The Bates' annual Valentine's Day celebration has come to a close. Last night, the couples gathered for dinner, which was followed by a Charleston dancing face-off for the guys. This afternoon, the entire family got together for the big party, held at Gil and Kelly's church, Bible Baptist. The theme was the "roaring '20s." The film crew was present, so you can look forward to seeing all the fun on an upcoming episode of Bringing Up Bates.
Photos courtesy of Carlin and Evan Stewart; Josie and Kelton Balka
Carlin Stewart, Evan Stewart, Layla Rae Stewart
Josie Balka, Willow Balka, Kelton Balka
Photos courtesy of Carlin and Evan Stewart; Josie and Kelton Balka
The costumes are fun, but this is not the Bates family we used to know!
ReplyDeleteBut that's just it,they are just costumes, they will be them again when they take them off, just like the rest of us when we dress up for Halloween, but they don't celebrate Halloween so let them have fun their own way, they could have worn more revealing clothes from that era, but they didn't so why are they different, they're not monks and nuns! They are allowed to have fun.
DeleteWhy is it any of your business what it cost and who is paying for it. I think the Bates are wonderful Christian people.I love watching them.
DeleteThis is not the Bates we used to know for sure.
DeleteAnd I wonder if Mr. Bates congregation were to have a "Fall Festival" what would they or others feel about gangsters, money bag guys and flapper girls as costumes? Maybe they would not think it as so much fun...who knows.
12:51, did you mean to comment elsewhere? Nothing was said about what it cost or who paid for it in my comment. In fact, I agree with you that that is none of our business.
Delete12:54, good point about the congregation. If my pastor's family had this theme for a family party at church, it would be just plain weird. I'd be questioning his judgement. I didn't have any issues with their other themes. I thought others were being judgy and nitpicky about the price of the costumes and "making fun of old people" and all the other stuff. But this theme, embracing the flappers and gangsters, is different. That was a lifestyle that Christians in the 20s did not embrace or endorse.
Delete3:07, it's not entirely true that they are "just costumes." There are thoughts and choices behind the costumes.
DeleteMy in-laws are fundamental Christians and they are horrified by costumes of any kind, let alone representing stealing and dancing and alcohol. This is definitely a strange choice for this family. I myself am Catholic so this would just be a fun party for me.
Deletethis family has way too much fun! i want to be a family member!
ReplyDeleteI’m shocked at Carlin looking like that. I was hopeful they would pick on the better side of the ‘20s.
ReplyDeleteShe looks great! Also, do you have a problem with women's liberation?
DeleteBoth couples look good and the sweet babies too!
ReplyDeleteWow. These costume parties are getting serious! Ha
ReplyDeleteWe all know that this event is show-driven. UP provided professional costumes for this party. I find it strange that the guys dressed like gangsters, who are criminals and their flapper girl friends were considered 'loose women' at the time, drinkers and partiers. How does this stand up for their religious beliefs? I also thought that this family was thrifty and didn't have lots of money for meaningless over the top parties? I understand Valentine's Day is a lesser observance than Christmas of July 4th but having a simple I love You get together, a nice meal together and perhaps a gift for each other would have been more in keeping with their lifestyle. This is not the Bates family that they advertised themselves to be. Shame on them. Either they are on one side of the fence or the other. This family has meshed beliefs and their rules in their audiences' faces with no real explanation whey they're doing it. Also Carlin has just popped a baby out and she's going to a party all dressed up? I couldn't do it so soon after delivering a baby. I have 2 children myself. Her body is still in the affects of afterbirth. Unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteAgree so much! The Bates could go a long way in showing the UP tv audience a family dinner that doesn’t portray what this one did. So many other themes could have been chosen. This family seems as if they have lost reality in their reality show. It is a shame. And yes, “Shame on them”.
DeleteAccording to you they can't even have a party because you have a problem with it? There beliefs can't change overtime right? Seriously move on with your life.
DeleteI actually like seeing Carlin and other famous people like Duchess Kate and Meghan all dressed after giving birth.It gives me hope that it is possible for post-partum woman to look beautiful after having a baby.
