Unless you're living under a rock, you've probably heard that Jon and Kate Gosselin are dunzo. Reality show curse? Kind of but with a twist. At least in my humble opinion. Allow me to explain:
I've watched this show from the beginning. I somehow caught one of the first two hour specials TLC did on the family before signing them up for a reality show. The show had its obvious appeal: Eight adorable kids with two parents in an extraordinary situation, trying to make the best of it. Granted the main appeal to me was the kids: they are absolutely precious. So I would tune in weekly to see the latest shenanigans of the super-sized family. I would watch new episodes last summer and my mom and sister AE would mock me as they passed by the living room, but they started to shuffle on by, linger by the door, and then eventually take a seat next to me, slowly falling under the Cute Kid Curse. Soon enough, it was programmed into our Tivo and my family was obsessed. My sister LA excitedly told me the day she could finally tell all the tups apart particularly Leah and Alexis. The family became a topic of conversation among my family as well as my friends. I have taken part in the "who is your favorite boy and girl sextuplet?" game more than once. We all had our favorite moments. "Hannah pooped in Hannah's unda-wears. "-Little Leah. "I can't see sheep." -Adorable animal-lover Aaden. "Him a yittle guy" -Alder-gator obsessed Alexis. The little show about a big family slowly gained popularity and a devoted audience. And little did the audience know that this is where it was all going to go terribly wrong.
I saw what I refer to as "the dark side where you can see the light" a little before my family members became fans so around a year and half ago. I think the first red flag for me was the noticeable absence of Aunt Jodi, the delightful relative who cancelled out Kate's shrewdness. Now don't get me wrong, I really respected Kate in the beginning. She seemed to run a tight ship which you would have to do with eight small ankle-biters running around and a husband with a full time job. But then you start to see the cracks in Kate's Supermommy facade. She yells at her husband in front of her kids. A lot. He did his share of yelling too. But she seemed to do it more often especially in public. The Toys R Us fiasco: Need I say more? And it became extremely obvious that Kate wore the pants in the family. She called the shots and honestly, Jon didn't seem to mind. Until it became public, but more about that later. So yes, I too thought Kate was Supermom, managing it all on a budget and her kids seemed happy and healthy (you know cause they eat organic everything). But then you met Aunt Jodi. Oh wonderful Aunt Jodi, Kate's sister-in-law who had four kids of her own. She managed to take care of Kate's eight kids without screaming at them, without telling them "you're done" every five seconds. If they had a meltdown she didn't blame it on low blood sugar (well honestly the kids didn't have meltdowns with Aunt Jodi). And I know, I know: She is only with them for periods of time, not all the time. But she also would be taking care of twelve- a dozen- kids by herself without having a meltdown of her own, huffing and puffing, and letting the television world know, just how hard her job as a mother was. Aunt Jodi was the calm, soothing, loving Aunt. And then after the infamous "Gum-gate" episode-- she was gone. Why?
Oh herein lies the issue. Money, money, money, monnnney, money. (That was sung to the tune of The Apprentice Theme Song. Sort of hard to convey that one solely through words.) I stumbled across a website that claimed to have the real story as to why Aunt Jodi was no longer featured on the show. Long story short, the producers wanted to pay for her contribution to the show and Kate flat out refused. "No one is making money off of my kids" she claimed. Also it didn't help that Kate paled in comparison to Jodi's mothering skills, so why not just get rid of her all together. Way to cut off the one family member that seemed to still be involved in your life. We never saw the grandparents "who chose not to be involved in [their] everyday lives". Uh.. why? Cause they thought you were exploiting your kids? Probably.
