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My fundie field trip- AKA Duggar stalking


jesssnerch

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So I had to go to Arkansas today and I decided to drive by the Duggar compound:

 

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They have to see it everyday because it's on the main road right next to the side street that leads to their house. Just beyond that is the actual Tonitown Fire Station which has a huge sign that says "Burn ban! No fireworks!" I couldn't take a pic because I was driving.

 

Then I swung over to Smuggar's dealership:

 

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I took this at the stoplight. When I turned the corner, I actually saw customers! A red headed lady in jeans and a bigger guy. No one was helping them. They were standing on the porch and looked like they were getting ready to go look at cars. If I didn't have my kids I totally would have stopped and pretended to browse.

 

And unfortunately I have to go back to NWA next Wednesday, but I think I'll skip the boring fundie field trip this time.

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No pics of Smuggars house? I always wonder about the condition of his front yard.

I didn't know his address. I'll try to find it and swing by next week!

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No pics of Smuggars house? I always wonder about the condition of his front yard.

I'm seconding this for your next trip. I want to see Lard Lads house and have you document the dandelion population in his front yard.

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I'm seconding this for your next trip. I want to see Lard Lads house and have you document the dandelion population in his front yard.

I think I found his address! My kids are going to be rolling their eyes.

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Cool! That's interesting they have a security car, I wonder if it is 24/7 and if the show pays for it.

Their sign sounds obsolete. Frothy has failed!

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I'm torn between finding this interesting and creepy, and I'm leaning towards creepy and inappropriate.

While the Duggar parents and Josh may have agreed to put themselves into the spotlight, the younger Duggar kids (from both families) never had a choice in becoming side show attractions. As a kid (and even an adult), I'd feel almost threatened if random strangers from the internet were to look up my address and do a drive-by gawking. Plus, I think it would be a dick move to waste Josh's employee's time to pretend to browse for a car you have no intention of buying.

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I'm torn between finding this interesting and creepy, and I'm leaning towards creepy and inappropriate.

While the Duggar parents and Josh may have agreed to put themselves into the spotlight, the younger Duggar kids (from both families) never had a choice in becoming side show attractions. As a kid (and even an adult), I'd feel almost threatened if random strangers from the internet were to look up my address and do a drive-by gawking. Plus, I think it would be a dick move to waste Josh's employee's time to pretend to browse for a car you have no intention of buying.

Before the TLC show the Duggars had their full address and phone number on their website. This is how I knew their address. I didn't go on private property and I was in the area. I don't think it's any less creepy than the Duggars allowing cameras to film their family's every move.

As far as the car lot goes, we're actually in the market for a used SUV. But what's the difference between browsing at Smuggar's lot and when I went to the furniture store 2 weeks ago only intending to browse? I had no problem telling the furniture salesman I was just looking and if I had gone into Josh's dealership, I would have stated the same.

As far as finding Josh's home address, I found it with his public tax info.

I think if I knocked on their doors or camped outside their houses, that would be creepy. All I did was drive by on a public road and snap a pic that could be seen anywhere.

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Before the TLC show the Duggars had their full address and phone number on their website. This is how I knew their address. I didn't go on private property and I was in the area. I don't think it's any less creepy than the Duggars allowing cameras to film their family's every move.

As far as the car lot goes, we're actually in the market for a used SUV. But what's the difference between browsing at Smuggar's lot and when I went to the furniture store 2 weeks ago only intending to browse? I had no problem telling the furniture salesman I was just looking and if I had gone into Josh's dealership, I would have stated the same.

As far as finding Josh's home address, I found it with his public tax info.

I think if I knocked on their doors or camped outside their houses, that would be creepy. All I did was drive by on a public road and snap a pic that could be seen anywhere.

It's creepy because of your motivation. Would you have driven down that road if the Duggars didn't live there? Would you have taken that picture if the Duggars didn't live there? Would you have thought about browsing at that car lot if it weren't Josh's car lot?

The fact that the Duggars had their address on their website and Josh's address is on his tax info doesn't change the fact you had to go looking for that information to begin with (in fact, how you got Josh's address was especially creepy because I'm assuming he doesn't have the option to opt out of the public tax info so people with inappropriate boundaries can't find his home address)

Botton line: they didn't mail you a postcard with their addresses on it and an invitation- you went looking for their information and chose to do things you would not otherwise do just to get a peek at their private lives.

The fact the adult Duggars chose to violate their children's privacy doesn't mean everyone has a free pass to further violate it.

