The Countercultural Appeal of 19 Kids and Counting
Considering most of what we see on TV, the Duggar family is basically transgressive.

The new season of 19 Kids and Counting is here. And I'm excited. So what?
Generally speaking, I enjoy the most salacious, violent, and depressing television shows I can find. Maybe it's just a perverse form of escapism, maybe it's the high quality of shows being produced these days, but I can't resist "prestige" television—The Wire, Breaking Bad, Fargo, The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, House Of Cards, The Walking Dead and so on. For that matter, I also hung around for four seasons of The Killing and watched every episode of Halt and Catch Fire. So, apparently, whatever you make, I'll tune in.
It was only by chance that I stumbled across the decidedly wholesome and un-artistic 19 Kids and Counting. I showed up to mock the unbridled puritanism of a bunch of freaks—not to mention poke fun at my own family for watching such dreck—and I never left. I can't remember when it happened exactly and I don't know if I'll be able shake this bizarre feeling, but I do know that I'm hooked on what has to be the most countercultural show on TV these days.
For the unfamiliar, 19 Kids and Counting is a reality television show featuring the Duggar family of northwestern Arkansas. The Duggars are devout Independent Baptists, a fundamentalist offshoot of Baptism that, from what I can gather, is a bit cultish and has experienced some rough patches over the past few years. No matter; the Duggars never proselytize as far as I can tell—unless you count making a pious life with tons of kids seem fulfilling and extraordinarily fun.

What the Duggars do is engage in the reactionary act of producing a large number of offspring—all of whom are given first names that begin with "J" (though "Jinger" seems like cheating to me). Jim Bob and Michelle have also have gone through two miscarriages (the show deals with the family's grieving process) and have a couple of grandkids. And other comparably enormous families tend to pop in and out of their lives as the Duggars do their mission work and disembark in various cities and tourist sites around the country.
This week, the new season kicked off. It will focus on Jill Duggar, one of the older girls, and her pending marriage to a ridiculously respectful young man named Derek. This relationship blossomed after a courtship—the Duggar children court prospective mates, they do not date. (As a father of two daughters, this seems far less outrageous than I would have imagined.)

Though it stands to reason that the show is often staged, what I see cuts against many cultural notions we have about family: what children strive for, what parents owe their kids, how a family acts towards one another, what young people are capable of. Considering what we see on TV, it's basically transgressive. A place where homeschooling is treated as a reasonable way to educate your children, where kids talk about "honoring" their parents rather than demanding things from them, and where older kids start successful small businesses without a traditional college education.
I can recall that the shows my children grew up watching almost always featured some bratty kid with an endless supply of snappy comebacks and the ability to outwit all the hapless adults in their lives. Most reality TV I've run across oscillates between depravity and stupidity. 19 Kids and Counting is basically the most earnest show I've ever watched. And while almost any mainstream show I grew up watching saw social conservatives through a political prism—irrational and hopeless—the Duggars' charitable spirit allows people to see the manifestation of religious ideals in real-time. Or so this apostate imagines. In any event, it's almost impossible to not be charmed.
The Duggars lifestyle is completely foreign to me. By any measure, their lives should rub my secular sensibilities the wrong way, and the austerity of their beliefs are still somewhat off-putting. But whether you believe the family's lifestyle is optimal or not—and I don't—you can learn from them. What will most impress any parent is the boundless patience Jim Bob and Michelle have towards their many children. They handle situations with calmness and purpose, focusing on preparing capable adults, but also good people. Which all sounds terribly boring, but it's not. I never imagined that I would ever find myself asking the question "What would Jim Bob do?" … But, well, there it is.
Now, I certainly don't want to be a Duggar, but I have to confess that I want to be more like a Duggar than I am right now. Or maybe I just need a break from all the cynicism. So what?
Editor's Note: As of February 29, 2024, commenting privileges on reason.com posts are limited to Reason Plus subscribers. Past commenters are grandfathered in for a temporary period. Subscribe here to preserve your ability to comment. Your Reason Plus subscription also gives you an ad-free version of reason.com, along with full access to the digital edition and archives of Reason magazine. We request that comments be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment and ban commenters for any reason at any time. Comments may only be edited within 5 minutes of posting. Report abuses.
