Are there really people who think what “19 Kids and Counting” star Josh Duggar did is no reason to cancel their favorite show? Yes, and see their reasons why.
According to reports – including a police report – published by In Touch magazine, “19 Kids and Counting” star Josh Duggar, as a teen, sexually molested five girls, including his sisters. He issued a formal statement and apology Thursday, offering no push back or disagreement on any details published by the media, and those details were graphic and ugly.
LOOK: ‘I Acted Inexcusably’ – Josh Duggar Apologizes, Resigns From Family Research Council
TLC, the cable network which airs “19 Kids and Counting,” Thursday night ran a marathon of the Duggar family’s shows, in what could be one of the most inept, tone-deaf, and slow-to-respond moves ever.Â
This afternoon, TLC finally announced on Facebook it was pulling all “19 Kids and Counting” episodes in the wake of the Josh Duggar news. Not canceling, just pulling.
The show, on the air since 2008 has developed a strong base of conservative Christian fans who see the Duggar family’s chosen lifestyle as referable to modern-day American society.
And those fans are outraged.
“NOOOOOO! Everybody makes mistakes. I sure wouldn’t want the world to know everything I did at 15. Have a forgiving heart!,” wrote one fan on Facebook. That comment in just one hour got 4220 likes.
“WHAT!!!!!!!! It’s my FAVORITE SHOW!!!,” a comment followed by four frown emoticons, but one that received 2490 likes.
“Wow. I won’t be watching TLC until this show is returned. What a low blow.” 5482 likes.
“Well then I will no longer watch TLC… Praying for this family. Bless.” 254 likes.
Meanwhile, former Arizona televangelist Joshua Feuerstein added his thoughts to the Facebook post as well. Feuerstein is the man who last month made headlines after he posted a video of himself calling a Florida bakery asking for an anti-gay cake. The baker refused, and received death threats.
“I will ALSO MAKE SURE that EVERY ONE OF MY 1.2 MILLION FOLLOWERS never watch your stupid channel again!! #TeamDuggars,” he wrote. Feuerstein actually does have 1.2 million Facebook fans. He then created a Team Duggars Facebook page.
Others were equally enraged, like this fan who wrote 297 words to express her upset:
You’ve lost my family! I will NOT be watching TLC anymore! Shame on you for not standing behind the Duggars!!! I’m outraged!! Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. The enemy using the media to destroy this influential and amazing christian family!! I am heartbroken!!!!! It’s the only show that I truly enjoy watching. I use to love messy reality tv shows like Jersey Shore, Real Housewives, and I was even guilty of watching Long Island Medium…. But the ONE show that I love and the ONE reality tv family that I adore is being cancelled because of this… If the world knew what Lil Wayne has done, the world KNOWS that OJ Simpson is a murderer, and Bill Clinton is an adulterer. And out of all of them… Josh is the ONLY one who openly ADMITTED to it with a very sincere heart!! But that’s okay with America for people to do certain things because they aren’t moral people to begin with but because the conservative Christian Duggar family are moral people, everyone wants them off the air! And yet more and more trashy television shows air on my tv screen daily… I’m upset!! Mad mad mad!! Josh has already lost his job and has been shamed by so many people!! Yes, I’m emotional about this. You may not like their conservative views, but how on earth are they hurting anyone? If you don’t like them, don’t watch them! Everywhere else we turn today sex, nudity and drugs are plastered… That can corrupt a kid, a conservative family, can’t corrupt! He was a KID, it happened, he dealt with it, he admitted to it, let it go! It was 12 years ago!!
And more:
“Excuse me but this happened TWELVE years ago. The family sought God – Josh sought forgiveness and they gave that to him. You just lost a long time viewer of TLC here. I refuse to watch ANYTHING on your show now.”
“That is ridiculous!!!!!!!! It’s the BEST show on tv!!! With some of the stuff you show you’re going to take The Duggars off????? ALL teenagers do stuff thats wrong. Are you kidding me?????? I will NEVER watch anything on tlc!!!!”
Sadly, what none of these fans seem to realize is that what Duggar did is a crime, and in fact, reportedly included several felonies. Also, Josh’s mother Michelle Duggar, admitted that Josh was not sent away for Christian counseling, as reported, but instead that summer was sent to a live with family friend to help him with his home remodeling business.
There are real victims in this story. Josh Duggar isn’t one of them. Nor are any reality TV show fans.
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Related:
Duggar-Endorsed GOP Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee Runs To Defend Josh Duggar
Here’s Josh Duggar Hanging With Half The GOP Presidential Candidate Field
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins Responds To Josh Duggar News
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