Was Any Of It Real? Navigating Public Persona vs. Private Reality

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Jinger & Jeremy Podcast
Episode Title: Was Any Of It Real? Navigating Public Persona vs. Private Reality
Release Date: May 14, 2025

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Introduction

In this heartfelt and introspective episode of The Jinger & Jeremy Podcast, hosts Jinger Vuolo and Jeremy Vuolo delve deep into the complexities of maintaining a public persona while preserving their private realities. Drawing from their extensive experience of growing up on reality TV through "19 Kids and Counting" and "Counting On," the couple explores the challenges and insights gained from their unique upbringing and current life in Los Angeles with their two daughters, Felicity and Evangeline.

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Realization of Being on TV

Jeremy Vuolo opens the discussion by reflecting on the initial stages of their family's entry into reality television. He shares a poignant moment of realization:

"[10:00] I remember being out here in California... and I walked into the living room and saw our family's episode on TLC. It hit me like, wow, that's weird."
— Jeremy Vuolo

This realization marked a significant shift in their lives, transforming their everyday experiences into content watched by millions.

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Public Persona vs. Private Reality

The conversation transitions to the delicate balance between maintaining a private life and managing a public image. Jinger Duggar Vuolo highlights the inherent tensions:

"[17:54] There was this understanding of having two lives... we just didn't talk about it too much."
— Jeremy Vuolo

They discuss how being constantly filmed created compartments within their lives, making it challenging to fully integrate their public and private selves. This duality often led to feelings of isolation, as their friends outside the spotlight couldn't fully comprehend the nuances of their televised existence.

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Evolution of Reality TV and Social Media

The duo examines the evolution of reality TV from their early experiences to the present day, where social media amplifies the exposure:

"[14:21] Reality TV was pioneering... now, influencers and streamers are the new reality stars, sharing their lives 24/7."
— Jeremy Vuolo

They compare their time on traditional reality TV with the current landscape dominated by social media influencers who stream their lives continuously, blurring the lines between real and performed personas even further.

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Behavioral Changes from Being on TV

Jeremy and Jinger reflect on how their time on television subtly altered their behaviors and communication styles:

"[34:24] It's not even like acting. It's just a form of communication... repeating questions became second nature."
— Jeremy Vuolo

They discuss specific habits developed from their TV appearances, such as the repetitive answering of interview questions, which has now become ingrained in their everyday interactions.

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Balancing Friendships and Fame

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to exploring how fame impacted their friendships. Jinger emphasizes the importance of genuine connections:

"[23:25] True friends celebrate your highs without jealousy... our closest friends treated us like family, regardless of our fame."
— Jinger Duggar Vuolo

They underscore the value of friendships built on mutual support and love, unaffected by their public status. These authentic relationships provided a sanctuary from the scrutiny and expectations of their televised lives.

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Emotional Reflections and Missing the Crew

The hosts share emotional reflections on their experiences behind the scenes, particularly the camaraderie with the crew:

"[28:10] Seeing photos of our wedding with the crew there was so special. They were like family, always present through every season of our lives."
— Jinger Duggar Vuolo

Jinger expresses nostalgia for the crew members who were integral to their family's journey on television, highlighting the deep bonds formed over years of collaboration and shared experiences.

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Conclusion

As the episode winds down, Jeremy and Jinger offer a contemplative perspective on their life journey, balancing the benefits and burdens of fame. They reaffirm their commitment to authenticity and maintaining meaningful relationships despite the ever-present cameras.

"[45:20] Being real and authentic is important... don't want to constantly feel like you have to be on."
— Jeremy Vuolo

The episode concludes with a call to listeners to reflect on their own lives, encouraging them to cherish genuine connections and remain true to themselves amidst external pressures.

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Notable Quotes

• "[10:00] I remember being out here in California... and I walked into the living room and saw our family's episode on TLC. It hit me like, wow, that's weird."
  — Jeremy Vuolo [10:00]

• "[17:54] There was this understanding of having two lives... we just didn't talk about it too much."
  — Jeremy Vuolo [17:54]

• "[23:25] True friends celebrate your highs without jealousy... our closest friends treated us like family, regardless of our fame."
  — Jinger Duggar Vuolo [23:25]

• "[28:10] Seeing photos of our wedding with the crew there was so special. They were like family, always present through every season of our lives."
  — Jinger Duggar Vuolo [28:10]

• "[34:24] It's not even like acting. It's just a form of communication... repeating questions became second nature."
  — Jeremy Vuolo [34:24]

• "[45:20] Being real and authentic is important... don't want to constantly feel like you have to be on."
  — Jeremy Vuolo [45:20]

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Key Takeaways

• Dual Lives: Growing up on reality TV necessitated maintaining both a public persona and a private life, often leading to compartmentalization and isolation.

• Authenticity in Friendships: Genuine relationships unaffected by fame provide essential support and grounding for individuals in the public eye.

