The Putman Family (cult) on TLC

[Archer]

I went into this show, as I do all TLC (freak)shows, without judgement and ready to learn about different ways of living. And, once again, the network did not disappoint in making me feel so normal compared to people like this.

The key thing that bothered me was the level of affection between everyone. I get hugging your family members goodbye before leaving for work. But hugs are typically pretty short, and even the hugs between the completely unrelated in-laws (spouses of the siblings) were drawn out and left me needing to use hand sanitizer.

I was looking around at their family facebook page earlier, and they were begging people to keep rewatching the special so that they could be officially picked up as a show instead of just the special. I have no doubt the desire is to help fund that mega mansion. Hell, if it'll get those kids a place to pee in peace, I'm for it. 

And as for the question about religious affiliation, they're Christians. They made mention of "CHRISTmas" on the facebook page. 

 

[TuringMachine]

It seems like there isn't much differentiation between sibling and cousin with the kids. Especially with the bunking in dorms situation. Maybe it's intentional, make it hard to leave. 

[Jana814]

4 minutes ago, TuringMachine said:

It seems like there isn't much differentiation between sibling and cousin with the kids. Especially with the bunking in dorms situation. Maybe it's intentional, make it hard to leave. 

Most of the kids are still relatively young so I'm sure for them bunking in with a cousin is fine and maybe even fun for them. I myself only have 2 first cousins I can't stand either one of them so that is something I would never want to do. 

[Lady Grass Lake]

On 1/16/2017 at 10:48 PM, Jana814 said:

Sorry for my double post. Thanks for moving it to the bring topic. 

My husband grew up about an hour from Caseville, so I know the area well.  There are a lot of big farms in the Thumb Area, and quite a drive to get there.  

 

Caseville is located near the top of the Thumb in lower Michigan, and has a yearly permanent resident population of 700.  Lake shore property up there is prime property and from the looks of the photos, they have a huge property.  It's a big summer tourist area and a lot of people from the rest of the state own summer lake cottages.  People will pay a couple hundred thousand dollars for a small lake front cottage that is maybe 1000 square feet or smaller, on very small lots and most of the lake front homes have beaches and docks.  There are lots of public beaches, campgrounds, marinas, hotels and bars.   To there from the nearst large city  is an hour and a half, from Detroit about 3 1/2 hours.   There are no COSTCO's or Sams Clubs.   To get to one is an hour or move drive one way on a two lane rural Michigan highway with a speed limit of 55.   There are lots of smaller stores that cater to tourists and you might pay $4 or more for a gallon of milk or $2.50 for a loaf of Wonder Bread because tourists or campers will pay that.    

It's a coveted location to own a home on beautiful Lake Huron, sandy beaches, amazing swimming, boating, fishing and more.  If they have a building and restoration business, they have work all year long, it may take years for a builder to be able to build or remodel your family cottage. 

 

Use Googlemaps.com and search for Caseville, Michigan, and use Earth View to see the area.   

 

 

[calimojo]

So did this trainwreck get picked up?

 

[MarblesMom]

I found this - not sure if it is true or not - not familiar with the source.

http://waitwith.us/meet-the-putmans-season-1-9143/

[MarblesMom]

I apologize, that link above was for the one show we saw.   Needing more info, I messaged their FB page and they responded, saying they are still waiting on numbers to hear back on the future.

Does anyone have the numbers for their premiere?

[Cass.epps]

Not sure if anyone else saw, but it looks like TLC picked up the show. Let the craziness continue!

[JoyJoy]

Season 1 starts on September 11 after "Counting On". This forum will be busy on Monday night's this fall!

[Gobsmacked]

14 minutes ago, JoyJoy said:

Season 1 starts on September 11 after "Counting On". This forum will be busy on Monday night's this fall!

I hope someone can watch and re-tell for us folk over the water??!! Pretty please!! We probably won't get it until at least one season in.

Just had another thought, Jill won't be chuffed that another Mega family has been chosen over her!!! 

Edited July 17, 2017 by Gobsmacked
Added

[MarblesMom]

Oh boy! Their series premieres 9/11 at 10e/9c on TLC.  So. Much. Weirdness.

[candygirl200413]

I hate though that I'm curious about an update with the new house that they're building though....

[FeministFunPolice]

Yet again I find myself bemoaning being in Australia where it is next to impossible to find TLC content. 

[Dandruff]

I should no longer be surprised at what TLC finds and televises...but the Putmans?  I saw the show in January, by accident since TLC slipped them in after the Duggars, and found them wholly unappealing.  I've had my fill of dysfunctional with bathroom issues while reading the Poopistan threads.  Am going to try to skip this one.

[TXGirlInAMaterialWorld]

The patriarch of this family just makes me so uneasy.  Watching his interactions with his adult children and in-laws just sets off so many red flags for me.  He seems to be trying to force the image of joviality but could blow up at any minute.  I can't believe two people in that enmeshed craziness actually made it through medical school.  

[Million Children For Jesus]

46 minutes ago, Dandruff said:

I should no longer be surprised at what TLC finds and televises...but the Putmans?  I saw the show in January, by accident since TLC slipped them in after the Duggars, and found them wholly unappealing.  I've had my fill of dysfunctional with bathroom issues while reading the Poopistan threads.  Am going to try to skip this one.

What is Poopistan?

I know I'm going to be the odd man out on this, but I like the Putmans so much more than the Duggars. The Duggars are painfully boring. I would be thrilled if the Duggars got canceled and replaced by the Putmans. I mean, we already know what the Duggars are going to do for basically ever: keep sweet, breed, hate Catholics, and not work.

At least the Putnams have some type of life trajectory, employment, and show emotion. Two went to medical school. They run a successful business.

I do NOT want to see them build a house. YAWN! 