Delete8:57. Obviously the Bates morality has changed. It’s those hanging onto the assumption they actually live as they proclaim instead of watching their actions that keep their fans defending them and/or being disappointed in them.
DeleteYou answered your own questions with your very first sentence- it's all show-driven. They may or may not be comproising their religious beliefs. If they are, that's for them to work out. If fans are disappointed in them, perhaps it's a good lesson- don't hold people up on a pedestal just because they're a charming and attractive TV family and claim to be Christians, and then be outraged when they lose their balance. I'm not saying that the Bates are in this category, but we all know what happened with the Willis Clan. Appearances can be deceiving. Regarding when it's ok for a new mother to venture out of the house to a party, that's up to the individual. Your experiences are not shared by everyone.
DeleteI'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that this will incite a fair amount of outrage over the theme and costume choices. "Not modest! For shame, portraying a criminal! Those Flappers were loose women baring their arms and knees, smoked cigarettes, and had abortions! They're honoring immorality!"
ReplyDeleteMy réponse would be to stop taking so seriously the doings of a reality TV show family. It doesn't matter that they are card-carrying fundamentalist Christians. They are, however, human beings who will never live up to the expectations of everyone and are far from perfect. Like anything on TV, take it with a grain of salt. There are enough disappointing and negative things in this world without intentionally digging around for more of it.
So with your logic a family that became famous by claiming to live by a higher standard of morality should now be taken with a grain of salt because they have now chosen not live by that standard?
DeleteWasn’t abortion illegal in the 1920’s?
DeleteWhat’s immoral about showing your arms and knees?
Delete11:19. Abortions happen whether or not they’re illegal.
Delete7:51- You can take it any way you wish. However, just remember that there are likely people who could accuse you of not living up to your own standards.
DeleteThe Bates are not like the Duggars. Gil and Kelly let them wear what they want.
DeleteThe party is what people wore in the older dsys to party. They were acting out a movie they use to watch.
So get over it people. It was good so leave them along.
Amen, sister! 😁
Delete@7:51- I take it with a grain of salt because viewers cannot know the full story behind the costume choices. Certainly, I don't believe wearing 20's getups is automatically synonymous with lowering one's standards of morality. This is a TV show. One can question motivations, but it's not ok to condemn people when you don't have the full story. That certainly is not a Christian thing to do. If the Bates start robbing banks or selling pornography, well then, that's a another matter. In any event, looking to reality TV stars as examples of your" higher standards of morality", whatever that means to you, is probably inviting disappointment.
Delete111:19- Abortion was not criminalized until the mid-19th century. In the 20's, it was illegal. However, you don't think that stopped desperate women from taking desperate measures, do you? My own grandmother nearly died from a self-induced abortion during the Depression.
DeleteThose costumes ought to go over like a lead balloon with some of the viewers and visitors to this blog.
ReplyDeleteYeeeah, the flapper lifestyle is pretty contradictory to what they say they believe.
Delete8:54- If you could ask them what they were celebrating, mobsters and loose women, or I Love You Day, what do you think they'd say? They're wearing COSTUMES for fun, kind of like a kid dressing up as a pirate, hippie, or Frankenstein on Halloween. If you don't think it's in good taste, that's fine- however, I think you're exaggerating the situation a wee bit. The Bates aren't advocating robbing banks or sleeping around. BTW, the Flapper look was a mainstream fashion trend in the 20's. My grandmother didn't party, but some of her clothes at the time were cut from the same design.
DeleteTo all those who stated that the Bates would never pay tribute to the negative side of the "Roaring 20's", I say take a look at these pictures and descriptions- a bag of "cash", bare shoulders in flapper dresses, a "Charleston dance contest".
ReplyDeleteI just lost a lot of my admiration and respect for this family. I'm very disappointed.
I am very disappointed too. It appears that God is not the center focus and that makes me sad.
