Does the air smell a little sweeter today? Do you find yourself with a little extra pep in your step? Did every person you know text you about the death of an almost 90-year-old man? Yeah me too.

In this bonus, emergency episode, Jake and Brooke are joined by Corina to process the news of the death of Dr. James Dobson. Not to speak ill of the dead, but thank goodness. What a jerk. Say hi to Ted for us, Dobby boy!

Listen to "Lessons from the Couch" wherever you get your podcasts!

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It's a family affair on this episode of I Hate James Dobson, as Jake and Brooke are joined by Kevin - Jake's older brother, a rocket scientist*, and one cool guy. It's exciting! What's less exciting is that they are talking about creationism. Boo. A family that laughs about shared trauma together stays together?

References:

Answers in Genesis. (2014, February 4). Bill Nye Debates Ken Ham - HD (Official) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6kgvhG3AkI

Boston, R. (2019, July 31). Ken Ham's Ark Park Floats On A Sea Of Taxpayer Subsidies. Americans United. https://www.au.org/the-latest/articles/ark-park-money

Inspiring Philosophy. (2022, January 7). The Origins of Young Earth Creationism [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLcNTAi0Cw4

Lucke, J. (2023, October 26). Mike Johnson defended Noah's Ark attraction in Kentucky before becoming U.S. House speaker. Kentucky Lantern. https://kentuckylantern.com/briefs/mike-johnson-defended-noahs-ark-attraction-in-kentucky-before-becoming-u-s-house-speaker/#:~:text=By:%20Jamie%20Lucke%20-%20October%2026,U.S.%20Rep.

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This episode is a case study in going with the flow as both Jake and Brooke made last-minute pivots to cover the new season of Shiny Happy People. It's like a greatest hits of I Hate James Dobson - and Brooke learns the real reason for the season. Plus, the episode is just a vibe, really.

Works Cited:

Crist, O. et al. (Directors). (2025, July 23). Shiny Happy People Season 2: A Teenage Holy War. [Docuseries]. Amazon Prime Video. https://www.amazon.com/Shiny-Happy-People-Teenage-Holy/dp/B0FD3G7PP7

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Welcome back, readers! It's good to see you again! It's less good to get back to talking about the Duggars though. In this episode, Jake tells Brooke about the history of the Duggars as political figures, and weaves the story of their cult leader, Bill Gothard. They do not have particularly kind things to say about that man - or really anyone in power in these stories. Turns out staying under their umbrellas leads to destruction! (Is that anything?)

References:

Challis, M. (2023, June 7). How the new documentary series Shiny Happy People intersects with mainstream Christianity. BaptistNews.com. https://baptistnews.com/article/how-the-new-documentary-series-shiny-happy-people-intersects-with-mainstream-christianity/

Crist, O. & Nason, J. W. (Directors). (2023, June 2). Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets [DocuSeries]. AmazonPrime. https://www.amazon.com/Shiny-Happy-People-Duggar-Secrets/dp/B0B8TR2QV5

Duggar, J., et al (2023). Counting the Cost: A Memoir. Gallery Books.

Duggar, J., Duggar, M. (n.d.) Our Story. DuggarFamily.com. https://www.duggarfamily.com/our-story/

Espada, M. (2023, June 2). The True Story Behind the Duggar Family Docuseries Shiny Happy People. Time.com. https://time.com/6284603/shiny-happy-people-duggar-family-true-story/

Gurley, A. (2023, July 19). Who is Bill Gothard? Everything to Know About the Institute in Basic Life Principles Founder. People.com. https://people.com/who-is-bill-gothard-the-institute-in-basic-life-principles-founder-7506014

Radnofsky, C. (2022, February 6). Ministry that once nourished Duggar family's faith falls from grace. NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ministry-nourished-duggar-familys-faith-falls-grace-rcna14024

Timeless truths from God's Word for our lives and relationships. IBLP.org. https://iblp.org/basic-life-principles/

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Hey readers, speeders, and pizza eaters! Today, Brooke is taking the lead to explore just who the heck the Duggars are and how the broader, secular world understands them. Next episode, Jake will be a usual nerd and talk about the theology, psychology, and politics related to the Duggars, so enjoy this nice break while you can. Also, Brooke was very very excited for this one :)

Citations:

Crist, O. & Nason, J. W. (Directors). (2023, June 2). Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets [DocuSeries]. AmazonPrime. https://www.amazon.com/Shiny-Happy-People-Duggar-Secrets/dp/B0B8TR2QV5

Duggar, J., et al (2023). Counting the Cost: A Memoir. Gallery Books.

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Things sure are bleak out there, huh? Thankfully, Jake and Brooke are here to lighten it up by talking about furries, conspiracy theories, and cartoons. That's right, distinguished listeners, today we are going to be talking about the life and times of the one and only Jack Chick. Get ready to laugh at awful things.

