This week on "19 Kids...." another Re-run topic

[IReallyAmHopewell]

Oh gosh! The Duggars have another almost re-run!

 

a) they're in New York AGAIN (but not on the Today show....)

they try to navigate a subway--again (they tried this in DC)

c) someone might get lost (ala first trip to NY)

 

Yawn..... Hey SCOTT! Hey SEAN!!!

 

We've suggested many possible episodes, but let me suggest a few more!!

 

1. Grandma, Amy & Deanna escape with the 4 big girls to, oh, I don't know?? How about Myrtle Beach?? Hot guys try to hit on Amy but are put off by the Burka-swimsuits of the J-girls, but are polite when the girls explain how they are wearing them to help & protect the young men.

 

2. Hannie, Jackson, Justin ,Jason, James spend a day in an age-appropriate classroom at the local school They even get to ride the bus and eat lunch off a tray while watching a defrauding Disney movie for crowd control. The Duggars are seen receiving advice from a school psychologist how to help James focus. Later they try the methods suggested at home. Everyone shares at dinner something good that happened at school.

 

3. Follow John for a day of towing cars, attending fires (w or w/o sisters) and doing what he does in his down time.

 

4. Show the girls playing music for a wedding or other event for money.

 

5. Show Jim-Bob and Michelle loving on children for a change instead of on each other.

 

6. Joy and Josiah go to high school for a day. Swimming class, some fun class like theatre or art, and normal classes. They can be the leaders at "Meet You at the Pole" day to start it off. Attend a sports team practice, play with the school orchestra or band. Get their reactions.

 

7. Michelle, and Michelle alone takes her toddlers to Mommy and Me and has to cope alone.

 

8. Jim-Bob spends time alone with Justin--the forgotten child.

 

9. Jeremiah attends a chess championship and gets pointers from pros.

 

10. Jinger (or is it Jessa?) goes on a photo shoot with PEOPLE magazine to learn tips of the trade, then coordinates clothing etc for the next family photo shoot.

 

11. The Duggar "middle" boys cater dinner for the fire dept with home made bread that they all enjoy baking. No help from any of the Duggar girls/women.

 

12. Jim-Bob learns about prostate health..... (probably not)

 

13. Duggars go on a Field Trip and learn about recycling. They set up a home recycling center and use it.

 

14. The Duggars offer land to struggling single Moms to have garden plots and get help from a gardening pro.

 

15. James and Justin enroll in 4-H and raise beef calves for the family to eat.

 

16. Joseph attends a high school prom and gets to talk about Giving Away Pieces of Your Heart and Modestry. (Ok that would be tough, but I want him to get to go to a prom!!!)

[luckylassie]

Good episode ideas! I suggest an episode where:

All of the kids go to their age appropriate public schools and grades

Michelle tends to her babies/toddlers alone

Jana, Jill, Jessa, and Jinger enroll in community college

Both Anna and Michelle officially close their wombs for business

[debrand]

If the girls are going to talk about dating, maybe they should go on a couple of dates. The crew could set them up with polite boys of their age group and they could have an evening chaperoned by the camera crew. Granted, that would be awkward but if you are going to talk about a subject, you should have some experience.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

luckylassie---Great ideas!

debrand--kind of like dating Chelsea Clinton or Prince Harry--Protection Officers everywhere!!

[justakitten]

Here's some more ideas:

The Duggars go to IKEA and buy real plates!

The older girls job shadow a female CEO or VP for a day.

Michelle goes on a cooking show, where she is challenged to make a 3 course meal using all fresh ingredients.

[Aurora]

JimBob has to make lunch and Jinger gets to rest and study.

[QueenNocturne]

I'd love for the Duggars to go to a gay pride parade and try to not sound like complete homophobes in front of the camera.

Not to mention all the defrauding potential. :D

[Boogalou]

I think the Duggars should go to the dentist, I think they could get a solid three episodes out of that. Oh wait, they already did!

