Counting on- Part 7: Counting on Cancellation

[BabyBottlePop]

23 minutes ago, Ungodly Grandma said:

Remember when Bin's sister announced on FB that the baby was here, and she gave a name, not Spurgeon, something normal. I still think that Bin and Jessa decided to change the name at that point, to steal back some thunder.

Unless she edited it later, I think the only thing she did was announce Spergeon's gender before Ben & Jessa could. 

It's not letting me post the screenshot, but she posted to Instagram a pic where she had simply written in blue "I'm an auntie!" There was no caption. Did it at one time have the name? 

[Ungodly Grandma]

1 minute ago, BabyBottlePop said:

Unless she edited it later, I think the only thing she did was announce Spergeon's gender before Ben & Jessa could. 

It's not letting me post the screenshot, but she posted to Instagram a pic where she had simply written in blue "I'm an auntie!" There was no caption. Did it at one time have the name? 

I remember a name, not Spurgeon.

[CreationMuseumSeasonPass]

1 hour ago, TShirtsLongSkirts said:

BTW, I vote TLC cancels Boring On and instead gives a show to @CreationMuseumSeasonPass 's parents.

I'm having breakfast with my parents and they're just tickled pink that they were able to amuse a bunch of you last night. I find my parents pretty awesome and hilarious, but really, they're just a regular middle-class couple from a suburb of Des Moines. We're your average WASP family (nothing wrong with that lol). How could you make a show out of that? Oh wait, TLC is becoming a pro at making a boring show...

[anotherone]

10 hours ago, 19 cats and counting said:

For the show to be successful, I think "Breaking Duggar" would be the best idea.

Ideas on where to send the kids

ALL
Disney World without parents.  Watch recent Disney movies on the way there
Pride Parade
Comic Con
Broadway show

Kidults (18+)
Spring Break in Daytona Beach or Miami
Coachella
A night of clubbing (including all you can drink) (21+)
Vegas

Teens
College tours of secular colleges (including Joy and Josiah)
High school events (homecoming, prom, sports, etc)
Top 40 radio station summer concert/festival

Younger Howlers
Top 40 radio station summer concert/festival
Arcade
Evil heathen public school

Lost Girls
Girl Scout Camp (2 weeks sleep away)
Public library and allow them to read whatever they like
Evil heathen public school
Concert for whatever pop music (in another era-- Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, NSync, 90s Britney, teenage Justin Bieber, Hannah Montana Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, etc) their public school peers are listening to these days.  

You just described my (and probably others') happy childhoods.  Too bad the d'kids can't experience any of these at all.

[JenniferJuniper]

1 hour ago, Justme said:

I've tried to watch this show for the past few weeks. I can't stand more than 5 minutes here and there before I have to turn it off. It's the same thing over and over. How many times can you ask the unmarried adults about future spouses??? Also, the production budget is extremely low. The quality almost seems like someone is filming on their iphones....

 

TLC is spending very little money on this venture.  My guess is that they only have a skeleton crew and Scott, who has been heard asking more direct questions, possibly to save time by trying to move things along more quickly.  Jill and Derick have been pretty much ignored, the "boys" with the exception of John David have been background players at most, and the little kids have not had any talking heads. Even the exploitation of Anna has been repetitive and unrevealing.  "Josh is coming home soon, Anna".  "I know", sniff,sniff, "We've walked through so much and have so much work to do."    Lather, rinse, repeat.

Aside from reminding the audience of new and old shows that are returning, I can't see what the point is for TLC.  Yes, they are hanging on to the fan base for now, but viewers without sponsors don't add much to the bottom line.  If TLC thinks the sponsors will return in time for the show to be revived I think they're in for disappointment.   Josh can't stay hidden forever and the risk of more scandal with him is always high.   

 

[LittleSpouseOnThePrairie]

At first I really believed that this new series was gifted to them as means of allowing them to achieve onscreen redemption. It felt like they were being given the chance to tell the story from their side and minimize damage, which I think is why many were outraged that they were coming back on the air. But, to me, it is more apparent than ever that TLC was just trying to squeeze every last drop they get out of this cash cow.

The majority of Counting On really seemed like TLC spent an awful lot of screen time recapping by using new talking heads to explain old events...events which have already been aired/discussed now on multiple episodes. (It's as if they believe they have a whole new flock of viewers who need to be clued in). 

It just spells out a lack of material, budget, and vision. Combined with very carefully crafted scenes and questions that allow the Duggars to remain vague (and therefore unintersting), the show is suffering and they should just put it out of its misery.

