The Gosselins are the stars of the highest rated show on TLC – “John & Kate Plus 8.” America is simply fascinated with how a family of eight manages everyday activities that we take for granted. From potty training, to ear piercing, each adventure with the Gosselins reminds us that no matter how hectic our personal lives are, Jon and Kate endure a level of insanity that is in the stratosphere. Since our introduction to them on a one-hour special entitled “Surviving Sextuplets and Twins,” they have become our new age Ozzie and Harriet; a televised guide to pure Americana.
When rumours recently surfaced that Jon might be having an affair with 23 year old Deanna Hummel after he was filmed leaving a bar with her, Americas favourite family suddenly appeared to be in trouble. Jon released the following statement after the incident, “These allegations are false and just plain hurtful I did not cheat on Kate. I need to be more careful and aware of who I am associating with and where I am spending my time,” said Gosselin. Instead of showing pity for the victimized party – Kate Gosselin, the public immediately began to attack her.
Kate’s no nonsense, brash style has publicly been declared the reason that Jon was unfaithful. It isn’t enough that she is kept busy all day raising eight kids, shopping, cooking and cleaning; the fact that she is not submissive to Jon’s every whim and has ideas about what the family should and should not do is deemed unacceptable. How dare the nations “brood mare” actually have a mind of her own?
Jon’s alleged infidelity took place while Kate was promoting her new book, Eight Little Faces: A Mom’s Journey, and many speculate had she been home raising the kids instead of leaving Jon to his own devices, no suspicion would have been cast on Jon in the first place.
Many commentators site concern for Cara, Mady, Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Leah, Joel, and Collin. What kind of mother makes a profit from her children to begin with? Allowing invasive cameras into a family home has proven to be a disaster for many families and therefore Kate’s desire to replace the income that she lost from being a nurse when she had to stay home and care for her children is secondary.
Why aren’t she and Jon willing to live in a dump, subsisting on a diet of rice and beans so that Kate can be the perfect, long-suffering mother? – This what the public appears to be effectively saying. Saving for something as important as college, apparently should not deter them from saying goodbye to their successful television show.
When asked about her marriage by People Magazine, Kate responded:
“I don’t know that we’re in the same place anymore, that we want the same thing,” she says quietly. “I’ve been struggling with the question of ‘Who is this person?’ for a while. I remember where I was the first time I heard her name. It’s one of those things where you can try to make it go away, but there’s blaring, red flashing lights.”
The indignation in this quote is juxtaposed against the latest gossip wherein Kate herself is also accused of adultery. Her bodyguard has been identified as her alleged partner in lust and infidelity. Kate has vehemently denied the allegations and claims that
“The scary thing for me is [the tabloids] are going to take information and create a story. It’s a matter of, ‘When will they stop?’ They’re going to keep going, and they’ll make up stuff to connect the dots.”
Marriage is a difficult endeavour for a couple in the best of circumstances. Jon and Kate have the same financial worries as the so-called typical American family, coupled with responsibility of raising 8 children. While many continually comment on the lack of supposed intimacy between the two, it is easy to forget how often smaller families fail under far less stress. Reality television or not, the nuclear family that we have idealized as the perfect living arrangement does not work for many. This is evidenced by the high divorce rate.
Infidelity is something that happens on a daily basis and we only feel entitled to comment on the situation with Jon and Kate because of their television show. Those that express concern for the children are actually not acting in their best interest, because the speculation about the solidity of their family is occurring in a way that makes it impossible for the kids to remain unaware. It is further detrimental for their mother to be so publicly demonized.
Jon and Kate have had to make the sacrifices and choices that they have because they are not independently wealthy. The US is not a society that supports the so-called traditional family, despite the promotion of reproduction and heterosexual pairing. Capital and not people is what is valued. There is a limited amount of maternity leave, no socialized daycare, and medical care has to be paid for privately. It is easy to stand on the outside and criticize when we have nothing personal at stake in their success or failure.
The Gosselins may well be the new American family, in that by publicly going through this recent marital turbulence, they reveal that the state of the patriarchal family is not necessarily the best or most operational model any longer. As we weigh in on who is at fault and if the marriage will last, we are actually sitting in judgement of the entire modern day family unit as a whole. Some will fall back on patriarchal defensiveness and assign blame based on gender rather than consider that a living arrangement that we have prioritized is simply not feasible in many instances. Whether or not Jon and Kate continue to grace the airwaves, publicly displaying the difficult moments of marital discord and the trials and tribulation of raising a family, depends on whether or not we can accept that fact that marriage is not the stuff of Disney movies.
