would think the show could put in effort to tell us about him. That may be Michelle saying, who???? Those kids could have said something other than Jackson being afraid of losing his buddy. Jim Bob and Michelle may have wanted them to stay as part of the herd, but the kids were featured in odd ways over the course of the show.

 

 I'm saddest about Josiah, who was this confident little family spokesperson in the beginning and would tell jokes and then faded away to being in the background and awkward when filmed. Maybe it was puberty or his parent's conscious decision to break his spirit. Hannie is another one who seemed to fade, she was smart and sassy. She was a leader and taught herself to read! This past season, she looked bored and really didn't want to be there. Maybe the filming is too tedious or being a Duggar just sucks. 

 

I agree Jana didn't want to be on camera as much as they put her on. However, she was on and I don't believe they ever had a Jana-focused episode. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but no birthday celebration or day in the life. They at least did a birthday celebration with Joy and a few others. We only saw Jana trailing after Jill or tending to Josie and the rest of the kids...  Actually, we did get to see her with John-David on the mission trip and away from the family. I wonder if Michelle couldn't take people talking about Jana since she had such a big role in their family.  

 

It seemed so easy to actually have interesting content, focus on one kid  doing what they liked and then having JB/Michelle tell us something about them.  Show them doing an activity they like to do outside of the herd. They could have shown how much they'd grown over the years and whether their personalities have changed.  J.B. and M thought they were the stars, but I would have a confused look on my face any time they gave commentary on events that they weren't there for or had nothing to do with them. 

 

ETA: Jim Bob and Michelle came across as bad parents even with their attempts to control how they were presented. It took me a few years to put pieces together, but they always seemed to be out of town or ignoring their kids. The kids kept saying how great they were, but what I saw on tv was not what they were trying to sell. IDK if it was the editors giving it their all to give them a good edit or they were secretly trying to give us clues into how selfish JB/M are.

Edited September 26, 2015 by Cocka doodle dont

[Cherrio]

I hope the show is successful. I also hope it includes Jessa and Jill's siblings (excluding Josh). I don't think anybody in the family did anything wrong except Josh and the parents. I would enjoy a show about the other 18 kids.

      We will see how fast the sponsor's profits go down after supporting hate mongers and grifters.   I think they have done lots of wrong.

[GeeGolly]

Sponsors also know that many people are initially reactive and then the intensity of the feelings fade away. One would need to bring a sponsor list with them when they shop to avoid uses their products.  TLC and the sponsors can also count on haters not watching and therefore not knowing who to boycott. Also since the Joshgates provided a lot of publicity there will certainly be new watchers initially that likely will have no investment in boycotting products.

[cmr2014]

ETA: Jim Bob and Michelle came across as bad parents even with their attempts to control how they were presented. It took me a few years to put pieces together, but they always seemed to be out of town or ignoring their kids. The kids kept saying how great they were, but what I saw on tv was not what they were trying to sell. IDK if it was the editors giving it their all to give them a good edit or they were secretly trying to give us clues into how selfish JB/M are.

 

I agree 100%.

 

I can only go on my own experience, but if you had sat me down as a kid, I wouldn't have gone on and on about how great my parents are (and neither would my siblings, or our friends),. Sure, I love my parents, but as a kid I didn't spend my time dwelling on them. IMO that's really the role of parents -- they are the rock solid pillars of our youth, and the security and reliability of their presence is the backdrop, not the focus, of childhood.

 

I think that the Duggar kids are coached endlessly to parrot how great their parents are. Maybe the humpers hear all this praise for JB and J'chelle and think that that makes them wonderful parents. I just see kids who are coached. And, to me, if they were such great parents, we would SEE them being great parents in the hundreds of hours of footage -- and we don't (at least I don't).

 

ETA: Sorry, this is the Lonely J's thread, so I will just add that this could apply to any of them. We have certainly seen Jana, Jinger, and Josiah sitting in a talking head telling us how great their parents are, but the reality I see is: 1) a depressed looking adult woman with no friends and no interests who does all the housework and childcare, 2) A terrified looking young woman who has recently lost her only friend and who appears on the verge of an eating disorder whose parents don't seem to notice her at all, and 3) a teenage boy who was encouraged to "court" and probably marry a teenage girl in order to prop up the ratings of his parent's television show. 

 

Mother of the Year, my ass.

