Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
The prolific Duggar family and 18 of their 19 kids were on The Today Show this morning to promote their latest book, A Love That Multiplies. I just caught their interview with Kathy Lee and Hoda when I switched on the TV. NBC didn’t put that one online yet, but they do have another interview that the family did earlier with Matt and Meredith. (that video is above.)
Some of the other times we’ve seen the Duggars on The Today Show they’ve been announcing one of mom Michelle’s many pregnancies. She’s made it clear that she will keep trying as long as she can, and repeated that this morning. To Kathie Lee and Hoda, Michelle said “We would love more, they’re precious gifts,” and added that this was the longest time she’s gone between pregnancies. Michelle, 44, had her 19th baby prematurely in December, 2009. Little Josie was just 22 ounces at birth and had to be cared for in the neonatal unit of the hospital for four months until she was released. She’s thriving now and the Duggars are ready for another one. It might not happen for Michelle, but she’s about to welcome another Duggar baby soon anyway. Her daughter-in-law is due to have her second child in just two weeks.
The Duggar kids told Matt and Meredith that they wanted to have large families when they get older. One of the older daughters said it’s nice to have your best friend be your sibling, and when Matt asked if any of them wanted to have smaller families no one raised their hand.
Dad Jim-Bob explained that the book is about “why we do what we do” and “what makes us tick” along with the “Bible principles behind” their life philosophy. He explained that they make ends meet by staying out of debt, renting out properties and “buying used and saving the difference.” You can read an excerpt from the Duggar’s book on The Today Show website. It’s the part leading up to Michelle’s premature labor with Josie. She had pre-eclampsia and almost died, but thankfully both Michelle and the baby recovered and are fine now.
On a purely superficial note, why has Michelle reverted back to her permed hair with the round 80s bangs? Her hair was looking slightly improved lately, and she was brushing her bangs to the side like her lookalike daughters, but this is disappointing.
I honestly don’t know how I feel about the Duggars. Michelle kind of creeps me out with that baby voice and the kind of delusional way she seems to operate in the world, but she’s happy, she seems to adore her husband and her kids seem happy and well behaved. I’ve tried to watch their show but frankly it’s just too boring.
I honestly think it is spousal abuse when a husband continues to impregnate his wife year after year after year after year. Even if she is a crazy ass bitch and says she wants to keep having children as long as God is providing them to her, I still think the husband has a responsibility to make sure his wife doesn’t keep getting pregnant year after year after f’ing year.
got-dayum that woman needs a new ‘do!
I think her childbearing days are pretty much over. They may be able to make it an even 20 but it’s almost time.
Their hair freaks me out!
Never trust a man with the “Jesus-Channel” slicked-back hair and a woman with curly hair and perfectly straight bangs. There’s something inherently wrong about that kind of hair.
Now, on to seriousness!
I would LOVE to have another baby (the youngest just turned 2; the elders are almost 21 and 17, who is graduating from HS in 3 days) BUT…
Having my little one nearly killed me. I was in the hospital for a week after having him via emergency C-section. He was fine. I nearly died. (They could not, for the life of them, control my elevated blood pressure. But they did manage to stop my bleeding.)
It is MORE IMPORTANT to me to be ALIVE to raise my little boy (and be around for his older siblings) than to give him a sibling.
We will foster or adopt. We just can’t risk having another baby, no matter how much we want it.
I’m actually relieved she’s not pregnant. The whole set up is offensive, not because of having kids or religious beliefs, but because there is no choice in the family. No one is brought up to question anything. It’s all indoctrination. And it’s not based on the person, but on their gender. Ick ick ick.
I wanna see HIM actually make the babies …then we would see if still he wanna have more kids. Sicko
Those people are babie hoarders. Would be fine, but each older child is “assigned” a child to take care of. Easy to have a litter when your not the one raising them. Feel so very sorry for the older kids.
