‘Counting On’ Facade? Duggar Family Breaks Strict Rules After Show Ends
Could the Duggar family’s strict rules all have been a facade for their TLC shows, Counting On and 19 Kids & Counting? For years, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar‘s story has been shown on TV, featuring their 19 children, strict beliefs, and an interesting lifestyle. Audiences were captivated by the family, and many tuned in to watch new episodes of the show.
Over the years, fans have gotten to take a peek inside the family’s home where they raised and homeschooled all of their children. Fans are familiar with the family’s strict conservative beliefs, including requiring their daughters to dress modestly in dresses or skirts.
But with Josh Duggar’s arrest earlier this year, Counting On was canceled by TLC. Since the cancelation, things have been different for the family. For example, Jessa Seewald has begun sharing family moments via YouTube since they can no longer be documented on the show. The show’s viewers have also noticed that the family may not be adhering to all of their rules as closely anymore.
Duggar daughters ditch skirts & dresses after Counting On cancelation.
Interestingly, since the show was canceled, some of the Duggar girls have been spotted wearing shorts or pants instead of skirts. This has led to some speculation about the show and whether the family truly follows all of their rules. Some Duggar critics are beginning to think it was all just a facade for the show.
In a few recent photos, Jana is wearing pants for one of the first times ever. In the past, she’s worn them when volunteering with the Medic Corps, but that’s a unique situation. But this time, she’s wearing them to a market in Las Vegas, as well as out and about in Los Angeles with her sister Jinger.
Joy-Anna Forsyth also showed some skin in shorts recently. Before this, she wore skirts or dresses most of the time. She might also be wearing shorts now because she’s married. Some of the married Duggars have chosen to wear what they and their spouse determine is appropriate.
On Reddit, Duggar Snarks are discussing Jana’s decision to wear pants, which conveniently lines up with the ending of the family’s show. One user writes, “They don’t have to keep appearances up for TV.” Another adds, “The min the show got canceled, the facade was over….”
Someone else shares their theory, writing, “I wonder if it will be like the Bates- they have the rules while they’re living at home, when they’re out and married, or are Jana, they’ll do their own thing. Especially since there’s no show now, no facade they need to keep up.”
Jana, Jason, and James leave town without a chaperone.
Duggar fans may recall that last time Jana attended the Las Vegas Market, her dad Jim Bob tagged along as her chaperone. Despite her being 30 years old at the time, her father had to go with her. Fans were outraged over this. Surprisingly, this time around, Jana went with her best friend, Laura DeMasie. Jason and James Duggar tagged along too to meet Jinger in L.A. after the market.
While it’s possible that Jim Bob or Michelle is there, they haven’t been in any of the photos posted. So, it looks like this is an unchaperoned trip.
We won’t ever know for sure whether the Duggar family’s modesty and chaperone rules were just an act. But it certainly makes fans wonder how much of the show was true and how much wasn’t.
There are other possible explanations for some of the changes fans have noticed, however. Perhaps Josh’s arrest and child pornography charges put some things into perspective for the family. They may have realized that wearing pants isn’t nearly as big of a deal as Josh’s alleged crimes.
Or maybe, over time, Jim Bob and Michelle have seen Jill and Jinger wearing pants and decided it wasn’t so bad after all.
So, do you think the family’s strict rules were just an act for Counting On? Or do you think there’s another reason that the Duggar family has chosen to ditch some of their restrictions? Let us know in the comments below.
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