Wizzy Arndt in her white "short, shorts"

[lilah]

Maybe this damning with faint praise but the production quality on their fam team documentaries is really good, they could be doing TLC shows.

[gustava]

Yah-some, here is the photo you mentioned:

Thanks Okids. That photo squicks me out. No mother should have her clawed hand so possessively placed on the chest of her adult son.

[ShadowyOne]

Thanks Okids. That photo squicks me out. No mother should have her clawed hand so possessively placed on the chest of her adult son.

There are more with this same pose of mom's hand on a grown son's chest. I know I've seen one posed similarly in their house, possibly in the parents' bedroom. Anyone else remember that one?

[JenniferJuniper]

There are more with this same pose of mom's hand on a grown son's chest. I know I've seen one posed similarly in their house, possibly in the parents' bedroom. Anyone else remember that one?

There's a strange photo out with one or two of the adults in bed with Mommy while others surround the bed. They were all fully clothed, but it still looked very odd.

[LurkerOverThePond]

She's like "He's mine, ALL MINE!!!"

[Shoes Grace]

Oh yeah, that's a Southern Illinois accent. I lived there for three years, moved back home and got back in touch with a high school friend. When she found out where I'd been living, she said her father's family lived down there, and immediately went into an impression of the accent. Her mother's impression is so strong it's Arndt; they call it talking as though you're trying to spit out and swallow your upper plate simultaneously.

And to whoever posted the Vocal Fry Tones video, I had no idea there was an official name for Lumpy Space Princess Syndrome!

[Joan of Snarc]

Oh yeah, Lumpy Space Princess definitely has the vocal fry going on:

cjRGbOwpbtM

mpkA68MEkJ4

The problem with the vocal fry is that once you hear it, you can never UNHEAR it. :cry:

So, the comparisons of the Arndts to Adventure Time continue.... No luck with princesses, hanging out with penguins, and now we've realized they speak like the LSP. Amazing.

I'll pay somebody to go to their softball tournament and go up to them ask them, "What time is it? Adventure Time!"

:cracking-up:

[engineer5]

That older son is really cute! I wouldnt kick him out of my bed...

[fundies_like_zombies]

What do you think would happen if a kinda normal blogger like Rebbecca met and married one of the boys? Would he get more normal with a house and wife and being away from the family.

[JenniferJuniper]

What do you think would happen if a kinda normal blogger like Rebbecca met and married one of the boys? Would he get more normal with a house and wife and being away from the family.

Rick said when he bought all that land they built the house on he envisioned all of the sons living on the property in their own homes. Sort of like a Midwest Kennedy Compound. So even if he gets married, a son is expected to stay with the family.

But God hasn't sent in any women yet, so all building plans are on hold.

[Palimpsest]

There are more with this same pose of mom's hand on a grown son's chest. I know I've seen one posed similarly in their house, possibly in the parents' bedroom. Anyone else remember that one?

I thought the reason her hand was there to hide the rest of the logo:

"Made to Worship"

. . . .

"Satan!"

Yes, it is a strange pose.

[wild little fox]

The airport chest clutching pic wouldn't creep me out as much if it was the only creepy thing. This is just one thing in a whole list o' crazy.

I find them fascinating. Like reading about why people become serial killers fascinating. Oh, I want to read a psychological evaluation on this family!

[engineer5]

Does the older son have a blog or email?

[JenniferJuniper]

Does the older son have a blog or email?

All the adults sons have e-mail addresses listed on their site. Odds are they are monitored, but really, who knows with these people.

[Letgo]

Can anyone explain to me just how on earth the Arndt parents get their adult sons to stay at home and go along with all the FamTeam stuff? They have ten sons who are 18 or older and they are all still living with their mom and dad! I can just picture the looks on the faces of my adult children had I told them they could not move out, go to college, date, etc. The Arndts seem to get out and meet normal people more than many fundie families, and they certainly dress differently, plus their isolation is not as extreme, yet they all stay home. HOW is this accomplished? And WHY? Don't the parents ever want a break from parenting? After raising 14 kids I would sure be looking forward to an empty nest, but the Arndts aren't ever going to have one. Nor do they appear to be working toward independence for any of their offspring. I just don't get it.

