The moment that made you think 'these people are mental'

[Daenerys]

For me, I was watching 17KAC and it was the part where Jinger got to chaperone Josh and Anna on a date. The cameraman asked her what she would do if they kissed and her reaction was completely weird. She looked shocked that this was even possible, and then there was something in her eyes that looked kind of scared, as if she had suddenly realised that she wouldn't know what to do and felt somehow responsible. At that point, I realised that it wasn't the choice they'd made it out to be and that these people had a really skewed idea of where normal boundaries lay!

[Aurora]

I didn't start watching until 19kac, but for me it was when Michelle introduced the show in her little baby voice and said (a) that she had 19 children (b) that their names all began with J © that her husband's name is "Jim-Bob".

[Minerva]

It dawned on me gradually. I started off thinking they were a misogynistic freak show, but assumed they didn't want to force it on anyone, all the kids were doing the stuff by choice, and they therefore weren't that bad. The day, a few months back, I checked out their website (which I had visited many times before as I find misogynistic freak shows fascinating) and saw the Santorum bus. That was the moment I lost all respect for them.

[nomi]

Their very first show which was 14 children and one on the way and Jana was wearing bloomers and they all had matching dresses. One look and I knew that there was something seriously wrong.

[Lady]

Josiah's arm.

[mockingbird]

I bought it for a long time - thought they were weird but weren't forcing anyone else into their lifestyle and were relatively normal evangelical Christians. I especially bought into the "our kids choose to be this way!" arguments.

I think I really started looking at them critically when Michelle got pregnant again after Josie.

[ladypuglover]

I think it was around the begining of the seris of 17 kids and counting. I found others on line and read there views and found what I couldn't put my finger on. It didn't become a train wreck for me until the real time J&A got married in Sept. It just snowballed after that.

[chiccy]

Definitely the episode when the Duggars visited a public school for Reading Day. Three things that happened that really made my blood boil/shatter my pretty little illusion of the Duggars:

1) Introducing herself to the public school kids, Michelle said, "My name is Michelle, but you can call me Mrs. Duggar." I may be oversensitive about these things, but I found that to be patronizing in a really annoying way.

(Then the Duggar kids performed a hymn on their violins. Slightly inappropriate for a public school, but of course that's all the Duggars know how to play...)

2) When a public school kid asked Jill, during a Q+A session, the perfectly obvious and expected question of what her favorite book was, Jill hemmed and hawed for awhile as if she couldn't remember reading any books at all. Finally, she answered: "Before You Meet Prince Charming" and "The Reverend Spy." !!!!!!!!

3) Then, our snarky editors (love ya, Sean!) put up a blurb comparing the Duggars' reading list to a public school reading list. I quote: "Reading List -- Public Schoolers: To Kill A Mockingbird, The Catcher in the Rye, A Tale of Two Cities, Catch-22, The Scarlet Letter. Duggar Favorites: Before You Meet Prince Charming, The Reverend Spy." :angry-banghead:

If you want to see the episode, it's at

. The incidents I mention are at 5:04, 7:11 and 7:35, respectively.

In the episode description, it says, "Even though the Duggars are home schooled they know the importance of a good education, no matter what building it takes place in." *SNORT* Did you write that, Sean? :clap:

[Visionoyahweh]

Josh's Wedding.

The whole 'no authentic human emotions' approach to dating/courting/parenting/living.

[Peas n carrots]

When I saw TLC had a special called 14 Kids & Counting."

[Cordial]

Definitely the episode when the Duggars visited a public school for Reading Day.

Same episode (I think), different moment: when everyone did morning exercises/aerobics/hand motions of some sort, and the Duggars refused to participate because they don't dance. The smugness-- gross.

[Third]

Josiah's arm.

What about his arm?

[Undesigned]

When I saw TLC had a special called 14 Kids & Counting."

Samers. When the kids were still very robotic acting. The whole introduction about 'closely monitoring access to the internet' and knowing that meant protecting them from pedophiles AND Dora the Explorer.

[Coconut Flan]

About the time I heard the words ATI and saw those alleged Wisdom Booklets and began uncovering that they pay Gothard as much attention or more than God.

[Glass Cowcatcher]

The matching frumpers.

[Dhani_C]

What about his arm?