[nst]

Does it really surprise anyone that now Jessa is backtracking re the name whether it's first or the middle name.  This  is what she does!!  The fact that she actually admitted how she finally felt about the whole Josh scandal though was refreshing because I still hate that bathroom silence shot. So she threw Josh under the bus and drove over it.

I am in the camp now thinking they wanted to grope one another during the kiss because they kept pointing out how long they were together.   

But overall Ben and Jessa do have issues, and again Ben is interchangeable if she bosses  him like that around on camera (as she did her siblings which they like to remind us) just imagine when the cameras aren't rolling the two of them. Does she tell him to wipe his bum.  Clearly these two have issues and they are starting to seep out. But now the adoption talk is also starting  to back track and fail on her because she keeps repeating the same thing over and over again that the Lord will decide.  What they decide to do about BC is their business but then don't do a show about how they want to have one yet adopt.  It's all crossing each other out. So many things about Jessa can contributing it's fascinating. You could do a study.

[chris]

8 hours ago, SportsgalAnnie said:

hah, You'd get laughed off the streets of Nashville if you wore that 

bins

Took me a minute to realize which hat you were talking about lol....

 

[Ungodly Grandma]

2 hours ago, Ungodly Grandma said:

Remember when Bin's sister announced on FB that the baby was here, and she gave a name, not Spurgeon, something normal. I still think that Bin and Jessa decided to change the name at that point, to steal back some thunder.

I've been looking for it. IIRC, the name Jessica announced was Gabriel, then it was removed, then days without a name until Bin could browbeat Jessa into accepting Spurgeon. 

 

[HereticHick]

12 hours ago, cptbailey said:

THE BEARD HAS GOTTEN EVEN BIGGER AND WILDER. How is that even possible.

Derick's beard is full of secrets

 

[withaj]

3 hours ago, Ungodly Grandma said:

I remember a name, not Spurgeon.

The name was Gabriel. (I think she spelled it Gabrielle, though.) It was sort of questionably not in context though -- I think in a comment.

Yes, I am embarrassed that I know this. 

44 minutes ago, Ungodly Grandma said:

I've been looking for it. IIRC, the name Jessica announced was Gabriel, then it was removed, then days without a name until Bin could browbeat Jessa into accepting Spurgeon. 

Whoops! You beat me to it!

[bashfulpixie]

11 hours ago, BabyBottlePop said:

I've had Facebook friends post photos of their children potty training, sometimes with bars over certain spots and sometimes without anything. Often such a post is followed by an angry post by the Facebook friend wanting to know who reported their photo. 

Do people realize one day their kids will grow up and see they've been put on Facebook for everyone to see? My baby book has many photos of me naked in a bathtub but my mom didn't (albeit, she couldn't) post them and glad no such thing existed when I was a baby/toddler.

 

11 hours ago, bella8050 said:

A had a friend post a picture of her 3 year old daughter who was wearing just a skirt, and my friend's high heels, captioned with "this is how she wanted to go to school today". I was really shocked she posted it and part of me wanted to say something about maybe rethinking sharing that with her 800+ friends. It still makes me cringe to think about it. Completely innocent picture of course...for the private family photo album.

 

This is why my cousins have a private shared album in iCloud.  They can share those cute photos with the family that doesn't live close by without having to put them out there for the entire world to see. 

[Justme]

29 minutes ago, HereticHick said:

Derick's beard is full of secrets

 

Post Count!!!!

[Eternalbluepearl]

Spurgeon Michael "flows" just as well as Spurgeon Elliot.  I really don't think the middle name is the issue here. 

[Ungodly Grandma]

32 minutes ago, withaj said:

The name was Gabriel. (I think she spelled it Gabrielle, though.) It was sort of questionably not in context though -- I think in a comment.

Yes, I am embarrassed that I know this. 

Whoops! You beat me to it!

Thanks withaj. I was beginning to wonder if I had dreamed it!  And you're right about the spelling.

And yes, clearly too much mental energy spent on this subject.

[Bad Wolf]

I think that nothing flows with Spurgeon. They had months to figure out a name. Back in the day, we had a boy's name and a girl's name ready and waited to see what we got. (I mean what blessing God sent.)

[Ungodly Grandma]

52 minutes ago, HereticHick said:

Derick's beard is full of secrets

 

Derick's beard may be full of lice, from what it looks like.

