19 Kids & Counting - Season 10 - Duggar Snark Part 2

[Zasha]

Yes, Mack learning to play the violin is going to reap untold horror across the world. Look out!

Did anyone else notice that something Josh said in the voice over during this time indicated that he thought this could be a positive thing for his sons but he left Mack out of the statement. I wish I'd kept the ep so I could go back and listen again but he definitely said something to that effect.

[zadie]

GUYS THE STAGED JOHN DAVID EPISODE GAVE ME A NEW THEORY.

I apologize if anyone has said this before, and feel free to mention it if you have.

I was thinking about how we never see John, and most of us seem to agree he's being ignored. But what if it's totally on purpose? When he's on camera he seems to completely lack personality, but he would also know that lacking personality would give him less camera time. And he seems to me to work the most out of all of them, and as far as I know, he doesn't work in any political causes the way Josh does.

Thinking about all this made me think...what if he's working so much so he AND Jana can leave?

Jana is similar in that she is on the show pretty much as little as possible. She comes across much more warm and she takes care of the kids often so she's going to be featured more, but none of that is her own effort.

I've never felt like they were especially close, but they also get so little screen time we can't know for sure. And if they both bond over how much they hate it there that would bring them closer.

I really hope Jana is putting off marriage because she knows John is working on a plan to get them out of there. Even though it's not the best, it's still a better plan than hoping to find a good headship.

[SassyPants]

GUYS THE STAGED JOHN DAVID EPISODE GAVE ME A NEW THEORY.

I apologize if anyone has said this before, and feel free to mention it if you have.

I was thinking about how we never see John, and most of us seem to agree he's being ignored. But what if it's totally on purpose? When he's on camera he seems to completely lack personality, but he would also know that lacking personality would give him less camera time. And he seems to me to work the most out of all of them, and as far as I know, he doesn't work in any political causes the way Josh does.

Thinking about all this made me think...what if he's working so much so he AND Jana can leave?

Jana is similar in that she is on the show pretty much as little as possible. She comes across much more warm and she takes care of the kids often so she's going to be featured more, but none of that is her own effort.

I've never felt like they were especially close, but they also get so little screen time we can't know for sure. And if they both bond over how much they hate it there that would bring them closer.

I really hope Jana is putting off marriage because she knows John is working on a plan to get them out of there. Even though it's not the best, it's still a better plan than hoping to find a good headship.

I also thinks it's perhaps, odd? or suspect? that the 2 kids that have been passed over for courtships and marriages are the twins.

We all know that in Duggarville, that had to have been a hard one for JB and M to reconcile- courting and dating out of age order????

I also thought that maybe the twins are a package deal in JB and M's eyes- either they both are courting and marrying or neither are courting and marrying.

[zadie]

I also thinks it's perhaps, odd? or suspect? that the 2 kids that have been passed over for courtships and marriages are the twins.

We all know that in Duggarville, that had to have been a hard one for JB and M to reconcile- courting and dating out of age order????

I also thought that maybe the twins are a package deal in JB and M's eyes- either they both are courting and marrying or neither are courting and marrying.

I don't think they see them as a packaged deal. That doesn't strike me as very fundie thinking for some reason. Possibly with girl twins but not with boy/girl twins. But the biggest clue is the way JimBoob is constantly trying to auction off John David. I think they turn a blind eye to Jana because she's such a help around the house, and because they can go on about how pure she is if they want. But it's clear to me Boob doesn't like John David still being single and is probably worried if left to his own devices he won't get married and won't be "a good spiritual leader" :disgust:

If the two of them left together I think it would smooth the transition a lot. Cause John can stay in the only role he's been prepared for, the working man, and Jana can take care of their new house. Just at first, while they both figure out what they're going to do and how to navigate the world. It will also just be more comforting since they will probably be shunned by their family.

I cannot see Boob and Michelle liking the negative attention it will get them. Though I can see them being like "we love Jana and John and want to save their souls. If they come back to use and repent we will work with them." *sickening smile*

I can see Jessa dragging Jana through the mud on social media so easily.

[calimojo]

I have never gotten the impression that the twins, John David and Jana, are particularly close. So I don't see them conspiring to run off and leave their own lives.

Not sure if any of you saw my post earlier about seeing Joe mouthing lines that had obviously been fed to John David when they were talking about trashing Chad's car after the wedding. It was very obvious that Joe was sort of subconsciously mouthing the lines that JD was supposed to say which makes me think that 1) everything is scripted or 2) some of the kids, like JD are so inept at making small talk on camera that they have to script for those kids.

