<p>That’s because you probably wouldn’t have the help she has! :)</p>
<p>Oh how I can’t stand this woman, the nasty stories just warm my heart. We watch it from time to time for its trainwreck value. She’s so controlling and obsessive, just loathsome.</p>
<p>I’ll admit, I love the show, and have followed a lot of the controversy.</p>
<p>While I have no doubt a lot of it is true, I think a lot of the drama gets exaggerated or blown out of proportion. While Jon and Kate are in no way completely altruistic, I don’t believe for a second that they don’t love their kids or have their kids’ interests in mind. I can’t imagine the drama that they went through when they found out they were pregnant with 7 babies, decided to keep them all, lost one, and then went through literally years of doubt as to if the remaining six would survive or suffer severe disabilities. During this time, there was no TV camera, no promise of a big house, no corporate sponsors. I don’t believe that anyone could undergo that and not love or care for her children.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if the show will “damage” them. TLC seems pretty good at filming these psued-documentary TV shows, and, as a channel that relies on its “family” image, I doubt they’d film the show if they thought any abuse or exploitation was occuring. Even without the show, the Gosselin kids would grow up as a sort of spectacle. Plenty of other children have been shown on TV (on shows like “Supernanny”, “Trading Spouses”, “Little People Big World”, etc) and don’t seem to have serious issues with it. I’ve always wondered why the people who cry “exploitation” over “Jon and Kate Plus 8” don’t worry about these other shows with children. Also, the Gosselin kids certainly benefit from the financial stability afforded by the show. </p>
<p>While I’m sure their are plenty of dark sides to Jon and Kate, I think there are two sides to every story.</p>
<p>While I do not watch every show, I have seen on a few winter time episodes where Kate has said she hates the cold weather. I can imagine getting 8 kids in and out of snowsuits or winter wear, can be time consuming! So if they have decided to move a bit south, I could see why she decided that due to what she has said in the past.</p>
<p>I do love watching the kids as they are as cute as can be. Kate, I could live without; she is just plain anal and so mean to Jon most of the time. Yeah, I liked my kids to stay clean, but jeesh, bibs on 4 year olds, and throwing away ice cream because it is melting; give me a break!</p>
<p>That all said, if you take a look at my 22 year olds Tivo, you will finds a season full of Jon & Kate episodes; she loves the show!</p>
<p>P S Y C H O. Now it all makes sense. I can see a Mommie Dearest in about 20 years.</p>
<p>Just wondering: Why is all the blame always put on Kate, and not Jon?</p>
<p>I think it’s simply because Kate is the more outspoken of the two.
We don’t see what goes on behind cameras, so I guess everyone just assumes Kate is the mastermind.</p>
<p>Kate makes the snide comments; Jon doesn’t do that as far as I have seen. I have only watched 6-7 episodes, but I feel rather sorry for the whole bunch. There are just plain too many kids there. No one’s emotional needs are being met.</p>
<p>The older twins seem so frustrated by all the younger sibs, and sometimes the little ones just look so sad and frustrated.</p>
<p>wow, this is a sad thread. I try to teach my 13 year old daughter not to gossip or talk badly about people and not to believe things that you don’t know for a fact are true. I try really hard to be a good example for her in this area because I know in 8th grade the girls are not as mature as adults should be. I know this is a show and so it would tend to invite criticism, but woah, such nastiness.</p>
<p>So much criticism of the mom in particular. I always thought of myself as a really good mom to my kids when they were 10 and under. Ya know, I just felt like I “got” how to parent them. But if anyone had a camera on me I sure had my moments most every day that I wasn’t proud of and would like to do over. Now that they’re in their teens, there are unfortunately many, many more of those moments I must forgive myself for every night so that I might start afresh the next day. Parenting is tough! What I see is a large family like I grew up in where there is fun, chaos, fighting, love, sibling rivalry, etc. It is obvious how much those parents love each of their children and each other. Yeah, they get short tempered with each other, oh my gosh, what parents don’t when they’re dealing with their own children and all of that stress loose patience with each other?</p>
<p>I thought this thread as a “fan” thread, but there don’t seem to be many of those here. This is the ONLY reality tv show I watch because the family is adorable, it is so real and I’m amazed to watch the parents handle what comes their way. Plus, its a clean show that is safe for my daughter and entertaining to us both.</p>