[SassyPants]

22 minutes ago, Eternalbluepearl said:

Spurgeon Michael "flows" just as well as Spurgeon Elliot.  I really don't think the middle name is the issue here. 

MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY!

Elliot Michael would have been better.

Michael Elliot sounds better but since there's already a Gen III named Michael, probably easier to avoid-

[Buzzard]

Having had time to think about last night's shit show I have some thoughts:

The segment with Jessa and Jinger crying was shoehorned in.  It didnt fit the storyline and was really awkward.  As far as I can recall, Jinger hasnt spoken publicly about being one of Josh's victims.  With Jill absent Jinger has been forced to step up as the "softer" victim, because Jessa comes off as ready to stab Josh, not forgive him.

Did anyone see the speech Jinger gave at Big Sandy? I'm wondering what she spoke about.  Its clear that she's being trotted out as the token child and my guess is that its all about "forgiveness" and "walking through" shit.  

Its pretty clear that the Duggars are walking back their "mild inappropriate touching" and the girls "didnt know what happened." The girls CLEARLY knew what happened.  You dont cry like that for something that meant nothing to you.  Jinger showed legitimate emotion and it wasnt about the loss of the show, she's truly hurt.

I call bullshit that any of them have received legitimate counseling.  They've been told to pray, and they do.  Jinger's speech the night before the wedding is painful to rewatch knowing what we know now.  She thinks she isnt worthy of her sister.  She needed HER SISTER to help her through her hard times, not her parents.  We saw a woman who suffered for years thinking that her brother did horrible things because of the behavior of children, abandoned by her parents in favor of their cult, forced to seek solace in her sisters because they were the only ones who understood you cant pray away pain and trauma. 

I hate the Duggars.  I hate TLC for continuing to victimize the children brought up in this cult for money.  I hate SOS for giving the Jillards a platform to indoctrinate others into a belief system that teaches that all this shit is OK because Jesus.  I hate myself for being a pair of the eyeballs that TLC covets.   This show is dirty and it needs to end.

As for Jinger being sold off into marriage - she doesnt have an instagram that anyone has found.  Thats been a pretty sure fire sign that theres something in the works. I dont think Boob is willing to pull the trigger on selling off a prized possession like Jinger with the show on the ropes.  I think he will wait, see if the maelstrom lessens, and announce in 3-6 months.  I dont think she's ready for that, though.  I cant remember seeing the "spunk" that inspired our name since Jessa's wedding.  No eye rolls, no side glances.  She's just kind of there.  Sure, it could be editing, but I think not.  My guess is that Jana will be the next on the auction block as her expiration date is nearing.

[HarleyQuinn]

8 hours ago, sndral said:

Most boring mish mash of rehash e.v.e.r.

Jessa in what little new material there was, kept repeating how Jill had never met Spurgeon and how special it was going to be for the Dillards to meet Spugeon. Not once did Jessa mention looking forward to seeing Izzy, all she talked about was the Dillards first meeting with her speeshul snowflake -  Spurgeon.

 

Jill probably shoved Israel at everyone when she still lived in Arkansas. I can see her being one of those OMG LOOK AT MY BABY type of people.

[Eternalbluepearl]

4 minutes ago, HarleyQuinn said:

Jill probably shoved Israel at everyone when she still lived in Arkansas. I can see her being one of those OMG LOOK AT MY BABY type of people.

OMG LOOK AT MY WEDDING, OMG LOOK AT MY HUSBAND, OMG LOOK AT MY GODLY BABY NAMED ISRAEL CONCEIVED ON MY HONEYMOON!  Something like that yeah...

[nastyhobbitses]

4 minutes ago, HarleyQuinn said:

Jill probably shoved Israel at everyone when she still lived in Arkansas. I can see her being one of those OMG LOOK AT MY BABY type of people.

MY BABY IS SO WHITE YOU GUYS

THE WHITEST BABY

LOOK AT THESE POOR BENIGHTED BROWN PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER SEEN A WHITE BABY

I HAVE ENLIGHTENED THEIR MISERABLE LIVES WITH MY MELANIN AND RHYTHM-LACKING PROGENY

WHITE BAYBEEEEEZZZZZZZ

[BeccaGrim]

On 4/21/2016 at 10:06 AM, p_a_d_d_y said:

I'm referring to very early on it grew boring, but people still watched; this was before the newest weddings and babies. I can see why people tuned in for that. It is "back to" boring after those events, but it still has viewers. It seems like many of the hate-watchers generally watch later or elsewhere to avoid any ratings increase. I'm not so sure that the old way is still the only way to assess ratings, because Direct TV on a Modern Marvels episode said that they track all their customers viewing habits; though I'm not sure if this in any way contributes to the ratings; I really hope it doesn't. 

