The Duggar Interview - With Megyn Kelly

[Evenkeel]

I don't think its entirely fair to criticize either girls for what they may or may not say on Friday. Jessa is correct that they have a right to view things how they want to because they were the ones victimized - I do agree that she is incorrect in stating that no one else can view Josh differently though.

I think everyone should try to keep in mind that these girls are victims in multiple ways:

1. Victims of sexual assault at the hands of their brother.

2. Victims by being born into a patriarchal culture that teaches men can't control themselves and women are to blame.

3. Victims of shitty parents who failed to protect them and basically turned them into slaves.

I think that when it comes to this topic these young women deserve a bit of leniency.

(Please note, this wasn't directed just at you - the first paragraph was, but the rest was really for the general audience here) :)

Oh, I absolutely agree that they are the victims of their circumstances and they can't exactly be held responsible for how they have been taught/brainwashed to feel/think about different situations. My point is that, based on the snippets that we've seen, they are apparently going down the same road as their parents if they're going to be the good little puppets that we know they've been raised to be in the next interview. Insisting that a person who molests children is not a child molester is no way to win friends.

[ljohnson2006]

If J'Chelle and Boob truly felt like failures as parents, why did they bring more innocent children into the world, for Josh to potentially molest? J'Chelle cared more about her crowning glory as the baby machine, than protecting her own kids.

[HairToday]

Anyone see the Duggar interview last night? Jk

The Duggars were able to prove 3 things without a doubt:

1. They clearly don't have an agent or a manager.

2. They do their own make-up and haircuts.

3. Their lawyers are obviously charging by the hour (and making a fortune).

PS... J'Megyn made me LOL!!!! Awesome

[lilwriter85]

I'm trying to remind myself that Jill and Jessa are the victims but their preview clip makes me irate. I get that no one wants this sort of info to come out to the world and they don't deserve that. But they are blind to who is really to blame for this!

Their parents sold their privacy a decade ago! JB and Michelle paraded their kids to the world and happily embraced all that money and power from their celebrity. Their parents had to have known that this could possibly be brought to light but they said "we'll risk it!" and continued with their show. Yes, be mad at the system for exploiting the pain of children and splashing it across the world but really think about the fact that your parents knew what happened, knew this could get out, and still decided your feelings/privacy were worth the risk to them!

If these girls were not famous the truth is no one would have gone looking for that record or bothered making it known. It has nothing to do with an "agenda" and everything to do with the price of fame! This is why most normal people would never dream of airing their lives on a television show. Ug, I hate that this family wants to have it both ways about everything - you can't embrace the money and celebrity that comes with fame but also be outraged that you have no privacy and want people to stay out of your business. Honestly none of those girls chose this life to begin with and I feel a lot more sympathy for the girls still under JB's headship (and one still under 18!). Jill and Jessa both had the option to opt out of the show or at least minimize their participation but they have done just the opposite.

Good points there. I don't think Jill and Jessa understand the concept of the price of fame. Both think that their family shouldn't be questioned on anything past or present. It's true, if Boob and Mullet had not signed up the family for a reality show, the Alice comment wouldn't have inspired digging for evidence to see if the comment was true. I also think at the same time both Jessa and Jill know how much their family has benefited financially from the show. Both have egos and like that they are Christian celebs.

[lilwriter85]

I refused to watch last night. My guy and I were tucked into bed and asleep before the interview was over. I'd like to thank Buzzard for her amazing recap and for risking alcohol poisoning to make sure there was an accurate record of what was said.

I'm not going to blame Jill and Jessa for speaking out or for blaming the media. Its entirely possible that they don't remember anything about the assaults and that they did actually forgiven Josh. . . to them, this would have been a part of their lives that they already put behind them and didn't want to think about - I can see why the media attention would be so upsetting for them and make them feel victimized all over again.

As for Josh, I honestly believe that he really was confused and scared by what he was doing. I could be completely wrong, but I do think he went and told his parents what he was doing. I think he knew it was wrong, couldn't help himself, and was terrified of the consequences. The fact that he wasn't offered any real help or guidance is incredibly sad to me.