• Evolution of Media Exposure: The transition from traditional reality TV to social media influencers has intensified the challenges of balancing authenticity and public image.

• Behavioral Adaptations: Long-term exposure to filming and interviews can lead to ingrained communication habits that permeate daily interactions.

• Emotional Bonds Beyond Fame: The lasting bonds formed with crew members highlight the importance of close-knit relationships developed through shared experiences.

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In this episode, Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo offer an intimate look into the nuanced interplay between their public and private lives, providing valuable insights for listeners navigating similar challenges in the age of pervasive media exposure.

Transcript

[Ginger Duggar]

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[Jeremy Vuolo]

This is a thing that I don't think I've ever talked about. But even feeling like you're on all the time, there's a certain sense of knowing when I go out to the park, I could be recognized by anybody there. You could think like, is somebody watching me right now? Like you just want to fade into the background and, and never be seen again, but you can't. I was looking at a photo for my wedding, which we'll put up here, and I think the crew is like one of the biggest things that you miss because they were there all the time. They've been through the ups and the downs and seasons in my life where even my closest friends weren't there to see. They were strangers when they come in. And then they were like family as a kid.

Did anyone ever explain to you what it meant to be on camera? Like, did anybody ever go, okay, when they're here, they're going to capture what you're doing. So I think it would be fun to kind of get into that.

Yeah, let's jump in.

What's going on, guys? We are back for another episode of the Ginger and Jeremy podcast. And I feel like Ginger, we're starting to get back into the swing of like normal life.

Yeah, we're finally settling in after having Finn. I think it just is tough to to jump back into newborn stage after you've had a four year break and so we just forget how exhausted you can feel and we're jumping back into normal life. But also just like I said on less sleep and so I have to learn how to navigate that.

But we do have to give a shout out to the snu. Because the SNHU has changed our life. I mean, this newborn phase is different than others. Because with Evie, with Felicity, I was the snoo. And for our listeners who don't know what the SNOO is, explain the snoo.

Yeah, so it rocks your baby, and it has, like, a little bit of vibration on it and some white noise. And it's a bassinet that just slowly rocks like that. And it's great.

This bassinet is like a $2,000 bassinet. But here's the thing about the SNU. We didn't pay that. We found it on Facebook Marketplace or something.

And then my parents actually gifted it to us.

Oh, it was so nice of them.

A gift for Finn.

So it was like a couple hundred bucks, and I went down to North Hollywood around 10 o' clock at night to buy this snoo. I had my knife on me. You never know what you're gonna find when you're on Facebook Marketplace. You're risking your life to save some money for sure. But this thing, we brought it back. And Finn, the first three, four nights, I had come up with a strategy for how to survive. And what we'd done the first couple of nights is like, I want to wake up and I want to help you when I can, when he doesn't need to be fed. And so I'd go to bed, and then you'd get into deep sleep, rem, and you'd be woken up and miserable. And then you're like, oh, what time is it? And it's only 11:30, and you're feeling miserable. Then you do that five or six times through the night, and the next day you're shot. So my strategy was I'm just gonna stay up. I'm gonna hold Finn until 1:30. He's deep sleep, put him down, then I go to bed, and I'll get five, six, seven hours, whatever. But the SNU changed all that as soon as we put him in.

Yeah, he loves it.

He was out.

Yeah. He just sleeps so well, so it has really transformed that. But the issue for me is I still have to wake up out of that deep sleep.

I know you're still struggling.

I am waking up every three hours right now, just about like clockwork. He'll wake up at three hours, so that's good. You get those little stretches. But a couple nights, it's been like, I'll put him down and he'll sleep for an hour and then wake up again.

I feel so bad for you.

That's the challenge.

So it is a challenge. And it's just the newborn stage, I guess.

Yeah. But he is so cute, so he makes up for it by being adorable.

And he's just started reacting now.

Yeah. He starts smiling back at me. Yesterday, it was last night, and then this morning again, he was doing it, and it's so, so sweet.

Yeah, that's cool. It's been fun. And the little girls are taken to him. Well, Evie is obsessed with him now, pushing him around.

I have to say, my sister Jessa, she gifted us a doona. And another thing, this is not about baby products. But it is. And we're not sponsored by these companies, but we should be. So anyhow, the doona. The amazing thing about it, of course, it folds down. It's an infant car seat and stroller in one.

Oh, it's incredible.

Collapses. And it's incredible because you can take it in and out of places for just a couple minutes. I need to hop out of the car. I have the whole setup right there. And Evie loves it because she's able to push him around. And it's not too heavy, not too big. The handle lowers all the way down for, like, a kid to be able to push it. And so that's her favorite thing, is to push Finn.

Yeah, she's obsessed with pushing Finn. And Felicity will try, and she'll say, no. Yeah, I push Finn.

She's very protective and wants to be the only one who's going to push him.