Edited September 26, 2015 by cmr2014

[kokapetl]

There's no way the 3.2 is an overall average. Look at the numbers in this Variety story, for example. And there were lots of shows in the less-viewed portions of the run, and comparatively fewer in the hot-property portion ..

http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/tlc-19-kids-and-counting-series-high-rating-1201298033/

SEptember 2014 --

"On Tuesday, the season premiere of “19 Kids” drew its largest audience to date, teaming with the best-ever season premiere for “Little People, Big World” to lift TLC to No. 1 for the night among cable networks in all key female demos.

Originally called “17 Kids and Counting” when it bowed in 2008, the TLC series averaged a best-yet 3.29 million viewers in the 9 o’clock hour Tuesday, more than double the audience it drew with its summer finale on June 10 (1.59 million)."

EMMLTA: I'm wondering whether AP took that "averaged a best-yet 3.29 million viewers" thing and "translated" (and incorrectly rounded) it to mean that 3.2 million was the average viewership. That sounds sickeningly likely to me. And if anything like that did happen, AP, get your reporters to read things carefully and study some elementary math (since you clearly don't have careful editors.) .... And if you can't find better data, at least just report what's there -- like the numbers in this story -- don't make shit up. Also, why the heck doesn't AP buy access to historical ratings data so they could have actual data sources for these stories? (Yeah, I know they have a money crunch. But who doesn't? And if AP can't afford this, who the heck can? Grrrr.)

AP are a reliable source (compared to most who report about the Duggars), but going by Wikipedia, i'd say the average was closer to something between 2.5 million and 3 million.

Although that Variety article is only 1 year old, TLC churned out two seasons totaling about 30 hours since then.

[Churchhoney]

AP are a reliable source (compared to most who report about the Duggars), but going by Wikipedia, i'd say the average was closer to something between 2.5 million and 3 million.

Although that Variety article is only 1 year old, TLC churned out two seasons totaling about 30 hours since then.

 

The bolded is why I find it really upsetting. When one of the few supposedly credible journalism standard bearers remaining in this country does such as piss-poor job on a story -- even if it is just on a silly cable tv show -- it's a terrible terrible thing, in my opinion. AP stories go everywhere. And are considered the gold standard, in fact, for reasons that history tends to bear out. And this is very much the opposite of that. It's absolutely appalling, given what AP is.

 

Agree that your number is much much closer to correct -- though I'd say the lower end of that is more likely, since, yeah, there were seasons since, but there were many seasons prior with ratings well under the 2.5 level.

[Julia]

The bolded is why I find it really upsetting. When one of the few supposedly credible journalism standard bearers remaining in this country does such as piss-poor job on a story -- even if it is just on a silly cable tv show -- it's a terrible terrible thing, in my opinion. AP stories go everywhere. And are considered the gold standard, in fact, for reasons that history tends to bear out. And this is very much the opposite of that. It's absolutely appalling, given what AP is.

 

Agree that your number is much much closer to correct -- though I'd say the lower end of that is more likely, since, yeah, there were seasons since, but there were many seasons prior with ratings well under the 2.5 level.

 

Just as a function of increasingly centralized ownership of its source papers and subscribers, the AP tends to lean right. I think a lot of the way this situation is being handled in and by the media is political damage control.

[Wellfleet]

I hope it's wildly unsuccessful, obviously. But I also really hope the two ladies involved are smart enough to realize that they could use this hit of money to prepare themselves for the rest of their lives and not blow it on organic cheesecake ingredients or mime trips.

 

Me too. But I honestly don't think they are that smart. They'll still have Boob yammering in the background, pressing for more TV and more publicity. They're more immature and much more clueless than the average 20-somethings -  very likely to think things will stay, as they want them to, for a good long time. And finally, not smart enough to see how wrong that could be. Even when they have a stunning example of that as close by as their oldest brother.

[queenanne]

That's the crazy thing, they loved highlighting their kids' medical procedures and health scares. On the show we saw Jana and Jill get their wisdom teeth extracted, Jason's orchestra pit fall, Hannie's bike incident that led to stitches by a plastic surgeon, and Josie's first year of life plus her seizures. I'm leaving something out, but it's amazing that the show could focus on what physically happened to those kids and not their personalities. I know the family dynamic is fractured at best,but come the F on. If I can they show Jason in a wheelchair dazed on pain medication while his family is on stage at a speaking engagement, you would think the show could put in effort to tell us about him. That may be Michelle saying, who???? Those kids could have said something other than Jackson being afraid of losing his buddy. Jim Bob and Michelle may have wanted them to stay as part of the herd, but the kids were featured in odd ways over the course of the show.

