Stop having babies!

I just read that Michelle Duggar of 18 Kids and Counting TV show fame just gave birth to her 19th child. 19th. That's just too many children. Three is too many children, as far as I'm concerned, but really now, 19? What are they thinking?

Well, to answer my own question, we know that they are not thinking at all, but following the principles of the Quiverfull movement that believes women should have as many children as god wants them to--which essentially means that they are breeding machines who produce baby after baby until their bodies wear out. Why do this, you ask? It's because the Bible says happy is the man that "hath his quiver full." So Mr. Duggar who can't stop impregnating his wife is equally if not more at fault for this hyper-breeding because of his sexist, misogynist and frankly fascist religious views.

You might say, well, she's her own person, isn't she? She can say no, can't she? That's another question. She belongs to this movement that reduces her to a walking, talking uterus. I wish I did understand why women participate in such ignorant and woman-hating belief systems, but I still don't get it. I even read the book Quiverfull by Kathryn Joyce, which gave me a lot of insight into the movement and the followers. It still baffles me.

Obey your husband even if he is an idiot

It's spring break, I have tons of grading to do, so what am I doing for fun? Well, today I swept out my garage, raked part of the backyard, rearranged my shampoos, and then I went back to some light reading.

Right now I am reading a very well-written and researched but deeply disturbing book. The Quiverfull movement is a contemporary evangelical Christian sect of sorts that seeks to recreate men as the godly head of household as Jesus was the head of the church.

Here are some of the rules for women:

You must stand by your husband even if he fails. This includes cheating on you, beating you, and/or otherwise fucking up.

At the beginning of each day you should give him a list of what your plans are for the day so that he may approve (or change) the list.

You must home school all of your children.

You must not use any kind of birth control, ever.

Which means that you will have as many children as God wants you to have.

And I've only read 50 pages. Stay tuned for more Quiverfull updates!

Too many babies . . .

Although I can't say I'm a fan of our cultural obsession with reproduction, isn't it interesting that the MSM seems to adore families with multiples such as the Duggars and the Gosselins, but yet they are having a big old fun time harrassing the woman in California who had eight children at once?

Why the disparity? Why is she "octomom" and Jon and Kate are media stars? (Well, stars to some--here's an intriguing critical article about the Gosselins) Why are the Duggars "Eighteen Kids and Counting" and have a fucking TV show? The Duggars are members of the Quiverfull movement which advocates as many children as "God" wants you to have. I guess God also wants women to die young from wearing the body out after carrying so many pregnancies.

As much as I enjoy the machinations of the media I think their treatment of the woman in California is hateful, misogynist, and deserves a bit more scrutiny. What is it? Why do we celebrate certain overblown families and vilify others?

I think it's in part because she is single, has done what she wants with her own body, and resists our heteronormative fantasy of the traditional, patriarchal family. Maybe it's because she didn't conceive from intercourse--but then neither did Jon and Kate. Anyway, ideally we should all stop having children altogether--our planet can't take any more humans.

By the way--is his name really Jim Bob? Come on.