Jessa = Jana 2.0?

[bozgirl14]

There is some speculation on TWOP and DWOP that Jessa has been banished, a la Jana, from being too visible on the show. Just last season she and Jinger were giggling in TH's about Josh's weight gain and about milking the cow on the trip to Europe. Now Jinger is smiling blandly and parroting whatever new TH partner Jill is saying, and Jessa is relegated to background shots. Some posters on the other boards are wondering if she will be sent off to re-conditioning camp soon. Notice Jana is now back on the show, keeping sweet and even accompanying JB and OfJB on a campaign trip to Michigan. Interesting. Josh was their crown prince and he was sent off to be re-programmed (and had his head shaved in the process). Jana is JB's favorite girl and she was shipped off to repent of her "pride". Wonder how they deal with the child they both have said is their "most willful". Poor Jessa Blessa.

[FloraDoraDolly]

The difference is, I get the feeling they can only push Jessa so far before she'll bolt.

[acheronbeach]

The difference is, I get the feeling they can only push Jessa so far before she'll bolt.

God, I hope you're right. Jessa does seem to have a lot of spirit. But I can only imagine what they do to girls at Gothard reconditioning camps.

[Whit88]

Whenever I think of Jessa, I always think that she would really make one hell of a business woman for some reason. She does not come across at the "keep sweet" kind of girl which I love! Out of all of the robots that JM and Michelle have produced, she seems like the type that does have a mind of her own. There's no way I see her popping out babies back to back like her looney momma.

[Future Teacher]

Jessa I imagine can see through bs so if she even gets sent to one of those camps she'd probably not believe any of it. Then again that could be my optimism talking. :D

[Feberin]

My guess is with Jessa if they aren't going to go in age order for marrying their children they would marry her off next. She would be more then happy to have her courtship and wedding filmed. With her looks I think they'd have no problem finding a fundie guy willing to marry her. And she doesn't seem to do as much around the house other then packing and home schooling but Jinger would probably be able to take over those jobs. Also once she's married and starts having children she'll be stuck in the lifestyle.

[J-Watcher]

The difference is, I get the feeling they can only push Jessa so far before she'll bolt.

I don't know if I buy the stuff about these older kids being "shipped off to reconditioning camp". The older girls all went to one of these camps together in fairly recent history, but I really doubt any one of them is being singled out for off-site "reconditioning". The four older girls are all over 18 now, and very familiar with how the media works. There's nothing stopping any of them from signing a contract for a TV special, tell-all interview, tell-all book, etc, and Jim-Bob and Michelle know that. I'm sure these girls have quite a bit of negotiating power at this point, both with their parents and with the outside world. Jim-Bob and Michelle have to know that the gig would be *totally* over for them if any of these girls decided to go independent and tell a very different side of the BigHappyDuggarFamily story. And the fact the girls are so close in age, and have had such similar roles and experiences in the family, makes it much more likely that two or more of them would "make a break for it" together.

If Jim-Bob and Michelle are wanting to protect their franchise, both with TLC/mainstream media and with the quiverfull crowd, they need to keep these girls happy or at least willingly cooperative. The show in its current format obviously can't go on a whole lot longer, but if some of the girls leave home, or even just start attending a bricks-and-mortar college or working at real jobs while living at home, there could be a whole new series focusing on their new interactions with the outside world, with Jim-Bob and Michelle and the younger kids playing supporting roles, appearing on selected episodes, as Josh and Anna and their babies do now.

[Kelya]

^we know for a fact that Jana went to Journey to the Heart without her sisters and appeared to be tomato staked at book signings on their last tour.

[gustava]

I don't know if I buy the stuff about these older kids being "shipped off to reconditioning camp". The older girls all went to one of these camps together in fairly recent history, but I really doubt any one of them is being singled out for off-site "reconditioning". The four older girls are all over 18 now, and very familiar with how the media works. There's nothing stopping any of them from signing a contract for a TV special, tell-all interview, tell-all book, etc, and Jim-Bob and Michelle know that. I'm sure these girls have quite a bit of negotiating power at this point, both with their parents and with the outside world. Jim-Bob and Michelle have to know that the gig would be *totally* over for them if any of these girls decided to go independent and tell a very different side of the BigHappyDuggarFamily story. And the fact the girls are so close in age, and have had such similar roles and experiences in the family, makes it much more likely that two or more of them would "make a break for it" together.