I wonder if their book touches on the fact that they belong to a cult that actively discourages sending their kids to college because they might have to be “under the authority” of unbelievers? Or if they admit that their older daughters are basically indentured servants who spend their days raising their younger siblings, and are forbidden to leave home unless Jim Bob personally approves their marriage to a like-minded fundie boy? Or that Michelle quit raising those children personally years ago and hands each baby off to a “buddy” the minute it’s weaned? Or that the cult they espouse believes women are inferior to and should be subservient to men at all times?
The Duggars leave a lot out when they go on TV. Look up Bill Gothard and the Advanced Training Institute for some details on how they live their lives.
Maybe after the near death experience, Jim Bob finally got snipped.
He is not going to find a new wife willing to come into that home of kids. So he better take care of this one.
And I have long suspected that Michelle is not that meek, when the camera’s aren’t around.
I can see her screaming and beating on those kids like a cheap pinata… when left alone! š
@ NoFrank – I’m sure not. They wouldn’t want to look bad, you know.
I don’t care what other women do with the contents of their uteri, frankly, but that hair is an abomination.
lol I bet the people at the Today Show just do her hair however they want her to look
I wonder if any of the kids really do want a different life, but are afraid to say so. Seems like none of those kids, especially the girls, will ever have a chance to experience anything different.
They can do whatever they want. If their kids don’t like it–when they turn 18 they can leave.
And don’t tell me they won’t be able to leave–there’s nothing the media would love more than helping little Jedidiah or whoever escape his “chains”
They can try all they want to sell that lifestyle but it ain’t gonna take. The rest of us (for the most part) have progressed and evolved.
@NoFrank… COSIGN!
That’s why, no matter now nice and sweet etc they seem, the vague creepiness always comes out. Can’t hide the cult mentality they eep out.
And I personally think the mother has issues she covers with christianity. I think behind the scenes, she is majorly manipulative, and staying preggers is her way of remaining the queen bee everyone must cater to.
I feel sorry for the older daughters that are stuck raising the kids their holy mother keeps popping out.
Was thinking the same thing about her hair. Terrible hair..but then again with that many children when would you have time to do your hair? I barely have time to do mine with two little boys asking a million questions and needing a million things every morning. LOL.
Still…I think these people are nuts. Sad that their kids are totally falling for their nonsense about multiplying.
Will someone please send Octomom a copy if this book? That woman is always in new designer clothes, has blown through enough money to afford her family for a lifetime but now claims to be so broke she can’t pay for her house. Octonut needs public assistance for 14 kids but this family manages just fine.
My grandmother and I have watched the show from time to time, and she was mostly lukewarm about ol’ Jim Bob. But her hate for him got REAL when he spent like an hour doing his hair in one episode. I think they were leaving for some kind of trip, so pregnant Michelle is running around getting the kids ready and doing stuff and he’s just in the bathroom, destroying the ozone layer with a billion coats of hair spray and product and God knows what.
I think John David is going to be the one to break off and go all “crazy” and what have you.
That poor woman’s uterus! Dear God, give it a rest and raise what you got Michelle. If she didn’t learn anything from the last pregnancy, I don’t know what! Yes, the Bible says be fruitful and multiply but it also says use good judgment. EEEEEEKKKk! š
@ Novaraen – That’s why mine is “au naturale” – long; straight; down to my rear; and in a braid, pony-tail, or bun.
I think she would have gotten pregnant by now if they weren’t being careful about it. I don’t think they gave it a second thought before but since her health was jeopardized and they had the last baby so early, they are using more common sense. Otherwise, they are a sweet family that loves each other and are doing better financially than most small families. It’s not a lifestyle for everyone, but you’ve got to admit they’ve handled themselves well.
I’m sure these people make a good amount of money from this show. Please get a makeover woman. That 80’s hair is hideous. Also please stop breeding the world is already over populated as it is.
They may be a little whackadoodle about having kids, but I’ll give them credit: Those kids are extremely well behaved and exhibit great manners. They are healthy and have good personalities and are just very “nice” people.
They are lucky that both she and the baby survived this time. Next time, they might not be so lucky.