Delete@11:51 Ok, I buy the argument that "good Christians" who promote a modest and Godly lifestyle are contradicting themselves by dressing up like gangsters and flappers. However, to say the Bates are paying "tribute" to the negative aspects of the 20's is a shallow diversion. I think what's happening with the Bates is that the network producers are heavily influencing their show content and came up with this party theme, as well as the costumes. It appears the family is going along to get along and paying tribute to their media marketing more than anything else. They will be, over the long hall, painting themselves into a corner with many of their loyal fans who are disappointed with their evolving standards. Fame and money are powerful motivators. No one should be surprised.
Delete11:51 Do you really think they're paying tribute to gangsters? It's like kids dressing up for Halloween as a pirate, hobo, inmate, or bank robber- it's for fun, not promoting criminal behavior. BTW, I don't think it's ever a good idea to put anybody up on a pedestal, especially people on TV. You're bound to be disappointed sooner or later. No one is perfect and money/fame can shift priorities. That's just the way it is.
DeleteVery much agree!!!!
DeleteYeah, I don't get it. Do they not know the history behind what they're portraying, or do they not care?
DeleteEveryone knows the history. Even the supposed innocent Bates. Let’s go with they don’t care.
Delete1. A prop bag of cash is not sinful. I can guarantee that Evan didn't rob a bank.
Delete2. A shoulder is not sinful. It's just a shoulder.
3. The guys did the Charleston contest and I'm sure that it was hilarious...not sinful.
I think the Roaring 20’s was a fun theme for them. It’s all in fun. However, Critics, don’t blame the producers of the show. The Bates certainly could choose to say, “No, we would rather choose another theme. This one doesn’t reflect our values.”
DeleteIt is what the prop bag of cash REPRESENTS that is sinful, and the flapper costumes because of what the flappers represented at that time in history
DeleteCan we get updates on their church? Didn’t they remodel it?
ReplyDeleteThey showed a while back the dedication service for the new church. Evan's family sang.
DeleteDid UPtv pay for all those expensive-looking costumes, or did the Bates suddenly come into money and/or abandon their frugal ways?
ReplyDeleteThe Bates are wealthy, and abandoned their frugal ways a long time ago.
DeleteSo Layla and Willow are dressed as immoral, loose women before their first birthday. I know. It’s just for fun.
DeleteSuddenly come into money? They've been paid to be on the show for years.
DeleteIt appears that once again Carlin took her new baby out into a crowd during flu season. I truly hope for their sake that the baby doesn’t catch anything, but they’re risking it in order to go have fun. Sometimes going out with a baby is a necessity, but when it’s not it should be avoided at all costs during flu season
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree with you. Baby Layla has had quite the busy first few weeks of life:
Deletebirth, hospital stay a week later, visit the Bates on her way home from the hospital, her newborn photo shoot, and a "Roaring 20's" party. I wish for some normalcy in this baby's life. I hope it will come to be.
Anonymous @2:53pm. The only people at the party was her family and grandparents. Everyone at the party had a flu shot.
DeleteIt's not like she is taking the baby to the grocery store.
It isn't a crowd. She took her baby to a family gathering. Yes, there are a lot of them, but they are all family. I took my babies everyone I went (church, the grocery store, etc.), and they never caught the flu.
DeleteA crowd is any large gathering of people, family or not. It doesn’t matter if they received their flu shots or not, because the flu shot is not a perfect match to all the circulating flu strains. Pediatricians advise against taking a newborn out into crowds the first few months of life. You can look up the data. I’m glad that your children did not get sick when you “took them everywhere “, but consider yourself lucky. It is not the recommended thing to do by the medical community.
DeleteCount me as a very disappointed Bates fan. "Party held at church" and "the theme roaring 20's". Men dressed like gangsters, holding stolen money. Hard to believe. Makes me sad.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. So very sad.
DeleteTheir program is not featuring the simple Christian family lifestyle image as it was originally. So many of the grown daughters seem stuck on themselves and their appearance and don't project a modest humble image. They are the stars, not Jesus. Money has bought them out. They started out as a poor family and look at what the wealth and fame has made them into.
DeleteThe Bates sure seem more fun than the Duggars!! And more stylish. Kelly and Gil don’t come off as rigid as JimBob particularly!
ReplyDeleteI don't like the Roaring Twenties theme. LOVE should be the only theme.
ReplyDeleteYou all look great!
