Famteam University

[nokidsmom]

He will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.

Absolutely. In fact all Arndt spouses will be expected to assimilate.

[formergothardite]

If any of the man-children actually find a wife(which I doubt will ever happen) I wonder what they would do if the wife got tired of all the family togetherness and refused to go along with it? For anyone not born into that family, year after year of filming Vine Valley would get old fast.

[Coco]

If any of the man-children actually find a wife(which I doubt will ever happen) I wonder what they would do if the wife got tired of all the family togetherness and refused to go along with it? For anyone not born into that family, year after year of filming Vine Valley would get old fast.

i wonder if some of the older ones have already been turned down, heartbroken, and it's a cautionary tale to the other brothers. None of the guys are probably interested in marrying a girl desperate enough to accept that lifestyle, and they're so odd they may not get yeses from girls they've asked that they think are good enough.

Or it could be just a list of requirements none of them have met. I've known of one fundie guy who courted a girl for YEARS because her dad didn't want to approve of him. He had to jump through hoops to prove himself, but he finally did, and now they're married. I think he was over 30 by the time they finally had their wedding. But it was iirc at least five years in the making. The couple were both too drunk on the koolaid and invested in the fundie hierarchy to elope or go "out from under authority", of course. :roll: I don't blame the girl's dad, the guy is still to this day an odd person with strange mannerisms. But she loved him and waited it out. Maybe, just maybe, the Ardnts are working toward some difficult financial goal or something with girls waiting for them. And as for problems waiting, well maybe their parents didn't tell them that everything was evil. Their dress code is pretty relaxed, they have jobs out in society, so maybe the Ardnt parents never shamed them about ways to get rid of frustration. :lol: Some parents are meh, whatever about that stuff.

[FloraDoraDolly]

I watched this video and had the same reaction as I did when I have watched other Arndt family videos-- those "kids" have intellectual or learning disabilities that are keeping them from fully entering the adult world. There's something about them that just seems "off" and I don't think the way they were raised fully explains it. They didn't grow up in some cabin in the woods where they had no contact with mainstream society. They aren't even as cut off from the rest of the world as the Maxwells. Something isn't quite "right" with those young men. The sister seems the most normal of the bunch, but even there I see a girl in her mid-to-late teens who isn't acting her age.

[Seven Severn]

Three or four years ago there was a video made by the dad and one of the older sons in which they were driving around and talking about women. The camera seemed to be mounted low in the car, under the dash, with both of them in frame. I recall the son saying how you had to be sooooooo careful about women, in a nutshell implying that most women had sinister motivations for their actions towards men. It was so, so weird; he seemed genuinely afraid of females.

[anjulibai]

I really don't see intellectual delays in them. I do so a lot of emotional delays. They seem incredibly stunted in their maturity and the way the interact with each other. I suspect that this is encourage by Cathy and Rick.

[JenniferJuniper]

I watched this video and had the same reaction as I did when I have watched other Arndt family videos-- those "kids" have intellectual or learning disabilities that are keeping them from fully entering the adult world. There's something about them that just seems "off" and I don't think the way they were raised fully explains it. They didn't grow up in some cabin in the woods where they had no contact with mainstream society. They aren't even as cut off from the rest of the world as the Maxwells. Something isn't quite "right" with those young men. The sister seems the most normal of the bunch, but even there I see a girl in her mid-to-late teens who isn't acting her age.

She's 18 and seems to have taken on most of the cooking responsibilities. A tall order.

The Arndt men (aside from possibly Nate) don't suffer from any intellectual or learning disabilities. They are quite bright, and Cathy seems to have done a pretty good job with the home schooling.

But their emotional development in each case appears to have halted at around age 13. Not ready to date. Girls are still kind of scary and they'd rather just hang with the guys and fool around all day. No one seems to get past this stage and I don't think anyone has been able to figure out what Rick and Cathy did to them.

[socalrules]

They are never getting married. Sarah Maxwell has a better chance of being a triple divorcee by the time she is 40. What girl in her right mind wants to marry such strange men? Can you imagine a wife agreeing to live with Mama and Daddy Arndt in bunk beds with a penguin comforter and night light? No way do they ever move out of the house. I honestly think they would have problems functioning if they did not come back to the homestead each night. Or worse, they look for women who will be a mommy to them. I am don't think they are even capable of functioning in an adult relationship.

[church_of_dog]

They are never getting married. Sarah Maxwell has a better chance of being a triple divorcee by the time she is 40. What girl in her right mind wants to marry such strange men? Can you imagine a wife agreeing to live with Mama and Daddy Arndt in bunk beds with a penguin comforter and night light? No way do they ever move out of the house. I honestly think they would have problems functioning if they did not come back to the homestead each night. Or worse, they look for women who will be a mommy to them. I am don't think they are even capable of functioning in an adult relationship.