<p>Go John and Kate Plus 8!</p>
<p>I can see both sides of this one. I’m certainly glad no one was filming me when I was parenting kids this age. I can only imagine the criticism I would warrant. On the other hand, I didn’t INVITE anyone to film me when I had kids this age.<br>
In my mind when you invite the whole world into your personal life, you invite the criticism. I think what people are objecting to is that they are realizing the tv show isn’t reality. There is a lot behind the scenes.<br>
Not unusual or surprising. This is TV after all. There was a recent article in Entertainment Weekly on the Hills. Talked about how that show isn’t a reality show at all. Scenes are scripted, etc. Lots of people still watch it and smae for J&K.</p>
<p>I think the kids are adorable and I wish there would be more footage of them, just playing and interacting.</p>
<p>Let’s face it…many wives have a husband who never seems to know what to do in a given situation (no matter how often it occurs), who plays freecell on the computer when HE’S ready to go out, leaving the wife to get herself and all the kids ready by herself, who gives the kids messy food to eat when they are all dressed up. It’s very easy to lose it and talk to that type of husband in a harsh, sarcastic or demeaning way. I’ve done it and have felt justified at the time in doing it. But watching KATE do it…it’s like holding a mirror up to the worst part of myself. In that way, the show is kind of a public service to me and I try to watch my mouth, to avoid sounding like Kate. [Dads, I’m sure there are some less than ideal moms out there, too. I just used husband because that is my experience and Kate’s.]</p>
<p>I only just saw this show last weekend on a marathon of multiple episodes. My daughter and I were amazed at how efficient the mother seemed, but equally were disturbed by how Maddie is treated as the “evil” twin…the previous posts certainly clarify a lot …there is no denying the children are very beautiful…hopefully things will turn out well for them.</p>
<p>A quick look at the various links… so what’s all the commotion about? 8 kids would stretch the financial resources of most families. The tv show started as an income-producing job for the family. It snowballed. Is the family marketing/branding itself? Clearly. Are the kids being exploited? The answer depends on who’s answering the question. And where is the line drawn?</p>
<p>The kids are in a grey area between the subjects of a reality show and being essentially child actors. The parents have made this decision for them… just as other parents have decided they’d pursue modeling or acting opportunities for their kids. Or, just as parents decide to put their kids in pageants, or make decisions as to whether their kids will be educated at local public or private schools, or boarding schools, or be homeschooled. Or whether kids will be raised by their parents, or by the grandparents, or by nannies or housekeepers or babysitters. Or whether the household and family time will be heavily controlled or limited by the kids’ team sports schedules, or church commitments, or whatever activities they might participate in to a greater-than-average degree. Stay at home parents? Career parents? Celebrity families? Each family has the right to decide how they want to organize and run their own household and what’s best for their children. Some families have more choices than others due to economics or family responsibilities. Jon and Kate appear to have choices, and they are making them.</p>
<p>If I had eight young kids, would I want to take them on a ski trip? Probably not! I found it an exhausting and borderline thankless endeavor with just two little kids. Would I want my home to be a tv studio? I don’t think I could hack it. </p>
<p>On some of the links, it was amusing to see posters express disapproval about how Jon and Kate take trips without their children. Hellloooo! You’ve got 8 kids and your home is a tv studio several days a week, and an office for both parents, filled with tv crews and support staff several days a week, as well as a home for 10 people with all of the housekeeping and family activities that represents… I’m impressed that Jon and Kate have the motivation and energy to pack a suitcase and make travel arrangements as well as organize child care and etc. while they’re away. </p>
<p>What’s with this whole category of shows about unique families: The Duggars (18 kids), Deaf and Blind Triplets, Jon and Kate Plus Eight, the Roloff’s show (forget the name) and more. And how about Half Ton Dad, Half Ton Mom, The Tree Man, and the many shows about supermorbid obesity and dramatic medical conditions?</p>
<p>Kate is a mean nasty women.
My MIL once gave me advice and I would love to give it to Kate.
Never tell you Hus. what he is doing wrong with the kids because he will never attempt to do it again. So what if diapers are on backwards, just quietly change them when he is not looking.
The poor guy can do no right, it seems he is always frustrated.
