<p>I remember back when so many people were talking about what a shrew Kate was and it struck me as absurd considering she had to run a house with 8 young children in it with a husband so passive he was useless on his own.</p>
<p>Now, of course, Jon has totally flaked out on his family and is even ending the income stream for his children because he’s going to be getting far less money this season. And he needs money for all the dating and partying he’s doing. He’s always been a weak man. </p>
<p>Thank goodness for those kids that they had a strong mother to get them through the first few years of their lives.</p>
<p>I only watched the first season, but I’ll tune back in if it’s Kate and the kids. Now that she’s been freed from trying to raise her 9th kid, she’s in much better spirits and I think the show will recapture that positive vibe it had.</p>
I agree completely. One could make the case that they shouldn’t have gone for such a big and lavish home, but the fact is that they’re there now and the kids shouldn’t be uprooted anymore by having to move because Daddy cost Mommy her job.</p>
I could vomit. Really.
It’s tough enough to be a mom. It’s tough enough to be a working mom. It’s tough enough to be a single mom. Tougher to be a single, working mom. It’s exponentially tougher to be any kind of a mom to 8 kids. Does the dad really have to make it worse for Kate and those beautiful kids? He needs a kick in the butt.</p>
<p>I agree about the home. In fact, Kate has made a lot of decisions that I would not have (the first being agreeing to a reality show…then again, I’ve not had to support eight children, so I hesistate to cast that stone.)</p>
<p>But the thing about Kate is that she is an adult and she accepted their new reality. She gave herself over to those kids. I admire that.</p>
<p>As for the long overdue kick in the butt, years ago when this first started my husband wondered where Jon’s parents were. If that was our son acting like that, there would have been a, as we say in Texas, Come to Jesus meeting right quick.</p>
I agree. I always thought she was a bit much (but, you know what, so am I) about certain things, but she loves her kids and clearly tries to do what’s right for them. I don’t think I’m a strong enough, smart enough or tough enough woman to be able to organize and support eight children – particularly six of the same age.</p>
<p>I have mixed feelings about the show because I think that working outside the home, arranging daycare for 8 kids (what WOULD that cost?) and being able to run the house and parent the kids in the hours after working would be impossible. I kind of think it was the best option in that particular circumstance. Certainly not perfect.</p>
<p>I also agree that Kate seems to be most concerned about the kids at this point. Jon seems to be all about Jon. </p>
<p>I could be way off base but this recent penalty of trespass thing and wanting to hold up the divorce proceedings seems only to be because he’s not happy with the division of assets. Plain and simple, all about the money. Let’s guess…he’ll allow filming and the divorce proceedings to resume once he’s satisfied with his split of the assets so he can then resume the lifestyle that he’s now saying he’s sorry for. Crazy. </p>
<p>Kate’s earned a new degree of respect from me at this point for how she’s dealing with this.</p>
<p>Well he just killed their cash cow. What an idiot!! If he did it for the “right” reasons, ok, but I really think it’s like someone stated, wrong end of the division of assets.</p>
<p>Why did he have to run off to a Manhattan apartment when the kids are right here in PA? If he was so concerned about them he would be here, not gallavanting across the globe. </p>
<p>My MANY brothers and sisters have discussed this show and why Jon and Kate would want to expose their children to the viewing public. The bottom line is that large families are always viewed with a critical eye, so why not make some money from the publics voyeurism. I remember my mother having to make not one dish but three dishes for church potluck dinners; and someone would still remark how unfair it was for large families to show up and eat all the food. We were constantly reminded to always take small portions and never go back for seconds. </p>
<p>People complain that the Gosselin kids are being exploited. My brother says …I wish we had been exploited. Exploitation would have meant store bought clothes versus hand-me-down remakes, an actual family vacation versus hoping to be asked to provide companionship for your whinny cousins on their vacation, having meat that wasnt chunks in soups or stews, having more than one bathroom for 11 people. </p>
<p>Are there negatives for the 8 Gosselin kids having to be on TV .yes of course, but the alternative has negatives too.</p>
<p>My mother was not like Kate, but she had her older kids around to take care of the younger ones. One way Momma and Kate are similar is their obsession about dirt and germs. Having one or two sick kids is hard but manageable; having 8 or 9 sick kids is a nightmare. Thank God, Daddy was nothing like Jon Gosselin.</p>
<p>I basically like Kate. I think she has changed over the last few years and she admits she has made mistakes. It is easy to be critical of anothers parenting decisions. I dont begrudge her or the kids the bennies theyve received. </p>
<p>Who’s right, who’s wrong, who’s to blame??? Most would agree at least a little of both of them.</p>
<p>These latest developments though, make me worry/wonder how much stress is in the kids live daily now - for the youngest whether they are with Mom or Dad and for the twins the pressure at school etc. with all this new garbage. Can’t be good.</p>
<p>No, the preponderance of his future earnings potential is based on his show exposure and is larger than his current assets. Thus, using his leverage to get back on the show to maximize his exposure and maximize his other ventures is of utmost importance. </p>
<p>This is a smart move by Jon- I wouldn’t even bother debating the impact on the kids or the morality of it - it’s a fact it is a PR front - the ruthless move by Jon is still necessary and correct.</p>
<p>TLC certainly could walk away, but they have a profitable show I assume- being barred from the house is not an end-game move. They’ll work it out because it is in both sides’ (TLC & Jon) monetary interests to do so. This move by Jon is just using leverage to get everybody back at the table.</p>
<p>I think you’re wildly overstating the impact of one move on the long-term state of his persona. Plenty of reality stars have lasted a while being disliked.</p>
<p>According to the statement issued by TLC, Jon is still under the contract with the network (they did not give out the details what exactly was spelled out in the contract).</p>
<p>Jon’s earnings may not be as sensitive to the ratings - the summer has established his place over the short-term in the tabloids. Just staying on the show in more than a de minimis role may help him stay there to get his clothing line established, etc.</p>