Breaking: The Duggars receive Pro-Family Entertainment Award at Value Voters Summit

[Emit]

No surprise here really.

As posted previously, Joe from Joe.My.God. is on it:

Children Of The Corn Clown Car

The Duggars and their nineteen crotch-fruit won the "Pro-Family Entertainment Award" at the Family Research Council's Values Voter Summit yesterday ... And then the children of the corn took out their violins and sang about the righteousness of Jeesbus and the cold, cold loneliness of being just one of nineteen children.
(video at link)

http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/09/children-of-corn-clown-car.html


But, digby weighs in with deeper insight on the Duggars:

Training For Servitude

by digby

I don't know how many of you have ever watched the Discovery Channel reality show "The Duggars" but I have on occasion and it's fascinating. I never knew exactly what religion they practiced, but it was clear it was some sort of fundamentalist Christian sect that didn't believe in birth control. And I wondered if they were involved in the Quiverfull movement. Apparently so:

Last weekend, (43 year old) Michelle Duggar—mother of 19, grandmother of one, and star of the hit reality series on TLC 19 Kids and Counting —was named Mother of the Year by the Christian Reconstructionist group Vision Forum at its "Historic Baby Conference."

According to Vision Forum’s statement, the conference "featured encouraging messages on the blessing of children and the culture of life, special lectures and panel discussions for mothers, forums on child-training, and presentations for the whole family that explored the wonder of God’s creation through the intricacies of the womb."

The event, the award, and the TLC show are excellent illustrations of how a Reconstructionist worldview has trickled into the broader American culture in ways that are not always obvious.

Vision Forum and its president, Doug Phillips (who is the son of conservative movement icon and Constitution Party founder Howard Phillips) are strong advocates of the biblical patriarchy movement. Since the 1970s there has been an influential biblical feminist movement, advocating equality in evangelicalism and fundamentalism. Changing attitudes led to many controversies which I documented in my book, Evangelical Christian Women: War Stories in the Gender Battles. Biblical patriarchy was a direct reaction to this biblical feminism.

~snip~

The show doesn't proselytize about any of this. And watching the show I developed a fondness for the family. They are all very loving and sweet and supportive of one another and the little kids (there are so many of them!) are just adorable. You can certainly see why a TV producer would find this family appealing.

But as I watched, it became clear that there was something more odd about them than just their unusual numbers. And after a while I realized that it was the oppressiveness of their insularity, particularly for the older girls, who seem to be emotionally underdeveloped and nearly obsessed with childbearing. It's the entire focus of the females, as you might imagine, who are basically raising children from the time they are able to pick one up. Their world is just so small and they seem to have no agency at all even when they are in their late teens.

~snip~

Oh, and by the way, the Christian Reconstructionists/Quiverfull people really do believe in Christian fundamentalist Theocracy. If they were ever to achieve real political power, they would legislate this way of life. Indeed, their allies are working hard to outlaw abortion and birth control by any means necessary, which would be an excellent practical step toward their goal.

~snip~

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/trained-into-ssrvitude-michelle-duggar.html

[sakabatou]

1. ...

:puke:

[jhrobbins]

16. I have a very funny story about the Duggars. My partner and I, for some perverse reason,

also watch the Duggars. In one episode, Jim Bob's father had died and everyone was grieving and tip-toeing around their grandmother. At one point, Michelle was talking about her mother-in-law, Jim Bob's mother and recent widow. Michelle said words to the effect of how they were there if she needed them, saying, 'you know Mother Duggar, we all love you, etc, etc.
My partner and I roared at this and when they came back from commercial, apparently the director had spoken to her. She has never said Mother Duggar again.

We however, say it all the time.

:rofl:

[underpants]

2. Have any of their eligible Christian soldiers sign up yet?

I think that the answer is NO

[BrklynLiberal]

3. -puke-...uncontrollably

[Canuckistanian]

4. In my mind, "Pro-Family" and "entertainment" don't belong together

There's NOTHING that kills off being entertained more than being not-so-subtly lectured on your "morals"

[meowomon]

5. Many Christians think that "fruitful" means just more kids.

I don't think that is a correct interpretation. There is nothing "fruitful" about risking your life for a pregnancy and especially nothing "fruitful" about a premature baby with a multitude of health problems and having to be fed with a tube down it's nose. They may be multiplying, but they are not producing very healthy fruit.

[iamjoy]

6. I Am A Values Voter

I vote based on who best embodies my values of equality and justice.

[MichaelHarris]

7. Well

[Ruby the Liberal]

9. Vagina or Xerox machine?

They are cute kiddos, but damn. They look like clones.

[MichaelHarris]

10. I just wonder,

during oral sex does he get an echo?

[eppur_se_muova]

15. .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=210&topic_id=33245&mesg_id=33258

[Ruby the Liberal]

8. Ugh. These children don't get to have a childhood as

they are too busy raising their siblings. What parents can POSSIBLY properly raise and nurture so many children? If they sleep 8 hours a day, that leaves 16. Minus 1-2 for personal hygiene and you have 14. 14 hours a day is not enough to properly raise 19 kids simultaneously.

Of COURSE these girls obsess about kids. They have been raised to believe that is how things are done. Have your kids raise your kids - as they have not had enough mom/dad one-on-one time to know anything different!

[spinbaby]

11. I watched them for the first time today

They were sponsored by a birth-control pill.:rofl:

[Emit]

13. You're kidding

seriously?

lol

[lib2DaBone]

12. The Duggars gag a maggot....

[Ilsa]

14. "child training". Right, more like brainwashing. I wonder if they encourage

their children to develop critical thinking skills. Naaaaaaaaa.