My real episode ideas:

1. The Duggars attend a service of another faith, not more liberal baptist, but something totally not Christian (this does not include a Catholic mass)

2. Michelle and JB actually teach their children and also preform all other household tasks for the day without any help

3. Joy joins some sort of sports league of her choosing

4. One of the kids who have graduated highschool actually does something outside the home - ANYTHING

5. The Duggars go back to a non-American restaurant because, let's face it, they really show their true colours when they do

6. Someone pays attention to Jennifer, Jordyn and the lost boys

[bananacat]

JimBob has to make lunch and Jinger gets to rest and study.

And cold tuna sandwiches with BBQ sauce don't count! JB has to cook a hot meal that is also nutritionally balanced.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

Joy joins some sort of sports league of her choosing

I'm hoping she can at least do the girl's ALERT course where they can wear pants and (shock!) boys surfer swim trunks and tshirts instead of ridiculous Burka suits.

Aurora wrote:

JimBob has to make lunch and Jinger gets to rest and study.

And cold tuna sandwiches with BBQ sauce don't count! JB has to cook a hot meal that is also nutritionally balanced.

Has to have a starch, a protein, a vegetable and a fruit!!! Main dish must be hot--not tap-water hot, but actually cooked. Canned sloppy joe sauce & cooked hamburger served on a bun with pickles, little carrots and juice-packed pineapple would due.....

[Aurora]

I'm hoping she can at least do the girl's ALERT course where they can wear pants and (shock!) boys surfer swim trunks and tshirts instead of ridiculous Burka suits.

Has to have a starch, a protein, a vegetable and a fruit!!! Main dish must be hot--not tap-water hot, but actually cooked. Canned sloppy joe sauce & cooked hamburger served on a bun with pickles, little carrots and juice-packed pineapple would due.....

Haha, that sounds good!!

Is there a girls' ALERT course??

[Buzzard]

I'd settle for the duggars doing some community service around town! Just SOMETHING that isnt the same old same old!

[marmalade]

Haha, that sounds good!!

Is there a girls' ALERT course??

I forgot what it's really called, but in the last few years, Gothard has pushed this generation of kids (the first who lived their entire lives in the cult) to attend these "camps" then go into their communities to get certified CPR training, and join the local VFD. Sound familiar? They're not doing this out of the largesse of the charitable spirit or whatever they call it, but merely following God-thard's directive, which is somehow perceived by his followers as a "calling" for the older, unmarried sons and daughters who don't travel the country selling their own shit *cough*Maxwells*cough* or a family music ministry that is their bread and butter (Reiths, Boatrangers, et al).

(edit: sorry, still trying to get used to the new keyboard!)

[IReallyAmHopewell]

The "first responder" thing is one of the ways they seek to ingratiate themselves into a community and get a toe-hold into politics.

[xDreamerx]

I would really like to see them go to a service of another denomination. I know they went to the Bateses church, but from what I gather it was just Baptist as opposed to ATI, homechurch craziness. I would like to see them go to a liturgical service. They might see that Catholics aren't so bad. I doubt it, but I have hope. I would also like see them go to a Mosque and learn some things about Islam but that will never happen.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

Just Baptist as opposed to ATI, homechurch craziness.

Nope--it's an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Church--exactly the church that ATI markets to. Not many other kids there (unless it was an "off" day when we saw it). Family Integrated Church, too, whether or not it's an "official" designation. Otherwise, they'd not attend.

[xDreamerx]

Nope--it's an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Church--exactly the church that ATI markets to. Not many other kids there (unless it was an "off" day when we saw it). Family Integrated Church, too, whether or not it's an "official" designation. Otherwise, they'd not attend.

My mistake. I was confusing it with the episode where they went to a different church that had rock music and drums and they called it "interesting" and "different". I can't remember where this was.

Edit: It was a church in Little Rock that they went to while they were there.

[snickerz]

Michelle has a professional makeover (PLEASE cut that hair, woman!).

The 18 & up crowd enrolls in real colleges.

The big kids get to go somewhere - anywhere - ALONE without a buddy or chaperone, and interact with normal people.

We see the kids hanging out with friends. Not whole families of like-minded fundies, but let's see Jer & Jed shooting hoops with the neighbor boy, or Joy going to the mall with the neighbor girl.

