Bates 28: Defected Products Courtesy of the SOTDRT

[lexiloumarie]

1 hour ago, Melissa1977 said:

That is sad. Maybe the lack of food at the table was because Gil's being cheap, not because they hadn't enough money. He was the men trying to reuse toilet paper from the floor! I wonder if Kelly wanted to buy better food for the kids or bigger portions. Patriarchy sucks, but a patriarch not even feeding his brood is unbearable!

Or washing hot dogs off to reuse it. I love Zach, throwing them away when he could. 

[becky_m2001]

9 hours ago, rebeccawriter01 said:

That wasn't for the show. It was shown on the Nightline programs. He was shown at Walmart with reporter Juju Chang. Much of the reason behind this was they (producers at Nightline) wanted to shoot him shopping for food and the exchange between them when she bought an "appropriate" outfit for swimming. You can't do that at a regular grocery store. It made sense to send him to Walmart to do both and only have to get permission from one place to film versus scheduling, lighting, and shooting at two different locations for the same basic story. 

My cousin who was a cashier for the past 30 years at a grocery store that is in Rocky Top (the one shown a few times when the Bates were featured on 19KAC) said that after he turned 16 Lawson and sometimes with Trace or Nathan would do much of the shopping (once a week at least). They vocally said to her and other employees that their father didn't trust their mother or sisters with money. According to her, Michaela or Alyssa might come along sometimes, but usually it was one or two of the boys. Her exact words to me were, "if the mother was there we knew it was a special occasion and if the father was there we knew there were cameras." 

I have been to that store on a few occasions when I was visiting Anderson County. I do recall seeing him and making a comment to another cousin I was shopping with that he was buying a lot for a teenage boy. I didn't know who he or the family was at the time. I just remember he had a cart in front of him and one behind him. 

Apparently, that was his (Lawson) big assigned chore of the week where the other boys got jobs that were more physical such as cleaning out a building, chopping wood, etc. 

Lawson can't hack a more physical job. He's the laziest, most unmotivated person I think I've ever seen. It drives me nuts seeing him on BuB always trying to wriggle his way out of working on family projects. And he thinks it's funny but it's not.

At some point he's going to have to accept the fact that he'll never be the next Garth Brooks flying over the crowd at Madison Square Garden. The best Lawson will ever be able to do is county fairs, festivals, and charity benefit concerts. He'd be better off hanging up the guitar and learning how to do manual labor because when BuB is over his career will be too.

[llucie]

Didnt Lawson had a very successfull Lawn care bussiness? I reckon thats a physical job. But if he doesnt like physical he is not obligated to do it just because he is a male, plenty of non physical jobs he can do.

[JoylessAnna]

10 minutes ago, llucie said:

Didnt Lawson had a very successfull Lawn care bussiness? I reckon thats a physical job. But if he doesnt like physical he is not obligated to do it just because he is a male, plenty of non physical jobs he can do.

Yes, and this business supported the family for some time. Lawson is quite the douche-canoe, but I tend to cut him some slack in his adult life, considering he was forced to be a teenage breadwinner.

*ETA: I’m pretty sure some of his revenue went towards Erin’s Clown education.

Edited September 19, 2020 by JoylessAnna

[llucie]

48 minutes ago, JoylessAnna said:

Yes, and this business supported the family for some time. Lawson is quite the douche-canoe, but I tend to cut him some slack in his adult life, considering he was forced to be a teenage breadwinner.

*ETA: I’m pretty sure some of his revenue went towards Erin’s Clown education.

My opinion on this is since he is choosing to remain single and childless then i dont see a problem with him chasing his singing dream or whatever he wants to do. Now the moment he starts having kids obviously he will need to have an actual job and i will have no problem calling him lazy if he doesnt provide for them.

[Melissa1977]

2 hours ago, llucie said:

Didnt Lawson had a very successfull Lawn care bussiness? I reckon thats a physical job. But if he doesnt like physical he is not obligated to do it just because he is a male, plenty of non physical jobs he can do.

