Maxwell 15: Simplifying Thanksgiving into Less than Regular Dinner

[SPHASH]

3 hours ago, usmcmom said:

I wonder if John is feeling a lot of stress over his parents' potential disapproval of his future wife. I bet there is a lot of tension in that house over this engagement. I wonder if he really wants to get out of the compound but just can't bring himself to leave. If he truly loves Chelsy, he could be feeling a little nervous about bringing her home to his family that doesn't seem to approve of her. I hope he has it in him to protect her from his judgy, hateful father; but the fact that he's moving her to the compound makes me doubt that. She will be under the Maxwell thumb pretty soon.  Her future seems pretty grim to me but after she called that teenage boy a bum, I'm not sure I care anymore. 

My nickname-Judgy Chelsy.

[fundiefan]

22 hours ago, usmcmom said:

I know we need to be careful about writing things like "When I was her age, I was doing...". So I will be careful. 

I am always really interested in Mary and Anna because my daughter falls right between them in age, I think. She is twenty three and I admit to noting huge differences when I read the Maxwell blog (sorry; I can't help it).  Hearing those girls speak actually left me feeling kind of sad and a little embarrassed for them. They sound like our little neighbor girl who is ten!  Sarah seems to be well spoken; as does Teri, in my opinion. I wonder where they picked up the child like voice and inflection if their two older examples don't do this.  

Steve seemed less confident in front of the camera than Teri did.  John and Jesse kind of creeped me out. "Chelsy is my natural caffeine"??????  

I think I'm going to watch it again.  And again. 

 

It's near impossible to not compare. I don't even compare myself, I compare my 22 & 25 year old nieces. They are adults with college educations, jobs, one is a newlywed. They have values and beliefs all their own - my very conservative sister is still internally wrestling with her 'little protester', as she lovingly refers to her oldest daughter (25 & married) who is liberal and has a degree in environmental studies and works for an environmental lawyer.  My sister doesn't discount her or call her a rebel - she is, instead, extremely proud that she raised a daughter who made her own choices, found her own passions and lives her own life of passion. The 22 year old is a graduating in 2 weeks and will be a 2nd grade teacher. She got hired mid-year, which is rare, because she so impressed the administration where she student teaches. She'll be an on staff sub for the spring semester then have her own class in fall. 

I work with some 20-something's who didn't do the college thing and haven't 'gone big' (as I biasedly see my nieces doing) but you know what? They're all their own people with their own lives and making their own choices and supporting themselves and being full fledged adults. And have real relationships with their parents and families. They weren't forced, trapped or given no choice. 

That is what the comparison is. Women raised to be their own person versus girls born into fundie households and raised to serve men and suppress every and any ounce of self identity, choice, life or existence. 

[mango_fandango]

Melanie really looks like Tina with that smile and the way the eye is a little bit closed. Never really noticed that before. 

[terranova]

Steve has always made me think of the famous cult leaders, like Charles Manson and Jim Jones, and the leader of Heaven's Gate. It's the same, manic intensity they project. Scary.

[johnhugh]

So Teri looks out the window at her pussy and Jess comes before the lord and fellowships with other believers- too much information and get a room.

Interesting how the so called Poor Sarah comes across as confident whilst Anna and Mary passive in the video. This is totally opposite of how the blog portrays them. But the hero FJs who have took one for the team and went to their conference stated that Sarah is dominant and bossed the reversals around.....

 

[socalrules]

I liked the outtakes. It made them seem much for normal. The one who was laughing because her mom had the cat made me forget they were Maxwells. It was just like anyone else who is distracted by someone in the background. It’s nice to see there is some laughter in their house. I like that Terri mentioned her cat. I have never been on the John is so hot train but he is definitely less hot after hearing him speak. 

Mary reminds me of 21 Jump Street because she comes off as so childish it’s like she is an undercover cop in high school.

I think Sarah, Terri and Steve appeared much more normal than I thought they would. It’s funny that Steve came off as the quiet husband and Terri as the assertive, take charge wife. It raised that thought I have always had that maybe Terri is a lot more in charge than she appears. Maybe she just lets Steve think he is the one running the show. Kind of how I have always thought Michelle is the real head of the Duggar household. I was also impressed with Sarah because she came off as age appropriate, plugged her book like a writer would do and thanked the fans. So much better marketing than the stilted blog. 

