the duggars say 'good bye'

[JenniferJuniper]

I've had horrible things announced to me, and if you had lined me and my siblings up before you told us and filmed our reactions, I would have been pretty pissed. If the Duggar kids haven't been feeling used this whole time, I imagine they were after filming that episode.

The alternative - that Mom had already told them and then made them all re-stage the sad moment just for the camera - isn't much better.

It's just a massive parental FAIL no matter how you look at it.

[Buzzard]

We know from history that child actors dont do terribly well. Growing up in a fishbowl isnt good for anyone - and living out emotional and vulnerable moments even more so. Are we going to see (if there's a new season) DQ tell Joy all about her period? Is she going to tell her the best way to put on a pad so as not to mess your sheets at night? How about one of the howlers getting a hard on? Boob gonna tell him all about his naughty thoughts at night?

This episode, more so than all the others, shows that the SHOW is more important than the children. If you're gonna cry, make sure there's a camera!

[shesinsane]

Just saw a commercial for the season finale/Jubilee VSE. I bet many of our worst predictions will come true.

I missed last week's episode, were they still pretending all was well? Or was it a pretend cliffhanger fading out on JB and Michelle on the way to a check up...

[m0drnmoonlight]

Geez, is nothing sacred? You're all right - this does show that their tv show is more important than the kids. Why spring such tragic, horrible news like this while the cameras are rolling?

It is...refreshing (for lack of a better term) to see Michelle actually displaying emotion instead of the Stepford Wife look on her face and the preschool teacher voice she always has. It's horrible to lose a child, no matter who you are, but my sympathy disappeared when the family turned their loss into a publicity stunt and exploited it for political gain.

[VintageJen1984]

We know from history that child actors dont do terribly well. Growing up in a fishbowl isnt good for anyone - and living out emotional and vulnerable moments even more so. Are we going to see (if there's a new season) DQ tell Joy all about her period? Is she going to tell her the best way to put on a pad so as not to mess your sheets at night? How about one of the howlers getting a hard on? Boob gonna tell him all about his naughty thoughts at night?

This episode, more so than all the others, shows that the SHOW is more important than the children. If you're gonna cry, make sure there's a camera!

I still haven't mastered this trick and I've had my period for 16 years... :oops:

[fundyfunland]

BAH! I read the title of this thread with the word "finale" and thought WOOHOO! Finally, a SERIES FINALE! So disappointed :cry:

As for those impressed by the inkling of human emotion Michelle displayed, I'd have to say, it's because it has to do with a BABY (well fetus, but she thinks it's a baby). And we know, all she really cares about are babies. Would be more interesting to see her reaction if one of her actual children died. Hopefully, she'd notice they were gone, although maybe that would only happen if it was a J.Slave.

ETA - this THREAD not THREAT. Time for bed

[HOTW]

She probably noticed that Jubilee had stopped moving.

In one of the articles after the miscarriage she talked about how Jill had been listening to the heartbeat as part of her nurse traiing, I am sure that is why only Jill went..they prob felt something was wrong when she couldnt get a beat.

[AudreyE]

It really is weird how they don't have the sensitivity to tell the younger children separately and in a more age-appropriate way. I guess there are some pluses to telling everyone together (aside from the obvious staging), but its not the approach I would take.

[Witsec5]

Oh series please be over soon. This family is too strange and all of this traveling and filming is corrupting the parents and damaging the children. I haven't been able to watch for a while, only read about it here. One can dream that after the political campaigning and series are done maybe some of the kids can get out. This is not modeling a good Christian life, it's driving people away. Not to use psychobabble...there are books out on narcissistic families and this family fits the description of such a family to a tee--Everyone must appear perfect or else.

Khate is a better mom than Michelle and JimBob are parents and that's saying a lot.

[sassyNoz47]

there is a different clip on the fb page.. this one I swear I hear gma saying is it twins Bill?? Bill? Maybe I heard wrong but there is no way they were told ahead of time not even poor gma

[lilwriter85]

Oh series please be over soon. This family is too strange and all of this traveling and filming is corrupting the parents and damaging the children. I haven't been able to watch for a while, only read about it here. One can dream that after the political campaigning and series are done maybe some of the kids can get out. This is not modeling a good Christian life, it's driving people away. Not to use psychobabble...there are books out on narcissistic families and this family fits the description of such a family to a tee--Everyone must appear perfect or else.

