There was a time when Jim Bob Duggar exercised complete control over the lives of his children.
His daughters, in particular, were expected to follow every ridiculous rule the father of 19 set out for them.
These days, the disgraced patriarch doesn’t even have any say in how those most loyal of his kids live their lives.
For evidence of this wonderful phenomenon, look no further than Joy-Anna Duggar’s Instagram page.
Joy has long been regarded as the most steadfastly devoted of all of Jim Bob’s daughters.
She cemented that reputation during the Josh Duggar child pornography trial, showing up to the courtroom nearly every day to show her support.
(By that time, several of Joy’s sisters, most notably Jill, had already distanced themselves from both Jim Bob and Josh.)
These days, however, it seems that Joy is living life by her own rules.
Earlier this week, for example, the mother of two posted a video to her Instagram Story in which she showed fans all the steps that she goes through when she gets behind the wheel.
This was then contrasted with the routine of her husband, Austin Forsyth, who goes through far fewer steps before pulling out of the driveway.
They were going for the sort of “women are slower and more anxious” humor that seems to be popular in certain corners of the internet.
But what fans noticed more than the lameness of the sketch was Joy’s attire.
Obviously, there’s nothing scandalous about a t-shirt and a pair of shorts.
But Joy used to strictly adhere to the rules of the notorious Duggar dress code.
That means she wore long skirts and loose, billowy tops at all times, even when playing sports or engaging in other outdoor activities.
Not all that long ago, the idea of Joy wearing shorts in an Instagram video would have been difficult to fathom.
But these days, Joy violates the family dress code on a pretty regular basis.
That could mean that Joy’s parents have come to their senses and finally abandoned the dress code.
Or it could mean that Joy and Austin are simply done worrying about what her father thinks.
Once Duggar women marry, it’s their husbands, rather than their dad, who decides how they’re allowed to dress.
Joy stuck with the dress code when she first got married, so it was widely assumed that Austin shared her father’s views.
But he may have had a change of heart in recent months.
We’re certain no one would blame him!