19 Things I Hate About You: How the Duggars Infuriate

[Arwen Evenstar]

One thing that irks me is they allow the kids to put their nasty shoes all over the furniture. I feel like I need a hazmat suit just watching their germ-ridden house. I'm sure Josie wipes her drool and snot all over the furniture too.

I'm sure if you ran a black light all over the house (Jim Bob and Mullet's room) you'd find a lot of mystery stains.

Blech. They really are the barefoot and backyard hillbillies.

Remember that BBC show, How Clean is Your House? Looks like a job for Kim and Aggie!

I can hear Kim telling Jim Boob and Mullet off calling them all "a load of filthy beggars" and Aggie taking swabs and revealing what germs are around. The TTH is a super sized petri dish!

Edited January 2, 2016 by Arwen Evenstar

[AmyFarrahFowler]

 

JB is getting more Jim Jones-y to me every day. 

My husband said this right after the first Joshie-Gate. It may not be mass murder or suicide but it will be something twisted led by JB.

[SomePity1066]

JB is getting more Jim Jones-y to me every day.

My husband said this right after the first Joshie-Gate. It may not be mass murder or suicide but it will be something twisted led by JB.

 

Weird thing is, Amy Farrah Fowler (God, I LOVE your name !) - I think JB is already leading something twisted. I wasn't suggesting that the Duggar Dome was going to to end like Waco or Jonestown or anything even remotely like that (and not that you were suggesting that I did !) but he does have a certain, uhhh...dictatorial charm that keeps bringing 'em in and bringing 'em in (and keeping 'em in !) despite the massive, monumental, overwhelming evidence that they are a bunch of wack-a-doodle, idiot crackpots who are bad, harmful parents and "Christian Leaders" (HA!) who harm those that they cajole or birth into the fold.  

 

Case in point: Josie. Do they not notice the problems with her, or are they just trying to ignore them and pray away the feral ? That poor child.

 

If it was JB's intent to create an "Army for God" of people who are aimless, shiftless, dirty, weird outliers who can't blow their nose without his say-so then I think he's achieved his goal quite nicely. Too bad he's too arrogant and self-serving to understand he's created an "army" of dolts, grifters, selfie-taking princesses, hapless servants, navel-gazing do-nothings, and illiterate wolf children existing in a cavern of dirt and hypocrisy. 

 

Wow, that's even bleak for ME to post. But even more bleak is that it's true. 

 

[Churchhoney]

 

 

If it was JB's intent to create an "Army for God" of people who are aimless, shiftless, dirty, weird outliers who can't blow their nose without his say-so then I think he's achieved his goal quite nicely. Too bad he's too arrogant and self-serving to understand he's created an "army" of dolts, grifters, selfie-taking princesses, hapless servants, navel-gazing do-nothings, and illiterate wolf children existing in a cavern of dirt and hypocrisy. 

 

Wow, that's even bleak for ME to post. But even more bleak is that it's true. 

 

Honestly, I don't know if it's that bleak, really.

 

I mean, it's very unfortunate for his kids that he's set up a situation where they're all kind of forcibly channeled into being pretty much the least they can be rather than the best. But it's not like they're worse than millions of other clueless, stunted, kind of nothing people. It's just that we're not used to seeing 19 such people all in the same family, or in a family that has such pretensions to glory and importance or in a family that's on television.

 

I think that if they lived in my neighborhood, I'd just think, Aaa, that's just the shiftless, mediocre Duggars and not really given them much more thought. Josie would kind of worry me because she may have special needs that aren't being addressed. And it is a worry that some of them might be depressed. But most of them seem capable of working basic jobs if they needed to, so they can get along in the world one way or another. All the kinds of people you've described are really pretty commonly seen, I think. It's just that the Duggars are so sure they;'re much more than that. But they're wrong.

Edited January 2, 2016 by Churchhoney

[Churchhoney]

Ugh ! "Leave and Cleave" my ass !!! JimBob has become the President for Life and Dictator of the whole Duggar clan, regardless of age or marital status. He owns them from nose to toes and he's not letting go. Ever. 

 

 

I don't know whether JB and M are conscious of this or not. My guess is not because they're so mentally and emotionally unbalanced. But that "leave and cleave" stuff was always bullshit that they spouted because it was what they'd heard they were supposed to say. ....

 

Those two (or at least JB) are control freaks to a truly insane degree, that's why they've raised the children the way they have, and control freaks would never leave off controlling just because somebody reached a certain age or moved out of the house. To non-control freaks they appeared -- and claimed -- to be training the children to be adults. But JB's greatest need (and maybe M's too) is clearly to be in control of everything. So he wasn't training anybody to be anything. He was just controlling them, and he'll go on trying to totally control anything and anyone that comes near him until the day he dies.

