Thread: How Many Children Is Too Many?

I had never heard of these "stars" before switching channels and seeing this on one of the morning network talk shows yesterday. But I avoid reality TV shows like the plague:



20th child due for "19 Kids and Counting" reality TV couple

(Reuters) - "19 Kids and Counting" stars Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are expecting the birth of their 20th child, the couple said on Tuesday as they predicted a need to yet again change the name of their reality TV show.

The Duggars, who said their new baby is due in April, star on cable network TLC in a show that describes their daily struggles and triumphs raising 19 children in Arkansas.

"We are just really looking forward with excitement to this new little gift," Michelle Duggar said in a video for TLC that was posted online on Tuesday. "And so the title will change to '20 and Counting.'"

The Duggars' television show has changed titles as the family has grown. It was called "17 Kids and Counting" in 2008, and with the birth of each child the name has been updated.

Michelle, 45, said in the video that she and her husband were surprised at the latest pregnancy. During her pregnancy with her last baby, Michelle was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, or pregnancy-induced hypertension.

(The conservative Christian Duggar couple have given all their children names that begin with the letter J.

Jim Bob is a former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives.

So, what is your impression of this apparently newsworthy event? Are you thrilled, delighted, concerned, mortified, hopeful they will eventually run out of names starting with "J"?

Is it a celebration of conservative Christian values? A failure of public schools to adequately cover sex education? Or do you wish the US would adopt a policy similar to China?

How about the option of "They're doing what they believe in and it isn't costing you or me any extra so let them at it."?

Since Michelle is 45 there should be some concerns about both her health and that of the baby but it's an issue between them and their family.

Great Idea!

Let's use a 3rd rate cable reality show as a basis to set social policy!

What's next? Beer commercials?

Originally Posted by Formaldehyde

So, what is your impression of this apparently newsworthy event? Are you thrilled, delighted, concerned, mortified, hopeful they will eventually run out of names starting with "J"?

I wouldn't call it newsworthy myself, I could have remained ignorant of it without your post.

Is it a celebration of conservative Christian values?

It's their personal choice.

A failure of public schools to adequately cover sex education?

I'd imagine that couple has figured out where babies come from by now.

Or do you wish the US would adopt a policy similar to China?

One that encourages people to murder their own children? That has lead to an uneven proportion of men in the population? A policy that still only applies to a fraction of the nation? No.

I guess when the lord said be fruitful and multiply they took it a bit literally.

You know.. maybe her vagina IS a clown car.

Originally Posted by Formaldehyde

So, what is your impression of this apparently newsworthy event? Are you thrilled, delighted, concerned, mortified, hopeful they will eventually run out of names starting with "J"?

I find the fact that they are being incentivized by a TV channel to procreate somewhat disturbing. It is even more troubling to think that this may prompt deluded folks to procreate with the thought that they may be able to get a TV producer to pay them for doing so.

Is it a celebration of conservative Christian values? A failure of public schools to adequately cover sex education? Or do you wish the US would adopt a policy similar to China?

I don't know anything about the Duggars or the show so I cannot really comment on what their family represents. I would certainly be opposed to a China-style one-child policy. On the other hand, from a societal perspective, we need to encourage family situations in which the parental units do not exceed their child-rearing means.

Michelle Duggar doesn't seem all that different from liberal mothers. Aside from her twenty children all sharing the same father and her being married to him that is.

Then how would you explain the much higher divorce rates in many red states in the South? Just more conservative hypocrisy?

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

I find the fact that they are being incentivized by a TV channel to procreate somewhat disturbing. It is even more troubling to think that this may prompt deluded folks to procreate with the thought that they may be able to get a TV producer to pay them for doing so.

In this case I think it's more a matter of the TV network capitalizing on the family's lifestyle than of the family adopting a particular lifestyle in order to be on TV.

The Duggars has 16 or 17 kids at the time the first episode went to the air.

On the other hand, from a societal perspective, we need to encourage family situations in which the parental units do not exceed their child-rearing means.

Not to suggest that you were implying the Duggars do not, but just as a PSA, the Duggars don't live beyond their means. They're debt free and earn their income through rental properties they own. They don't have any credit cards and pay cash for everything they buy. They built their own home and make improvements by hand, do their own repairs, cook all of their meals from scratch to save money, and hand down clothes from one child to the next.

My biggest gipe with these people is that they home school, which I think is a mistake from a socialization perspective.

Otherwise, their lifestyle isn't for me but they seem to be doing everything right.

They might as well just roll with it at this point. I'd be impressed if they could make it to 30. This point, she outta have the width to just start popping them out two at a time.

Originally Posted by soot

Not to suggest that you were implying the Duggars do not, but just as a PSA, the Duggars don't live beyond their means. They're debt free and earn their income through rental properties they own. They don't have any credit cards and pay cash for everything they buy. They built their own home and make improvements by hand, do their own repairs, cook all of their meals from scratch to save money, and hand down clothes from one child to the next.

Of course, the income from this so-called reality TV show likely doesn't hurt.

I find it interesting that there seems to be an undercurrent with some of the responses that if they couldn't afford to have all those children that it would be a different story.

Originally Posted by Formaldehyde

I had never heard of these "stars" before switching channels and seeing this on one of the morning network talk shows yesterday. But I avoid reality TV shows like the plague:

So, what is your impression of this apparently newsworthy event? Are you thrilled, delighted, concerned, mortified, hopeful they will eventually run out of names starting with "J"?

Is it a celebration of conservative Christian values? A failure of public schools to adequately cover sex education? Or do you wish the US would adopt a policy similar to China?

Why is it that those that claim to there being a 'right' to abortion, are the first ones calling for limiting one's right to giving birth?

Would you complain if she had 19 abortions?

Originally Posted by Formaldehyde

Of course, the income from this so-called reality TV show likely doesn't hurt.

I find it interesting that there seems to be an undercurrent with some of the responses that if they couldn't afford to have all those children that it would be a different story.

Why is that interesting?

If they couldn't afford 3 cars then they shouldn't have 3 cars. If they couldn't afford 6 televisions then they shouldn't have 6 televisions. It all seems pretty straight forward to me.

Originally Posted by Formaldehyde

Of course, the income from this so-called reality TV show likely doesn't hurt.

I'm sure it doesn't.

I find it interesting that there seems to be an undercurrent with some of the responses that if they couldn't afford to have all those children that it would be a different story.

You find it interesting that people would smile at self-sufficency and personal responsibility but frown on irresponsibility.

Given what very little I know of you that doesn't surprise me at all.