Khate is a better mom than Michelle and JimBob are parents and that's saying a lot.

I think there is a small possibility that the show will end soon and maybe tonight will end up being the series finale. TLC could cancel the show and not give the Duggars a farewell season. But I think there is a big chance, the Duggars will get one more season which will be billed as a farewell season. The Duggars' popularity started decreasing before Michelle announced her pregnancy last fall. Once Michelle announced her pregnancy the dislike increased a bit and then the memorial and pictures also added to that a bit.

I agree the Duggars fit the description of narcissists and the other families who appear or have appeared on reality TV also have narcissistic attitudes. I think the Duggars are worse than the Kardashians/Jenners, Gosselins, and the Roloffs. The Duggars act like they are perfect and nothing is ever wrong. The other families at least admit their flaws and they don't present everything as being perfect all the time. I can understand some of the hate for Khate. I hate when Duggar defenders bash Kate and act like the Duggars are saints. Kate is a lesser evil than the Duggars.

[holierthanyou]

Ok, I can't find the link now (boo!), but talking of Kate and the Duggars reminds me of this hilarious video clip someone made where the kids switch homes. Off to google for link now...

[silverspoons]

I think this should be a private matter but if the Duggars want to make it public I am more interested, not in the kids reactions(I really wish that would be private) but in what happened the 3-4 weeks prior to Michelle finding out. What kind of high risk prenatal care was she getting. All we have seen is a 12? week visit and some vitiams. During my high risk pregnancy (vertical scar as well) after 13 weeks I was at the dr's office 3 times a week at least. Usually it was for a quick (2 minute) ultrasound to check the baby and by 20 weeks I was doing the full ultrasound non stress test for 45 minutes 3 times a week. This was not just for me but the high risk testing room usually had 10 or so of us moms there at a time. I also had a home heart beat monitor. My husband who has no medical background used it fine. I just can't believe that they had the epiqument and didn't check for a heartbeat at least a few times a week from home if Michelle was not going to the dr weekly? How could they go 3 weeks without a dr visit or checking the heartbeart from 16-19 weeks? I feel very bad for Jill espcially if any blame if placed on her. I hope this experience does not make her stop her plans to do something in the medical field(even a doula is better then being a J'Slave).

[spragger]

Ugh. I wish TLC would put an episode of this online each week so I could watch it. I can't find it anywhere online with any consistency and no way am I paying to watch it.

[shesinsane]

It really is weird how they don't have the sensitivity to tell the younger children separately and in a more age-appropriate way. I guess there are some pluses to telling everyone together (aside from the obvious staging), but its not the approach I would take.

They're just being consistent with Duggar way of taking all the kids to do the same thing, even though what interests a 4 year old is likely boring for her 22 year old sister and vice-versa. When it comes to big family news, good or bad, tell all the kids at once. If the little kids have questions, that's what their buddies are for.

[Lady]

They're just being consistent with Duggar way of taking all the kids to do the same thing, even though what interests a 4 year old is likely boring for her 22 year old sister and vice-versa. When it comes to big family news, good or bad, tell all the kids at once. If the little kids have questions, that's what their buddies are for.

For celebrations or good news, yes tell them all at once. That would be fine. But bad news, you need to tell them a few at a time.

[icecreamycakeycake]

What I would like to know, is the sequence of events surrounding filming. Were the camera crews filming for an actual season, when the miscarriage occurred? Were they there because they were scheduled to be there, or did Michelle let them know something was wrong before she went to the appointment to "alert" the crew "just in case"?

I would acutally be more comforted if the announcement to the family was staged after the fact. The thought of assembling the family to get this news in front of the cameras is just sickening to me. Boob and J'chelle are no better than pimps for doing that to their Children and Mother. The show is THEIR agenda, and the kids have been brainwashed into delivering "camera appropriate" reactions OR ELSE, The Josiah incident is indicative of that.

[shesinsane]

For celebrations or good news, yes tell them all at once. That would be fine. But bad news, you need to tell them a few at a time.

