Which Duggars do you think will court next?

[SassyPants]

That was Steve Maxwell.

Hmmm, I wondered why they showed the episode where JB asked Derick how he planned on supporting Jill? JB asked a man with a college degree and job with a well known, local, albeit crappy company, IMO, how he was going to support his daughter, yet gave the unemployed 19 yo the A-OK without any such questions? Certainly makes zero logical sense.

And TLC was not those young mens' employer before they were married.

[Walking Cat Bed]

Because the rules are for everyone else - first of all, the rules are for the kids. Then the rules are for the rest of the ungodless heathens who is everyone who is not JB, Michelle, their kids or JB's family.

The rules don't actually apply to Jim Bob and Michelle - those are changed to whatever JB&M want.

Ofc jill and jessa want to get married, what else are they going to do?

Basically, the Duggars are living a game of CalvinBall. The rules change out of nowhere and everyone just goes along with it (unless, of course, JB&M don't approve of the rule change, in which case the scenario in question is deleted from question and never spoken of again to maintain the illusion).

[rosaline]

Basically, the Duggars are living a game of CalvinBall. The rules change out of nowhere and everyone just goes along with it (unless, of course, JB&M don't approve of the rule change, in which case the scenario in question is deleted from question and never spoken of again to maintain the illusion).

A+ Calvinball comparison. It's all JimBobBall.

[gustava]

The courtship of Jessa has confused me. Jessa is viewed by many as the prettiest of the girls, and if JB were completely pulling the strings, you would think he could have found a much better match for Jessa as I have no doubt she caught the eye of many single Fundie men. Likely some of them were even "fundie" royalty and would have garnered more publicity and interest than Ben.

Ben just seems like such as step backwards for Jessa. Yes, he is nice looking, but he is just terrible on screen, can barely string a sentence together, and doesn't appear to have an original thought in his head.

So, that kind of leaves me believing that the whole Jessa/Ben thing must have been just a random occurrence. Not something that JB orchestrated, like we have been led to believe with Derick and Jill. I just can't imagine any reason why JB would intentionally match his "prettiest" daughter up with Ben on person.

Perhaps, as with Josh, JimBoob realized he needed to get her married off???

[RabbitKM]

But even if it had been a random occurrence, why didn't JB put a stop to it? I think he needed it for ratings, either that and/or Jessa did tell them that she was going to bolt if he didn't give his permission.

Even if JB was 19 when he married, it was a different time...or maybe he just wanted to teach them a lesson about what a difficult path they have chosen.

I just can't see any parent who claims that THEY have the final say in these matters, actually approving of this union. A 19 yo uneducated, unskilled, unemployed teen? Now we can admit that Jessa is working (she is), but let's not forget this is a patriarchal cult- The choice of Ben just doesn't fit; goes against everything they purportedly believe in and espouse.

What do you mean she is working?

[SassyPants]

What do you mean she is working?

She's been working the TLC, family gig, for the last 10 years.

[nst]

But even if it had been a random occurrence, why didn't JB put a stop to it? I think he needed it for ratings, either that and/or Jessa did tell them that she was going to bolt if he didn't give his permission.

Even if JB was 19 when he married, it was a different time...or maybe he just wanted to teach them a lesson about what a difficult path they have chosen.

I just can't see any parent who claims that THEY have the final say in these matters, actually approving of this union. A 19 yo uneducated, unskilled, unemployed teen? Now we can admit that Jessa is working (she is), but let's not forget this is a patriarchal cult- The choice of Ben just doesn't fit; goes against everything they purportedly believe in and espouse.

you mean true love doesn't prevail in this instant :D

seems to me she was serious when she said they would elope :D

she fell for Ben's lines hook line and sinker

[nst]

She's been working the TLC, family gig, for the last 10 years.

don't forget her book and her brilliant version of making smoothies daily

she can start an online cooking show :cracking-up:

[SassyPants]

don't forget her book and her brilliant version of making smoothies daily

she can start an online cooking show :cracking-up:

Well, she does have that industrial strength blender (Ninja, perhaps?) And did I spy the aqua Kitchenaid Mixer in the background? She should be doing something with all that fancy equipment. LOL

[nst]

Well, she does have that industrial strength blender (Ninja, perhaps?) And did I spy the aqua Kitchenaid Mixer in the background? She should be doing something with all that fancy equipment. LOL

I wonder who bought her that beautiful machine - I love that color

I would rather follow her while she created a cooking show than reading about crosses and such :D

[SassyPants]

I wonder who bought her that beautiful machine - I love that color

I would rather follow her while she created a cooking show than reading about crosses and such :D

I've been around religious (the real and otherwise) people all of my life. Jessa does not come off as genuinely religious, devout, or pious. Now if Jill was posting the stuff that Jessa does, I would be much more convinced. Jessa and Ben seem like 2 kids, pranking and laughing their asses off; in effect, playing a game.

[RosyDaisy]

I think JB wants his pretty princesses to marry yes men, not fundie royalty. He missed the mark with Derrick, but hit the jackpot with Ben.

[jinseng]

Something I always notice about Jessa is when her father or Ben are talking, she stares off into space. She goes into a trance. But I know women are taught to look devoutly and lovingly into their father/husbands eyes when they are speaking. In talking head interviews with Jessa and Ben, she sometimes tries to do it, but it comes across fake and almost mockingly.