So very first thing Evie said to me this morning when she woke up, I grabbed her out of bed, and she says, where's baby Finn? Aw. I said, baby Finn's sleeping. So is mom, so let's leave them alone. That's so precious. These are good days. But today's episode, I thought, would be fun to look back on an interesting dynamic of your life. And I think it'd be cool to talk about how it's becoming an increasingly more popular dynamic in everyone's life because of social media, because of how much of our lives are now online and how much we're covering and taking videos of and footage of. I mean, if you scroll through your photo app, you can go. I mean, I don't. Most people probably don't miss a day where they're not taking photos and videos.

Oh, yeah.

And a lot of that's ending up on social media, but kind of thinking about how you navigated, like, public Persona and private Persona and what the cameras did specifically in your life because you went on TV at so young and so I think a lot of people look at reality TV and wonder, like, how much of this is a lie? Yeah, I mean, years ago, when it first started, I think people were like, bought in, like, oh, all of this is reality. Well, now with all the behind the scenes stuff, people are more wise to. Okay, so the reality isn't completely reality all the time. So was it all a lie? I mean, the way you acted or the things that happened? So I think it'd be fun to kind of get into that.

Yeah, let's jump in.

So do you remember the first time that you realized you were on tv? Not like, do you remember the first time you were on tv, but do you remember that realization hitting you? Like, oh, wow, I'm being watched by millions of people around the world, inside my house or in my backyard.

That's a great question that it's gonna be hard for me to answer it because I feel like whenever the show first started, it was initially some documentaries that were filmed. And so 14 children and pregnant Again was the first pilot show, the documentary that the network, Discovery Health did. So they aired this special on my family and it was filmed over, I think a couple, probably like a year or so, I wanna say. And they would come for maybe like every couple months for a few days and would film and then they would leave.

Right.

And we had local news around us because my dad was in politics. And so that was something that we were kind of used to, was just seeing those cameras around. They weren't always pointing at us, but it wasn't like we were never around that. And so there was a certain level of understanding that, you know, you're going to be on tv. But then the difference was once they came into our house and the reality show started, it was more often.

Right.

And at that point I think that things seemed to ramp up and it was like, oh, wow, this is crazy. And you didn't. You sometimes felt like you were acting because you would lean into maybe a certain temperament or character of like what you thought people wanted from you. Sure.

So, but. But you don't ever have a moment where you like walked in and saw yourself on a TV somewhere and went, whoa.

I feel like we didn't, we didn't watch ourselves on a TV until probably maybe like a couple years into the reality show would be my guess. But I don't remember fully.

I don't remember.

I don't remember when that time was. But we would, like, we went over to my uncle's house a couple times and he would like, have. He would turn the show on. We'd have like a little watch party.

Is that surreal?

It wasn't necessarily, because at that point I remember being a little bit older, so maybe that was actually more than a couple years in.

I remember being out here in California, actually, before we moved here, and we were visiting friends and we walked into the home and it was Monday night. And I think the show would come on Monday nights at 9 or something. I don't remember all the times across the time zones. And I walked in, everybody was at the dinner table eating, and I was walking through the living room and the show was on. And it hit me like, wow, that's weird.

That's so.

And I just sat there for probably 40 seconds, having gotten the email of that whole episode probably two months earlier, reviewed it, approved it, okayed it, filmed it. But then seeing it on TLC on the TV was just a weird moment. And it was a realization like, wow.

All of these probably, like, in your friend's home feels different than in your own house.

Oh, for sure. And you think like, all of these, quote, unquote, like, random homes have turned this on and are watching what we did.

That is so serious four months ago. And you know what? I think that is the element of reality TV that took off at that time, because before social media was a big thing, there was Facebook that was, you know, live and well. But aside from that, you didn't really even have people looking into each other's lives unless they knew you, unless you were on tv. That was the only thing. Like, even news anchors, you know, I would have looked at my local news anchors and been like, wow, that's so cool. They're on tv. But at the same time, there wasn't a family that was, like, highlighted at that time.

Yeah.

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Okay, back to the episode. And so the roll offs came along similar times.

Yes. Yeah, the roll offs.

So, but it was pioneering.

Yeah, it was just beginning. And so with that, you had all of these families who would say, oh, I feel like I know you. Yeah, I've been in your house. I know where your kitchen is. I know where your bedroom is. And it was fascinating. Because they almost knew more about me than I knew about myself, which was a little bit.

Well, because they were paying attention to things. You know, it's interesting, as you were saying, that I was thinking all of media before, like, if you think about movies and tv, it was all scripts and so you didn't see any of that person's life. Reality TV comes in and you have shows where even it was more reality, but it was still staged, like Big Brother or Survivor. So it's still like, hey, this is non scripted, but they're in an environment that is set up for them. But then reality TV invades the home. But you think about its evolution. Now, some of the biggest, most influential online influencers are streamers. And so they have millions of people just watching them stream, which is literally them just in their living room with a camera, just living. And there's people who stream 24 7. So you're watching them sleep.