I (and probably most around here) agree with you, but that's not the Duggar way. They've shown time and time again that one size fits all when it comes to their kids - they all (except Josie and her buddy, left behind in Israel) went to Space Camp, even though mostly the middle kids were the right ages for the available activities. Joy had to share her birthday party with Johnanna. I can't think of other examples off the top of my head, but unless it's something like cleaning up a rental home (during which the littlest kids got to stay at TTH), all the kids go, even if it's only appropriate/enjoyable for certain ages. That's just the Duggar way, and I'm sure JB or Michelle would tell you (with a straight face) that the older children enjoying watching the younger children play, or the younger kids are joyful when watching the older children have fun, etc, excuse, blah blah.

[m0drnmoonlight]

I (and probably most around here) agree with you, but that's not the Duggar way. They've shown time and time again that one size fits all when it comes to their kids - they all (except Josie and her buddy, left behind in Israel) went to Space Camp, even though mostly the middle kids were the right ages for the available activities. Joy had to share her birthday party with Johnanna. I can't think of other examples off the top of my head, but unless it's something like cleaning up a rental home (during which the littlest kids got to stay at TTH), all the kids go, even if it's only appropriate/enjoyable for certain ages. That's just the Duggar way, and I'm sure JB or Michelle would tell you (with a straight face) that the older children enjoying watching the younger children play, or the younger kids are joyful when watching the older children have fun, etc, excuse, blah blah.

If you need more "one size fits all" incidents, I remember one mentioned on TWoP a season or so back. I think the whole family went to a farm or something and the entire family was loaded up into ride-on trains, the kind like you'd see at the zoo or an amusement park. This actually might have been the wild animal refuge or something, where Amy showed what a moron she was by putting bagels on a rhino's horn. Anyway, I remember everyone saying the train ride was obviously fun for the, like, 7-and-under set, while the teens and young adults looked bored to tears. I've noticed this other times too, and it really is unfair to the kids. Even with the bedrooms - you have two big dorms, one for the boys and one for the girls. Do you think Jana and Jill enjoy sharing a bedroom with Johannah and Jennifer, or John David and Joseph are cool with Justin and Jackson in the same room as them?

The Duggars always like doing things in a group, and that's like central to the show. Which is why I would not be surprised if Jim Boob and J'Michelle really did spring the news of her miscarriage on everyone like that, while the cameras were rolling.

[xDreamerx]

Whoa she actually acknowledged the existence of Caleb.

[donks]

If you missed it, the Jubilee Fiasco is coming on here at 7 pm tonight (Tuesday).

[3 ring circus]

Thanks for the heads up. I missed part of it.

[donks]

You're welcome.

[lilith]

This may have been covered before - if so, please merge or delete.

 

I've been thinking about the Duggars reaction to Jubilee and how it relates to their belief system.

 

If they believe Jubilee (and Caleb) are safe and pure, back in the arms of Jesus, without ever having to live in this world of pain and sin, then isn't that a good thing? And since they believe life begins at conception, wouldn't miscarriage and even abortion be a good, even sought after, end to a pregnancy, because it sends the untainted soul back to heaven?

 

Or if they believe humans are inherently sinful, either through the manner of their creation or their sinful nature, then how can they be sure Jubilee is in heaven? She never had a chance to believe in Jesus or repent. They believe she was a fully conscious being, she could have had dishonoring thoughts towards her mother and father, or coveted a name that didn't begin with J or some other sin.

 

I know this is all silly, but the Duggars believe this stuff, they base everything in their life around it. I don't know how they can reconcile both points - babies are safe in the arms of Jesus after miscarriage, but we must prevent miscarriage at all cost because they are little people, but people are automatically sinful by nature and must believe in Jesus to be saved, yet babies are pure and with Jesus.

[FloraDoraDolly]

When I was a kid, one of the AWANA ladies told me that babies and small children go to Heaven when they die because they're too young to understand sin or the teachings of Jesus or what they need to do to get saved. So while all humans are born with a propensity toward sin, a baby or a severely mentally impaired person would not be held accountable for those sins.

I suppose an unborn baby who dies in the womb doesn't need to be "born again" since she or he was not born in the first place.