Willis Family including rape charges

[LogansMama]

I agree that they are a more mainstream and more normal version of the duggars. After watching last night's show, I think there is a lot of baggage in the dad's emotions about losing his siblings to that car fire and it prompting him to have a HUGE family. It seems that they are using a real homeschool curriculum and the kids seem very well spoken and quite bright. The music stuff seems forced on the whole family, but other interests like dancing, wrestling, horses, etc are also allowed and encouraged. They seem well off and may be using the TLC money to rebuild their home.

I can definitely see TLC dropping the duggars in favor for this family if a terrible duggar scandal is revealed.

WOW! You called it! Sooner than we all realized!

[MichellezBangz]

for the end of the Duggars by getting The Willis Clan?

Just watching this and one of them makes a point about saying people want to know if they "are weird and not allowed to date" The mother says they are making sure that their kids meet others in social situations so that they can meet as many people they possibly can and there are potential spouses in their lives.

Can you imagine the Duggar boys without shirts? The girls in jeans? SHORTS???

Is this family 'normal' or is there going to be revelations that will happen to make them another object for snarking?

Yes, they are weird. I'm watching an episode right now and they are putting clothes on nude statues. If it were just a prank it might be slightly funny, however, they are doing it ...because nudity. (EWWW, yucky!):roll: What would they do to the Sistene Chapel? :lol:

[MichellezBangz]

This crew could use the outside help of a dance teacher for their sub-par Irish step dancing. The youngest should be more advanced than what they are if they include them in performances.

I don't know how long their people have been in America, but I think they are taking the whole "Irish roots" thing too seriously.

[TeaELSee]

I recall seeing them on America's Got Talent last year. My first thought was "oh great, singing Duggars"

I figured it was only a matter of time for them to get their own show.

[WonderingInWA]

I only watched one episode where they were playing at the Opry and I couldn't figure out why the younger (is it) six kids are even part of their performance group. They don't seem to add anything of value, just clutter up the stage.

[meep]

I'm really interested in this family so I definitely want to check out their show sometime.

I remember bringing them up in a thread a few months back (before we even knew they were getting a TLC show) and we all agreed they seemed more mainstream evangelical rather than fundie. They have a (tragic) interesting history, as stated.

Also, kinda random but somewhat related: One of the biggest bands Germany ever had was a group called "The Kelly Family". They were American parents who had 12 kids (4 oldest from a previous marriage and 8 youngest together). The oldest was born in 1960 and the youngest in 1981. In the 1960s to get away from "American materialism", they moved to Spain to a house with no electricity or running water. They homeschooled all the kids and taught them each at least 3 different languages (some of them grew up becoming fluent in up to 5-7 languages). They started a family band while still in Spain in the 1960s and started traveling in a double-decker bus all around Europe. By 1970s they achieved some amount of fame with a hit song, and by the 90s they hit their peak at super stardom, not just in Germany but the surrounding countries as well (Czech Repulbic, Poland, etc). It was just 9 of the kids that continued doing it up to this point though. The youngest ones were still being homeschooled despite spending most of their time in Germany (homeschooling is illegal in Germany) - they got away with it because of some loophole, I think because they were all dual American/Irish citizens.

They were pretty chill Catholics but in the 2000s, most of them became super religious Catholics. One of them even became a monk for six years (he's since left and is now married, making Christian music). The family band split up in 2009 and many of them have their own little solo careers going.

....Sorry for the essay, The Willis Family just reminds me of them a tiny bit.

[Aggie2145]

Yes, they are weird. I'm watching an episode right now and they are putting clothes on nude statues. If it were just a prank it might be slightly funny, however, they are doing it ...because nudity. (EWWW, yucky!):roll: What would they do to the Sistene Chapel? :lol:

I do not think they were doing it because of nudity, I think it was a PR stunt. That statute is the source of many jokes for Nashville locals - I call it Full Moon Over Demonbreun and many, many people call it the nudies. It is often "dressed" for special events. Pink for October, Orange aprons by Home Depot, guitars and glitter for CMA fest and silly string by Vandy students for no particular reason.

It was nice to see they had a true St. Patrick's day festival - I saw several pints in the episode and I'm sure green beer was somewhere.