I don’t know what show you watch, but the Gosselins I’ve seen have never portrayed a “Disney” movie.
People are not being critical of Kate Gosselin because she’s not “submissive” enough, but because she is horribly nasty to her husband. She speaks to him like he is her slave, and that to me, is completely unacceptable.
As far as your comment that they had to do a reality show to be able to survive financially, I completely disagree. They chose to do a reality show. They also chose to have fertility treatments, which is why they felt they had to find other means to raise income. Most people would have left well enough alone and done the show for a year or two…instead of oh let’s see…buying a Hummer and a million-plus dollar home. I don’t believe any of those things are considered necessary for survival.
It is sad to me to see Jon & Kate changing. They took their marriage vows again in Hawaii swearing to their kids they would be together alwasy.
Jon need to grow up and realize hi is Jon of Jon and Kate plus eight. Not just Jon. Just Jon left the day they went public.
Grow up Jon! Kate- get your head out of your ass and remember where you came from.
I fully agree with the May 17, 4:33 p.m. commenter and not with the author.
Also, to say that we as America should accept them as the norm family, “No thank you.” I’d rather have a home where family members treat each other with respect even if we are not perfect. It’s love that counts and should be foremost.
There are many non-wealthy large families in this world who have somehow managed to raise healthy children without financial assistance or exploiting their children for monetary gain.
My husband and I raised 8 children (including one set of twins + 1 special needs) of whom 6 are college graduates, and our youngest who is currently in college. My husband and I always put our marriage first and from that were able to support each other and gain strength. Sometimes there were disagreements, but we met those challenges with positive determination and did not try to control each other.
I believe Jon and Kate have lost their way and allowed greed to cloud their priorities. Yes, they love their kids but it is obvious to many viewers this is not a healthy environment for them. I do wish the very best outcome for these children.
You need to watch a few episodes before you come to the conclusion that this is a “women’s rights” issue. I loved the show at first, but watched it deteriorate due to the mean-spirited and controlling tendencies of Kate. When she chastises Jon for breathing, or for raising his shoulders when he speaks, or screams at him across a department store, or any of a number of ridiculous things, I began to see things differently! And I haven’t even addressed her meanness to the kids.
Hello? What planet are you on? You obviously haven’t been watching the show.
I wondered how long Jon would take it. Unfortunately he’s chosen a passive/aggressive route. He should have been more directly confrontational, but it may be too late now.
It is a shame what has happened to this
family. I liked to watch the show and
found it entertaining. I hope TLC and
all of it’s viewers (including myself)
realize that to save this family we must
leave them alone! They have been caught
up in the fame and money. It truly has
spoiled the whole feel of the show as well the Gosselins themselves. As curious as I am, I plan on NOT watching this show again. Do the right thing
TLC and the Gosselins. End this show
and put a stop to this silly charade.
I find it sad and almost painful to watch
Kate becoming more and more plastic and
greedy. Only TLC and the viewers can save her from herself. It seems like she
doesn’t want the gravy train to end under
any circumstances even the destruction of
her own children and marriage. We must
do the right thing for her and get this
show off of the air!!! STOP WATCHING IT
FOR THE CHILDREN!!
Kathey you couldn’t be more right. The author of this article obviously lacks the ability to identify fantasy from reality. John and Kate have a horrible relationship. From watching the show it’s pretty clear who causes most of the problems in the family. It seems that Kate has some sort of a control problem where she must order around both her husband and kids. What she says goes. If she doesn’t get her way she throws a tantrum. Her children are following in her foot steps. Most noticeably 8 year old Maddy, who is always complaining that this is the worst day ever and has numerous mood swings through out the show. I wonder where she learned that from? A little unknown fact is that after Kate gave birth to the 6 children she went to the state house in PA and demanded that the government help support her since they supposedly pushed fertility drugs on her to get pregnant. We’ll since that pitch didn’t work she decided to exploit her family through TLC. It’s clear that she is the mastermind behind this since John has stated numerous times he does not want the show to continue. Oh but they must do the show to survive. How else would they pay for the full time nanny that raises the children for them? How else would they be able to pay someone to do their laundry? How else would they be able to wear designer clothing? How else would they be able to go on vacations? How else would they survive without either partner having a job? How else would they be able to survive without a private cook? How else would they be able to survive without their $1 million house? Get real. Kate is solely doing this so she can live the high life. I remember one time Kate was talking about how her children are becoming bossy. John jokingly said I wonder where that came from? Kate got all serious and said you john you are always bossing people around and get angry if they don’t do what you tell them too. John just sat their silent. Maybe with some of this money she is raking in Kate should get her eyes checked. Obviously she isn’t seeing whats going on under her own nose.
