"19 Kids" Cancelled

[DuggarRock]

Hi, long time lurker, but a program about unemployed, unmarried youth living in the American South mooching off society has already been done. It was a film called "Slackers".

[VelociRapture]

For anyone still in doubt about the news, TLC released a statement on their website:

http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/19-kids-and ... -from-tlc/

My personal thoughts? I'm torn on this one. I think people are right to be suspicious about a potential spinoff and this documentary being the test for it. On the other hand, they are getting legitimate advocacy groups involved. I think its possible that those groups and other individuals involved could really help make an eye opening statement to the leghumpers out there.

Also, I have no doubt that the Duggars may have no idea what they're getting into when they agreed to this documentary. If this documentary turns out to be a serious look at what happened with Josh, it could really damage their image further and wind up calling their entire belief system into question.

Hi, long time lurker, but a program about unemployed, unmarried youth living in the American South mooching off society has already been done. It was a film called "Slackers".

This can be called, "Slackers 2: The Dillards Preach Back" :lol:

[KittenMitten]

I saw the anouncement on CNN. I was amused to find it in the CNN Money section. Never more true.

[Palimpsest]

RAINN is a good organization. The proof will be in the pudding with the educational special and I don't have high hopes of TLC. I hope that TLC/Discovery are taking this very seriously. I might actually watch this one.

If RAINN is represented well perhaps Jill and Jessa may learn some things about how incredibly badly their parents handled their situation. They might actually have to sit and listen to alternative ideas and be challenged on their thinking.

JesSky03 wrote:

I'm sure it won't make any difference, but I emailed Darkness to Light and told them I did not support them using Jill and Jessa in their interviews.

Why on earth would you do that? They are not "using Jill and Jessa in their interviews" are they?

Darkness to Light and RAINN are participating in a TLC educational special in the wake of the Duggar sexual abuse scandal that will feature two of Josh's victims. They will be a good and necessary counterpoint to the denial and minimization Jill and Jessa demonstrated in the Fox interview and may continue in the documentary/special. It is a good thing for them to participate.

[HarleyQuinn]

Are Jessa and Jill going to minimize sexual assault in this documentary like they did in their interview? Can we show other survivors chewing them out for it?

[JesSky03]

RAINN is a good organization. The proof will be in the pudding with the educational special and I don't have high hopes of TLC. I hope that TLC/Discovery are taking this very seriously. I might actually watch this one.

If RAINN is represented well perhaps Jill and Jessa may learn some things about how incredibly badly their parents handled their situation. They might actually have to sit and listen to alternative ideas and be challenged on their thinking.

Why on earth would you do that? They are not "using Jill and Jessa in their interviews" are they?

Darkness to Light and RAINN are participating in a TLC educational special in the wake of the Duggar sexual abuse scandal that will feature two of Josh's victims. They will be a good and necessary counterpoint to the denial and minimization Jill and Jessa demonstrated in the Fox interview and may continue in the documentary/special. It is a good thing for them to participate.

Yeah if it actually happens that way. We are talking about the Duggars right?

[lascuba]

RAINN is a good organization. The proof will be in the pudding with the educational special and I don't have high hopes of TLC. I hope that TLC/Discovery are taking this very seriously. I might actually watch this one.

If RAINN is represented well perhaps Jill and Jessa may learn some things about how incredibly badly their parents handled their situation. They might actually have to sit and listen to alternative ideas and be challenged on their thinking.

Why on earth would you do that? They are not "using Jill and Jessa in their interviews" are they?

Darkness to Light and RAINN are participating in a TLC educational special in the wake of the Duggar sexual abuse scandal that will feature two of Josh's victims. They will be a good and necessary counterpoint to the denial and minimization Jill and Jessa demonstrated in the Fox interview and may continue in the documentary/special. It is a good thing for them to participate.

You're more optimistic than I am--I highly doubt that Jill and Jessa are there to learn anything and that TLC would allow them to be challenged on air. I'd like to be wrong, but I think TLC will play this as a "let's show all sides" thing.

[socalrules]

My guess is that Jill and Jessa will not be a big part of the episode. Most likely we will get a few well cut segments that are as close to being politically correct as a Duggar can get. I think TLC is trying to rehabilitate it's image after having to cancel two shows after sex advise scandals. It is interesting that it will be commercial free. Almost as if TLC is trying to show that it cares so much it will not even try and make money off the episode. I am still in the camp that, ultimately, there will not be a Duggar spin off. I think they will keep the rumor circulating but it will never come to fruition. Jill and Jessa can't carry a show as there is nothing remotely interesting about them. They were mildly interesting when they were part of a huge family with crazy parents. Now they are two stay at home moms with unemployed husbands. It would be hard to watch a show where you know Jill will be raising Izzy and his siblings they way she was raised. No hugging, locked doors, opposite sex kids never being alone together and unrealistic ideas of how family does and should interact with each other. It is hard to make that seem normal with what we know now. The bloom is off the Duggar rose.

