What about the Duggar Boys?

[RosyDaisy]

If Josh and JD went to ALERT it was probably sometime between the first special and the time TLC picked up the show full time. There was a period when JD wasn't around much. Maybe JB needed him around, who knows. Josh's buzz cut he was sprouting during one of the specials pretty much sealed it with me that he had been to ALERT. Next up will be Jed and Jer.

Kinda off topic, but when did Joy go to JTTH, or has she been?

[uber frau]

Joy has definitely been. I'd say it was at the beginning of last summer but I'd have to check. There are photos on the JTTH website.

I though I there was an ALERT group photo including Josh floating around the interwebz but I could be imagining it.

[Four is Enough]

I thought, in one of the specials, M said that "all the boys" have gone to ALERT. They did make a big fuss about Joseph's graduation from the program, but I don't really remember a fuss about Josh's or JD's graduation.

[floridiot]

I agree that the Duggar boys have it easier then the girls but I don't think that means life is a walk in the park for them. I think this is especially true for any Duggar boys who don't seem to want one of the few careers that JB seems to have OKed for his sons. I think JD and Joseph both can find careers that are accepted and make them happy while still toeing the Duggar line. But more creative and less technical boys may find it difficult to find a career that JB will approve and they enjoy.

I wouldn't be surprised if JD and Joseph remain single or delay marrying until they get to the point that they won't have quite so many children if they marry a similarly aged woman. I bet one of those SAHDs past their prime would jump at the chance to finally marry too.

Josh was sent to ALERT back when they were still doing specials I believe. He is in one of them (16 kids?) with a buzzed hair cut I believe. So it's not mentioned for the show at all. I think ALERT is only mentioned for the first time with Joseph.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say I think JD and Sarah Maxwell would be a good match. He doesn't seem to care about having kids so would do well paired up with

an older SAHD that doesn't have a whole lotta baby-making years left. And Sarah gets out of Maxhell, presumably to Arkansas, and is allowed to cavort with the much less strict Duggars and their hedonistic basketball court and such.

[lizzielouwho]

I get the feeling that Jim Bob manipulates the boys financially. It seems he has his hands in everything JD is doing and may have been a motivator for Josh packing up and leaving town. To an extent he is doing it with the girls as well. Here is a house for you to live in. Your fiance can move in with us and work for me. I think its all designed to keep control over the adult children.

[Clutched Pearls]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say I think JD and Sarah Maxwell would be a good match. He doesn't seem to care about having kids so would do well paired up with

an older SAHD that doesn't have a whole lotta baby-making years left. And Sarah gets out of Maxhell, presumably to Arkansas, and is allowed to cavort with the much less strict Duggars and their hedonistic basketball court and such.

Serious lols at the bolded! I think that JD will either end up breaking free of ATI or become fundie lite. Like you, Feberin, I don't think that JD wants to replicate his parent's lifestyle.

[Jana814]

I get the feeling that Jim Bob manipulates the boys financially. It seems he has his hands in everything JD is doing and may have been a motivator for Josh packing up and leaving town. To an extent he is doing it with the girls as well. Here is a house for you to live in. Your fiance can move in with us and work for me. I think its all designed to keep control over the adult children.

Agree!!

[Bugnyou]

is ALERT always a punishment, or do most of the fundie boys go at least once? At Josiah's Grad party, he announced it like he was excited about going.

This is what I wondered, if most of them (the Duggar boys) have been then is it always a bad thing? Does anyone know?

[Ivycoveredtower]

This is what I wondered, if most of them (the Duggar boys) have been then is it always a bad thing? Does anyone know?

I can't say for sure but I have a feeling Joe wanted to go and liked it. I feel like it's more likely a punishment for Josiah. I mean he's been there for what feels like forever. maybe he likes it but I don't know I just can't shake the feeling that he's being forced there.

[salex]

IF Jimbob set up trusts for his kids out of the shows earnings, and they picked a decent investment vehicle, they may have a good nest egg. If they leave it alone except for buying their home, they don't have to earn a ton to live...

