Fame and the Bates

[fakepigtails73]

Is it me or are the Bates wishing for the same level of fame as the Duggars?

 

They're often on "19 Kids...", they had a 20-20 segment, their blog is pretty popular...

 

To me they are the "bizarro Duggars" (like that ep. of Seinfeld when Jerry met his "bizarro conterparts")

 

I don't think that they'll have a regular show though, they don't seem as "TV savvy" as the Duggars.

 

And it really looks like they have this competition going as to the # of kids.

[tkr322]

I have disagreements with both the Duggars and the Bates', however I find the Bates to be a whole different ball game. They do not have health insurance for their family and cannot afford to provide health care for themselves or their kids. That is completely irresponsible. Even more so irresponsible that they keep bringing more kids into the world and don't provide any with health insurance. Mrs. Bates herself goes to some free pregnancy clinic each time. They get TONS of hand outs. Just talking about it makes my blood boil. Also, they borrow money from their older kids. W.T.F. :shock: Something is seriously wrong if you do not have enough money to pay your bills that you have to borrow money from your son who has a lawn mowing business.

Ugh, I dislike them SO much.

[MarsGirl]

I have disagreements with both the Duggars and the Bates', however I find the Bates to be a whole different ball game. They do not have health insurance for their family and cannot afford to provide health care for themselves or their kids. That is completely irresponsible. Even more so irresponsible that they keep bringing more kids into the world and don't provide any with health insurance. Mrs. Bates herself goes to some free pregnancy clinic each time. They get TONS of hand outs. Just talking about it makes my blood boil. Also, they borrow money from their older kids. W.T.F. :shock: Something is seriously wrong if you do not have enough money to pay your bills that you have to borrow money from your son who has a lawn mowing business.

Ugh, I dislike them SO much.

I believe this would be the normal life cycle of a regular (not on TV) QF family. Most of them live in poverty because they cant sustain that many kids... And probably somewhat due to the closed-off environment of their society.....

[fakepigtails73]

I have disagreements with both the Duggars and the Bates', however I find the Bates to be a whole different ball game. They do not have health insurance for their family and cannot afford to provide health care for themselves or their kids. That is completely irresponsible. Even more so irresponsible that they keep bringing more kids into the world and don't provide any with health insurance. Mrs. Bates herself goes to some free pregnancy clinic each time. They get TONS of hand outs.

Ugh, I dislike them SO much.

What?? So they just enter the emergency room whenever they need med. services??

Wow, blows my mind.

I'm sure they detest Obama's health care plan , weird hypocrites...

[tkr322]

What?? So they just enter the emergency room whenever they need med. services??

Wow, blows my mind.

I'm sure they detest Obama's health care plan , weird hypocrites...

I have no idea. On the 20/20 special they said they don't have any, so I'm guessing they pay out of pocket (or again, just borrow from the older kids!) None of their kids has ever had an major life threatening illness or injury. I have no idea what they'd do in that event. Maybe the Duggars would swoop in and bail them out.

[BlackHawk]

I have no idea. On the 20/20 special they said they don't have any, so I'm guessing they pay out of pocket (or again, just borrow from the older kids!) None of their kids has ever had an major life threatening illness or injury. I have no idea what they'd do in that event. Maybe the Duggars would swoop in and bail them out.

Sadly they probably qualify for the hospital charity program. So they use up the emergency room for mundane visits, then qualify to have most, if not all, of their out of pocket expenses paid in full by the charity donors to the hospital. While people, like myself, who hold down a stable job, but are not offered health insurance, do not qualify for any services cause we make too much money and have no dependents. I once had a customer service rep tell me if I'd just get a woman pregnant and keep the baby I'd qualify for a lot of services. This is the thing about people that bothers me the most. You take up valuable ER time for mundane things like an ear ache or strep throat (which when caught early is mundane as you need a course of antibiotics and you're good), then you have the gall to not have insurance, so you take the donor money, THEN you complain when health care is offered by the gov't. Seriously! I cannot stand this concept.

[lauracat7]

Exactly! never mind that the hospital may go broke or have to stop some services because families like the Bateses take forever to pay off the costs of an ER visit. Doctors get paid a lot less when providing the same care to the uninsured, Mediare or Medicaid insured patients than wen caring for soemone with decent health insurance. That's why so any doctors are kleaving practice because they lose $ every year and have teir own resaonbly-sized familieis to care.

