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Counting On, Season 4 Part 2: Still Far Behind Real Life


Coconut Flan

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I finally made it through all three episodes and I have some thoughts but my main question is this: why do they insist on making  everyone who does talking heads look like a total moron?

Literally every episode has shown 9/10 of the kidults/spouses appear to be inexcusably ignorant. I say "appear" because while we are all aware of how little attention the Duggars give to education, I have to believe that there is at least one or two in there who have some intelligence/basic general knowledge.

It's not cute or charming at all and confuses me every time as to how it is approved for the air. 

Bonus points to John-David though, for openly stating "I don't care lol!" at whatever the question was in the last episode.

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38 minutes ago, Carm_88 said:

Ben doesn't appear eloquent, so maybe being a preacher isn't in the cards for him but at least he's trying. Ben may find a path that better suits him. I wish him luck with it all. It's not easy.

Is he trying, though? I agree with your post, I am just not sure if I missed something. I remember him getting a “degree” - was it last year? But other than that, he doesn’t really seem to be trying for a career as a pastor, at least recently. The show references him working but hasn’t even really gotten into specifics and I suppose I just assumed that meant working for Duggar Real Estate. Which is fine, he will probably be more able to support his family doing that.

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1 minute ago, Londish said:

Is he trying, though? I agree with your post, I am just not sure if I missed something. I remember him getting a “degree” - was it last year? 

Ben got his AA a few years back, I can't remember when. However, he's been going to Moody Bible College, online courses I believe. In order to be a pastor. 

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1 minute ago, Carm_88 said:

Ben got his AA a few years back, I can't remember when. However, he's been going to Moody Bible College, online courses I believe. In order to be a pastor. 

Oh, thanks  for clarifying! I thought he already got the online Moody degree, maybe I confused that with the AA. Also why I put degree in quotations haha - definitely not knocking an actual, accredited AA!

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Ben is a man baby because he is adrift with two babies and a wife to support and no established career path.  He is supported by his wife and her daddy.  He has no plan that anyone can verbalize.  TLC story lines would be developed for him if there was anything there.  I am betting there is nothing there.  They want a larger house.  They want more kids.  That's about all TLC wants us to know and no man that age that I know would want to live like that.  

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45 minutes ago, HideousGreenShirt said:

I finally made it through all three episodes and I have some thoughts but my main question is this: why do they insist on making  everyone who does talking heads look like a total moron?

Literally every episode has shown 9/10 of the kidults/spouses appear to be inexcusably ignorant. I say "appear" because while we are all aware of how little attention the Duggars give to education, I have to believe that there is at least one or two in there who have some intelligence/basic general knowledge.

It's not cute or charming at all and confuses me every time as to how it is approved for the air. 

Bonus points to John-David though, for openly stating "I don't care lol!" at whatever the question was in the last episode.

I genuinely think they just don't have anything else to talk about. Their answers to everything else are so robotic; at least you get slightly more varied answers than when you ask, say, "what is 'duggar time?'" 

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12 minutes ago, Greendoor said:

AA = Alcoholics Anonymous where I am.

What is Ben's degree?

 

An AA is an associate's degree, which is typically a 2-year degree (compared to a 4-year bachelor's degree).

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12 minutes ago, Greendoor said:

AA = Alcoholics Anonymous where I am.

What is Ben's degree?

 

AA is an Associate of Arts degree. (I think bens degree is related to religious studies? That'd be considered an arts.) 

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15 minutes ago, Free Them All said:

TLC story lines would be developed for him if there was anything there.  

Completely and utterly untrue.

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I think those talking head questions are totally scripted.  They worked years ago so I think they go with the formula.  I get the feeling they are laughing all the way to the bank.  Maybe not but I don't trust "reality' TV. 

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I would think if he had one that it would at least be mentioned on the show. 

An office job may not be as exciting as the absolutely riveting material currently shown. But it seems like it would at least be worthy of a mention or used in a storyline. 

