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Season 8 Discussion


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10 hours ago, IndianPaintbrush said:

Zach and Whitney sure do make cute kids. 

I expect both Erin and Alyssa will be making their annual pregnancy announcements soon. 

I predict Erin's announcement will be sooner than Alyssa's. 

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I mentioned this in Bates thread in the Counting On section, but here it is again. After looking at the dresses in the Bates Sisters Boutique, Erin is wearing two dresses that are officially "maternity friendly".  

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So Trace posted an Instagram pic from Disney World with Lawson and 3 girls — all friends, not sisters. In the IG comments people are suspecting that Trace is courting or dating — someone maybe named Chaney Grace? Who is that? Doesn’t seem like the same name of the girl- friend Trace brought skiing in an episode. If 22 year old Trace is courting, I wonder if 25 and 26 year old Nathan and Lawson are feeling the pressure. Hopefully not, as your sibling getting married isn’t a reason for you to marry but in these fundie family it’s all a race.

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16 hours ago, cereality said:

So Trace posted an Instagram pic from Disney World with Lawson and 3 girls — all friends, not sisters. In the IG comments people are suspecting that Trace is courting or dating — someone maybe named Chaney Grace? Who is that? Doesn’t seem like the same name of the girl- friend Trace brought skiing in an episode. If 22 year old Trace is courting, I wonder if 25 and 26 year old Nathan and Lawson are feeling the pressure. Hopefully not, as your sibling getting married isn’t a reason for you to marry but in these fundie family it’s all a race.

No, the friend Trace brought along skiing was Campbell Roberts. She just married recently. But I do agree he's probably courting or dating Chaney or about too.

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Of the three bachelor guys (Lawson, Nathan, and Trace), Trace seems the most likely to meet someone and begin a relationship next. Lawson's not going to stop looking in the mirror long enough and Nathan's got too many issues with women to attract one without intervention. Of those three he is the most normal in terms of daily responsibilities and life.  

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20 hours ago, BitterApple said:

Has Trace settled into a career? When we left off, it seemed like he was dabbling in several things but hadn't quite found his niche.

I don't know if he has decided what he wants to do in the long run, but he's still been working for/with Chad. I am not sure how much he is still dabbling and how much of that was simply for the show. 

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IDK if Trace has officially decided on a career, but the one he’ll fallen into is construction with Chad. IDK if he really wanted to do construction, but as with most people in that family they have so little exposure to the world that they are never really able to figure out what they actually want and thus their options end up being what their brothers/brothers in law ahead of them are doing – because at least they know they CAN do that since they know someone doing it with as little education as they have.  These kids don’t know that they CAN be doctors or lawyers bc they don’t personally have 1 peer who has done that, so to them – it’s some highfalutin, book learnin’ kind of thing that is not even an option.

He tried out flying with Nathan and cop stuff with Zach and wasn’t cut out for either; he just has a fear in him that those 2 didn’t have.  Trick riding is a pipe dream and I think he knows that, so that leaves . . . construction with Chad.  He could have trained and done something like HVAC like John or plumbing like Kelton or electrician like Evan, but I have a feeling he is jonesing for a wife NOW and does not have any desire to be in “school” even for 6 mos.  The show has been an infomercial for Trace lately with all the girls talking about how he was the big man on campus and their girl friends were always asking if Trace was coming to school today.  And Nate and Law have said while they are off living their wild lives (LOL but I guess they are fundie wild), Trace is the type of guy that ladies want – a family man – i.e. he desperately wants to put a ring on something and have sex and then have kids 9 mos later.

And BTW Bobby is now a plumber working with Kelton at Kelton’s uncle’s co.  Kelly posted an IG pic.  Obviously Tori’s whining about how it’s sooooo hard to take care of Kade without sister help is what led them to run back to Knoxville, but I have to imagine at some level Bobby was dying to set up a life where he’s around Kelton daily.  Now it’s probably as he imagined it – they’ll see each other daily; they’ll hang out at least a few weekends a month so their kids will grow up together etc.  Because as it had worked out previously, while he got to pursue ministry, he knew that unless he got into a church in Knox, he wouldn’t see Kelton much – bc Kelton has a more settled life and wasn’t about to move to Nashville.