ETA: Also, in your first post you said you'd be going to the car lot and pretending to browse. Since you say you went to the furniture store to actually browse, there is a difference between that and pretending to browse.

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It's creepy because of your motivation. Would you have driven down that road if the Duggars didn't live there? Would you have taken that picture if the Duggars didn't live there? Would you have thought about browsing at that car lot if it weren't Josh's car lot?

The fact that the Duggars had their address on their website and Josh's address in on his tax info doesn't change the fact you had to go looking for that information to begin with (in fact, how you got Josh's address was especially creepy because I'm assuming he doesn't have the option to opt out of the public tax info so people with inappropriate boundaries can't find his home address) Botton line: they didn't mail you a postcard with their addresses on it and an invitation- you went looking for their information and chose to do things you would not otherwise do just to get a peek at their private lives.

The fact the adult Duggars chose to violate their children's privacy doesn't mean everyone has a free pass to further violate it.

Wasn't Josh's delinquent tax info posted on his Instagram thread? So I'm not the first person to ever look for it. Also, like it or not, they chose to put their family in the public spotlight. There are whole tours in Hollywood dedicated to showing fans famous peoples' homes. I'm not the first person to go gawking at a famous person's house. Honestly, I just thought the whole trip would be a fun way to waste a Friday afternoon, since I happened to be in the area. I don't find what I did any different than crashing a fundie conference or wedding both of which have been done by people on this board, IIRC.

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If people watch the show, I think it might be drawing too fine a line to try to chastize someone for driving down a public road although one where the Duggars live. Parking across the street with binoculars or a video camera would be creepy and stalking. Maybe I'm jaded from seeing tour buses go by celebrity houses in LA. It's certainly not illegal and while some may not want to do it, I don't see anything wrong with a drive down the street.

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Wasn't Josh's delinquent tax info posted on his Instagram thread? So I'm not the first person to ever look for it. Also, like it or not, they chose to put their family in the public spotlight. There are whole tours in Hollywood dedicated to showing fans famous peoples' homes. I'm not the first person to go gawking at a famous person's house. Honestly, I just thought the whole trip would be a fun way to waste a Friday afternoon, since I happened to be in the area. I don't find what I did any different than crashing a fundie conference or wedding both of which have been done by people on this board, IIRC.

The fact you're not the first person to look for their addresses and drive by their house (or another famous person's house) just means there's more than one creepy person out there. The "but everyone else is doing it!" defense stops working for people somewhere around kindergarten.

And again, the adults chose to go on T.V.- the kids didn't.

And for what it's worth, a conference is open to the public and usually not dedicated to one specific person or family so I have no problem with that. I personally think crashing someone's wedding is a shit move too.

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If people watch the show, I think it might be drawing too fine a line to try to chastize someone for driving down a public road although one where the Duggars live. Parking across the street with binoculars or a video camera would be creepy and stalking. Maybe I'm jaded from seeing tour buses go by celebrity houses in LA. It's certainly not illegal and while some may not want to do it, I don't see anything wrong with a drive down the street.

It's the combination of specifically searching out their addresses, specifically driving down that road because it's the one the Duggars live on, taking a picture of the house, driving past the car lot specifically because it's Josh's car lot, and considering pretending to be a potential customer of the business just to get a better gawking position- all of it adds together to paint a giant picture of creep.

Just because something isn't illegal doesn't mean it's not unethical and inappropriate.

A lot of my views on this issue (other than common human decency) are developed from years and years of experience involving the Gosselin children from Jon and Kate+8 fame. Reality television sucks for kids and people who don't have boundaries when it comes to the divide between people's personal and on-screen lives especially suck for kids who don't have a choice in being on T.V.

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It's the combination of specifically searching out their addresses, specifically driving down that road because it's the one the Duggars live on, taking a picture of the house, driving past the car lot specifically because it's Josh's car lot, and considering pretending to be a potential customer of the business just to get a better gawking position- all of it adds together to paint a giant picture of creep.

Just because something isn't illegal doesn't mean it's not unethical and inappropriate.

A lot of my views on this issue (other than common human decency) are developed from years and years of experience involving the Gosselin children from Jon and Kate+8 fame. Reality television sucks for kids and people who don't have boundaries when it comes to the divide between people's personal and on-screen lives especially suck for kids who don't have a choice in being on T.V.

Well, especially since there were no children involved, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. If any of the children had been out in the yard, I probably wouldn't have taken a photo.

