Punching the Duggars.... Brent Bozell

[mystery-ak]

http://townhall.com/columnists/brentbozell/2014/11/07/punching-the-duggars-n1915361/print


Punching the Duggars
Brent Bozell
11/7/2014 12:01:00 AM - Brent Bozell

While so much of reality television dwells on catty "Real Housewives" and Snooki-style party-hearty debauchery, it's interesting to note that a small fraction of this ever-expanding genre is celebrating evangelical Christianity and values like chastity.

This drives the libertines crazy. Washington Post TV critic Hank Stuever recently raged on the Internet against the Duggar family of TLC's "19 Kids & Counting" and how they are no more worthy of attention than the Kardashians. Their children are denied "freedom of choice."

"My thoughts on the Duggars are few and far between because I think the show treats its viewers like they're learning-disabled," he wrote. Then he doubled down. "The viewers, not the Duggars. Although ... "

Leftists, especially openly gay writers like Stuever, itch for the children to rebel against that old-time religion. "I guess we just sit and wait and hope that there's a contrarian in the bunch who gets the itch to write a tell-all at some point down the road. I'd be surprised if anyone seriously watches the Duggar show out of a place of envy."

It is the right of a TV critic to knock the Duggar show as too sweet and happy and prim for his snarky tastes. But how do those critics react when you knock a show they like? "If you don't like it, turn the channel!" Let's face it, the Duggar family isn't broken by divorce or addiction or other social maladies. That is why the critics are turned off.

On the other hand, the celebrity magazines have found these popular Christian reality shows to be worthy of cover stories. The latest Us Weekly forwards "Duck Dynasty" teenager Sadie Robertson's decision to forego premarital sex. A recent edition of People magazine reported on newly married Jill Duggar and the family's "Extreme Courtship Rules." Those principles are a direct challenge to today's hookup culture, and that's what makes magazine readers so curious about them.

It naturally follows that loutish "sex columnist" Dan Savage would get in his insults at these "professional virgins." The conservative blog site Twitchy took exception to his wisecracking on Twitter that the Duggar daughters should observe his mating rules, including his notion of "F--- First." Savage thinks people should be sexually compatible before marriage, so chastity is a terrible idea. In fact, he despises virginity and its advocates. His rules also include cheating, which is "inevitable" in his mind.

After Twitchy spurred the conservative Twitterati to attack him, Savage then responded with a 2,500-word attack on the Duggar worldview. Like Stuever, it begins with the notion that Christians are an organized "hate group." Their oldest son Josh now works for the Family Research Council, which validates their charge, they would tell you.

Savage argues that if the Duggars were Muslims and Josh worked for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, conservatives would never embrace them. "But the right wing doesn't have a problem with the Duggars: They're the right color, they worship the right God, and they want to impose the right brand of theocracy."

Savage, like Stuever, wishes these robot-children would grow up to reject their freakish parents: "I have hopes for all the unmarried little Duggars still being pimped on television and dragged to campaign rallies: I hope they all get out from under the thumbs of their crazy, controlling, virginity-obsessed parents."

Leftists better hope their "best wishes" for rebellion are never turned on them. Would it seem kind for conservatives to wish that Dan Savage's adopted son should write a "tell-all book" about growing up having to hear all about his "father's" extreme sex rules and obsessions? It would seem unkind, intolerant and smug --S all adjectives that apply to the Duggar bashers.

[jmyrlefuller]

You know what's interesting about people who successfully practice abstinence before marriage?

They marry at a very young age. In fact, being in my late 20s I'm already probably much too old to find such a woman.

I once went to see a Baptist bluegrass band that came to my hometown. The lead singer was 19 years old, way too young for me—and already she was a newlywed.

You see, the idea of being chaste before marriage is not so much about deprivation at all. It's about commitment—the idea that both partners know full well the gravity of what sex brings and what sex is for. The courtships/engagements are short, and the couples who do it the best stay together for a really long time.

[EC]

I was more a less crass version of Bozell with our kids (had to be, really - wife and I didn't get formally married until we were expecting number 3. Hey, it was the 70's.). Once they were serious, a trial or two was in order to make sure the plumbing fits and works well together. Always figured it's best to make sure that the engagement is for love and a sense of partnership, not frustrated randiness.

Bit dubious about some of the Duggars dating rules, especially the chaperoning thing since I prefer to raise kids who can talk to me about anything and who know I trust them to keep their heads and their word, but it's their beliefs, not mine.

[olde north church]

I think the proper response to the anti-Christian posts would be something like pics of beheadings, disfigurement and anus concrete pours.  Along with a blurb like "Oh, this kind of open-mindedness?"
They won't last long but a few minutes would be all that's necessary.  Guerilla politics at it's finest.

[EC]

I think the proper response to the anti-Christian posts would be something like pics of beheadings, disfigurement and anus concrete pours.  Along with a blurb like "Oh, this kind of open-mindedness?"
They won't last long but a few minutes would be all that's necessary.  Guerilla politics at it's finest.

Not far enough - throw in some stuff from the militant atheists as well.

Better still, do a paired picture - one of the ones you suggested with a Christian one (I like the picture of the Canadian congregation repainting the graffiti'd mosque) with the caption "This type of open-mindedness? ..... "Or this?"

[olde north church]

Not far enough - throw in some stuff from the militant atheists as well.

Better still, do a paired picture - one of the ones you suggested with a Christian one (I like the picture of the Canadian congregation repainting the graffiti'd mosque) with the caption "This type of open-mindedness? ..... "Or this?"

Just a quick tangential question, if I may?  Do Sikhs emigrate to Great Britain and if so, do they put up with the Muslim shit?

[EC]

Just a quick tangential question, if I may?  Do Sikhs emigrate to Great Britain and if so, do they put up with the Muslim shit?

Probably still some coming in, especially if they already have relatives here, but not that many. Most of them here now came back in the 50's and assimilated (while keeping their own culture and identity intact). They are fully English, with some different customs and traditions, and that's how they tend to consider themselves and be considered. Sort of like the USA, really, when the melting pot meant something.

The ones I know are not at all fond of the shitty Muslims or their antics - especially ones of Pakistani descent. Lot's of bad blood there that goes back centuries. They actively detest the Somalis though (that seems to be pretty much universal). In turn, even the most extreme Muslim leaves the Sikhs alone. Sikhs are always (legally) armed, even here, and are not at all shy about standing for themselves and theirs.

[olde north church]

Probably still some coming in, especially if they already have relatives here, but not that many. Most of them here now came back in the 50's and assimilated (while keeping their own culture and identity intact). They are fully English, with some different customs and traditions, and that's how they tend to consider themselves and be considered. Sort of like the USA, really, when the melting pot meant something.

The ones I know are not at all fond of the shitty Muslims or their antics - especially ones of Pakistani descent. Lot's of bad blood there that goes back centuries. They actively detest the Somalis though (that seems to be pretty much universal). In turn, even the most extreme Muslim leaves the Sikhs alone. Sikhs are always (legally) armed, even here, and are not at all shy about standing for themselves and theirs.

We would do well do ally ourselves with these brave warriors.  Problem over here is the Jerkwater Jimmies who see a turban and think the worst.

[EC]

We would do well do ally ourselves with these brave warriors.  Problem over here is the Jerkwater Jimmies who see a turban and think the worst.

We have the same problem with the jerkwaters here. You'd think after a couple hundred years, including a couple of very vicious wars, they'd know the difference, but nope. Turban = bad.

Warriors they are, in all senses of the word. I admire them immensely, especially their built in habit of acting rather than talking.