I might also add that while the baby may now be a year and a half old, they are without a doubt still dealing with the consequences of her prematurity. Extremely premature babies are NOT just small babies. Most babies born so early and so small require specialized medical care for several years, in addition to multiple therapies to catch up with their full term peers. It is not an easy path, having been there myself, and I hope the mother is on top of things and not passing it off to one of the teenage daughters.
They say that now. I come from a large family I’m 1 of 16 and although we liked that we always could count on each other as friends none of us have come anywhere close to double digit kids. All 5 or less and most have just 2 kids. Maybe the duggar kids think it’s easy because their parents are basically getting paid to pop out more kids.
Ugh. These two make me sick. But irresponsible breeding always does. The world is crowded enough without the Duggar clan contributing. It’s further sickening that the second generation is already churning them out. I find nothing endearing about these people.
@ Dorothy-I noticed that as well. There were a lot of instances where Michelle Duggar wasn’t even holding her new baby. One of the older kids was doing it instead. It seemed like every younger kid had a free babysitter in an older sibling.
You would think all of the health issues she had with the most recent child would make her think twice about getting pregnant again. She is now much more at risk of having a special needs baby than ever. You can’t just palm a special needs child off on an older sibling.
I seriously think Michelle is addicted to being pregnant. The whole time she’s been married she’s been pregnant. For the first time in her marriage she’s not. She will soon face menopause and will deal with being a grandmother instead. I think she will have to come to terms with that and seek therapy. No longer will she feel life growing inside of her; which I think she gets an emotional high from, and no longer will she get special attention from her family and peers that she’s used to getting when she was a pregnant woman. On a positive note, she should be satisfied to know that she’s been blessed with a huge family because some women can’t even have one and she’s had 19.
I think they bring all the kids to interviews because they know they won’t be asked hard questions or face criticism with them there.
I can’t stand these people. Just because you CAN doesn’t mean you should. And anyone who justifies their extreme lifestyle based on relgion, make me just barf. He’s a vaginal terrorist.
He creeps me out.
They obviously also save money by Michelle doing her own awful hairdo. She looks like Xtina in a really bad wig!
the hair drives me crazy but also the long skirts worn by the girls. they really live in a different century.
@the original bellaluna – You forgot to mention don’t trust anyone with the name “Jim Bob”. I mean how tacky can you get with that. And @The Reporter – I agree with you, although, I think she is addicted to the attention and being special I don’t think it is anything biological but then again I am very cynical and distrusting of them.
There’s a good book on the religious movement the Duggars are part of, _Quiverfull_. Personally, I like her, but having grown up in the middle of Bibleland, Alabama, the type of guy Jim Bob is is way too familiar. I can’t believe they’ve given all their children names beginning with J.
Her body must be wrecked.
@Original Bellaluna: G’friend… so much about your personal experience resonated with me! I had my second baby 2 years ago at 41 yrs old – preclamsia and an emergency c section, already planned for a tubal ligation, so we’re done. I’ve been on blood pressure meds ever since. Two days of being doped up on Potassium after delivery pretty much was a good sign that we’d made the right choice to have my tubes tied. Everytime I read about this Dugger woman, I want to shake her! What part of “you could die next time and leave your children motherless” does she NOT understand?!?
My oldest brother was 21 when my twin and I was born, and our oldest sister was 17 :). My parents only passed recently. I sure am glad to have my older siblings, who have always acted as second parents to me. It has made losing my beloved mom and dad easier in many ways. Your children are blessed š
The Duggers are part of the Quiverfull Movement. It is a conservative Christian group that strive to have as many children as the Lord will allow.
@Novarean – LOLZ, dang girl – two little boys, we are living parallel lives! My showers are less frequent, and forget about “me time.” I wouldn’t trade it for anything (they’re only little for a while, and I love making the sacrifices for them – I waited so long to have them! But I can’t imagine having 20 – I would be rocking back and forth in a corner somewhere. No wonder Michelle Duggar looks so awful – I haven had a haircut since Feb, and I’ve only got two at home! Twenty? I’d be drinking. A lot. All day long LOLZ!
B, you are right, the world is crowded enough. I really wish their 15 minutes would expire already.