I do find it interesting that they claimed the story was leaked. Its an interesting way to reword the whole story about the letter and Harpo. And I think they'll have a whole lot of :pray: to do if they want to see a lawsuit happen - pretty sure Buzzard is 110% correct in stating that nothing illegal was done in the release of the Police Report. It would be pretty awesome if the Police Chief was able to successfully sue them for slander or libel though. :lol:

I would love to see that happen. Boob and Mullet would have additional egg on their faces.

[Kak]

No shit! Any other time if someone would come to you and say a lot of my friends are thieves or liars, you wouldn't say yeah isn't that amazing the things people have in common.

No, you would say get a new set a friends you fucking moron. They like hackneyed little sayings, how about birds of a feather...

One of their oft repeated, trite little sayings is "show me your friends, I'll show you your future."

Seems like that one may have been true.

[SassyPants]

I don't think its entirely fair to criticize either girls for what they may or may not say on Friday. Jessa is correct that they have a right to view things how they want to because they were the ones victimized - I do agree that she is incorrect in stating that no one else can view Josh differently though.

I think everyone should try to keep in mind that these girls are victims in multiple ways:

1. Victims of sexual assault at the hands of their brother.

2. Victims by being born into a patriarchal culture that teaches men can't control themselves and women are to blame.

3. Victims of shitty parents who failed to protect them and basically turned them into slaves.

I think that when it comes to this topic these young women deserve a bit of leniency.

(Please note, this wasn't directed just at you - the first paragraph was, but the rest was really for the general audience here) :)

While I agree with your statements, I still think putting the girls, and particularly those 2 girls, out there for an interview was an opportuni$tic move. Why not all 4 Duggar girls? Why only the ones that no longer live with JB and M? The Duggars are going to sell this as those 2, coincidentally, are the ones that wanted to speak out.

I agree the Duggars should have privacy in all of this. Privacy means no TV show.

Duggars, Dillards, Seewalds, which is it, privacy or money?

Match point.

[Evenkeel]

The way that Jb and MEEchelle totally bombed the interview with all of the inconsistencies and flat-out lies makes me wonder just what the heck they were doing for the last two weeks in the TTH. I am very sure that they knew ahead of time what the questions were going to be, so why couldn't they get their shit in order to at least make sure their answers matched previous statements made in public and in the police reports? Are they seriously so deluded that they thought that they have perfect recall and impeccable interview skills? That if they just "prayed for inspiration" the answers would just perfectly pop out of their mouths? Did they not have a PR consultant or someone at TLC coach them in preparation for the interview so that they didn't make bigger asses of themselves than they all ready have? If this interview was all about salvaging their show and smoothing ruffled feathers then they did a hella bad job of it because all they did was dig their grave even deeper, IMHO. I can imagine that they had to rehearse how best to avoid mention of Oprah and the letter and other big inconvenient truths because they did a bang-up job of that. The minimizing and avoidance of talking about how it all impacted the girls was totally natural, though, because it's the same pattern and language they've used since the whole sordid affair started.

[Zoezoe]

One of the many things that strikes me as odd about their whole perspective is that by instituting their "safeguards" (assuming that means that the boys don't babysit, the side hugs, the accountability partners) they sort of normalized what Josh did. By that I mean that they forced everyone else had to change to accommodate Josh's (abnormal) behavior, rather than getting him the proper treatment. It's like they assumed that all boys would behave as he did.

And when you see the result of that on the rest of those kids, living in that isolated manner, never being able to go anywhere alone, how stunted that made everyone else -- what a shame.

[SassyPants]

If J'Chelle and Boob truly felt like failures as parents, why did they bring more innocent children into the world, for Josh to potentially molest? J'Chelle cared more about her crowning glory as the baby machine, than protecting her own kids.

OUT OF EVERYTHING, FOR ME, THIS IS THE WORST REFLECTION ON THOSE 2 IDIOTS AS PARENTS.

You admit to failing your first and obviously this issue took up a good deal of time and energy, yet during this exact same time, you continued to have more? You folks have no regard for living children, none at all. You refused to alter your own behaviors, that is telling.