Now I've read it all. That website really sucks you in, especially since I came across it before Jon and Kate were a daily fixture in the tabloids. In addition to the whole "What Happened to Aunt Jodi" expose, these people pretty much tear apart the entire show, episode by episode. Now sometimes I think they go a little too far (such as the show should be pulled because it showed the kids using the bathroom and pedophiles watch this show... blah blah blah) but other aspects, they were spot-on. How Kate seems so entitled. How she outright favors the girls (especially Hannah. Apparently in her book, she claims since her birth, she has just had "special bond" with Hannah. Bet those other kids can't wait to read their mom's book and see how they were denied this special role even from the very beginning). How the Gosselins say they are faith-based but their recent actions show otherwise. How the tups are still extremely babied (high chairs and bibs at the age of four). How rude Kate is. I won't even get into how they claimed they were doing it all on their own but in reality they had a gardener, organic chef, nannies, and helpers who did laundry, folded, and ironed clothes....
But above all, what was mainly speculated, discussed, and criticized was how Kate treats Jon. "Love taps", the infamous "HELLO?!", the constant comments about his weight and dieting (or usually lack thereof according to her), and of course how he doesn't help nearly enough with the kids. Honestly, I don't blame Jon. Kate seems like one of those people who has to have everything done exactly the way they want it. Anytime Jon did something on his own initiative, Kate mocked and would inform him as to what the "right way" was. Why should he even bother if she is just going to berate him? She was used to being in control and she demanded it. Now I don't know about you. but if I was on a reality show, I would try to watch my behavior knowing the world would see it. But Kate didn't seem to take this approach. She would belittle Jon, tease him, mock him, and even tell her kids to ignore their own father because "daddy is mean". Way to teach respect to your kids. I think she belittled her husband on national television one too many times. To the point that I think Jon easily saw it on the internet, people probably even said it to his face. How he wasn't a man, he didn't stand up to his own wife, he didn't wear the pants, he was lacking some manly parts, if you know what I mean-- and it genuinely began to bother him. He didn't care before when the country didn't know. He happily accepted his submissive role, but now everyone mocked him and he just couldn't take it anymore. Hence why he claims he wanted to end the show long before things got bad. But Kate just refused to let it go.
What about her book deals? What about her clothing line? Her Supermommy status? She is the spokesperson for a couple organizations and companies so she can't give that up. How else could they afford their 1.1 million home? Seriously? Our country is in a recession, and this family of ten that claimed to have nothing and every penny was budgeted and every coupon possible was used back in pre-show times, now can afford a $1.1 million home? Way to throw that in your viewers faces and no longer seem to be the "average American family". Not to mention the freebies. All the trips to Colorado, Hawaii, Disney World, etc. Product placement became a joke. Blurring out competing brands of the show's sponsors. Zooming in on some health insurance website because Jon "had to check some stuff out". Great. But do I as a viewer need to see that? Nope. Do the producers think I'm an idiot and I don't know I am being subjected to their sponsors in the middle of the program? Apparently they do. Oh and pimping out "Crooked Houses" on your own children's t-shirts-- that's some dedicated product placement right there. The show became a mockery of itself. And the PR/spinning became ridiculous. Message boards would buzz about how the Gosselins take and take and never give back to the community that helped them when they were in a bind. On the next episode: J&K+8 go to a hospital and make a big show about giving them a donation. Then people complained about how they showed the kids taking a bath. The next episode: Jon pointedly shutting the door during bath time. People complained about how rude Kate was to the people giving her freebies. On the next episode: Kate repeatedly thanking the woman who shelled out big bucks for the family to go to to some live action bible story deal. Whoever their PR person was deserves a huge paycheck (Well minus the fact that it was so obvious). But I bet once news of the supposed affairs broke out, that person was booking a plane ticket to Mexico or voluntarily checking herself into an insane asylum, anticipating the impending doom and hoping to avoid it at any cost.
