Widely Accepted Duggar Myths

[ariel9]

That the girls aren't allowed to court until Mommy and Daddy have decided their ratings justify the price of giving up a slave.

How far would the ratings have to go up for them to give away lead slave jana?

[SnowShine]

Another one is that "The TLC gravy train won't last forever."

I won't argue that it's going to last for all of eternity, but I doubt if any currently living Duggar, as well as any born in the next 5-10 years, is going to come close to struggling financially. Even if the show cancels today, I think it is likely that they will generate a moderate amount of public interest for the next few years and at least a little bit throughout the next generation. They'll be able to generate money with the occasional press release (birth, death, mental breakdown, drug rehab, renouncing the faith, what have you), the odd tv appearance (maybe even a VSE or documentary dedicated entirely to them), public speaking opportunities, and books. Mark my words, the vast majority of the Duggars are more than set for the foreseeable future.

[SassyPants]

If all the kids 18+ had free access to the television money, we would see some different lifestyles among them. Do you really believe that Ben & Jessa would be living in that little house if she had access to an account with all of her reality show paychecks? Mrs. Blush Bridal Gown doesn't seem to have minimalist or cheap taste. We also may have seen at least one completely flee the nest by now, too. So, no, I don't think that they all have free access to their money. My guess is, that as has been speculated here before, JB has it tangled up in trusts which he distributes as he sees fit.

Exactly. If all the adults were getting their own paycheck, someone would have fled by now. There is no way 8 adult kids would be content to have the current lives that they have, not unless there is more than brainwashing going on. Why would Jana, JD, Jinger and Joe still be sticking around? Money buys options.

His kids' purity and money are the 2 things that JB holds near and dear.

[Firiel]

Exactly. If all the adults were getting their own paycheck, someone would have fled by now. There is no way 8 adult kids would be content to have the current lives that they have, not unless there is more than brainwashing going on. Why would Jana, JD, Jinger and Joe still be sticking around? Money buys options.

His kids' purity and money are the 2 things that JB holds near and dear.

See: Arndts.

I mean, it's unlikely that all these kids would stick around, but not impossible, especially considering they can reasonably expect to be married. I have no idea if the adult kids get paid by TLC or when they have access to that money if they do get paid, but it doesn't seem cut-and-dry to me that they don't get a cut.

[mpheels]

Exactly. If all the adults were getting their own paycheck, someone would have fled by now. There is no way 8 adult kids would be content to have the current lives that they have, not unless there is more than brainwashing going on. Why would Jana, JD, Jinger and Joe still be sticking around? Money buys options.

His kids' purity and money are the 2 things that JB holds near and dear.

I would say that there is significant brainwashing...

[ColeMarie86]

See: Arndts.

I mean, it's unlikely that all these kids would stick around, but not impossible, especially considering they can reasonably expect to be married. I have no idea if the adult kids get paid by TLC or when they have access to that money if they do get paid, but it doesn't seem cut-and-dry to me that they don't get a cut.

I saw somewhere on FJ here that Jill's house is owned by Duggar Revocable Trust or some name like that. It makes me think that either all the kids have a trust set up by JB or it's a collective trust, and that he can take their money away at any point. That sounds like enough reason for any kidult to stick around and follow the endless babies religion. Leave religion with no husband = homeless with no money or family, leave with husband = no house or extra income, leave with husband and X amount of children = how the hell will the kids be supported on husband's salary with no house. It doesn't sound like they have many options until they get to Josh's level of sustainability.

[clueliss]

I saw somewhere on FJ here that Jill's house is owned by Duggar Revocable Trust or some name like that. It makes me think that either all the kids have a trust set up by JB or it's a collective trust, and that he can take their money away at any point. That sounds like enough reason for any kidult to stick around and follow the endless babies religion. Leave religion with no husband = homeless with no money or family, leave with husband = no house or extra income, leave with husband and X amount of children = how the hell will the kids be supported on husband's salary with no house. It doesn't sound like they have many options until they get to Josh's level of sustainability.

