📺🕍 Da Duggar ‘Ohana an’ Dey Hard-Head Kine Evangelical Crusade Wen Get Buss Up
Da Duggar ‘Ohana, da stars of da TLC show “19 Kids & Counting,” dem guys was show like one big funny ‘ohana, kind of like da one from da movie “Cheaper by the Dozen.” But unda da surface, dem guys always was religious kine radicals who was stick to one extreme kind of patriarchal Christianity dat was against abortion, neva like LGBTQ+ rights, an’ was control da wahine by making dem always stay pregnant. Prime Video’s “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets,” get four parts an’ is one hard-head takedown of dis Arkansas ‘ohana, wit two of dem own peeps talking all about dem.📺🕍
But dis one no just about da Duggars. Dis show also show how da Duggars was da main guys promoting one sexist kine evangelical crusade fo’ make li’dat to da wahine, an’ fo’ spread da word all da way to Washington D.C. So, dis also is one heavy kine charge against TLC an’ Warner Discovery, da big company above dem, cuz dey wen help bring attention to one backwards an’ real chauvinistic movement.💼🗽
Jim Bob an’ Michelle Duggar’s faith was always da big thing on “19 Kids & Counting.” But what people neva see too much was dey strong ties to da Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), one real out-dere kine group dat was started by Bill Gothard. Gothard, as we see from plenty seminar speeches an’ promo videos, was preach one old-fashioned kine Christian teaching where da men was da bosses an’ da wahine was dey helpers. Whether was making da girls be pure an’ modest, giving da kids lickens to make dem stay in line, telling people fo’ not report bad treatment, or giving da faddahs—an’ odda male figures—total control ova da girls’ lives (especially about dating an’ marriage, which was kinda set up), dis was, an’ still is, one system for control an’ abuse—physically, mentally, emotionally, an’ sexually.👫💔
Jim Bob an’ Michelle’s ties to IBLP was out dea, but da TLC show neva even dig one inch unda da surface. Dey just went make money off of dem an’ dey fundamentalist lifestyle. But “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets” wen dig into dat, using plenty old footage (from “19 Kids & Counting” an’ IBLP materials) to show da connections between da Duggars an’ dey favorite religious group. Dose connections went even reach to child molestation an’ incest. During da time when da Duggar ‘ohana was all ova TLC, da oldest son, Josh Duggar, wen get busted fo’ molesting five young girls, including four of his own sistahs. But Jim Bob an’ Michelle wen sweep dat unda da rug (even had one Fox News special with Megyn Kelly where his sistahs wen defend him). Same ting went happen to Gothard an’ his braddah Steve, who was accused of touching, assaulting, an’ raping young girls (made Bill step down from IBLP), but dey neva had to face da law fo’ dey bad actions.🎬👨👩👦👦
Josh might have got away with his first crimes, but in 2019, he wasn’t so lucky when da feds wen bust him fo’ having gross kine child pornography. Now he stay in jail for 12 years, an’ “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets” shows him as da result of one kine evangelical homeschooling system dat was always making sex seem bad, teaching da boys fo’ be in charge an’ da girls fo’ just follow along, an’ protecting da guys who do wrong an’ blaming da victims.👮♂️🚔
In da show, Directors Julia Willoughby Nason an’ Olivia Crist show how Josh’s behavior was normal fo’ dis culture. We can see dat from all da ex-IBLP members (like Lindsey Williams, Tia Levings, Heather Heath, Lara Smith, Chad Harris, Tara, an’ Floyd Oathout) who get plenny guts fo’ talk about dey awful experiences in Gothard’s kind of like cult. Dey talk about how dey education was with “Wisdom Booklets” dat had all kine nonsense inside (“Hands are made of ‘nonliving’ atoms”) and teachings dat was make dem scared an’ ashamed. Dey also was threatened an’ abused by dey male friends, but dey couldn’t say nothing about it cuz dey was brainwashed fo’ think dat dey holy duty was to stay quiet an’ take it.🎓🤐
Odda parts of da show have Duggar ‘ohana friends Jim and Bobye Holt talking about how shocked an’ upset dey was about Josh’s actions, an’ how much better dey felt when dey could talk against him at his trial. But da biggest part of “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets” is when Jill Dillard (was Duggar), one of da girls Josh first molested, sit down with her husband Derick fo’ talk story about living with Jim Bob an’ Michelle, da stuff she was brainwashed to believe, an’ how she finally decided fo’ cut ties with her ‘ohana.👩👦🗣️
Jill neva say nothing straight up against Josh, an’ couple times she say dat she wish her own abuse neva wen go public, which shows how much she was taught to hide crimes (an’ criminals). But she does criticize how she was raised an’ da show, an’ da fact dat she neva was paid right fo’ being on “19 Kids & Counting” or da show “Jill & Jessa: Counting On” dat came after Josh’s scandal. Dis shows one odda way dat evangelicals take advantage of people: by using dem fo’ make money, often even making da kids work.💰💸
Jill’s cousin Amy King an’ Jim Bob’s sistah Deanna also wen criticize da Duggars fo’ dey actions, adding more inside voices to dis criticism of da reality TV stars an’, by extension, da religious group dat was using dem fo’ spread dey message an’ da entertainment machine dat gave dem one platform. TLC an’ dey parent company get plenty heat from “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets” fo’ making dis backwards religion look cute an’ tasty. Dis bad review get even louder when, in da last part of da show, lawyer Alex Harris talks about how da Duggars an’ IBLP is part of one big “Joshua Generation” plan fo’ raise an’ promote young evangelicals to da most powerful places in da country, from da Senate to da White House to da Supreme Court. Da Duggars not just one small thing; dem guys is shown as da leaders of one movement (also being pushed by plenty Christian social media influencers) dat is trying fo’ bring about one theocratic revolution.📺👨⚖️
In 2023, in one U.S. dat is full of conservative fanatics, “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets” shows da Duggars not as funny anti-birth control weirdos, but as sneaky radicals with one disgusting plan. Dis is one expose dat sounds like one warning about one growing group of religious Americans who think “The Handmaid’s Tale” is more like one dream than one nightmare.📚🇺🇸
NOW IN ENGLISH
📺🕍 The Duggar Family and Their Stubborn Evangelical Crusade Gets Exposed
The Duggar family, the stars of the TLC show “19 Kids & Counting,” were depicted as a large, jovial family, much like the one from the film “Cheaper by the Dozen.” However, beneath the surface, they were religious radicals staunchly adhering to a form of patriarchal Christianity that opposed abortion, did not support LGBTQ+ rights, and aimed to control women by maintaining their perpetual pregnancy. Prime Video’s “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets,” a four-part hard-hitting critique of this Arkansas family, includes interviews with two of their own.