Please
to post comments
Strange this article is surprisingly level headed and devoid of typical Reason cosmopolitan antinomianism. Wonder why that is? Oh wait author has two daughters mystery solved.
Libertarianism is the ideology of people who are certain they will never have daughters.
And Wa alaykumu as-salam to you, my brother. Tell me, Has Deir ez-Zor fallen to the Believers yet?
Good argument. No one has ever opposed social permissiveness except radical Muslims. I mean sure Thatcher mentioned it a few times but what did she do that compares with the vast success of libertarians. I mean currently the libertarian movement is influential enough to support one tv show on the Fox Business Channel. So basically Lou Dobbs and libertarianism are punching at about the same political influence.
And of course when it comes to rand Paul's foreign policy the score board reads Isis 1 Reason 0.
Considering that we supported ISIS and gave them a place to thrive...
That sounds like ISIS 1, Reason 1, and McCain -10,000.
I came toward libertarianism after I had two daughters.
Must be an outlier.
Guess so.
I would like to think that libertarian parents of daughters would train them to be well-knowledged in the hazards of casual sex and well-trained in physical self-defense, instead of oversheltering them with the old "lock-em-in-the-basement-til-she's-30" attitude.
I have a daughter who's 4 now, and I'm doing my best to properly raise her to know right from wrong and virtue from vice and all that, but I also know she'll eventually become an adult and want to go out, party and experiment with people and things. And I'd rather educate her on the dangers than just flat-out say NO, that's BAD.
"Libertarianism is the ideology of people who are certain they will never have daughters."
I did not know this!
And, come to think about it, I still don't! It's bullshit.
I have a daughter.
Meh.
Libertarianism is the ideology of people who are certain they will never have daughters.
He says to the former state Chair of a libertarian party who has two daughters.
After explaining why his libertarianism was unusually sober minded and insightful. Almost as if the two things were related.
I'm a libertarian. I'm a Christian Fundamentalist. Nice to meet you.
I'm almost certainly going to adopt a daughter.
Hi Ace,
If by "Christian Fundamentalist" you mean that as a Christian, you put on the very top of your list, the "fundamental" of treating other people the way you'd like to be treated, then GREAT for you, that's the ethic I aspire to also. If you mean you try to take every word of the Bible literally, then I have the below thoughts for you?
... (See next post).
Our that them thar VALUES of society outta come from that them thar HOLY BIBLE, and if ya read it right, it actually says that God wants us to KILL EVERYBODY!!! Follow me through now: No one is righteous, NONE (Romans 3:10). Therefore, ALL must have done at least one thing bad, since they'd be righteous, had they never done anything bad. Well, maybe they haven't actually DONE evil, maybe they THOUGHT something bad (Matt. 5:28, thoughts can be sins). In any case, they must've broken SOME commandment, in thinking or acting, or else they'd be righteous. James 2:10 tells us that if we've broken ANY commandment, we broke them ALL. Now we can't weasel out of this by saying that the New Testament has replaced the Old Testament, because Christ said that he's come to fulfill the old law, not to destroy it (Matt. 5:17). So we MUST conclude that all are guilty of everything. And the Old Testament lists many capital offenses! There's working on Sunday. There's also making sacrifices to, or worshipping, the wrong God (Exodus 22:20, Deut. 17:2-5), or even showing contempt for the Lord's priests or judges (Deut. 17:12). All are guilty of everything, including the capital offenses. OK, so now we're finally there... God's Word COMMANDS us such that we've got to kill EVERYBODY!!!
Honest question;
do you really think that this borderling incoherent string of verses that you've googled up is a revelation to the Christian community? Do you think that two thousand years of discussion and discourse, and study in greater depth than probably any other subject in Western thought... just didn't put it together? Are you saying that thinkers like Erasmus, Luther, Calvin, and Wycliffe just didn't put as much time into studying it like SQRLSY One? You are literally saying that you know scripture better than all of the Christians who literally don't kill everyone. Think about the amazing ignorance in that assumption.
I mean, even if it's all fiction, even if it's all bullshit, don't try to act like you're going to pull one over on people who actually read it every day, and some who have most of it memorized.