 

That's why the Duggs hate animals, too, I think. You can't control animals the way you can people. People's brains can be warped and shmushed and played with, which makes them all too easy to control. And I think that's what JB's severe personality disorder leads him to do every day of his life. He'll never stop. And he has no interest in anybody being independent of him in any way. It's unfortunate for his kids that the human brain tends to adapt to over-control by internalizing those controls. So even when the controller is out of the room -- and even if you've moved out or the controller has died -- the ways in which that person controlled you and the specific things that person was most controlling about are still wired into your brain so you tend to have robotic responses of some kind to those things forever (even if it's a robotic rebellious and angry response). He's built a ton of triggers into all of them.

Edited January 2, 2016 by Churchhoney

[AmyFarrahFowler]

Weird thing is, Amy Farrah Fowler (God, I LOVE your name !) - I think JB is already leading something twisted. I wasn't suggesting that the  

 

Case in point: Josie. Do they not notice the problems with her, or are they just trying to ignore them and pray away the feral ? That poor child.

 

I love that you got it! LOL

[Arwen Evenstar]

there are myriad things I hate about the Duggars, ans most f the things are annoyances, but what really upsets me is their treatment of Josie.

Any chid born the way she was would doubtless face some challenges, but since she was born into that clan, she's going to end up stunted in more ways than one just by virtue of Growing Up Duggar.

They parade Precious Miracle Snowflake around like a show pony, yet let her drool all over everything and lick everything in that nasty house of theirs. I have long suspected that little girl has special needs that aren't being addressed and that her dimwit parents are trying to pray it away rather than enroll her in special needs education but I guess keeping her away from heathens at any cost is what it's all about. The Bible is full of stories about how God used so called "heathens" for His good purpose so why don't the Duggars even allow proper help for their kids...its all about control . Even the married (sorry for typo 11 hours ago) kids are still mentally and emotionally living at home.

Edited January 3, 2016 by Arwen Evenstar

[Wellfleet]

My husband said this right after the first Joshie-Gate. It may not be mass murder or suicide but it will be something twisted led by JB.

 

I believe this too. No idea what his deal is, but Boob most definitely has a deal. And it will become known at some point. For the first year or so of the show, I thought well of the Duggars and of Boob & Mechelle in general. But quite suddenly, it dawned on me that there's something very very off about both of them - and in my view, Boob was worse. Nearly 10 years later, I must admit I'm surprised it's still not out, but Boob, things are not looking good for you.

 

ETA - personally I don't think they notice Josie and her issues. Honestly don't notice them. Whatever problems they are willing to admit she has, they are equally-confident that they can handle them - in house and by prayer if necessary.

Edited January 2, 2016 by Wellfleet

[JoanArc]

I wouldn't be terribly surprised if Jim Bob had a sex problem himself. What patriarchal leader takes his young/really young kids out with him so he won't stray? It could also explain the embrace of Gothard and Michelle's control over him.

[Churchhoney]

I believe this too. No idea what his deal is, but Boob most definitely has a deal. And it will become known at some point.

 

I don't know. I wouldn't bet on there being any big event to come or to be revealed. Maybe there is. But people like Jim Bob can really just go on for many decades manipulating and torturing the people in their immediate vicinity without any major explosions or anything.  And even without most people around them -- or in this case watching them on tv -- even noticing how nuts they are. They give birth to a bunch of helpless squirming babies and warp them steadily over the decades and take their pleasure from that. I think that's his only real game. There's lots and lots of scope for daily arrogance, meanness and subsequent triumph in malforming and lording it over the crowd of peons he's created -- now numbering 28 (and counting) including the hapless young in-laws and grandbabies.

 

I think we're giving him too much credit when we imagine that there'll be some big drama or other. He's fundamentally lazy, stupid, cowardly (I would bet -- which kind of limits the size of explosive events you can cause, usually) and, really, not good at anything but two-bit meanness and manipulation of the weak, as far as I can see. And he doesn't seem to have spawned many, if any, who are much stronger, braver or brighter than he is. So it doesn't seem too likely that the younger generation will  trigger any big explosions either.

 

I think he just seems bigger than he is -- and bigger than other run-of-the-mill mean control freaks like him -- because TLC has put his mean, controlling ass on television for so long. I don't see him having made any splash whatsoever in the bigger-than-the-TTH real-life ponds he's played in, for example -- Arkansas politics or even the Gothard empire, where JB and M haven't really been influential, seems to me, but only called upon to speak a lot because they've spawned so many baby Gothardites. And if he's got some real scandal going on in his personal or family life, where are the rumors of it? The rumors of pretty much exactly what Josh had done were circulating in Arkansas and all over the internet for years and years. But are there any real rumors about JB, except that maybe he went into a strip club occasionally? I don't recall any, but maybe there are. And if he did have some bigger sick activity going on, I'd think there would be rumors circulating, since there were about Josh. (Heck, even Josiah's got a rumor going now -- with people in LA pretending to be outraged and scandalized because an 18-year-old might have wanted to talk a little dirty with his girlfriend.) Outside of being on tv, Jim Bob's continually been a nobody -- in both positive and negative things -- despite what appear to be fairly frantic efforts to become a somebody, seems to me.

