When TLC first aired "19 Kids And Counting" (originally called "17 Kids And Counting"), it seemed they had hit Nielsen gold. Year after year, Americans tuned in to see The Duggar Family masquerade as the perfect Christian family. While people obviously saw them as a bit over-the-top, there was nonetheless a wholesome joy in watching them grow together.
This upward trend continued, with the 2014 wedding of Jill Duggar reaching almost 4.5 million viewers, according to Variety. But while the family's rise to living-room prominence was fast, their fall from grace was even faster.
In 2015, numerous sexual assault allegations against the family's eldest son, Josh Duggar, came to life. Victims included everyone from members of his family to an adult film actress, Chicago Tribune reported. America's perfect Christian family's dark side was revealed.
In the wake of numerous sexual assault allegations against high profile men in the media, looking back at The Duggar Family legacy can reveal a lot about today's world. Much like Matt Lauer, Louis CK, and Harvey Weinstein, the actions of the family only revealed a known dark side to the family.
The Duggar family were true believers
The Duggars appeared on television as a large, quirky, but ultimately loving family. In spite of this, the show was criticized from the beginning for giving a platform to hateful viewers.
Before the sordid past of Josh Duggar came to light, he served as the executive director of the lobbying PAC of The Family Research Council. While the FRC tried to masquerade as an interest group supporting the rights of American families, its motives are far more sinister. It is labeled as an anti-LGBT hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Much like Harvey Weinstein's behavior revealed the dark underbelly of Hollywood misogyny, there is hatred and bigotry at the core of the Duggar family facade. The Family Research Council has lobbied against same-sex marriage, accused the "It Gets Better" campaign of attempting to "recruit" kids into the LGBT-lifestyle, and has said the LGBT rights movement's goal was the legalization of pedophilia.
While these ideas were not parroted by the Duggar family on TLC, their platform allowed them to serve as a wholesome face for a movement that is anything but. Meanwhile, the family remained active in promoting this agenda: family matriarch Michelle Duggard came under fire in 2014 for recording a transphobic robocall opposing an anti-discrimination ordinance, according to Washington Post.
Everybody knew
It was particularly ironic that, while the Duggar Family was active in accusing the LGBT community of having a hidden agenda, they had their own dark secrets.
When Josh's teenage molestation was unveiled, they were also exposed for covering up his heinous actions. This reveals another unfortunate parallel regarding the behavior of The Duggar Family.
The Vulture reported that Louis CK's behavior was a comedy rumor for years. Harvey Weinstein's predatory behavior was an open secret, and Matt Lauer's behavior had become a part of the culture at NBC News. In politics, Roy Moore was able to climb Alabama's political ranks on a family-values platform in spite of known predatory behavior at shopping malls.
Ultimately, the stories of both The Duggar Family and Hollywood's predators were stories of open secrets. People are more interested in maintaining a facade than repairing a broken system.
What's even more shocking is the fact that the consequences are not severe
After Josh Duggard was made a pariah at TLC, "Counting On", a spin-off show focused on the remaining Duggars premiered.
Comedians are already expecting a Louis CK-comeback, and Senator Al Franken is refusing to resign, in spite of multiple harassment and groping allegations.
Ultimately, this is a problem of cover-ups, a lack of consequences, and no responsibility. Regardless of one show's cancellation, or one producer being fired, the root causes need to be dealt with.