Justin 2002 (Nov)

Jackson 2004

Johannah 2005

[Fascinated]

I'm having trouble stringing my thoughts together to make a coherent post. The hate that's being spewed is hard to wade through and I feel some of it is misdirected. I believe that JB & M are being truthful in that they felt they had handled the situation, that Josh received forgiveness from the girls and god and that the whole matter was long behind them.

It isn't really the molestation, or even their handling of it that has the general public so riled up. It's the hypocrisy inherent in their beliefs. If only they would truly grasp that the hatred aimed at them is due to these beliefs. Oh I know they think they are being persecuted because of this, but it clearly hasn't made them re-evaluate the stand they have taken against the LGBT community, for example, and realize that this is no doubt the reason this has blown up so spectacularly.

They haven't re-examined their stand on these issues because of the bible. When we look at people like Gothard, the Bates, the insane PP, the Duggars and all the rest discussed here, aren't they all just following the teachings in the bible? It is all spelled out there for them. (In fact, I honestly sometimes wonder why every Christian doesn't agree with them.). It's in the bible. It's why I'm an atheist and it's why I'm so confused by religion. In their minds, they have done everything correctly. They believe they are good people doing god's work as stated in the bible. They believe it to their cores.

I clearly failed at my attempt to convey my thoughts coherently. Religion confuses the hell out of me. It's ironic that, to be redeemed in the eye of the public, they will have to forgo their belief in redemption through god alone.

[wotdancer]

phew, I finally caught up! Thank you, Buzzard and others, for recapping! :clap:

I don't have anything new to add that hasn't already been said...I'm just astounded at the parenting fails, and hurt for the victims (including teenage Josh. My personal jury is still out on adult Josh...)

[Nic]

The way that Jb and MEEchelle totally bombed the interview with all of the inconsistencies and flat-out lies makes me wonder just what the heck they were doing for the last two weeks in the TTH. I am very sure that they knew ahead of time what the questions were going to be, so why couldn't they get their shit in order to at least make sure their answers matched previous statements made in public and in the police reports? Are they seriously so deluded that they thought that they have perfect recall and impeccable interview skills? That if they just "prayed for inspiration" the answers would just perfectly pop out of their mouths? Did they not have a PR consultant or someone at TLC coach them in preparation for the interview so that they didn't make bigger asses of themselves than they all ready have? If this interview was all about salvaging their show and smoothing ruffled feathers then they did a hella bad job of it because all they did was dig their grave even deeper, IMHO. I can imagine that they had to rehearse how best to avoid mention of Oprah and the letter and other big inconvenient truths because they did a bang-up job of that. The minimizing and avoidance of talking about how it all impacted the girls was totally natural, though, because it's the same pattern and language they've used since the whole sordid affair started.

Why bother?

-Their fans are going to be happy that "they shared their hearts" & will overlook inconsistencies

-People that aren't that interested are just gonna take what they say at face value

-People/media that have read the police report & want clarification won't have access to the Duggars

And speaking of Oprah, they could also pull an Oprah, I can't remember who she told but basically she said, look tell me your story than you never have to answer a single question again. Just refer them to this interview. They can do the same with Megyn and say to anyone else, we told her everything we had to say on that matter.

[nst]

OUT OF EVERYTHING, FOR ME, THIS IS THE WORST REFLECTION ON THOSE 2 IDIOTS AS PARENTS.

You admit to failing your first and obviously this issue took up a good deal of time and energy, yet during this exact same time, you continued to have more? You folks have no regard for living children, none at all. You refused to alter your own behaviors, that is telling.