What show are you watching? Kate Gosselin is one of the most hateful women I have ever seen & that is how she acts when she knows she is being taped. There is nothing normal about this family. They are money whores. That is all they (both) care about. They literally look like different people. They are fake baked, hair plugged, teeth whitened, designer label wearing phoney’s & everyone is finally catching on. They don’t care what their children want, all they care about is money. They use their children to make their money. They make $75,000.00 per episode & yet that isn’t enough. With all this going on, why is she still attending book signings & giving anyone who will listen an interview? Why isn’t she w/ her children? If her newest book was a love letter to her children & she doesn’t care how many books are sold, then why? Because she is selfish & money hungry. Stop being a feminist moron & get a clue. No-one likes her because she is a hag to EVERYONE & she wouldn’t have two words for you who defend her, unless you were holding her new book you just bought or had $20.00 for an autographed picture. By the way John is a tool—absolutely no better than her. They deserve each other.
Kate has always been real in front of the camera. A lot of her actions were playful and like the rest of us, she has had to get after him. The Gosslins were blessed with the opportunity to have a show, they did’nt seek it out. There is no excuse for the way that Jon behaves. If I was Kate I would be livid! The reason the show has been so successful is because they don’t hide anything from the cameras. I think that buying the new house was a neccessity. It would be hard to have people always knowing where you live. They are as normal as it gets and I think Kate and Jon need some time to fix their marriage. Hopefully the kids wont be very affected by the tabloids. God Bless them!
Ewww I always been so enraged to see that woman boss her husband like he is beholden to her. Talk about control freaks….she is a total control addict. The one thing that always gets me is how she justifies the choices she makes for her family by saying she wants them to be a ‘NORMAL’ family!!! What the hell is normal about having cameras and camera men stuck in your face on a daily basis? And filming their potty training??? There are no perverts out there that don’t get off on something like that ?? Give me a break !! Their color coded clothing……they are children damn it …not clones…or are they ? I am not a fan of the show at all but some of my family members are so I read a book but I don’t miss some of what is said. I feel very badly for Jon and those exploited children. Yes, I said exploited. And the way Kate is ALWAYS yelling. I am a parent of 4 children, 2 ADD boys and 3 grandchildren and drive a schoolbus and used to be a nurse. In ALL my life and those of the children I never raised my voice like she does. If Jon cheated on Kate I feel for her, I really do. That is the ultimate betrayal. But if all Jon wanted was a quiet conversation in a bar with a female that didn’t nag or berate him, then I say leave him alone. I think he has gone through enough and it is cruel to make a publicity stunt out of a man who admittedly did not sign up for the cruise he was on. For just ONCE in this American frenzy for scut and scum couldn’t we allow peopletheir privacy and dignity and just leave them the hell alone ??? What is wrong with US that would enjoy someone’s pain so much. Please leave them alone….and Kate..if you are reading this …lighten up…stuff is just stuff….people are what matter….give your family a break and let them BE NORMAL and live a private “NORMAL” life !!!!
Disney movies aren’t picture perfect either. Look at the number of Disney movies that have dysfunctional families. Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King, Bambi, etc all had a parent missing. The stories that make the most money are those that tell the story of a true American family with conflict.
I absolutely agree. I would watch how that woman would berate her husband and talk down to him as if he were “the help” so I had to stop watching. I started watching table for 12 and find it much more refreshing. The parents are loving to their kids And each other and seems much more real to me than that other show. I personally wish the would take jon and Kate off the air so they could focus on their kids instead of kates ambitions!!!!