Edited January 2, 2016 by Churchhoney

[Wellfleet]

I don't know. I wouldn't bet on there being any big event to come or to be revealed. Maybe there is. But people like Jim Bob can really just go on for many decades manipulating and torturing the people in their immediate vicinity without any major explosions or anything.  And even without most people around them -- or in this case watching them on tv -- even noticing how nuts they are. They give birth to a bunch of helpless squirming babies and warp them steadily over the decades and take their pleasure from that. I think that's his only real game. There's lots and lots of scope for daily arrogance, meanness and subsequent triumph in malforming and lording it over the crowd of peons he's created -- now numbering 28 (and counting) including the hapless young in-laws and grandbabies.

 

I think we're giving him too much credit when we imagine that there'll be some big drama or other. He's fundamentally lazy, stupid, cowardly (I would bet -- which kind of limits the size of explosive events you can cause, usually) and, really, not good at anything but two-bit meanness and manipulation of the weak, as far as I can see. And he doesn't seem to have spawned many, if any, who are much stronger, braver or brighter than he is. So it doesn't seem too likely that the younger generation will  trigger any big explosions either.

 

I think he just seems bigger than he is -- and bigger than other run-of-the-mill mean control freaks like him -- because TLC has put his mean, controlling ass on television for so long. I don't see him having made any splash whatsoever in the bigger-than-the-TTH real-life ponds he's played in, for example -- Arkansas politics or even the Gothard empire, where JB and M haven't really been influential, seems to me, but only called upon to speak a lot because they've spawned so many baby Gothardites. And if he's got some real scandal going on in his personal or family life, where are the rumors of it? The rumors of pretty much exactly what Josh had done were circulating in Arkansas and all over the internet for years and years. But are there any real rumors about JB, except that maybe he went into a strip club occasionally? I don't recall any, but maybe there are. And if he did have some bigger sick activity going on, I'd think there would be rumors circulating, since there were about Josh. (Heck, even Josiah's got a rumor going now -- with people in LA pretending to be outraged and scandalized because an 18-year-old might have wanted to talk a little dirty with his girlfriend.) Outside of being on tv, Jim Bob's continually been a nobody -- in both positive and negative things -- despite what appear to be fairly frantic efforts to become a somebody, seems to me.

 

There's certainly logic in what you say. But let's remember, this is the Duggars - logic does not apply. While it's true enough that Boob is, as you said, fundamentally lazy, stupid, cowardly and not really good at anything, we could have said the same things about Josh before [1] molestation charges and [2] Ashley Madison. Before we actually learned AM was really true, I think most of us would have said, "Well, Josh is really stupid, but he's not THAT stupid..." And yet he clearly was. So while there's every possibility that Boob will dry up and blow away like a tumbleweed years from now, with not one iota of further scandal to his name, my gut tells me otherwise. There's more to come. It may be really lame, but I think there's still something there.

[Churchhoney]

There's certainly logic in what you say. But let's remember, this is the Duggars - logic does not apply. While it's true enough that Boob is, as you said, fundamentally lazy, stupid, cowardly and not really good at anything, we could have said the same things about Josh before [1] molestation charges and [2] Ashley Madison. Before we actually learned AM was really true, I think most of us would have said, "Well, Josh is really stupid, but he's not THAT stupid..." And yet he clearly was. So while there's every possibility that Boob will dry up and blow away like a tumbleweed years from now, with not one iota of further scandal to his name, my gut tells me otherwise. There's more to come. It may be really lame, but I think there's still something there.

 

Point taken. And I get it now. I think you and I are just defining big scandal and big blowout quite differently. Plus, you and I completely disagree about whether logic applies to the Duggars! I don't see them doing anything that's actually surprising at all, given the kind of family they are and the basis on which I think Jim Bob has created that family. They're certainly not people who base their own behavior on logic, but from an observer's perspective it  seems to me all their doings play out quite logically, once we have a handle on the kinds of personalities the parents have. And we do have a handle on that.

