The Botkinettes have surfaced and they're giving relationship advice again!

[RosyDaisy]

Just what in the hell do these women know about relationships? They have never been in one.

[Lurky]

Were the Botkinettes one of the set that were absolutely horrified by the idea of women having kids in their 30s? (never mind the fact that the Quiverfull/no birth control wives must be having kids for as long as they're fertile!).

It would be interesting if they were honest and came out with something like "In this sinful age, no man can match up to our father, so we'll be single forever", but I guess that's too weird even for the cult.

And every time I read about the Botkinettes, I have to head over the Katie Botkin's blog for some balance.  I love Kate!
https://kbotkin.com/

[formergothardite]

Wow, they are just getting sad. 

[Petronella]

15 hours ago, bea said:

my dad was a priest for 17 years and had a (from all accounts) scandalous affair with my mother. Who was a nun. It was not unusual - the number of former priest and former nun couples that we knew was so high that when I was little, I thought you joined a religious order, then got married and had kids.

 

 

 

That anecdote is utterly charming.

[Howl]

8 hours ago, RosyDaisy said:

Just what in the hell do these women know about relationships? They have never been in one.

Well, the important thing is they have NEVER given away pieces of their heart, except to Daddy, who apparently has all the pieces.  Game over. 

[Fundiewonder]

Anna Sophia looks slightly hysterical in that video.  If they're still single five years from now, even the most fervent stay-at-home daughter won't be able to regard them as anything but a cautionary tale about the dangers of spinsterhood. Or maybe they've already passed into that territory.

[freealljs]

They seem like very pretty women (physically). So, why are they not married?  How old are they? 

 

[Stormy]

Now, I don't know much about their family environment and how everyone feels about each other, but do you think that maybe Mr. & Mrs. Botkin will one day want an empty nest? What if they want to rent out a small cottage in Florida to live out their golden years that's barely big enough for the two of them? Granted that I don't think the Botkinettes seem all that interested in marriage anytime soon, what will they do? Do their unmarried brothers still live at home? Would their other brothers be eager and willing to carve out some space for one or both of them to sit and be professionally smug while they themselves are busy supporting their families (on presumably one income)? I have so many questions...

[December]

I can see how their content would've appealed to fundie parents back when they were in their late teens and early twenties. But I really wonder what people in their target demographic think of them now that they're in their late twenties and unmarried despite following (and making a whole business about) the "rules" of godly relationships?

[ChunkyBarbie]

I have always found the Botkinettes interesting.  They are lovely, you would think that the young men in their cult would be falling all over themselves competing for their hands. I would think, they would be the ultimate fundy trophy wife, like a Kelly Bradrick. Yet, they never married, (and Kelly is getting divorced.)

Sadly, in the real world there is no shame in being single or getting divorced, but in cult-land....

Any way, I just wonder what was/is the real reason they are still single.  It often seems to me, that a fundy bride just needs to be pretty, indoctrinated and come from a "good" family.  So what happened? 

[Howl]

1 hour ago, freealljs said:

They seem like very pretty women (physically). So, why are they not married?  How old are they? 

@ChunkyBarbie said 

Quote

Any way, I just wonder what was/is the real reason they are still single.  It often seems to me, that a fundy bride just needs to be pretty, indoctrinated and come from a "good" family.  So what happened? 

There's been endless speculation, but there's a name for it: Botkin Syndrom, which is synonymous with enmeshment/emotional incest. 

What is Botkin Syndrome?

It's fascinating if  you are on the outside looking in.  On the inside, it's probably a daily fresh hell of slow death of the human soul. 

[ChunkyBarbie]

I would think not being married has to hurt. I grew up in a family where my extended family was LDS, not my parents, my sibling or myself. My parents were pretty much the complete opposite of Mormon. Yet, I can remember freaking out on my 23rd birthday because I wasn't married or engaged.  I also struggled with infertility for years and depression which was made worse from the LDS beliefs I internalized, even though I didn't believe in it. Crazy, I know. 

I wonder how the Botkinettes deal with their feelings, they believe the highest calling a woman has is as a wife and mother, and they are neither.  I'm sure being Daddy's daughter-wife is right up there in importance, but it just isn't the same. 

I wonder if they ever get jealous of their sisters-in-law or brothers.Does the fact that they are so attractive make it worse that they are still single? So many things to ponder. 

[Othello]

There's a lot of patriarchal bullshit that goes into purity culture and particularly the patricentric family unit culture of this vein, in which doing things for daddy is not an entendre but a form of indentured servitude. I remember when my sisters went to that fathers/daughters conference they had some ridiculous activity where they had girls from the audience pretend to shave their dads, tie his tie and whatnot; and the dads had to 'woo' their daughters, singing songs to them. It's like a 1950's fantasy but with dad/daughter—repulsive. Going to VF conferences as a kid, I used to think that the Botkin Patriarch was cool—he projects a pseudointellectual air, is fairly well-spoken (less clunky than DPIAT and Scottie), watched movies and stuff even if only to dissect them, whatever—but it's clear he's a sad old man who hasn't produced a work in quite some time, is losing his war on "cultural marxism" and maintaining sanity by keeping a stranglehold on the few people he can control. I don't doubt that Anna Sofia and Elizabeth have had plenty of suitors, and would have had more had they not been intimidated by the family and King Geoffrey, but their interest wasn't entertained. I feel bad for them, but as with anyone from this group, I feel like they made the bed they're in. They've had endless chances to diverge from the path they're on, but nope. Seriously, ladies, if you're reading this—it's much better on the other side! You have very little to lose. <3 

[Grimalkin]

I couldn't get through the whole video. Every body is complicated, society is complicated, yadda, yadda, yadda. Maybe they are trying to explain and justify why they are still single. They may even look quite virtuous in light of the Josh Duggar mess, and Bradrick divorce. 

