Jim Bob's pictu on the front page of the Wall Street Journal

[Witsec5]

I was at Starbuck's today bobbing between appointments and saw JB's picture (a drawing actually) on the front page of the WSJ. So naturally I purchased it. The article is entitled, "The Boys on Le Bus: Foreign Press Mines Local Angles in U.S. Primary". The article is about how the candidates are capitalizing on their European working class roots--Romney's wife is the granddaughter of a Welsh coal miner and Santorum is the grandson of an Italian immigrant.

 

The article goes on to say that no one can get the French or anyone else in the Foreign Press Corps. interested in the primary except for the fact that Paris Match is crazy about the Duggars, having done a full color six-page feature on the Duggar family when they were on the road in Iowa. "This is such an American story--in the French mind," said the bureau chief of Match. He was excited to meet "le famille Duggar." JB's comment on the story, "I didn't read the story because it was in French or somthing. But he was a very nice gentleman, and our family has a motto: There's always room for one more."

 

Anyone from France? I would be interested in what you have to say.

[JesusPony]

"This is such an American story--in the French mind,"

Nooooo. The Duggars representing America?! So frickin embarrassing. *facepalm* + *headdesk*

[0KidsAndHappy]

Romney's wife is the granddaughter of a Welsh coal miner and Santorum is the grandson of an Italian immigrant.

Not just any Italian immigrants, either. His grandfather was a Communist who left Italy to escape Fascism. They family that is still in Italy are very liberal, pro-gay marriage, and say that the older Santorums would roll over in their graves if they heard his stance on things.

[debrand]

From an American point of view, being the grandchild or great grandchild of an immigrant isn't that amazing. Almost all of us have ancestors that were immigrants. My children are grandsons and daughters of Austrian Jews fleeing Hitler. My great grandparents on my dad's side were from Ireland. I have a lot of Irish on my mom's mother's side. And my mom's granddad was half Cherokee.

[FundiesInMyFamily]

"....I didn't read the article because it was in French or something".

UGH this is so disrespectful, it reminds me of his adding an "O" to the end of his words in El Salvador and thinking he was speaking Spanish. There is nothing wrong with saying "I haven't read the article myself, as it was written in French and I'm not familiar with the language" or something similar. I think that anything other than male, white & English isn't on JB's radar.

[Witsec5]

My grandparents were born in Four different countries. I can't imagi.e trying to get hometown sjpport from one of those fowns. Anywat did anyone notice how stupid JB sounded? If anyone did a six page spread on me, I would have it translated. I agree if the French consider le Duggar's to be an All American family, then we are in trouble. someone well versed in French needs to set them straight straight about le cult de Gothard and point them in our direction.

[Glass Cowcatcher]

"....I didn't read the article because it was in French or something".

UGH this is so disrespectful, it reminds me of his adding an "O" to the end of his words in El Salvador and thinking he was speaking Spanish. There is nothing wrong with saying "I haven't read the article myself, as it was written in French and I'm not familiar with the language" or something similar. I think that anything other than male, white & English isn't on JB's radar.

I guess the SOTDRT doesn't include any foreign language classes. :roll:

[tropaka]

I get the feeling that Paris Match is interested in the same way FJ is - kinda horrified/intrigued.

"I didn't read it 'cause it was in French or something". Boy, he really does bring the stupid.

[zenbaby]

Here is the link to the Paris Match article.

http://www.parismatch.com/People-Match/ ... nt-351619/

The French are just interested because they're a novelty. They definitely don't buy into any of their 'Christian values' crap... France has a clear distinction between church and state.

[2xx1xy1JD]

I don't think that the French understand Gothard. The Paris Match article described the family as ultra-conservative CATHOLICS.

[Michiru]

I only had three years of frensh and was never very good at it... but I guess this article is about the last baby: http://www.parismatch.com/People-Match/ ... he-362705/

Here is another one: http://www.parismatch.com/People-Match/ ... nt-351619/

In the comments there is someone who links them to Quiverfull, so it seems like the author did not write that in the article.

Edit: Sorry I seem to be to slowly for the forum. :lol:

[hoipolloi]

Thank you for the link! At work so I can't do much, but I do read French & will try my hand at translating, if no one else does.

Loved some of the comments, like this one:

EGOÏSTES ! Individualisme, égoïsme, bêtise à l'état pur ! Après eux le déluge !

My rough translation: Egotists! Individualism, egoism, pure stupidity! After them, the deluge!