He worked very hard as a teenager. Not all 14 years ol (or less?) are able to feed a big family!!! Now, he is supposed to keep the lawn business as a manager, while some of his brothers do the physical job. I think it is fair, as long as he pays the right salary. If he prefers to live traveling and singing, and can afford that, it does not mean he's lazy, but lucky.

[rebeccawriter01]

On 9/19/2020 at 7:02 AM, llucie said:

Didnt Lawson had a very successfull Lawn care bussiness? I reckon thats a physical job. But if he doesnt like physical he is not obligated to do it just because he is a male, plenty of non physical jobs he can do.

I brought up the physical aspect of the chores because there appeared at that time to be a hierarchy to the chore structure with the Bates. While they showed them volunteering to do certain  things, it was  clear  that a few of the children  did not seem  to  be  at risk of a "bad" assignment. Michaela was always on laundry duty with one of the girls in the Josie/Carlin/Tori age range to help. Alyssa  and Michaela were always picked  to cook for the family. Nathan and  Zach received heavy assignments and worked with or in lieu of Gil to make money. 

It would appear  from what was shown, Erin  and  Lawson  were given a bit more preferential  treatment.  It wasn't meant to be about their work  habits or attitude.  It was more about the favoring of those two (later Carlin  seemed to get  this treatment too) for whatever reason. Lawson  did do lawncare and had quite a  few clients/customers. Maybe his parents felt that his contribution  through that was more than  enough.  From what I heard of his grocery shopping assignments, that was not a chore that most teenagers would like, but in that family it was an honor or privilege to be in  a trusted position.  

I would hope that Gil and Kelly Jo were appreciative of his contributions monetarily, but I assume it was more about keeping the girls in their place. Back when they had their TLC show, several of the children quoted saying about money, "daddy makes it, mommy spends it." I had flashbacks of I Love Lucy where Ricky would give Lucy an allowance each week/month to pay bills, groceries, etc. She always wanted/needed more. 

On the Nightlight episode he wasn't necessarily shopping smart.  However, that was probably filmed during a  time when they didn't even  need to shop and if I remember correctly it was specifically about Erin's birthday (ice cream). I'll give him a pass on not buying in bulk and what he would normally, as doing something like that in front of a camera and producer can end up much different. He may have gone for larger quantities and been told to pick up the smaller items because it would look better and more relatable.  He may not have known  where certain  items even  were at the store because he shopped somewhere different. If you watch him shop versus what is rung up and bagged, there are some big differences. 

There are many references to Gil's cheapness on the show. Several of the children mention that there was not always enough food and never enough for a second helping. On a 19KAC episode they meet the Duggars at a restaurant where Gil tells the kids they can have something other than water because he's not the one paying. One of the kids once said on one of the clip shows that for special occasions the kids were given fruit drinks (off brand).  Gil would have them  pour half the drink into  a cup and then  water down  both of them to fill  them back up. Then there is the story Zach told of the steak dinners his parents had after  each baby with the kids fighting over  the leftovers. Kelly Jo and Gil play it off as though they are joking about it, but there is always truth behind the jokes. It's one thing to be frugal,  but Gil's neither savvy nor smart about it.  

I'm not sure that Kelly Jo is any better.  She seems to blame him or put the responsibility on him when the kids want something that she knows he doesn't want. Callie, Ellie, and Addallee wanted a goat after Chad and Erin got one.  She told them she did too but "daddy won't approve." When Josie was trying on wedding dresses, instead of saying she didn't like the way the underlayer of the dress was more skin tone,  she said "daddy will have a heart attack."  In a TLC  episode she takes the kids in small groups to Clinton Drug Store (which does sell nice gifts) to let them each buy a $10 present for their secret buddy. When  they leave, they are carrying already wrapped and bagged gifts. That service isn't free.  But you know she did that  so she wouldn't  have to worry about wrapping them. Can't say as I blame her, but it was clear to me at that point that she isn't necessarily someone who buys luxury or high priced items. She buys convenience.  

[ophelia]

On 9/18/2020 at 5:46 PM, formergothardite said:

That is sad. Gil always comes off as some sort of goofy, harmless guy, but this right here shows he is just as much of a controlling asshole patriarch as some of these other fundie men. Can you imagine being married for years but your husband won't let you even grocery shop because he thinks a teen boy is more trustworthy? What sort of a relationship do he and Kelly really have? It sounds like less of a partnership and more of one where he tears her down and controls her. 