I mean, Lord of the Rings is fiction, but I'm not going to act like I understand it better than my buddy who tries to live it, and can quote most of the Silmarillion. I'll just nod my head and talk about something else when he does.
Well "duh" for those with impaired sarcasm meters, I am saying, you can justify ANYTHING you want to, out of the Bible, or any other "Holy" book, for that matter. The evil will do evil, and find verses to justify themselves, and the good will do good, and ditto. Ethics and morality comes from our own intuition and good will, and we can put the "Holy Books" to the side, and work from our own understanding and experiences, instead, and be better off. Whenever I see a Biblical literalist coming my way, I hide the women and the whiskey, because they are usually up to no good! As Shakespeare's character said in one play or another, "The Devil, too, knows how to quote Scripture". Too many (not all) literalists think that they can kiss God's ass by being more literalistic than the next guy, and that is just one big fat evil fib? The RIGHT way to kiss God's ass, is to treat other people the way we want to be treated. And I need NO "Holy Book" to do that!
Libertarianism needs patriarchal social conservatism to work. When you "liberate" women from having to marry, women don't mysteriously acquire the strength, agency and generally rational decision-making that they lacked before. They still need those things, and if they reject seeking them in stable marriages with men of good character, they will turn to the state as a substitute for husbands.
And that means they will tend to vote for defective politicians with good "game" who offer them security in exchange for those votes. Social conservatives understand this on some level by attacking the moral legitimacy of women's sexual freedom. They think like economists: When you increase women's sexual freedom, you do so at the cost of political and economic freedoms which over the long run have more value.
Well yeah? Allow me to split hairs? Women (or others in general) can have all the sexual freedom (short of raping others) they want, and it is OK by me. Just don't use the state (coercion) to make me pay for your REPRODUCTIVE freedom. Use birth control, or give your babies up for adoption if you cannot feed them; do not be stealing my stuff from me to feed them, and then be telling me how compassionate you are, with my stuff / money!
You do realize, I hope, that reality tv isn't.
Yeah, the show is pretty subversive, isn't it?
tongue-in-cheek.
It seems quite outrageous to me that people here in the U.S. do not court but 'date' (which sometimes means sleeping together.) I courted my wife. My brother courted his. And none of us are Baptists.
Yes. But we all can't afford to hire mariachi to serenade our heart's desire.
Have you tried?
How is courting different than dating?
I was referring specifically to hiring mariachi. I mean, dinner at a first rate restaurant runs, what, $250 if you don't drink? Should be in the same ball park, shouldn't it?
This whole COURT is out of order!
/out of place
All I can say is these people must think very highly of their own genes.
Doesn't matter. Their genes will dominate yours, along with the Mormons and Catholics and others who have large families and pass those values on.
I'm assuming they've never adopted; I wonder why.
Or the ZPG people think very little of THEIRS. It can work both ways.
I don't watch these shows about oddball families (like the one about the midgets, for example) but when I see them advertised I wonder "How the fuck can they afford to live like that?"
I swear I must be doing something wrong.
You don't have a TV show. According to Wikipedia, Discovery Networks finished their house for them. That lightens the burden a bit.
Finished their house and likely cover al their expenses plus cash. It's a gold mine for the channel. Ever see Jim Bob working? Nope.
Terrifying show. Women have not advanced at all in their cult.
I heard they don't even let their women read.
/derp
I saw something on the Duggar's once on how they live, it may even have been one of the episodes. First of all, they live very frugally, lots of second hand and thrift clothing and furniture. Very little extraneous expenditures. They do a lot of the work themselves rather than have somebody else do it (They and their friends built it themselves from kits they engineered together. They used to buy their kids at a certain age a cordless power drill -- a good one). They have rental property which helps supplement their income.
Take that all in, I can see how they do.
They make their own laundry detergent too.
That's how I encountered them on YouTube. YouTube (also the WWW in gen'l) is full of recipes for laundry detergent, most of them being pretty darn inferior?basically a lot of alkali with a little grated soap, probably rough on most fabrics. The $ savings are illusory AFAICT, based on the fact that alkali are cheaper than soap. Should be OK if you wear heavy clothes & don't wash them often, as was the case 150 yrs. ago.
We've all been told how much birth control costs, so I can see Mrs. Duggar must be saving $$$thousands each year!