[GeoBQn]

Both of my parents attended college while living at home and they came from families where children were expected to remain at home until they got married. They still moved out before then. My dad moved out at 24 to live with friends. When my mom and dad were getting serious, my mom decided that she didn't want to get married before she had the experience of living on her own, so she moved into an apartment by herself at 26. Her parents were deeply hurt and suspicious that their daughter would want to live on her own, while my dad's father responded, "Why would you ever rent an apartment when you can live here for free?" My grandfather then stopped asking when my dad responded that he wanted to be able to "entertain company." Maybe that's it--when you have a social life outside of your family, you eventually have a desire for more flexibility in your living situation so that you can spend more time with friends and dates. If the Arndt boys are isolated from potential friends and have had it drilled into them that their family is so super coolfunawesome and nothing else can compare, then they don't have the desire for more time away from their family.

[JenniferJuniper]

Both of my parents attended college while living at home and they came from families where children were expected to remain at home until they got married. They still moved out before then. My dad moved out at 24 to live with friends. When my mom and dad were getting serious, my mom decided that she didn't want to get married before she had the experience of living on her own, so she moved into an apartment by herself at 26. Her parents were deeply hurt and suspicious that their daughter would want to live on her own, while my dad's father responded, "Why would you ever rent an apartment when you can live here for free?" My grandfather then stopped asking when my dad responded that he wanted to be able to "entertain company." Maybe that's it--when you have a social life outside of your family, you eventually have a desire for more flexibility in your living situation so that you can spend more time with friends and dates. If the Arndt boys are isolated from potential friends and have had it drilled into them that their family is so super coolfunawesome and nothing else can compare, then they don't have the desire for more time away from their family.

Bluntly put, I think what makes the Arndt boys so fascinating is that none seem to have any desire to have sex. And the oldest three are 30, 32 and 33 this year. I can't imagine how any two people could manage to control that much testosterone. I'm sure the constant focus on sports and fitness helps, but still, we're talking 13 sons, all but one being at least in their teens.

Now, it is possible there are some behind-the-scenes secrets to which we'll never be privy. The website and the videos are all tightly controlled and edited to present the family in a very scripted light. Then again, enough outsiders have come in contact with them for at least a few rumors to escape and so far nothing has.

Nothing lasts forever though, and whether it's a death of one of the parents or a middle manboy breaking free, eventually something will bring change into their lives. Hopefully they're equipped to deal with it.

[rural juror]

I don't think the parents necessarily forbid them from moving out or dating. The parents themselves were very young when they met (wasn't Cathy 14??). They got married young, and by the time they were the oldest son's age they probably already had 5 kids. I think they definitely don't encourage the kids to move out or go to college. Cathy said that, since the guys helped build the house, they can live in it rent-free for as long as they want (which does make some sense). It's possible the guys genuinely love living at home - they seem to have a lot of fun (play sports in the middle of the day, travel, play games), they seem pretty good-natured and probably do consider their brothers their best friends. They probably see as life away from home as much less fun. However, if one somehow manages to get married and move out, and others see that it's not the end of the world, some of the other brothers will likely follow suit.

[lilith]

I just can't see pizza, sports, and brothers who are ones best friends being an attractive alternative to sex and independence and higher education and adult life for most men. For thirteen to all "choose" that is very odd.

With them being so into sports you'd think at least one man boy would have wanted to pursue a sports scholarship or at least play in a league without all his brothers.

ETA - my partner was living with his brother when we met, and his mother had been living with them in the home they owned for a couple of years. Partner had a very successful career, privacy, and was in every way an adult (and in many ways the head of their household), but he still found that life incredibly stifling and restrictive.

[ari_belle]

I think I have an answer as to why the Arndt boys won't seem to leave. I didn't realize it would be personal.