[Rainbowconnection]

This situation makes me think of The Trumann Show and Trumann leaving the fake reality show life and the cameras. The audiance left alone, without thay daily TV drug.

The on'y difference is that these children and adults are too brainwashed to decide to leave the show. They have to.

[JenniferJuniper]

I'd worry far more about the fate of the other children: Josiah, who will be married with a child before he is 20 with no marketable skills to escape his father's clutches; Josie, who might really fall through the educational cracks more than any other child; Jana, who without the motivation of show ratings might never be allowed to marry; and frankly all the other kids who are now looking at severely limited prospects for their future and financial stability.

The show was not a good thing for anyone. Reality shows never are, especially kids.

I'm thrilled it's finally gone. The kids will have to deal with a new reality, but this may give several of them an opportunity to either abruptly or gradually break away, learn skills, and then possibly meet new people. The show kept them all in an artificial fish bowl which probably quelled a fair amount of rebellion. And many of them are still very young.

The tell-all will now come sooner rather than later.

But I agree with those who say grifters gonna grift. Jim Bob and Michelle and the two married daughters (and Josiah and his bride if that actually happens) will keep trying to pimp out themselves, their kids, their pets, anything they can for as long as they can. But in time, any significant interest in them will dissipate. Jim Bob and Michelle are just too....icky.

[DGayle]

Well that's interesting

I agree. I think this was bigger than we knew if Jill and Jessa are participating. Or maybe they realize they're financially screwed. Either way, it's interesting that they're participating in something calling what they went through abuse.

[MalteseBaby]

It would seem to me that whether they "prosper" financially or end up, as you say, in " abject poverty" is now totally on their own shoulders.

I could care less what happens to them financially ( or really any other way), but let's not turn the necessary and prudent cancellation into a hand-wringing worry over their financial status.

The " girls" are, from a practical standpoint, really unusable for any " media", whatever that might be to you. First, because of the police report that was so easy to figure out for anyone with walking around sense, and secondly, because Jill and Jessa stood up and said " Josh is our brother and we love him" and "It was nothing, he was confused,we were asleep,we don't remember". It's sad to use the term " unusable" but I really couldn't think of a softer word to use. Most people seem to think they lied to cover up for Josh, not that they absolutely do not remember a thing or didn't see anything regarding the other girls involved.

They might could have still been seen as smart and sympathetic IF they hadn't had the Josh forgiveness talk on TV. That one thing blew their credibility. They fell on their swords for Josh one more time. This is unacceptable to people in this day and age.

And if you mean " Girls other than Jill or Jessa", it's my feeling that ALL the Duggar girls who are old enough to speak about anything in the media are all now painted with the same paintbrush of deception by omission. However, THEY and their PARENTS denied that they were harmed, so there's no ret-conning of this subject!! The Duggars have already said what they have to say about Josh and no girl being a " victim" or survivor, which is the term I prefer.

I don't know. I bet they were under a ton of pressure to "keep sweet" lest the entire family end up back in abject poverty. And they're old enough to remember those days.

I would not be surprised if the family "uses" the girls, though, and now plays up their victim status and/or we see a very repentant Jim Bob and J'chelle once they realize that protection is getting them nowhere, but, exploiting their daughters' victimization might.

[MoonFace]

So, what happens now to FREE JINGER?

[MoonFace]

It's about fucking time.

Personally I think they'll have Josh direct home video updates and start posting them regularly in the hopes someone will want to pay them for it.

God I hope some of the crew starts speaking out...

They probably had to sign a confidentiality clause to their work contract.

[Bethella]

From the family's statement:

We are so thankful for our film crew that has shown up at our house for over a decade. They have become like family to us. They have invested their time and energy into our lives and have been so loving and patient. We love and appreciate them so much!

Based on the fact that they hadn't seen the Enlow baby since her birth in China, I'm going to assume that the crew will promptly disappear from their lives, never to be seen or heard from again. But it would be nice for them to start speaking out.

[DGayle]

It took TLC an awful long time to cancel the show. To use a cliche here, I wonder what was the straw that broke the camel's back?

I still think they had to figure out a way to get out of the contract that wouldn't be a breach. It's not as easy as canceling a show as tearing up a contract.

[DGayle]

Using Jill and Jessa is wrong. They've already minimized the situation significantly and are preaching this bullshit "mommy and daddy did the right thing and we forgive josh." Thats the wrong message for TLC to send with this special. The message needs to be: REPORT AND SEEK REAL HELP. End of story.

They've had time and distance, and probably read reactions to their interview. Maybe it's too much to hope but I'll hope anyway that they have realized how wrong it all was.

[formergothardite]

So, what happens now to FREE JINGER?

Hopefully the posters who stayed in the Duggar section of Free Jinger will explore the forum more and realize that there are way more interesting people to discuss.

