Carrie over at Eat, Poop, Love had a great post a couple of days ago about the TLC show "Jon and Kate plus 8" and how disgustingly commercial and gross the whole show has become. She also touched upon how controlling and distasteful the mother is--I think every commenter agreed that the show has gone out of control. Suddenly, having a million kids is very trendy. See Brangelina, Madonna, et. als. for adoption/out of control reproduction problems. Then there's the horrid "18 Kids and Counting: The Duggars," also on TLC. Let's not even get into the octo-mama thing...
It seems everywhere people are having gaggles of children and we are endlessly fascinated by them. I thought this whole discussion was rather appropriate given our recent stressing out over the number of children we'd like to have in our family (as in, should we have 1 or 2, not should we have 4 or 8). Then this morning on NPR, I heard this rather amazingly disgusting story of the Quiverfull Movement. Yes, it's biblical. Yes, it's the idea of "be fruitful and multiply." And it's also the "God will tell us when we've had enough children" theory. Oh, and don't forget the "We're building a Christian Army" part of it. Yikes. (If you listened to this story, I'm sure you'll especially like the bit where a woman claimed in just three generations they could take over urban centers that have gone astray like San Francisco!)
So okay, I admit that I am vaguely jealous of these women's obviously amazing fertility and ability to grow and deliver healthy children. Apart from that, I'm just sort of grossed out by the whole gaggle of children concept--especially these days. I know I'm being judgemental, but it is just not fair to the Earth to have these many kiddos running around. What a resource suck.
Just my thought for the day. I know I sound bitter and rude but, hey, some days I just am.
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12 comments:
oooo I got linked from your blog! I feel so famous! :) I totally agree with everything you said. We have this fascination with gaggles of kids. What's interesting about the christian army comment - is that it shows these people don't have children out of pure love. They look at babymaking as some kind of assembly line with a quota. They just spit kids out so they can later use them as tools to populate and take over cities. So gross!
Hope your family is doing well! :)
I started to read the first paragraph of this entry and I thought, "OMG, I'm gonna comment about how I heard about this thing called the 'Quiverfull Movement' on NPR!!" And then, because you are intelligent, awesome ladies, the next paragraph was about JUST that! So yeah, I heard the story, too. I'm still amazed that people continue to read the Bible so literally. I've read that passage, and from my perspective, there's nothing in it that says we are mandated to have gigantic families. But somehow there ARE people out there who see it that way. While I'll fight for any woman's right to do what she pleases with her reproductive parts, I don't see why anyone needs to have that many kids unless they have a farm that needs tending. It's selfish and ignorant to have a gaggle, in my opinion, but I guess I have to give some credit to these women. I'd be a nervous wreck if I had 8 kids needing my attention all the time.
Yes, I agree. I already feel guilty having my own two. I mean, there are so many children already without homes who are waiting to be adopted. I can't lecture these Christians about having so many kids and not adopting when I chose to have biological kids but, still...I do wish they would consider what overpopulation is doing to the world.
At one point it was okay to have so many because so many children wouldn't make it past young ages...but now that most everyone survives, it's a little too much sometimes.
Ditto.
I think it's pretty sick when people have more than very few children, and especially when that number reaches higher and higher. There's nothing I can do about it though, except know that the more kids people have, the more chance there is of one or more of those kids being queer, or anti-religion, or pissed off at having grown up that way. And when I think of them turning against their crazy parents, it makes me happy.
I'm one of seven kids (all singletons). My parents aren't crazy religious (or even anti-birth control!), they just love children, started having them young, and continued having them till they knew it was time to stop. They loved us, took good care of us, and we're all now adults who are healthy and productive members of society. I can't pretend to understand situations like the Dugg.ers or octo-mama, but I do understand people who love kids and want a big family and I feel that's a legitimate life choice (and shouldn't we all be so lucky to be so fertile). I understand the concerns about overpopulation and think those are legitimate, too, so I can see both sides of the coin. Just thought I'd share a different point of view!
PS: Love your blog, don't comment often, but love following your beautiful family's story!
Why has octomom taken over the world? Why are we so obsessed with this stuff?
I used to really like John and Kate, mostly because of my devotion to the adorable Aidan, but we've been so deep in wedding land that I haven't seen it for a long time. I will check it out (and check out the product placement).
I listened to the same piece on NPR. I was surprised the piece didn't mention the Duggars (they are quiverful). At any rate, the real irony, I felt, was that I was listening to the piece while driving in for b/w and sonogram at the RE's. Ha. Ha ha.
Amen!
Jan
I have four children. 2 boys 2 girls. best kids in the whole world. wouldn't change a thing. We can't even go to the grocery store with our perfectly behaved children. We always have someone say "Oh, you have your hands full", or "Are they all yours". Remember it wasn't so long ago that people typically had larger families. We aren't a disease just a family. We don't live off the system and pay more taxes that you can believe. Our children have ears as well and have to be treated in this manner. Believe it or not people who have more than 2 are paying the price for the commercialism of large families.
My best friend growing up was one of four. They were totally all normal and I never perceived that their mom had her "hands full." The number isn't necessarily the issue I have. I guess it's the whole subtext as of late that you when you have a large family, you suddenly get publicity and book deals and tv shows because you've chosen to. It just seems weird. And I don't actually think 4 is that many. 8, yes; 14, yes; 18, definitely. You get the idea. Thank you for your comment from "the other side."
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