That sounds like one crazy dude.
http://www.Crypt-Anon.tk
I... find myself asking the question "What would Jim Bob do?" ...
Raise good kids and treat his wife like a baby factory?
Why do you assume she has no say in the matter? Some women LIKE being pregnant. It isn't a headspace I can put myself in, but it appears to be true.
"I certainly don't want to be a Duggar, but I have to confess that I want to be more like a Duggar than I am right now"
Google "Bill Gothard survivors". Google "quiverfull survivors". Google "Patrick Henry College survivors". I think you'll change your mind.
The Duggars are part of fundamentalist evangelical cult (yes, cult, I grew up in a similar environment). Women are strongly discouraged from attending college and working (and even living) outside the home, there's an obsession with purity and virginity that blames mens' transgressions on loose women instead of men assuming responsibility for their own behavior, and a belief that if you bring enough children into the world under this system, you can help usher in Christ's kingdom on earth. It's truly scary, bizarre, and in far too many cases, abusive stuff.
And most of this was orchestrated by Bill Gothard, a 70-something, single/never married man, who recently was forced to resign from the organization he built after decades of sexual harassment against young women came to light. The Duggars are devoted follows of Gothard, but curiously, his name his conveniently never (or rarely) mentioned.
"When I hear the word virginity I reach for my gun."
The plangent moan of lonely teenagers everywhere. Do you hate innocence, prudence, thrift, and moderation too? Or just the virtue you blame for the rub burns on your hands in high school? But thanks for pointing this out I always seek out disgruntled ex-members when analyzing an organization.
"And most of this was orchestrated by Bill Gothard, a 70-something, single/never married man, who recently was forced to resign from the organization he built after decades of sexual harassment against young women came to light."
You don't really expect people to Google Bill Gothard, do you? Because they might find out that there is a difference between "sexual harassment" and "indiscretions". You're hoping people will just assume the worst and believe everything you say, rather than letting them make up their own minds as to whether touching hair and feet constitutes the same thing as rape or molestation.
I'm not a fan of Bill Gothard, but I know a thing or two about his teachings having grown up with religious parents and relatives who were into them. Again, I don't like him. But it's not a goddamn cult and it's not right to label him and his fans as such just because you've got something against Christians.
Fairly typical schismatic Christian sect, then. America produces them regularly. They either die away, or stabilize and go mainstream (Mormons being one example).
One can frame almost any lifestyle to sound like the brainstorm of a nut. I happen to, mostly, agree with you about this one, but is it any worse than the idiocy that dominates most Western colleges? And it is demonstrably better than what ISIS (or whatever they are calling themselves this week) are pushing, if only by degree.
Whenever I see a 'survivors' website I read it to see the failure modes of the crazy being preached at "pick.it" organization. The people who post there are typically those who got jammed up in a particular failure mode.
I live about 30 miles east of PHC, I know fair number of the graduates. What I see are smart and well adjusted people. The self selection that comes with the act of writing on a survivors website cannot be ignored.
That said ... one of the worst I ever saw was at "http://www.sgmsurvivors.com/"
"The Duggars are part of fundamentalist evangelical cult ..."
The Duggars don't appear to be harming or demanding anything from anyone else. They seem to be happy, industrious and self sufficient. While I don't want to follow their lifestyle, I've got no reason to begrudge them the right to make their own choices.
"It's truly scary, bizarre, and in far too many cases, abusive stuff."
In what way does the Duggar's lifestyle, which is very well documented, fit that description. And I'm curious, do you think somebody should do something about their "scary, bizarre and abusive" lifestyle?
Is Halt and Catch Fire about computers and the programming thereof? It was a joke about one or more computers that a certain undocumented op code would cause them to lock up and hence deserved the assembler mnemonic HCF for Halt & Catch Fire.
It is. My parents keep recommending I watch it. But because I actually program computers for a living, I can't suspend disbelief for long enough to get into the story.
I love the show.
