I never thought that I would say those words. I mean, I enjoy a good train wreck as much as anyone. But all kidding aside, what really cinched it for me was tonight’s episode of American Chopper. (Did I get the name right?) I watched the show solely to see the children (all the children, not just the obviously favored sextuplets) and their development. Speaking of all the children, why the hell weren’t Mady and Cara involved in the chopper episode, but I’m getting off of the subject.
It was completely obvious that these past few weeks have been a shadow of former Jon and Kate shows. I wonder if they are being given scripts to read and perform because what I was watching sure as hell wasn’t Jon and Kate Plus 8. These past three weeks Kate has hardly criticized or yelled at Jon or the kids. That is not Kate. Not like I want to see Kate-Shrew unleashing a torrent of fury on her helpless family, but I’m getting the feeling that the producers told Kate to chill. It is so obvious that Jon and Kate are separated (not like there was ever any doubt). These poor children, the older ones more so than the younger ones, are all living in some sort of alternate reality that begins and ends when the cameras start and stop rolling.
I was reading a bunch of message boards proclaiming Kate as some sort of God, Jon a pu$$y (well who can argue with that one, lol) and Mady as a demon seed. I feel sorry for the poor kid. She is just acting out and having tantrums like all children do. Her tantrums are just highlighted because the show chooses to focus more on Mady’s issues and because Mady is obviously Kate’s least favorite. I think that in these episodes from the new seasons Mady seems to be growing out of the tantrum-all-the-time phase.
I said in a previous post about Jon and Kate that the problems that are in their marriage will not go away just because the cameras do. I still feel that way, but when I stopped to actually think about the children I realized that the show stopping for good would definitely be the best thing for them. Their parents are two selfish idiots who should never have been allowed to reproduce and ruin children’s lives. However, the children have never been normal. Since the twins were three and the sextuplets were born, they have had cameras in their homes filming every aspect of their lives. The free vacations and other things that the children have had handed to them have made them accustomed to a certain lifestyle. No matter how much money Jon and Kate have, they will not be able to maintain a lifestyle like the one that they have been living and that will be a rude awakening for everyone, but especially to the children. The fact that people all over the country know and watch this family is a huge thing for a kid to come to grips with. I’ve even read a posting and the comments on it said things like how they would love to drive to the school that the Gosselin kids go to and not approach them but just watch them. Do these people even realize how absolutely sick and creepy that is? These are children. They didn’t ask to be on TV. Their parents made that decision for them and to basically stalk six or eight children is disturbed.
One final note. I’ve read comments from people defending Jon and Kate’s decision to document their lives in this way and defending all the trips and freebies that they get by saying that if they didn’t accept TLC’s offer to do a TV show, their kids wouldn’t have gotten to experience all those trips. Sure they would have. If they had two working parents, they would have to save up like every other family who have families to support. Yes, supporting a family of ten is a huge struggle, but it’s not impossible. They might only be able to take a family vacation once a year, and not a big, glamorous one, but it can be done. They would have to save their money, like every other family, and stay in a less than desirable hotel, fly (if they don’t drive) coach, you get the picture. Part of raising well adjusted children is by showing them that they have to work hard to get the finer things in life. They’ve gotten these poor children used to a Hollywood lifestyle. When that is gone, it will be a huge and unpleasant wake up call to them.
2 responses so far ↓
tweber833 // June 24, 2009 at 10:35 pm
So true! This past season (tabloid lives aside) has been none of the “quality” family fun and guilty pleasure that it used to be. I actually feel bad for watching it now, because I condemn Jon and Kate for exploiting those adorable children but I’m not any better for watching it.
As for Mady being a demon seed that is not true, in fact Mady may actually come through all of this better than anyone else because I think she realized more than anyone else. She is a child, begging desperately for her childhood back. Jon and Kate just choose to ignore her cries. Listen up Jon and Kate… teach your children the value of hard work!
nycthinker // June 25, 2009 at 1:28 pm
I agree. I feel guilty for watching too, but I don’t anymore. I even checked my receipts to see if I could return the DVD’s, but Barnes and Noble has a no return or exchange after 14 days policy. I even read in the Daily News that next season when the show starts again, that Jon’s girlfriend might be on the show. I hope that is only a rumor. That would be really sick. The fact that they would have to deal with the soap opera that their family has created, with cameras and millions of people watching their every move, would be sick beyond belief. I don’t condemn Deanna Hummel for being Jon’s girlfriend. I think it’s wrong that she is his girlfriend while he is still married. I don’t think she is a home wrecker like everyone is saying, because that home was wrecked long before she came into the picture, but at least she and Jon could have waited until he decided to end his sham of a marriage. And to then parade this woman around to his children is just unbelievably selfish.