JD may be perfectly fine off camera. I think we should be careful in judging someone off or on camera. Not everyone is comfortable on camera, or it could even be a small form of rebellion to be "intentionally insufficient" on camera.

If you watch some of the episodes that feature the Bates, you can see JD socializing with Zach and Lawson and they all look to be getting along fine. Maybe JD is a barrel of fun on his own.

I find it really hard to believe that JD would not be able to find a girl to court. True, he isn't much to look at but he comes from Fundie royalty, he comes from money, and he actually has some marketable skills to support himself if the Duggar Gravy Train ends. Unless he is a total jerk and completely unlikeable, I would think he would have no trouble. Uglier men have attracted women through out history, especially men with fame and money.

SO I suspect that JD either doesn't want to marry yet or maybe at all, or he is secretly dating/courting and they are just doing this as some sort of story arc. I think it would be a great story line, to have Jimbob looking desperately for a suitable mate for JD and then have him walk in the TTH one day with a gal who works at a local Coffee shop. I hope this happens. While JD seems kind of dull to me, I kind of admire that he at least seems to have some work ethic. He has taught himself some skills, and is apparently bright enough to qualify for a pilot's license. Surely in all of Arkansas, there has to be some simple gal who would be happy with a guy like JD. I don't think JD will ever be particularly enlightened, so I imagine he will want a stay at home wife/mother and they will live with fairly traditional gender roles. But I think he would be a decent provider.

[zadie]

My point was I do think John David does it deliberately. Either deliberately, or he's naturally uncomfortable. I was not trying to say I think he actually lacks a personality.

I don't think the twins are close either. But in the all about Jill episode they did mention that Josh, Jana and John David did stuff together a lot before Jill came along. Actually, the impression I get from a lot of the stuff they say about their early childhood is they were a lot closer as children. I feel like while they might become distant over the years, unless they had a nasty fall out that would be a hard thing to forget.

I still see it more as a comrades in arms type of situation. They don't hang out or have deep talks, but they respect each other, and I think if John was planning something and Jana asked to be included he wouldn't say no.

[LittleOleMe]

I agree. This is the guy who couldn't let a wedding event continue without jumping up to "claim" his fiance. He's also the guy who pushed Derrick's cookie sheet sled toward that orange cat. He has no education and his main value comes from marrying the "pretty" Duggar. He's not afraid to show what I'm sure he'd call "righteous anger" toward people with different beliefs -- and that's his public behavior. He's excessively controlling, though Jessa seems to like the attention -- at least right now. The abusive guys I've seen have been insecure and resented their lack of power in society -- then they vented that anger on the women/children in their lives. Jessa's a tough b!tch in her own way, but I think she may have misunderestimated (to borrow a Bush phrase) the teenager she married. I don't want her to get hurt, but I suspect Ben is capable of...more than we've seen thus far. Time will tell, I suppose.

Just a minor detail, but at the time of Jill's wedding, when Bin was being an asshole and interrupting it so he could walk Jessa, bc god forbid another man does it in someone else's wedding, Jessa was not his fiancé. She was merely his girlfriend at that point. Which makes the whole thing even worse and scarier :shock:

[Knight of Ni]

Jim Bob is holding off until he can have John-David and Jana court (and go on to marry) a set of twins. Imagine how super special that would be. The Duggar twins marrying twins from another fundie family. (Are there any other fundie families that have a set of twins?)

[zadie]

What really scares me about Ben's behavior is that he doesn't seem to believe it. To me it comes off as he's been told this is what a good boyfriend acts like and says, so he does these things whether he really feels jealous or not.

The reason this scares me is because it sets up a terrible situation. Ben doesn't have a fucking clue, so what is he going to do when he gets tired of Jessa bossing him around and they don't agree? He has no guidelines on how to communicate with his wife and compromise. The only advice he has is to lay down the law. I can see him not even feeling that angry (not at all trying to imply that would make it okay) but thinking "this is what I'm supposed to do."

Pretty much I see it as though people who follow the advice of beating your children for as long as possible until they submit. Some of them are angry while doing it, but others are just so fucking clueless they follow along blindly and only feel "this is the rule, so I will do this until the right thing happens." The disconnect within that thought process is horrifying.

[BrownieMomma]

Jim Bob is holding off until he can have John-David and Jana court (and go on to marry) a set of twins. Imagine how super special that would be. The Duggar twins marrying twins from another fundie family. (Are there any other fundie families that have a set of twins?)