 

Were there lots of loud on-camera prayers for the injured's well-being?  

 

If so, I think you figured out why JB & M wanted these instances featured.

 

If the kids were zestily speaking about their own injuries thus it became interesting to the editors, my guess about the "why" of that, is because anything that involves putting you in physical peril, is probably one of the only exciting type things to happen in a Duggar's life.

[RazzleberryPie]

With Jill and Jessa getting their own TV specials now, I bet that Jim Bob is now busy searching for suitors for Jana and Jinger. It'll most likely be the only way this show will stay on the air, if viewers were watching for the older daughters. I would not be surprised if TLC granted them an entire season of Jana or Jinger's courtship, engagement and wedding specials. And of course the upcoming baby specials shortly thereafter.

Jinger and Josiah. Maybe Joy, but I think she's more likely to buck the system than any of the older ones. Jana's going no where as long as Michelle needs a babysitter.

[Absolom]

Any figure with an average viewership is useless without a time period.  It's just a way to play with the numbers. 

 

TLC PR are masters at that. 

[cmr2014]

Jinger and Josiah. Maybe Joy, but I think she's more likely to buck the system than any of the older ones. Jana's going no where as long as Michelle needs a babysitter.

 

You could be right, but the more I see of her, the more I think that Jana is simply very immature and doesn't feel at all ready for marriage.

 

I don't think that J'chelle gives two shits whether Jana stays or goes. J'chelle is not going to do the work, period. If Jana goes, then it will fall to Jinger, or Joy, or Hannah, or anyone, really. J'chelle is the Queen Bee and there will always be workers bees around to tend to her needs.  She neither knows, nor cares, who those worker bees are as long as they serve her.

[RazzleberryPie]

You could be right, but the more I see of her, the more I think that Jana is simply very immature and doesn't feel at all ready for marriage.

 

I don't think that J'chelle gives two shits whether Jana stays or goes. J'chelle is not going to do the work, period. If Jana goes, then it will fall to Jinger, or Joy, or Hannah, or anyone, really. J'chelle is the Queen Bee and there will always be workers bees around to tend to her needs.  She neither knows, nor cares, who those worker bees are as long as they serve her.

I could see that.They've always got some adult girl (they are NOT mentally mature women) staying there helping in some format, probably hoping they'll land one of the Duggar Boys. Very Jane Austen.

 

I also see Jana feeling like she's obligated to stay. She's crippled and stunted emotionally, no matter what Michelle says now. She definitely is immature and probably terrified to leave the nest. She may also have enough sense to keep her mouth shut, but know that none of these men live up to the fairytale they've all been promised: Josh is addicted to porn, had sex with other women, all after he said he was rehabilitated for molesting his sisters. David Waller now says he basically had to be forced to court Priscilla. Derrick and Ben are both unemployed (besides the show), Jill had to have her baby in the hospital, Josiah gave away a piece of his heart and had a failed courtship. Those are the only ones we've seen on air. 

[kokapetl]

If Jana getting married = tv show, it's in her interests to seize this opportunity because JimChelle will never put as much effort into finding her a man as they will now. Ditto for Jinger.

[BitterApple]

I agree that if Jana goes, Michelle will just recruit someone else to raise her kids for her. Either another exchange student like the Hartono girl or an unmarried Fundie. She's had people babysitting, doing her laundry, homefoolin' and cooking for years, her hustle is on point.

[DangerousMinds]

If Jana had sense, she would open her mouth and talk about the hypocrisy and the truth, IMO.

[RazzleberryPie]

If Jana had sense, she would open her mouth and talk about the hypocrisy and the truth, IMO.

In her world, that would be a ticket straight to hell, because it would be dishonoring her parents, dishonoring Gothard, speaking (women be silent) her mind, stepping out of her umbrella of spiritual authority. She'd be asking for all the terrible, horrible things in the world to happen to her AND she'd go to hell.

[birkenstock]

Were there lots of loud on-camera prayers for the injured's well-being?  