Justin 2002 (Nov)

Jackson 2004

Johannah 2005

omg yes - they kept having the children

basically they fucked up

and now they are making the girls fuck up even more - all to save the show

Jessa needs her head screwed the right way

Jill i have no words

[Tenyari]

Wait, I read somewhere that Jim Boob outed their babysitter as the fifth victim. Did anybody catch that? I didn't see the whole interview so I cannot confitm if that is true or false :/ if that is the case, JB had no right to out anyone, but especially somebody who was choosing to remain anonymous in all of this

[lilwriter85]

The way that Jb and MEEchelle totally bombed the interview with all of the inconsistencies and flat-out lies makes me wonder just what the heck they were doing for the last two weeks in the TTH. I am very sure that they knew ahead of time what the questions were going to be, so why couldn't they get their shit in order to at least make sure their answers matched previous statements made in public and in the police reports? Are they seriously so deluded that they thought that they have perfect recall and impeccable interview skills? That if they just "prayed for inspiration" the answers would just perfectly pop out of their mouths? Did they not have a PR consultant or someone at TLC coach them in preparation for the interview so that they didn't make bigger asses of themselves than they all ready have? If this interview was all about salvaging their show and smoothing ruffled feathers then they did a hella bad job of it because all they did was dig their grave even deeper, IMHO. I can imagine that they had to rehearse how best to avoid mention of Oprah and the letter and other big inconvenient truths because they did a bang-up job of that. The minimizing and avoidance of talking about how it all impacted the girls was totally natural, though, because it's the same pattern and language they've used since the whole sordid affair started.

I'm sure those kinds of services were offered to them and IIRC, they met with some kind PR/crisis consultant, but that consultant chose not to represent them. I'm guessing that the JB and Mullet are difficult to deal with and have a hard time taking advice and that leads to them dropping a consultant or the consultant like the previously mentioned one not wanting to work with them. I think JB and Mullet are truly stupid enough to think they can handle PR post Joshgate on their own. Pre-Joshgate, they made themselves look like asses for other reasons such as Michelle's robocall against transpeople, stupid ass comments from both jb&m on overpopulation, their support of Todd Akin. But with what has come out as Josh, they still think they can handle things on their own and not expect people to have issues with them.

JB&M are always going to have some leghumpers, in their corner. But they have lost fans as evidenced here by various posts and people on social media sites have stated that they are no longer Duggar fans. If the show returns minus Josh, I expect a huge ratings drop worse than Duck Dynasty. Boob is probably envious that the Robertson family made their fortune before entering the reality TV show world.

JB&M's other sources of income will decrease. There will be less speaking gigs at churches, homeschooling conferences etc. People Magazine will eventuallly tire of them and Today and GMA aren't defending them.

It's probably too late now for JB&M to take advice from PR people.

[SassyPants]

I'm having trouble stringing my thoughts together to make a coherent post. The hate that's being spewed is hard to wade through and I feel some of it is misdirected. I believe that JB & M are being truthful in that they felt they had handled the situation, that Josh received forgiveness from the girls and god and that the whole matter was long behind them.

It isn't really the molestation, or even their handling of it that has the general public so riled up. It's the hypocrisy inherent in their beliefs. If only they would truly grasp that the hatred aimed at them is due to these beliefs. Oh I know they think they are being persecuted because of this, but it clearly hasn't made them re-evaluate the stand they have taken against the LGBT community, for example, and realize that this is no doubt the reason this has blown up so spectacularly.

They haven't re-examined their stand on these issues because of the bible. When we look at people like Gothard, the Bates, the insane PP, the Duggars and all the rest discussed here, aren't they all just following the teachings in the bible? It is all spelled out there for them. (In fact, I honestly sometimes wonder why every Christian doesn't agree with them.). It's in the bible. It's why I'm an atheist and it's why I'm so confused by religion. In their minds, they have done everything correctly. They believe they are good people doing god's work as stated in the bible. They believe it to their cores.

I clearly failed at my attempt to convey my thoughts coherently. Religion confuses the hell out of me. It's ironic that, to be redeemed in the eye of the public, they will have to forgo their belief in redemption through god alone.

IMO, the selective use of any holy book and the use of a holy book as a weapon against others is perverse.

God's #1 commandment is to love and treat others as God has loved and treated you.

So many people miss that mark.

Lying is not a tenet of any organized religion that I know of.

I think these folks are brainwashed. Unfortunately, in order to fix that condition, heart ache and hard word is involved. It might be too late for JB and M, but I think there is hope for the married daughters. It will involve hard work and hard, individual decisions...I think it's doable, but life would be much harder during that process.