 

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2 minutes ago, Knight of Ni said:

I would think if he had one that it would at least be mentioned on the show. 

An office job may not be as exciting as the absolutely riveting material currently shown. But it seems like it would at least be worthy of a mention or used in a storyline. 

 

People really need to get past thinking this. They have entire lives that are never mentioned on the show because whatever they're doing doesn't happen to fit TLC's narrow narrative.

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Wolf boy was briefly in a 60 minute segment. He said they were all cracking up because it was so scripted. That was 60 minutes, can you imagine just how scripted these so called reality shows are? I used to enjoy Hannie and Jackson TH, though.

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20 minutes ago, brusselsgriffon said:

AA is an Associate of Arts degree. (I think bens degree is related to religious studies? That'd be considered an arts.) 

Ben's AA is not related to religious studies. He got it from a "regular" community college. He switched majors, but he either got a degree in Business or Poly Sci. He switched one out for the other; I can't remember which came first. At Moody, Ben's pre-reqs will likely be done, so he'll just have to make up a few lower division courses (usually just survey stuff) in addition to his upper division work. IF he's still going down that path. They've been pretty quiet about what he's been up to this past year. 

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1 hour ago, Free Them All said:

 TLC story lines would be developed for him if there was anything there.  I am betting there is nothing there.  

That's complete and utter bullshit. TLC rarely mentions jobs when it comes to the Duggars. They breeze over those things. Really they're only focusing on the big events in their lives. They want to focus and bring back the old brand. Hence all the talk of courting and "Duggar Time." 

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Ben is kinda my pet fundie.  I do think he is a bit deeper than most here--and Jessa is pretty media saavy.  We honestly don't know anything except what they and TLC give us, which is nothing but made up fluff.  He does seem to be feeling a bit more comfortable on camera, and stringing words together a little more cohesively.   We can and should judge them for their odious beliefs, but to fault him for working at a family business, or for being supported by Jessa (Jim Bob/TLC) while attending school is a bit much--I personally know a few women that supported thier spouses while they completed thier education early in marriage.  Granted, those women went out to work--a couple of them actually began thier lifetime careers during this time.  Yeah, Jessa is supporting him in an unconventional manner, but its not totally different.  And I gotta give him some sort of credit if he actually is still attending Moody, which is, I believe, a real accreditied college,   I really dont like defending these people, its just we really don't know anything except thier religious beliefs and the weird dangerous backwards way that makes them think, 

Backing out slowly now.........

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On 9/26/2017 at 10:24 PM, stardust said:

Good list! Poor Joy. I won't quote your whole post because it is rather long, but are there any Harry Potter fans here? This scene from Order of the Phoenix comes to mind:

*bursts through wall* Did someone call for me?

On 9/26/2017 at 11:29 PM, Fluffy14 said:

I think Joy would have found it less stressful if just one sister went. They have been trained to please everyone but themselves, now all of a sudden it is okay to please herself?

I have a dirty mind and I'm giggling at this. 

On 9/28/2017 at 11:55 AM, Gillyweed said:

You forgot Maryland!!! Our football team sucks, but our basketball team is pretty good! 

Go terps!

Go Terps!! When Maryland joined the Big 10 I wonder if it was so the football team could lose by larger margins to a larger audience :pb_lol:

On 9/28/2017 at 1:26 PM, Knight of Ni said:

My daughter is turning two soon. She really likes cats so she will get a cat cake. (She gets adorably excited when she sees pictures of cats at the store and her first word was cat.) I didn't ask her what she wants because I doubt she'll be able to tell me because her favorite word is dada right now. Unless I specifically have her repeat words it's always dada. Maybe when she gets older she will get a cake of either of my husband's or mine alma mater. 

Your daughter sounds amazing and adorable I would totally be her friend. I could introduce her to my cats, and we could talk about kitties. The cats just met a toddler for the first time, I don't think they've ever met a little child before. They were very curious about this small human. It was a relative's son, who loves cats. 