Because I'm an accountant and I get curious about weird stuff.

Definition of revocable vs irrevocable trust.

dummies.com/how-to/content/revocable-versus-irrevocable-trusts.html

Short version - it pertains to being able to remove assets (such as a house) from the trust, or not. Had little to say about beneficiaries of the trust. In this case, I would say, it is in a revocable trust to allow them to sell the house if they choose to in the future.

[Firiel]

I saw somewhere on FJ here that Jill's house is owned by Duggar Revocable Trust or some name like that. It makes me think that either all the kids have a trust set up by JB or it's a collective trust, and that he can take their money away at any point. That sounds like enough reason for any kidult to stick around and follow the endless babies religion. Leave religion with no husband = homeless with no money or family, leave with husband = no house or extra income, leave with husband and X amount of children = how the hell will the kids be supported on husband's salary with no house. It doesn't sound like they have many options until they get to Josh's level of sustainability.

It's definitely possible there is some sort of trust fund they can lose if they misbehave. I just don't think that nine adult children pretty much toeing the line is necessarily a sign of that or of a great money conspiracy. The Bates have around 9 adult kids who have all toed the line, more or less. The Ardnts have 11 adult kids none of whom are married, none of whom have even moved out.

[DuggarsTheEndIsNear]

If all the kids 18+ had free access to the television money, we would see some different lifestyles among them. Do you really believe that Ben & Jessa would be living in that little house if she had access to an account with all of her reality show paychecks? Mrs. Blush Bridal Gown doesn't seem to have minimalist or cheap taste. We also may have seen at least one completely flee the nest by now, too. So, no, I don't think that they all have free access to their money. My guess is, that as has been speculated here before, JB has it tangled up in trusts which he distributes as he sees fit.

First of all, you're assessment on how much each of them is paid is probably really off. Reality TV regulars as a whole are paid between 10 and 20% of the budget per episode. A regular show is somewhere between 10,000 and 50,000 an episode. That means ALL of the people who showed up in that episode make a cumulative 1000 to 10000 per episode. Say there are 10 people who show up in each episode, that's 100 to 1000 each per episode if they all show up an equal amount of time. VSE can have a much higher budget (usually about 100k+), which means that they could make at least 10000 on the episode cumulatively. And, the people who show up the most often per episode are typically paid more. Of course, this means JB and Michelle make the most money, since they're typically the most featured. But, even if everyone took home 1000 an episode (not likely), with a typical 23 episode season, they're only making $23000 each. It's not like they're rolling in the dough.

[ColeMarie86]

Because I'm an accountant and I get curious about weird stuff.

Definition of revocable vs irrevocable trust.

dummies.com/how-to/content/revocable-versus-irrevocable-trusts.html

Short version - it pertains to being able to remove assets (such as a house) from the trust, or not. Had little to say about beneficiaries of the trust. In this case, I would say, it is in a revocable trust to allow them to sell the house if they choose to in the future.

Ah, that would make sense! Thank you :)

[ColeMarie86]

It's definitely possible there is some sort of trust fund they can lose if they misbehave. I just don't think that nine adult children pretty much toeing the line is necessarily a sign of that or of a great money conspiracy. The Bates have around 9 adult kids who have all toed the line, more or less. The Ardnts have 11 adult kids none of whom are married, none of whom have even moved out.

I wasn't really thinking money conspiracy, just a controlled trust. Does this religion shun like the Amish and Jehovah's Witnesses? I could see that being a reason to stay. The Arndts are making no sense to me.

[DuggarsTheEndIsNear]

I wasn't really thinking money conspiracy, just a controlled trust. Does this religion shun like the Amish and Jehovah's Witnesses? I could see that being a reason to stay. The Arndts are making no sense to me.

Typically speaking, the families in their religion are taught to shun those who reject the teachings (with the possible exception of married girls, since their headship makes faith related choices). I don't know how many families WOULD shun their children, but some (like the Kellers) have.

