<p>J&K are being investigated because the agency with whom the complaint was filed is madated to investigate each and every complaint they receive, no matter what. I think that this will be “unfounded”, but its a shame, since when the laws about child actors were written reality shows hadn’t been thought of ( THOSE were the good old days!!). How can a show like this get so out of hand? First, a few episodes and now, 6 months of voyeurism. Ugh…</p>
<p>Once the business of the weekend was over, I settled down to watch Monday’s episode that I had recorded. How disturbing! Jon looked like hell…did they intentionally not put makeup on him so he would look bad? And Kate was a lot nicer…I guess she is trying to rehabilate her image, so she will be the “survivor” on the TV show.</p>
<p>At first we learn that Jon spends a whole lot of time at home with the kids without Kate, who is traveling a lot. Then, when Jon “takes the weekend off” Kate says about a million times that she is taking the kids to the party store “alone.” What, she deserves a medal for that but it’s Jon’s job?</p>
<p>Has anyone seen an episode where the whole family sits down to a meal together? I know it’s a lot of work, but it looked like in the meal they showed, Kate was eating a salad from a fast food place. Why could she have not sat down to eat that while the kids were eating?</p>
<p>Also, Kate is a lot more lenient on candy these days. Remember when all she would let the kids have would be an “organic lolipop”? (whatever that is)…or something like 2 M&Ms?</p>
<p>^^^^True, all of that Missypie!</p>
<p>Do those kids a favor and boycott this show. Enough is enough.</p>
<p>Does anyone believe that televising this trainwreck isn’t going to make a sad and difficult situation even worse for these kids? Haven’t these parents already made enough money off their dysfunctional relationship to provide for these kids down the road? (OK, I am guessing the therapy costs (x 8) will be enormous, but continuation of the show is only going to make those expenses worse.)</p>
<p>Please do not contribute to the greed that lies at the heart of the disintegration of this family by continuing to watch this spectacle – especially since there is no indication that the earnings are going into trust funds for the kids.</p>
<p>I watched the season premier, and will not be watching anymore, because the only way to stop the trainwreck is by boycotting and let the ratings tank.</p>
<p>Actually, the therapy would be x 10, as the parents are grealy in need of help. I have never watched an episode and don’t believe I ever will.</p>
<p>Octomom will start her own reality show soon as well–a netherlands station is doing it. </p>
<p>Someone needs to advocate for all these children–there’s nothing that says ANY of the money needs to go toward any of the kids now or in the future. We need more laws/regulations re fertility treatments, which is one of the reasons we’re having so many multiples with LOTS of little ones.</p>
<p>Why is it all of a sudden everyone wants the authorities to look into the family. When Jon and Kate were getting along and the kids were all happy - nobody seemed to care then. This is the REALITY of REALITY television. 50% of all marriages in America end up divorce and now we get to watch all if its ugliness unfold right in front of our eyes. Just because NOW it is unpleasant to watch doesn’t mean they should get the kids taken away from them. I’m not happy about the whole situtation and last weeks episode truly made me sad. But this is their REALITY right now. The kids to me seem perfectly fine and mostly sheltered from the troubles Jon and Kate are having. It is unfortunate it is unfolding on TV - but again that is the REALITY of REALITY television. I want them to succeed and try and get things to work out. I am not going to BASH either one of them.</p>
<p>What is disappointing is that TLC is focussing so much on the marital discord for ratings purposes. When the kids were babies, they couldn’t contribute much to the show other than just exisiting. But now they are old enough to talk, be interviewed, and do more stuff. If TLC wanted to, they could focus almost exclusively on the kids…but they choose not to. My D’s watch the show because the kids are adorable. If most of the show is about Jon and Kate’s marriage/divorce or whatever, they will stop watching, not to make a point but rather, because they are no longer interested.</p>
<p>I think that any time there are minor children actors/actresses, someone should be concerned about their interests. For me, it has nothing to do about the state of their parents’ marriage or anything to do with the parents but it has to do with the kids. Funds have a way of disappearing rapidly unless carefully managed, especially when they are dependent upon popularity with the fickle public. Supporting a lot of kids with just one or two “regular” incomes is a challenge. At least some funds that are earned at least partly by the kids should be saved and earmarked for their futures–if I had any say in the matter.</p>
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<p>I completely agree, but do we have any proof that this is not being done? I suspect it is to some degree, but how much?</p>
<p>To the best of my knowledge, there is no “proof” one way or another about these children or other children actors/actresses. You read later in tell-all tales about exploitation, etc., but by then there is nothing left to get back.</p>
<p>Tonight’s shows were just painful and I am wondering about my sanity watching it. The marriage is a charade now and to watch Kate putting words in the kids’ mouths is sickening ( as in telling about Maddy missing her Dad at first and then telling her (Kate) that she was the best Mommy in the world and how much she(Maddy) loves her(Kate)". Gag me- I have had enough and have to go reprogram my DVR…</p>
<p>I watched about two minutes of the show last night, till my H said in a firm voice, “I don’t like that woman!” I told him he has lots of company.</p>
<p>If the TV show is destroying their marriage, you’d think that it would make sense to offload the show, wouldn’t you?</p>
<p>But I was reading the People mag article (in the waiting room of my optometrist’s office, although I have no reason for being defensive about reading people mag, right?