System was never designed to be primary, urgent care...on the other hand, the Bateses certainly couldn't borrow or "use money" from anywhere else other than Logan without having to pay it off with substantial interest.

I don't care what Gil and Kelly say, using the ER for health care IS a form of govt. subsidy and not being debt-free!!

[IReallyAmHopewell]

I believe this would be the normal life cycle of a regular (not on TV) QF family. Most of them live in poverty because they cant sustain that many kids..

EXACTLY

They think it's fine to rush to the ER without insurance, but say "we don't want to be a burden" by signing up for state health insurance for their kids. I'm pretty sure the one hospital birth was on tv to get it paid for--she need a safe delivery. They don't believe in debt--unless it's to their son. They don't want to be a burden unless a HAC company is donating expensive systems and extended warranties. And, of course, they don't mess with God's plan except to try to prevent a God-ordained miscarriage by taking medication to stay pregnant. Surely that's not trusting God!

I applaud them for at least letting their daughter attend a real college (even if it is extremely conservative--there will still be kids who are there because that's all Mom/Dad will pay for even if they don't sport green hair). And, while often not my taste at all, they do seem to spend a lot less on clothing--making dresses and buying obvious garage sale/clearance rack stuff. They also seem to make a lot better food choices than their friends in the Big House. I remember Jackson Bates looking at the individually wrapped singles the Duggars buy and asking his brother "What kinda cheese is THIS?"

I'm waiting for the Duggars to give them their current "road bus" (the gave them an airport shuttle bus a while ago) so they can "tour" easier.

[Jessica]

They also seem to make a lot better food choices than their friends in the Big House. I remember Jackson Bates looking at the individually wrapped singles the Duggars buy and asking his brother "What kinda cheese is THIS?"

Really? :-/

gilbatesfamily.com/2011/02/01/more-recipes/

gilbatesfamily.com/2010/11/09/quick-recipes-for-little-ones-lunches/

[Witsec7]

The Bates are leeches on the system, the Duggars game the system. Which is worse?

[marmalade]

What?? So they just enter the emergency room whenever they need med. services??

Wow, blows my mind.

I'm sure they detest Obama's health care plan , weird hypocrites...

You'd be correct. Zach ran as a Republican and they have definite Tea Party tendencies, although nothing as overt as Smuggar's "Obamacare" ambulance. At any rate, during that 20/20 special, Gil actually had the balls to say that going to the ER was "the best medical care in the world." Thing is, he didn't look or sound sarcastic at all. He said it with what appeared to be a sincere smile on his face. I scored 19/20 on the smile test, so I'm a pretty good judge...but I doubt it contained any patriarchal cult members. Unlike Boob, Mullet and Kelly (the phoniness of the women is palpable), Gil is a tough read. His smile and remarks could well have been the dryest humor ever (and I have a very dry sense of humor). He sounded serious.

At any rate, you know what you get with the Duggars while the Bateses are far more devious under that surface veneer of treacle.

[bananacat]

The Bateses just walk into an ER and get care without paying. They see nothing wrong with this. They only hate welfare and other assistance programs because they view it as only going to black people. Oh sure, they'll never say out loud that they're racist. They'll say they don't want money or help going to lazy people or people who don't have "family values" or people who are the wrong brand of Christianity. But when it really comes down to it, they don't want black people getting aid from the government. They don't think they're being hypocritical because they're white and godly so of course they deserve a hand-out every time they go to the ER.

They're not the Bizzaro Duggars; they're pretty much exactly the same except without health insurance for their kids.

[GolightlyGrrl]

The Bates are leeches on the system, the Duggars game the system. Which is worse?

They're both equally worse.

[fakepigtails73]

Smuggar's Obamacare" ambulance??

Surely you jest!

What is it?

[countressrascal]

Bates's can thank we who pay for medical insurance for their care. They are part of the reason that insurance rates keep going up, we are paying for it one way or another. Go to a Federal Health Clinic for PCP care instead of the ER. $135 for a clinic visit vs $2500 for ER visit. They are too stupid to live, that also goes for the Duggars.