[MichellezBangz]

I haven't watched these episodes in order but on episode 1 the son, Jeremiah, was discussing mood swings that affect him. The mother seems to think he's just cranky and basically an asshole (my words). Just the way he described it, it sounds like he could be somewhere on the bipolar spectrum. If he can deal without being medicated, fine. I just hope the kid will be okay and doesn't rely on prayer to heal mental illness if he has one. (I know way more about this subject than I care to.) I hope he knows help is out there if/when he may need it.

[Librul]

I think this family is super smug and completely annoying. They have been told one too many times how cute they are. Yes, they have a tragic story in their background. So do most families if they live long enough.

The scenes of them looking into floor length mirrors and working out, with the older girls commenting how hot their brothers are, i.e. "ladykillers", is just too creepy for me. They seem like such grasping opportunists. Perfect replacements for the Duggars.

[Fascinated]

I think this family is super smug and completely annoying. They have been told one too many times how cute they are. Yes, they have a tragic story in their background. So do most families if they live long enough.

The scenes of them looking into floor length mirrors and working out, with the older girls commenting how hot their brothers are, i.e. "ladykillers", is just too creepy for me. They seem like such grasping opportunists. Perfect replacements for the Duggars.

I totally agree with this assessment. (I watched the most recent episode and I noticed that they all use over exaggerated hand gestures that relate in no way to what they are saying. It was really annoying.) Just another family using their kids to seek fame and fortune.

[Pericula]

I'm getting really strange vibes off them. The parents seem very controlling, and really infantilizing the older kids.

Like The dad saying: I should make (the daughter who forgot her costume) go out there without one, that would teach her a lesson.

Or The mom talking about the "kids" all the time.

I also think they're a weird mix of worldly and fundie, and think they might be more dangerous than full-on fundies, because they really put a nice spin on it. Especially their views on men and women seem really bad to me.

[The Duggar's Mohel]

It's weird to me how they really try and make a thing of their Irish roots. I think the mom said she had two great grandmothers from Ireland, that's kind of far removed for me.

It's also funny how this evangelical family doesn't do probably the most Irish thing of all, and that is be Catholic.

[JesusPony]

OK, the constant, yet spontaneous singing is getting on my last damned nerve. I mean, just sit down and eat a cheese wedge sometimes, people!

[GodsKnickers]

OK, the constant, yet spontaneous singing is getting on my last damned nerve. I mean, just sit down and eat a cheese wedge sometimes, people!

:lol: I just said this to my husband (he loves them, the poor fool) when they decided to break into song by the river. Good hell.

[TeaELSee]

The fact that I am watching this huge family driving on a bus from Nashville to Duluth, Minnesota on a bus with ZERO seat belts confuses and angers me.

Most of the Dad's family died in a horrific car accident..Why in the world would he not strap everyone in?

[for_the_Kitties]

WOW! You called it! Sooner than we all realized!

Do I win a prize?!?! :D This is the first time one of my snarky predictions came true within weeks of making it. :cracking-up: :cracking-up: :dance: :dance: :dance:

[O Latin]

I have to admit to being a little bit jealous of them (which is funny, because I was also jealous of the Duggars when I first saw them on TV 10+ years ago). I desperately wanted to pursue music as a career but was never really given the chance because in my family reading and academics were the only acceptable pursuits. I still think I would be happiest in some sort of performance related career and, watching them, a part of me wishes that I had a bunch of super tight knit siblings to write songs with.

I've only watched one episode so far and I liked them. I will have to keep watching to see if the weirdness factor increases.

[calimojo]

I like the music ok, in small doses, but I think the family is odd. I find it odd the way they kept showing the older boys shirtless and working out all the time, at least in the episodes that I saw. I think the mom has an odd, almost detached affect when she talks in her TH's. and I think the dad is uber controlling. The kids are obviously better educated than the Duggar kids, and in general are well spoken and expressive. But I think there are dark secrets in this family as well. Hopefully not sexual secrets, but likely ones of controlling parents and inappropriate discipline.

[Pericula]

The fact that I am watching this huge family driving on a bus from Nashville to Duluth, Minnesota on a bus with ZERO seat belts confuses and angers me.

Most of the Dad's family died in a horrific car accident..Why in the world would he not strap everyone in?

This was discussed over on previouslyTV. Apparently, in a bus like this, you're not required/supposed to wear seatbelts. In the earlier The Willis Clan, I seem to remember a shot of them in a van where everyone was wearing seatbelts.

