Why did America fall in love with a family of extremists? onesarahjones:
Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photo: Getty Images To bypass software installed on his computer to prevent him from viewing pornography, Josh Duggar installed a separate operating system and a “browser capable of encryption,” the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. With those tools, he downloaded child pornography, some depicting the abuse of children younger than 12.
What TLC pitched as charming traditionalism was really a form of extremism. Before Duggar destroyed his life, he worked as a lobbyist for the Family Research Council, a prominent anti-LGBTQ+ hate group. The Duggars campaigned against abortion rights as a family well after they’d become famous. A year before the public learned of Duggar’s abusive past, his mother, Michelle Duggar, recorded a robocall against an anti-discrimination measure in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
The popularity of the Duggar family indicts not only TLC but also the show’s fan base, who were committed enough to family that not even the molestation story could force them off air. The reality-TV model convinces viewers they’re participating — almost — in the lives of its stars. The Duggars in particular sold a rosy vision. Their family was so charming, so engaging, that people would want to belong. With the Duggars, devout Christians all, a missionary zealotry infested their performance.
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