Interesting that the Bates sons in law have jumped on the trade bandwagon.  Bobby had to notice that Kelton (and John to the extent they see him though they may not now given distance) has money.  Josie has said that Kelton is always hanging out downtown (pre marriage); and they go on plenty of little trips together all the time – a hotel room/airBnB here and there costs money even if you’re driving to the destination.  So I guess Bobby realized that making 30k in ministry wasn’t going to cut it given the 8 kids they’re sure to have – or at least 4 kids if his wife is bad at the child rearing thing.

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I think Bobby likes Kelton better than he does Tori. 

What was his major at PCC? Plumbing's a great job, but if he has a four year degree, why isn't he doing anything with it? Or did he major in something useless like Bible Study? 

I also don't understand why Trace hasn't followed the in-laws into the trades. He can't be making much working for Chad, and certainly not enough to support a family if marriage is on the horizon. Except for Zach, it seems like the eligible Bates boys are all stuck in some weird arrested development.

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So I imagine they got a huge COMP from Castleton Farms for their wedding? It is a real wedding venue and looks gorgeous – I can’t see how lunch/dinner there is less than $100/head (maybe less since it’s the rural south) and they had 500 guests!? In any event, it was a REAL wedding venue for the first time. I know the Bates do it better than the Duggars – we haven’t seen any parking lot receptions with dixie cups of ice cream. But as I recall from Erin and Tori’s weddings – it was just church basement receptions with punch and cake; Josie’s appeared to be at that house/venue at the state park where they married and that also looked like a quick punch and cake and then we’re off to have sex type of reception. Michael was also a church reception, but I seem to recall theirs involved at least casual food – bc Kelly was planning out how much BBQ chicken was needed. We never saw Alyssa’s but I imagine punch and cake and we want to get out of there ASAP to get to the hotel.

Castleton Farms OTOH is a real wedding venue and IDK if they would let you book the place on the Saturday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend – which tends to be a huge wedding weekend -- if you intended to do the vows and get everyone out of there with a slice of cake and not spend any more money; places like that don’t allow food catered by your aunt, nor do they allow you to rent their space if you don’t intend to drop money on their catering. It looks like the first dance etc. were on an outdoor patio so it’s very possible it is a huge venue, where they can be having an short outdoor wedding; a longer indoor wedding; and setting up another ballroom for nighttime weddings. If they only used the outdoor setup, maybe they were able to just do a “nicer” version of punch + cake – with heavy appetizers + cake.

Afternoon weddings are obviously cheaper, but for these fundies it’s not even subtle that the point is – do the vows, barely say hi to anyone, cut the cake and get out ASAP because SEX.  I mean Tori was literally tugging at Bobby’s sleeve being like – ok let’s go – as he was at least trying to be nice and say hi to aunts/uncles and the various 5000 guests. I imagine Carlin was similar though I feel like Evan doesn’t act like a grown up either, so it doesn’t seem like AS big of a contrast in personalities as juvenile complainer Tori and adult Bobby.  

And to those who are saying Carlin will be pregnant in a month. Well the wedding was Saturday afternoon – it’s now Monday night, for all we know depending on how she timed it, she could be pregnant NOW. And frankly she shouldn’t/won’t even have to gush about OMG – it’s SOOOO quick bc in her mind she’s already waited an eternity for said baby, since she’s known Evan since the Fall of 2016. In fundie time, 2.5 years is like 25 years.