While I tend to agree with you I never had a feeling that Kelly was or is submissive wife. I'll bet there a areas of their life where she is the boss. Of course - patriarchy still sucks a lot. 

[rebeccawriter01]

4 hours ago, ophelia said:

While I tend to agree with you I never had a feeling that Kelly was or is submissive wife. I'll bet there a areas of their life where she is the boss. Of course - patriarchy still sucks a lot. 

She certainly has a side of her that is manipulative or sometimes even passive aggressive with Gil and other men (potential husbands for her daughters). I don't mean that in some sort of psychotic or sociopath sense. I mean that she picks her battles and seems to put pressure on Gil or whatever boy is dating a daughter at the moment when there is an audience (not just the camera). You can see shades of her in her daughters' attitudes and behavior, indicating that she has never been one to be completely controlled by Gil. 

As far as the grocery buying/shopping, it does suck that Gil doesn't trust her with money and/or tells the children and potentially others that he doesn't trust her with it. However, I think she probably sees it as a benefit too. We've seen her on the show saying that she needs something to make dinner with (knowing full well she doesn't do the cooking) and then saying she is too busy or that she is in the middle of something (teaching a child) to go to the store. 

I would be curious about how she reacted earlier in their marriage about things like him going into business for himself. There is always the family line about leaving it up to God in terms of children. However, which of them really came up with that subject first?  

[Tangy Bee]

I remember Gil said that it was Kelly's idea to let God plan their family size. He said he needed encouraging at first.

[rebeccawriter01]

5 hours ago, Tangy Bee said:

I remember Gil said that it was Kelly's idea to let God plan their family size. He said he needed encouraging at first.

Interesting. I remember him saying that he didn't think they would have so many and me thinking he was an idiot. 

[princessmahina]

3 hours ago, rebeccawriter01 said:

Interesting. I remember him saying that he didn't think they would have so many and me thinking he was an idiot. 

Tbf to Gil (ugh) most people who “leave it up to God” don’t have as many as they did. That’s why they stand out so much. Ultimately though, he had the ability to put the brakes on the baby train at any time he wanted and chose not to. So at the end of the day, he’s still an idiot. 

[Johannah]

I just watched one of the covid “filmed at home” episodes. Besides it being terrible, I noticed that there are male and female bathroom figure signs outside of their downstairs powder room. Has this been discussed before? Is that supposed to be a commentary on all-gender bathrooms? Is it not political and they’re just coincidentally oblivious?

Also, Jackson is sporting a seriously high and tight white supremacist haircut. Again, intentional? Coincidence? Oblivious?

[rebeccawriter01]

1 hour ago, Johannah said:

I just watched one of the covid “filmed at home” episodes. Besides it being terrible, I noticed that there are male and female bathroom figure signs outside of their downstairs powder room. Has this been discussed before? Is that supposed to be a commentary on all-gender bathrooms? Is it not political and they’re just coincidentally oblivious?

Also, Jackson is sporting a seriously high and tight white supremacist haircut. Again, intentional? Coincidence? Oblivious?

Jackson's the one who wants to go into the military or at least play with ALERT. I assume the haircut is thanks to that. He was headed there when the program in the spring was canceled. He might have cropped it shorter to be prepared for the Christian boot camp experience.  

On another note, A lot of the guys in that area who work in the trades do have that same haircut. It isn't necessarily a statement for them as much as just something utilitarian that doesn't get caught up in safety gear and doesn't cause an issue. For a long time the boys would get haircuts at home (Chad did them for a while on the show). It may simply be that is sort of the norm and none have challenged it.

As for the downstairs powder room, I think it is just their "decor." That is for use by guests who might not know which room to go into given the closets, doors to storage, the room for shooting their couch shots, and the school stuff. I have a sign on my guest bathroom (it says bathroom in about 20 languages) that announces it because it is easier than letting people loose and them opening random doors in a frantic search for a toilet. 