 

I'm sure Boob's evaded a few taxes and since the visit-a-strip-club (or whatever he supposedly visited) rumor has been out there for years, I'm sure something like that is true, too. I don't think there'll ever be a big tax evasion scandal or the like, though, and I don't think there'll be a revelation that he has some huge perversion like a fondness for giving blow jobs to babies or whatever. That's the level of darkness I thought people were pointing to, given the language that's been used about revelations coming out.  And I don't see minor tax-law breakage and some strip-club visits as anything cataclysmic -- except in this alternate universe where we all think that everything the Duggars do is huge huge huge, I guess because of their pretensions to superior virtue and, in my view, the fact that they're TeeVee "stars." I'm sure Boob has cut plenty of corners, but since a minor real-estate speculator and a person who's dabbled in politics is pretty inevitably going to have done those things, I wouldn't see anything minor in those realms as any dark horrible secret. More like par for the course for a grifty mental midget who's played in Arkansas politics, really.  Boob's certainly not the pillar of virtue he pretends to be, but then why would we ever expect him to be? His petty greed is on full display pretty much a hundred percent of the time, and that destroys his virtue myth right there.

 

And I have to say that I would never have said Josh was too smart to do the Ashley Madison thing. I've always thought Josh was pretty stupid and eerily arrogant for a person his age; he came across as a creepy and unstable personality to me from the first times I saw him. But, actually, I don't think the Ashley Madison thing is that big a deal anyway.

 

So, yeah, I'm sure Boob's done some shady things and has dallied in a bit of something sexual here and there. But I thought you and others were talking about some really big revelation of criminality or deep perversion or long-running use of prostitutes or something. And I just don't see any of that that. I think he's too busy being a massive micro-manager of as many people as he can get his hands on. That's pretty much a full-time job, too, I expect.

 

Time will tell how it all unwinds, though, obviously.

Edited January 3, 2016 by Churchhoney

[Henri205]

Boob's rectangular smile is fake and practiced. It makes me crazy every time I see this asswipe mugging for the camera and attempting to appear normal. He's anything but, an absolute freak along with his vapid ignorant offspring. I'll stop now as I could go on and on about this collection of crazies.

[Joe Jitsu913]

Allow me to psychoanalyze Jim Boob:

I think Jim Bob felt like there was little stability in his childhood, due to his father's drinking. Jim Bob was probably picked on a lot and was at times, considered 'poor'. Who knows if this is true. Jim Bob has a lot of issues with masculinity and feeling inferior as a child. He blames a lot of his problems on his father. Hence, the super-breeding, overly religious, fundamental Patriarchal cult. It allows Jim Bob to feel in control and to feel superior to others. Jim Bob's entire existence is a big middle finger to his dad who 'wasn't Christian enough'.

Look at me! Jim Bob Duggar! I'm so virile, I have 19 kids who love Christ and obey my every demand! All I have to do is sneeze and my wife gets pregnant! I'm so Christian! I'm in charge of my family and they do as I say!

He really is a sad, pathetic little man.

[bigskygirl]

I remembered JB saying he was abused because his father was not religious enough while he was growing up in a video on youtube. Seriously!!! I think my poor eyes were ready to pop out from the eye rolling I was doing while I listening to him. He has the darn nerve to say he was abuse because his father did not want to go to church or did not pray enough for his satisfaction. GRRR!!! Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. He is abusing his own children by denying them a normal and healthy life. He is more concern about the damage caused by the two Josh scandals then the fact his own daughters were sexually molested by their own brother, and Josh cheated on his wife and the emotional and physical well being of four of his own grandchildren have been damaged because their father (his oldest son) is a you know what.

[Churchhoney]

I remembered JB saying he was abused because his father was not religious enough while he was growing up in a video on youtube. Seriously!!! I think my poor eyes were ready to pop out from the eye rolling I was doing while I listening to him. He has the darn nerve to say he was abuse because his father did not want to go to church or did not pray enough for his satisfaction. GRRR!!! Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. He is abusing his own children by denying them a normal and healthy life. He is more concern about the damage caused by the two Josh scandals then the fact his own daughters were sexually molested by their own brother, and Josh cheated on his wife and the emotional and physical well being of four of his own grandchildren have been damaged because their father (his oldest son) is a you know what.

 

Yep. My sentiments exactly.

 

I think he was one of those who's just born with a massive massive will to control everything coupled with massive insecurities about not being at the absolute top of every heap. That kind of person will use anything at all as an excuse for why they resent everybody in their lives, and they have such outsized egos and complete obliviousness to everyone else on the planet that they fit in nowhere, so they are naturally socially insecure and tone deaf, too.That bullshit about his being abused because his father didn't go to church enough is pretty good evidence of that, I think, and he was apparently spouting that from a pretty young age. I expect his parents had no idea what to do with a child with such an overweaning ego coupled with an inability and unwillingness to read other human beings and respect them at all. Then he found Gothard -- a cult tailor-made to attract insecure people with an inexhaustible hunger for control. Once he was in there, his mega-warped personality got a free pass from everybody and he was completely free to create the ego-feeding private world of his dreams, stretching out for generations. It's disgusting and horrifying when you think of all the kids who are trapped in it.

