Instagram/@jeremy_vuolo
After the attendance at the memorial service, Jeremy Vuolo, dubbed one of the most famous reality television stars of “Counting On” and immediately husband to Jinger Duggar, shared an Instagram photo of much meaning. Simply captioned “a shared joy is a doubled joy,” the photo depicted the couple hugging warmly outdoors with greenery and string lights in the backdrop-Well-placed and well-meaning, this picture once more cemented the idea of joy in shared moments, especially those of joint remembrance.
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Several followers suggested that the memorial referenced by Vuolo was for a much respected religious teacher. Many of his followers added that they were able to series it live as well and called it “beautiful and encouraging.” This was followed by narrations on how the departed always pointed onward to Jesus Christ. One other said that at their church ceremony that morning, they sang a hymn related to the service; another shared a recollection from childhood where her mother kept a sampler in the kitchen that read, “A joy that’s shared is a joy made double-a sorrow shared is but half a trouble,” which was almost like say Vuolo’s. Linking with a somewhat familiar expression in the vernacular merely goes to emphasize the fact that, in times of sorrow, the communities turn toward one another for justification through the shared experience.
Yet some strayed away from the memorial. Here again, a very recurrent theme resurfaces: comments on Vuolo and family not revealing their children’s faces on the internet. One frustrated user wrote, “Tired of seeing the back of your kids heads,” inciting a brief clash of viewpoints among other followers. Another comment proceeded to defend the first: “Oh goodness. I am tired of people feeling entitled to seeing the faces of strangers kids,” followed again by a third: “I think they should be admired for not profiting off their kids.” This continuing dialogue further shines light on the pressing issues of child privacy and exploitation while presenting contextual examples of public families, such as the Vuolos.
A moment of levity was had in the middle of all those thoughtful, reflective, and supportive comments; one follower said, “Jeremy, your head looks slanted in this picture! Not your best look,” referring to the photo’s tone rather bluntly. Someone else jumped onto the joke with “No wonder I never see you guys. You attend 9 am service,” somehow proving that among all social media users, even worship schedules can be topic for connection or missed connection.
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Though brief, the Vuolo post serves as an example of how public figures take to social media as one way of coping with personal and communal issues. In the shared grief and celebration of a life well lived, a shared joy becomes a powerful image. The suggestive responses, ranging from supporters steeped in faith to those debating child and parental privacy, are indeed doing what the audience does: directly speaking with the content in earnest support and total criticism. This Instagram moment briefly captures fold and censure of community in this present-day digital world, where joy and sorrow in the share are both multiplied and sometimes even debated in the ambiance of string lights and eager eyes. Hence a sentimental caption: The deep, the petty, the beautifully human, all there.
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