Counting On - Part 5: Ben Raps, We Cringe

[choralcrusader8613]

Next week, Ben Seewald is going to show the world his rapping abilities (or lack thereof). The girls try to contact Jill. More courtship teasing that says a whole lot of nothing.

So much drama! How will it be contained?

[CharityBear]

Basically ANY time Ben opens his mouth we cringe. 

[withaj]

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Oh, please. Some people might have a knack for it even without the exposure, but those are the exceptions. Did I strike a nerve or something? What's with the defensiveness on Ben's behalf?

Not rap, but here's a good example of being off rhythm and how Harry Connick, Jr. manages to correct the audience (notice how the drummer pumps his fists when it happens). If a whole damn audience presumably not filled with anti-music fundies can't find a beat, how is it presumptuous to assume that Ben won't be able to without someone leading him every step of the way?

@lascuba You are attributing a tone and motive to my post that is totally absent. I suggest you reread it:

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Rhythm is more intuitive for some people than it is for others. Even if he wasn't raised with music with a beat, it's highly presumptuous to say that there's "no way" for him to even bob his head accurately to rap.

In no way was I defending Ben or any talent he might or might not have (I am personally in the 'not' camp) -- it isn't even a comment specifically about Ben. I simply stated that it was presumptuous to generalize that someone raised with limited exposure to music couldn't possibly identify or feel a beat.

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Generally humans have an innate sense of rhythmic pulse, the heart beat being the most basic example. And worldwide, drums or percussive instruments are the most common expression of music across cultures. So most people can recognize or feel a beat.

@LittleSpouseOnThePrairie Thank you. This is what I was trying to get at.

[Carol]

22 minutes ago, choralcrusader8613 said:

Next week, Ben Seewald is going to show the world his rapping abilities (or lack thereof). The girls try to contact Jill. More courtship teasing that says a whole lot of nothing.

So much drama! How will it be contained?

Be still my heart.

[nst]

jessa looks so uncomfortable around Flame and his friends

in the newest promo

[season of life]

I really just want to see a clip of Ben and his terrible rapping. I can't believe I'm this keyed up at the thought of seeing an immature boy rap. However, nothing is worth sitting through that boring show.

What's up with the Pioneer Woman, by the way? I heard some people comment that they used to follow her blog but she became unbearable.

[CreationMuseumSeasonPass]

Just now, nst said:

jessa looks so uncomfortable around Flame and his friends

in the newest promo

That was my thought exactly! I guess we'll see more when the full scene airs on Tuesday. I recently re-watched the first 14 Kids special, and the entire time I was watching the sneak peak, I thought, how does this mesh with the girl who was raised on old gospel songs and not allowed to dance? She must have felt like a stranger in a strange land.

[nst]

1 minute ago, CreationMuseumSeasonPass said:

That was my thought exactly! I guess we'll see more when the full scene airs on Tuesday. I recently re-watched the first 14 Kids special, and the entire time I was watching the sneak peak, I thought, how does this mesh with the girl who was raised on old gospel songs and not allowed to dance? She must have felt like a stranger in a strange land.

and that is why it wont work this storyline 

it's already over - but to make her sit there and pretend to be into it when she clearly can't handle it just goes to show that she is not as evolved and it is going to be again obvious and make her look bad

[CreationMuseumSeasonPass]

I want to see her attempts at communication during the studio scenes, or at least any real interaction with the musical artists. We get her thoughts in the talking heads, but I wonder if she really just sat there uncomfortably the entire time. Ben was definitely the talker, but then again, he's also the headship.

[nst]

1 minute ago, CreationMuseumSeasonPass said:

I want to see her attempts at communication during the studio scenes, or at least any real interaction with the musical artists. We get her thoughts in the talking heads, but I wonder if she really just sat there uncomfortably the entire time. Ben was definitely the talker, but then again, he's also the headship.

her attempts at communicating with people are not very good.  She can barely communicate with her older sister and her sister in law.

 Yes, these people took a picture having dinner but I doubt she enjoyed it or did it again 

she will just sit there and stare blankly and then when Ben will rap she will put her hand over her mouth laughing at him. 

They can try and put Jessa in situations ie normal situations - but she will come across as a sheltered pretty girl who has no clue who just stares at her husband.  

[withaj]

11 minutes ago, season of life said:

What's up with the Pioneer Woman, by the way? I heard some people comment that they used to follow her blog but she became unbearable.

Well, it used to be a blog. Now it's a whole bloody corporation, feels like.