I've been shocked to see that many of the fans still refer to the family as "wholesome" on the TLC and Counting On Facebook pages. No joke. 

Nu2Duggarville: I'm not sure how to reply yet in a new thread from an old thread. So anyway, I agree that the dinner was completely staged, but I also think the Ben with Flame was staged, too. The difference is that I think Ben was more relaxed with him/them than he is around the Duggars so his acting was a bit more relaxed, too.

Also, with the girls, I think they do probably only have a list from daddyo of what they can and cannot talk about on the show, but in private I don't think they talk about much more either. S

Quote

omeone before (sorry, can't remember who) mentioned that they probably don't trust their sisters very much because of the mandatory reporting to their parents, or counseling as they called it, going on. They don't seem very comfortable around each other at all, and that's always shown through despite what they were doing or talking about

I never thought about that but you are right.  They can't trust each other at all. How utterly lonely they must be.   

 

 

12 minutes ago, Buzzard said:

Having had time to think about last night's shit show I have some thoughts:

The segment with Jessa and Jinger crying was shoehorned in.  It didnt fit the storyline and was really awkward.  As far as I can recall, Jinger hasnt spoken publicly about being one of Josh's victims.  With Jill absent Jinger has been forced to step up as the "softer" victim, because Jessa comes off as ready to stab Josh, not forgive him.

Did anyone see the speech Jinger gave at Big Sandy? I'm wondering what she spoke about.  Its clear that she's being trotted out as the token child and my guess is that its all about "forgiveness" and "walking through" shit.  

Its pretty clear that the Duggars are walking back their "mild inappropriate touching" and the girls "didnt know what happened." The girls CLEARLY knew what happened.  You dont cry like that for something that meant nothing to you.  Jinger showed legitimate emotion and it wasnt about the loss of the show, she's truly hurt.

I call bullshit that any of them have received legitimate counseling.  They've been told to pray, and they do.  Jinger's speech the night before the wedding is painful to rewatch knowing what we know now.  She thinks she isnt worthy of her sister.  She needed HER SISTER to help her through her hard times, not her parents.  We saw a woman who suffered for years thinking that her brother did horrible things because of the behavior of children, abandoned by her parents in favor of their cult, forced to seek solace in her sisters because they were the only ones who understood you cant pray away pain and trauma. 

I hate the Duggars.  I hate TLC for continuing to victimize the children brought up in this cult for money.  I hate SOS for giving the Jillards a platform to indoctrinate others into a belief system that teaches that all this shit is OK because Jesus.  I hate myself for being a pair of the eyeballs that TLC covets.   This show is dirty and it needs to end.

As for Jinger being sold off into marriage - she doesnt have an instagram that anyone has found.  Thats been a pretty sure fire sign that theres something in the works. I dont think Boob is willing to pull the trigger on selling off a prized possession like Jinger with the show on the ropes.  I think he will wait, see if the maelstrom lessens, and announce in 3-6 months.  I dont think she's ready for that, though.  I cant remember seeing the "spunk" that inspired our name since Jessa's wedding.  No eye rolls, no side glances.  She's just kind of there.  Sure, it could be editing, but I think not.  My guess is that Jana will be the next on the auction block as her expiration date is nearing.

I may just not be well versed in this but when they were reshowing the wedding stuff (AGAIN) last night she kept saying she was so unworthy. She's said that before. Jinger says "I'm unworthy."  Of what?  And how could a girl who has done NOTHING in her life outside of her parental control be unworthy?

[habert]

Jessa isn't backtracking on the name, they said they knew the first name but not the middle name before they announced.

[Analytica49]

After watching last night's drivel, I'm thinking Jessa and Bin must have a HUGE sense of self-importance. After all, if a tv show films you doing things like counting diapers (Bin), discussing diaper changes (Bin and Jessa), taking your baby to get a passport photo (the three of them), and talking about the absence of a public wedding kiss, then clearly your lives are significant and meaningful and blessed beyond everyone else's.

Bin's revolting idea that not kissing in public would focus people's attention on their wedding ceremony is not only self-important but self-deluded. As we all know, what it actually caused was a huge amount of speculation about what they REALLY did after they ran out of the church. I know I didn't give two seconds' thought to their silly ceremony.