The Duggars are doing their own thing AND acting responsibly. Isn't that libertarian?
new balance 574new balance outlet There are many styles derived, which are: the classic models, the youth will never fade RGB models, the Olympic rings models and so on. Each pair of shoes the color is determined by the integrity, and for
a moving, as well as a unique charm of their own, different colors can represent each of us one day is not the same mood. In addition, it is compared to the 996 version will be more movement and more giving a vibrant sense of youth.
new balance 998
The most casual fashion new balance 574 matching methods do in fact find new balance sales area, guaranteed to make you easy to find here a real fit with their own methods. The shoes to match up with their whole dress with each other, to be able to highlight its features shoes. The shoe itself is a casual fashion, so with clothes, casual fashion with out the effect is certainly no better choice.
Chanel (Chanel)
This season was to explore the theme of fashion and art, Karl Lagerfeld give full play to his unique color technology, to show a different style, this Plaid graffiti bag, stylish yet luxurious, full of personality. Metal and stitching lines, mix color matching, showing not the same style, bags do the old design, reflecting the retro Style.
Cheap Chanel Handbags
best chanel gifts
Chanel sunglasses, Chanel Black sunglasses, Chanel Designer sunglasses, Chanel Eyewear, Chanel womens sunglasses, Chanel ladies sunglassesChanel (Chanel)
The new season's Chanel bag filled with street atmosphere, a new concept of graffiti fashion, showing young rebellious personality, so increasingly popular new fashion, fashion is not necessarily the traditional model. The new graffiti designs, expressed through color rebellious style, different color, with a rope design reflects the combination of personality Feel, chains and fabrics, soft but just.where to buy chanel
Nike DUNK SB series shoes are recommended over the largest number of products in the shoes of a, and 85 years from the first pair of Dunk SB turned out to now, Dunk SB high, mid, low to help, but also ordinary level, P-class, S-class! color is more colorful aspects of it. In addition, because it is closer to the style and casual shoes, it is also better outfit.
New balance regardless of style or a Nike sneakers
running shoes couple of other shoes are a perfect example of the influx of people in the eyes of contemporary, 575,996 series is to create an essential tool, such as retro sportsman tide woman. And the reason for the brand's new balance shoes to be welcomed because it is regardless of appearance or shoes with colors are very nice, very nice, very wild. I think this is all the more willing to buy because of the brand to wear shoes like it. Couple models is very important that both men and women
Nike DUNK SB series shoes are recommended over the largest number of products in the shoes of a, and 85 years from the first pair of Dunk SB turned out to now, Dunk SB high, mid, low to help, but also ordinary level, P-class, S-class! color is more colorful aspects of it. In addition, because it is closer to the style and casual shoes, it is also better outfit.
New balance regardless of style or a Nike Air Jordan Retro Shoes Online Store
Nike Shoes couple of other shoes are a perfect example of the influx of people in the eyes of contemporary, 575,996 series is to create an essential tool, such as retro sportsman tide woman. And the reason for the brand's new balance shoes to be welcomed because it is regardless of appearance or shoes with colors are very nice, very nice, very wild. I think this is all the more willing to buy because of the brand to wear shoes like it. Couple models is very important that both men and women
This article hasn't given my one reason why I would consider watching this piece of shit show. I'm sure that any one of us has a family that is just as interesting. 19 kids? Jesus Christ. What the actual fuck? This woman's vagina must look like a yawning hippo.
I believe we all know that New Balance running shoes are becoming "President jogging shoes", of course, it is definitely not for nothing, and indeed there are many national leaders to wear New Balance running shoes, such as Obama and our country a leader. And it has also become a powerful and hidden advertising, making New Balance running shoes sector heel stations in more steady. Since it is so "favored" Let Xiaobian to be a New Balance running shoes recommend it.
New Balance running shoes recommended --FRESH FOAM980 Series
new balance 574new balance outlet
To talk nb jogging shoes we recommend you first say what FRESH FOAM980 series now. This series of running shoes is the biggest feature: using a unique cellular protection tablets, capsules protect your feet, the main push to bring as wearing shoe cloud-like experience. It also uses a BLPWN RUBBER rubber outsole is 40% lighter than ordinary rubber more flexible, giving you a better shock experience. In addition to superior technological performance, sole combines color ran the concept offers a variety of color for this pair of shoes, give runners more extensive selection.