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Carlin’s wedding looked really pretty. I have to assume they received some kind of discount because with 500 guests, a seated reception is at least at the higher end of five figures. I wonder if she was inspired by Whitney and Zach’s vow renewal and realized a wedding doesn’t just have to be cake and punch. Carlin’s wedding seems like the type of wedding Alyssa would have had if the funding was there.

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Yeah, I think Castleton Farms comped the wedding in exchange for television coverage. This was definitely the classiest fundie wedding I've seen. Carlin's dress is just gorgeous.

Though I do feel bad for everyone melting in Tennessee's heat wave over the weekend. I don't imagine Carlin anticipated it would be quite so hot.

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(edited)
On 5/28/2019 at 9:43 AM, IndianPaintbrush said:

Yeah, I think Castleton Farms comped the wedding in exchange for television coverage. This was definitely the classiest fundie wedding I've seen. Carlin's dress is just gorgeous.

Though I do feel bad for everyone melting in Tennessee's heat wave over the weekend. I don't imagine Carlin anticipated it would be quite so hot.

There is no way they comped it 100%. I think they gave them a discount and allowed for outside vendors such as the aunts with the flowers and cake, as well as the photographers. I haven't seen what the menu was for the reception, but that's another area that might have been negotiated if she got someone to comp it and Castleton Farms to not charge an outsider fee. Outside vendors are not normally allowed, but that can be negotiated sometimes if there is a perk for the venue.

I did an event at a similar location. They would play with those numbers, but they weren't giving anything away for free. This event that I planned was getting national and some international coverage. I had to agree to have so many mentions of the name in talking points and interviews were set in front of a monument with the location name. They agreed to provide things like bottled water for free, but even that was branded with the logo so you couldn't help but see it. 

UP would not bring in enough eyes on the screen to get a place that stays pretty booked to comp it completely. If Castleton Farms did, they need to fire their sales and marketing staff for a stupid decision, as the ROI would never match what they could have earned from a non-reality show bride.  

Edited by RebeccatheWriter
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On 5/27/2019 at 9:45 PM, cereality said:

So I imagine they got a huge COMP from Castleton Farms for their wedding? It is a real wedding venue and looks gorgeous – I can’t see how lunch/dinner there is less than $100/head (maybe less since it’s the rural south) and they had 500 guests!? In any event, it was a REAL wedding venue for the first time. I know the Bates do it better than the Duggars – we haven’t seen any parking lot receptions with dixie cups of ice cream. But as I recall from Erin and Tori’s weddings – it was just church basement receptions with punch and cake; Josie’s appeared to be at that house/venue at the state park where they married and that also looked like a quick punch and cake and then we’re off to have sex type of reception. Michael was also a church reception, but I seem to recall theirs involved at least casual food – bc Kelly was planning out how much BBQ chicken was needed. We never saw Alyssa’s but I imagine punch and cake and we want to get out of there ASAP to get to the hotel.

Tori had a baked potato bar at her reception. She also had a small wedding in terms of attendance, as it was close to Christmas, invitations were late, and there were a lot of empty seats/tight camera shots. Erin, Alyssa, and Zach (first wedding) had cake and punch per the pictures. Michaela got the family she babysat/nannied for to cook from their restaurant (termed loosely) to do BBQ sandwiches and tea/lemonade. Josie appeared to have light appetizers and cake.

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As I'm watching now, I'm just rolling my eyes at how Kelly and Gil always have their arms intertwined and are touching each other's thighs.

The married couples also do this, but it's just awkward that Kelly and Gil, no matter how wonderful their marriage may be, have this over the top public display of affection.

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11 hours ago, answerphone said:

As I'm watching now, I'm just rolling my eyes at how Kelly and Gil always have their arms intertwined and are touching each other's thighs.

The married couples also do this, but it's just awkward that Kelly and Gil, no matter how wonderful their marriage may be, have this over the top public display of affection.

They are really sort of awkward with each other for having been together so long. Even when they are showing them kissing hello or sitting together at a restaurant they have this weird spacial thing where they don't seem to know if they are doing things right or not. 