I'm not turned off by two bathrooms because I've done multi-generational and multi-family living with both my family and my ex's family. We had one bathroom with 10 people on one occasion, and two bathrooms with 10 people on another occasion. It was fine both times. We had bigger fish to fry in the "problems" category, so sharing a bathroom was inconsequential. Im not sure why sharing a bathroom is considered gross. If you clean it, it's clean.

It's not unusual for siblings and step siblings to share bedrooms; and I don't see anything wrong with cousins sharing. It's probably fun. It would be way more weird for the kids to bunk with their parents than with their same-age cousins. The parents need privacy, and kids would rather share space with other kids than their parents.

I would max out room sharing with a 5-year age gap, and probably divide by gender after age 10. Exceptions can be made. It really depends on how much space a family has to work with. 

[TuringMachine]

50 minutes ago, Million Children For Jesus said:

What is Poopistan?

Poopistan is what we call the Naugler's property. They got in trouble for shitting in a bucket (A bucket, A BUCKET!) and then dumping it on the ground. Then they were ordered to have a porta potty. It seems as though they still shit in buckets though, for some reason.

 Here's their forum: http://www.freejinger.org/forum/488-quiverfull-of-nauglers-blessed-little-homestead/

But seriously, don't go there. The Naugler's forum is a very depressing rabbit hole that attracts trolls and ruins friendships. 

Edited July 20, 2017 by TuringMachine

[Million Children For Jesus]

@TuringMachine Noooooooo.... Ahhhh muhhh gawd. Just. No. I just got mentally blind sided so hard. Holy shit. No pun intended.

I should know better. I should have looked at the question and known I couldn't adequately prepare for all the answers that could be possible to that question on FJ. 

[PumaLover]

Poopistan is what we call the Naugler's property. They got in trouble for shitting in a bucket (A bucket, A BUCKET!) and then dumping it on the ground. Then they were ordered to have a porta potty. It seems as though they still shit in buckets though, for some reason.

 Here's their forum: http://www.freejinger.org/forum/488-quiverfull-of-nauglers-blessed-little-homestead/
But seriously, don't go there. The Naugler's forum is a very depressing rabbit hole that attracts trolls and ruins friendships. 

Putnams or Putmans!? I've seen both versions written in the articles. I saw the commercial after CO the other night and thought of my fundie ex and his family. They would have loved this type of living situation-getting to see/be with everyone every day. I am so glad I got out when I did.

I fell down the Naugler rabbit hole a month or two ago. I'm still catching up on the old threads. I will never be the same again. I have OCD and wash my hands more than normal people. Reading their threads kind of sends me into overdrive. There are no words.

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

38 minutes ago, Million Children For Jesus said:

I should know better. I should have looked at the question and known I couldn't adequately prepare for all the answers that could be possible to that question on FJ. 

Yeah. The term "Poopville" came up on another thread and a poster thought it was a reference to the US Presidential Cabinet. When it was explained that the reference was to the Nauglers, the poster said it was scary how much sense the conversation had made, given that their original assumption was a mistake.

ETA--I think I peeked into a Naugler thread once. I am not strong enough to read there regularly. 

Edited July 20, 2017 by WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?
ETA

[Destiny]

1 hour ago, TuringMachine said:

Poopistan is what we call the Naugler's property. They got in trouble for shitting in a bucket (A bucket, A BUCKET!) and then dumping it on the ground. Then they were ordered to have a porta potty. It seems as though they still shit in buckets though, for some reason.

 Here's their forum: http://www.freejinger.org/forum/488-quiverfull-of-nauglers-blessed-little-homestead/

But seriously, don't go there. The Naugler's forum is a very depressing rabbit hole that attracts trolls and ruins friendships. 

All of this. Just don't do it. You will thank all of us. 

Seriously, save yourself. I wish I didn't have to go there regularly. I'd rather have nothing to read for the rest of my life but Lori, Zsu, and Maxhell than ever go back to that (literal and figurative!) shithole again!

[Dandruff]

I occasionally pop over to the Naugler threads, but never for long.  While I consider myself to be a reasonably robust FJer, I just don't have much interest/tolerance for families with feces-based issues.  There are plenty of other abominations to explore.

[Palimpsest]

12 minutes ago, Dandruff said:

I occasionally pop over to the Naugler threads, but never for long.  While I consider myself to be a reasonably robust FJer, I just don't have much interest/tolerance for families with feces-based issues.  There are plenty of other abominations to explore.

Agreed!  You need a Hazmat suit to read the Naugler threads.  I stay out as much as I can.  That family is not extreme Fundamentalist - it is extreme Fecalmentalist.  With child abuse, family dysfunction, and a fair helping of probably undiagnosed and untreated mental illness thrown in.

In the interest of time, and to avoid getting nauseated by Naugler filth, I usually focus on the extreme Fundies we talk about on FJ.   

9 hours ago, PumaLover said:

Putnams or Putmans!?

Putnam is correct.  

I didn't watch the original show just read about it.  Daddy P. seems to be extremely controlling (and is possibly a religious Fundie nut) but some of that may be a story line for UnReality TV.  

http://www.inquisitr.com/4378245/meet-the-putnams-new-tlc-show-to-focus-on-another-duggar-like-large-family-10-adults-15-kids-one-house/

 

[feministxtian]

I've lived in multi-generational situations for most of my life. At one time there were 4 generations living in the house. My mother, me & hubby, kids & grandkids. I get it. BUT...these people seem to be decidedly odd. ONE bank account for the whole family? OH HELL NO! It took 19 years for hubs and I to put the other's name on our bank accounts! 

I personally think they're bonkers. The degree of enmeshment is insane

[StepMonsterInLA]

Season premier Monday Sept 11. I expect to see y'all here.