[Churchhoney]

I really like this, Churchie, but Pa comes across to me as creepy and sex obsessed. ICK.

 

Yeah, I think he's creepy and sex-obsessed, too.

 

But a) he also comes across to me as a coward! -- so I doubt that he would have the guts to do too much.

 

And b) I wouldn't count a smidgen of prostitute action or a bunch of sex club visits or the like as some huge scandal. I actually doubt that he's done even very much of this, but when I see people talking about some huge scandal lurking in the Duggar household, I think of an actual scandal, not small amounts of sex on the side which, let's face it, happen all over the place.

[cmr2014]

I don't think there's any question that another scandal will come, the question is only who will be involved and what the specific perversion will be.

 

You simply can't raise children like this. Humans are social creatures and require interaction with people beyond their immediate family. Human children require attention and affection to thrive -- you can't have monthly "one-on-one" meetings with your parents to discuss your scripture studies and your devotion to God, and grow up to be a healthy adult. Humans are sexual creatures. The adverse effects of excessive sexual repression are pretty well documented at this point, but when you add the hyper-sexual environment of the Duggar compound to the mix, there are going to be problems.

 

I know that there are people on this board who have dealt with some of the issues that the Duggar kids are going to have to deal with and have come through relatively unscathed. Even if some of the Duggar kids have the strength of character to break away from the cult, not all of them will (and I, personally, don't think that any of them do).

 

ETA: The whole point of the Duggar "ministry" is to show all us heathens how much better they are than the rest of us and, if the show lasts long enough (and, God help us, it looks like it will), they will end up showing us the exact opposite.

Edited February 7, 2016 by cmr2014

[GeeGolly]

Well if you look at circus animals and captive whales and such, the Duggar children aren't much different. We are bound to see behaviors of acting out which in the wild, or real world, would be the norm. So, I guess the definition of scandal is what has some of us at odds. 

 

Just by the sheer number of kids they have, everyday life things like divorce, non hetero orientation, changing religions, distancing family, etc is bound to happen. And in the Duggar world any one of those things would feel embarrassingly scandalous.

[kokapetl]

I don't think there's any question that another scandal will come, the question is only who will be involved and what the specific perversion will be.

You simply can't raise children like this. Humans are social creatures and require interaction with people beyond their immediate family. Human children require attention and affection to thrive -- you can't have monthly "one-on-one" meetings with your parents to discuss your scripture studies and your devotion to God, and grow up to be a healthy adult. Humans are sexual creatures. The adverse effects of excessive sexual repression are pretty well documented at this point, but when you add the hyper-sexual environment of the Duggar compound to the mix, there are going to be problems.

I know that there are people on this board who have dealt with some of the issues that the Duggar kids are going to have to deal with and have come through relatively unscathed. Even if some of the Duggar kids have the strength of character to break away from the cult, not all of them will (and I, personally, don't think that any of them do).

ETA: The whole point of the Duggar "ministry" is to show all us heathens how much better they are than the rest of us and, if the show lasts long enough (and, God help us, it looks like it will), they will end up showing us the exact opposite.

This is why I felt the public reaction to Josh's assault of his sisters was too harsh, there were mitigating factors. His life is now ruined due to his stunted isolated childhood. He might as well wear a scarlet P, despite not meeting the diagnostic criteria for paedophilia, because what he did was so polarizing, any attempt to rebuild his life is futile. Edited February 8, 2016 by Kokapetl

[EAG46]

There are a number of disturbing and disgusting things the Duggars should be critiqued for, but to me the most damning is their desire to leave their children ignorant.  Homeschooling can be done with care and discipline, but they do not.  Their main guidance in all childcare things *outlines* that children should have no basic human rights or interactions outside of the family.  What future can they guarantee for their children if they won't let them learn of the world?  Even their tiny insular fundamentalist world looks at them like "dude, really?"

[Absolom]

I don't see any attempt for Josh to rebuild his life as being futile.  I just don't see Josh having the drive, interest, or ability in doing it.  If Josh were to stay on the straight and narrow path, get a job and stick with it, take care of his family commitments, and stay out of the public limelight he would be seen as redeemed by a good many people.  Josh doing that seems a dim hope at hope best to me though.

[Wellfleet]

Allow me to psychoanalyze Jim Boob:

I think Jim Bob felt like there was little stability in his childhood, due to his father's drinking. Jim Bob was probably picked on a lot and was at times, considered 'poor'. Who knows if this is true. Jim Bob has a lot of issues with masculinity and feeling inferior as a child. He blames a lot of his problems on his father. Hence, the super-breeding, overly religious, fundamental Patriarchal cult. It allows Jim Bob to feel in control and to feel superior to others. Jim Bob's entire existence is a big middle finger to his dad who 'wasn't Christian enough'.