... and this will be a story on radaronline tomorrow... lol

[Andora]

Am I the only person who feels sorry for Ben and Jessa? It seems like they don't realize they're just two young kids who have been raised in the "Christian ghetto" so to speak. I know reading books, meeting all different kinds of people at work, and discussing/reading various topics online has *really* given me a much wider perspective than I had age 19-20. Jessa and Ben seem to think they know everything about life, but we know at least Jessa has only been exposed to a very narrow view of the world.

I wonder if Ben is lonely. Do they have any other friends their age besides Duggars!? It is not healthy to rely on your spouse as your only source of companionship.

JD has come across as an asshole in the past, definitely. I love that he has marketable skills though--he can clearly function on his own, even if he does look prematurely aged and act stuffy. I bet he doesn't want to be in the spotlight like Jill and Josh.

Jana just makes me sad. I want her to go stay with Josh and then discover a world of freedom somewhere in DC.

[Toothfairy]

If Ben is abusive will Jessa be allowed to divorce? I know it's the woman's fault but Benessa are in the public eye. This is why daddy shouldn't pick your spouse and grow up in a cult that doesn't allow you to get to know the person. Guys and girls who are abusive usually show signs of abuse when dating or can even change after marriage.

[calimojo]

Andora, I feel sorry for Jessa. I feel sorry for all the kids. Ben? Well, I don't know too much about his background. His mom seems sweet, but he had to get his "assholian" attitude somewhere.

Though I feel sorry for Jessa and I think she could be in for a bleak future with Ben, I think she needs some help to face some hard realities. She doesn't know everything, barely knows anything and she has no job skills or ability to care for herself financially or otherwise. Her parents created this state of affairs but sadly, they won't be the ones to help her out of it.

If things don't work out well for her marriage, Divorce will be really hard as it would mean she is once gain under JB's headship. I think Jessa is stubborn and would have a hard time publicly admitting the marriage failed, so I would imagine they would stick it out for spite for awhile.

What I hope happens, is that in small ways, they pull away from the main family. I hope that when she has a baby, she will begin to really question how she was raised. I was raised in a very Conditional love situation. If I was "good" i was loved, but if I did not live up to expectations, I was tolerated. When I had my first, I could not imagine loving anyone more in my life than my child. I knew I would love them forever, unconditionally.

Maybe Jessa will have a similar thought. Maybe she will be so overwhelmed by love for her child that it will change her religious views. It had the impact on me. I could not imagine "God, the father" as an angry tyrant who would damn his children to hell. My views of God were of a loving and supportive entity. Maybe something like this will happen for Jessa or For jill, or Jana or any of the kids.

[LittleOleMe]

If Ben is abusive will Jessa be allowed to divorce? I know it's the woman's fault but Benessa are in the public eye. This is why daddy shouldn't pick your spouse and grow up in a cult that doesn't allow you to get to know the person. Guys and girls who are abusive usually show signs of abuse when dating or can even change after marriage.

This is a really sticky area. Some fringes believe divorce for any reason is wrong, even abuse, bc it usually is the fault of the abused. :roll: But there are plenty of fundies who allow sanction divorce in the case of abuse. I believe they recommend counseling first - bc that works - but if the abuse continues, then divorce is okay. I know Campbell wrote an "article" about it for his wife's "magazine" bc I've read it. I'm not sure if he wrote this or I heard it else where, but the justification I've heard is that the abuser lied in the marriage vows, and therefore lied before god and everyone else, which nullifies the marriage and absolves the abused of any sin associated with divorce. I would hope if any of the Duggar children found themselves in such a situation, the family would support them and their decision to leave the marriage. Of course they don't think people should be given Plan B after being raped so they probably wouldn't be okay with divorce even in the case of abuse. :(

[zadie]

Idk. I think with the way they like to go on about the importance of a strong spiritual leader they might allow it. Also I can see Boob being PISSED someone tried to control his daughter in a way he didn't consider acceptable. I think it's been made clear with the way he acts with Jill and Jessa he still considers them his property even though his beliefs dictate otherwise.

Though, I think if the abuse happened way later to one of the other girls when the show was dried up and Michelle and Boob were old, they might just not give a fuck anymore. The kid isn't useful to them anymore so who cares.

[daniee]

More CRAZY eyes!

[HuggleMonster]

Is it just me or is Michelle looking like she's dead inside. Her eyes are just lifeless. Still crazy wide and scary looking but there's no spark.

Jessa trying on her dress for example. Guinn was wiping away tears and Michelle just had this blank look on her face.

[Rescinded and Mended]

Michelle clocked out mentally years ago, after she got overwhelmed with babies she wanted, but wasn't equipped to care for.

When Jessa was trying on dresses, Michelle seemed really tense in certain scenes. I've been wondering if Jessa was giving her a lot of attitude that day. I'm guessing if Michelle looked blank, she was in her happy place, contemplating grandbaby rabies.