You mean like... a real life version of...

[nokidsmom]

Three or four years ago there was a video made by the dad and one of the older sons in which they were driving around and talking about women. The camera seemed to be mounted low in the car, under the dash, with both of them in frame. I recall the son saying how you had to be sooooooo careful about women, in a nutshell implying that most women had sinister motivations for their actions towards men. It was so, so weird; he seemed genuinely afraid of females.

Between this video, another video where one of them mentioned that the right woman will just magically appear and yet another report of one of the sons having a female admirer attend one of the softball classics and how scared he was, it's telling me that Rick and/or Cathy have somehow managed to work a fear of the opposite sex with their sons. There would be no other reason, they don't have any other experiences or friends outside of the family that could explain it otherwise.

[Letgo]

The Arndts are THE most fascinating family I have ever read about or "seen", anywhere. It will never cease to amaze me that ALL of those sons are still at home and don't seem to show any sign of wanting to leave, date, attend college, travel the world, or have a separate life. Ten sons and one daughter are legal adults-ELEVENTY!!! OF THEM! I just can't see how Rick and Cathy did this. Even considering Stockholm Syndrome and enmeshment...ALL of them stayed? No one ever wants any privacy? Space? Independence? Education? Sex? A wife and children? And these manboys are actually exposed to the outside world, unlike some. They see normal people playing in their softball tournament, in their court reporting, in their photography. Yet they are all "safe at home" waiting for wives to parachute into the front yard, apparently. I would think one of them would start to wonder why, when family is so important, God doesn't seem to want any of them to marry, as He has not dropped a suitable mate on the doorstep. I know they are waiting for "God's best," but I'm sure they must hear how-we-met stories at weddings they photograph or video. Surely some must include meeting at college, or on the high school debate team, standing in line at the grocery store, on an online Christian dating site, at an actual church with parishioners who are not all related to each other. Why limit God in how mates are found, as they appear to do. I bet most of the weddings they've done have had couples who met in at least semi-normal ways. But 34 year old Paul is still at home with mom and dad, waiting.... Absolutely amazing.

Am I weird that I really want to go to Illinois and meet them?

[truthteller]

Three or four years ago there was a video made by the dad and one of the older sons in which they were driving around and talking about women. The camera seemed to be mounted low in the car, under the dash, with both of them in frame. I recall the son saying how you had to be sooooooo careful about women, in a nutshell implying that most women had sinister motivations for their actions towards men. It was so, so weird; he seemed genuinely afraid of females.

I posted that video here on FJ. It was titled "Personal Connection" and it was very telling and an insight into the weird world of Arndt virgin thinking. It had over 400 views and was snarked on pretty heavy at the time. Somehow the video mysteriously disappeared from the famteam Youtube Channel. Wonder what happened?

Hi Rick :dance:

[Howl]

Am I weird that I really want to go to Illinois and meet them?

Well, maybe, especially if you are looking for a spouse and indicated you wanted to initiate courtship. :?

OK, just threw that out there. I think the Arndt family needs a matchmaker intervention. THAT would make for some awesome reality TV and would make The Bachelor look tame, because there are how many eligible (over 18) bachelors in that family? Seven brides for seven brothers? Anybody know how to pitch a reality TV show?

:wink-kitty:

And how is it even possible that they make a living being photographers and videographers for weddings and have yet to meet a suitable date? Weddings are CRAWLING with single women, er, I mean friends of the bride.

Also, what's with the penguin references?

[formergothardite]

The man-children used to have toy penguins that they were obsessed with. I do think the Rick reads here because the penguins aren't mentioned anymore.

If it wasn't for the clothing/head covering issue these guys would be perfect for the Seven Sisters.

[AngelGirl8811]

Am I weird that I really want to go to Illinois and meet them?

No not really because I sort of do too, just to see how strange they are. But I think the key would not be to mention having this feeling because they might feel that God led you to them and then you might be playing with penguins and sleeping on bunkbeds. :wink-penguin:

They're the strangest and above all my oddest fascination to date. I swear I check their website just to see what crap they might be spouting today! Although the pictures and amount of posts are less these days "Hi Rick", so there's less to snark on. Dad's Diary is usually jam packed with goodies though! That's a special kind of crazy!

[Dandruff]

And how is it even possible that they make a living being photographers and videographers for weddings and have yet to meet a suitable date? Weddings are CRAWLING with single women, er, I mean friends of the bride.

They may have met plenty of suitable dates, but I imagine it's followed by conversations among all family members (which could take awhile) and possibly a family date with the woman; e.g., dinner at home.

