If you know anything about Jim Bob Duggar’s beliefs, then you know he’s very, very big on the idea of patriarchal authority.
In Jim Bob’s world, the man of the house is king, and his word is law.
The ultimate authority of the male breadwinner is literally a part of the Duggars’ religion, codified by the teachings of Institute in Basic Life Principles — the cult-like organization that shaped Jim Bob’s worldview.
And the absurdity of this system has now been thoroughly exposed thanks to the recent Amazon Prime Video documentary Shiny Happy People.
The series focuses on abuse and corruption within both the IBLP and the Duggars’ household.
Not surprisingly, Jim Bob has already spoken out against the project and now, it seems he’s doing everything in his power to prevent his youngest children from watching the documentary or reading any of the commentary about it online.
“There’s no way around it. You can stick your head in the sand, but it’s all anyone is talking about,” a source close to the family tells UK tabloid the Daily Mail.
“Some refuse to watch it, while others watch it in secret,” the insider added of the youngest Duggar kids.
Four of Jim Bob and Michelle’s 19 children are still under the age of 18 — Johannah, 17, Jennifer, 15, Jordyn-Grace, 14, and Josie, 13.
Several others, including 33-year-old Jana, still live at home, and Shiny Happy People has reportedly been banned under Jim Bob’s roof.
So we guess if Jana and company are curious, they’ll have to watch the four-part series elsewhere.
In their statement denouncing the film, Jim Bob and Michelle alleged that it “paints so much and so many in a derogatory and sensationalized way because sadly that’s the direction of entertainment these days.”
“We have always believed that the best chance to repair damaged relationships, or to reconcile differences is through love in a private setting,” the statement continued.
“We love each member of our family and will continue to do all we can to have a good relationship with each one.”
Of course, while some Duggars aren’t even allowed to watch the series, others gave interviews to the film’s producers.
Jill Duggar spoke out against her parents and their beliefs on camera, revealing that she was frequently forced to participate in the family’s reality shows against her will and without pay.
Now, Jill’s courage has made her a hero to many former cult members, and no one is singing her praises more loudly than the filmmakers responsible for Shiny Happy People.
“They’re just absolutely lovely people to be around. They were incredibly easy to work with,” executive producer Cori Shepherd told The Sun about the experience of working with Jill and her husband, Derick Dillard.
“They had to take some time to really deeply consider it. I think that Jill is an incredibly thoughtful woman who weighs everything very carefully,” Cori continued.
“It was very important to her to speak out about victims’ rights and victim privacy. It was incredibly important to get that message out that she felt like something that should have been kept private was made public.”
Jill has also written a memoir that’s set for release in early 2024.
Needless to say, it won’t be easy for Jim Bob to continue shielding his youngest kids from the truth.
But you can be sure he’ll keep trying!
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar: Desperate to Prevent Younger Kids From Seeing “Shiny … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.