Yeah.

You're watching them brush their teeth. You're just watching them the Truman show.

Like we always talk about.

Yeah. So it's like an interesting evolution there. Wow, that's wild. Did you ever feel like, especially as a kid, did you ever feel like you had your real life and then your TV life? Like, did you feel like.

I would say yes and no, because for the filming side of it, that felt very normal. It felt like my real life. And at the same time, I think because of our friends who were around once filming was done, then we would go spend time with our friends and we wouldn't really talk about the show, we wouldn't talk about what we were filming. And part of that, I think, was there's some wisdom in that, maybe because you don't want it to come across as like pride or like, oh, we're filming, we got to do all this fun stuff and maybe they didn't. And so there was a certain level of wisdom in that. And at the same time, it also felt a little disjointed at times because we weren't talking about half of the things that we just filmed. And so with that, it also kind of made it tough to go super deep with your friends or feel like you were like inviting them into your life in a real way. Because it felt like this is my filming life and it's so real because I am getting up, going to get my driver's permit on the show and learning to drive, stick shift, change a tire, all those things that I'm doing that are real life things. Didn't know how to do that before. But then at the same time, it's like, when my friends come around, I'm gonna go to church with them, play broom ball, they're gonna come over and eat pizza. But we're not talking about all that happened or that filming life where you have cameras around you all the time. You're walking through a door multiple times, you're going out and coming up with ideas to film and pitching it to the producers. It's like. It's such a fascinating thing. And so I feel like there was this, like, understanding of having two lives. And most people knew that we did. They knew that we filmed. And it was just one of those things that we just didn't talk about too much.

Yeah, it was like, yeah, goodness. Not a double life, but it's like two. Two compartments in your life where you had to be on and you didn't really talk about, like, what's going on over there? Like, yeah, yeah, that's my film. Were you terrified that it would change how people related to you?

I think so, yeah. I always was more sensitive to that as a people pleaser. Of course. I felt like the older I got, I wanted to be more careful because I didn't want it to ruin friendships. And that was something that, looking back, like, I probably would have. Maybe I would have handled it differently. Maybe I wouldn't have, knowing what I know now. Because there's a certain level of community to where, yeah, you're not gonna brag about everything that you're doing. If it's like a bragging thing, you know, you're not doing that out of pride, saying, like, oh, look, we're on tv, whatever, because we're just normal people. And my parents did an excellent job of communicating that to us. And I think that that's where we had a very real understanding of it shouldn't be all about us. And so do think about it. When you go out to the grocery store and somebody's super excited to meet you, maybe you're super exhausted. This is more about them. So you need to make sure that you're kind and loving and don't be stuck up, because this is not, you know, it's not. The world doesn't revolve around you, and TV doesn't make you any more special than the person next to you. So you need to serve and love, work hard. And I think that that's something I really appreciated that was instilled in us in that time and for friendships. I think it kind of went along those same lines. And that was the reasoning behind it. But it also did isolate you a lot because you felt like, okay, my friends don't understand what we're doing because there were opportunities that were handed to us where we were able to travel the world and see sites in different countries and we traveled all over the States and things that were every kid would probably want to do, and yet we wouldn't talk about it that much.

You know, it's interesting. I was preaching Luke 15 recently and it's all about Jesus is the Savior who pursues sinners. And the Pharisees and the scribes are so angry at Jesus because he finds sinners and saves them. And one of the parables Jesus tells to kind of correct them is the parable of the lost sheep. And then the parable of the lost coin. And he tells a parable, the prodigal sons. And in all of those parables, the person who finds what he was losing gathers his friends to rejoice that he's found it. So when the woman finds a lost coin, it says, doesn't won't she gather all of her friends to celebrate? Hey, I lost this. But now it's found. And I was thinking in one of the applications I made in one of the messages was, oftentimes we think true friendship is defined by those people who will walk through difficult times with you. But another mark of true friendship is who are those who you can celebrate the highs of life with? And they won't get jealous. They won't cut you down, they won't be angry. They won't want a piece of your pie. That's a true friend. So if you think about your life and you think, okay, if the greatest thing circumstantially were to happen to me, I'd get a raise, I'd get a new job, I'd get in a relationship with someone. I'd find out we're pregnant or whatever. Whatever would be an excitement. Who would you tell? And who would you feel safe telling? That's a true friend because they'll rejoice with you.

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Back to the episode. And you know what's really beautiful is we've found a lot of those friends in our lives.

Yeah.

Like, I'm thinking of people right now who are less friends and more like family.

Yeah.

Who we can go to them and they rejoice with us. And what a beautiful mark of true friendship. And I wonder if you could look back on your life and I think you could. And go. There were some people in my life who knew everything. They knew we got to travel the world. They knew we got to go to Disney. And it didn't change anything for them.