[Captain Obvious]

I wonder if the reason the girls' voices are different in the video is that Anna and Mary have on their "Find a Husband" voice, which is the soft baby voice according to fundie teaching. That's why Anna had it in that fetus video - not just because she was actually pretending to be a baby, but because she wanted to impress other fundies and particularly fundie men.

Sarah isn't being actively pushed for marriage so she's speaking in her normal voice. 

In other news, I wonder if this is why John is marrying Chelsy and not Allison (from Allison's blog)?

[Dandruff]

Wonder whether the Maxwell wives, like Teri, are expected to prepare the toothbrush for their husbands.

[FloraKitty35]

Anna & Mary both speak like they're in elementary school.

[nastyhobbitses]

9 hours ago, socalrules said:

Mary reminds me of 21 Jump Street

"FUCK YOU, SCIENCE!"

I know it was a TV show in the 90s, but the movie was so damn funny.

[formergothardite]

11 hours ago, socalrules said:

I liked the outtakes. It made them seem much for normal. The one who was laughing because her mom had the cat made me forget they were Maxwells.

This is the most normal that they have ever seen.  If you didn't know they were crazy you would think they were a normal family trying to make a Thanksgiving video and people can't stop laughing. 

[OhNoNike]

I’m not a grammar perfectionist, but that routine vs schedule blog post has some of the weirdest grammar and punctuation use that I’ve seen.

 

[lauraloralara]

If I didn’t know anything about the Maxwells, I would say Jesse comes across as a slightly awkward youth-pastor-in-training. (I know this will ruffle some feathers, but I’ve not really been on the John is Hot train. I think Jesse is more attractive, TBH - he is more “normal” looking to me, while John has those eyes that kinda scare me.) 

It was nice seeing them doing something where they were speaking with no script, because other things that I have watched, like Sarah’s Moody promo video, are just cringe-inducing. 

[Closed Womb]

I just watched the video, and I have to agree with lauraloralara; based on that video, I'd say Jesse is way more attractive.  But, I think that Jesse previous looked young and soft --  almost femme IMHO (which is not to my tastes at all; I know that's not a universal and shouldn't be taken an insult) -- but he's lost all of that with some age.  John, on the other hand, started becoming less my type* with this weight loss.  So, yeah, Jesse is the hot Maxwell to me, as of this video. 

*Naturally, their personalities make all of them not my type. 

[Black Aliss]

2 hours ago, Closed Womb said:

 I'd say Jesse is way more attractive.  But, I think that Jesse previous looked young and soft --  almost femme IMHO

Huh. Jesse has always reminded me of Sheldon in Big Bang Theory. Obviously not as intelligent or as accomplished as the character.

And, I love Anna's new "uniform" of plaid flannel shirts. It's a style that conveys various meanings on the West Coast, ranging from one's taste in music to one's taste in partners, but I assume in KS they merely convey a down-to-earth sensibility.

[sparkles]

Quote

Huh. Jesse has always reminded me of Sheldon in Big Bang Theory. Obviously not as intelligent or as accomplished as the character.

Looks-wise, he's a dead ringer for Leonard.

It's very hard be objective about that video, knowing what I do about the Maxwells. But…

Teri definitely came off as the more forceful personality, well spoken (despite her oddly placed "I'm TerI" in the middle of nowhere) and almost friendly. Steve was soggy white bread but still creepy.

Sarah came off way better than she did in her Moody video but she looks like she's given up. No spark at all.

John's recent weight loss hasn't done his face any favors. He's always had the scary Maxwell eyes but now that that his face looks so gaunt and drawn, it's harder to hide them. His comments about Chelsy didn't seem like they were out of the Big Book o' Stock Fundie Phrases. Although I have no hopes that they'll break away, they do at least seem to be a good match for one another and a bit more "of the world."