The Duggars celebrate "Kids Day" -- the kids get an entire day off from their jurisdictions/buddies, and Michelle & JimBob do ALL the work, cooking, cleaning, kid care for an entire day. A week would be better!

The Duggars repair/paint a local elementary school, install new playground equipment, etc. to help children in their local community.

Michelle takes a nutrition course and totally revamps the family's diet.

JimBob and some of the older kids decide to get in shape. They join the local gym, wear normal exercise clothes, and go jogging. We see the girls in a kickboxing class.

[bananacat]

I would love to see some of them take dance classes. I guess the unmarried ones can't touch any partner, but what about a couples thing for Smuggar and Anna? They could get a sitter for the kids and just have a date night and learn ballroom dancing or something old-fashioned.

[Jessica]

5. The Duggars go back to a non-American restaurant because, let's face it, they really show their true colours when they do.

And it can't be Mexican or EEEEEYYYYE-talian but Indian or Chinese (real Chinese, not Panda Express) or even a vegan restaurant. Oh! I know! In Salt Lake City there is a RAW vegan restaurant! They can go there and then to the Tabernacle and listen to a performance of Amazing Grace. ;)

[Sweetpea1]

7. Michelle, and Michelle alone takes her toddlers to Mommy and Me and has to cope alone.

I really really want to see this made into an episode. I'd settle for her bringing the howler monkeys to McDonalds (not the drive through.)

[Munasa]

The boys bring home some squirrels they've shot and Michelle makes a squirrel stew feast for the whole family.

(It was squirrels, wasn't it? Michelle said they often shoot and eat them back during riflegate. My apologies if I've got the animal wrong.)

[Kitten]

I would love to see the kids get to do individual homestays with non-fundie families. No pressure to dress differently, eat differently, behave differently - but just a chance to see that "The Others" are not evil soul-suckers.

I don't want to force any particular lifestyle on them, because, quite honestly, there is nothing inherently "better" about organized school compared to homeschooling, and dancing, while enjoyable, is not a requirement for life--but it would be great for them to live with people who don't all have one single point of view, who argue and discuss various topics, but still love and respect each other and themselves.

I would love for them to simply realize that you can choose to be a virgin until marriage without wearing heavy jean skirts, you can control your thoughts and urges when you see a woman showing her bare arms or wearing jeans, you can be a Christian and have green hair (yes, I know Erin said it, but you get the idea...), you can be a Christian and listen to "secular" music, or you can even be a Christian and accept the theory of evolution.

I don't need or want to hit them over the head with extreme lifestyles; I just want them to realize that there are other options that would allow them to embrace their conservative religious beliefs without foisting such rigid rules and gender roles on them, and I would love for them to be in an environment that encouraged them to ask questions, challenge other people's opinions, and be challenged in return. Simple critical thinking vs "group think" rote recital of force-fed viewpoints - what a concept.

One small step...that's all...

[friers57]

I would love to see the whole family (with the exception of the babies/toddlers) spend time at an afterschool program. The younger ones could play with kids in their age groups, and we could see the older kids, Jim Bob and Michelle try to tutor kids from the public schools in math and science. Then we could really see how far behind in school they are.

[sableduck]

As far as the first responder thing, recently a 20-something stay at home daughter from a staunch Gothard family in our area joined the ambulance I work at, since we have volunteers, too. She was allowed to get her EMT last year because the man teaching it was a pastor that the family knew. Anyway, it is a disaster. She has zero social skills, drives everybody nuts, and clearly has patriachal issues--she doesn't listen to females, but if a man tells her the same thing, it is like God speaking. I try to have compassion on her, but a lot of people just can't stand her. It is very sad.

She also just completed College Plus! nursing program. Apparently she clepped out of all the non-nursing classes and is taking those at our community college. I have known her family for many years, and am very surpised they allowed any of this. Must be Gothard is loosening the reigns somewhat, especially as she is allowed to wear pants when volunteering at the ambulance. This is a family that has been deeply entrenched in Gothardism and ATI for many many years, and is "high up" in the Gothard organization. She keeeps inviting me to some of the Gothard groupie meetings in the area. I keep thinking I should go...