If Jim-Bob and Michelle are wanting to protect their franchise, both with TLC/mainstream media and with the quiverfull crowd, they need to keep these girls happy or at least willingly cooperative. The show in its current format obviously can't go on a whole lot longer, but if some of the girls leave home, or even just start attending a bricks-and-mortar college or working at real jobs while living at home, there could be a whole new series focusing on their new interactions with the outside world, with Jim-Bob and Michelle and the younger kids playing supporting roles, appearing on selected episodes, as Josh and Anna and their babies do now.

Do you have any inside info?

[Feberin]

I don't know if I buy the stuff about these older kids being "shipped off to reconditioning camp". The older girls all went to one of these camps together in fairly recent history, but I really doubt any one of them is being singled out for off-site "reconditioning". The four older girls are all over 18 now, and very familiar with how the media works. There's nothing stopping any of them from signing a contract for a TV special, tell-all interview, tell-all book, etc, and Jim-Bob and Michelle know that. I'm sure these girls have quite a bit of negotiating power at this point, both with their parents and with the outside world. Jim-Bob and Michelle have to know that the gig would be *totally* over for them if any of these girls decided to go independent and tell a very different side of the BigHappyDuggarFamily story. And the fact the girls are so close in age, and have had such similar roles and experiences in the family, makes it much more likely that two or more of them would "make a break for it" together.

If Jim-Bob and Michelle are wanting to protect their franchise, both with TLC/mainstream media and with the quiverfull crowd, they need to keep these girls happy or at least willingly cooperative. The show in its current format obviously can't go on a whole lot longer, but if some of the girls leave home, or even just start attending a bricks-and-mortar college or working at real jobs while living at home, there could be a whole new series focusing on their new interactions with the outside world, with Jim-Bob and Michelle and the younger kids playing supporting roles, appearing on selected episodes, as Josh and Anna and their babies do now.

The older girls have spent their entire lives hearing how evil the outside world is and being protected from it. They might know a decent amount about television but they don't know about negotiating contracts or that the world might be interested in their side of the story. I also think they are doing a decent amount to keep the older girls happy. They used to wear homemade jumpers and obviously second hand clothes. Now they wear clothes that look new, skirts are getting higher and they get to travel. I also think Jana and Jill aren't really the sort to go against the family. Jana has always been quieter and Jill is very obediant. Jessa and Jinger are just now reaching a point where both of them are 18. If they married Jessa off and she was pregnant by this time next year that would probably tie her down to the fundie lifestyle for a long time if not the rest of her life.

[bananacat]

Which kid was it that the parents claimed was very stubborn as a child? It was either Jessa or Jinger, and I believe it because this was back when they had few enough kids to actually know them individually. If it was Jessa, then agree that she can only be pushed so far.

[marmalade]

My guess is with Jessa if they aren't going to go in age order for marrying their children they would marry her off next. She would be more then happy to have her courtship and wedding filmed. With her looks I think they'd have no problem finding a fundie guy willing to marry her. And she doesn't seem to do as much around the house other then packing and home schooling but Jinger would probably be able to take over those jobs. Also once she's married and starts having children she'll be stuck in the lifestyle.

See, I think they're keeping her in the background because the "creeps" as she called the guys trying to court the girls Boob over the internets. Trying to get the heat off her, so to speak. Jill and Jinger? Not so much. Jana is still pretty much in the background, although she has had a couple of "lines" this season.

[AudreyE]

I agree that it would take tremendous courage to leave your entire family and the only life you've ever known. Also, how much would they really get for a tell-all book? It's not like it would be 1M or something (I don't think). I'll bet JB isn't sweating it.

[Feberin]

See, I think they're keeping her in the background because the "creeps" as she called the guys trying to court the girls Boob over the internets. Trying to get the heat off her, so to speak. Jill and Jinger? Not so much. Jana is still pretty much in the background, although she has had a couple of "lines" this season.

If Jessa's looks were a reason to keep her in the background then she wouldn't have been featured much in the show for the past few seasons since she's been old enough to attract attention since the 17 children and counting show began.

[J-Watcher]

The older girls have spent their entire lives hearing how evil the outside world is and being protected from it.