[DGayle]

That JB and Michelle somehow control all of the money, including all the money the married adults make. If you point out that it doesn't make sense based on the earnings of other TLC regulars/regulars on other reality TV shows, you're shot down and have to "give actual proof the Duggar kids have their own money;" but if you're saying that the Duggar kids don't ever see the money they earn (even from things like the girls' book), everyone defends you.

If they didn't have such strong beliefs that unmarried kids are supposed to live under their parents and defer to them in all things, I think it could be possibly the adult kids get some of it. But since they're under JB, what's theirs is his, or else they're trying to claim some power. Same reasoning about why women shouldn't really vote, since having their own claims power if they vote opposite the husband. So you solve the issue by voting the money/vote to the person over you.

[DGayle]

Another one is that "The TLC gravy train won't last forever."

I won't argue that it's going to last for all of eternity, but I doubt if any currently living Duggar, as well as any born in the next 5-10 years, is going to come close to struggling financially. Even if the show cancels today, I think it is likely that they will generate a moderate amount of public interest for the next few years and at least a little bit throughout the next generation. They'll be able to generate money with the occasional press release (birth, death, mental breakdown, drug rehab, renouncing the faith, what have you), the odd tv appearance (maybe even a VSE or documentary dedicated entirely to them), public speaking opportunities, and books. Mark my words, the vast majority of the Duggars are more than set for the foreseeable future.

The King and Queen will never struggle, but their kids all probably will. Do you think Josh's income from his FRC job will support a dozen kids or more comfortably, if TLC isn't supplementing? Do you think Derek's job as an accountant at WalMart will support a family very well? He and Jill might be most comfortable if they get to keep the house. There's a point in there where it's going to tip, and the kids born in the next 5-10 years will likely feel some struggle when there's too many kids and TLC isn't still funding the trips and lifestyle choices of the parents.

[DuggarsTheEndIsNear]

If they didn't have such strong beliefs that unmarried kids are supposed to live under their parents and defer to them in all things, I think it could be possibly the adult kids get some of it. But since they're under JB, what's theirs is his, or else they're trying to claim some power. Same reasoning about why women shouldn't really vote, since having their own claims power if they vote opposite the husband. So you solve the issue by voting the money/vote to the person over you.

Whether or not the unmarried kids have access to the money shouldn't dictate the ability for the MARRIED couples to get paid. But many people here believe that none of them are paid without dealing with JB and Michelle. Also, the people in ATI believe men and women NEED to vote. Anna is pictured voting at every election. The blogs of people who left the lifestyle say that they talk, as a family, about the issues and agree on what ALL the voting eligible members of the family will vote on and encouraged to do so in person. And you may say "it's not really voting," but nothing is keeping the women from voting differently once they get their ballot since it's illegal for anyone to look at your ballot.

[SnowShine]

The King and Queen will never struggle, but their kids all probably will. Do you think Josh's income from his FRC job will support a dozen kids or more comfortably, if TLC isn't supplementing? Do you think Derek's job as an accountant at WalMart will support a family very well? He and Jill might be most comfortable if they get to keep the house. There's a point in there where it's going to tip, and the kids born in the next 5-10 years will likely feel some struggle when there's too many kids and TLC isn't still funding the trips and lifestyle choices of the parents.

I think, as long as each of the kids (or their husband) generation works 40 hours a week, they will be able to generate enough publicity money to live comfortably. They can live comfortably without having TLC-funded trips.

[veron1que]

Whether or not the unmarried kids have access to the money shouldn't dictate the ability for the MARRIED couples to get paid. But many people here believe that none of them are paid without dealing with JB and Michelle. Also, the people in ATI believe men and women NEED to vote. Anna is pictured voting at every election. The blogs of people who left the lifestyle say that they talk, as a family, about the issues and agree on what ALL the voting eligible members of the family will vote on and encouraged to do so in person. And you may say "it's not really voting," but nothing is keeping the women from voting differently once they get their ballot since it's illegal for anyone to look at your ballot.

I can see people could argue JB has the TLC money on lockdown, but I don't buy that Jessa wasn't independently contracted for her recent speaking tour. Shed have to turn that money over to JB in order for him to control it. I think it's much more likely the kids have internalized the no-debt principle and have their own savings account.