[formergothardite]

No not really because I sort of do too, just to see how strange they are. But I think the key would not be to mention having this feeling because they might feel that God led you to them and then you might be playing with penguins and sleeping on bunkbeds. :wink-penguin:

They're the strangest and above all my oddest fascination to date. I swear I check their website just to see what crap they might be spouting today! Although the pictures and amount of posts are less these days "Hi Rick", so there's less to snark on. Dad's Diary is usually jam packed with goodies though! That's a special kind of crazy!

I would love to meet them too. Just to see if they are as strange irl as they are online.

[Georgiana]

On the plus side, bunk beds are still better than an RV, so they've got a leg up on a lot of fundie "providers" out there.

[church_of_dog]

Also, what's with the penguin references?

:wink-penguin: Who wants to know? :penguin-no:

[snickerz]

I think the Arndt family needs a matchmaker intervention. THAT would make for some awesome reality TV and would make The Bachelor look tame, because there are how many eligible (over 18) bachelors in that family? Seven brides for seven brothers? Anybody know how to pitch a reality TV show? :wink-kitty:

This would be AWESOME! TLC, make this happen!

[JenniferJuniper]

This would be AWESOME! TLC, make this happen!

Will never happen.

Daddy was pitched a reality show some years ago (Don't think it was TLC) and he declined it for being distasteful.

I'm sure it killed Rick rick to turn it down. He's a frustrated actor as much as he's a frustrated baseball player and I'm sure they could use the money, but he won't do anything that exposes his manboys and womanchild to that much "reality".

[bluehydrangea]

You mean like... a real life version of...

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, the bunkbed/penguin comforter/nightlight comment says it all. These people have infantilized their children and Papa Arndt is just enough of a charismatic cult leader to keep them from wandering away, even with liberal contact with the outside world. It's just odd that there's not been even one defector.

[Georgiana]

Honestly, I cannot think of one single fundie woman I hate enough to set her up with an Arndt boy-man. Not that they are terrible people of the Zsuciferian type, just that being married to a man who is emotionally still a child with no hope of divorce sounds like a very grim future to me.

I think it is a very, very merciful thing that the Arndts remain unmarried. They are by no means emotionally capable of being husbands.

[Grimalkin]

[search][/search]

Honestly, I cannot think of one single fundie woman I hate enough to set her up with an Arndt boy-man. Not that they are terrible people of the Zsuciferian type, just that being married to a man who is emotionally still a child with no hope of divorce sounds like a very grim future to me.

I think it is a very, very merciful thing that the Arndts remain unmarried. They are by no means emotionally capable of being husbands.

Agree. I do not think they are bad, or would mistreat their spouse, but wow, it would be weird. I do think mama Arndt would be capeable of being mean to an Arndt wife though, and making life miserable for her.

Funny story, my oldest is a Junior in HS we have been talking about colleges and what she wants to do. She is likely to go to a local community college first then transfer. She asked if she could just live at home forever, I told her about the Arndt boys. She was horrified. It was a bonding moment.

ETA- I just looked at the blog. She would probably think the boys were cute. :shifty-kitty:

[nokidsmom]

Honestly, I cannot think of one single fundie woman I hate enough to set her up with an Arndt boy-man. Not that they are terrible people of the Zsuciferian type, just that being married to a man who is emotionally still a child with no hope of divorce sounds like a very grim future to me.

I think it is a very, very merciful thing that the Arndts remain unmarried. They are by no means emotionally capable of being husbands.

Agree. Add to the list that the man-boys would be expected to live on or near the family's property, do everything together, and don't forget, the annual birthday picture in the parents' bedroom and Cathy will still insist on putting her hand on the birthday boy's abdomen. Also penguins....expect penguins on the the wedding cake. :lol:

No, the weirdness would abound and make any women desperate enough to marry an Arndt man-boy total hell.

I still think that the man boys have probably been approached by interested women but have probably reacted as if they have cooties, a very immature reaction.

If any of them have asked someone out the woman was probably weirded out, but I doubt any of them have gotten that far, because it would be discussed to death with the family and I would like to bet Rick or Cathy shot it down pronto. All in the name of protecting them of course.

There are some people who are better off not getting married.

This reminds me of a friend I will call "Boyfriend Wannabe". Boyfriend Wannabe was a friend I knew in High School, but it was evident he was interested in being more than a friend. I wasn't interested but still he hung around and I did expect him to ask me out. He never did, the closest he came was doing a duet for a music competition. He had very involved parents and everything he did was with their approval. When we were at the music competition, his parents showed up and they were very anxious about their son being with this girl. This was a frigging music competition not a date. I suspect that Rick and Cathy are similar, anxious about their sons being with other women.

Incidentally, Boyfriend Wannabe never married, in fact he still remains at his parents' home, the same home he grew up in. This is the fate I see for all the Arndt man boys.