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Whitney, bless her heart, has certainly gotten more beautiful as the years have gone by! I know she’s lost a lot of weight, but she has such style now.  Really, all the girls are more stylish now.  Wonder if they had some help amping up their game.

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I recently saw some old Bates footage with Whitney expecting their first child. That woman has done something to herself besides lighten her hair and lose weight. Her face is different; she looks like a different person. Can't put my finger on it, I think she has had some work done. Yes, they all have had teeth whitening. Whitney needs to be mindful of her big, gummy smile. It's not flattering. Quit smiling so 'hard' and 'big'. 

As far as Carlin's nice, classy wedding, I still can't imagine how her family afforded such a nice wedding for 500. The food looked nice but they set it out right outside? I could imagine the flies and bugs landing on that food. It also was very hot that day. Did they provide any seating for their guests to eat?

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15 hours ago, Kiss my mutt said:

Maybe jaw surgery?

I'm not sure what she had done, but the early video/pics of her show her with a much more prominent lower half of her face. She smiles more broadly than she did when we first started seeing her on the show. That could be it, but that doesn't explain why there is even a difference when she doesn't smile.

Maybe it's simply the way she wears her hair now versus then or different makeup, but there is something different there. 

I'm not thinking surgery, as she still has a prominent one (just not as big as it was before). Maybe she had some sort of dental procedure that affected her jaw alignment? Or maybe it is a weight thing?

15 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:

When would she have had time? She got knocked up with Bradley practically on the honeymoon.

Looking at images of her on Google, she appears to have the more prominent jaw and chin through her pregnancy with Bradley and maybe even Kaci. So it was a while after the wedding before she started looking different. 

That also lends itself to the idea that it is weight related. When her face is rounder, it is more noticeable than when she is at her thinnest and you can make out her cheeks more. 

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I think Whitney definitely had some sort of corrective or cosmetic work done to the lower half of her face. She was a bit pudgier when she got married, but I don't think her weight loss is that significant to create such a drastic before/after. 

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16 hours ago, BitterApple said:

I think Whitney definitely had some sort of corrective or cosmetic work done to the lower half of her face. She was a bit pudgier when she got married, but I don't think her weight loss is that significant to create such a drastic before/after. 

My guess is that it is a combo of things.

I had a corrective procedure done to move my jaw forward (done with retainer looking things) to help with sleep apnea. They had me sign paperwork saying that I understood that it could potentially change the shape of my lower face. Mine didn't change, but still, they did warn me. From what I was told, it could make your jaw area more or less pronounced.

I still can't figure out her chin though. I studied (way too much) her photos yesterday. Her chin was very pronounced (long) in their wedding photos and during the later part of her pregnancies. The photos of her right after Kaci was born are like a different person. Around the time of her real estate launch, her lower part of her face is much thinner and defined. But then in the latest People photos of her with Zach and the kids and the ultrasound pics, her chin looks longer again. 

I just spent way too long looking at her pictures. 



 

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Well I guess Chad’s dog years of aging continues as they’re expecting baby #4. No surprise really as we heard Chad saying at a dr appt when Erin was pregnant with #3 - we need a brother for Carson . . . . How does this dude not look back to 5 years ago at age 27 and not miss his life? Watched just a few min of last weeks Zach and Whit special and Chad stops by to help with Bradley’s nursery — he looks like a different guy — younger and genuinely happy.

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2 hours ago, cereality said:

Well I guess Chad’s dog years of aging continues as they’re expecting baby #4. No surprise really as we heard Chad saying at a dr appt when Erin was pregnant with #3 - we need a brother for Carson . . . . How does this dude not look back to 5 years ago at age 27 and not miss his life? Watched just a few min of last weeks Zach and Whit special and Chad stops by to help with Bradley’s nursery — he looks like a different guy — younger and genuinely happy.

