Jackson Duggar is likening his experience to The Truman Show.
That’s bleak — but it’s also chillingly accurate.
All of the Duggars spent time on camera over the years. Most did so as children.
But Jackson was born on camera. Those cameras then followed him until he was 17 years old.
Jackson Duggar was born on reality TV
During a recent sit-down guest spot on Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo’s podcast, Jackson Duggar opened up about his experience.
He is now 21 years old.
Jackson first appeared on television during his birth as part of the Duggar Family’s first special, 14 Kids & Pregnant Again! back in 2004.
He would go on to appear throughout 19 Kids & Counting and then on Counting On.
Jackson only stopped appearing on those shows when TLC canceled them — in both cases, due to Josh’s scandals.
It was Jeremy who commented on his brother-in-law’s parallels to the 1998 Jim Carey film, The Truman Show.
“It’s like ‘The Truman Show,’ you ARE ‘The Truman Show,’” he told Jackson, who did not disagree.
“Actually … when we were done watching that [movie] the first time, I remember watching,” the 21-year-old recalled.
“I was like, ‘Is this like me? Did they just make the [movie] about me?’” he commented.
Jackson added: “I was like, are they watching me, ya know?”
‘That’s crazy to think about’
During the conversation, Jeremy pointed out to his brother-in-law that many childbirths take place on television.
In most cases, however, the cameras stop rolling within hours. That was not Jackson Duggar’s experience.
“I think you’re one of the only people who was born [on TV] and [had their] life followed, until you were 17,” he noted. “That’s crazy to think about. You’re in a very select group of people.”
Jackson agreed: “That’s crazy to think about.”
“For your first breath, you were looking at the cameraman!” Jinger chimed in.
It is worth noting that Jackson’s delivery came in the form of one of Michelle’s only C-sections.
Jeremy admitted that watching it came as a shock, because the surgical delivery was pretty graphic.
“It was a medical documentary; it was not TLC at that point [doing the special], it was Discovery Health,” he told his brother-in-law.
(TLC is part of a group of channels under the Discovery umbrella. It is this same company that purchased Warner Bros several years ago, to our eternal chagrin)
Meanwhile, Jackson admitted that he sometimes ends up seeing old episodes of Duggar reality shows — though it sounds like he only watches it with family, and doesn’t turn it on himself.
This isn’t just a cinematic parallel; this is a violation of his human rights and dignity
For all of their talk about Jackson Duggar and cinematic parallels, the chat did not really did into the meat of The Truman Show.
(Not that we expect a deep dive on any topic from people deliberately failed by cult-approved “schooling”)
The Truman Show follows a boy who has grown up his entirely life and only now realizes that his entire existence has been a show, with everyone around him an actor.
Some argue that the film is about going from ignorance to wisdom — a standard adult right of passage as you understand the world.
But perhaps the most key interpretation is that it’s about freedom. Jim Carry’s character is a victim; his human rights and dignity have been violated from infancy.
Even the most outspoken Duggars seem ill-prepared to discuss just how wrong, how deeply immoral, their parents’ choices were.