Oh, yeah, 100%. I'm thinking of a family right now. Who they were, you know, our closest friends. And they definitely were like that. And they were so servant minded. Others focused and just loving on our family through the ups and the downs. And I will say part of this is where when we were on the show, people saw us walk through the hardest times and the best times. So it wasn't just one of those things where it was like, oh, we're always just doing all these fun things. Initially it was. But then when you get down to the reality of what's happening, and it was not all easy. And when these situations unfolded where it wasn't popular to be a friend of the Duggars, then that's where you see her true friends are, too. In those valleys where, yeah, we might still have this show. Or maybe it's on pause and you feel so unsure about the future, what's gonna happen, and your friends come around you and then you're just like, okay, like, it's going to be fine. Everything's going to be good. Because our life is not wrapped up in that. And that was something also. I think it kept us grounded because we knew that this was something that God had allowed us to have was the show. And then at the same time, when you walk through the pain and difficulty then talking about it in that season, it really made you think more about, like, what it means to be given that stewardship. Because it's weighty, it's not easy, it's not fun in that moment. Like, you just want to fade into the background and never be seen again, but you can't. And so that's the other side that kept us grounded. And with your real friends that were there, they didn't care. They honestly could care less if the crew's there or not. And even some of them who just knew, like, okay, you step aside if they're doing a certain shot, and they wouldn't say anything. They would just kind of, like, go do their thing and be at our house, but not worry about, like, being in the front and center. And you knew what their intentions were. It wasn't to get on the show. It wasn't to say, oh, I'm best friends with the Duggars. Cause they could care less about the name. They just knew us from before and were genuine friends.

Yeah. Genuine community.

Yeah. They were kids who I grew up with.

Right. It also makes you want to be a good friend like that.

Oh, yes.

It's given you a sensitivity, like something about Ginger for our listeners, that is so beautiful about her humility. But if she. You have, like, the opposite reaction to someone who's well known or someone who, you know, has done something notable. Ginger, like, most people are like, oh, I want to get close to that person. And whether it's a bad motive, like, I want to exploit their popularity for my own sake or whatever, or if it's just fascinated by them, you have the opposite reaction of, like, oh, that person's well known. I should stay away from. Yeah.

And not because I almost avoid. Which is terrible. Cause I don't. I think that I just don't want them to get the wrong idea. I don't ever want somebody to feel like I'm trying to get close to them because I want something from them or because they're well known. I. I really could care less of how many followers or what they've accomplished. I'm proud of what they've accomplished and can appreciate respect, take so much. I can learn so much from so many people around me who are in that place. And at the same time, I also have a hesitation because I'm like, if they approach me and want to be my friend, I will be a true friend to them. But at the same time, I'm not going to as easily pursue a relationship with somebody in that place. And that can also be selfish on my part to feel like, okay, well, I don't want them to get the wrong impression of me trying to get close to them for any reason. And so I think. But I've appreciated that even the friends around me now, they don't care about all of that stuff. They don't care, you know, if you're out traveling or doing what you're doing. It's like, you know, they're just. They're just there.

Right.

And it's so sweet. I think that's. That really is what true friendship is.

Oh, you know, I'm thinking of so many people who've come in your corner. Even there was a moment where, when we found out that you were expecting and one of your closest friends has experienced pain in that area, and yet just seeing how she came around you with such excitement and joy and I mean, it's just. I could think of a hundred stories and it makes you want to be a better friend where you say, I genuinely don't want to be in friendship with anyone else for any other reason than to bless them and serve them. Which is really, really sweet.

Yeah. And I think that's what. That is, what the gospel is, too, because we think about us, like, in wanting to. Wanting to even draw near to God, and we can't bring anything. It's like, what do we have to offer God, like, when we come in, Salvation, like, there's nothing we can bring. And with that, there's nothing that we're going to. He's going to gain from us being a part of his family. And there's a beauty there. And I think that with friendships, too, we see, like in the church, it shouldn't be about position, popularity. That's another thing. Like, I. I noticed that in certain settings where it felt like you would walk into a place and it was like, oh, all the rich and famous sit in the front. And the scriptures speak about that very clearly. And saying, you know, you know that you. Woe to you who, like, you know, I can't remember what the text is, James, but it's about like having. Saying to the rich, you sit here in a good place. In the poor, you sit over here.

James 2.

And it's. Yeah, it's amazing. You can read the text.

Well, I preached a sermon on this. I called it Gucci Gold in the gospel.

Yes.

But show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord. If a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, you sit here in a good place while you say to the poor man, you stand over there or sit down on my feet, have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? And then the gospel part comes in and this is what you just said really insightfully. Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him? So he says, what's going to kill this preferential treatment? The gospel? Because Jesus doesn't pick the high and mighty and well to do and put together. He picks the weak and the low and saves them.