I kinda wanna see what a cat cake looks like. Also, your daughter might also enjoy my favorite Facebook page. It's called Love Meow, and everyday they post short videos of kittens.

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I often wonder if the controlling the narrative to show how Ben and Jessa struggle with managing two kids is meant to honor Michele for managing her 19.  JB and M aren't on the show much, but I think they are very involved behind the scenes, especially JB.  So it just is a subtle way to stress what a 'wonderful' mother  Michelle was. 

On the other hand, I do sort of appreciate that they are showing that having 2 little ones under the age of 2 or so is hard work.  MIchelle always had that serene look and attitude that because they were all so godly,  it was relatively easy.  Who knows how many people she convinced it was easy, who tried to emulate her.  Kids are hard work, be it 1, 2 or 10.  And I am glad it is the little bit of reality they are choosing to show.

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14 minutes ago, calimojo said:

I do sort of appreciate that they are showing that having 2 little ones under the age of 2 or so is hard work.

I had three under 5 at one point.... it seemed like a good idea at the time.   No, it wasn't.  

No jurisdictions, no buddy team leaders.  No TLC to get me an off camera nanny/housekeeper.

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1 hour ago, MarblesMom said:

I had three under 5 at one point.... it seemed like a good idea at the time.   No, it wasn't.  

No jurisdictions, no buddy team leaders.  No TLC to get me an off camera nanny/housekeeper.

I feel ya...when my youngest was born the other 4 were 7.5, 5,5, Just over 3 and 2.5. #5 was born at the end of June and #3 was 3 at the beginning of April. #3 and #4 were 8 months and 26 days apart in age (one was a bio, one was a step but we had all of them). Mix in an abusive fuck for a husband who wouldn't lift a finger with the kids, who went to work not 2 hours after bringing me and #5 home from the hospital and it was NOT fun. 

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2 hours ago, calimojo said:

MIchelle always had that serene look and attitude that because they were all so godly, 

snip

Michelle always had that serene look because, when we met her, the four older girls were sister moms and were doing most of the work. Michelle was primarily gestating and parenting each baby until it was six months old, then handing it off when it was no longer shiny and new so she could conceive the next one. We didn't see Michelle when she was raising the first six or seven and had the infamous laundry room breakdown. I have a feeling her look and attitude would have been less serene in those years. 

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40 minutes ago, Audrey2 said:

Michelle always had that serene look because, when we met her, the four older girls were sister moms and were doing most of the work. Michelle was primarily gestating and parenting each baby until it was six months old, then handing it off when it was no longer shiny and new so she could conceive the next one. We didn't see Michelle when she was raising the first six or seven and had the infamous laundry room breakdown. I have a feeling her look and attitude would have been less serene in those years. 

I wonder how much Xanax she takes a day. Girlfriend HAS to be on something. I watched Jinjer's, Joy's and Joe's wedding episodes...not a single emotion from J'chelle, J-boob showed more emotion...

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9 hours ago, Knight of Ni said:

An office job may not be as exciting as the absolutely riveting material currently shown. But it seems like it would at least be worthy of a mention or used in a storyline. 

You're assuming the employer and the other employees would want to be filmed. 

But anyway, we know from the Duggar social media that pretty much most of what they do isn't included in the show.  Derick did at least 1 day as a substitute teacher, and that never made it into their show; the friendships with the Bateses; Jessa's "tribe" of close friends; Joe going to college; Jana and Laura joining the Seewalds on their trip to Texas - and those are just off the top of my head.

I would get where you're coming from IF TLC was known for making innovative TV and trying new formats and so on.  But they're not - they shows are incredibly cheaply and quickly made, and they're just doing the bare minimum to keep the viewing figures above a certain level.  I don't doubt it's a profitable show for them, compared to how little they clearly spend on making it, so they don't need to do more.

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