Also, on previouslyTV, one poster claimed that part of the reason some of the kids died in the car crash was that they couldn't get out fast enough because of the seat belts.

I have to admit to being a little bit jealous of them (which is funny, because I was also jealous of the Duggars when I first saw them on TV 10+ years ago). I desperately wanted to pursue music as a career but was never really given the chance because in my family reading and academics were the only acceptable pursuits. I still think I would be happiest in some sort of performance related career and, watching them, a part of me wishes that I had a bunch of super tight knit siblings to write songs with.

I've only watched one episode so far and I liked them. I will have to keep watching to see if the weirdness factor increases.

I can understand you being a little jealous, but I do actually think they're doing the same thing your family did, only in reverse. What if one of their kids was more scholarly, and not at all interested in a career on stage?

[O Latin]

I can understand you being a little jealous, but I do actually think they're doing the same thing your family did, only in reverse. What if one of their kids was more scholarly, and not at all interested in a career on stage?

Oh, I definitely agree with you. I think in a lot of families the kids end up doing what the parents like to do, which is fine if it's a hobby that the parents want to share with their kids. But when it becomes the only acceptable life path, that's a problem. I also have a much less favorable opinion of college than the majority of FJ (and I say that as I'm working on my second college degree), so I tend to get a little defensive when college comes up.

[Pericula]

I just went back and watched the old The Willis Clan show (it's completely on Youtube...). Even more red flags on there for me. Some of the highlights:

Toby talking about how some of his kids wanted to do a team sport (play some ball), but that just isn't important, so they obviously weren't allowed to.

One of the girls wanted to study to become a veterinarian, so the 4 "big kids" went to check out a college (obviously, dad set this up...). The girl (Jen, I think), "decided" that right now her place is with her family etc.

On the same college trip, it's sex week, and Toby talks about how he would never send his kids (now, we're talking about someone who turned 21 in the same episode...) to a school where they teach them about sex.

The gender role thing obviously bugs me in both of these shows, but also when Toby talks about how he has to scout possible guys for his daughters to marry, no mention of scouting girls for Jair (because Jair is a guy...).

I do think they're getting a good edit from TLC, and have learned to put on a different face for the cameras than back then. It seems like the family really love each other and all, but I do think that a lot of it is Toby's experience with losing his siblings shining through, which is why he can't let go at all of his kids, even the adult ones. He did say that his dream would be for all their families to live in adjoining houses on one big property, Maxwell-style.

[ILoveJellybeans]

I just went back and watched the old The Willis Clan show (it's completely on Youtube...). Even more red flags on there for me. Some of the highlights:

Toby talking about how some of his kids wanted to do a team sport (play some ball), but that just isn't important, so they obviously weren't allowed to.

One of the girls wanted to study to become a veterinarian, so the 4 "big kids" went to check out a college (obviously, dad set this up...). The girl (Jen, I think), "decided" that right now her place is with her family etc.

On the same college trip, it's sex week, and Toby talks about how he would never send his kids (now, we're talking about someone who turned 21 in the same episode...) to a school where they teach them about sex.

The gender role thing obviously bugs me in both of these shows, but also when Toby talks about how he has to scout possible guys for his daughters to marry, no mention of scouting girls for Jair (because Jair is a guy...).

I do think they're getting a good edit from TLC, and have learned to put on a different face for the cameras than back then. It seems like the family really love each other and all, but I do think that a lot of it is Toby's experience with losing his siblings shining through, which is why he can't let go at all of his kids, even the adult ones. He did say that his dream would be for all their families to live in adjoining houses on one big property, Maxwell-style.

If your kids reach college without knowing enough about sex to be shocked by a college event talking about things like safe sex, you have failed as a parent.

[clueliss]

bumping because someone in lost and found thought we didn't have a Willis thread.

[from the bible belt]

I only watched the first two episodes and i kind of like them but after reading the comments here i am going to watch it a little more carefully. I like them because they seemed to have gotten out of fundieland which gives me hope for the rest out there.

[clueliss]

I watched the series on youtube.

Things i found interesting - home-schooled but oooh look real sports (read not broom ball) and dancing!

They showed Jair, the engagement and the heart break. There was a line in there from dad specifically about allowing contact which I saw as a clear 'we are not the Duggar's.'