This was during the episode when Jim Bob announced Michelle was pregnant with Jubilee (their recent miscarriage). They cut up the scenes as snapshots and if you look at them frame by frame it's apparent that Josiah ran off-screen because he was upset. Jim-Bob grabbed Josiah's arm and forcibly brought him back to the group because they couldn't re-do the shot. When it cuts to Michelle and her doing her voiceover, you can see Josiah rubbing his elbow with a tissue in his hand.

[Dhani_C]

Josh's Wedding.

The whole 'no authentic human emotions' approach to dating/courting/parenting/living.

Same here. I saw the 14 kids special and just thought they were your run-of-the-mill conservative Christians (common where I grew up). It wasn't until I saw the courtship play out that I knew there was something deeply wrong. I was stunned that Josh and Anna wanted a chaperone because they wanted to preserve their "purity". I was just starting college (Josh is a year older than me) and I couldn't believe two people as immature as they were acting were getting MARRIED. They reminded me of middle schoolers.

[Deleted07]

Yeah I think for me around the wedding stuff, too!!!

[DarkAnts]

This was during the episode when Jim Bob announced Michelle was pregnant with Jubilee (their recent miscarriage). They cut up the scenes as snapshots and if you look at them frame by frame it's apparent that Josiah ran off-screen because he was upset. Jim-Bob grabbed Josiah's arm and forcibly brought him back to the group because they couldn't re-do the shot. When it cuts to Michelle and her doing her voiceover, you can see Josiah rubbing his elbow with a tissue in his hand.

He was also holding it up funny. It was the Q&A episode. I cant find the link now.

[Undesigned]

He was also holding it up funny. It was the Q&A episode. I cant find the link now.

I never thought Josiah was upset, he was smiling in all the shots prior to the scolding. I think he got punished because he ran to the phone to call someone. In between him running off and then reappearing shamed with the tissue, you can see and hear several family members saying "No, don't call anyone, Josiah" I think he was running to call a friend, blow the money maker TLC & Today-Show reveals, and for that he definitely would have gotten manhandled for.

[weirdghostboo]

Josiah's arm.

Same. I had some earlier vibes before that, but this was one that made me think that they were seriously mental.

[weirdghostboo]

I never thought Josiah was upset, he was smiling in all the shots prior to the scolding. I think he got punished because he ran to the phone to call someone. In between him running off and then reappearing shamed with the tissue, you can see and hear several family members saying "No, don't call anyone, Josiah" I think he was running to call a friend, blow the money maker TLC & Today-Show reveals, and for that he definitely would have gotten manhandled for.

Really? I heard it as, 'Don't cry, Josiah,' and I'm got that as a sure sign that he was upset. Also, not to sound rude, but who the hell could Josiah call? His only contacts are his family and the camera crew. He has no friends outside of family.

[Jessica]

Free Josiah!

Eh, I was never THAT bothered by them at first. I'd read all these horror stories about what a crazy family they were and looked at their website a few times and thought "Sure, I disagree with them on plenty of subjects but they seem nice." Then I found out that the earlier specials were edited, that they lie to cover up their associations with the quiverfull movement, that they're trying to push this onto other people, that they really DO make their daughters raise the younger ones and not just babysit and help out (like I had thought) and then the whole Josie fiasco started and I couldn't believe anyone would broadcast traumatic family moments (which could have easily resulted in death) to the world for a buck. I knew they were crazy but I'm okay with crazy until it starts getting dangerous.

[ShadowyOne]

J&A courtship. I think almost everyone is aware of the abstinence before marriage movement, but I had NEVER before heard of anyone waiting for marriage to KISS. And the chaperones always with them... that whole ball of wax, really. And when it became apparent that the older ones who should be moving out and getting jobs or higher education were still at the compound, being slaves!

[chiccy]

Another moment for me was during one of the specials ("14 kids..." or something) when they were showing an example of school. Michelle was sitting with all the kids around the table (yes, all of them) and teaching from a Wisdom Booklet. I remember her saying, "Today's Law Resource is about bankruptcy. Bankruptcy isn't when you go to the bank..." No shit. And how useful can it possibly be for a bunch of kids to study random topics in law, instead of something real like maths?

I mean, obviously everyone should know what bankruptcy is. But these are kids who haven't even learned the basic-basics of reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic.