Duggar Special in Japan & China

[LoveTrains]

Anyone else watching this? They are kind of culturally insensitive....but I am not surprised to see that. 

[greekypie]

What are they doing that is culturally insensitive?

I don't have that channel so I can't watch :-(

[Roc A Bee]

Oh I wanted to see that, but it won't be on for a bit here.

[LoveTrains]

SPOILERS





Well they are handing out glamour shots of their family to some old ladies on the street. They are making faces at the traditional breakfast about how they don't like the food and think the fish is nasty. In fact, grandma duggar says "it tastes like rubber." ETA: the teenage boys don't like the food and are sneaking handi-snacks (you know, the crackers and the cheese?!) under the table. 

Then Jim Bob is trying to stop people on the street to ask where the 100 yen store is - which is like the dollar store. when they go inside, they are looking for stuff made in america which just rubs me the wrong way.

[Deleted]

I haven't watched the Duggars in about a year but now I am REALLY tempted to put it on. I think I still subscribe to it on my DVR.

[Deleted]

Mar 12, 2013 20:44:33 GMT -5 LoveTrains said:

SPOILERS





Well they are handing out glamour shots of their family to some old ladies on the street. They are making faces at the traditional breakfast about how they don't like the food and think the fish is nasty. In fact, grandma duggar says "it tastes like rubber." ETA: the teenage boys don't like the food and are sneaking handi-snacks (you know, the crackers and the cheese?!) under the table. 

Then Jim Bob is trying to stop people on the street to ask where the 100 yen store is - which is like the dollar store. when they go inside, they are looking for stuff made in america which just rubs me the wrong way.

Looking for stuff made in America in China is the craziest thing I have heard all week!

[cransplash]

I am usually a lurker on this board, but I had to post on this. Being Japanese (and having been raised in both Japan and the US), this makes me side-eye them completely. Admittedly, I do not watch the show (never had the interest), but if you've got the (incredible) opportunity to travel (most likely for free) to a different country, I wish they would embrace the culture for what it is and take advantage of seeing something so many wish/could dream of going. But "saying EWW" or "tastes like rubber" I guess what makes it good TV.

::vent over::

[glynn]

I have not seen it but it sounds like they need to be taking advantage of the trip in and they are not.

[Deleted]

I don't watch the show, but I remember seeing the previews and the kids were making fun of the language.

They seem to just roll through everything in their own little world.

[CloudBee]

Mar 13, 2013 10:10:12 GMT -5 @mx said:

Why are they making this trip? Is it a vacation? China seems like an unlikely destination for this crowd as it isn't terribly popular amongst proselytizing types.

I think it was a birthday gift for Michelle.

At the end of the last season they had a day for her, where she had multiple big surprises.  The last surprise was walking into the living room and the kids were holding signs that said something like "we're going to Asia". 

[mrssavy42112]

I don’t see what’s wrong with handing out glamour shots of their family. That’s more narcissistic than anything else. They did that in their NYC trip too. This may be flammable, but I don’t understand what is wrong with expressing dislike in the food. If you don’t like it, you don’t like it. Foodies do it all the time on their travel shows. Of course, if they’re saying something stupid like ‘omg, I don’t know how Japanese people eat this! What’s wrong with them!?’ then I can understand.

[genet313]

Mar 13, 2013 10:14:33 GMT -5 mrssavy42112 said:

I don’t see what’s wrong with handing out glamour shots of their family. That’s more narcissistic than anything else. They did that in their NYC trip too. This may be flammable, but I don’t understand what is wrong with expressing dislike in the food. If you don’t like it, you don’t like it. Foodies do it all the time on their travel shows. Of course, if they’re saying something stupid like ‘omg, I don’t know how Japanese people eat this! What’s wrong with them!?’ then I can understand.

I'm kind of in this camp.  I didn't watch, and knowing the Duggars I would not be surprised if the remarks themselves were inappropriate.  But hey, they're trying the food at least, and then making a judgment, what's wrong with that?  If they were in China and spent the entire time eating at American restaurants, that would be more culturally insensitive to me.  At least they're giving it a shot.  

[genet313]

Mar 13, 2013 11:27:09 GMT -5 @246baje said:

I'd be offended if someone came to my country and said "Ewww!" about my traditional food.

I don't like Jamaican food but when I lived there I didn't say "ewwww!" Or that it tasted nasty. I tried everything offered and if I was offered something a second time I politely declined.

The behaviour described is rude and unnecessary.

But you know better.   These are the Duggars.  If it's the younger kids, I can forgive that.  There's too freaking many of them for her to teach them any real manners.  If it's the adults and the older kids, then I'd give more of a side eye.  