Look at me! Jim Bob Duggar! I'm so virile, I have 19 kids who love Christ and obey my every demand! All I have to do is sneeze and my wife gets pregnant! I'm so Christian! I'm in charge of my family and they do as I say!

He really is a sad, pathetic little man.

 

Fully agree. Boob is the way he is now because of [1] his natural temperament and [2] either real or imagined things that happened during his childhood. He's resentful that there were apparently some hard times financially when he was a kid. He's really resentful that his father wasn't Superman. And apparently the teasing he got for being short for so long - I think he once said he didn't have his final growth spurt until his last year in high school - pretty much traumatized him, since he copes with it now by being one of the biggest control freaks in human history.

[Wellfleet]

I remembered JB saying he was abused because his father was not religious enough while he was growing up in a video on youtube. Seriously!!! I think my poor eyes were ready to pop out from the eye rolling I was doing while I listening to him. He has the darn nerve to say he was abuse because his father did not want to go to church or did not pray enough for his satisfaction. GRRR!!! Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. He is abusing his own children by denying them a normal and healthy life. He is more concern about the damage caused by the two Josh scandals then the fact his own daughters were sexually molested by their own brother, and Josh cheated on his wife and the emotional and physical well being of four of his own grandchildren have been damaged because their father (his oldest son) is a you know what.

 

Yes. The only thing we never hear Boob yammering about acceptance of responsibility. For anything. Like the consummate narcissist that he is, whatever goes badly in Boob's life is always the fault of something or someone-not-Boob. I honestly believe he'd throw Me-chelle under the bus before he'd ever accept blame himself.

[frenchtoast]

A reminder to please not speculate about suicide. Thanks!

[riverblue22]

Interesting JB was short as a kid.  James is very short IMO. He looks like he's 10 rather than 14.  I hope he gets that growth spurt like his dad, but Michelle is pretty short so he could possibly stay small.

[Jynnan tonnix]

I don't think there's any question that another scandal will come, the question is only who will be involved and what the specific perversion will be.

 

You simply can't raise children like this. Humans are social creatures and require interaction with people beyond their immediate family. Human children require attention and affection to thrive -- you can't have monthly "one-on-one" meetings with your parents to discuss your scripture studies and your devotion to God, and grow up to be a healthy adult. Humans are sexual creatures. The adverse effects of excessive sexual repression are pretty well documented at this point, but when you add the hyper-sexual environment of the Duggar compound to the mix, there are going to be problems.

 

I know that there are people on this board who have dealt with some of the issues that the Duggar kids are going to have to deal with and have come through relatively unscathed. Even if some of the Duggar kids have the strength of character to break away from the cult, not all of them will (and I, personally, don't think that any of them do).

 

ETA: The whole point of the Duggar "ministry" is to show all us heathens how much better they are than the rest of us and, if the show lasts long enough (and, God help us, it looks like it will), they will end up showing us the exact opposite.

Lots of good points here in general...I do think a lot of what you say has been covered  many times, but it's just that it's so true and so obvious that it boggles the mind to think that people could subscribe to a Gothard-approved line and still expect it to yield positive results overall.

 

As far as your final thought, I have to wonder how many people out there are following this family for the sole purpose of witnessing the ultimate implosion...it just seems so inevitable...

Edited February 8, 2016 by Jynnan tonnix

[Joe Jitsu913]

I really like this, Churchie, but Pa comes across to me as creepy and sex obsessed. ICK.

Boob and Possum Head have always reminded me of Fred and Rosemary West.

[Churchhoney]

For me, the worst thing about them is all the people who still gush about what a wonderful family of role models they are. That there are at least thousands of people who are that blind makes me completely sick.

[Albanyguy]

I don't see any attempt for Josh to rebuild his life as being futile.  I just don't see Josh having the drive, interest, or ability in doing it.  If Josh were to stay on the straight and narrow path, get a job and stick with it, take care of his family commitments, and stay out of the public limelight he would be seen as redeemed by a good many people.  Josh doing that seems a dim hope at hope best to me though

 

Agreed. If Josh has any kind of plan in place for rebuilding his life and redeeming his reputation, I guarantee it will involve making speeches in front of large groups of carefully controlled leghumpers and getting his mug back in front of the TV cameras as quickly as possible.

[Aja]

I don't think there's any question that another scandal will come, the question is only who will be involved and what the specific perversion will be.