What exactly are they running from? The Duggars are wacky but they all love there siblings and while I think they've been indoctrinated and in 20 years some of them may come out saying "what I was taught growing up was abusive" how exactly are they going to have an epiphany that makes them rub? I know people do leave their lifestyle but it's not easy ditching your whole family. Plus the Duggars aren't poor, have a good lifestyle, and while some would say the show probably bothers the Duggars. We've seen many of the older Duggars have minimal TV time.

[Closed Womb]

Unfounded Myth: That the Bates family and the Duggar family are in constant competition (# of children, # of courtships, # of marriages etc.)

I definitely *do not* think that there is some relationship rivalry between them. I think that their kids have met other people, fallen in love (or think they have), and have gotten married to have God-sanctioned sexs. I do not think that Jim Bob loosened the reigns in order to compete on the marriage count with the Bates family. (I do think Jim Bob may have had a hard time letting his daughters go, and maybe he was super picky about who he allowed them to get to know, but that is a separate issue.)

I do not think there is (was, praise FSM) a baby competition. I think they both wanted #20 for their own reasons. I think Michelle would have been jealous of Kelly if she had a 20th child, but I don't see any evidence that Michelle would have felt like she lost some baby battle if they bad both had a 20th.

[ColeMarie86]

I think the most disturbing rumor is definitely the sin in the camp/Josh one. The rumor that kinda just irks me a bit is that Jessa is using birth control or she's infertile because it's been 5 months and no pregnancy announcement yet. I truly believe we'll get one soon. 5 months is not that long with TTC (conception, not food), but even so, I think she already is pregnant.

[BrownieMomma]

That JB and Michelle somehow control all of the money, including all the money the married adults make. If you point out that it doesn't make sense based on the earnings of other TLC regulars/regulars on other reality TV shows, you're shot down and have to "give actual proof the Duggar kids have their own money;" but if you're saying that the Duggar kids don't ever see the money they earn (even from things like the girls' book), everyone defends you.

I guess you never heard of a family limited partnership.

[halcionne]

Because I'm an accountant and I get curious about weird stuff.

Definition of revocable vs irrevocable trust.

dummies.com/how-to/content/revocable-versus-irrevocable-trusts.html

Short version - it pertains to being able to remove assets (such as a house) from the trust, or not. Had little to say about beneficiaries of the trust. In this case, I would say, it is in a revocable trust to allow them to sell the house if they choose to in the future.

It would allow the trustee to sell the house if the trustee chose to, which in this case is Boob and ofBoob.

[ColeMarie86]

Josh's car lot was in the trust too.

CVS paid $300,000 for a used car lot next to Sunrise at 2003 S. Thompson St. The James R. Duggar & Michelle A. Duggar Revocable Living Trust--the parents of the 19 kids on TLC's reality show--was the seller.

highbeam.com/doc/1G1-381613082.html

[DuggarsTheEndIsNear]

I guess you never heard of a family limited partnership.

A family limited partnership is a type of business that allows you to pool assets/money to limit risk in a business proposition. But it DOES NOT say that people aren't able to be paid.

[SassyPants]

A family limited partnership is a type of business that allows you to pool assets/money to limit risk in a business proposition. But it DOES NOT say that people aren't able to be paid.

Again, your assertion, if true, should be easily proven.

Since you are the one who adamantly believes the adults are getting paid individual checks, I'd expect you to be the one to do the research and provide that data.

IMO, the married kids are getting paid in their own JB determined currency: home rentals, job connections, the use of a plane, college for Joe (unmarried), car lot.

[kimberm]

My favorite rumors:

The Oprah rumor

The kids all make up their own courting rules (Jesus doesn't like liars, Michelle)

We will be happy with any number of children that the lord decides to bless us with ( no, you won't Jill/Anna/Michelle. You all want tons and tons....and want to out do each other. You will grift if the tlc military net wagon runs out).

Jana and Tim Teobow. My all time fav