ReplyDeleteobviously the bates have changed their views on some things over the years
ReplyDeleteI can't believe they'd bring a fragile newborn -- who can't even hold up her own head-- to a loud, noisy party. I worry about that baby. Her parents are very young and immature.
ReplyDeleteWhen you hold a newborn baby, you support their head. It has nothing to do with noise. Actually, newborns can often sleep right through a lot of noise. And if the baby is inconsolable, Mom can excuse herself and take the baby away.
DeleteOh please! It was a party with only family. They didn't take a baby to a bar! Babies can sleep through about anything, so the party probably didn't bother her at all.
DeletePediatricians and the medical community advise against taking a baby out into a crowd during the first few months of life, especially during flu season. It doesn’t matter if it’s family it’s still a crowd. A person can have and spread the flu 24 hours before even having symptoms. It’s not the noise that would hurt the baby necessarily, although this does cause stress to a newborn’s system. It’s the flu strains or other viruses that are a concern. New parents have to learn that it is just the beginning of putting their child’s well being before their own wishes
DeleteGeez people! Lighten up a little! If you have watched the show for any length of time, then you should be well aware that these kinds of things are done for the sake of the show. If you don’t like it or it offends you, then stop watching the show! So the Bates’ annual Valentine’s Day get-together had a Roaring 20s theme? So what! So some of the dresses showed shoulders? So what! The ladies were otherwise completely covered and were showing nothing immoral or tantalizing. Some people can be such prudes and overreact. I would think that there are outfits worn in/on various forms of media these days that are much worse than some flapper-style dresses. Stop being so critical of the Bates’!
ReplyDeleteYep, gangsters and fish net tights...really?
ReplyDeleteYeah how do all
ReplyDeleteThese girls look so good after having a baby? I looked like I crawled out of a cave after I gave birth. Like literally, messy hair, no makeup, swollen, like I literally had been living in a cave
They have tonnes of help. They probably take turns looking after the baby at night so that mom can sleep. I had absolutely no help, husband away, fussy baby, took me six months to recover. I don't begrudge them but they have lots and lots of help, like most of my cousins do.
DeleteThey do have lots of relatives close by, but I doubt any of them help out at night.
DeleteI think a big part of that too is because they have their babies so young. Your body bounces back faster and different than older women. They are basically still kids, late teens and early twenties having babies already. Muscle tone and collagen doesn't start diminishing until around 25 to 30 years old.
DeleteCarlin and Josie look great and the babies look adorable! I don't understand why everybody is being so negative. Times change, people's beliefs change.
ReplyDeleteSeriously people? I think they look really cute and definitely modest. Some people just look for things to complain about.
ReplyDeleteLighten up, People! These are just fun costumes! I doubt that any Bates will become a gangster, start smoking, or making bootleg gin. It's a costume party and Christians can have fun. Stop judging.
ReplyDeleteIt’s not about them becoming bootlegging, smoking gangsters or loose women. It’s as Christians why would they choose to dress up and emulate these morally corrupt characters “ just for fun”? And, it’s time for the “stop judging” comments. As Christians we are to judge those inside the house of God: 1Cori thians5:9-13. We need to hold each other accountable.
DeleteYes, I agree with 6:32am. This situation is about the "choices" each one of us makes. In my opinion, this theme was a poor choice on the part of the Bates.
DeleteI also notice these "stop judging" comments only show up when people try to defend the Bates no matter what they do.
anon@6:32- The only thing they're emulating is the clothing, not the behavior. If people think that it was poor judgment choosing these costumes, I can see that. However, there are bigger problems in this world to solve. I'm not about to "judge" other people for what they choose to wear to a party. In my experience, those who look to find fault with others because they think they're holding them accountable, are usually the same folks carrying around a pretty big load of their own flaws. When you point a finger, you've got the rest pointing back at you.
DeleteI don’t agree that the clothes don’t emulate or represent the behavior of the roaring 20’s. It’s like they’re a billboard for that time period, stolen bag of cash and all. Our choices in life and the clothes we wear make statements. Everyone has their flaws, but it doesn’t mean we have to agree with or CONDONE their choices. If they’re putting those images out there for the world to see, then people are going to have an opinion if it goes against their values
Delete11:29- Those gangsters carried guns and killed lots of people, therefore I believe anyone who owns and carries a gun is going against Christian values and morals.