Edited September 23, 2020 by rebeccawriter01

[Melissa1977]

3 hours ago, Johannah said:

I just watched one of the covid “filmed at home” episodes. Besides it being terrible, I noticed that there are male and female bathroom figure signs outside of their downstairs powder room. Has this been discussed before? Is that supposed to be a commentary on all-gender bathrooms? Is it not political and they’re just coincidentally oblivious?

Also, Jackson is sporting a seriously high and tight white supremacist haircut. Again, intentional? Coincidence? Oblivious?

The bathroom signs may be a family joke or decoration (I know a family who has old bathroom signs on their toilets doors, as a decoration item). Or they want to reinforce the segregation AKA safe space for the girls to change and shower. Frankly, knowing how muddy/sweaty Bates boys like to be, I would prefer not to use the boys bathroom myself!

Regarding the haircut, I got the same vibes as you. Kelton has a haircut like that, too. I feel uncomfortable because that look makes me think in hate, dangerous groups. I can be wrong and maybe they just wear it for fashion, but it's like boys with shaved head&boots when I went to high school, it showed nothing good.

[Johannah]

Yeah, Jackson’s seems an even more extreme cut than the other boys. It’s completely shaved on the sides and very long on the top. That’s not practical at all. A buzz cut would be practical, not the high and tight look. But he may think it just looks “cool” and military-esque, like Lawson walking around in his constable jacket, earbud, and aviators. 

[VBOY9977]

I was reading the recap from Lily and Ellie for today’s episode and I really hope Kelly is ok, but this is yet another reason why having baby after baby isn’t good for your health.

I hope her daughters take note from this, but they kinda don’t seem to. According to the recap,  Kelton said him and Josie had been praying and trying for a baby (In the ep Josie told him about the baby that she later miscarried), Willow wasn’t even a year old at that point and they haven’t even celebrated their second anniversary yet ?. I don’t see Erin, Tori or Carlin spacing their babies much either.

Edited September 25, 2020 by VBOY9977

[marmalade]

Interesting but at the end when we were told that other members of the Bates family besides Carlin and Evan had Covid. Kelly never revealed this before. I wonder who got it?

[llucie]

4 hours ago, marmalade said:

Interesting but at the end when we were told that other members of the Bates family besides Carlin and Evan had Covid. Kelly never revealed this before. I wonder who got it?

Weird that they decided to reveal it now, even in such a vague maner, after they had hide it so well.

[BeccaGrim]

I was just thinking that too. Who are the other ones? And also interesting that they said last night that Kelly has such severe GERD (my son does too so I can certainly appreciate how hard that is) that she now has pre-cancerous cells in her throat.  

I'd love to know which other members came down with it. 

[clueliss]

I suspected Bates family members had it when Carlin & Evan took Layla to his parents house when they got COVID.  Her family is closer than his which means her family likely had it.  Or at least that was my logic.

[rebeccawriter01]

2 minutes ago, clueliss said:

I suspected Bates family members had it when Carlin & Evan took Layla to his parents house when they got COVID.  Her family is closer than his which means her family likely had it.  Or at least that was my logic.

Agreed. There are also quite a few of them in that family who were still traveling frequently throughout the summer.  

[Bluebirdbluebell]

Now Trace's ex-girlfriend Chaney is spreading hate about Breonna Taylor. I don't know why these young fundie women want to spread lies and conspiracies about a murdered woman, but it's really sick.  May God remove the hate and ignorance from their hearts. It's really telling how white their brand of Christianity is. 

(It's in her Instagram stories as well.)

Edited September 26, 2020 by Bluebirdbluebell

[RosyDaisy]

1 hour ago, Bluebirdbluebell said:

Now Trace's ex-girlfriend Chaney is spreading hate about Breonna Taylor

Stupid, ignorant bitch!  Breonna was an EMT and a contributing member of society unlike your hateful ass!

[AussieKrissy]

5 hours ago, Bluebirdbluebell said:

Now Trace's ex-girlfriend Chaney is spreading hate about Breonna Taylor. I don't know why these young fundie women want to spread lies and conspiracies about a murdered woman, but it's really sick.  May God remove the hate and ignorance from their hearts. It's really telling how white their brand of Christianity is. 

(It's in her Instagram stories as well.)

What is she saying?