I have watched this family since the beginning and slowly watched Kate turn into a swan, Jon remained relatively the same, working his butt off when she barked. I know she was doing work too, but about the time they took their ski trip, I realized they had evolved into something other than a normal family working to raise their kids in a normal way. I watched on and off as their vacations were much more extravagant than any folks I know who have 2 kids, and it hit me, this family is in this ONLY for the perks and the high life. I tried to stay connected and watch episodes, but would end up changing channels. They lost me. I now doubt all that they promoted themselves to be, instead I see children being spoiled before our eyes. Infidelity doesn’t even affect my opinion as much as what is going to happen to these 8 children when the rug gets yanked out from under them and they have to go back to living under normal incomes with an average wage earning family.
Let me first say that I really enjoy this show. I would hate for it to go off the air. Everyone wants to bitch about them making money off of thier children…. really? I don’t see at this point how this is hurting thier children. They seem very happy, well taken care of, and well adjusted. They have experiences that they would not otherwise have and are able to eat and live comfortably with out having to depend on “the system”. Good for them for finding a way to make it work! If you don’t want to support them, then don’t watch them or the other many shows that have thier children on tv like the baby story, 18 kids and counting (or what ever that is), Little People, Big World…. etc. etc! What about the child actors… are we going to complain about that too? No more tv shows or movies with a family theme I guess! They are providing for thier family and America is addicted!
As far as Kate goes…. something tells me she was like this before they got married. I am sure that the stress of having that many children may make her a bit short tempered at times, but with 2 children of my own I am short tempered at times with my husband and he is very short tempered with me. However, this is not America’s choice as to whether her treatment of Jon is okay. That is between them. As far as the adultry goes… if it is true… I feel badly for the whole family and no matter how they treat each other, it is not okay, on either side. I guess we will see what happens in the future. I hope to continue watching them for years to come and I hope they make it through this. Back off judgemental people! Let them live thier lives!
I agree with Kathey. What show are you watching? Kate is a pure bitch with Jon all the time. It doesn’t mean she is like that all the time in real life, but that’s how it comes across on the show. Kate orders him around, talks over him, and always finds a way to get the last word in, even when she’s wrong.
I love the show, I think it’s great, the kids are cute, and it’s a good premise. But that being said… When you make money off a television show, you have to deal with the media scrutiny that comes with it. The more popular the show becomes, the more media becomes a part of everyday life.
Jon has been rumored to have wanted to quit the show since season three but Kate has been pushing him to stay on. Family is now speaking out including her own brother and sister in law who were a part of the show on how Kate is all about the money.
Let’s now forget that they both have been accused of having affairs. I’m sure that Jon is no angel himself, but with that said, with all the uncertainty surrounding the show, the only true reality, is that Kate is a BITCH!. deal with it…
“Whether or not Jon and Kate continue to grace the airwaves, publicly displaying the difficult moments of marital discord and the trials and tribulation of raising a family, depends on whether or not we can accept that fact that marriage is not the stuff of Disney movies.”
If you read the article again ] you will notice they are saying the Gosselins are NOT the “stuff of Disney movies,”
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I actually feel they aren’t that different from Disney movies. There is usually a villian, and that would be Kate right?
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Maybe Jon is a complete idiot and would do absolutely nothing all day if she didn’t constantly nag him.
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Who gives a crap if they have a reality show, a hummer and a nice house. I don’t.
Why do you?
I don’t understand why anyone cares about these people or their show. Just turn the channel.
Here’s the problem I have with this show. When Jon and Kate were first introduced to the world at large they were struggling. As a mom of small children I could look at their situation and say to myself, “See, you don’t have it THAT bad. If Jon and Kate can do it with 8, you can do it with three”. Then the freebies came rolling in and all the authentic drama of the show seemed to disappear. The free trips, clothes, toys, etc. made Jon and Kate difficult to identify with. Sure, Kate has always been brassy, but I figured that was a function of her exhaustion and financial worries. Not so. It is apparent that her attitude has gotten worse since their economic situation has improved. She has turned from a cranky, overwhelmed mom to a mean-spirited monster. I don’t blame Jon for spending time with someone else – she’s just horrible. But he should show some good moral character and leave his wife first – at least out of respect for his children. I can’t stomach the show anymore. Between their opulent lifestyle and Kate’s greedy, nasty attitude I just can’t stomach it.