IT’S THEIR LIVES. THEIR BODIES. THE KIDS ARE WELL-BEHAVED. THEY SUPPORT THEIR KIDS(AND HAVE BEEN EVEN BEFORE THEIR REALITY SHOW) NO WAY WOULD I CONSIDER HAVING ALL THOSE CHILDREN BUT THAT’S MY OPINION. PEOPLE SHOULD STOP CRITIZING THEM AFTER ALL THEY ARE NOT HURTING ANYONE
To the poster who remarked how “well behaved” they are: These people are not “allowed” to be upfront about any less than positive feelings or engage in any non-church sanctioned behavior. Stepford family. I was raised in a religious cult from birth to graduation from seminary. I know this crap all too well. Brainwashing.
Why do people give these nut jobs press? Sickening.
Total 80’s hair. Cracks me up!
@Trillion-ITA. I was raised the same way. We were “perfect” in public and negative feelings or assertion of ourselves (if it inconvenienced the family or besmirched the family image), of any sort, was shamed out of you, or spanked out of you. We all used to say we were having big families too. It was unthinkable to have any other belief , if you come from that type background. Small families are not holy familes, unless it’s some sort of infertility situation …in which case probably the woman is disobedient to her husband and that’s why she’s not fertile. That’s the mindset. We pitied women with few or heaven forbid no children. When you believe kids are God “blessing” you you think, maybe this lady is being punished. I feel bad for the Duggar kids. The kids are treated like nannies. But they just suck it up and I was an oldest girl and did the exact same thing. All I ever did was care for siblings, laundry, dishes, make oatmeal, clean the house, change diapers, give baths, etc.Ms. Duggar has the typical emotionless/personality-less niceness going on. It’s all image, weird ideology. Every added child gives the existing children less attention and resources. I guarantee you some of those kids have severe emotional needs, unmet, and the parents are clueless. No bueno.
a friend of mine lost her first girl because she was a premmie, and the second had to be taken out because of preclampsia. she almost had liver failure because of the blood pressure, and a bunch of other consequences… and her 2nd girl died within a moth, she had too low weight.
She vowed not to bring more babies to suffer like hat, and risk her life!
I cannot endure a woman tha knows she can have a baby in those conditions, because she surely can have preclamsia again. she should raise what God already gave her, she is already lucky to have had so many healthy children.
I really don’t understand the vicious criticism of this family. Sure, they are a little creepy but who are they hurting? They support themselves and are a good example of a loving family who are committed to each other.
And this rot that Michelle doesn’t raise her children is ridiculous. It’s obvious that each child looks to her as mother figure and demands “mommy” time from her. I think it is beautiful how they assign a younger child to each older one. It forms even stronger bonds in the family. What does it hurt that older child to see that the little one is up and dressed each day? To say it is being raised by the older child is just stupid. Weird numbers or not it is clear that this family is close and loving. How many families can say that these days?
Where I do draw the line is Michelle risking herself again. It would be selfish for her to risk dying and leaving all these children motherless. On the other hand, isn’t it possible that the God they worship is capable of seeing her days of conceiving are over? It sure would put a crimp in their witness is she dies having another one.
Maybe she prefers being pregnant to having to climb up on top of Jim Bob every night. I’m sure they don’t do it as much when she’s gestating.
Oh, and @@ to their Biblical principles of staying out of debt – they’d invariably be in MASSIVE debt if not for pimping out their kids for a TV show and getting freebies.
@ bellaluna, I left you a reply to your message. You know where to find it.
after 20 kids, I just feel bad for her when she sneezes….
To celebrate this sort of “breeding” is shocking. Since the learning channel is paying them just like the Kate and her brood, they keep on popping out babies. Once she is unable to have more children (please God soon!), They will encourage their kids to breed. If it weren’t for the older children taking care of the younger ones, this woman would not be able to cope. I can’t watch this program.
@ Those who mentioned the Quiverfull Movement, I find it very ironic that the man responsible for the Movement never married or had children of his own.
Are we so sure they aren’t hurting anybody?
The world is already overpopulated and has limited resources. It is not especially thoughtful to add another 19 people in one family to an already-crowded earth.