Not to mention the "p-people". J&K asked for it. They asked to put themselves in front of the world to get a little extra help and some freebies in order to better their children's lives-- cause the kids are the number one priority right? Well with the good comes the bad. A) They live in Pennsylvania. How many paparazzi are there? Like five? You have three cameras, producers, and sound guys following you around at all times. Plus I bet some of the people with cameras are, you know, fans? The people that made your show what it is. Besides when you are parading your kids out on the front lawn when you have however many acres in the private backyard, yeah you're asking for more people to come and set up camp outside your gate. B) When you keep giving out interviews and making statements and putting yourself in the news, yes, people are going to maintain interest. And C) if you keep doing the very show that tore your family apart, then yes, people are going to continue talking about you. Doesn't the answer seem really simple? Shouldn't the show just stop? Do your final one hour send off to make a couple more (thousand) bucks and then cease and desist. I'm not saying the news would instantly stop either (considering the "top story" on US Weekly's website at this very moment is: Kate Gosselin Shows Off Two Bikinis on Reality Show Return. The runner up story: Jon and Kate Bump into Each Other at UPS Store. I am also being updated on the fact that Kate returned home and the Kate Gosselin wig is expected to be the big Halloween costume this year). But the gossip sites would get bored and move onto the next Lindsay Lohan breakdown, Britney Spears comeback, and whichever celebrity is getting married/ pregnant/ divorced / entering rehab this week. You know, real ones with actual careers that involve singing, acting, and actual talent (well maybe not in all of the previously mentioned examples) and not just the ability to pop out 8 kids. Seriously. Entertainment websites were filled with ridiculously boring updates about Speidi not too long ago, and the hatred built up so much even that eventually died down (Thank God). Do you really want to be the next Speidi, J&K?
Now when I heard the Gosselins were divorcing (you know, when they announced it on television. Keeping it classy), I was on Jon's side. Who could blame him for not wanting to be emasculated on a daily basis? Especially if he was willing up to give up the show and Kate wasn't. Kate had had two interviews in People Magazine, the first going so far as to state on the cover "We Might Split Up". This woman, who claims to be all about her kids, goes and says that to a magazine?! What about when her kids are with her in the store? The twins can read, they know what's up. Great choice Kate. Now, I realize she didn't choose what headline made the front of the magazine, but she did chose what to say in the interview. Everything in the article said, more or less, that it was all Jon's fault. Like it always has been. He was being immature, nothing made him happy, he isn't striving for anything in life, etc. Seriously lady, we've seen the show. We know who is to blame. Or at least who was to blame initially...
But Jon has since shot himself in the foot, parading around with multiple girls, vacationing in France, looking like a douchebag in his Ed Hardy wear with diamonds in his ears and Papa Lohan by his side. Way to go Jon. You had everyone behind you and then you lost all sympathy. Now people think "Look at Jon getting around now. I bet he was having an affair with that Deanna girl and that's why Kate filed for divorce." And man, don't you just feel sorry for that Deanna girl. No one even mentions her anymore. Her name was dragged through the mud, no one knows if they did or did not have an affair but it doesn't matter. Wonder if she is returning to her schoolteacher job this fall? I'll never know because she's not gonna be in the news anytime soon. Sucks for you. Now the masses are swinging their support to Kate because apparently we have to hate one of them at all times. How about we stop taking sides and just end this show once and for all. And the end will start when people stop watching this show!
The show resumed from its hiatus tonight and guess what? I did not watch it. It wasn't even that tough. I'm not going to continue to contribute to the demise of a family. The ratings just need to drop low enough that TLC will realize even the bad press isn't worth it and end this show. And I just don't understand why Kate keeps saying she is doing the show "for her kids". What do the kids get out of it? A paycheck? Okay but I think the 100+ episodes you've already done have made some serious bank. So how about you just live off of that for the next few decades living a normal, comfortable life which may mean not going to the spa twice a week and not buying the entire stock at Ann Taylor Loft. But if it's all about the kids, you shouldn't be buying that stuff anyway right? How about some college funds? (Even though apparently the state of Pennsylvania already set those up back when the tups were born.) I think what's best for the kids is this: Quit the show. Stay in the backyard and get out of the press. Shut your mouths and don't go running to People Magazine every three weeks to give "your side of the story". Go to marriage counseling and save the marriage that without it, you wouldn't have your eight little cash cows. Make it work and go back to being the happy, wholesome family (emphasis on the whole) that we saw in the very beginning. You can do it Jon and Kate, it's not too late.
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