Does he think a boy is guaranteed to even up the odds?  That's not working for Alyssa.

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Have watched parts of the specials aired in the last few weeks.  Across the board, I can’t help but notice how much weight Tori, Carlin, Josie, and Katie have lost in the last few years.  In addition to modernizing their look even more, hair, makeup etc., you can tell there’s also weight loss involved.  Reinforces my theory that all 4 of them have been shrewd about landing themselves a handsome fundie man while they’re still 20-21 before all the good ones are snatched up and they’re left with the John David Duggar types.  Seems like they 100% went to Crown to meet their husband – whether he be a student there or the brother/cousin etc. of another student, and they sure as hell were going to make sure that happened during the college years.  They weren’t going to be like Erin who just ended up getting lucky that Chad noticed her at some banquet or Michael who noticed Brandon and then spent years praying that his sisters would poke him in the ribs and tell him she was the one.

Interesting that Carlin has already moved Evan to her area, rather than even doing the “good wifely duty” of moving to where her man was even for a year or 2 to show that he’s the headship.  Post honeymoon she posted a pic of them standing at their house/apt door and she states it’s good to have their first home in East Tenn. Again – shrewder than what a “true” fundie woman is supposed to be.

Josie and Kelton seem obsessed with themselves if you look at their Instagram pics.  And Josie isn’t doing the sisters’ boutique but has her own “Josie’s Boutique.” WTH!? Is she trying to separate from the fam even though she’s not moving away like Alyssa did? And I love that all the husbands are now roped into the sisters’ boutique as well – they showed an IG video of Chad and Bobby sitting on laptops handling “finance,” Brandon, Evan, and Zach packaging the dresses etc.  These women hold down no employment – they really can’t ship out 10 dresses/wk w/o their men??

Looks like Alyssa and John did a 5 yr anniversary photoshoot when they came to Knox for Carlin’s wedding.  I will say marriage suits those two.  They haven’t aged a bit in 5 years – even though John is 29, working at 2 businesses, they have 3 kids back to back, and Alyssa just underwent a heart procedure. That being said, I hope they slow down the baby making.  Alyssa posted on IG again that she isn’t feeling well, has had to go back to the cardiologist etc. It may not be medically required to not make babies, but why do these women continue to torture their bodies for more when there are other health problems? Or maybe try one more time for a boy and then live with what you get and be done w 4.

And last thought – in every special, when they do some “special” reveal to tell Gil/Kelly they’re expecting, Kelly’s SCREAMING like a loon is freaking ridiculous. I get it.  They want 10000000 grandkids bc each is a gift, but get a grip.  When a daughter who has a husband and isn’t using birth control hands you a card or blanket or picture and you don’t know what it is – WTH do you think it is announcing? That she got accepted to med school? That she is graduating #1 from her ivy league law school?

Sad that the only time you’re celebrated in these families is at your wedding + announcing a pregnancy + when people are looking at your crotch as you push.  The end of baby making must be a bitch for these women.

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2 hours ago, BitterApple said:

With so many of the marrieds involved in the boutique, you have to wonder how long it will be before the inevitable bad blood develops over money and division of labor. 

True. 10 adults involved in one very small business?? Maybe Josie and Kelton thought better of it, but to me it’s still weird that she goes and starts her own clothing thing; just don’t do a side business or pick another one — like you know, hair related?? Hopefully they’ve agreed to split any profit or expenses 5 ways no matter what, or else I can see this breaking down along fundie lines — why do Brandon and Michael need so much, they don’t even have a family to support; or why can’t we dump more work on them, it’s not like they have to get home ASAP to kids like we do.

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On 6/15/2019 at 12:25 AM, Misslindsey said:

I do not think Josie has anything to do with Josie's Boutique. That store has been in existence for many years. I think it is just a store that she likes.