Jesse is still the guy who gave thanks for Governor Brownback one Thanksgiving, constantly talks about saving the unborn babeez and wrote a smug blog post about why he'll homeschool his future children. If Pristopher is Steve 2.0, Jesse is definitely Steve 3.0 but unlike with software versions, each new Maxwell version offers little improvement on the original.

As others mentioned, Anna looks way better than she does in photos but she could really use a good haircut. She's come a long way though, now that she knows where she's going when she dies. A couple of Thanksgivings ago, she was sure she deserved hell. And she's damned right that it would be boring without the nieces and nephews. There would be little else to fill her day otherwise, which is probably why she and Mary spend so much time with them. Not so much out of the goodness of their hearts as it is a way to keep from going into a boredom coma.

Mary…oh, Mary. If she's an example of a great conversationalist, we're all doomed. I was so uncomfortable watching her. She was so awkward and odd, with her strange mannerisms and speech, I had a few moments of wondering if there's really something not quite right with her. In any event, she came off like any random dim bulb, giggly teen you might find hanging around the mall, certainly not like a 20-something, sheltered, better-n-you, fundy maiden.

 

 

[anniebgood]

A bit late to the party, but it's nice to see that the Maxwell's do have some sense of humor among them.

I'm coming back to the land of living after being really sick for the last week. No Thanksgiving dinner here, finally getting a touch of appetite back, but I'm dreaming of sweet potatoes with ginger cookies broken up in them, and a big plate of mashed and gravy. Between the husband and I, sleep was the most constant commodity in this house. I can't remember sleeping this much with being sick, and of course, fever and cough to add to the festivities. 

 

[Closed Womb]

I've never thought of Jesse looking like Jim Parsons or Johnny Galekci, so it's interesting to see these comments.  But, I do think that people -- in addition to having very different ideas of what is/isn't attractive (praise Rufus) -- see very diverse similarities between people.  I had a client once who swore I was a dead ringer for Pam Dauber.  I don't see it -- no one else has ever said it -- but he just couldn't get over just how much we looked alike (or how much I looked like Mork and Mindy era version of her, to be specific.)  

Do you think that the Maxwell men even know who Jim Parsons or Johnny Galecki are?  I'm certain they don't know the first things about the characters they play.  You think they know the title The Big Bang Theory, or do they assume anyone who mentions the show is talking about some "sinful" interpretation of the Earth's beginnings?

 

[JermajestyDuggar]

Since both Jesse and John have lost some weight, I'm wondering if there was some family fasting enforced by Steve. Maybe Chelsy's decent cooking will fatten John up again. 

[Odd1Out]

I just finished watching the Thanksgiving video. I agree it does make them appear more normal than the way they portray themselves on the blog. But I definitely think Anna and Mary have been watching video of Anna Duggar. Their mannerisms and facial expressions are almost exact copies of her. 

[Miggy]

Anna reminds me of a young Jill Duggar. Mary? She’s like a young teen. She’s got the fundy scary eyes and weird speech down pat though. 

[VodouDoll]

Well my goodness, John is a tenor. I did not expect that.

[Fluffles]

I couldn' quite put my finger on it earlier, but upon watching the video a second time, I suddenly realised who Anna and Mary reminded me of. They speak exactly like Priscilla Waller. The same speech patterns, tone and improper use of the lips and tongue when forming consonants. Is that what a sheltered homeschooling upbringing does?

 

[Black Aliss]

On 11/25/2017 at 3:48 AM, FloraKitty35 said:

Anna & Mary both speak like they're in elementary school.

To be fair, that's about their educational level,  were they ever to take a college entrance exam.

[FloraDoraDolly]

9 hours ago, Fluffles said:

I couldn' quite put my finger on it earlier, but upon watching the video a second time, I suddenly realised who Anna and Mary reminded me of. They speak exactly like Priscilla Waller. The same speech patterns, tone and improper use of the lips and tongue when forming consonants. Is that what a sheltered homeschooling upbringing does?

 

I hear some similarities, but neither Anna nor Mary's speech made me wonder if they had some kind of learning or intellectual disability, whereas with Priscilla that was the first thought that came to mind.