I'm pissed. I'm actually genuinely furious. About Jon and Kate Plus Eight.
Long story short, for those of you who happen to have been living under a rock, or *gasp* without cable for the past 3-4 years: Jon and Kate Goselyn have a set of twins and a set of sextuplets, totalling 8 kids (hence the name...get it?). They have had a show following the day-to-day schemanskies and goings-on of the crazy life they live. Everything has been all fine and dandy in Jon and Kate World for the past few years, and all of the sudden, their popularity has just about reached supersaturation, and nothing good can come out of this.
*What follows is partly true, partly my opinion...take it as you want, but it's not necessarily the gospel truth.
According to last night's episode (and all the tabloids), Jon is tired of doing the show. Kate has written a book and travels constantly promoting it. Jon apparently got stressed out with everything, went out and flirted with one or more young ladies. He claims that while he did not cheat on Kate, he absolutely used some poor judgment. She is putting this all on his shoulders. They both admit that they have no idea what the current status of their relationship is, and at least Kate (if not both of them) are considering that there could actually possible be a divorce involved.
Like I said...I'm pissed...and I'll break it down for you right here:
KATE
Kate needs to get over herself. She has eight children. Eight. What do you do when you have eight children who are all under the age of 10? YOU MAKE THEM YOUR PRIORITY. Sorry...you don't get to tour the country unless you're bringing the entire family along, and Lord knows they have the money to do that. She claims that she is away because of "obligations" to do this book tour. Nope, I'm not buying it. Your obligation is to your family. If your book-store-hopping is hindering your family. The tour should stop.
JON
Don't think that I'm taking his side because of how I feel about Kate. Jon, you're an idiot. You know good and damn well you have papparazzi following you everywhere you go. It makes no difference if you cheated, didn't cheat, or were going out to preach the gospel to these poor, lost, co-eds. Use your head. YOU HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO YOUR FAMILY, AS WELL. Did you think that being photographed in public with one or more members of the opposite sex would be good for the home life?
PAPPARAZZI
Screw those guys.
THE LEARNING CHANNEL
They're eating this crap up. They love every minute of showing this family - a family that much of America has come to know and love - fall apart at the seams. As far as these TV executive types are concerned, this is RATINGS, RATINGS, RATINGS! It makes me sick. A responsible programming director (or whatever those people are called) would see that this is getting out of hand. They would make the decision to stop the cameras...if nothing else, just for a year or so...to let things air out. Let the family get back on their feet. But NOOOOO! We need to show this! America wants to see this family go through these struggles...which brings me to my next point...the big one:
SOCIETY IN GENERAL
When did we get to this point? When did watching a once loving family that is now crumbling apart become quality programming? What have we turned into?
I normally hate almost any kind of reality tv. I never really liked this show in particular. They are just a family, who happens to have a ton of kids. I never saw what the big deal was. What has impacted me so much recently, though, is the fact that this is not a sitcom. The writers can not make sure that despite the trials that this family trudges through, all will be well in the end. This is a real family. These are real children.
Here's what it all boils down to. When I was 16, my parents almost got divorced. They ended up deciding that they could, and would, work together to avoid that. I'm really glad they did, but I still find myself asking today - 13 years later - "Did they just do that for me, my brother, and my sister?" "Do they actually hate each other now, but are just tolerating each other just to make it convenient for everyone else?" I really think the answer to both of those questions is no, but the thought will always be in the back of my mind. If they had worked this out in private; if they had never brought it to our attention, then we'd never even know about it today, and these doubts wouldn't exist.
That's what bugs me about Jon and Kate. Given all the bad choices that were made, if they found a way to make it work; if they worked through their problems in private without airing them out for the entire world to see, things could potentially be better. Their kids may never have to know that this conflict ever happened. They wouldn't have to grow up with the same doubt that haunts me from time to time. Jon said it best in last night's episode "One day my kids are going to Google me".
All of this could have been avoided if:
1. Kate didn't put this pressure on Jon and her family
2. Jon didn't cave under said pressure and go out and make bad choices
3. The network had a soul
4. The American public didn't stick its nose into the lives of normal families via Reality TV and Papparazzi.
I'm pissed.
All these things are true, but aren't you still going to watch it? I agree with everything you said, but I know it's still going to be waiting there on my DVR every week. Does that make us part of the terrible American public?
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, it's a horrible thing they're having to go through, but do you really think they would have been able to get through their troubles without their kids ever knowing even if there weren't cameras filming it? I know that I noticed something was up with Mom and Dad before they sprung the divorce stuff on us back then. I don't think there's really any way to keep that information from your children. Especially when you have 8 of them.
And lastly, couldn't this experience they're dealing with be a good thing for some people to see? Maybe there are some couples going through some stuff and they're seeing some of the same things in Jon and Kate. It could be a good thing for them to see that they're not alone. And whether or not Jon and Kate stay together (I don't think they will), it could possibly be helpful to other couples.
I suppose there could be some good in it as far as other couples are concerned, but is the sacrifice worth it? Is it noble for one family (arguably the most popular family in America) to fall apart so that other families can avoid it? I don't know.
ReplyDeleteI think that if they're going to have the show at all, then it's probably good to show the good along with the bad as far as day to day life is concerned. What bugs me is that all these problems are (or at least seem to be) a direct result of the show itself. If it weren't for the show, they wouldn't have the papparazzi following them. There wouldn't be a book tour. Sure there'd be frustration, but it would be your average, normal, "we have a ton of kids" frustration, rather than "we're in the Nation's limelight, and we can't handle it" frustration.
I think the only way any good can be salvaged from this show is if they work things out and stay together.
And, no...I don't think I'm going to watch it anymore. I know it won't make a difference as far as whether or not other people do, but I do believe I'll stand on principle on this one.
Kate said it herself....there is a higher rate of divorce for people with multiples.
ReplyDeleteI do believe most of their problems are a result of the show, but I also believe those problems would be replaced with other significant ones if the show did not exist.
In many ways, the show has helped them. They wouldn't have the money, the house, the abundance of babysitters and help, etc. So, instead of fighting about book tours, papparazzi, and John flirting, they'd be fighting about finances, John not being home as much because he's working a ton trying to support the family, and all the issues that would come with having 10 people crammed into a 4 bedroom house. And can you even imagine the amount of pressure John would feel trying to make enough money to support 9 people plus himself? That alone would send me over the edge.
There's the good and the bad side of both having the show and not having the show. I don't think one outweighs the other.
What bothers me the most is that the rumors are that Kate refused counseling, but was told she had to or they wouldn't continue with the show. There are so many things wrong with that whole situation.
I'm saying....I'm still going to watch.
I used to watch it. Now I don't. I liked Kate when she was the frumpy, no make-up housewife, trying to make ends meet... Now she's all glammed up, going to spas and getting her hair done all the time... Its just not realistic to me anymore. Plus, the interview I read with Kate, she basically said, "I have stayed the same, and Jon has changed into a completely different person." Buuuulllllcrap. Anyone who has watched the show from the beginning can see how much she has changed. It is sad. For me, the show has completely lost its appeal.
ReplyDelete