[DuggarsTheEndIsNear]

Something I always notice about Jessa is when her father or Ben are talking, she stares off into space. She goes into a trance. But I know women are taught to look devoutly and lovingly into their father/husbands eyes when they are speaking. In talking head interviews with Jessa and Ben, she sometimes tries to do it, but it comes across fake and almost mockingly.

Lol I always manage to stare off into space when people are talking. Even when I'm listening intently, my eyes loose focus and I usually end up looking away. So I don't really look that far into people doing that.

[eh02]

Something I always notice about Jessa is when her father or Ben are talking, she stares off into space. She goes into a trance. But I know women are taught to look devoutly and lovingly into their father/husbands eyes when they are speaking. In talking head interviews with Jessa and Ben, she sometimes tries to do it, but it comes across fake and almost mockingly.

Who is she ever around that has anything to say worth listening to? :D It's probably much easier to love her family when she doesn't hear what they're saying.

[hapamama]

I suspect that Jana is not in a hurry to get married and start her own family. I'm sure that if she really, really wanted to, JB would have found her someone before now.

[SassyPants]

I suspect that Jana is not in a hurry to get married and start her own family. I'm sure that if she really, really wanted to, JB would have found her someone before now.

Absolutely.

Beautiful

Lots of skills (cooks, sews, lays tile, drives a bus)

Sweet disposition.

She's a far better catch than Jessa, IMO. Then again, Jessa is yolked to a teenager, so I'm glad Jana has dodged that dead end bullet.

[isarhenne]

I hope JD will be the next one to get married. He seems the most ready for marriage.

But I fear it will be Jinger. Please, not. Ironically, I can see Jinger only beeing ready for marriage after she has lived alone for some time. She seems to be too shy and anxious to be herself when her family is around. She used to be spunky but now looks scared most of the time and smothes out her voice so much it sounds completely artificial.

I think Jana will pull a "I'm delying marriage as long as possible but will get married when it's still socially acceptable in my circles which means I aim to get married at 29" (or something like that)

It seems 29 is still marginally acceptable in fundie circles, however the goal for most girls seems to be getting married in her early twenties. 29 was the last year of life my great-grandmother could get married without to many eye brows being raised. 29 is still the magical number for a lot of women.

[txmommyof4]

I think Jim Bob will be forcing Josiah into a marriage soon so I suppose he will have to court for a few days first. I am just hoping there is a little spark of the real Josiah left under that battered shell they left. I think Jim Bob is scared of what will happen if he ever starts to talk and hopes all his time at alert solved that. I can see him thinking a wife and kids is the way to keep him down where they put him.

[eh02]

I think Jim Bob will be forcing Josiah into a marriage soon so I suppose he will have to court for a few days first. I am just hoping there is a little spark of the real Josiah left under that battered shell they left. I think Jim Bob is scared of what will happen if he ever starts to talk and hopes all his time at alert solved that. I can see him thinking a wife and kids is the way to keep him down where they put him.

I have no idea what Jim Bob is going to do with Josiah. I am really, really curious to see if they will feature him more this season. I think they know how suspicious it looks when all of their other adult children get updates (even John gets mentions on social media about his flying and such, even if we don't see him on the show very often) and we hear NOTHING about Josiah.

So I don't know. Has it been confirmed that he is living back at the house now? Besides those photo shoot pictures that Jinger took a while back, I can't really even remember the last time we saw photographic proof that he's alive. :roll: I was looking through their IG...there's even a family photo of them around Christmastime in Branson. The family is at a long dinner table. 15 kids. No Josh, Jill, Jessa...and, surprise! Guess who's the last missing child? :( But he is in some family photos from a few days BEFORE that photo.

My first thought is that he's working at IBLP full-time now. But it seems weird that they wouldn't tell the whole world if that was the case. I think Josiah is still probably too young for them to marry him off right away. I guess he is around the age Josh was paired off with Anna, but I kind of doubt Josiah would be married before Jana, John, Jinger and Joseph.

[Feberin]

If Josiah is working at headquarters then I don't think they'll want to announce that fact since that would involve divulging more about their belief system. They always skirt around that stuff. Even Josh's job has just been referred to as a job in DC on the show. I think if they can find him a suitable young woman Josiah won't have much choice. I also don't think Jim Bob is trying to marry his children off in any sort of age order.

[ljohnson2006]

Jana will never court because J'Chelle and Boob need a permanent sister-mom for miracle Josie. Jessa was able to court because she's expendable.

[Alye]

Lol I always manage to stare off into space when people are talking. Even when I'm listening intently, my eyes loose focus and I usually end up looking away. So I don't really look that far into people doing that.

Even the idea of this freaks me out. I can't look people in the eye for more than a brief moment without getting incredibly anxious. I focus on something just behind their head instead.

[kaschmit]

Isnt Josiah currently on a mission trip with Nathan and Lawson Bates? I think its even getting filmed- although maybe for UP. Hopefully he finds joy there. I really hope that we are all just completely incorrect about Josiah's apparent struggles in the family.

[SassyPants]

JOE!