The Quiverfull Movement is ALL about babies – repopulating America with lots of white Christian babies. They say children are “an heritage of the Lord” (www.quiverfull.com) but they don’t seem very interested in adopting the homeless, unwanted, disadvantaged children who could really use the love. Apparently all children are not created equal.
The Duggars are also Creationists who homeschool their children – so their kids are growing up believing Noah put dinosaurs on the Ark. I understand everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, but I am not happy about another 19 people voting against things like women’s rights, sex education, teaching evolution in school, etc. Back to the seventh century we go.
The Duggars’ views are not appropriate for the 21st century, and I think it’s a shame they won’t consider adopting. Creepy Jim-Bob wants his “quiver full” of his own progeny.
@NoFrank – Thank you.
@chickieboo – Get of the damn caps lock button. Your point can still be made without abusing the caps.
I believe a lot of people have an issue with the fact that these people get off from paying property taxes (claiming their home to be a church thus tax exempt. – Don’t even get me started on how wrong it is to mix church and state in that manner).
Plus, oh, I don’t know, could it be the whoring out your entire family for a price tends to cause a general loss of respect from the masses.
Least we get on the topic of how Michelle doesn’t really raise her children anymore, she just oversees the task as it is done by her older daughters.
Michelle deserves the same level of concern (and distate) that is given to Octomom. They’re both addicted to having babies. At least Octomom has the balls to admit it.
LMAO at daisydoodle! I hope she practises her kegel exercises daily!
I think Michelle has some serious psychological issues. To want to risk her own life to have another baby is insane.
Also, I’d be surprised if any of the kids end up having such a large family. My grandma was one of 17 kids, and she and some of her older sisters had to leave school early just to help take care of the kids. Neither she or any of her siblings has had more than 4 kids.
Michele seems genuinely nice and so are the rest of the family.
There is no drama, no pregnant teens, meth addicts or gangstas. No fights over who gets the new droid or who broke the PSP. And Jim Bob acts like Michele is the hottest mama ever! haha
You gotta love that!!
Jim Bob needs to cut the crap about how they don’t have debt, shop on sale, blah, blah. Such bullsh*t! He makes his money from their television show, specials, television appearances, magazine publicity, and now books. They are no different than Kate Gosselin, except they are still trying to breed!
It annoys me when people praise them, but hate on other reality tv families. These freaks are worse, since they use their kids as slave labor. At least Kate has housekeepers and her kids get to escape for school. These poor kids are stuck as indoctrinated indentured servants. I am waiting for the tell all book. No way are all of these kids going to stay brainwashed. One will break away one day and we’ll get the real story, which is probably dark and ugly.
Dang, every time those Duggars show up on the Today Show they look more and more outdated. What happened to Michelle’s hair? It was looking okay last year, now it’s all permed and stuck in the 80’s big hair. Jim Bob with his frozen in place hair, hahahahahahaha. But the amount of hairspray he goes through is horribly eco-stupid. What does he look like just with regular hair? It might not be all that bad?
If Jim Bob and Michelle have baby 20, lawds sake, I’ll be gobsmacked. I wondered how they paid for all the medical bills for Josie? She was in the hospital for months wasn’t it? And if the Duggars are not on Medicare or some sort of social assistance, the medical care was not free.
I really wonder why none of the older kids ever went to college. Didn’t a couple of the gals want to be midwives? They’d have to go to college for midwifery training, although I guess they could take some classes via distance education but to get accreditation they need to get some sort of post-secondary education, right? And getting more education seems to be a no-no for females in the Duggar family. I mean Jana, Jill, and Jessa are college-age and they don’t do anything but babysit their younger siblings.
Maybe there’s hope for the male children to escape the Duggar commune, but Josh didn’t go to college, and neither has John David or
I remember one show where the Bates family was in it. One of the Bates’ older female children was an accomplished pianist and actually won a scholarship to a university, but her father said she wouldn’t be going. I thought that was a bit shocking.
@daisydoodle, she’s probably been wearing Depends since baby number 6!