Additionally, once they are late teens or adults, they are on the speakers bureaus and are paid for speaking. The speakers bureau people I've looked into start at 5000 per event, plus expenses. Not sure if ATI pays them to teach/preach-- others might know.

They will likely have "ministries" so they will always have a begging bowl that their family name will keep going--at least for a while.

[Lillybee]

It was rumored that Josh was sent to one of Gothard's character reform schools because he was a bit too touchy feeling with some girl.

Michelle said that Joseph was the first one to go to Alert. It looks like JD was able to miss it.

[uber frau]

That rumour seemed to traced back to an alter ego of the poster sometimes known as Razing Ruth. I don't know how accurate it is.

I'm no great fan of Smugger's but I think there are enough real issues that we don't need to risk muddying the water with allegations like that one.

5 grand seems a an awful lot for an appearance on the speaker's circuit. Is mean, I can see how a real celebrity (even a B or C lister) could pull that kind of money but the Duggars are more like Z list (Josh might be maybe on the Y list since he has a group backing him). I'd be seriously surprised if anyone would pay for the privilege of hearing a Duggar boy's take on anything.

[salex]

That rumour seemed to traced back to an alter ego of the poster sometimes known as Razing Ruth. I don't know how accurate it is.

I'm no great fan of Smugger's but I think there are enough real issues that we don't need to risk muddying the water with allegations like that one.

5 grand seems a an awful lot for an appearance on the speaker's circuit. Is mean, I can see how a real celebrity (even a B or C lister) could pull that kind of money but the Duggars are more like Z list (Josh might be maybe on the Y list since he has a group backing him). I'd be seriously surprised if anyone would pay for the privilege of hearing a Duggar boy's take on anything.

I think you'd be surprised how much speakers get paid We heard a recording of this guy's Ted Talk from SXSW and looked into booking him to speak at a small conference a year ago-- when his prices were not posted--but they are 15-20 thousand! There was no way we could afford him, and to my knowledge, he does not have the fan base that the Duggars have. marketplace.espeakers.com/speaker/profile/22518/Byron-Reese

Just peruse marketplace.espeakers.com and you'll find a lot of people you never heard of who get 5K to speak at a conference.

Same here....

premierespeakers.com/christian/search?fee_filter_max=19000&fee_filter_min=2000&page=1&q=parenting+++&sort=fee

[moodygirl86]

Yeah, I like this thread. Most couples I know will both work, mainly out of financial necessity, and even if they can survive on one income, they both like getting out of the house and meeting different people, etc. But the financial necessity is the critical point, because if one person loses their job - which can happen through no fault of their own - most non-fundie couples will have the other partner's income. Not the case in fundie land. I'd hate to be part of a fundie couple, whether that's the man who is solely responsible for keeping that roof over the heads of not just me and my wife but our eleventy billion kids as well; or the wife who could have worked and backed up my husband - as it should be in a partnership - but was bullshitted into not doing so because it's unGodly.

[Toothfairy]

No fundie girl wants to marry into the Jim Bob circus train

[FloraKitty35]

The Duggar children (male & female) remind me of the FLDS children.

[JenniferJuniper]

No fundie girl wants to marry into the Jim Bob circus train

A fundie girl or two might. But their parents? Probably not so much.

How embarrassing for pushing-25 year old John David to be pimped out by his father on national TV. And so much for the Duggars' actual commitment to patriarchy. JD can't find his own bride and Baby Boy Ben has to move into Jim Bob's storage shed and practically change his name to Duggar before he's allowed to even pop the question.

[BrownieMomma]

I feel as sorry for the boys as I do the girls. They get no education either and they are expected to become headships and sole breadwinners.

It's a lot of stress when you are the sole breadwinner. I know this because I am one and I've spent many a sleepless night trying not to worry about what the hell I'm doing and how I'm going to keep it altogether.

[jingerdoe]

I agree with others who've said that at least the boys have the potential power to change things - once they're married to Jim-Bob-approved fundie girls. And it's been pointed out here many a time that often it's the women driving the fundie train...

[Daenerys]

A fundie girl or two might. But their parents? Probably not so much.

