‘Counting On’ Canceled Because Of Derick Dillard’s Alleged Bigotry? TLC Deletes Post Announcing Next Season
Has Counting On been canceled, and if so, does Derick Dillard’s tendency to post controversial comments on social media have anything to do with it? The Hollywood Gossip writer Free Britney has a theory that TLC has either canceled the show, or is holding back on making a decision, thanks in no small part to Derick’s tendency to speak his mind on social media in ways that don’t paint the family in the best light. Further evidence for her theory is that fact that TLC posted, then deleted, a post announcing the show’s renewal for a seventh season.
As you may know, although fans love the Duggar family, and in particular, watching photos of the women in the family who get married off for signs of pregnancy, TLC is not immune to canceling shows in the wake of controversy. In fact, that’s the reason the show being discussed here is called Counting On: it’s a repackaged continuation of the original show, 19 Kids and Counting, which was canceled after news broke that oldest Duggar brother Josh had molested young girls, including his sisters, and had cheated on his wife.
Now it appears that Derick Dillard is trying to step into the role of Duggar Family villain vacated by Josh.
A post shared by Derick Dillard (@derickdillard) on
Not only is he a vocal Donald Trump supporter, he also uses his social media presence to rail against the LGBTQ community. In particular, he publicly bullied another TLC star, Jazz Jennings, calling the teenage girl (who was born male) an “oxymoron” and saying that being transgender is a “myth.” What’s more, he referred to Jazz as “he,” which can be perceived as an insult, since Jazz identifies as female and prefers feminine pronouns.
What’s more, when observers tried to accuse him of being bigoted, he defended his remarks as freedom of speech. And while it’s true that freedom of speech means that Derick can say what he wants without the government stepping in to censor him, it doesn’t mean that no one can respond by calling him a bigot.
To Britney, this all means that TLC is possibly tempted to wash its hands of the Duggar family entirely, thanks in no small part to Derick.
“Gossip about the Duggars’ imminent demise isn’t new, in large part because a growing chorus of critics would love to see that day come. Given the dark cloud that will always linger over the reality series, how long with TLC conclude that it’s worth keeping this on the air?”
However, it bears noting that shows about large families, such as Meet The Putmans and 7 Little Johnstons, are TLC’s bread and butter, and canceling the show may cost the network a considerable number of viewers.
[Featured Image by Derick Dillard/Instagram]