(That last is a paraphrase of the famous [to the French, anyway] saying attributed to King Louis XV, the next-to-last King of France. There is debate about what exactly it means: http://tradicionclasica.blogspot.com/20 ... d-its.html)

[salsa]

I didn't read the comments, but from what I understood in the "Match," I didn't see the article touting them as an All American family. I was curious, however, about their describing them as ultraconservative catholics - but that may be a synonym for Christian, as the c was lower case, and my French is rusty (so I may be misconstruing an idiom).

But Jim Boob - oh, my gawd. "it was in French or something." Gee, ya think??? It may be in French or something because these people from Paris interviewed me. Paris - that's in Texas, right? He's such an idiot. Seems Michelle could have (and should have) done much better. Little baby voice or whatever, she's the brains of the family. He doesn't even seem to be mentally there most of the time, even when he's physically there. He always looks to me like he'd rather be doing just about anything else.

[Witsec5]

More on the WSJ article:

One more tidbit from the article that piggy-backs or echoes what another poster said: The Italian magazine Ossi found distant cousins of Mr. Santorum. His grandfather and uncles were "communists to the core." Santurum spokesman Hogan Gidley declined to comment on the Italian's observation. "You're not writing that he's some kind of socialist are you?" Mr. Gidley asked?

Also, the french publicist was not quoted as saying that the Duggars were an all-American family. My mistake. He said, "This is such an American story--in the French mind." Sorry about that, I quoted everything else and then left to my own devices...I (mis)construed that statement as Typical Americans!"

[chiccy]

Summary of the Paris Match article as found online:

1. Description of Duggars on the Today show announcing they were expecting their 20th child.

Description of how the family feels about the baby. "Elle a assuré avec orgueil que son médecin n’était pas contre cette grossesse tardive. «Je suis vraiment en meilleure forme que je l'ai été en 20 ans !» " =~ She (Michelle) insisted with pride that her doctor had not discouraged this latecoming pregnancy. "I'm really in better shape than I've been in 20 years!"

Description of how they announced the pregnancy to the family. "Hanging a new frame among the family photos in the stairways of their huge property in Little Rock, Jim Bob said, "Smile! Mama's going to have another baby!" 'We wouldn't want to stop at an odd number,' he confessed."

2. General description of the Duggars: atypical family, "Catholic," etc. Description of Michelle's miscarriage; how they decided to "leave it up to God."

Discussion of Josie and how her birth created some controversy. Michelle: "When we see Josie, despite the huge ordeal we went through, we would do it again."

Mention of the pregnancy complications connected to Josie's birth. Mention of the show.

3. Mention of their financial success since "14 Children and Pregnant Again." A couple sentences about the family's website.

All in all, a pretty boring article...not at all ironic, observant, or perceptive...and of course it was wrong about the "Catholic" thing (although that mistake will surely endear a certain sector of the French population to the Duggars.)

[Deleted03]

Catholique means catholics. "christians" are called protestants in France.

The article revolves also around the idea that everything is a show. I think it's in the branch of the supersize everything.

The article even say they are an object of fascination for Americans. They're really bad, so they call them catholics ultra conservative, but then says that the doctor who advised them was christian.

Such bad journalism, so apparently NBC is the channel broadcasting 19 kids and counting. did the show start in 2008?

birth was provoqued? So weird, it was a Csection...

it's funny, in french it sounds so much like they are indeed catholics. lol

I think the article is more about how they are so famous in the US, how everything is a show, how everything is always too much.

[Deleted03]

I only had three years of frensh and was never very good at it... but I guess this article is about the last baby: http://www.parismatch.com/People-Match/ ... he-362705/

Here is another one: http://www.parismatch.com/People-Match/ ... nt-351619/

In the comments there is someone who links them to Quiverfull, so it seems like the author did not write that in the article.

Edit: Sorry I seem to be to slowly for the forum. :lol:

so the article was written before they broadcasted and made a very big deal of the burial and all. It says actually that they told of this news only through a simple note on their website. (but then goes on to quote people magazine)

There are grammar errors O_o

Bad journalism as usual.

[Deleted03]

some of the comments are approving, some of them are really not approving (because in part they believe in god). One explained that they are not catholics but baptists (not helping IMO, should have said protestants).

[Witsec5]

Thank you Sophie! I guess the Duggar brand of corn-pone Americana doesn't sell too well in France except to make them (and us) seem like freaks. Yet the French media is irresponsible in their reporting. I'm wondering where the six-page spread in Match is/was. I haven't seen it.

[Kitty]

some of the comments are approving, some of them are really not approving (because in part they believe in god). One explained that they are not catholics but baptists (not helping IMO, should have said protestants).

In the comment sections of both articles at least one person pointed out the major error of calling the Duggars ultraconservative Catholics.

Horrible research, though, horrible. A goddamn Google search and actually looking on their site would tell you everything you needed to know about the Duggars.