). Kate’s point is that she’s made lots of changes based on what Jon says is making him unhappy, but nothing makes him happy. She is not willing to cut off “her” income stream that supports her children and provides for their future–it’ll just be another change that won’t make him happy. And then they wouldn’t have $$$.</p>
<p>I think this is a 1950s problem. Housewife (“Jon”) married young, had kids right away and now is stuck at home with the kids. She doesn’t feel fulfilled and feels that there must be more to life than this. Husband (“Kate”) is always off at work, travels around the country, gets lots of recognition and fame. He probably doesn’t appreciate the job done by the wife at home. Often controls the purse strings.</p>
<p>1950s answers: stay at home, stay unhappy and start drinking; stay at home, but find fulfilling outlets and purpose in child rearing, get happy; run away and start a new life.</p>
<p>I wonder if next yr he would go back to work, since the kids would probably be in school full time.</p>
<p>I think a simple compromise that would not cut off the entire piggybank would be to have Kate stop traveling and doing speeches and peddling her book. If she stayed home and they only had the show with a very occasional speaking engagement, they’d still make plenty of money and perhaps they could put their marriage back together. I don’t think she can see that, or she wants to do what she wants to do and feels that Jon can either put up with her or leave.</p>
<p>ellemenope: Kate is not making most of the money here. Her books and speaking pales in comparison to $75,000 an episode for 30 (season 3) and 30+ (season 4 and current season). How is it that she can control the purse strings? Is it because he doesn’t want to do the show any longer, and she does? One of the shows (ET, Extra) reported that the show alone has pulled in over $6 million dollars. Not sure if those figures are including this current season or not. One could bank that and get out from under the microscope and still lead a comfortable life. Even with 8 kids. And if she wants to pull in more with her books and speaking engagements, so be it. But they need to get out from under the lights for the sake of the kids.</p>
<p>She can’t she has another book coming out this fall, so as soon as this tour is done she’ll be on another.</p>
<p>The fact that she is throwing out books so quickly, and doing the show while raising 8 kids, proves to me she has to be lieing on some part. I am sure there is a ghost writer. How can you be on one new book tour and already have a release date for the next, in 5 short months, while filming 40 episodes for TLC, plus also be able to take mini-vacations every other week with the kids and not have a ghost writer? Maybe she has more hours in the day than I do, but it just seems physically impossible.</p>
<p>ellemenope, in my 1950s household it was become an Avon lady, sell to the other coffee clatchers in the neighborhood, drinks in the afternoon, make some dinner when DH came home with the one family car. Once in a while when I am out mowing my own lawn I think it wasn’t such a bad way to go :)</p>
<p>At least some part time work would help his outlook on life, I think. It’s not easy coming to terms with being a stay at home mom. It helps if it is something that you chose yourself, but that isn’t Jon’s case. I’ve been at home for 20 years and it has been the most fulfilling time of my life. But I had education and careers before I chosr to stay home with the kids.</p>