When I wrote this post, I wasn’t actually predicting that those two ladies would ever be juxtapositioned anywhere outside the confines of my own head. However, apparently, somebody in the journalistic world thought it would be piquant to get the feelings of that societally-approved chronic uterus self-abuser (aka, Michelle Duggar) about the recent activities of the societally-reviled version of heself, Nadya Suleman.
Joy Behar, guest host Thursday night on “Larry King Live: …at least you guys enjoyed having the babies, you went through the sex then the giving birth. This woman didn’t have any of that, except the giving birth, which must have been rough, don’t you think?
Michelle Duggar: Oh, my, I can’t imagine. I had twins, but I have — I just can’t imagine having eight at once and the responsibility that that brings.
Behar: Why do you suppose this woman has provoked such negativity? They have a “USA Today” Gallup poll saying 70 percent of those surveyed are unsympathetic to this woman. What is going on?
Michelle Duggar: Well, you know, I feel like probably more than anything it’s just the fact of the responsibility issues from their perspective, and I, you know, I imagine that’s probably more of the animosity that’s out there. And so — but I do — I just can’t imagine, you know, her — how she’s going to handle that many little ones under the age of 8. That’s a lot of little ones all at once.
Yes, having them serially gives you the invaluable option of built-in babysitters at each developmental stage by the time the sheer kid-volume starts to get unwieldy! You’re one smart broad, Michelle!
The Duggars are surprisingly restrained on the subject of Nadya, in spite of the blatant attempts by the interviewer to suss out a negative opinion from them towards her, given how loudly they generally wax on about the glories of having a traditional, Christian-American family…which clearly and unequivocably requires a man and woman united in unholy matrimony. I suspect they’re a little nervous about saying anything that might possibly, possibly ever be taken as casting even the slightest negative connotation on the idea of reproducing as massively as possible, given the fragility of their own glass house on that subject.
Let me get this straight. So you are putting a woman who wants to have a lot of children with her husband in the same category as Nadya Suleman. Hmm… You sound like you have not read on the definition of responsibility. The Duggers have 18 children but all were with the same husband and wife and they manage their finances good while Nadya…. Lives with her mom and Dad. Does not work, has no husband or boyfriend and already has 6 children goes out and has eight embryos implanted into her without a husband or boyfried around and then uses the money she got from the settlement from what I heard it was around
$165,000 to pay a doctor to implant her instead of taking care of her 6 children she already has…. What don’t you get about the diffrence. This is why people like yourself who hate having a mom and dad raising children are like a cancer that is infecting a good organ and that organ is America, Know I am not bible thumbing christian or a person of any other faith but what I am is a common sense person who knows that having a Mom and a Dad around to raise the children is Ideal and no something to be tossed aside. My guess is that you do not have any children or you were raised with only a mom or a dad if you feel that Nadya is in the same category as The Duggers.
One more thing before I end this post is that common sense needs to replace the crazy things people are doing now. From the media to the blogs pleae post your opinons but do not make an argument that does not make sense.
Thanks for posting this message.
Let me get this straight. So you are putting a woman who wants to have a lot of children with her husband in the same category as Nadya Suleman.
Yep.
You sound like you have not read on the definition of responsibility.
Sure I have. Here, a refresher for you: moral, legal or mental accountability, straight from Merriam Webster. I see little moral, legal or mental difference between Michelle Duggar and Nadya Suleman.
The Duggers have 18 children but all were with the same husband and wife
So?
and they manage their finances good
Darling, if that was the criteria for being an admirable person, nearly half of America sucks ass, if not more–roughly 50% of Americans carry at least a $10,000 credit card balance, and the median household income in the US is only $50,000. And yeah, the Duggars know how to scam the system–they’ve managed to avoid paying property taxes by having their home legally declared a church–you know, the place their family actually lives in 24/7.
has no husband or boyfriend and already has 6 children goes out and has eight embryos implanted into her without a husband or boyfried around
I KNOW, it’s like she thinks that uterus inside her body is HERS or something and that donated sperm is WILLINGLY GIVEN by all those men for the sole purpose of generating babies in the uteruses of women they don’t even know!!
this is why people like yourself who hate having a mom and dad raising children Dude…you’re out of your fucking mind. Clearly there’s no point in even reading the rest of your post…sorry, but whatever fantasyland you got that idea out of, it ain’t one I have any ability to connect with or any interest in discussing. Ciao.