[Four is Enough]

Re: the Pioneer Woman: I read her blog when it was just a blog. She was funny, she seemed in awe of her fantastic ranch life, she seemed to be working hard to homeschool her kids in a coop.. all of a sudden, she's on television, and you start hearing how she seems so nice on the air, but go to the grocery store with her and see how she treats the people... and apparently not just people working, but her fans, too... and now she's Martha Stewart the Second and an entire corporation... Pioneer Woman got too big for her britches!

 

ETA" AFA Bin rapping, I just can not.

 

ETA Again to say, there ARE people in this world with absolutely no sense of rhythm. Mr. Four is one of them. His siblings are four more such people. Mr. Four and I took ballroom dancing lessons... easiest thing in the world to learn... he could not do it.

[lascuba]

9 minutes ago, season of life said:

I really just want to see a clip of Ben and his terrible rapping. I can't believe I'm this keyed up at the thought of seeing an immature boy rap. However, nothing is worth sitting through that boring show.

What's up with the Pioneer Woman, by the way? I heard some people comment that they used to follow her blog but she became unbearable.

I used to loosely follow her blog, mostly for the pictures and anecdotes of ranch life. She was mostly just cheesy fun that I grew bored with. Whether she got cheesier or my tastes changed, I don't know. She's just very, every affected in everything she does. The "Oh My Rhonda!" stuff, etc. And then when you think about some messed up stuff she's said...a post about how she's glad she's allowed to say the word "retarded" because her brother's a "retard." The really iffy stuff about race, including the incredibly fucked up "funny" story about how her husband's ancestor cheated Native Americans by stealing water rights.  And then when you learn she's married to the richest landowning family in Oklahoma but her whole schtick is being a "city" girl stuck on a working ranch being so busy with homeschooling, ranching, etc. when she has private tutors, several paid employees working on her blog, etc. it all completely loses it's charm. Speaking of homeschooling, there was this huge bust up shortly after I stopped reading the blog, where her readers flat out attacked a secular homeschooler who guest blogged for PW. Ree let it happen because she didn't want to piss off her Christian base. 

[Cleopatra7]

41 minutes ago, CreationMuseumSeasonPass said:

That was my thought exactly! I guess we'll see more when the full scene airs on Tuesday. I recently re-watched the first 14 Kids special, and the entire time I was watching the sneak peak, I thought, how does this mesh with the girl who was raised on old gospel songs and not allowed to dance? She must have felt like a stranger in a strange land.

The only music Jessa has been exposed to appears to have been nineteenth century hymns. Even country gospel is probably too "worldly" for Gothardites because it sometimes involves rhythm and guitars.

[Lillybee]

40 minutes ago, Four is Enough said:

Re: the Pioneer Woman: I read her blog when it was just a blog. She was funny, she seemed in awe of her fantastic ranch life, she seemed to be working hard to homeschool her kids in a coop.. all of a sudden, she's on television, and you start hearing how she seems so nice on the air, but go to the grocery store with her and see how she treats the people... and apparently not just people working, but her fans, too... and now she's Martha Stewart the Second and an entire corporation... Pioneer Woman got too big for her britches!

 

ETA" AFA Bin rapping, I just can not.

 

ETA Again to say, there ARE people in this world with absolutely no sense of rhythm. Mr. Four is one of them. His siblings are four more such people. Mr. Four and I took ballroom dancing lessons... easiest thing in the world to learn... he could not do it.

The thing with the PW is that she has a mostly cooking show and her recipes are not that good. A lot of them seem to be cribbed from old church cookbooks. She even has a recipe for chickenetti which is pretty much the same as Anna's down to the cream of crap soup.

[quiverofdoubt]

Maybe Ben has a good sense of rhythm, good voice and natural talent. But it takes more than that to become a serious musician. A love for music in general, with a broad taste and knowledge of genres. An understanding of the history of music, especially in terms of rap. It has a long history wrapped up civil rights, black history and slavery.  

Legit musicians listen to and love many kinds of music, understand their craft from an academic level as well as aesthetic level. They sample other songs and musicians and genres inside their own work. 

Even if bens upbringing was more loose about their music rules I don't see them teaching their kids about the history of rap, hip hop, rock, or even folk songs. 

Imagining a fundie listening to gangsters paradise on repeat in order to analyze it on many levels is breaking my brain. 

If he wants to be taken seriously by anybody then he needs to take the craft seriously and not just spout a few semi musical lines about Jesus. 