 

If so, I think you figured out why JB & M wanted these instances featured.

 

If the kids were zestily speaking about their own injuries thus it became interesting to the editors, my guess about the "why" of that, is because anything that involves putting you in physical peril, is probably one of the only exciting type things to happen in a Duggar's life.

I guess Duggars in peril make good tv, it just made me sad. Also, I was angry at Michelle and Jim Bob for showing their kids at their most vulnerable. At least Jana and Jill were teenagers when the wisdom teeth episode took place and it was planned in advance.

 

Filming and showing Josie's seizure last season was reprehensible. She was too young to say anything other than she was all better, Jana was visibly upset when talking about it and at near breakdown during the seizure, and James (he realized Josie was having the seizure) would not talk about it or wasn't allowed to talk about it on camera. The way they filmed Josie's first year and other parts of her life made me uncomfortable. 

 

Jana and Jill were fine talking about their teeth, they actually got a break and Joy was their little assistant. I can't really remember if Johannah talked about her injury. 

 

There were cell phone cameras recording and prayers for Jason while in the pit - I wouldn't say a bellowing prayer circle but they did pray. Michelle just got to play the concerned mother role there. Also, prayers before the wisdom teeth extractions and throughout Josie's first year. They just wanted to make sure Johannah stayed pretty after her bike injury. Seriously, they took her to a plastic surgeon because she was a girl and wanted to make sure there was no scar. If it was a boy, rub some dirt on it and move on. 

 

But you have a point that it was something out of the Duggar's norm to show. I just wish the JB and Michelle wouldn't have allowed this type of filming.

 

 

I hope they aren't pressuring Jana or Jinger to enter into an unwanted courtship.  You all make a good point about Michelle finding new help if Jana did leave. Her missing back muscle doesn't allow her to do any housework or childcare. What I'm hoping is that Jana does find a guy who has a career. No depending on the Duggar machine. 

Edited September 27, 2015 by Cocka doodle dont

[Liz Tudor]

I guess Duggars in peril make good tv, it just made me sad. Also, I was angry at Michelle and Jim Bob for showing their kids at their most vulnerable...I just wish the JB and Michelle wouldn't have allowed this type of filming.

I'm certainly not saying this is the case, and my qualifications only extend as far as some Lifetime movies, but it's almost like Munchausen's-By-Proxy. Whatever incident turns the attention on Mechelle & JB.

[Churchhoney]

I'm certainly not saying this is the case, and my qualifications only extend as far as some Lifetime movies, but it's almost like Munchausen's-By-Proxy. Whatever incident turns the attention on Mechelle & JB.

 

Living With Narcissists 101

[sometimesy]

I agree that if Jana goes, Michelle will just recruit someone else to raise her kids for her. Either another exchange student like the Hartono girl or an unmarried Fundie. She's had people babysitting, doing her laundry, homefoolin' and cooking for years, her hustle is on point.

 

The little girls are about the right age to take over. No need to import. I'm sure Jana and the older girls were babysitting and cleaning by 8-10. They still have Jinger, Joy, Johanna, Jennifer and by the time Jinger and Joy are gone, Jordyn will be able to pitch in. Forget about Josie. The boys are getting older and don't need help with getting dressed etc anymore so that burden has ended for the girls and they are now free to take on nanny duties for their older sisters who will 'Michelle'.

[SomePity1066]

I'm certainly not saying this is the case, and my qualifications only extend as far as some Lifetime movies, but it's almost like Munchausen's-By-Proxy. Whatever incident turns the attention on Mechelle & JB.

That really made me laugh, Liz Tudor - I, too, have a PhD in Lifetime movies ! But the whole thing with Michelle and JB's behavior, most especially Michelle's, is just so freaking creepy that I don't think you have to have any kind of psychology or therapy background to point it out - you just have to have eyeballs in your head and a few functioning brain cells. 

 

To me, the very best example of their clueless parenting and staggeringly selfish behavior was when Jason fell into the stage trapdoor - I just watched the clip on YouTube again, and Michelle says, so bizarrely, that, because all of her older children have cell phones with cameras, "Needless to say, they were all filming this"...