Oh, I think I understand what the distinction is for crazy above, and it sure as hell has nothing to do with children.
It’s “How dare a women do something by herself”.
Hey Antigone! (off topic) you haven’t by any chance read my story, have you..? I only ask cuz I’m doing final revisions before sending it out to two magazines Monday and if it has serious flaws I’ve missed, it would be SO awesome to have ‘em pointed out before then.
(but you still don’t have to read it!)
I wish I’d found your blog sooner. Yep, I, too would put Mrs. Duggar in the same nut jar with the Suleman woman.
You make a lot of good points, and express yourself well; you can bet I will be visiting often for more of your refreshing, blunt appraisals of situations.
Thanks–and I mean that sincerely–for your story. Keep up the good work!
This is a reply to Lisa Kansas
Lisa Kansas says: Sure I have. Here, a refresher for you: moral, legal or mental accountability, straight from Merriam Webster. I see little moral, legal or mental difference between Michelle Duggar and Nadya Suleman.
You again surpise me with your lack of common sense. So lets break it down shall we.
1. Moral -> having children is both a moral and responsible part of america. The duggers yes have a lot of children but they are responsible in the way they are going about it. When you have children you should make it a point to decide if you can afford to take care of them.. The duggers made this choice and are taking care of their children. Again Nadya Sulleman decided to have kids she cannot afford when she already has kids she could’nt afford to support.
2. Legal-> Nady Sulleman and the duggers both have a legal right to have children but just because something is legal does not mean you abuse it. The duggers are having children and being RESPONSIBLE with it while Nadya is not and the Duggers are financially able to take care of their children. So what don’t you get about the legal diffrence here… Both have right but one is abusing that right.
JACOB said: The Duggers have 18 children but all were with the same husband and wife
Lisa Kansas Says: So?
Hmm Lisa so having kids with the same husband and wife is just nothing to be glad about. You must be kidding me. Again you must think that having a Mother and Father is not necessary. So I guess you support gangs, drug abusers, and the such. Now if a mother is single not by choice but because of Deadbeat dads, Abusive husbands than I have no quarrel with them. But ones who support not having the Dad around on purpose such as yourself ( you did say So?) are either crazy or had some problem with your daddy that you consider men just SPERM DONERS. Either way you need help.
3. Mental -> While some of use might consider a large family insane you have to give a hand to the Duggers for wanting a large family and taking care of them. I myself have children and if I could afford it I woud not mind another two but since I can’t I decided not to have anymore children.. So again RESPONSIBILITY comes into account.
Lisa Kansas says: Darling, if that was the criteria for being an admirable person, nearly half of America sucks ass, if not more–roughly 50% of Americans carry at least a $10,000 credit card balance, and the median household income in the US is only $50,000. And yeah, the Duggars know how to scam the system–they’ve managed to avoid paying property taxes by having their home legally declared a church–you know, the place their family actually lives in 24/7.
Lol ha ha , So because a family carries a credit card balance they can’t have kids,. ha ha ha, Lady as you called me darling and no man calls another person darling. (if I am wrong and you are a man I am sorry) So what they had their place called a church. You probably use your blog as a legitimate business purpose to get a tax reduction right???. So everyone scams here and there as the government taxes way to much.
Jacob says: has no husband or boyfriend and already has 6 children goes out and has eight embryos implanted into her without a husband or boyfried around
Lisa Kansas says: I KNOW, it’s like she thinks that uterus inside her body is HERS or something and that donated sperm is WILLINGLY GIVEN by all those men for the sole purpose of generating babies in the uteruses of women they don’t even know!!
Lol Ha ha ha, I am sorry for laughing again but give me a break. So you are comparing what Nacya sullmean did on getting pregnant on purpose with EIGHT EMBRYOS with what a woman going for a night out on the town and having sex without using protection but not wanting to get pregnant.
Let me teach you something
1. A womans uterus while yes is hers the baby living inside of it is not hers (if that was the case than a man can say he owes no money finacially to that baby and also she should be able to kills a baby even when its born since as you say it’s hers)
2. Sperm donation unless for medical purposes is a crazy practice. So men giving sperm to father children to single woman because they are cowards for not wanting a man in the child’s life. If someone ever told me that I am no necessary in my child’s life I would make them feel like the lowest scum on the earth after I get done talking some common sense into them. Fathering children is great and not something to be thrown away. Like I said you must not like men if you feel a man is just a SPERM DONER.