Yeah. And that's the thing that, you know, when you see people who do it well, who maybe have they've been placed in that position with people around them that, you know, they're like popular, famous, and they really reach out to those who no one cares about, that means the world. And so it's awesome. I really, it's the beauty of the church. I love that.

And then you find a safety. Like, even I know for you, someone who grew up with all of the weird dynamics of TV and all of the expectations and then having people who did treat you differently when the cameras came in, all that stuff, your experience has been being in a sweet local church has been a reprieve and a joy because you've entered this world of love, the church where people aren't treating each other based on socioeconomic status, how well known or little known you are, how much is in your bank account, how much isn't in your bank account. And it's like a relief. Like, oh, I'm not. I don't have to. In this dog eat dog world, I don't have to perform.

Yes.

I don't have to be something or I don't have to be ashamed of opportunities. Like, the other thing is. I know, I remember it took you a long time to ask for prayer amongst even your friend group at church because it's like, oh, yeah, so my book is releasing this month and I've got to go on a little media tour in New York City and I'm going to go on this show. And you're like, I don't Want to.

I don't think I even brought it up half the time.

Because you're afraid of, like.

Yeah. Other people knew I was going on tour, and so.

But then you would come home and say, like, one of your friends in the group would go, oh, we need to pray for Ginger because of this.

Yeah. And see, that means a lot, because when I've grown up thinking, like, okay, I have to guard against that so heavily, which I think is wise at times. There's also a wisdom in letting people into your life, too, and doing life alongside your closest friends. And so in my Bible study group, they've been amazing just being alongside me and everything that I'm doing. And it's incredible because it really is the support that we all need. So whether it's for me in that position or for them in something that they're doing an endeavor, we want to just be alongside each other, to love each other, pray for each other, and support no matter what the case is.

And that's life. Like, that's the joy of being a friend.

Mm.

We've talked a bit about, like, hey, let them have the joy of serving us. Just like when you get to serve them, you love that. Like, when we get to come alongside someone and say, oh, let me provide a meal, or let me watch the kids. The ones serving, we get the benefit because the Lord blesses. I mean, that's just how he hardwires it, where we. We feel blessed when we seek to bless others.

Oh, yeah.

And so allowing people into your life is actually a blessing to them, because it's not a burden they want to serve. That's what relationship is, is knowing, bearing each other's burdens and rejoicing with those who rejoice. That's why the Scriptures talk about that. Weep with those who weep, rejoice with those who rejoice. That's friendship.

Yeah.

Having. Being able to go to the top and the bottom of the roller coaster of life alongside community. That's beautiful. Friendship. Yeah. That's cool. That's the church. Okay. That's our little plug for the church.

Yes.

Get involved in the church.

There we go.

Did you ever act? Did you ever find yourself acting like you were on TV when you weren't? And I have a way that. I have a way that you guys.

Yes. I know exactly how we do it. So it's not even like acting. It's just a form of communication. If this is where you're headed.

Because it's exactly where I'm headed. I know what you're gonna say, okay.

So you just asked me a question, and I'm answering the question without repeating the question. So on the show, if I were.

To say, ginger, how was your day today, going to the park with the girls?

Well, today, yeah, my day was pretty good. We went to the park, and it was sunshiny. See, I repeated your question. So part of the thing is, whenever we were on the show for interviews, we had to repeat the question because the producer's voice, they would ask us, ginger, do you remember? Yeah. Do you remember when you went and got your driver's permit? And I would be like, yes. So when I went and got my driver's permit, you always have to start out like that. It was. You know, I was scared. Whatever. You go in and talk about it, but you have to repeat the question. That way, they can cut out the producer's voice, and you are the one introducing the question to whoever's watching.

I mean, it makes sense from a production standpoint. Otherwise, you would just have these random insights.

And that happened a lot later. I feel like we all were so used to answering questions like that, to the point where I don't even think about it half the time. But Jeremy's still like, you'll tell me. You'll be like, you're still answering the question. Anytime somebody asks me something, I'll half the time repeat the question that I was asked to them and then answer it.

And your family does it too.

They do.

And it's because you guys sat for. So that was the most laborious part of filming. And I just got a little taste of it, being on the show for those years. But you grew up with it, where, no problem, they're filming you. They're following your life. And then they would go, okay, it's interview day. And everyone would collectively go, ugh, interviews. And everyone would show up late to the interviews.

They almost dreaded it, which I felt bad for the crew on. It was like pulling teeth to get us to do interviews, which we always did it, but it was just like, oh, so and so forgot it was interview day. And they would have it all lined out. That's Finn.

Yeah. You gotta go grab him. You want to grab him?

Do you want to bring him up?

Yeah. And then we'll.

And bring the blanket with him.

We'll pick this up in a second.

Yeah.

Okay. All right, we're back. Finn is now sleeping in the room under the main camera. So he's right below. And I think we've got time to keep going. What were we Talking about.