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Go to Google Maps and type in 1948 N Porter Rd, Fayetteville, Arkansas.

(How did I find this? On Suze's Google profile page she had a "status update" and underneath it, it said "Near: (address)" and curiosity got the best of me ;))

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I don't see the big deal. There are tons of celebrity home tours...does st make the millions who do at creepsters? As long as Jess isn't trespassing on private property what is the issue?

I know where Warren Buffet lives, as does most people in Omaha, NE. I've taken friends from out of town past his house. In small places like NW AR or Omaha it's pretty common knowledge for most folks to know where the locals celebrities live.

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The whole thing was all in fun and a little curiosity. I'd been past the Duggar house right after the series started (Jennifer had just been born) and I really wanted to see how it had changed. Like, I really don't remember them having a gate back then and there definitely was no security. And now that everyone has mentioned it, I really want to see Smuggar's house.

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Well, especially since there were no children involved, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. If any of the children had been out in the yard, I probably wouldn't have taken a photo.

Agreed. Especially since, even if one of the kids was out in the yard, you might have still taken the photo.

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I don't get the handslapping on this thread... it's not like jesssnerch did anything that would endanger a child nor anything that would be considered snarking on a child. I've driven by houses I liked that were for sale and took a pic; the owners still lived in those houses. I drove down that street specifically planning on taking that picture to remind me of looking at that house. Never bought any of those houses, though I did share the pictures with friends who were wondering how the search was going and really wanted to see the house. I wouldn't consider it creepy at all.

If I was in the area, would I have driven by the Duggars' house just to see? Yeah, I probably would. In fact I'd probably post a pic to facebook saying "wow, this house looks way bigger than I could even have imagined!" because I'm sure it does.

Frankly, considering Josh is trying to capitalize on the Duggar name to sell cars, I guess I just don't see what the harm is in even visiting the lot. But I'm also one of those people who has visited a car lot before just to look, so maybe I'm "weird".

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I don't see the big deal. There are tons of celebrity home tours...does st make the millions who do at creepsters? As long as Jess isn't trespassing on private property what is the issue?

I know where Warren Buffet lives, as does most people in Omaha, NE. I've taken friends from out of town past his house. In small places like NW AR or Omaha it's pretty common knowledge for most folks to know where the locals celebrities live.

Kinda, yeah.

I don't get the handslapping on this thread... it's not like jesssnerch did anything that would endanger a child nor anything that would be considered snarking on a child.

No, she'd just be okay with possibly upsetting a child by driving by their house, flashing a camera, and taking a picture of them without their permission. I certainly wouldn't want a stranger to do that to my child, so it's common sense not to do it to other's children.

But I'm also one of those people who has visited a car lot before just to look, so maybe I'm "weird".

I've gone to a car lot just to look. I've never gone to a car lot, pretending to look, because I was interested in someone who worked there.

ETA: And there is a difference between handslapping and saying you think someone is a creep for invading another person's privacy.

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Imho, it's one thing to snark on what they say and do in a public space (blog, website, show, etc.), but another to invade their private space (yes, it was a public road, but they were not broadcasting it).

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Kinda, yeah.

No, she'd just be okay with possibly upsetting a child by driving by their house, flashing a camera, and taking a picture of them without their permission. I certainly wouldn't want a stranger to do that to my child, so it's common sense not to do it to other's children.

I've gone to a car lot just to look. I've never gone to a car lot, pretending to look, because I was interested in someone who worked there.

ETA: And there is a difference between handslapping and saying you think someone is a creep for invading another person's privacy.

Different strokes for different folks. If you think it's weird, fine but you are making a mountain out of a molehill. Driving by a house set far back on a public road, with no children out in the yard isn't what I call invading privacy, but that is just me.

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There weren't even any children in the yard... or any of the pictures that I saw. Smuggar is an adult. All the OP did was take pictures of the adults' house. Now if they HAD taken pictures of the children, that's wrong because the children didn't choose this. In my opinion, nothing the OP did was creepy.

Heh. My friends and I were driving... and our leader decided he was going to show us the hguest house we'd ever seen. Well, I'd already seen some huge houses, so I thought I wasn't going to be impressed. But WHOA. It was THE HUGEST HOUSE EVER! I have no idea whose house it was, but everybody immediately got as close as we could (not very, with the scurity gate. I actually worried some security employees might come kick us off, but they didn't) and took pictures.

Of course, there were no children in sight, nor any adults. I don't see anything creepy about taking a picture of someone's house.

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