[ILoveJellybeans]

Ive noticed that Ben's mom seemed to be more interested in Jessa than Michelle is. Its like she was the mother, and Michelle was just a slightly disinterested distant relative. Although that's how she acts with all her kids, except for maybe Josie because she is the youngest (and will be Michelle's baby forever until she runs far away as soon as she is able to because she cant stand being treated as a child when she is 18). Michelle probably hasn't had much in the way of genuine feelings in years and she probably doesn't remember much of Jessa growing up or even know her very well (other than as a brat who isn't very emotional and is never happy), she was only tiny when Michelle had her laundry breakdown because she was overwhelmed with having seven kids under 10 and all the chores that come with it. That was at kid 7, which was Joseph, so Jessa was a toddler then. I guess because of all the non stop piles of kids, until Josie who grew up being the youngest, it all blends together into a pile of noisy screaming kids and there is no time to think or do anything.

Or she is retreating into the blank empty shell because wedding planning is frustrating with a bride who is treating everything with the same level of excitement as a trip to the dentist, and she knows TLC would probably cancel the show if she got up and slapped her in the face and told her to look happy.

[SquirrelySquirrel]

Michelle looks drugged to the hilt to me. I'm absolutely not snarking on anyone who needs meds. She just reminds me a lot of my sister-in-law who's on meds for depression and a couple other things, with that wide-eyed look and lack of expression.

I know they're supposed to be against meds for depression and any other mental health condition, but we all know they're "do as I say, not as I do" people. And I'd be shocked if Michelle wasn't suffering badly from the baby factory closing up shop.

[MoonFace]

Yes, Mack learning to play the violin is going to reap untold horror across the world. Look out!

I don't think so. She'll be a concert violinist by age 10. Just ask Grandma Michele

:cracking-up:

[Rainytown]

JD's not courting because JD's not interested. And last week's episode (IMHO, of course) was damage control. One can only imagine the lengths Jim Boob will go to to keep the gravy train rolling, so it's going to be another Duggar whose courtship is announced in 3...2...1.

Jana's not getting out of the TTH until the kids are old enough to function on their own. I'm guessing the multiple trips to Journey to the Heart in the past were because she dared to speak up or did something Jim Boob and J-Chelle considered rebellious.

And the Duggars are overexposed already.

[HereticHick]

JD's not courting because JD's not interested. And last week's episode (IMHO, of course) was damage control. One can only imagine the lengths Jim Boob will go to to keep the gravy train rolling, so it's going to be another Duggar whose courtship is announced in 3...2...1.

Jana's not getting out of the TTH until the kids are old enough to function on their own. I'm guessing the multiple trips to Journey to the Heart in the past were because she dared to speak up or did something Jim Boob and J-Chelle considered rebellious.

And the Duggars are overexposed already.

Is it possible that JD IS interested, but not necessarily in Gothard maidens? As a tow truck driver, he's travelling around town without a chaperone--perhaps, a la Zack Bates, he's sweet on some pants wearing Sonic Drive-in waitress, and mom and dad aren't happy about it. So they are broadcasting to all their Gothard followers in desperation, in hopes of finding some biblethumping helpmeet that they approve of? If so, that must really piss JD off.

I also like the theory that JD doesn't want a metric ton of kids, and the only acceptable way as a Gothardite to avoid that is to delay marriage.

[ariel9]

Well according to thw family website JD wants to get married....

http://www.duggarfamily.com/family-scrapbook-the-boys

[LittleOleMe]

Michelle looks drugged to the hilt to me. I'm absolutely not snarking on anyone who needs meds. She just reminds me a lot of my sister-in-law who's on meds for depression and a couple other things, with that wide-eyed look and lack of expression.

I know they're supposed to be against meds for depression and any other mental health condition, but we all know they're "do as I say, not as I do" people. And I'd be shocked if Michelle wasn't suffering badly from the baby factory closing up shop.

I suffered from post partum depression severely when I had my daughter and I remember desperately wanting to get pregnant immediately so I could wash away the horrible memories of her birth. (I love my daughter more than anything but it was her birth that made me severely depressed and then the lack of our breastfeeding relationship which I completely own. that was my fault and I own it. But thats another sotry) I can't imagine what I would have felt or been like had I know that I would not be having anymore children after that. It was bad enough waiting a reasonable amount of time actively trying once more for another child. I suspect J'chelle is much much worse than I ever was. And if that's the case, she definitely needs meds. I probably should have been on meds. I hope she is getting the help she needs