The Maxwells are coming to town!

[browngrl]

I had no idea that FMJ was in trouble. I hope she is o.k.

TLC is a boring channel so I rarely watch any of their shows but now I will decline to watch just on principle. Hopefully the Duggar ratings are so low this year that the whole mess is canceled.

[Palimpsest]

Well, Polecat, I think you should go especially with an invitation! I'm always interested in another take on Maxhell! We all seem to pick up on different facets. What is wrong with going to observe?

I think we should not confuse what happened at the Duggar yard sale with attending a Maxwell Conference. They are very different events. The Maxwells advertise their conferences and open them to the public. If the public wants to attend, they can. The Maxwells can refuse registrations if they want - or ask people to leave if they want. They have paid rent for the space, after all. The Duggar yard sale incident was very different. It was their home and the spy pen thing was -- weird! The Duggars are very high profile, thanks to filming the living daylights out of their kids, and have undoubtedly had some threats. Also, the Duggar yard sale was being filmed by TLC, so extra rules applied. I'm not sure they can/should be enforced, but that is a whole other ball of wax.

Somewhere in my report on Inspire! last June I had some extra thoughts and cautions for people attending Maxwell conferences, but darned if I can find that post now!

We dressed in our usual clothes, which just happen to be modest enough to pass even Steve's criteria. My sole concessions were to leave my hair down in a Fundy style and have a well worn KJV bible in my bag. I didn't even take it out!

We were also exceedingly polite. I listened attentively, as did Mr P. I took copious handwritten notes and so did he. I suppressed snorts of contempt at times during Teri's presentation. He suppressed outrage at Steve's talk.

We made an agreement beforehand that the most we would do was walk out. We lasted an hour and hightailed it out of there during the coffee break. On the other hand, I don't think polite questions, or even pointed questions, would have been out of line. I don't think Treemom's confrontation was wrong either. She waited for a break before she blew her top. And I understand why she blew her top.

We didn't take any pictures, but I don't see why you shouldn't during breaks if you want. I'd ask permission if they include people. The Maxwell's did not ask permission of us, and my rear view appeared in a photo on their site.

I did not, nor would I, identify myself with FJ at a Maxwell Conference, although other people have done so in the past in clever ways.

In fact, the only thing I probably wouldn't do again was talk to Mary (or was it Anna) about the weather. Not because there was anything wrong with the conversation (or letting her practice her conversational skills :twisted:) but because she is underage. I might be more cautious today. I'd certainly strike up conversations with the rest of the family if I wanted to.

And, I agree, I would not take a child anywhere near a Maxhell conference!

I did need to talk about the conference on FJ afterwards. I'm not a fragile flower and did not expect to be as upset by it as I was, but the Maxwell preachings are very creepy. I don't think I'm creepy in wanting to learn more about them and see them in action. I wanted to see if Steve was bad as other FJers seemed to think. He was even worse!

[Coconut Flan]

OTBT, it was an open to the public event on property in front of the Duggar house. It was a charity auction that was IMO encouraged and planned by TLC so they'd have something to film. So TLC was filming, other people were taking pictures with the Duggars and talking to them. I don't think going, taking photos, or talking to the available Duggars was wrong. I think TLC probably reads here and were on the look out for FMJ as they sometimes seem to be overly careful of the supposed rights to the extent of trampling on others.

So it was a public even on private property and "the world and his brother" was invited. I'm not well versed in Arkansas law so will wait for someone licensed in AR to speak on the spy cam.

[OkToBeTakei]

OTBT, it was an open to the public event on property in front of the Duggar house. It was a charity auction that was IMO encouraged and planned by TLC so they'd have something to film. So TLC was filming, other people were taking pictures with the Duggars and talking to them. I don't think going, taking photos, or talking to the available Duggars was wrong. I think TLC probably reads here and were on the look out for FMJ as they sometimes seem to be overly careful of the supposed rights to the extent of trampling on others.

So it was a public even on private property and "the world and his brother" was invited. I'm not well versed in Arkansas law so will wait for someone licensed in AR to speak on the spy cam.

