The Duggar Brothers Get Protective Joy-Anna: Potential Suitors Will 'Go Through a Lot of Testing'

By Leah Marieann Klett
Duggar
The Duggar sisters appear in a promo for "Jill and Jessa: Counting On." Photo Credit: TLC

In a sneak peek of Tuesday's Jill and Jessa: Counting On episode, Jim Bob and Michelle's children are shown discussing whether 18-year-old Joy-Anna will be entering in a courtship.

"I think it's really neat to see throughout the years [how] she's really changed and grown up a lot," Jinger, 22, said of her sister. "Years ago, she would have been the tomboy out in the trees and climbing all over the place, never wanting to fix her hair."

Joy-Anna also revealed she's starting to embrace her feminine side: "I think being the only girl in the middle of eight brothers, I was definitely a tomboy back in the day, I was always hanging out with my brothers," she said. "But now I'm kind of getting out of that stage and trying to grow out of that."

Jinger added that there are quite a few young men that have "expressed some interest" in Joy-Anna. However, the Duggar boys said they have some pretty high standards when it comes to potential suitors for their sister.

"For me, he would almost have to be a perfect guy," said Jedidiah, 17. "And he would go through a lot of testing!"

"I think if guys come around, they're going to have to get through a few guys - [I'm] talking about me and [my brother] Joseph," said Josiah, 19.

Added Joseph, 21: "If a guy shows up to court Joy, there will definitely be a lot of us standing back a little bit, kind of checking him out."

Three of Joy-Anna's older siblings- Josh, Jill and Jessa - all married under the age of 24. As earlier noted, instead of dating, Duggar children "court." During the courtship period, possible mates spend time together with family members there to supervise, never alone.

Physical parameters are also conservative: hand-holding is allowed, but kissing is reserved for the wedding day.

"Courtship is really waiting for the one God has for you and praying through the whole process," Jim Bob explained in 2014.

Added Michelle: "It's really examining the person and considering, 'Would this be the guy I want to be the father of my kids?'"

Jill & Jessa: Counting On was introduced almost a year after Josh admitted to sexually molesting underage girls, four of which were his sisters. At that time, a TLC cancelled the Duggar's original show, 19 Kids and Counting, after multiple advertisers abandoned the series following an avalanche of pressures from loyal customers.

Similarly, following the initial episode of Counting On, seven sponsors promptly made it clear that they did not want their advertisements to be broadcast while the Duggars' show was airing, notes Cinema Blend. During the second week, even more advertisers pulled their support.

Among those advertisers who protested being in any way associated with the Duggars were Credit Karma, Pure Michigan, Verizon Wireless, Mattress Firm, Cici's Pizza, Choice Hotels, The UPS Store, and Whitewave Foods.

Notes a report from Fox News: "TLC implied viewership for Counting On is high, but whether or not the series can survive if advertisers unceremoniously continue to drop it remains to be seen."

Jill and Jessa: Counting On airs Tuesdays (9 p.m. ET) on TLC.