[MalteseBaby]

When I read that Jill and Jessa will be featured in a documentary, it was clear that TLC is testing the waters to introduce a new show, as many of you speculated. They're really not making much of a statement against abuse if they allow the show to go on in any form. If any of the Duggars do get a new show, I wish TLC would allow them to show their true religious beliefs and practices, not the sanitized version they've been showing. I do feel a little sorry for Josh. I'm sure he'll be blamed for the cancellation, but he was a kid with a serious problem who got no help whatsoever from his simple-minded parents.

IMO, this is just more spin from TLC to soften the blow of the cancellation. Unless the " special" with Jessa and Jill has already been filmed, Jill is busy being a missionary halfway around the world, and Jessa will soon be totally involved with a newborn and her family life with Ben. They have involved lives now. They've already said all they WANT TO SAY on TV once. Why rehash it?

It's over. There's nothing more the Duggars can say. They said it ALL when they defended Josh, minimized what they think he did as a slight brief touch over the girl's underwear, said the girls all slept through it, and weren't harmed by it.

Oh, and has everyone forgotten that Victim 5 ( the non- family victim) may be filing suit against Josh and probably his parents? That's the only part that " probably isn't over", IMO.

[WhiteRun]

The statement TLC released made it sound like it was a mutual decision to cancel the show while the Duggar statement made it sound like TLC kicked them off the air. I can't wait for Jim-Boob to come out in a few months and announce TLC stiffed them.

Frankly I think this is a good and bad thing for the family. Good as they can finally live their lives without it being filmed and (hopefully) tone down the chaos but bad because once they run out of TLC money I suspect Jim-Boob and J'Chelle will make the older kids go out and get jobs first. They'd rather use their kids as slaves then get an honest living.

I call complete bullshit on whatever documentary TLC attempts with Jill and Jessa. Those poor girls have had to deal with reliving the abuse as people go through the story with a fine tooth comb only to have TLC (and probably Jib-Boob and J'Chelle) expect them to do a documentary about the abuse!! And a potential spin off with the daughters? I'm pretty sure the reason Jill and Derek are starting a ministry in Nepal is to get AWAY from the camera.

I wouldn't be surprised if TLC come up with periodic specials on the Duggar family like Famys wedding or some twin birth.

[VelociRapture]

I know - colour me kind of impressed that they are actually taking this issue seriously.

Jill and Jessa will be fine; they were the victims in this sad tale and as the most well known daughters they still have a certain amount of pull in the right circles, as well as being financially set up as long as they don't have 20 children each - and with the show money not coming in, that suddenly looks like a very different prospect.

I'd worry far more about the fate of the other children: Josiah, who will be married with a child before he is 20 with no marketable skills to escape his father's clutches; Josie, who might really fall through the educational cracks more than any other child; Jana, who without the motivation of show ratings might never be allowed to marry; and frankly all the other kids who are now looking at severely limited prospects for their future and financial stability.

I think I've gotten seriously bitter over the past few months - that said:

I feel no worry or pity for the adult children in that household. Jana, John-David, Jinger, Josiah, and Joseph have all had time to break away if they wanted to. Same with Josh, Anna, Jill, Derick, Jessa, and Ben. The fact that they stay indicates to me that they want to be there at this point. Whether its because they want to "protect" the younger siblings or they honestly like being there doesn't matter much - they stay because they choose to.

Do I sympathize with them for the fucked up way they were raised? Yes. Do I feel terrible that they likely were taught that there were no other options for them? Of course. Do I think that they are so brainwashed that they honestly don't understand that their lifestyle is far from normal and, in many ways, detrimental to their health? Absolutely.

But they are adults and as adults, whether they realize it or not, they have made a choice to stay. So they get no worrying from me about their futures - at this point, they've made their decisions and they have to live with it.

As for the minors (including Joy who turns 18 this fall and all the grand-kids)? I do feel concern for them. They have no options for getting out if they wanted to and I feel badly that their lives are going to change so much from all this. They will still be subjected to the same shitty parenting as always, just with a more intense focus on discipline now that the camera crews are gone. I do feel genuine sympathy for the younger kids who did nothing to deserve any of this and have no say.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

Finally, indeed.

I'm sure they've invested well--one of the families who visited was headed by an investment guy. I hope the older kids will use this as leverage to do what they want with their lives, thought staying in the bunker is probably the most desirable option for a while.

I do wish they'd say--we're very much in favor of homeschooling, but we're just tired. And let the lost girls go to Christian School. I doubt it, but it would be good for them

What a "shame" we won't see 'Siah's holier than though courtship compared to Amy's male stripper bachlorette party......

[16strong]

So, what happens now to FREE JINGER?

Does Jinger look freed to you?

[VelociRapture]

So, what happens now to FREE JINGER?

We continue discussing all the other non-Duggar related topics. :roll:

[JenniferJuniper]

You're more optimistic than I am--I highly doubt that Jill and Jessa are there to learn anything and that TLC would allow them to be challenged on air. I'd like to be wrong, but I think TLC will play this as a "let's show all sides" thing.

I think their involvement is just be a part of damage control for TLC. They are probably being paid, and I would bet that they speak on the topic only in a generic way.