As much as they’d like us to think otherwise, the Duggars are human beings who are vulnerable to all of the same temptations and negative emotions as the rest of us.
Of course, while you might deal with familial conflicts by getting drunk at Thanksgiving and finally telling Aunt Carol what you really think of her candied yams, the Duggars take a much, much more passive-aggressive approach to hashing out their differences.
Jim Bob and Michelle’s children aren’t allowed to use social media – or do much of anything, really – until they get engaged, but now that several of them have left the nest to start families of their own, they’ve arrived at two important conclusions that every other person on the planet was already fully aware of:
For starters, they know that wearing pants is pretty cool and probably won’t condemn you to an eternity of hellfire and pitchfork-orifice contact.
Even more importantly, however, they’ve grown to appreciate social media for the most valuable service it has to offer.
We’re talking, of course, about the ability to throw shade without experiencing any face-to-face consequences.
It’s unusual for Duggars to read any sort of secular literature, but apparently rebellious Jinger is once again showing her defiant streak by reading a book of relationship advice.
Yesterday, Jinge posted the above photo, along with the following caption:
“You may be interested in reading a book I am going through with some of the other women from my church—She’s Got the Wrong Guy: Why Smart Women Settle by @deepakreju.
“Jeremy and I read it together and really enjoyed it. Search for it on Amazon!”
There are two big takeaways here:
1. The Duggars are apparently allowed to shop on Amazon.
(We guess no one told Jim Bob about the connection between CEO Jeff Bezos and the president’s second-most-hated newspaper.)
2. Happily married Jinger is going all “know your worth” on her followers.
We would take it as an indicator of trouble in paradise, but she seems happier than ever, and she claims her husband loves the book, too.
No, what seems more likely is that Jinger is sending a very, very subtle message to her older sister Jill:
Yes, it may seem like quite a leap, but as In Touch Weekly points out, many fans are convinced that Jinger feels Jill has “settled” for Derick Dillard, and she’d like to see her big sis break free before it’s too late.
As you may recall, Derick was fired from Counting On after launching a transphobic tirade against fellow TLC star Jazz Jennings.
Jill quit the show in a gesture of solidarity, leaving the Dillard clan with no source of income.
Derick was reportedly already on thin ice with his in-laws, so it’s not hard to see how this latest development might have been the last straw.
So is Jinger sending a coded message to her sister that it’s time to be single?
Probably not, but it’s always nice to dream.
Watch Counting On online for more from reality TV’s most controversial family.