 

I think spending $250,000.00 on a political campaign while Boob's family of seventeen million was living in a two bedroom house with one bathroom, and parading said family across the stage like trained monkeys, is pretty scandalous. But, as I have learned over the past year, what I find scandalous and what the vast majority of the TV viewing public find scandalous are pretty wildly divergent.

 

ETA: I would love to know more details about his campaign specifically because it stinks to high heaven of Bill Gothard. Gothard is well known for aggressively courting politicians in an attempt to give his cult legitimacy, power and influence, and it was probably a piece of cake to convince an idiot like Boob to detach himself from his leg and run for the state senate. On the extremely off chance that he would have won, Gothard would have had one of his most fervent tongue-bathers holding a seat of power in Arkansas. Perty sweet. Boob is a perfect political candidate--a total sociopath who doesn't give a shit who he has to step on (including his own children) to gain attention, power and influence combined with the IQ of a parking lot, easily led to do whatever Gothard wants him to do. 

Edited February 8, 2016 by Aja

[bigskygirl]

This is why I felt the public reaction to Josh's assault of his sisters was too harsh, there were mitigating factors. His life is now ruined due to his stunted isolated childhood. He might as well wear a scarlet P, despite not meeting the diagnostic criteria for paedophilia, because what he did was so polarizing, any attempt to rebuild his life is futile.

In my opinion, Josh's did have a stunted isolated childhood, but he cannot blame his parents, the evil liberals, public reaction, or a magazine for his actions. There are many people who had a crappy childhood who did not molest their sisters, or cheated on their spouse. He was out promoting an agenda where he stated certain groups of people are danger to society and molest innocent children and women are to blame for being raped or molested by men because their are teasing hussies. In his case, I think he would have turn out this way even with a normal childhood, less siblings. decent parents, was allowed to date, look at porn, and hang out with the guys. For some reason, he just seem like the type of guy who is too smug for his own good. He thinks the sun does not rise until he gets up in the morning and probably thinks he is the golden boy 24/7. Yes, JB and especially Michelle needs to take some of the blame for Josh, but he needs to man up and stop being a child and take responsibility for his actions.

[Tabbygirl521]

I am very, very curious to see what he does next.

[kokapetl]

In my opinion, Josh's did have a stunted isolated childhood, but he cannot blame his parents, the evil liberals, public reaction, or a magazine for his actions. There are many people who had a crappy childhood who did not molest their sisters, or cheated on their spouse. He was out promoting an agenda where he stated certain groups of people are danger to society and molest innocent children and women are to blame for being raped or molested by men because there are teasing hussies. He thinks rape is not a real unless it is considered legitimate, and a woman should be happy if she becomes pregnant after being raped. Talk about the pot calling the kittle black. He needs to man up and take responsibility for his actions. Stop hiding behind his parents and family name and blaming everyone else including the kitchen sink. He can rebuild his life. If he does not want to be married and have more children, he has the power to do so. The ball is in his court. He can take it and start over again or expect his parents to hold his hand and take care of him.

What Josh did as an adult is fair game, but it's the juvenile offences that are insurmountable, they're the ones that legally are considered to have reduced culpability, and he should not have been identified or his identity easily surmised in those FOI documents. Josh's adult transgressions, the Ashley Madison thing, could be overcome, but it's a waste of time due to the tabloid dissemination of what he did when he was 14. I don't dispute that Josh did these things, I just think, considering what's happened and how things have unfolded, that there isn't much if anything he can do to salvage his life. Edited February 8, 2016 by Kokapetl

[GeeGolly]

Parenting is certainly a crap shoot. Many great parents raise kids with problems and many inadequate parents raise amazing kids. Nature and nurture and all that stuff. However the difference between the Duggar clan and most folks is lack of outside influence, intervention and direction. 

 

Many of us have probably experienced giving advice to a spouse, child, friend, or sibling that has gone unheeded, yet have that same person listen to the exact same advice from someone outside their circle and act like it's the best advice ever. The Duggars are not allowed that opportunity.

 

It is the Gothard way or no way. Everything that is not good is bad. No gray areas. I would argue that isolating your kids and stressing narrow minded beliefs to the degree of self-righteousness will pose some kind of negative influence on even the most resilient kid.

Edited February 8, 2016 by GeeGolly

[Mollie]

What Josh did as an adult is fair game, but it's the juvenile offenses that are insurmountable, they're the ones that legally are considered to have reduced culpability, and he should not have been identified or his identity easily surmised in those FOI documents. Josh's adult transgressions, the Ashley Madison thing, could be overcome, but it's a waste of time due to the tabloid dissemination of what he did when he was 14.

Josh was 15 years old at the last known sexual molestations of his sisters and at least one other minor child.  If he had been reported to the police at that time, he would have been tried as an adult and required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.  Also, he would not have been allowed to live in the family home because Arkansas doesn't allow home schooling in a house where a sex offender lives, unless the sex offender is the only one being home schooled.  Also, it is unlikely that there would have ever been a family reality TV show about this family.  

