Why Does the Today Show "Coddle" the Duggars?

[luv2laugh]

Why? Why don't they get down to the nitty gritty about them? I wonder everyone is so afraid to expose their beliefs... The media should know by now that we are over their redundant, rehearsed answers.

[FloraDoraDolly]

The Duggars must bring in ratings or advertisement dollars. Or both.

[tabitha2]

I think because when they go on a show they make sure they can have control of the questions,the tone,etc from the start-If the show refuses to play their game they won't agree to be on.And the Duggars are ratings gold.

[StarrieEyedKat]

Yeah, if they started throwing hard ball questions then the Duggars would duck and run and Today wouldn't get the ratings they pull in. Although, I'm betting from here on out the media is going to start to be a little more critical of the Duggars.

[xDreamerx]

Yeah, if they started throwing hard ball questions then the Duggars would duck and run and Today wouldn't get the ratings they pull in. Although, I'm betting from here on out the media is going to start to be a little more critical of the Duggars.

I'm hoping you are right, since the Pearls have made it to day time.

[3 is enough]

Doesn't NBC own TLC/Discovery? I think it is simply cross-promotion. Today also gave a lot of airtime to Kate Gosselin, and they went easy on her too.

[PennySycamore]

No, I don't think TLC/Discovery is owned by NBC. Bravo is owned by NBC as are Style and E, but TLC/Discovery is independent.

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

Although, I'm betting from here on out the media is going to start to be a little more critical of the Duggars.

Why??

[Brainsample]

The Duggars must bring in ratings or advertisement dollars. Or both.

Bingo. Either that, or they share the same advertisers.

[bananacat]

It's just a fluffy morning show that never does any hard-hitting investigative journalism. Their goal is to put out a bunch of stories that reconfirm the beliefs and attitudes of the part of the public that watches them. Their viewers like the Duggars, so they like the Duggars too. They're not even trying to bring real news. They just want to make their viewers feel re-assured that they really are right about everything.

[sugaree]

Yeah, I was going to say the same thing, that the Today Show is not renowned for their hard-hitting, gritty journalism.

[StarrieEyedKat]

Why??

Because even a lot of the longtime Duggar fans are starting to give them the side-eye now that Michelle is pregnant again. It was all cutesy fun and games before, but now people are realizing just how stupid and dangerous their quiverful belief is.

[Childless]

It's not like you're going to see the Duggars show up on AC360. They know Anderson would tear them a new one. They only go on the fluff morning shows because they know they won't have to answer hard questions or , god forbid, have to use their brains and think. The Duggars' lives are pretty much just shallow fluff, so the morning shows suit them.

I don't think one has to look very far under the surface to discover the ugly side of the Duggars. Ten minutes worth of research when I first found out about them and I had already run into Gothard and his ridiculous belief system. The problem is that most people are lazy and just buy the Duggars' line instead of turning on their brains and doing a little digging of their own.

[onlyorganic]

It's just a fluffy morning show that never does any hard-hitting investigative journalism. Their goal is to put out a bunch of stories that reconfirm the beliefs and attitudes of the part of the public that watches them. Their viewers like the Duggars, so they like the Duggars too. They're not even trying to bring real news. They just want to make their viewers feel re-assured that they really are right about everything.

The Duggars are like America's Sweetheart Family, with those 19 sunshiney-sweet, clean and healthy kids. They seem to idealize in the Today Show's eyes what's good and wholesome, with those parent-respectin' kiddos and Jim Boob's "debt-freeness" and Michelle's "kids are a gift from God" mentality. The Today Show is capitalizing off the fact that most of their demographic is watching going "Awww, look at those sweet Duggars", eatin' up the wholesome without giving a thought to where it comes from.

[lilwriter85]

I agree with others, The Today Show is about fluff with the Duggars. They are never going to ask them deep questions religion or the Duggars' beliefs. The Duggars and TLC have been good about keeping some of the family's beliefs secret from the mainstream media, but they some of the things about the Duggars are no longer secret because of the Internet and the various sites and blogs connected to the Duggars.

[fundiefan]

The Today show is half the problem. If they would stop promoting every breath the Duggars take, their place as media darlings would be supplanted really quickly. But, because Today promotes them for their own ratings, they're not likely to stop doing so any time soon. As long as their numbers spike when they have 'a very special (barf) announcement' they will keep doing it.

