Willis Family including rape charges

[from the bible belt]

I watched the series on youtube.

Things i found interesting - home-schooled but oooh look real sports (read not broom ball) and dancing!

They showed Jair, the engagement and the heart break. There was a line in there from dad specifically about allowing contact which I saw as a clear 'we are not the Duggar's.'

Same here!

I just watched the first 2 episodes of season 1 because they are just started this family here after duggargate, is she cute? and hopefully she is a non fundie also?

[metheglyn]

Same here!

I just watched the first 2 episodes of season 1 because they are just started this family here after duggargate, is she cute? and hopefully she is a non fundie also?

Unfortunately, they also showed that Jair and Mary broke off their engagement, which at least partially seemed related to the fact that both are in family bands and that could have resulted in conflicts about who would give up what once they married. (There was some discussion about that in fact.) Plus, they're both still pretty young, so may not have actually been ready to get married.

[IrishCarrie]

I just discovered this show and have watched the first couple of episodes - up to where Jair and Mary get engaged (didn't realise they break it off - ta for the spoiler :wink-kitty: )

I dont like this family but I can't put my finger on why and it's really bugging me. It definitely partly to do with the smugness - could they be any more pleased with themselves? But on the other hand, they're talented, seem genuinely connected to each other, are all very good looking, seem smart and articulate.

So why the frick are they annoying me so much?

:doh:

[physicalscience]

I can't imagine any of the Duggarettes managing a spin-off, unless Jill did get that real MW training and she and Derick decided to become missionaries. The chances of that happening? Slim to none.

 

The only other kidlet who does anything remotely independent is JD and his personality rules out him carrying a show. Plus, I doubt he has any interest in such a lifestyle.

I hate how perfectly you outlined what they needed to do and then they "followed through" and now have a few spin off specials.  Have you been channeling the Long Island Medium?

 

Toby Willis' father is Rev Scott Willis. He was pastoring at Parkwood Baptist Church when the accident happened.

This must be why EVERY SINGLE SON has the middle name "Scott"

[Withagrainofsalt]

New season starts March 15 at 10 PM. This airs right after Counting On. 

[Funwithfundies]

I'd heard of this family but didn't know much about them, so I stopped on the first episode of the series when flipping around this afternoon.  The kids were throwing a 'surprise' birthday party for the mom (first episode and out of creative storylines already...), for whom they are making a special dessert because she 'has a gluten allergy'.  I am gluten intolerant (as are several family members), so I was intrigued to see the 'special dessert'.

Turns out it's a cool whip pie sort of deal with ...wait for it...a graham cracker crust.  Graham crackers contain gluten, of course (there are special GF brands of graham crackers, but they used regular Honey Maid brand crackers).

Grrrr.  I guess she has chosen to eat (somewhat) gluten free - which, if that's the case, knock yourself out, but frankly it pisses me off that they call it an 'allergy', because it just contributes to the stereotype that eating gluten free is just trendy, look-at-me behavior.  Some of us don't have a choice, and can't afford to eat 'gluten free' pie that is anything but!  (Rant over)

[BunnyBee]

On 5/6/2015 at 1:04 PM, for_the_Kitties said:

I agree that they are a more mainstream and more normal version of the duggars. After watching last night's show, I think there is a lot of baggage in the dad's emotions about losing his siblings to that car fire and it prompting him to have a HUGE family. It seems that they are using a real homeschool curriculum and the kids seem very well spoken and quite bright. The music stuff seems forced on the whole family, but other interests like dancing, wrestling, horses, etc are also allowed and encouraged. They seem well off and may be using the TLC money to rebuild their home.

 

I can definitely see TLC dropping the duggars in favor for this family if a terrible duggar scandal is revealed.

the Willis family episode came on after counting on and I decided to search FJ and.....

ARE YOU PSYCHIC?!

On 5/7/2015 at 9:30 PM, SassyPants said:

I can't imagine any of the Duggarettes managing a spin-off, unless Jill did get that real MW training and she and Derick decided to become missionaries. The chances of that happening? Slim to none.

 

The only other kidlet who does anything remotely independent is JD and his personality rules out him carrying a show. Plus, I doubt he has any interest in such a lifestyle.

another psychic........

[SilverBeach]

https://www.rawstory.com/2016/03/you-probably-know-a-quiverfull-family-the-anti-women-christian-cult-getting-bolstered-by-reality-tv/comments/#disqus

This article is mainly focused on TWF bit also has some interesting commentary about the quiverfull movement at large. The USA map of quiverfull practitioners is cool, you can see how many reside near you.

[MarblesMom]

@SilverBeach - great article!  I was surprised to see how many are near me - and I am equally surprised that so many registered and are "public" with their info.

Thanks for sharing!

[clueliss]

good grief and that is just the registered ones.  Also learned a new term checking out something near me.  Primative Baptist.  

[THERetroGamerNY]

I just stumbled across some TLC reality show I've never seen before, called The Willis Family.

They seem to be some Tennessee, musically inclinded family of 14... Christian... And all the kids have names starting with J...

Maybe they are nothing, and the show failed to grab my interest, but when I see a Christian family of 14 on TLC, and all the kids have J names, alarm bells ring in my head... 

[MsSaylor]

I think there are some interesting topics of conversation that could be had regarding this show. I didn't watch much of the first season but have been watching this season. They seem a lot more mainstream but are actually very insular in a way that puts up red flags for me. 