It makes me sad to see this poor family fall apart but I guess it was inevitable since they decided to step into the spotlight. I completely understand why they decided to take this route because raising 1 child in expensive let alone 8! People are so quick to be critical of the parents but in my opinion they are just your average couple thrust into less then average circumstances. I’m not saying they are void of any blame but we all know what the media and ignorant people are capable and if you forgot…the next few weeks should remind you. I hope everything works out for this family.
Wow! What show have you been watching? Kate is a horrible shrew of a woman. She has favored Hannah since the beginning, been verbally and physically abusive to Jon, called her sons “icky” and “gross” among other things, ridiculed her daughter Mady over and over again. I don’t have time to even get started on her lies, such as “if one family member wants to stop, we will stop filming.” DUH, your family is miserable because of what Jon and Kate have done to them. Jon wants to stop but Kate is too greedy. Or how about telling the Today show that “we’re handling it privately” yet she goes on to give a condescending interview to People Magazine a few days later. OMG! How anyone can defend this monster is beyond me.
PS…the writer needs to tune in to the show and actually watch before she begins to type.
This article was clearly written by someone associated with the show (possibly Kate herself?) as were a couple of the responses.
Please wake up friends, and understand that reality tv has little to do with reality. The show itself is scripted, directed and edited. Sure, the kids aren’t acting as such, but they are working. They have to ‘play’, until the crew decide they have the ‘scene’ they want. They are performers but don’t have protection under child labour or actor laws. It’s appalling really.
And while I agree that Kate has been vilified unfairly (only in contrast to Jon though), she AND Jon continue to ‘work’ on the show and subject their kids to all kinds of unhealthy situations, attention and filial strife in order to MAINTAIN their very upscale lifestyle.
They have no choice but to remain public figures in order to feed, house and cloth their kids!? Give me a monumental break!!
The real tragedy is that the kids themselves have no choice but be sucked in to the vortex of incendiary publicity, household chaos, and general madness.
Their little lives are being scrutinized by all of us, and will continue to be for years to come as they are now a matter of public record.
Of course ten years from now we’ll all be shaking our heads wondering why we all just stood by and literally watched the exploitation go on… for our entertainment
God bless ’em indeed!
http://mywebtimes.com/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=380096&query=sextuplets
The link from Evan above is a story from my local newspaper about the reality of mothering multiples. I think it is a good example of what really happens, and about how different it is from Jon and Kate Plus 8.
I loved the show and then i saw in a magazine that they were fighting! the weird thing is, is that they were always arguing on the show too! and kate always bossed jon around! but that still doesnt give you the rught to cheat!! i wish them the best and they need to focus on the kids and their realationship for a while. the show doesnt need to stop… the use of fighting and the harmful things they say and do too! the family needs the money, we all do. but they dont need the big house and fancy clothes! kate needs to let her kids ‘be kids’ rather than teaching them to be control freaks. right? i hope they can work it out… and i wish the kids the best luck! and stop trying to tear the family apart ( tabloids) let them work it out… PRIVATLEY!!
I think both of them need to actually discipline their kids, and the fact that they don’t tells me they are selfish brats themselves. I’ve seen them both ignore the kids, and even when one is obviously in need of real help. They deserve each other, the kids, they are the victims.
I have no idea what rock you crawled out under but you don’t know Kate. She does NOT cook, clean, and take care of the kids. Others do that for her. She wants a CAREER and she doesn’t care who stands in her way she will PLOW them over. Kate is all about Kate. You need to watch the shows all over again and stop getting up for ice cream so you know what is going on.
i dont no why everyone is putting it all on kate john is not a big ray of sunshine all families have problems and they are going threw one its not any ones fault the problem is they wount sit down and talk it all out i mean gezz im 13 years old o and btw i absoutly LOVE that show so boo you bitches to all that dont
From the number of stones being thrown around in this discussion thread, it appears that everyone here is entirely without sin. Do you all have perfect families? Do you never get irritated with your partner or kids? Do you never act controlling? I wouldn’t want cameras in my house because I’m an engaged and thoughtful parent, but far from perfect. This family at least has the courage to be real in front of the cameras. Would you?