[ChunkyBarbie]

4 minutes ago, Grimalkin said:

I couldn't get through the whole video. Every body is complicated, society is complicated, yadda, yadda, yadda. Maybe they are trying to explain and justify why they are still single. They may even look quite virtuous in light of the Josh Duggar mess, and Bradrick divorce. 

I thought they were less robotic than in years past, but still full of shit. If Josh Duggar looks more virtuous than you, you need to examine your life's choices. Lol ETA I think the "girls" could chase Daddy with an axe and seem more virtuous than Josh.  

[ladyamylynn]

I wonder if their strain of Christianity had nuns if either of the Botkin girls, or Sarah Maxwell, or Jana Duggar might have chosen (or been forced into) that path?

[Grimalkin]

4 hours ago, Fundiewonder said:

Anna Sophia looks slightly hysterical in that video.  

Ha! Sort of like Good Will Hunting solving complicated math problems on a chalkboard.

[ChunkyBarbie]

2 minutes ago, ladyamylynn said:

I wonder if their strain of Christianity had nuns if either of the Botkin girls, or Sarah Maxwell, or Jana Duggar might have chosen (or been forced into) that path?

I vote forced, when they outgrew their usefulness to Mommy and Daddy.

1 minute ago, Grimalkin said:

Ha! Sort of like Good Will Hunting solving complicated math problems on a chalkboard.

Only with stick figures. Lol

[usedbicycle]

Oh my god... I'm speechless. What I see is two bitter virgins warning young girls that dating is a nightmare. It's the same bitter talk as my 30-something friends who are failing to find a husband on Tinder. In both cases I want to say... maybe you're approaching this the wrong way?

[refugee]

4 hours ago, Stormy said:

Now, I don't know much about their family environment and how everyone feels about each other, but do you think that maybe Mr. & Mrs. Botkin will one day want an empty nest? What if they want to rent out a small cottage in Florida to live out their golden years that's barely big enough for the two of them? Granted that I don't think the Botkinettes seem all that interested in marriage anytime soon, what will they do? Do their unmarried brothers still live at home? Would their other brothers be eager and willing to carve out some space for one or both of them to sit and be professionally smug while they themselves are busy supporting their families (on presumably one income)? I have so many questions...

Well, it would certainly be Jane Austenish of them to live with a married brother. They wouldn't have to go together as a package, either, but could separate (unlike old bonded cats at the shelter that, by policy, get adopted out together). Just think: a live-in babysitter for each lucky household.

Didn't Elizabeth Bennett tell her sister, Jane, that she probably wasn't going to get married, “I am determined that only the deepest love will induce me into matrimony. So, I shall end an old maid, and teach your ten children to embroider cushions and play their instruments very ill.”

2 hours ago, Othello said:

They've had endless chances to diverge from the path they're on, but nope. Seriously, ladies, if you're reading this—it's much better on the other side! You have very little to lose. <3 

Come to the Dark Side. We have cookies.

(sorry, couldn't resist, even though I can't remember where that quote comes from originally)

[closetcagebaby]

I feel like someone just posted a copy of Return of the Daughters recently but now I can't find it...I want to watch and be horrified!

The production values on this video were way higher than I expected, but what was with the scary grunting stick figures?

[Hane]

In my Roman Catholic days, I spoke with a few priests who *did* have a clue about male-female relationships, but those priests had actual MSWs from accredited, non-religious universities.

[Georgiana]

You know, if the Botkins wait a few more years, they could become the experts on permanent SAHD, since sadly, they are hardly alone in their unmarried and (for fundies) aged status.  

They could give advice like "How to serve your married siblings' families", "How to prepare to care for your parents in their next season of life", "Eccentric hobbies: how many is too many?". They could join forces with Sarah Maxwell and go back on the circuit.

Because that market is about to sadly be a thing.  And someone will need to keep those adult women in the fold or the next generation will be asking awkward questions.

[Lurky]

I wonder if the video, and the re-release of the book is an attempt to widen their courting pool?  Maybe this time they can reach a wider audience who are looking for a submissive Fundy wife (who can then get rejected by Daddy)

[Jencendiary]

If either of these two wanted to be married, she could be. But who wants the hassle of an endless cycle of childbearing, child-rearing, and submission to some person who was most likely a stranger six months before you got engaged? At least they know their dad and their younger siblings are all grown.

Those girls have seen some shit, there's no doubt in my mind. I don't blame them for staying single.