[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Another day, another deeply unsettling chapter in the ongoing saga surrounding the Duggar family.
This time, attention has turned back to Michelle Duggar after an old video clip of the former reality star has resurfaced online and is now spreading like wildfire across social media. And the timing could not be more troubling, as it coincides with shocking allegations involving her son, Joseph Duggar.
Related: Joseph Duggar Being Kept Under Tight Security & Isolated From Other Inmates In Jail
The clip in question isn’t new, but it’s striking a very different chord today, nonetheless. In it, Michelle speaks candidly about her beliefs regarding a wife’s role in marriage, echoing the ultra-conservative values that have long defined the Duggar household.
In the resurfaced footage, Michelle explains what she believes women should strive for in their marriages, placing heavy emphasis on unwavering support and devotion to their husbands:
“God talks about a wife doing her husband good not evil all the days of her life. And I think that is what I say to my girls — you want to be your husband’s biggest cheerleader. You wanna be the one that always encourages him and doesn’t put him down to other people, but really is the one to really do him good all the days of his life.”
She continues, expanding on that idea in a way that is now drawing intense criticism from viewers who feel the message is outdated at best and harmful at worst:
“That encompasses many things for a wife because in every area of life when ya’ll are working through life together, you have many things that you can do that for him, in many areas.”
Hmmm…
Watch the video (below):
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For years, the Duggar family’s belief system has been a lightning rod for debate, but this resurfaced moment is hitting differently now. And of course, it’s not happening in a vacuum; it’s happening as Joseph faces deeply serious allegations, including a reported charge of lewd and lascivious molestation involving a child under 12. He and his wife, Kendra Duggar, are also said to be facing multiple counts related to endangering the welfare of a minor and false imprisonment.
As you might imagine, social media is going crazy. Critics say that, in light of the accusations facing Joseph, the video feels less like a harmless expression of faith and more like a window into a culture that many now view with growing concern.
Many are connecting the dots between the values expressed in the old clip and the disturbing accusations now dominating headlines. Here are just a few reactions (below):
“Michelle Duggar taught her sons that women are sex slaves who serve their husbands no matter what. … She taught her sons that their wives cannot say no to sex. Her sons learn that women are objects to serve, obey and submit.”
“Conditioning your girls to obey a man is sick and twisted.”
“The emphasis on making female children into ‘good’ wives is wild”
“These parents are why their sons are exactly the way they are!”
“Their wives are treated like property & abused.”
“This is how you create a family of predators.”
Oof.
Reactions, y’all? Share ’em (below).
[Image via Washington County Sheriff’s Office/TLC/17 Kids And Counting/YouTube]