I don't see it that way. They've spent the last several years making frequent trips where they're in a position to see and hear what's going on around them -- a public elementary school where all the kids "danced", airports, a major hospital (where Josie was in the NICU), the streets of Manhattan and London, a beach in Israel where most bathers were in itsy bitsy bikinis. And they've had jeans-clad Cousin Amy around their home pretty frequently. And they've been taught to say in front of the camera (and listened to their parents say in front of the camera) how they're fine with all the different kinds of people they see, and don't judge anybody who does things differently from their family. If their parents give them off-camera spiels about how of course we really believe all these people are going straight to hell, but we're going to tell the TV people that we think they're all just great and we just "choose" to do things differently because that's what we're "comfortable" with, then the kids know their parents are habitual liars and probably don't trust them about much of anything. On the other hand, maybe their parents really are promoting a lot of this "don't be judgemental" stuff at home.

I've read a lot of accounts from people who grew up in hardcore Gothard-following families, and their exposure to the outside world was a tiny fraction of what the Duggar kids have had, and their anti-everybody-outside-the-cult brainwashing was intense and unrelenting. And the isolation of girls from the outside world was extreme. I remember one family blog which had an entry about the "family" doing some sort of service at a homeless shelter . . . only the mom and girls' actual role was to bake cookies at home for the dad and boys to take when *they* went to the shelter (part of the entry said something like "we girls didn't go, but we enjoyed hearing our father and brothers telling us about it"). The notion that the Duggar girls have a similar mindset to girls who've been raised in seriously Gothard-following families just doesn't hold water. They're not deaf, dumb, and blind.

[J-Watcher]

Do you have any inside info?

No, and I don't think I really need any to know that Jim-Bob and Michelle are very fond of their fame and revenue stream, and are wanting both to continue.

[jesusfreak]

Which kid was it that the parents claimed was very stubborn as a child? It was either Jessa or Jinger, and I believe it because this was back when they had few enough kids to actually know them individually. If it was Jessa, then agree that she can only be pushed so far.

That was Jessa.

[Feberin]

I don't see it that way. They've spent the last several years making frequent trips where they're in a position to see and hear what's going on around them -- a public elementary school where all the kids "danced", airports, a major hospital (where Josie was in the NICU), the streets of Manhattan and London, a beach in Israel where most bathers were in itsy bitsy bikinis. And they've had jeans-clad Cousin Amy around their home pretty frequently. And they've been taught to say in front of the camera (and listened to their parents say in front of the camera) how they're fine with all the different kinds of people they see, and don't judge anybody who does things differently from their family. If their parents give them off-camera spiels about how of course we really believe all these people are going straight to hell, but we're going to tell the TV people that we think they're all just great and we just "choose" to do things differently because that's what we're "comfortable" with, then the kids know their parents are habitual liars and probably don't trust them about much of anything. On the other hand, maybe their parents really are promoting a lot of this "don't be judgemental" stuff at home.

I've read a lot of accounts from people who grew up in hardcore Gothard-following families, and their exposure to the outside world was a tiny fraction of what the Duggar kids have had, and their anti-everybody-outside-the-cult brainwashing was intense and unrelenting. And the isolation of girls from the outside world was extreme. I remember one family blog which had an entry about the "family" doing some sort of service at a homeless shelter . . . only the mom and girls' actual role was to bake cookies at home for the dad and boys to take when *they* went to the shelter (part of the entry said something like "we girls didn't go, but we enjoyed hearing our father and brothers telling us about it"). The notion that the Duggar girls have a similar mindset to girls who've been raised in seriously Gothard-following families just doesn't hold water. They're not deaf, dumb, and blind.

They have gotten to see a lot of the world but that doesn't mean they don't see it as evil. If you think Jimbob and Michelle are really into loving and accepting of everyone then I think you've drank too much of the kool aid. The girls aren't five year olds who don't understand that lying in some situations is OK. I'm sure the parents have explained that they need to create their public image so say things this way while still educating their daughters that doing certain things like dancing, touching a boy or wearing pants are hellbound offenses. Also the show started after the oldest girls had already had years of indoctrination. I think the younger children will have had their lives changed far more by the TLC cameras then the eldest girls.

[Lana]

Yeah it was Jessa that they called strong willed and unresponsive to discipline. BUT they also said that their strong willed children have become the most convicted sbout their faith. So I wouldn't be surprised if Jessa is a fundie for life.

I wonder more about what Jinger is doing around the house. I know some say Jessa doesn't do much in comparison to Jana and Jill. But what in the world does Jinger do? Jessa is in charge of organzining everything and in charge of homeschooling. Too huge undertakings with all those kids. Jinger has said before that she does not like to cook.