Also, religion was missing last night. They did not, not a one of them, come off as religious people who are leaning on their beliefs and faith during an extremely difficult time.

They are not humble, loving, treating others as God as treated you, kind of people, at least not based on their behaviors and words.

[Rescinded and Mended]

I swear, this whole thing still reminds me of that one scene in Citizen Ruth. Ruth is pregnant and in hiding at a safe house because her story makes national news. There are people at a big rally for her who are on both sides of the debate, some are trying to get her to have the baby, others to have the abortion. Ruth winds up at this rally when she's trying to escape, and her mom is there and gets on a microphone. She begs Ruth to have the baby and points out, what if I'd aborted you? And then Ruth screams back, "Well, at least I wouldn't have had to suck your boyfriend's cock!" And then her mom replies, "Don't you bring that up again, that's ancient history. I've been saved!"

It's less funny once you realize it does often represent the fundamentalist Christian mentality on such matters.

[ariel9]

I have decided to type the short version of my post.These people and their blatant stupidity make my soul itch. :angry-banghead:

[LongDogMom]

Omg omg omg they really just admitted they only focused on Josh and didn't give a shit about the girls, didn't they?

To me, one of the saddest parts of all this is that Jim Bob, Michelle and even Josh, through his parents, are using his sisters once again to minimize what happened to them and put the image of the wonderful family first. The girls may be what saves the show …or they get a spinoff or whatever, but it’s the girls who will keep the money rolling in and it’s the girls who will parrot what their parents want them to say in order to keep JB and Michelle's "brand" on track and convince everyone that Josh is a wonderful brother who made a small mistake and they barely even remember it until the mean media and the mean police chief with an agenda released the police report and hurt them by exposing all their private and long forgotten business to the public, and it’s THAT…the public knowing…that is what really makes them sad. Cue the crying. The mean, bad media and all the people who just won’t let it go, even though they forgave Josh ages ago and it has no impact on their lives other than that it’s brought them closer to God and as a family.

Clearly the girls are just tools to use and they will continue to do so. Even the girls have been brainwashed to believe it wasn't a big deal and that Josh just made a mistake but everything is now fine, no biggie! It's all this attention that has victimized them! :wtf:

[lilwriter85]

I swear, this whole thing still reminds me of that one scene in Citizen Ruth. Ruth is pregnant and in hiding at a safe house because her story makes national news. There are people at a big rally for her who are on both sides of the debate, some are trying to get her to have the baby, others to have the abortion. Ruth winds up at this rally when she's trying to escape, and her mom is there and gets on a microphone. She begs Ruth to have the baby and points out, what if I'd aborted you? And then Ruth screams back, "Well, at least I wouldn't have had to suck your boyfriend's cock!" And then her mom replies, "Don't you bring that up again, that's ancient history. I've been saved!"

It's less funny once you realize it does often represent the fundamentalist Christian mentality on such matters.

I loved that movie.

[FundieFarmer]

Hi, Fascinated! (waving hi because I like you lots and I feel like my post could be taken as aggressive and I don't mean it to be!)

I believe that JB & M are being truthful in that they felt they had handled the situation, that Josh received forgiveness from the girls and god and that the whole matter was long behind them.

I agree, in the sense that they thought nobody would question them, or that it wouldn't come back out. I also think they sort of felt they didn't need to answer to the government, what with the render unto Caesar thing. That was echoed in JB's whole "parents aren't mandatory reporters" statement. Sure you're not, but that doesn't mean you don't need help.

That whole part is curious to me given the timing with JB's political campaign. Honestly did he really think nobody would dish that up? And yet, nobody did...until now. It's fishy to me because everything he's done has been in the public eye, and yet he has an attitude that nobody will touch him or look into him, or even should. Doesn't he know that's basically a rite of passage for both reality TV stars and politicians?

It isn't really the molestation, or even their handling of it that has the general public so riled up. It's the hypocrisy inherent in their beliefs.

I'm not so sure about this. I think a lot people are mad about the hypocrisy, but I think more are furious they tried to cover up such a serious situation, that they allowed Josh back in the house at all, that they seem not to care about their daughters, that the apologies were just a bunch of horse shit, etc.