[sophie10130]

38 minutes ago, lascuba said:

I used to loosely follow her blog, mostly for the pictures and anecdotes of ranch life. She was mostly just cheesy fun that I grew bored with. Whether she got cheesier or my tastes changed, I don't know. She's just very, every affected in everything she does. The "Oh My Rhonda!" stuff, etc. And then when you think about some messed up stuff she's said...a post about how she's glad she's allowed to say the word "retarded" because her brother's a "retard." The really iffy stuff about race, including the incredibly fucked up "funny" story about how her husband's ancestor cheated Native Americans by stealing water rights.  And then when you learn she's married to the richest landowning family in Oklahoma but her whole schtick is being a "city" girl stuck on a working ranch being so busy with homeschooling, ranching, etc. when she has private tutors, several paid employees working on her blog, etc. it all completely loses it's charm. Speaking of homeschooling, there was this huge bust up shortly after I stopped reading the blog, where her readers flat out attacked a secular homeschooler who guest blogged for PW. Ree let it happen because she didn't want to piss off her Christian base. 

Holy shit and wtf??? I never really liked her because I'm not really into white ladies doing the whole Rural Charm thing, but my sister in law is OBSESSED with her and all she wanted for Christmas was her kitchen stuff from Wal-Mart. We unfortunately got her for Secret Santa and I was mad I had to go to Wal-Mart but now my anger is renewed!

[MarblesMom]

I found her blog MANY years ago when I was searching for "fear of street grates" - apparently she and I share that fear.  (We can start a separate thread about phobias, if there is not one already!)

Once I started poking around on her blog (this had to be pre-2007), it seemed to be mostly lovely photography (that was a big focus for her at the time) documenting her kids on the ranch.  She did take some fantastic photos.  Recipes seemed like a side gig.   (And none of hers were impressive to me.)

Next thing I know, she is huge - and her original claim on the blog of something akin to a  "lil ole me, raising kids out here with the cows theme" (my interpretation, not a quote from her blog) - -  seems like utter BS now.

 

[ClaraOswin]

1 hour ago, lascuba said:

I used to loosely follow her blog, mostly for the pictures and anecdotes of ranch life. She was mostly just cheesy fun that I grew bored with. Whether she got cheesier or my tastes changed, I don't know. She's just very, every affected in everything she does. The "Oh My Rhonda!" stuff, etc. And then when you think about some messed up stuff she's said...a post about how she's glad she's allowed to say the word "retarded" because her brother's a "retard." The really iffy stuff about race, including the incredibly fucked up "funny" story about how her husband's ancestor cheated Native Americans by stealing water rights.  And then when you learn she's married to the richest landowning family in Oklahoma but her whole schtick is being a "city" girl stuck on a working ranch being so busy with homeschooling, ranching, etc. when she has private tutors, several paid employees working on her blog, etc. it all completely loses it's charm. Speaking of homeschooling, there was this huge bust up shortly after I stopped reading the blog, where her readers flat out attacked a secular homeschooler who guest blogged for PW. Ree let it happen because she didn't want to piss off her Christian base. 

I have never heard of this woman or her blog (I guess I live under a rock.) But what you said makes me NEVER want to read anything she writes. Blech!

------

Ben seemed really happy hanging out with the rappers. Jessa looked out of place and uncomfortable. And during the TH when Ben was talking about it all, Jessa looked bored/annoyed.

Christian music isn't really my thing. Nor is rap. But these people clearly have some talent.

The tiny clip we heard of Ben singing on the other preview was BAD. I hope we get to hear more.

Is Jessa musical at all? I can only recall seeing her with the group but I don't know if she has a good singing voice or talent with any instruments.

[GoneDownTheRabbitHole]

It was kind of nice to see that Ben is capable of conjuring up some semblance of emotion/happiness in that preview. Agreed that Jessa looks really uncomfortable and out of place. Why did she and the Spurge need to go with him to the studio? Seemed like it was more of his thing. They are all such duds!

[PecanThief]

LOL did anyone else see in the promo when Ben starts to nod along to the music and then looks over to where Jessa is sitting and immediately stops. 

[Julifornia]

2 hours ago, PecanThief said:

LOL did anyone else see in the promo when Ben starts to nod along to the music and then looks over to where Jessa is sitting and immediately stops. 

So is "head-dancing" banned too?  How about toe-tappin'?

[season of life]

I had no clue it was this bad. I just thought she was a lady playing up the rancher's wife image. Fame got to her, I guess.

[nastyhobbitses]

Can we start coming up with rapper monikers for Ben?

Notorious B.E.N.

Beninem

Jay-D (since I'm guessing that he and Jessa are gunning to be the white fundie answer to Bey and Jay)

Childish Grift-bino

[MatthewDuggar]

We did that in another thread - my vote was for Been-Jammin'