Delete8:58 I grew up in a Christian household with guns. Not one family member killed another human being. Those guns put meat on the table and were for protection. David, who wrote many of the Psalms, certainly did kill many men in battles, but God said David was a man after His own heart. Please explain that.
Delete2:25- I think the point is that some posters are making too much over the costumes, implying that the Bates are promoting immoral behavior of the 20's One could use that same logic by saying guns are a symbol of killing, therefore having one is immoral. The Bible says we shouldn't kill. Your reference to David being a killer and a still a man after God's heart are just one of the many inconsistencies in the Scriptures... do as I say, not as I do, kind of thing.
DeleteAll in good fun !
ReplyDeleteGoodness. The comments on here are what is ridiculous. So many Christians being awfully rude in their comments. A lot of these costumes came from Amazon and are not expensive. Also a LOT of people had New Year's parties with this theme. How do you know they didn't come form a 2nd hand store or know if they were borrowed? (They do make money from the show & all have jobs) As far as the Carlin just had a baby comment, I was in a wedding just a short time after having a baby & it wasn't a big deal. I knew what I could & couldn't do, rested when I needed to. I for one, love the fact that a family (especially one this size) are planning get togethers such as this and celebrating each other. The costumes are great!
ReplyDeleteThose of you without sin cast the first stone. I honestly cannot believe the comments I'm reading here. The Bates do everything is good taste and honor to the Lord. You all should be ashamed of yourselves judging so harshly.
ReplyDeleteYou are being ridiculous. There is nothing in good taste about celebrating immorality.
DeleteI think fans have the right to question the choice to dress up as flappers and gangsters. These are not character traits that would be seen as good taste or honoring the Lord.
DeleteI wouldn’t agree with the comment that these costumes are in good taste or honorable to the Lord. And although we’re not supposed to judge others, we are supposed to keep each other accountable. I guess everything has their own opinion of what “crosses the line”, but I don’t think you could argue the point that the Bates’ family has changed a lot since their tv show first began. This will inevitably disappoint some viewers
DeleteDo you understand what the flappers were about? Go look it up in Wikipedia if you think we are overreacting. Tell us exactly how that matches what the Bates have taught their children growing up. It is not throwing stones to point out the inconsistency. And none of us are saying we are perfect.
DeleteFebruary 17th, 2020 at 2:12 pm, well said! 😉
DeleteWhile I respect their family, the statement that they do everything in honor to the Lord is debatable. Do you truly know about the flapper and gangster culture from the 20s? Please explain how their dressing like that culture is honoring to the Lord. I'm having trouble seeing that.
DeleteNo one is capable of doing everything in honor to the Lord. We ALL sin and make mistakes in judgement. We should not put anyone on a pedestal, because no one is worthy of it except Jesus.
DeleteThose who should be ashamed are the ones promoting immoral people as” just having fun”and those justifying it.
DeleteThose costumes are nothing more than Hollywood charicatures of 1920's fashions. Gangster movies exaggerated the Al Capone look- black pinstripe suit and fedora hat. Anyhoo, I have to wonder if these condemning comments are written by conservative Christians. I grew up in a fundamentalist Baptist community and I remember well the climate of suspicion and judgment of anybody who didn't conform. Not much Christ-like love went on, that's for sure. I understand that not all Christians act this way, however it made quite an impression on me so many years ago and it wasn't positive. I think the Bates mistake was to do business with the media. They will never live up to the lofty Christ-like image they presented for themselves at the start. They've opened their entire family up to relentless criticism from all sides in an environment that's notoriously vicious. That's not fair to the minor children.
ReplyDeleteThat’s why I don’t agree with children being on tv.
DeleteFor all those saying they are just costumes, I agree. But, what do those costumes represent? Illegal alcohol. Loose women who were know to flaunt their sexuality. Gangsters. If it’s the 20’s they wanted to do as a theme why not dress up as Babe Ruth, Charles Lindbergh, women suffrage and earning the right to vote? Instead they chose to represent the debauchery associated with the decade.I think it’s OK to question their motives in this situation.
