Fans Call out Audrey Roloff of ‘Little People, Big World’ for Appropriating Other Cultures
Audrey Roloff from Little People, Big World drew heaps of criticism for her latest social post. Her Insta-worthy lifestyle draws mixed reviews. But two recent posts of a religious nature really set off some people. Now, she’s accused of appropriating other cultures — and not respecting them. Here’s what the TLC alum did and why people are so upset.
Little People, Big World: Is Audrey Roloff Inspirational, Aspirational, or Demotivational?
An apt way to categorize Audrey Roloff’s social media activity is as a “Christian Lifestyle Influencer”. In every post, she shows off her busy life while simultaneously talking about slowing down and living life intentionally.
Even when she shares posts about hard times, they’re set against vividly beautiful images. In the age of FOMO (fear of missing out), images of an ideal lifestyle can inspire you to do better.
Or they can demotivate you to make you feel like you’re not enough. Perhaps Audrey’s being aspirational, aiming to show the perfect life she wants. Some of her notions might not sit well with a lot of women.
For instance, she mentioned in one post about relationships that she was learning to “stifle” her stubbornness. That doesn’t sound so bad. But that was in conjunction with her learning to “let go” of her “independent spirit”.
She said she needed to be courageous to follow TLC husband Jeremy Roloff’s “lead”. That’s her personal mantra. But not all fans of Little People, Big World, or the Roloff family, would agree.
To many, a woman stifling her independence is a disturbing notion. And looking at her hobbies, outlets, and endeavors, it might feel exhausting to aspire to live like Audrey.
She makes it look all too easy. Lately, one of Audrey’s passion projects has been her sourdough starter. If you’ve never done it, you get a little of one from a friend, then “feed” it with flour and water.
It allows you to keep a base on-hand for homemade bread. If you don’t have time for it, hit a bakery. However, it’s what Audrey said about her bread — and how she used it — that set off some people.
Two Posts on Religion Spark “Appropriation” Comments
Audrey Roloff said baking bread is great for her. Homemade bread is a treat. And if you have the time, it’s nice to break away from store-bought loafs laden with chemicals. She showed off a nice loaf she’d made, which is certainly gram-worthy.
Audrey captioned it as sourdough made for “last night’s Shabbat dinner”. A Redditor called her out for “casually appropriating Jewish days of worship” and doing it “for the gram”. If you don’t know, Shabbat is sacrosanct to the Jewish faith.
It is centric to worship and Jewish life and has been for millennia. It begins Friday at sunset, lasting until Saturday sunset. Its importance is emphasized in the Talmud, the book that’s basically a “how to live” guide for those of their faith.
Most Christian churches practice the Sabbath on Sunday. But Shabbat dinner is distinctly and solely a Jewish custom. It’s a reflection of their faith taken seriously by its followers. And there is a reason for the bread served at the dinner… More on that later.
In another post, Little People, Big World’s Audrey mentioned she and Jeremy were giving up screen time after 10 pm for Lent. If you don’t know, Lent is a Catholic tradition that lasts 40 days. It includes fasting, prayer and runs from Ash Wednesday almost until Easter.
Most people give up something for Lent — perhaps chocolate or coffee. Watching TV after 10 pm for exhausted parents of young children seems like something you can’t do anyway. So, is it a sacrifice?
But also, Lent is not something observed by Audrey Roloff’s faith. These are two other religions’ customs casually thrown out on Insta for consumption by her followers.
What Religion are Audrey and Jeremy Roloff – Do These Posts Conflict with Beliefs?
Lent is observed by Catholics, Episcopalians, and Lutherans mostly. These are faiths with their roots in Roman Catholicism. To be fair, Audrey at least acknowledged a few years ago that she’d appropriated that practice.
She said, “I’m not Catholic, but I’ve found great value in the practice” of giving up something for Lent. So, what religion is Audrey? She’s not Catholic, despite practicing Lent. Also, she’s not mentioned Lent in a few years…
Also, she and Jeremy Roloff are definitely not Jewish — despite this Shabbat Insta-post. And she’s not acknowledged on social that it’s yet another custom she’s adopting/co-opting.
And it seems to come out of the blue for the wife formerly on Little People, Big World. She and Jeremy refer to Matt Jacobson as their pastor. Jacobson is/was pastor of Cline Falls Baptist Fellowship in Bend, Oregon.
However, it’s hard to find a location for it. And a quick cruise of Matt and Lisa Jacobson’s social shows no physical church. So, they may be strictly online. And Aud and Jer don’t post pics of themselves attending church.
So, Audrey Roloff’s casual mention of Shabbat dinner feels random. Especially since she was very intentional in posting it on social media rather than carrying it out in private as a quiet act of faith.
If she were learning about the tradition, that’s something you can do respectfully. But Instagramming a Shabbat — and one done incorrectly to boot — is beyond the pale for many that saw the post.
Commenters Call Out Little People, Big World Alum — Inappropriate, Offensive, and Tokenism
One commenter said it was “inappropriate and offensive” to adopt a Catholic or Jewish tradition “as your own”. They said it was “absolutely acceptable” to learn about traditions of other faiths in a “respectful way” but not by simply co-opting them.
Another commenter, who’s Catholic, said, “please do not co-opt traditions in a half-a**ed DIY way”. There were heaps of upset feedback aimed at Audrey from Little People, Big World.
Others found her Shabbat baking doubly offensive because the tradition already has its own bread. It’s called Challah and is a braided yeast bread — not a sourdough. The bread itself is part of the ritual and important.
Another said, “as a Jewish person, this new fascination with Shabbos is seriously offensive”. They added that Audrey “seems to want to integrate the prominent features of certain religions” yet without “an in-depth understanding of the deeper facets of that religion”.
Yet another said they were “bothered by her skin-deep understanding” and doubts that Audrey Roloff has any “historical understanding of the experience of Jews”. And they added that this “reeks of tokenism”. The comments go on and on.
So, what do you think? Does it bother you that she was ‘gramming another culture’s religious tradition — and doing so with a seeming lack of respect? Does she owe these communities an apology?
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