[Bethella]

 

[THERetroGamerNY]

Yeah, I just read some internet stuff on them. Had no idea this was season two for them.

And all the boys have the middle name of Scott? O_o

[clueliss]

I follow them on Instagram and confess to having some of their music.   I've cut cable or I'd be watching this.  By the way, they arrived in Ireland yesterday for a music tour.  

The middle name Scott thing is weird.  

[clueliss]

Observation.  I may have been watching the latest season on youtube over the weekend.  And somewhere in there patriarchy comes up.  The daughters will follow their husbands.  I think it was episode 1 but could have been elsewhere.  

Also discussed 'dating.'  They don't use a term for what they have (this was more like ep 2/3) - so it is not dating, courtship etc.  Jet and some guy were the focus.  They did cite 'the other kids' being more careful after Jair's failed relationship/engagement.  

So:

Can they play music (legitimately)? - yes.

Do the girls wear pants and skirts above the knees? - yes.

Do they seem reasonably intelligent despite SOTDRT? - yes.

Should we let any of this fool us as to where their hearts lie?  Nope.

[Four is Enough]

All the boys with the same middle name? Not so weird.

I know a family where each female child has the mother's first name as a middle name, and each male has the father's first name as a middle name.

I know another family where the male has his mother's maiden name as a middle name, and all of his sons have the same middle name.

[Casserole]

10 minutes ago, Four is Enough said:

All the boys with the same middle name? Not so weird.

I know a family where each female child has the mother's first name as a middle name, and each male has the father's first name as a middle name.

I know another family where the male has his mother's maiden name as a middle name, and all of his sons have the same middle name.

 

Yeah, I know a family that gave all five of their children, male and female, mom's maiden name as their middle names.

I don't find it odd, I actually kind of like it as long as random kids aren't left out. 

[Percy]

I watched this on YouTube and in the last episode I saw, Toby had a meeting with the older kids about the land and the band.  He basically said 'you are adults now, it is your decision '.  Jess Jair and Jen all wanted to try different things and Jet was talking about a man.  It will be interesting to see what happens in the future.  

One of the middle boys wrote a sound and they are teaching one of the middle girls to sing.  Maybe a handing down of the crown?

[lilwriter85]

On 4/25/2016 at 8:01 AM, Four is Enough said:

All the boys with the same middle name? Not so weird.

I know a family where each female child has the mother's first name as a middle name, and each male has the father's first name as a middle name.

I know another family where the male has his mother's maiden name as a middle name, and all of his sons have the same middle name.

 

On 4/25/2016 at 8:13 AM, Casserole said:

 

Yeah, I know a family that gave all five of their children, male and female, mom's maiden name as their middle names.

I don't find it odd, I actually kind of like it as long as random kids aren't left out. 

I know a family in which the mom's name is Rose. The two daughters in the family have Rose as a middle name.  I did a semester exchange program in Alabama during college. I met a few people there whose families were into the tradition of using the mother's maiden name or other surnames in the family tree as first and middle names.

[J'Beka]

Did this show get cancelled? I watched the first episode then never saw anything else about it.

[clueliss]

Both seasons were very short.

As for that bit in the final episode I call mostly staged for a storyline.

[LadyCrow1313]

16 hours ago, lilwriter85 said:

 

I know a family in which the mom's name is Rose. The two daughters in the family have Rose as a middle name.  I did a semester exchange program in Alabama during college. I met a few people there whose families were into the tradition of using the mother's maiden name or other surnames in the family tree as first and middle names.

Similar to my family. My sister, niece mother & I all have the same middle name. They've even given the middle name to their cats, too.  

[faraway]

I watched all of the 2nd season and I find them really fascinating. It's very clear that Toby has some issues due to the losses he suffered and tries everything to keep his family as close as possible. 

I think Jair's failed engagement is a product of them not wanting to "sacrifice" a family member. Because they spend so much time together touring and that is simply not possible if one branches out and starts a new family. In the last episode they said they will start doing more things on their own and Jessica said she doesn't want to tour as much. I checked gigs on their website and they are BOOKED. Every few days there is a gig pretty much until the end of the year.   I really wonder how the kids dating will go. Their whole dating principle seems so paradox: they want the girls to be ready to be married at 18, but clearly they wanted all of them to have a successful and busy music career at that age. Also they want spouses who sing, dance and wrestle. Good luck on finding that. 

[MorningMist]

10 hours ago, faraway said:

I watched all of the 2nd season and I find them really fascinating. It's very clear that Toby has some issues due to the losses he suffered and tries everything to keep his family as close as possible. 

I think Jair's failed engagement is a product of them not wanting to "sacrifice" a family member. Because they spend so much time together touring and that is simply not possible if one branches out and starts a new family. In the last episode they said they will start doing more things on their own and Jessica said she doesn't want to tour as much. I checked gigs on their website and they are BOOKED. Every few days there is a gig pretty much until the end of the year.   I really wonder how the kids dating will go. Their whole dating principle seems so paradox: they want the girls to be ready to be married at 18, but clearly they wanted all of them to have a successful and busy music career at that age. Also they want spouses who sing, dance and wrestle. Good luck on finding that. 

I think the reasoning behind this may be the parents past, they seem to have grown up in some kind of low-key fundie world (no music at the wedding, big family, married pretty early, but still went to school/college) and have expressed their desire to want their kids to have a better childhood than them. I don't think they know for sure what they want for their kids and that they also probably have a romanticised view about the limitless talents of people due to their sheltered upbringing.