In the episode where she turns 18 and Kelton takes her for ice cream with her mother and a friend (maybe a sister or two too), they stop in at Josie's Boutique for a present from Kelly Jo. Kelly Jo referred to it as a shop Josie liked and would frequent whenever she could.

I like Josie's style better than some of the sisters. Her clothing appears much higher quality than the Bates Sisters Boutique. I realize the leg humpers all ask her where she got her clothes, but I can't help but think I would consider it a slap in the face if my sister was naming another business for the same thing I was trying to launch. 

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The only. sister that I noticed having lost a lot of weight is Katie. Her face is very different from a few years ago. She looks beautiful.  Josie and Carlin have always been slim especially Josie who is very petite.  Tori has put on weight since she got married and had her baby. She will probably take it off but she seems to take after Kelly Jo more than Josie, Alyssa, and Carlin. They are all very pretty ladies. 

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15 hours ago, 65mickey said:

The only. sister that I noticed having lost a lot of weight is Katie. Her face is very different from a few years ago. She looks beautiful.  Josie and Carlin have always been slim especially Josie who is very petite.  Tori has put on weight since she got married and had her baby. She will probably take it off but she seems to take after Kelly Jo more than Josie, Alyssa, and Carlin. They are all very pretty ladies. 

Tori was a bit heavier prior to dating Bobby and slimmed down considerably prior to their wedding. Part of that is her resemblance to Kelly, who does carry her weight around the middle (even prior to so many pregnancies). The other part is the way she dresses. Carlin, Josie, and Alyssa tend to wear dresses rather than skirts and tops. The skirt and top look cuts body off and makes a person look more square. This is especially true with what seems to be Tori's favorite of jean skirts that have no flow. Add in the layers of the vests and cardigans and they also add to that squared off look. 

Erin and Tori have both carried their pregnancies similarly with the rounded belly. Josie and Alyssa have carried theirs similarly too with part of the weight in their abdomens and a noticeable rounding of their faces toward the end. 

Katie has slimmed down quite a bit since her early teen years. 

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The young adults in the Bates family seem to be surprisingly not very knowledgeable about pregnancy and childbirth. "I guess I wasn't paying attention when they talked about morning sickness." (or a similar statement).

I'm blaming home schooling, isolation, and being raised with the idea everything's wonderful once you marry at 18 and start birthin' babies on a yearly basis.

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(edited)

Looks like Katie has gotten on the influencer bandwagon. She’s shilling for Fabletics.... an interesting choice since she’s unable to rock those leggings sans skirts... these fundie women must be reeling in some $$$ because they are all promoting now. Bates & Duggars both. Carlin hit up Function Of (a personalized shampoo) yesterday & poor Jill Duggar is still pushing frumptastic clothes from Citrus & Lemon. I thought the headships were supposed to supply all the family funds???

I think they may be loosening the reigns. First Katie got a short haircut & now she’s shilling leggings!! She’s going to be kissing boys soon! Lol... jk. 

Edited by LongDenimFrumper
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(edited)

I saw them on one of the Bates girl's IG. They put Kelly in the same dress, and she looked ridiculous. Michael was the third model. 

Edited by Sew Sumi
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On 7/13/2019 at 6:00 PM, Sew Sumi said:

I saw them on one of the Bates girl's IG. They put Kelly in the same dress, and she looked ridiculous. Michael was the third model. 

None of these women and girls are very good at the modeling thing, but Kelly Jo is hilariously bad at it. She's always playing with a big floppy hat or acting like she thinks a model should act. I can appreciate that they use her to model some of the larger sizes, but it is distracting at this point. I would think it would curb sales a bit, as I wouldn't want to look like her in those dresses. 

Marketing for clothing normally falls into two categories. 1. Pictures and descriptions that I can relate to as a person (some fantasy there because few of us want to see a model looking just like us in every way). This works best for clothing that I want to buy and wear now. 2. Pictures and descriptions of someone I want to aspire to be. This works as a motivator. I want to be able to look as good in that outfit. 

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