Jacob says: this is why people like yourself who hate having a mom and dad raising children
Lisa Kansas says: Dude…you’re out of your fucking mind. Clearly there’s no point in even reading the rest of your post…sorry, but whatever fantasyland you got that idea out of, it ain’t one I have any ability to connect with or any interest in discussing. Ciao.
Sorry lisa Kansas if what i say is reality and not fantasy but just from your reply it looks like I am correct. If you are truly a common sense thinking person then compare apples to apples and not to oranges. Everyone has their opinions but base your arguments on facts and not some baseless emotional view.
Again thanks for posting my arguments as I know you must not like them.
Dude, it’s clear that you and I inhabit completely different universes. I’m not sure there’s even a point in us attempting to communicate–when I have time later, I’ll reread your comment and see if I think there’s any way for us to have a meaningful exchange based on anything in it, but I don’t have high hopes.
Not to advise Marc on his finances, but wouldn’t claiming this blog as a business expense be tax evasion, i.e. a criminal offense?
Jacob, I don’t to offend by picking on a misspelling and ignoring your post, but a sperm doner is a horrible thought. Yuck.
Wha? How did we start talking about tax evasion?
Jacob, I don’t think I claimed anywhere that I think Nadya Suleman is behaving responsibly–all your efforts to prove she isn’t are for naught, because we agree, she ain’t. However, Michelle Duggar’s hardly more “responsible.” She’s completely dependent upon others for the income required to support her children. What money does she bring in? None, that I’m aware of, unless of course you count her complicity in turning her family life into a reality TV show. It surprises me that this does not make more people cringe and/or more people than just me think it’s an abusive exploitation of your children, to turn their childhood into a reality TV show, but hey. I realize that clearly, a lot of people think this is a perfectly acceptable way to raise your kids! ::shudder::
Why would I give anybody a “hand” for having 18 kids? I could have 18 kids myself–all it requires is fucking without contraception, just like any animal.
Uh, no, I don’t use this blog as a “business expense.” What a bizarre idea. I, personally, do not scam the government in any way at all and never have…but it gives me a much clearer idea of your morality that you find that perfectly acceptable, moral behavior for everybody.
I’m pro-choice, and you don’t appear to be, so we can just leave that whole issue alone.
Your disapproval of sperm donors is, well, your business–I really don’t care what any man does with his sperm; it’s his. But you believe differently–okay.
You’re out of your mind because you think I “hate” a mom and dad raising children. Anybody who knows me…or has read anything I’ve ever written about parenthood…would laugh their ass off at that idea.
So it’s hard to dignify it with a serious response. Sorry.
This is reply to Lisa Kansas
First I am glad that we agree on Nadya Sulleman acting in a irresponsible way.
So let’s end that
Thanks for taking my argments but the reason why I say to you that I belive you either dislike men or just believe they are not needed is due to your intial post and your replies.
When I said that both the mom and dad were around you say “SO”
Why would you say that unless you did not care and believed that having the man around is no big deal. (if I am wrong then please just explain to me why you said “SO” and I will reply with a big apology if you could explain to me why.
2. You say you are pro-choice but don’t like a lady choosing to have 18 children.. So then are you pro-choice for a lady who migh go through not 1 or two but 3 abortions which is just the same of having too much of any one thing. Nadya sulleman made a choice to inject eight embryos in her womb so you have to support her choice too right??
The reason I ask these questions is my cousin’s wife is just like you and belives that a women’s body is hers no matter if another life is growing inside of her. (As you can imagine my cousing does not like our arguments LOL :0) I know this is not the post for pro-life or pro-choice but I cannot get my head over looking at your child’s face and thinking I could have had you aborted.. (it just makes me sick to think about) So to me there is no logical sense for doing an abortion but as we all know abortion is an emotional thought which is why I can’t support it as laws have to be based in logic and fact and not emotion. Sorry but I had to address your pro-choice statment. (One more thing>>> if my daughter was allowed at 12,13,
14 etc.. to have an abortion without my knowledge or consent then that is another reason I can’t support Pro-choice)
I will leave that alone now…
SPERM DONATION except in rare medical circumstances is such a crazy thing. Why would any self-respecting man father a child to a lady who they have no assocation with and they never met (i.E they never fucked). So for all a man knows he could have a kid later in life and his kid ends up marrying his half-sister or half-brother becuase he decided to donate his sperm to whoever wanted it. Being a father as you probably already know that I am I don’t like the idea of fathering kids without having some input and knowing who they are and also I don’t like a man who leaves his kids and does not take care of his responsibilities. This is why I am a strong believer in keeping the baby alive.. and for men to take care of their children.