Someone else needs to pull the plug on the Duggars and their media puppets. Someone who does not have a vested interest in making them the biggest name (and most money) in the so-called reality TV game. Unfortunately, money rules and no one will touch them until they begin losing money. As long as they make it, by having babies, getting married (hahahahaaaaaaaaa), traveling the world, or just making TTC, they will remain in their position of garnering attention and being promoted by anyone who can make a buck off them.

[O Latin]

I usually only have the Today show on in the background while I'm getting ready, so I don't pay really close attention, but do they ask anyone hard-hitting questions? I agree with the last few posters. It's not a nitty-gritty investigative journalism kind of show. It's a parade of feel-good stories so that people can say, "Aw, isn't that sweet," or whatever while they're getting ready for work.

[thoughtful]

Yeah, I was going to say the same thing, that the Today Show is not renowned for their hard-hitting, gritty journalism.

But, while waiting for the Pearl segment that was supposed (I thought) to be on yesterday, I did learn about this, which is interesting:

http://www.naturalnavigator.com/

:D

[mamajane09]

I have been asking myself this question for years....it doesnt make sense to me at all. The today show knows the questions we want asked and answered yet they dont even go their! VERY FRUSTRATING......

[fakepigtails73]

It's just a fluffy morning show that never does any hard-hitting investigative journalism. Their goal is to put out a bunch of stories that reconfirm the beliefs and attitudes of the part of the public that watches them. Their viewers like the Duggars, so they like the Duggars too. They're not even trying to bring real news. They just want to make their viewers feel re-assured that they really are right about everything.

Bingo.

Morning news shows are, for the most part, heavy on the "fluff". Can't have serious news when you wake up, don't you know! :naughty:

[TheJewAmongUs]

The Duggars stay "on message," too. Any morning show probably loves that you can ask them questions and know exactly what response you'll get. You can book your pot-stirring guest one day and have the Duggars on later in the week without having to worry about a second controversy.

[doggie]

If anyone asked the duggers hard questions they would pout grab their ball and scurry home in a funk.

[lilwriter85]

The Today show is half the problem. If they would stop promoting every breath the Duggars take, their place as media darlings would be supplanted really quickly. But, because Today promotes them for their own ratings, they're not likely to stop doing so any time soon. As long as their numbers spike when they have 'a very special (barf) announcement' they will keep doing it.

Someone else needs to pull the plug on the Duggars and their media puppets. Someone who does not have a vested interest in making them the biggest name (and most money) in the so-called reality TV game. Unfortunately, money rules and no one will touch them until they begin losing money. As long as they make it, by having babies, getting married (hahahahaaaaaaaaa), traveling the world, or just making TTC, they will remain in their position of garnering attention and being promoted by anyone who can make a buck off them.

It isn't only the Today Show. GMA has also had the Duggars on and they had that segment where one of anchors spent a day with the Duggars. I agree if morning shows stopped promoting the Duggars, people would stop paying attention to them less. I hope the birth of J20 is the last time the Today Show will cover the Duggars.

Michelle's pregnancy has extended the TLC show for awhile. The Duggars have lost supporters lately and there are some people who like the, but see that they are attention whores. MSNBC closed down the comments section of a Duggar article after the J20 annoucement because of some of the anti-Duggar comments. The love for the Duggars is decreasing little by little.

[GolightlyGrrl]

It's not like you're going to see the Duggars show up on AC360. They know Anderson would tear them a new one. They only go on the fluff morning shows because they know they won't have to answer hard questions or , god forbid, have to use their brains and think. The Duggars' lives are pretty much just shallow fluff, so the morning shows suit them.

I don't think one has to look very far under the surface to discover the ugly side of the Duggars. Ten minutes worth of research when I first found out about them and I had already run into Gothard and his ridiculous belief system. The problem is that most people are lazy and just buy the Duggars' line instead of turning on their brains and doing a little digging of their own.

Saint Anderson, Patron "Boo"-ness of Free Jinger would be great at exposing the underbelly of the Duggars, Gothard, quiverfull, fundie-ism. Andy Coop is actually a real journalist and isn't afraid to get into the nitty-gritty.

Or at the very least he could get snarky and do a "Ridiculist."