I attended one of the top conservatories in the world. I had to take two years off for medical leave due to a neurological disease, and it was absolutely devastating. I knew that I probably wouldn't be able to go back to playing music, let alone finishing my degree. By the time the two years were up, I realized that I didn't WANT to go back anymore. I had become scared of the outside world, being nearly bedridden for two years. I had forgotten what it was like to have a normal life, to not have people taking care of me. I didn't think it was something I even wanted anymore.

Well, I got out of that situation. I am still sick, but I am functioning in the real world. And while I didn't WANT to go back, I realized that I HAD to. Once I was back, it wasn't scary, and I was so glad. I now have only one more year to go before I'm done with my degree.

The thing about these boys is that they've never even been on their own. So while it's completely scary to leave, they don't have to, because their parents are allowing them (and probably encouraging them) to stay, and they don't have anything to compare their current experience to. THAT is why they think that this is the best their life gets. That is why they don't want to leave.

[socalrules]

I just can't see pizza, sports, and brothers who are ones best friends being an attractive alternative to sex and independence and higher education and adult life for most men. For thirteen to all "choose" that is very odd.

What's sad is that they don't realize you can have pizza, sports and brothers who are ones best friends and still have sex, independence, higher education and a normal adult life.

They are just so odd. I always wonder about these weird families acting as though everything in their life is so perfect. That they are always so happy and content and the only unhappiness they have ever felt was when a penquin went missing.

I am curious about the sex thing too. People wait to have sex until they are married, so their waiting to have sex doesn't bother me. What is strange is that it is as if they don't even know sex exists. It's like they have all been emotionally castrated to never desire sex. I can't even imagine one of them even mentioning sex to one of their best friend brothers. It's like they are in a twilight zone episode where sex does not exist.

[mockingbird]

Of all the families on here I think the Arndts creep me out the most. The Maxwells are pretty out there but you can sometimes detect emotion or longing for being able to move outside of their constrained lives, but the Arndts are really consistent in their "happy" persona and rarely have I even got the impression that anyone was even repressing some dissatisfaction or negative emotions. Nope, they just all want to be perpetual children. Of course it could be a persona but a lot of the other stuff is creepy too, like the fact that the mom is constantly posing that way with her sons. Ew. I really think of any of them there has to be some type of abuse going on here, like emotional incest (at the least).

[already hungover]

Of all the families on here I think the Arndts creep me out the most. The Maxwells are pretty out there but you can sometimes detect emotion or longing for being able to move outside of their constrained lives, but the Arndts are really consistent in their "happy" persona and rarely have I even got the impression that anyone was even repressing some dissatisfaction or negative emotions. Nope, they just all want to be perpetual children. Of course it could be a persona but a lot of the other stuff is creepy too, like the fact that the mom is constantly posing that way with her sons. Ew. I really think of any of them there has to be some type of abuse going on here, like emotional incest (at the least).

Some of Mark's posts indicate that there's some kind of emotional longing buried somewhere under the surface, I think. I can't decide if they're creepier than the Maxwells. I mean, at least they seem happy and content. Some of the Maxwells, particularly Poor Sarah, just look so trapped and miserable. Sometimes I don't think I'd mind playing baseball and hanging out with my best friends and eating pizza all the time.

Maybe I just have a soft spot for Mark because one of the first guys I ever loved has alopecia. Sigh.

[Morton Fan]

Some of Mark's posts indicate that there's some kind of emotional longing buried somewhere under the surface, I think. I can't decide if they're creepier than the Maxwells. I mean, at least they seem happy and content. Some of the Maxwells, particularly Poor Sarah, just look so trapped and miserable. Sometimes I don't think I'd mind playing baseball and hanging out with my best friends and eating pizza all the time.

Maybe I just have a soft spot for Mark because one of the first guys I ever loved has alopecia. Sigh.

Yes, there was a long (LONG) essay reposted on FJ once about how he 'longed' to get married, etc. I think he even very vaguely alluded to sex IIRC. Of course, he also said that it would be hard to find someone as wonderful as Wizzy. :shifty:

[FJismyheadship]

I thought what he said was he wanted someone Lizzie could look up to.