New Balance running shoes recommended - can be very casual shoes
new balancenew balance store
New Balance running shoes to wear in addition to running, but now they frequently appear at the foot of many sister, showing NB running shoes is a pair of shoes for everyday casual wild. As a daily outfit of New Balance running shoes, a lot of the recommended range. Whether on the streets of New Balance Van children 574 series is full of neon fluorescent brightening the California South Coast style 580 series; also, or simple rustic amount of light New Balance 996 series or youth RGB New Balance 574 series and so on, each series has its own features, can also be easily worn alone Tefan Dachu own children!
air max and zoom are NIKE air cushion shoes, there are many consumers confuse these two products, in fact, these two products both have large differences in design and functionality. As air max and zoom to find out which is good, it is a matter of opinion. Because different each consumer preferences, changes in the scope of application, etc., these two shoe design, functional requirements also vary. Here we come from the perspective of a third party, let's compare these two types of shoes.
cheap nike air maxNike Air Max
air max and zoom which is good, of course, is to see the functional role, the design goal. Air max, Nike launched a second air-cushioned shoes, that is, on the basis of air cushion shoes were refitted after air-cushioned shoes. Classic Air series, has no doubt, a strong cushion of the shoe has to make it difficult to forget. And a modified design airmax intensified, starting to play to the role of the mechanism, reducing the maximum movement of the body caused by injury, able to protect the most powerful athletes. air max and zoom compared cushion is definitely a must allow athletes to understand and identify the direction, although not every athlete needs to have the amount of air so strong, but airmax cushion has been to the bottom of the people can not be ignored .
Compared air max and zoom, zoom is Nike's slim and lightweight cushion series, this range is designed for use mainly basketball shoes, running shoes and training shoes and other series. Compared with airmax, this shoe is more soft and comfortable cushion shoes, flexibility is also very good.Cheap Jordans,Cheap Jordan Shoes, Jordans For CheapNike sneakers After wearing, able to mobilize the most rapid and sensitive element to reflect, in particular, guard, small forward Gordon, especially for wearing this shoe. Simply put, if AIRMAXd cushion is known for strong words, zoom is based on the exquisite sensitivity known. As for air max and zoom which is good, we should look at what the athletes for that section can be determined.
The world's top luxury brand Chanel introduced Chanel Boy Chanel handbag new, sought after by everyone. Boy Chanel handbag continuation of the latest series of low-key gorgeous Chanel in the past, is Chanel Cruise series. Handbag lambskin fabric, soft and glossy. Metal chain interwoven with leather, triggering an infinite desire for the legendary Chanel. Double C Logo of the locking buckle at the center of the package, highlighting shot pack metallic taste. Designer launched gold, silver and red colors, gold stylish, gray atmosphere stable, warm red, fashion people can choose their favorite color. Clean lines throughout handbags, compact design, low-key and reserved style slightly boy temperament.
Chanel 2.55 ClassicChanel Handbags
Boy Chanel boldly demonstrated its maverick side; while at the same time, it also inherited the essence of the brand. Karl Lagerfeld (Karl Lagerfeld) of this "boy-style charm" made ??a new interpretation: "Chanel used men's clothing lining cloth do dress, she has a very reckless manner so the boy inside Indeed, it is. Chanel's quite a spiritual Ms. Chanel boy Capel get her rich life full of love, is not difficult to explain why the boy Chanel Chanel bag boy named boy! "
Since the launch of Chanel bags once BoyChanel different color, material, size show people. The gold, silver, and red from ChanelCruise series, a look will be reminiscent of the Velvet Goldmine Christmas Eve.
Chanel 2.55 ClassicChanel Handbags
Chanel Boy Chanel bag once since the launch of different colors, materials, size show people. The gold, silver, and red from Chanel Cruise series, a look will be reminiscent of the Velvet Goldmine Christmas Eve, in a lace, Huaqun, the maverick tough line hard not to be the focus, lambskin fabric shine moist, strengthening metallic taste flag bag imprinted surface, strong personality!
Kennedy . although Denise `s st0rry is cool, on wednesday I got Renault 5 after having made $6744 this past four weeks and-even more than, ten k this past month . with-out any question its the most-financialy rewarding I've ever done . I started this 5 months ago and practically straight away earned minimum $79, per hour .
visit this page === http://www.jobsfish.com