I suppose I'm just not interested enough to go spooking at anybody, I'm content to snark anonymously which is probably fairly hypocritical but horses for courses I guess. Like I said though a few fan photos and a report if Chellebelle is with J'sperm would be fine. Not getting the spy pen thing. If not the legalities then absolute imposition on privacy these things bring. Especially when used covertly. Not very cool at all.

[Rescinded and Mended]

OTBT, it was an open to the public event on property in front of the Duggar house. It was a charity auction that was IMO encouraged and planned by TLC so they'd have something to film. So TLC was filming, other people were taking pictures with the Duggars and talking to them. I don't think going, taking photos, or talking to the available Duggars was wrong. I think TLC probably reads here and were on the look out for FMJ as they sometimes seem to be overly careful of the supposed rights to the extent of trampling on others.

So it was a public even on private property and "the world and his brother" was invited. I'm not well versed in Arkansas law so will wait for someone licensed in AR to speak on the spy cam.

This is why it aggravated me to no end when Smuggar asked people not to talk about the event. Seriously, if you're going to stage a (D-list) celebrity charity rummage sale in your own front yard, then you need to be prepared for everything that comes along with it, both the good and the bad. People are going to ask questions, want pictures, possibly try and film, and do a host of other things that will likely be outside of the Duggar comfort zone. As someone wisely pointed out in another thread, if you want total control over the behavior of the people who are attending your event, then invite personal acquaintances only, and don't make it public.

[YPestis]

Since the Maxwells' conference is a public event, I see nothing wrong with dropping by. There's a pretty big difference between attending as an audience member and stalking and harassing. I wouldn't be confrontational with anyone at said conference and would try to be polite. Now, since the Maxwells like to "make conversations" with their audiences afterwards, I think, it's perfectly ok to ask them questions and disagree with them. Again, there's a difference between doing that and harassing someone. I'm not familiar with the Duggar event. However, aside from the spy pen thing, everything else about it sounds like it's pretty above ground (and what's the heck with putting baby in the sun thing?!). The Duggars are minor celebrities. If they decide to put on a public event, then they should expect some people they see there may not be fans. Heaven forbid if I met a Duggar and decide to tell them I don't agree with their lifestyle. I hope I don't get charged with stalking or whatever!

[twin2]

That picture on the bottom of the post is creepy.

[treemom]

I don't think a spy cam and a confrontation are in any way similar and I don't think I implied that they were. A spy cam (unless you're, oh, an actual SPY) in a venue like a Maxwell conference or a freaking Duggar yard sale is sneaky and underhanded and any kind of back-tracking or pearl-clutching after fact ("but I didn't knoooooow I was doing something wrong...") is just self-serving CYA whining, as far as I'm concerned. (Especially since she basically showed up with a neon sign over her head and then acted all surprised that people where on the lookout. SURPRISE!) It makes one no better than the paps who hound celebrities and their kids, go through their trash, tail them as their driving and so on. You can visit, engage and ask questions without resorting to underhanded tactics.

Confrontation, while not my style, is above-board--nothing underhanded about it, unless you mislead or intentionally provoke your target before you confront them. Personally, I disagreed with your decision to confront Steve because ultimately I think it probably reinforced his teachings and fears of outsiders rather than sowed seeds of doubt or curiosity in the children. But I respect that we have differing opinions on this and I respect the fact that you approached him honestly. I can in no way respect someone who takes a spy device to an event, especially one involving children (regardless of whether or not she "only" spoke to the older kids), because I simply can't think of one good reason to do so, other than to try to get one over on the Duggars.

NP. I misunderstood this part "Nor would I hesitate to ask a question (if they entertained them) or to engage any of them in polite conversation (and this public-school educated woman could more than hold her own, thank you), but I would not confront, mock, clandestinely tape them or otherwise harass them because it's just wrong, IMO. Do I snark here? Yes, because it's an appropriate forum. In person on their territory? Not so much." It did seem to indicate that you considered them at the same level.

But I know sometimes words roll off while we are thinking so it was probably a listing of things you don't like. Anyhow, thanks for clarifying.