I’m tired of hearing how well-behaved the Duggar kids are, therefore the Duggars are a-okay. Robotically obeying his highness Jim Bob does not equal happiness and fulfillment.
I agree they are a horrible drain on the planet’s resources, but know this – they don’t give a rat’s ass. On the whole, very religious Christians don’t, because the point of life is getting to be with the Lord. Not every one, there are Christians who DO care, but some have this view of “this life doesn’t matter, it’s only temporary”, etc. So that argument doesn’t dissuade them in the slightest.
@ CooCoo – I was healthy my whole pregnancy! But when I went into labour (I was in labour for over 36 hours) I guess things just went hinky! I called my right thigh “the pin cushion” because they gave me so many shots to try to bring my BP down. 7 days in the hospital.
(And can you believe we still have family asking us when we’re going to give him a brother?)
Thank you for sharing about your older sibs – it makes my heart happy! My oldest adores his little brother, so I can totally see this in their future.
More children? WTF? These people are child hoarders. I agree with jc126 they are a VERY horrible drain on our planet’s resources! Selfish pigs.
Jim Bob is a former state legislator, who served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2002. From what I’ve read the entire family gets free health care for the rest of their lives. So who pays….the taxpayers.
Not sure about what is meant by Josie “thriving”. She spent the first 4-5 months of her life in the hospital. At 1 year of age, pics as well as Mama Duggar’s ramblings of her progress clearly indicated that Josie was VERY behind developmentally.
EDIT – Well, okay, not exactly “healthy”…I was deathly ill with 24-hour morning sickness, and had vertigo to boot! Couldn’t treat the vertigo (pregnant) so I crawled around the house for about 3 months. It was fall or crawl – I chose crawl.
My baby’s pediatrician (in the hospital) explained to us what they think happens sometimes with women who are otherwise “fine” during pregnancy: They now think some of the baby’s cells were exchanged into my system, causing the sudden auto-immune response (eclampsia) and making me so deathly ill, but not until labour. (Baby boy was 22 days early but still weighed in at 8lbs, 9oz.)
I think that pediatrician is onto something!
I just keep remembering an elderly friend from a very large family (10 if I recall) telling me how they all used to fight over who would get to take care of the new baby when mama and baby came home from the hospital.
I’m not so sure having the older children help raise the youngers is deleterious in any way. Back in the day it is how it was done when large families were more common.
Anyhoodle, these folks are nuts. Their Biblical views are not based on any thoughtful perusal of the Bible, that is for sure.
@Vesper I believe you are correct. Thanks to the wonderful “enabler” laws for govt elected “officials,” all of their lovely family members get Medicare (OMG- Not the Medicare!) for life. They don’t pay taxes on their compound b/c they claim it’s a church and religious “sanctuary.” I don’t think any needy babies get left on their doorstep, though.
They live off their media deals and out of the pockets of his congregation.
While I have 3 children, 12,10 and 2, I could not see myself forcing the older two to spend their whole lives caring for siblings they did not chose to “make.” We aren’t in the “old days,” (most of us) aren’t living on family-run farms, and there is no excuse to running a female uterus into the ground based on the “need to populate the Earth.” If you choose (not God) to have babies and put your life on the line, you should be the one taking care of them!
They have found and exploited as many legal and financial loopholes as possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are incorporated to draw credit cards, or better yet, ssing their children’s SSNs to draw credit cards and loans.
Home schooling your horde of children b/c you are afraid they will see how contemporary American society works is sick.
A good portion of the Duggars belief system involves something called “Dominionism”, which holds that men were given dominion over the earth and the sea and therefore can do whatever the hell they want with it. Plus — and this is a big tenet of that belief system — Jesus is coming soon so why is everyone worried about “saving the planet”? Dominionists think that the only people who will be left behind are the ungodly and who cares about them.
I have to say, though, the Duggars are not tax-exempt. They don’t claim their home as a church, and they did build the whole thing themselves. However it took them almost 8 years and the only reason they finished it was because TLC stepped in and used the finishing of the house as one of their “specials” on the family. TLC did all of the finishing work, paid for the decorating, etc. About the medicare, I don’t know.