[Willis Jackson]

They hand out the pictures everywhere they go, usually after people are like, "What?! 19 kids?!" and then they go, "Yup. Here's a picture of all of us."

I think most of the ones who were over, say, 12, tried to be polite about the breakfast.

What I didn't get was when Anna said she was trying to get pregnant. As in, they're trying to have sex when she's ovulating? If I had 20 years of fertile birth control-free sex ahead of me, I wouldn't try to get pregnant. I mean, she knows she's probably going to end up with 10+ kids anyway, right?

ETA: Let's not forget that Jordan (age 3-ish?) was going to town on that breakfast, lol. She loved it.

[eddy]

I actually thought they came off less insensitive than I assumed they would lol. SO I guess that is a win?

I also rolled my eyes at the trying to get pregnant then. But that also suggests that they try to avoid, which is surprising. Also well it is dumb to avoid fish when you haven't even seen a pregnancy test yet, but whatever.

[badtzmaru22]

I thought it was pretty insensitive as well. Jim Bob came off as really obnoxious, and his little jokes he always makes made me cringe more than usual. Example: one of the Japanese tour guides was named what was pronounced like I-ya, and he announced that everyone should follow I-ya and "Me-ya" pointing to himself.

Anna was making a huge deal about not being able to even touch raw fish because she might be pregnant. A few of the teens were walking around with giant cameras as well (like, foot-long lenses).

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2013 11:39:54 GMT -5 Willis Jackson said:

They hand out the pictures everywhere they go, usually after people are like, "What?! 19 kids?!" and then they go, "Yup. Here's a picture of all of us."

Wait, what? They just walk around and hand out pictures of themselves?  So they assume the whole world should know them AND wants a picture of them?

[mrssavy42112]

Mar 13, 2013 14:20:41 GMT -5 papiercherri said:

Mar 13, 2013 11:39:54 GMT -5 Willis Jackson said:

They hand out the pictures everywhere they go, usually after people are like, "What?! 19 kids?!" and then they go, "Yup. Here's a picture of all of us."

Wait, what? They just walk around and hand out pictures of themselves?  So they assume the whole world should know them AND wants a picture of them?

No. When they walk around as a group, they draw a lot of attention. Hello, 20+ people who all look alike! So people always come up to them & ask questions. They showed clips of people asking for autographs. So they have pictures that they sign or give away. They don’t just stalk people down the streets & throw pictures at them. 

[princessx]

It doesn't surprise me that people who live off Tater Tot Casserole turned their noses up at sushi.

Px

[cransplash]

Mar 13, 2013 11:27:09 GMT -5 @246baje said:

I'd be offended if someone came to my country and said "Ewww!" about my traditional food.

I don't like Jamaican food but when I lived there I didn't say "ewwww!" Or that it tasted nasty. I tried everything offered and if I was offered something a second time I politely declined.

The behaviour described is rude and unnecessary.

This. exactly.

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2013 19:25:11 GMT -5 cransplash said:

Mar 13, 2013 11:27:09 GMT -5 @246baje said:

I'd be offended if someone came to my country and said "Ewww!" about my traditional food.

I don't like Jamaican food but when I lived there I didn't say "ewwww!" Or that it tasted nasty. I tried everything offered and if I was offered something a second time I politely declined.

The behaviour described is rude and unnecessary.

This. exactly.

Right.  Some things are acquired tastes.  Politely try something once and if you don't care for it that's fine, but you don't have to make a spectacle out of your distaste.  I thought the whole Anna spectacle over I might be pregnant and can't eat fish and we've been trying and I might be pregnant was rather obnoxious. 

[nickyd2006]

I say eeeewwww! To their hush puppy casserole. I can't believe that they love that. Blech.

[pugz]

It wasn't as bad as I was expecting but it wasn't great.

I think they went as part of a media tour. They are actually very popular in parts of Asia from what I've read, they've allowed filmmakers from Asia to come tape them at home for foreign documentaries.

Anna not even TOUCHING the fish was over the top.

[ckinla]

What made me cringe the most was how LOUD they were. When I was in Japan I was struck by how quiet and respectful people are in public - we practically whispered the whole time we were there, following social cues, especially in public transit and restaurants. The Duggars (especially Anna and Jim Bob) were way over the top annoying and loud. The food thing bugged me too. I'm super super picky, but I managed to try things in Japan and even if something wasn't to my taste, I told them it was delicious anyway. This is how the Japanese live! Voicing their distaste like they did was soooo offensive.

[emsumm]

The pictures aren't just pictures. They have evangelical messages on them and are for the purpose of proselytizing.