We were talking about interviews.

Yeah.

And I will have to say, so interview days, when you would walk up to the studio. So our studio was in front of our main. In front of the big house. There's a shop area, and that's where we did all of our interviews. They had a studio inside of there. And for years, it was more like. It felt like just metal building with concrete floors. And they. They would just try to set it up as best as they could, but then it was too echoey. So then they basically built out a studio inside the shop with all the proper fittings. And so they left that set up all the time. And then what we would do is every season, we would get new interview clothes, too.

Oh, yes.

So we would go shopping. I remember, and. Or at first, we would just actually get something that we wanted from our closet. It couldn't have stripes. It couldn't have tight patterns, and it couldn't be white or, like, cream. And so there were certain things we couldn't wear for interviews. And then we would, every season, switch that out, because they wanted you to wear the same shirt in case they had to do pickups for interviews. And you would need to see exactly what you were wearing. And for the girls, it was harder because if your hair was done, you had to, like, have the same hairstyle. And so you just choose what you're gonna do for the whole season and keep it consistent.

Well, that's why, too, if, like, a beard was a problem. Cause I remember there was a few times I would shave right before filming, and then it's like, oh, man. You know? And they. They would let it go. But it's funny, because if you. If you watch a reality show carefully, the ones where there's talking heads, you know, who are explaining what happened, look for things like the beard or the.

Mustard or the haircut earrings that you forgot to wear.

Yes. And you can't hide a haircut. So it's like you might see in one episode, me talking, going. Yeah, it was a really fun outing today. We had a good time. Two minutes later, I might interview again, and I've got a completely different haircut. Cause they're splicing and dicing through those interviews. Cause we would sit in those interview chairs for six, seven, eight hours sometimes.

Yeah. A long time. And it was crazy. I feel like. Yeah. Especially once they came to Laredo in Texas. That was different, because they would come and do interviews less often.

Yep.

So then we would be sitting there for a very long time. It was. It was Crazy as a kid.

Did anyone ever explain to you what it meant to be on camera? Like, did anybody ever go, okay, when the film. When they're here, they're going to capture what you're doing? Was that ever explained to you?

What do you mean? Because, I mean, like, when the first show, when the first documentary happened, 14 children and pregnant again, they were. They said, do not look in the lens.

Okay, so there was like training.

Don't look. Well, a couple times we would look in the lens because they were walking down. When they would do the pan down, like in that very first show, they went all the way down the line of all of us kids and we had to say our name.

And so we should watch that show and do an episode on, like, reacting to that.

That would be really fun.

That would be fun.

Yeah, let's do that. So anyhow, they would pan down and they'd be like, look in the camera lens. And then other times they would say, okay, now totally act like we're not here. And so you just don't look at the camera. And then when you were talking, you were doing an otf, which is an on the fly interview. So say they were at the house for a birthday party. After the birthday party's done, or in the middle of the birthday party, they would pull one or two people aside. They would say, hey, tell us, was she super surprised by her surprise birthday party? And what gifts did you give her? Do you think this party's going well? And so then you talk to them, but you'd be talking to. The camera's there. You're actually looking slightly to the left or to the right and you're talking to the producer. And then they cut that in there as like a mini interview as the show's being filmed.

Yeah, OTF's, man, you just unlocked, like a memory there. They would always say, all right, can we grab. Hey, can we grab you two for an otf? And it was funny because if you were at a party or something where there was other people who weren't, like, filming, you'd have to explain to them what an OTF was. I remember our friends when we first came out here and we were looking at apartments and they were showing us around different apartments, and it was so funny, they kept pulling them aside from OTFs, and it was like, you know, they felt like, you know, you can tell it's like this new concept.

Yeah, it's so interesting.

Okay, do you think being on camera, like, do you think it changed your personality for all those years?

I don't know to what extent it changed it because that's all I knew since I was 10. And so if you hear any noises, that's just little Fin.

He's stretching and squirming.

So anyhow, yeah, I think that in some sense it did, because I leaned in, like I said, heavily to being the funny one with all the facial expressions. And part of that was just me. I was very funny, believe it or not. And I always had my signature thumbs up and I had these glasses that I thought looked really cool. And so with all of that, there was a certain person I was on camera, and I guess I was kind of like that in person, too. That was funny. I highlighted it more when I was on the show.

I'm trying to find. There's a. What are those things called? Are they emojis? Not emojis. GIFs. There's a GIF of you doing the double thumbs up.

Oh, my word.

With the glasses on, you can't find it. Yeah, yeah, that was classic.

Probably better. You can't find it. So I'd be like, they say, ginger, can we get your two thumbs up? So that was a good thing. Oh, really?

That's so cute. It is interesting to see how elements of filming life have just been infused into normal behavior and are kind of just assumed now.