[J-Watcher]

^we know for a fact that Jana went to Journey to the Heart without her sisters and appeared to be tomato staked at book signings on their last tour.

She probably got PAID by the JTTH promoters to attend (not to mention the non-monetary benefit of getting a break from a houseful of boisterous little kids). I'm sure it's a great sales pitch for the camp to be able say that even one Duggar girl will be there. And she's probably getting some payment for doing the book tours too -- publishers and chain bookstore executives know what it takes to draw a crowd and sell books. I spent a lot of years working for a big financial institution, and I'm sure I (and many of my colleagues) appeared "tomato-staked" at a lot of in-house meetings, client lunches, bank syndication presentations, etc -- the stake was held in place by my compensation package, which I deemed sufficient to offset the discomfort of the often mind-numbing and eyeroll-inducing events.

[FloraDoraDolly]

Yeah it was Jessa that they called strong willed and unresponsive to discipline. BUT they also said that their strong willed children have become the most convicted sbout their faith. So I wouldn't be surprised if Jessa is a fundie for life.

I wonder more about what Jinger is doing around the house. I know some say Jessa doesn't do much in comparison to Jana and Jill. But what in the world does Jinger do? Jessa is in charge of organzining everything and in charge of homeschooling. Too huge undertakings with all those kids. Jinger has said before that she does not like to cook.

Jinger does the laundry.

[snickerz]

I really HOPE there's some sort of behind the scenes scuffle going on with Jessa, but I don't know that I believe it. I know they've "seen" the world a lot more than they did pre-TLC, but I'm not convinced they've seen it in the same sense that you or I would. They've only gone to pre-approved places with pre-approved people and had pre-approved, totally scripted experiences. And those "outsiders" they've met at speeches & book signings are butt-kissers who just tell them what an inspiration/blessing they are to them. I hope she is starting to realize that there's a big wide world out there, and that she's an adult and can choose her own life. And that you can be a good person/good Christian and wear pants and get an education, date, etc. etc. etc. Go, Jessa, give 'em hell!

[Kelya]

She probably got PAID by the JTTH promoters to attend (not to mention the non-monetary benefit of getting a break from a houseful of boisterous little kids). I'm sure it's a great sales pitch for the camp to be able say that even one Duggar girl will be there. And she's probably getting some payment for doing the book tours too -- publishers and chain bookstore executives know what it takes to draw a crowd and sell books. I spent a lot of years working for a big financial institution, and I'm sure I (and many of my colleagues) appeared "tomato-staked" at a lot of in-house meetings, client lunches, bank syndication presentations, etc -- the stake was held in place by my compensation package, which I deemed sufficient to offset the discomfort of the often mind-numbing and eyeroll-inducing events.

ah, okay, you're right, my mistake.

what? isn't that what you want to hear as you explain away everyone else's comments while admitting you have no inside info and know nothing more than the rest of us?

[Third]

I saw a youtube video [months ago] of her speaking after they announced baby #20 and she was so forceful with spouting the rhetoric. I think Jill stood next to her and nodded and I was shocked she was so into it because she didn't seem that way when she was younger. Jana has always been quiet and soft spoken and Jill has always been awkward but yeah..wish I could find that video. Oh well.

[lilwriter85]

I really HOPE there's some sort of behind the scenes scuffle going on with Jessa, but I don't know that I believe it. I know they've "seen" the world a lot more than they did pre-TLC, but I'm not convinced they've seen it in the same sense that you or I would. They've only gone to pre-approved places with pre-approved people and had pre-approved, totally scripted experiences. And those "outsiders" they've met at speeches & book signings are butt-kissers who just tell them what an inspiration/blessing they are to them. I hope she is starting to realize that there's a big wide world out there, and that she's an adult and can choose her own life. And that you can be a good person/good Christian and wear pants and get an education, date, etc. etc. etc. Go, Jessa, give 'em hell!

This. It is pretty obvious that a lot of things the Duggars do are pre-approved. When they have visited other countries, the stuff the do is pretty limited.When they have traveled to places like Guatemala and El Salvador, they pretty much visit orphanages and missionary groups. I doubt they are going and watching folk or certain cultural events. The Duggars would freak out if they saw some of the folk dancing that happens in El Salvador.

A lot of stuff the Duggars does is obviously staged or scripted. The Chicago trip showed that. I agree with you on "outsides" at the book signings and other events. I think some of the people who view the Duggars as inspirational are the types of people who buy into the bullshit that TLC sells about the family.