How embarrassing for pushing-25 year old John David to be pimped out by his father on national TV. And so much for the Duggars' actual commitment to patriarchy. JD can't find his own bride and Baby Boy Ben has to move into Jim Bob's storage shed and practically change his name to Duggar before he's allowed to even pop the question.

There are many girls/women from fundie families living in overcrowded poverty raising their 10 siblings who would absolutely JUMP at the chance to marry a Duggar and live a comfortable middle class life. There are far more families like the Rodgruiges and Schraders who can barely afford to feed their excessive children than there are Duggars/Bates with plenty of money for luxuries.

No matter how boring/weird/unfriendly JD might be (I have no idea) he is still an excellent catch for an awful lot of women. He's got an income, he'll have a house if he gets married, and his wife will be able to have a nice lifestyle where she doesn't have to worry about being able to afford to put food on the table or heat her house in the winter.

[isarhenne]

There are many girls/women from fundie families living in overcrowded poverty raising their 10 siblings who would absolutely JUMP at the chance to marry a Duggar and live a comfortable middle class life. There are far more families like the Rodgruiges and Schraders who can barely afford to feed their excessive children than there are Duggars/Bates with plenty of money for luxuries.

No matter how boring/weird/unfriendly JD might be (I have no idea) he is still an excellent catch for an awful lot of women. He's got an income, he'll have a house if he gets married, and his wife will be able to have a nice lifestyle where she doesn't have to worry about being able to afford to put food on the table or heat her house in the winter.

I agree completly and I do wonder why he isn't courting, yet? There must be dozens of suitable young women willing to marry him for the reasons you mentioned.

Are there other factores? Does JimBob want a dowry payed to him and most poorer QF-families simply can't afford it? Is there such a thing as a dowry in fundieland?

[anjulibai]

No, they don't do dowries.

I just don't think JD wants to be married. He seems to simply be enjoying single-hood. Remember that picture of him out with a bunch of people his own age? He goes to fun ATI events, doing skits, helping with lighting (he was at that event Carlin did in California). He travels alone or with a few friends regularly. He's got some freedom.

A lot of early 20-somethings aren't ready for marriage because they just don't want that commitment yet. I can't blame JD for wanting his freedom, such as it is.

[calimojo]

Does he still live at home? I mean, it seems very odd for a 25 year old to be sharing a communal style bedroom with 8 or so siblings. I thought, from an old episode that he made a trade with the bank for clearing out a piece land, that he would get another piece of land with a house and outbuildings on it. I wonder if he moved in there?

[ElegantMajesticPearls]

No, they don't do dowries.

I just don't think JD wants to be married. He seems to simply be enjoying single-hood. Remember that picture of him out with a bunch of people his own age? He goes to fun ATI events, doing skits, helping with lighting (he was at that event Carlin did in California). He travels alone or with a few friends regularly. He's got some freedom.

A lot of early 20-somethings aren't ready for marriage because they just don't want that commitment yet. I can't blame JD for wanting his freedom, such as it is.

Ehh. Considering JD is a 24 year old red blooded male who is only allowed sexual activity within the confines in marriage, I would think he is more than ready to get hitched.

[Sundaymorning]

There are many girls/women from fundie families living in overcrowded poverty raising their 10 siblings who would absolutely JUMP at the chance to marry a Duggar and live a comfortable middle class life. There are far more families like the Rodgruiges and Schraders who can barely afford to feed their excessive children than there are Duggars/Bates with plenty of money for luxuries.

No matter how boring/weird/unfriendly JD might be (I have no idea) he is still an excellent catch for an awful lot of women. He's got an income, he'll have a house if he gets married, and his wife will be able to have a nice lifestyle where she doesn't have to worry about being able to afford to put food on the table or heat her house in the winter.

I absolutely agree. While some fundies like ATI royality and families even more extreme than them might have problems with the Duggars, I'm pretty sure there are a lot of women and their parents who would love to marry into the Duggar family. For a young girl from a poor fundie family (and let's face it, many of them are dirt-poor), it would mean a huge raise of her living standart, and there are also a lot of parents who wouldn't mind being on tv and have their 20 minutes of fame. I mean, folks like the Rodrigues parents would be delighted if their oldest daughter would court a Duggar boy.