[bigskygirl]

Do I agree with the leaking of the molestation situation, no I do not. Do I agree with the way the whole thing was handled Duggar style? No way! Josh was in the spotlight and was promoting an agenda against certain groups, and he accused some of being molesters because they did not fit into his religious and political beliefs while he was hiding the fact he molested five girls and was leading a double life. He should have thought this could hit the fan one day. And yes, his parents are not good examples especially when your father said he was abused because his daddy was not religious enough for his taste and mommy still acts like she was the hot cheerleader mowing the lawn in a bikini and caused her neighbor to divorce his wife. His brain may not have been fully developed, but he should have known molesting his sisters and other younger females was wrong. He cannot accuse others of the same act and try to act almighty and God like when he is hiding what he did. I feel bad for him because of his crappy childhood, but I do not agree with his actions at the age of 14, and I do not agree with his actions at 26.

[kokapetl]

Josh was 15 years old at the last known sexual molestations of his sisters and at least one other minor child. If he had been reported to the police at that time, he would have been tried as an adult and required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Also, he would not have been allowed to live in the family home because Arkansas doesn't allow home schooling in a house where a sex offender lives, unless the sex offender is the only one being home schooled. Also, it is unlikely that there would have ever been a family reality TV show about this family.

I think Josh would've been charged with Sexual Assault and not Rape. If he were charged with Rape, it would not automatically mean he would be tried as an adult.

[Mollie]

I think Josh would've been charged with Sexual Assault and not Rape. If he were charged with Rape, it would not automatically mean he would be tried as an adult.

Read the Arkansas law on sexual assault in the first degree.  He would have been tried as an adult for a felony.

http://acasa.us/pdfs/Sexual-assault-laws.pdf

Edited February 8, 2016 by Mollie

[ginger90]

For me, it's not the "scandals" that get me. It's the hypocrisy, and lots of it.

hy·poc·ri·sy

/həˈpäkrəsē/

noun

noun: hypocrisy; plural noun: hypocrisies

the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform; pretense.

(Insert Duggar family picture here!)

[GeeGolly]

Very optimistic to think the Duggars can handle a 4 syllabler like 'hypocrisy'.

They'd be like - Uhm, ya, it's like, like when I say out loud, I am moral, but in my head I say no I'm not, like ya, so that's it.

[Sew Sumi]

Hey, Smuggar did manage "hypocrite" in his thrice-edited letter last August. 

[Sew Sumi]

Smuggar wrote and published that letter in a panic, demonstrating that the only person editing that thing was Smuggar himself. Boob probably shit his pants when he read the first published draft that went out on the blog, and from there, we had the comical attempts to cover tracks of fotresses of sin, etc. 

[GeeGolly]

Smuggar wrote and published that letter in a panic, demonstrating that the only person editing that thing was Smuggar himself. Boob probably shit his pants when he read the first published draft that went out on the blog, and from there, we had the comical attempts to cover tracks of fotresses of sin, etc. 

It was so comical. How dumb can you be to think that you can keep editing something you post on your public blog. And to do it a third time ...

[Defrauder]

I'm up to 1900 things but who's counting.

[blubld43]

Josie would kind of worry me because she may have special needs that aren't being addressed.

 

This poor little girl; I haven't watched this show in ages but I see pictures.  Drool?  Really?

To me this is criminal, ignoring special needs of any kind.  They spent (or someone did) a fortune when she was  born! What about now?

[Barb23]

Why do they call going out to dinner "Date Night"? In Benessa's case, this is what they did almost every day before Spurgey was born (according to Joy). Going out to dinner isn't special if it's done every day especially if you are using grifted gift cards.

[sometimesy]

12 minutes ago, Oh Margeaux said:

Duggarisms I loathe:

"godly", "pure","covenant marriage", patriarch as wife's "spiritual leader", "biblical love", "courting", "saving first hands held til engagement/first kiss for marriage", "servant's heart", "serving the lord", "joyfully available", "encourage", "blessings","love the lord", "serve the lord", "god's will", "creationism", "Satan", "abomination to the lord" with subsequent robocalls, "we do it for the chiiiiildren", "abortion = holocaust", "my wuuuuuunderful husband", "women as meek, soft spoken and obedient", "& I delivered every one of them!!!!!!","ours is a mighty God"

 

Anyone care to share your least favorite Duggar cliche?

"Walk through" "the second thing that happened" "bible believing"

Edited May 2, 2016 by sometimesy

[lookeyloo]

Purpose to - or did someone already say that 

[Sew Sumi]

A new one: "the right response." It's already getting old, Anna.