Now I know I ticked off some of your readers as a ANDREW wanted to pick on my spelling of DONORS instead of replying to my comment. So to them I aplogize for making them feel they have to defend you. I am a nice respectable person but dislike male bashing and woman and men who behave irrational. (i.e Nadya Sulleman and her male donor and not you Lisa.. Just in case you are wondering)
I leave you with this statement
Emotion is good to have and logic is good to pursue but nothing gets accomplished unless you have a balance of the two.
Again thanks for posting my replies and I won’t bother you anymore.. Take care
I normally like to be polite to the trolls (who knows? Occasionally they actually do think about their stance, or it’s well-thought out, or at least well-written) but I’m not feeling it tonight:
And you sir, have plenty of emotions, and nothing else.
Antigone,
You obviously have no emotions or too much to call somebody a troll. You must be look like one if you feel that to call names is akin to actually posting a logical response.
Please take your hmm. How do I say this nicely..
umm, hmm. Oh shucks I just can’t (as I have too many motions
Take your obvious lack of a logical comment and look in the mirror. If you had any sense you would reply to me with a logical argument like a debate.
Once you call people names you LOSE!!! the argument. So I guess I won in your opinion right??
but the reason why I say to you that I belive you either dislike men or just believe they are not needed is due to your intial post and your replies.
When I said that both the mom and dad were around you say “SO”
Why would you say that unless you did not care and believed that having the man around is no big deal. (if I am wrong then please just explain to me why you said “SO” and I will reply with a big apology if you could explain to me why.
Big apologies aren’t necessary or even sought after, but it’s very easy to clear up your misapprehension. I would have made the exact same responses to your remarks if Nadya Suleman was, instead, Nathan Suleman who had octuplets via a surrogate mother and was raising the children himself. I simply don’t consider any single parent, regardless of his or her gender, automatically inferior to married parents solely based upon his or her single status. There are so many other considerations to take into account when judging the quality of a child’s home and upbringing. I have known single parents who were far, far better parents than married parents, and vice versa–it’s all over the board. My feelings on this topic are completely genderless.
As for the pro-choice/pro-life issue…sigh. That gets ugly and long-winded SO easily! But maybe I can nip it in the bud.
You say: You say you are pro-choice but don’t like a lady choosing to have 18 children.. So then are you pro-choice for a lady who migh go through not 1 or two but 3 abortions which is just the same of having too much of any one thing. Nadya sulleman made a choice to inject eight embryos in her womb so you have to support her choice too right??
Your first sentence: “You say you are pro-choice but don’t like a lady choosing to have 18 children.” Is a very good example of what it means to be pro-choice. It means, I’m totally free to approve or disapprove of any woman’s reproductive choices as much as I like–but my feelings on the subject have absolutely no impact at all on what her choices are. Only hers do, and that’s what I support. I support Nadya Suleman’s right to do whatever she wants with her own body and anything contained inside it. That doesn’t mean I think she’s a rocket scientist for making the choices she does–but it’s her body. As I said in the original post that is linked to in this one, unless any minors involved in the situation are abused or neglected, what she does in regards to being a parent is nobody’s purview but hers.
I don’t honestly know what motivates men to donate to sperm banks–I don’t know what the usual or common reasons are. And now I’m curious.
Jacob-
Write a post with few or no grammatical errors, no spelling errors, and has a reasoned opinion that you would like to defend, and does not make stupid assertions not in evidence like “you must hate men” and I’ll be sure to respond in kind.
Until then, you will get called troll, and I’ll let Lisa KS field the argument on this.
I just don’t see how 2 people raising 14 kids would magically make everything hunky-dory, especially when 8 of the kids are premature newborns with special needs. A daycare with 8 special-needs infants would need more than 2 staff, right? Especially with 6 older children about, some of them with special needs as well? And how many people make the kind of money to pay all these bills? A husband would make this situation more media friendly but would only be the smallest of bandaids over the many, many challenges.
This, right here, is why I oppose parental notification laws. It should not be any man’s decision whether his daughter has an abortion. It’s her body, period. Seriously, your daughter’s reproductive organs should be none of your goddamn business.
Ahem. Walking away and not feeding troll now.