IMHO</p>
<p>I like the show. I enjoy watching kids and love watching people dynamics/day in the life of anyone. I suppose I don’t see the show in such a negative light as others do. Maybe my family life and parenting is just more dysfunctional or something because it all seems pretty ordinary to me :). Full of strengths and weakness. Sure Kate has some ‘issues’ and isn’t always the nicest person or laid back person, and Jon is passive- aggressive, but I’d bet a million bucks everyone would see each of our own imperfect dynamics if we were shown to millions everyday on TV. I’m actually blown away by how relatively calm they are with so many kids! </p>
<p>As for all the negative stuff, who really knows? I suppose I really don’t trust most of these sources, and those who seem to have insider knowledge sound like angry town folks bent on vicious gossip. Maybe it has some truth but my gut says it reads like harsh judgment fueled with resentment, that it makes me wonder about the accuracy. </p>
<p>I’m sure the kids will be fine. As many sociological and psychological studies reveals, people very quickly acclimate and thus ignore observation (hence the reason you see the adult problem behaviors you’d think they’d try to hide). So the kids tune it out too. There are tons of ways to have a good childhood, even if it’s not ‘normal’. Whenever I’ve seen the show, I see a giant family that couldn’t possibly survive on one income (wasn’t he a computer analyst?) and this show at least enables the kids to have experiences they’d otherwise never have.</p>
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<p>Well said. I know exactly what you mean.</p>
<p>I see two separate issues: making a living as a celebrity family (TV, DVDs, books, appearance fees, etc.), and Kate’s interpersonal behavior. </p>
<p>I will not fault Jon and Kate for finding a way to independently support their kids. I hope they were able to pay cash for the house and have nice college funds established for the kids. Lord knows their fame will soon burn out and they’ll have to get real jobs eventually. If working for the show now will lighten the future load, I guess they gotta make hay while the sun shines. I agree with the above poster…if we’re gonna villify the Gosselins then we should villify every child actor, athlete, or artistic performer.</p>
<p>Interpersonally, Kate has issues that will come back to haunt her. That’s life. Some women are *itches. Hate her, admirer her, learn from her mistakes. Whatever. It’s her life, not mine. She’s headed for a very lonely empty nest. She will reap what she sows.</p>
<p>DougBetsy, I think there’s a third issue on the table as well. It is a supersized version of the “mommy wars.” Kate has a full-time job as a mother, and also a full-time job as a celebrity/marketer. Because the nature of her family-based career revolves around her 8 children, they are unwittingly yet fully involved. Her credibility as a good mother is questioned because while she is “at work” her kids are not at school or activities or doing whatever kids do… they are at work with her, being filmed during private moments at the kitchen table or in the bathroom. They are required to participate in family field trips and outings and play with each other regardless of whether they feel like it or not. While a working mom with the big career may be at the office for untold hours each week, her kids are likely engaged in lives of their own during those hours. When do the Gosselin children have private time, when they are unobserved, unfilmed, or even in a room by themselves? It’s got to be difficult with so many kids in the house, even in the evenings when the tv crew has gone. The question is, while the show may have started out just taping the everyday goings-on of the family, with the kids being the center of attention, it has now evolved into something else. Whatever else that is, is it good for the kids? Or is the kids’ well-being compromised in order to feed the show’s appetite? That is the third issue.</p>
<p>Instead of working 60-hour weeks on Wall Street, Kate is working 60-hour weeks both parenting and playing the part of a mother on a tv show as well as managing her and her family’s growing celebrity, marketing machine, and increasingly involved storylines including family travel to far-off places. The show is a combination of family moments and interactions, some of which are spontaneous and authentic, and some of which are prompted, staged, or lightly scripted. On occasion we see what might be the “real” Kate, and at other times, we see her more polished celebrity persona. Certainly there is some coaching and packaging of the Jon-and-Kate interview bit during which different themes are explored. Viewers have seen the family and the Gosselin’s marriage grow and evolve, but while what we see may feel real and have real elements, it is important to remember that this show is produced, just like any other. What the viewers see is edited and molded to form an episode, not just random family videos.</p>
<p>I understand they only film 2 or 3 days a week with some breaks.</p>
<p>According to the show’s website, they film 4 days a week. Also, the whole family votes at the end of each season to determine it they want to continue the next season. Jon is quoted: “Their childhoods come first.”</p>