The controversial Christian family of 19 Kids and Counting has had a rough year. They have come under fire for their political views and campaigns, and even spurred a petition to cancel the TLC reality show. However, their situation is not unique. The media criticizes celebrities all the time for making statements on their beliefs. Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson made headlines with his anti-LGBT comments in GQ around the same time last year. Such expressions of beliefs range from Angelina Jolie’s philanthropy to Clint Eastwood’s bizarre condemnation of Obama a few years ago. Obviously, actors and television stars have the right to free speech, but can their politics go too far?

The 19 Kids and Counting controversy began mid-August when matriarch Michelle Duggar recorded a robocall asking Arkansans to oppose anti-discrimination legislation. She identified transgender women as “males with past child predator convictions that claim they are female” and urged voters to allow business owners to discriminate against people based on gender, sexual orientation, religion, or race. A few months later, her son, Josh Duggar, led an anti-gay marriage rally, asking the government of Arkansas to uphold a law defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Yet another controversy came up when Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar asked Facebook users to post images of PDA with their spouse. Gay couples’ photos were reportedly removed, and the Duggars banned those users from posting on the page.

Traditional celebrities like actors and musicians advocate for their beliefs in interviews and fundraisers, not in their work. That line between work and personal views, however, is blurred in the case of reality stars, in which their personal views are their work. It is hard to distinguish between freedom of speech and inappropriate actions. The law that the Duggars protested, which would have prohibited discrimination based on gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion, was repealed in December. One can inferred that the decision had something to do with the Duggars’ rallies and calls, publicized by entertainment sites.

However, reality stars should be able to express their views on their shows unless their language is hateful or discriminatory. The Duggars’ faith is, after all, one of the reasons they have a show. One of the reasons why reality shows are so popular is because viewers find interest in people with lives different than their own. For example, Michelle and Jim Bob’s conservative views on “courting”–no hand-holding until engagement or kissing until marriage, supervision required on “dates”–are unique, which is good material for a reality show. Even in the age when there is a reality show for everything–cupcake decorating, Amish home improvement, dating a man who looks like a British royal–the show must have some kind of interest factor, which is usually that the show’s focus is foreign to most viewers. How else would Americans gain insight into the world of child pageantry, if not for Toddlers & Tiaras contestants or Honey Boo Boo?

A year ago, when Phil Robertson’s GQ made headlines, people also campaigned for the cancellation of Duck Dynasty, which did not happen. Robertson later said that his comments were not meant to be abusive, but to simply express his faith. Some reality shows focus on conservative or religious families, and if viewers do not want to watch those families, they should not watch the show. Several reality shows focus on baking cupcakes, but if a viewer prefers another kind of baked good, they should watch Donut Showdown, not Cupcake Wars.

Reality shows are not meant to truly reflect our own realities–if they did, who would watch them? Instead, they portray unfamiliar cultures. Thus, the Duggars’ views should be taken with a grain of salt. They are a Christian family with bizarre child-raising techniques and dating rules, and there is nothing wrong with their expressions of faith. Individuals can decide whether they will be watching such controversial shows or not. And although they speak out hatefully, freedom of speech protects opinions that are both right and wrong. Rather than preventing the Duggars from speaking their minds, society should instead educate them about compassion and tolerance. Their comments and abuse of fame in a culture where everyone wants to speak their mind will not end with the cancellation of 19 Kids and Counting because no matter how controversial their family is, viewers will continue to tune in to see the Duggars’ crazy life.