Buy merch! ihatejamesdobson.printful.me or ihatejamesdobson.com

References:

Alberto Rivera. (2025, March 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alberto_Rivera_(activist)&oldid=1281921120

Chick Publications (n.d.) About Jack Chick. https://www.chick.com/authors/jack-chick

Chick Publications. (n.d.) Tracts. https://www.chick.com/products/category?type=tracts#&&Category=All&SortBy=A-Z&PageNumber=1&Language=English&ShowCount=12&Status=Stock

Daniels, D. (2016, Oct 16). You Don't Know Jack [Playlist]. Youtube. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=totLO3sV6-Y&list=PLhmAbEGx-AnTTNoJgObb_sbvekP6tscLl

Jack Chick. (2025, May 15). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jack_Chick&oldid=1290569957

John Todd (conspiracy theorist). (2025, May 1). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Todd_(conspiracy_theorist)&oldid=1288193460

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Gay! For this year's Pride Month extravaganza, Jake and Brooke look at the stories of queer people who knew James Dobson. Since we aren't talking about Dobson directly, there's at least 50% less trauma attached to it.

Also: we have merch now! Check it out at ihatejamesdobson.printful.me :)

References:

Cantorna, A. (2017). Refocusing My Family: Coming Out, Being Cast Out, and Rediscovering the True Love of God. Fortress Press.

Cantoran-Wylde, A. (2023). Out of Focus: My Story of Sexuality, Shame, and Toxic Evangelicalism. Westminster John Knox Press.

Rosebush, M. (2021, July 29. I Lived the Most Unusual Gay Christian Life Ever. GAYoda on Medium. https://medium.com/gayoda/i-lived-the-most-unusual-gay-christian-life-ever-cbf864aff18b

Rosebush, M. (2021, August 13). Fired for NOT Providing Conversion Therapy. GAYoda on Medium. https://medium.com/gayoda/fired-for-not-providing-conversion-therapy-50e905645851

Rosebush, M. (2021, August 22). My Insider Story of hte "Focus on the Family" v. "Gay Rights" Culture War. GAYoda on Medium. https://medium.com/gayoda/my-insider-story-of-the-focus-on-the-family-v-gay-rights-culture-war-a06f7798f65c

Rosebush, M. (2021, September 11). Gay Husband + Straight Wife = Mixed Bag. GAYoda on Medium. https://medium.com/gayoda/gay-husband-straight-wife-mixed-bag-f5271a1f598d

Rosebush, M. (2021, September 16). You Can Be Gay and Christian at the Same Time. GAYoda on Medium. https://medium.com/gayoda/you-can-be-christian-and-gay-at-the-same-time-36ff2f894c4e

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As you can tell by this very normal episode length, today's episode is... a lot. Today, Jake goes through a Dobson Heavy-Hitter "Parenting Isn't For Cowards" with Corina and Brooke. This book takes us to places, well exactly where you'd expect honestly. And yet somehow it's still surprising and upsetting. Yay.

Listen to "Lessons from the Couch" wherever you get your podcasts!

References:

C. Jamie Mater “The Troubled Teen Industry and Its Effects: An Oral History” University of New Hampshire Inquiry Journal, April 2022 https://www.unh.edu/inquiryjournal/blog/2022/04/troubled-teen-industry-its-effects-oral-history

Hollihan, T. A. & Riley, P. (1987). The Rheotircal Power of a Compelling Story: A Criqute of a “Toughlove” Parental Support Group. Communication Quartely (35:1, pp 13-25).

Robertson, E. L. (2023, August 30). Aggressive Children Need Parent-Focused Interventions. PsychologyToday.com. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-psychopathy-is-and-isnt/202308/aggressive-children-need-parent-focused-interventions

Stockton, A. (2022, October 11). Can you punish a child's mental health problems away? New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/10/11/opinion/teen-mental-health-care.html

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Happy Monday, readers! Today, Jake and Brooke are joined by Corina (host of "Lessons from the Couch") to talk about love, intimacy, marriage - and how James Dobson gets it all wrong. Things get wild when 3 therapists talk shit about another clinician. You know us, famous for getting wild on this blog.

Listen to "Lessons from the Couch" wherever you get your podcasts!

Book referrals:

• "8 Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love" by Drs. John and Julie Gottman
• "Come As You Are" by Dr. Emily Nagoski
• "Hold me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love" by Dr. Sue Johnson
• "How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids" by Jancee Dunn

References:

Brittle, Z. (2015, July 30). Committment. The Gottman Institue. https://www.gottman.com/blog/commitment/

Carothers, Bobbi and Harry Reis. “Men and Women Are from Earth: Examining the Latent Structure of Gender,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 104, no. 2 (2013).

Gaspard, T. (2019, April 24). What to Do if You Don’t Trust Each Other. The Gottman Institute. https://www.gottman.com/blog/what-to-do-if-you-dont-trust-each-other/

George, M. B. (2025, February 5). What Do Trust and Commitment Look Like in a Relationship? The Gottman Institute. https://www.gottman.com/blog/what-does-trust-and-commitment-look-like-in-a-relationship/

James, D., & Drakich, J. (1993). Understanding gender differences in amount of talk: A critical review of research. In D. Tannen (Ed.), Gender and conversational interaction (pp. 281–312). Oxford University Press.

What is the Sound Relationship House​​? (2020, November 30). The Gottman Institute. https://www.gottman.com/blog/what-is-the-sound-relationship-house/

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