And for those who think Michelle really is “mommy” to the younger kids, watch the show closely. When any of the little ones (Hannie, Jennifer, Jordyn) get hurt or need help they don’t go to Michelle, they go to whichever of the older girls is their “buddy”, because that’s who raised them. From the time they are weaned, Michelle puts the baby in a crib next to the bed of the daughter who will be caring for it and that’s it. She doesn’t get up in the night, Jill or Joy or Jessa or Jinger gets up with the baby. Which is just wrong, if you ask me. You birth the baby, you take care of it.
I’m sure they had more help with that 20 acre majesty than car sales. I thought I read that they even had a restaurant style Coke fountain station in the kitchen. Yay product placement! Didn’t they list contributors in their building special? It was a long time ago. I remember thinking that there must be professionals off camera. My father is a master electrician. I’ve seen many “kit homes” from those we-help-you-build homesteader companies and the 30 days-and-done homes. The Duggar house looks polished as fuck!
19? natural minor children x $1000 + credits.
Even paying property taxes, I’m sure they just recycled it through the fed/state system. I thought I read here that most of their properties are rentals, which pay for themselves in “market pricing,” no doubt.
@No Frank: I agree that the most disturbing thing is the lack of parental attention. They are a number and a name, and by gods they will continue to make money to prove how great their situation is.
I watched the show and Jimbob to me seems totally gay – how could a straight man use that much hairspray?
Look at that picture of all of them. Now imagine it’s an African-American family. They would experience scorn and derision, not fat paychecks from a reality TV show.
The Duggars are gross, and I’m not convinced that woman is happy at all.
@NoFrank – “The Duggars leave a lot out when they go on TV. Look up Bill Gothard and the Advanced Training Institute for some details on how they live their lives.”
I hadn’t known anything specific about this until reading your post, & taking your advice to look up Gothard & the Duggar’s religious beliefs.
I consider myself to be a very open-minded ‘Live & let live’ sort of person. But there’s very few things that anger me quicker than the idiotic ‘Patriarchal Superiority Complex’, claiming that Women were created inferior to men, & exist only to serve him & bare children (or risk going against God’s Law)
The way it’s been described truly paints women as little better than livestock, owned by their father until he decides who will be her husband (almost like going to the highest bidder at auction) then the woman is ‘given’ to her husband for the purposes of breeding & servitude, not unlike a cow used to pull a plow in the fields.
As for the Duggars… It’s so sad to me that those children *never* really got to be children. They were made into mothers & fathers, charged with tasks that, in any normal household, the mother would be entirely responsible for. But instead, as soon as the child is done weaning, Mechele simply hands them off to one of her other children to raise, while she gets back to the important business of pregnancy. Then knowingly continuing to get pregnant while knowing that there was a high risk that something could go very wrong… But apparently having another child is more important to her than the fact that her army of other children need & love her.
….Rant. This stuff…. really gets to me.
I find it pretty humorous that the liberal left is always squawking about “overpopulation” and most have few or no kids, while the conservatives ignore them, have many children, and raise another generation of Christian conservatives. It makes me feel hopeful for the future knowing that the liberals are sending themselves the way of the dinosaurs. In a few generations, we won’t have to listen to any more of their self righteous crap!
Michelle looks kinda nutty in the first photo. Jim Bob , who would name their kid Jim Bob???? With that name, I can just imagine their fundamentalist ideas about the rapture & those horror stories in the Left Behind series. The game for the Left Behind series was so violent that even Walmart refused to sell it! I can’t imagine anyone with any intelligence wanting to propagate the world with so many children when thousands are dying from hunger. There’s going to be a major water shortage, meaning not enough crops to feed the world. But, I suppose the Lord will take care of those who are obsessed with a zillion kids.
krgbbwa- It’s funny how conservative Christians are obsessed over under population because they afraid of their own kind dying out. They have kids to out breed the perceived enemy and not because they want to. Their own agenda will backfire on them because there is no guarantee the kids will grow up to follow their beliefs. The only way to make them is force. The poor Duggar kids don’t have choices. Yes there are extremes of all kinds I’m scared of the way evangelical Christianity is having the most influence on the government especially on women’s rights. Turning back the clock does not work. If you read the news, religious conservatives aren’t all angels either. Fine if those like the Duggars want to procreate until their eyeballs fall out but leave my rights alone.
