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Since the abuse revelations surfaced last month, child
protection advocates have charged that the Christian parents who
star on TLC have downplayed their son's abuse of four of his
sisters, including a girl who was under 10 at the time.
In an interview with Megyn Kelly of "The Kelly File," the
Duggars said they were victims of a tabloid leak that dredged up
long-forgiven offenses committed by their son, Josh Duggar, now
27. Some critics called the interview overly sympathetic to the
conservative parents of 19 children from Arkansas.
The Duggars "found a predictably safe space to portray
themselves as gravely concerned parents who did everything
right," wrote Hank Stuever in The Washington Post on Thursday.
"Jim Bob seemingly sought to diminish what transpired," said
Brian Lowry in trade magazine Variety.
Discovery Communications-owned cable network TLC had no comment
on Thursday on the future of "19 Kids." Last month, TLC pulled
all episodes of its top-rated show after the molestation reports
surfaced. At least a dozen advertisers ditched the program.
The harsh reaction to the interview has put new pressure on the
network to make a decision about the future of the show. Experts
said that if the Fox News appearance was part of an effort to
help resurrect the program, it backfired.
The Duggars "have absolutely no future on American television,"
said Jack Deschauer, vice president at crisis management firm
Levick.
"Their whole brand was a loving, conservative, Christian family
that lived life according to a very strict code of ethics," he
said. "How can you conserve that brand?"
The couple’s nearly hour-long interview, recounting incidents
that occurred in their home 12 years ago, drew 3.1 million
viewers, the highest-rated episode of "The Kelly File" this
year. Jim Bob Duggar said Josh, then nearly 15, touched his
sisters over their clothes because he was "curious about girls."
"They hadn't even known he had done it," he said.
Fox News is to air a second interview Friday with Duggar
daughters Jessa, 22, and Jill, 24, who said they were victims of
their brother’s actions. It will provide another chance for TLC
to gauge viewer interest in a spinoff show. Deschauer doubted
that the Duggars can regain their audience.
(Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon, Editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and
David Gregorio)
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