ReplyDeleteHere's the thing about those costumes- Some people are outraged and claim that by wearing them, the Bates are "promoting" gangsters and loose living. Others only see them as entertainment and a way to have a good time, kind of like Halloween dress-up. I might dress up as a pirate for trick or treat, but that doesn't mean I want to be one. Obviously, the Bates were not suggesting that it's ok to rob banks or be promiscuous. I think they were just doing this for the show's sake and to have fun with it. It's all about the lens in which you choose to look at something. If you're offended, that's your call. However, don't make accusations that are based solely on an opinion.
ReplyDeleteYou say “Obviously,the Bates were not suggesting that it’s ok to rob banks or be promiscuous”. Most likely true. But, they were saying it’s fun to dress up as gangsters and loose women( they even dressed the babies as flappers). It’s fun to dress up and pretend to be immoral people. So much fun we we chose to have a party. I believe that is the crux of the issue.
DeleteExactly@10:15. No matter how the justifiers spin this the Bates did choose to make a sinful lifestyle look like a lot of fun.
DeleteSin is fun. That’s why it’s so tempting. As the Bates have become famous and wealthy they are walking that fine line of where to draw the line. We are cautioned as Christians to not even have the appearance of evil. Was it evil to dress up and pretend to be immoral? No. Could it be argued it had the appearance of evil? Yes.
Delete7:46- So, by your logic, owning and carrying a gun has the appearance of evil and is pretending to be immoral? The main purpose of a gun is to kill, after all.
Delete7:50, no, that is not the logical conclusion. Guns are used for protection and provision of food, neither of which are evil.
DeleteThe growing chorus of divisive comments and criticism on this blog illustrate why I think it's so unhealthy for the Bates to continue filming their family. The entertainment industry is a horribly toxic environment and the social media only amplifies this. If the Bates are all about protecting their kids from negative influences, it stands to reason that subjecting them to the slings and arrows of the business would be off limits. The kids are growing up with their own opinions and starting their own lives. There's no way they're going please everyone all the time. I just find it interesting that so many so-called God fearing Christians are so quick to take off their Godly countenances and put on the boxing gloves. It's little wonder why churches are hemorrhaging memberships.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way about guns that some folks here feel about the costumes representing very negative things about the 20's. To me, a gun represents violence, death and destruction. This is evident in our street violence, in the killing machine of war, and they are the method of choice with the majority of successful suicides. Certainly, those gangsters 100 years ago were taking out the competetion with semi-automatic weapons. Funny thing, but if I follow the logic of the Bates' critics and the costume controversy, I guess I'm justified in thinking that people who carry guns therefore support violence, death and destruction and their morals should be in question.
ReplyDeleteU guys look like U had a flapping good time!!!!! THE BATES, THE CUTEST FAMILY EVER!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSeems as though the majority of "fans" are disappointed and put off by the theme of their I LOVE YOU DAY.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to their attitude against dancing? - Here they go with competing in roaring 20s dance styles AND clothing - NOT in good taste at all. My questions is WHY
did they do this. They could have chosen a Wagon Train theme.
Sign me disappointed and confused.
"Fun is sin"? Oh my. I'm glad I'm not part of your family.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t see anyone say “fun is sin”. I saw “sin is fun”. Which it is for a season. That’s why it’s such a temptation. If there wasn’t fun in it nobody would b tempted, but it will ultimately lead to destruction.
DeleteWho said “fun is sin”?
DeleteCan someone give the recipe of the beef they cooked that night
ReplyDeleteOkay for all those commenting on the costumes Kelly said in an episode before that once the kids get married and move they can make their own rules they just try to set the values in the I mean I've seen photos of Whitney, Alyssa, Josie and Carlin wearing jeans even Kaci Lynn it isn't often but I've seen them nothing wrong with that. Flappers may have been bad but the 20s was also the time of the great depression, saving yourself for marriage and faith. People back them were from big families as well.
ReplyDelete