However, this is not only about the Duggars. The series also exposes how the Duggars were principal advocates for a sexist evangelical crusade against women, spreading their message all the way to Washington D.C. Consequently, it levels a substantial indictment against TLC and its parent company, Warner Discovery, for giving visibility to a regressive and deeply misogynistic movement.💼🗽
The faith of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar was always a focal point on “19 Kids & Counting.” But what was less evident were their strong ties to the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), an extreme group founded by Bill Gothard. Gothard, as we see from numerous seminar speeches and promotional videos, propagated an antiquated Christian doctrine where men were the rulers and women were their helpers. This included advocating for female purity and modesty, corporal punishment for children, discouraging the reporting of mistreatment, and granting fathers—and other male figures—total control over women’s lives, especially regarding dating and marriage. This system, which continues to this day, is a mechanism for control and abuse—physically, mentally, emotionally, and sexually.👫💔
While Jim Bob and Michelle’s ties to the IBLP were apparent, the TLC show barely scratched the surface. Instead, they capitalized on them and their fundamentalist lifestyle. But “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets” delved into this, employing ample archival footage (from “19 Kids & Counting” and IBLP materials) to illustrate the connections between the Duggars and their preferred religious group. Those connections extended to child molestation and incest. During the Duggar family’s reign on TLC, the eldest son, Josh Duggar, was exposed for molesting five young girls, including four of his own sisters. But Jim Bob and Michelle swept this under the rug (even orchestrating a Fox News special with Megyn Kelly where his sisters defended him). A similar situation occurred with Gothard and his brother Steve, who were accused of touching, assaulting, and raping young girls (leading to Bill stepping down from IBLP), but they never faced legal repercussions for their actions.🎬👨👩👦👦
Josh might have evaded consequences for his initial crimes, but in 2019, he wasn’t so lucky when federal authorities arrested him for possessing child pornography. He is now serving a 12-year prison sentence, and “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets” depicts him as the product of an evangelical homeschooling system that demonized sex, taught boys to dominate, girls to submit, and shielded those who committed wrongs while blaming the victims.👮♂️🚔
In the series, Directors Julia Willoughby Nason and Olivia Crist demonstrate how Josh’s behavior was typical of this culture. This is evident through interviews with numerous ex-IBLP members (like Lindsey Williams, Tia Levings, Heather Heath, Lara Smith, Chad Harris, Tara, and Floyd Oathout) who bravely share their horrendous experiences in Gothard’s quasi-cult. They recount their education with “Wisdom Booklets” filled with nonsensical teachings (“Hands are made of ‘nonliving’ atoms”) and doctrine that made them fearful and ashamed. They were also threatened and abused by their male peers, but could not speak out because they had been brainwashed to believe that their holy duty was to remain silent and endure it.🎓🤐
Other parts of the series feature Duggar family friends Jim and Bobye Holt discussing their shock and distress over Josh’s actions, and their relief at finally being able to testify against him at his trial. But the most significant part of “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets” occurs when Jill Dillard (née Duggar), one of Josh’s first victims, sits down with her husband Derick to share her experiences living with Jim Bob and Michelle, the beliefs she was indoctrinated with, and her decision to sever ties with her family.👩👦🗣️
Jill never directly condemns Josh, and at times even wishes her own abuse hadn’t been made public, illustrating how she was taught to conceal crimes (and criminals). However, she criticizes her upbringing and the show, and expresses dissatisfaction over not being adequately compensated for her participation in “19 Kids & Counting” or its spin-off “Jill & Jessa: Counting On” that followed Josh’s scandal. This reveals another way in which evangelicals exploit people: by utilizing them for profit, often making children work.💰💸
Jill’s cousin Amy King and Jim Bob’s sister Deanna also criticize the Duggars for their actions, adding more internal voices to this criticism of the reality TV stars and, by extension, the religious group that used them to propagate their message and the entertainment machine that provided them a platform. TLC and their parent company face significant criticism from “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets” for presenting this regressive religion in a charming and palatable way. This negative review intensifies when, in the series finale, lawyer Alex Harris discusses how the Duggars and IBLP are part of a larger “Joshua Generation” plan to raise and promote young evangelicals to the highest echelons of power in the country, from the Senate to the White House to the Supreme Court. The Duggars are depicted not as a minor entity, but as leaders of a movement (also being promoted by numerous Christian social media influencers) striving for a theocratic revolution.📺👨⚖️
In 2023, in a U.S. rife with conservative extremists, “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets” presents the Duggars not as comedic opponents of birth control, but as covert radicals with a repugnant plan. This expose reads like a warning about a growing faction of religious Americans who view “The Handmaid’s Tale” more as a utopia than a dystopia.📚🇺🇸