They haven't re-examined their stand on these issues because of the bible. When we look at people like Gothard, the Bates, the insane PP, the Duggars and all the rest discussed here, aren't they all just following the teachings in the bible?

In their minds, yes. In the real world, no. Insane, literal, highly restrictive misinterpretations, sure. But nowhere in the Bible does it go so far on some topics as they do (on some, yes, on others, no, collectively, I don't think so). A lot of it is just BS interpretation they've taken to be significantly more legalistic than it was intended to be (especially in biblical times). But I do agree that they will never change their position as long as they're clinging to this Bible of theirs that is unlike one I've ever read.

It's ironic that, to be redeemed in the eye of the public, they will have to forgo their belief in redemption through god alone.

I agree. This is one time where God or "being a good Christian family" is not enough to save them in the eyes of the public.

Also, just for me...every argument they make based on the Bible is basically rendered irrelevant. I personally don't care what faith you are or I am or they are, because faith is such a personal choice. Even straight down to each individual's interpretation of the same religious book. You can't beat me over the head into submission with a religious book or an interpretation I don't believe, but you can try to convince me with well-planned arguments and logic. But basing decisions that harm your family on a book that isn't a governing document is a crock of horse shit to me, and I don't have a ton (any) sympathy for whatever bites JB&M on the ass from here on out.

[KittenMitten]

I'm having trouble stringing my thoughts together to make a coherent post. The hate that's being spewed is hard to wade through and I feel some of it is misdirected. I believe that JB & M are being truthful in that they felt they had handled the situation, that Josh received forgiveness from the girls and god and that the whole matter was long behind them.

It isn't really the molestation, or even their handling of it that has the general public so riled up. It's the hypocrisy inherent in their beliefs. If only they would truly grasp that the hatred aimed at them is due to these beliefs. Oh I know they think they are being persecuted because of this, but it clearly hasn't made them re-evaluate the stand they have taken against the LGBT community, for example, and realize that this is no doubt the reason this has blown up so spectacularly.

They haven't re-examined their stand on these issues because of the bible. When we look at people like Gothard, the Bates, the insane PP, the Duggars and all the rest discussed here, aren't they all just following the teachings in the bible? It is all spelled out there for them. (In fact, I honestly sometimes wonder why every Christian doesn't agree with them.). It's in the bible. It's why I'm an atheist and it's why I'm so confused by religion. In their minds, they have done everything correctly. They believe they are good people doing god's work as stated in the bible. They believe it to their cores.

I clearly failed at my attempt to convey my thoughts coherently. Religion confuses the hell out of me. It's ironic that, to be redeemed in the eye of the public, they will have to forgo their belief in redemption through god alone.

I think you conveyed your thoughts well. I also agree with you about the hypocrisy. I also agree that the Duggar's believe that they handled it and all is fine now. What enrages me is that they did not and will not learn from this. The will nor research materials from experts the damage sexual assault causes. They well not give their younger children appropriate and accurate sex education and what is good and bad touch, and why. They may have got rid of the symptoms, but ignored the disease. I really wish we could do something.

[bekkah]

I saw the preview for the girls interview and to me it is heartbreaking. I do agree that they are victims and that laws are their to protect victims of sexual abuse/assault. I couldn't imagine if someone were to broadcast that I was sexually assaulted on the tabloids, I would be absolutely mortified.

But the Duggar parents came off as jackasses. Protecting their oldest and just sending him away. They prayed the pedophile out of him just like praying the gay away. Its sick. I'm going to watch the whole interview....

[Buzzard]

Wait, I read somewhere that Jim Boob outed their babysitter as the fifth victim. Did anybody catch that? I didn't see the whole interview so I cannot confitm if that is true or false :/ if that is the case, JB had no right to out anyone, but especially somebody who was choosing to remain anonymous in all of this

He said it was a babysitter and female. We can also surmise that they lived in the area (and not someone international) because Josh called her to apologize. He didnt give us any other information that could be used to identify her, not that we'd want to.