“There is no drama, no pregnant teens, meth addicts or gangstas. ”
not very realistic then these arent your average teens. It is easy to stay away form the norm teen angst when someone watches your every step.
“I think it is beautiful how they assign a younger child to each older one. It forms even stronger bonds in the family. What does it hurt that older child to see that the little one is up and dressed each day?” it isn’t the girls’ jobs to be constantly taking care of the little kids. what does it hurt for parents to be parents/ The girls will never say ‘raise your own kids im going to the mall.’ because they will be riddled with guilt over their selfishness. I haven’t noticed a Duggar boy assigned anything.
two words for this couple: baby hoarders.
@krgbbwa – “I find it pretty humorous that the liberal left is always squawking about āoverpopulationā and most have few or no kids, while the conservatives ignore them, have many children, and raise another generation of Christian conservatives… In a few generations, we wonāt have to listen to any more of their self righteous crap!”
Far from *every* child raised in a Christian family (strict or not) end up as Christian conservatives. Many times it’s *being* raised a strict Christian that *pushes* children into rebelling or developing more open minded views (& becoming Liberals.) Hate to break it to you, but no matter which side you’re listening to in politics, you’re going to be hearing ‘self righteous crap’.
—
@A.Roddy – “Yes there are extremes of all kinds Iām scared of the way evangelical Christianity is having the most influence on the government… religious conservatives arenāt all angels either.”
I’ve been especially frustrated by the way the government has been handling gay marriage as well, allowing the beliefs of a religion to dictate the law, stepping on obvious rights & freedoms. Religious conservatives… Strangely seem to have far more than their share of scandals.
“It isnāt the girlsā jobs to be constantly taking care of the little kids. what does it hurt for parents to be parents/ The girls will never say āraise your own kids im going to the mall.ā because they will be riddled with guilt over their selfishness. I havenāt noticed a Duggar boy assigned anything.”
I’ve only seen bits & pieces of the shows. I’d just assumed the boys were included in caretaking of siblings, they really don’t? The parents are the ones who continue to choose to have children. This would be fine, if they had any intention of raising them. But the other children, who are never consulted, are the ones who have to. These kids are going to go right from raising their siblings their whole lives… straight into raising their own. As though they have no other purpose, & should’ve attempt to.
I’m sure they were given all their rules wrapped conveniently in scripture for the sake of adding ‘service to God’ into the incentive to follow them (pretty powerful incentive). They’ll feel they failed the family, & GOD, if they go against what’s expected of them in any way.
@Januaries: Thank You! Josie is not “fine.” She’s a micro preemie. I work with children, and we have kids born later than she was, who weighed more, who continue to have major medical and developmental issues five years after their birth.
Has anyone here followed the blog about Maddie Spohr (The Spohrs are Multiplying)? She was born at almost 29 weeks, (28 weeks, 6 days), and she died just before she turned 17 months old because of complications associated with her prematurity.
Prematurity is no joke. You’re talking major, lifelong medical and developmental problems. Hint hint, it’s also a sign from God to stop having babies. Between that and the kids who keep presenting transverse, she’s going to kill herself (or her baby).
I have watched this couple’s show since it’s beginning and researched their beliefs for years. There are websites, blogs, and tons of stories about just how damaging this religion is. Michelle herself said in one of the specials (can be found on youtube) that she passes each child to a “buddy” after it’s weaned. She does NOT raise her children at all. She IMO, is a spoiled, pampered, and overindulged princess under the guise of “religion”. YUCK!
why does everybody judge the Dugger family the kids have a home they are all well dressed and got food on the table.they are a loving family. Let them live their lives in peace.If God wants them to have more children.im happy for them GOD BLESS THE DUGGER FAMILY.