 

Wait...what ? That's just the oddest thing I've ever heard in my life - it's so odd that I can barely explain it ! First, using the phrase "needless to say" doesn't mean what Michelle thinks it means ! Second, why on God's green earth are you FILMING your child as he lay bleeding and screaming ? That's just so...weird ? Wrong ? Effed up ? I just can't find the right word...

 

Adding to that was Michelle's bug-eyed, camera-ready, shit-eating grin plastered on her face like she just took a bong hit ! For God's sake, who SMILES when their child is strapped to a backboard ?!?! While they were wheeling Jason through the hallway on a stretcher Michelle walked beside it the whole way, but she wasn't looking at him - she was smiling at the camera. It gave me chills, truly. 

 

Having been in that situation myself twice with my stepsons - one broken arm, one very bad concussion from a playground fall during recess - I can't imagine wanting to fiddle around with my cell phone to film anyone in that situation, let alone "getting ready for my close-up" ! You hold their hand, you hug them, you tell them they're going to be okay, that you love them - the very last thing you do is basically anything that Michelle did !

 

I would love to hear what an actual therapist/psychologist/psychiatrist makes of her behavior...

Edited September 27, 2015 by SomePity1066

[GeeGolly]

Maybe Jana will be ready for courting after speaking with Michael. Maybe she'll tell her it doesn't have to "be quick" and it is actually enjoyable. I think the Bateses actually feel their feelings, so if Michael is enjoying her marriage and 'independence' maybe she will purpose to encourage Jana to consider marriage.

 

I think part of Michelle's problems (& there are many) is she, and all the Duggars put their 'work' first. Every action & reaction is couched with "this will be good for TV". They are a very calculating bunch. I remember multiple Duggars saying that the TV crew often knows things first, before the rest of the family. And Josh even called the crew to come over before he told Anna something - maybe a positive pregnancy test.

 

And not to defend Michelle, but I think her explanation about her kids having phones and recording Jason's fall was to make herself look better. She must have had a moment of clarity thinking filming an injured kid doesn't make for a caring & concerned parent.

 

And still, every time I read Jason, I'm like - who?

[Churchhoney]

For God's sake, who SMILES when their child is strapped to a backboard ?!?!

 

I'll expand on this thought. Decent people don't smile when strangers are strapped to backboards. I guess that's the difference between decent people and people who have "servant's hearts" and those oh-so-inspiring "hearts for the Lord." I guess the Lord doesn't give a crap when children are strapped to backboards, either.

 

Among the many things that are appalling in this, how can so many who share their religious beliefs not see how the Duggars' behavior again and again casts those beliefs in the most terrible light?

Edited September 27, 2015 by Churchhoney

[Tabbygirl521]

I'll expand on this thought. Decent people don't smile when strangers are strapped to backboards. I guess that's the difference between decent people and people who have "servant's hearts" and those oh-so-inspiring "hearts for the Lord." I guess the Lord doesn't give a crap when children are strapped to backboards, either.

Among the many things that are appalling in this, how can so many who share their religious beliefs not see how the Duggars' behavior again and again casts those beliefs in the most terrible light?

I haven't seen this incident, but it sounds appalling. I will purpose to find it on the internets. But just from the description of Michelle, I wonder if her behavior reflects the lobotomized, keep-sweet, God-is-faithful, no-brains-no-headaches demeanor that characterizes Gothard women. What, me worry? Jesus will fix.

(I am not defending her in any way. Just speculating on why the crazy?)

Edited September 27, 2015 by Tabbygirl521

[Joe Jitsu913]

Michelle was walking alongside him while they were wheeling him into the ER. She kept smiling and taking selfies.

The bitch is fucking crazy. Who does that? Any normal mother would be focusing on their child in distress . Nope, not Michelle. Gotta take those selfies!

What the actual fuck is wrong with her?

[Churchhoney]

What the actual fuck is wrong with her?

Maybe terminal narcissism? Like her husband?

[Guest]

I haven't seen this incident, but it sounds appalling. I will purpose to find it on the internets.

 

It's on Youtube::

 

To bring it back to the Lonely Js, I do worry that JB and M will try to sell Jana on the first guy that walks by if they think that their ticket back onto television is through their daughters' ability to snag a VSE. 

[MarysWetBar]

Poor Jackson. Also put me square in the "who the hell is Jason" camp.

Josh rockin the mancrocs. No wonder he has to pay to get laid.

Edited September 27, 2015 by MarysWetBar