And I also. This is a thing that I don't think I've ever talked about, but even feeling like you're on all the time, there is a certain level of that. There's a certain sense of knowing. When I go out to the park, I could be recognized by anybody there. And especially in the height of the show, it was very common where you would go to the store, you'd go to the park, you'd go on an airplane, and you'd always get recognized. And so knowing that when you're out, say you're having a rough day and you're just chilling, you could think, am I being like, is somebody watching me right now? And seeing how I'm responding to the situation and whether it was, you know, like, as I'm older now, parenting my kids, or just having a rough day or having a great day and, like, having fun, you know, it's like, not all the bad things, but at the same time, I probably would overthink it, right? And especially back in the days where I felt like maybe I constantly had to be smiley or whatever, and then realizing, okay, well, that normal life, everybody goes through normal life. And so even in la, if you see somebody who's well known. And they're just out and about. Chances are they're gonna be, you know, they're gonna be in their casual clothes, looking normal. They're not gonna be in character, even like an actor or something, you know, so there's a certain level of that. But the kindness that you want to have and extend to people, that should always be there regardless of how.

Although people can catch you off guard at certain times. Stressful moments.

Oh, yeah, sure.

They wouldn't judge your whole.

Or a couple times, like with the kids. Like I've had that happen where I'm out and the kiddos might be cranky or tired, unwinding, unraveling. Yeah. One of them may be just like over it and done. And then somebody comes up to talk to you and you're like, hey, it's so nice to meet you. And at the same time, it is very nice to meet them. But then your kid needs to go to the car. And so that also has happened. And I think at any point, it's just you don't want to constantly feel like you have to be on. And so I think just being real and authentic is important.

Yeah. Speaking of being real, authentic and normal life. We've got a little one month, two week old who needs some attention because he's just chilling.

Look at him. But I will say, okay, so before we wrap this up, last night I was looking at photos and I always get like, emotional. It's so interesting because I feel like the show was such a huge part in our lives and it was like what we knew. And so there's a certain level of like, you miss some of it, you miss. For me, I should speak for myself, I miss certain aspects. Like that was so easy and so normal. And then also just the crew. I think the crew is like one of the biggest things that you miss because they were there all the time. Like Scott was there from day one. And once they're not there, it's like, it's sad because I was looking at a photo for my wedding, which we'll put up here. And it's all the crew members around me on my wedding day. And that was such a sweet moment. I was like, I have to get a picture with the crew. Cause we got all the family photos, the bridesmaids, groomsmen, and all the crew standing around. And you have extra crew in on wedding days, so you'll have extra teams come in. Like crews from other shows will come in and film. But my core crew, they were there and they all got a Picture with me. And so I think I'm gonna actually frame that one and put it somewhere in the house. Cause I don't know what it is. There's something just so special about those years and the sweet memories that were made. And there are times where I just am like, ugh, I miss all those guys. Like, you can't you. Yeah. I don't know. When they were there, they would just be talking and doing their job. But, like, at the same time, they're part of the family in my mind, because they knew they've been through the ups and the downs and seasons in my life where even my closest friends weren't there to see because they were there anywhere from three to five days a week, six days a week, seven days a week, who knows? Depending on the week. And they were there through everything. And so it's like, really an interesting dynamic. There were strangers when they come in, and then they were like family. And then you don't get to see them all the time. And so that's just. It's awesome, though. We do get to see different crew members here and there. We'll just, you know, if we're in certain areas where they live, then we're hitting them up, or they'll hit us up when they come to la. And so that is very special. And I will always have such a special place in my heart for all the crew members.

Yeah, that's cool.

I always get too emotional. It's a problem.

It's real. It's a deep part of your life. There's more here for us to discover. I think we should talk about. I think we should go and watch some of those first episodes. And then, you know what else would be a good idea? To have some of the crew members on the podcast.

Oh, my goodness. That would be fantastic.

Let's see if we can get one or two of them to jump on.

That would be a blast.

That'd be fun.

I would love that.

All right, well, I love you, babe, and love hanging out. Let's go. Take care. Oh, he's asleep again.

We could go for another hour.

We could. Well, thanks for hanging out, guys. And we will hopefully see you next week. Like, subscribe, do all the stuff, leave comments. Oh, here's something. Can you guys tell us what your favorite episodes are from the show through all the eras? And we'll try to do some reaction videos watching them. That'd be.

I love it. Go ahead, comment.

See you.

[Meech Speaks]

What's going on, everybody? It's that ordinary podcaster with the extraordinary thoughts. I'm Meech Speaks, and if you're tired of that fake motivation and you need something real, raw and actually useful, then head on over to the Talking Crazy Podcast. I'm talking mindset motivation and what what it means to be human as we navigate the trenches of military service in and out of uniform. So if you've ever felt stuck, lost, or feels like nobody understands you, this podcast is for you. Don't forget to check out the Talking Crazy Podcast every Monday on your favorite streaming platform.

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