TLC’s decision to offer the Duggar family a second shot at reality TV stardom was viewed by may within the industry as a massive gamble.
Sure, the family has delivered consistent ratings in the past, but in the wake of the Josh Duggar sex scandal, it was hard to imagine that viewers – and advertisers – would be quick to embrace the controversial clan.
Unfortunately for the network, the first two seasons of Counting On have proven the nay-sayers 100% right:
Not only have the show’s ratings been steadily declining, more than a dozen advertisers have cut ties with TLC after finding out their commercials were aired during Counting On.
The most obvious reason for all of this backlash is that both potential viewers and corporations looking to spend their advertising dollars are simply unwilling to forget the fact that the Duggars helped hide Josh’s sex crimes from authorities.
However, the declining numbers indicate that there’s a sizable chhttp://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2016/10/michelle-duggar-jinger-is-breaking-all-the-courtship-rules/unk of the Duggars’ fan base who was eager to forgive when the show first returned, but then jumped ship at some point this season.
The family’s viewers have proven time and again that they’re as entrenched and loyal-to-a-fault as Trump voters, so we can’t help but wonder what might have finally caused them to pull their support.
The leading theory posited by several media outlets is that the family’s dip in popularity has little to do with its recent controversies.
Rather, they’ve simply fallen victim to the classic scourge of reality stars in that people are simply bored with watching their uneventful lives and fed up with their staged and scripted antics.
In the case of the Duggars, it seems there’s one storyline in particular that has fans at their wits’ end:
Jinger Duggar and Jeremy Vuolo’s courtship has been the central focus on the ensemble series this season.
Producers seemed to think the relationship would be a surefire ratings boon, but they seem to have overplayed their hand.
For starters, even though fans knew that Jinger and Jeremy had gotten engaged before the season even started, the show decided to tease the moment for months, before finally airing a scene in which Jeremy popped the question.
On top of that, fans were highly critical of the manner in which Jinger’s parents responded to her new relationship.
In addition to the fact that Jim Bob was often downright rude to Jeremy and seemed to treat the courtship as a creepy competition for his daughter’s affection, Michelle often complained of Jinger and Jeremy breaking the rules of courtship.
If you watch Counting On online, you know that the Duggars have strict guidelines regarding the courtship process that their kids must endure before indulging in any sort of physical contact with their siblings.
The fact that the Duggars seem to be more strict about these guidelines in the wake of revelations that they turned a blind eye to the fact that their eldest son molested four of his sisters is the most appalling kind of hypocrisy.
And it looks like fans of the family may have finally had enough.