I really don’t have much to add to this post as I feel it stands on its own however I would point out that those of you that use gendered language like bitch to refer to Kate, only prove the point about the gendered blame game that I made.
how can you all be so judgemental when you ARE NOT even in their situation…? maybe if you WERE in their situation you would understand/empathize or at least be less likely to criticize the Gosselin lifestyle and choices that they have made…
I know exactly how I feel about John, Kate, their relationship, their fertility, and their show. But I’m not going to gossip all over the internet about them anymore.
There’s a difference between being able to do something and having the right to do it. I’m free to judge them–but I don’t have the right to do it. Them being on television does not negate their rights to privacy, crazily enough.
I’d hate for people to judge the way I address my boyfriend–I’ve been told I’m cruel, and he’s been told he’s controlling. But he isn’t hurt and I do what I please. What works for some will not work for all.
And I just realized that what I wrote can be read as a condemnation of you, Renee. That was not my intention. It is the gossip rags and the judgmental idiots on the internet that I am aiming my commentary at.
Blah, Blah, Blah! Yes, they are food for fodder because they are in the limelight. Yes, Kate can be witchy more than most. Yes, Jon is quite slow more than most. Does that mean he should be cheating on her? NO! Out of all the kids on the show the only truly spoiled/bratty one I see is Maddy – she is a pain in the butt.
If Jon was unhappy he should have quit the marriage before he went looking for someone else.
Then again the Teacher knew he was married with eight kids, what the hell was she thinking? And don’t say, well she’s only 23, Bullsh**!
Any single person who knowingly gets involved with a Married person is at fault. Especially a married person who’s on t.v. and has 8 kids!!!
I really don’t know what the big deal is about a woman who has eight children and a husband to help her. My mother was a single mother with nine, and she also worked outside the home. She was lucky to get 5 hours sleep a night. Her days went from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.(20 hour days). She’s 82 now. It wasn’t unheard of to hear of women having anywhere from 16 to 21 children. Now these are the women they should be doing T.V. series on. They are the unsung heroes. I know women today who have had 10 and 12 children and no multiple births so Jon and Kate are not doing anything that other mothers and families haven’t already done or are doing.
“Kate’s no nonsense, brash style”
I think Kate is verbally abusive and controlling. John is a putz, but you just don’t talk to people that way, it is hurtful and counter-productive. People clam up when being constantly berated.
“Kate’s desire to replace the income that she lost from being a nurse”
I was in the Marines for 10 years before. It made me more sexist being having all my peers to be male, to be frank. All you hear is gossip from the male point of view. From the observations I have had, the same thing that happened to me happens to alot of nurses when all they hear about is gossip from the female point of view.
“The US is not a society that supports the so-called traditional family…Capital and not people is what is valued”
I couldn’t agree more.
“they reveal that the state of the patriarchal family is not necessarily the best or most operational model any longer”
I think every family should do what works foor them. I, personally, am against extremes of patriarchy or matriarchy in any situation. Kate and Jon’s family is too one-sided toward matriarchy, in my opinion.
I know you all think you know best but i have to say that i have six kids none of wich are multiples and i have one that has cp plus is autistic and i have to say i am required to meetings all the time and defend him all the time i am always gone from my children and the reason is to better my childrens lives she has to do the same and some where inside kate and jon have lost who they are and they have not had time to get that person back but if every one was just a little more understanding and maybe a little helpful they wouldnt be so bad i have to admit i have acted that way to my husband i dont mean to but if you dont keep to a scheduel you will get swamped down and drown i know i have been there and i also have to say that if me and my husband can work it out and as long as they love each other and apoligize even if its behind close doors then thats all that matters i think people are missing the real point that people should be encoureging in there words and not so awful to people they are more willing to change if the people around them are nice also lissening to all of you you all sound like her so what makes you any different try and say that she does it because she does care and that behind closed doors she is exstremely sweet and that is why it works it does make a difference trust me and i mean it with all my love god bless the gosselins
I feel so bad for Cara, Mady, ALexis, Hannah, Aaden, Collin, Leah, and Joel. It must be so hard for them. Especially the twins. Of course the six know some things and have heard them but to be 8 you can understand more. Think about living in a house with your mom, dad, and your 7 other brothers and sisters and don’t know what is next ahead. A divorce, a make up between your mom and dad, another rumor, it will never end!!! JK8 is my favorite show and I would hate to see the show turn into some huge fighting match. And I have a comment on the paragraph that says, “Why aren’t she and Jon willing to live in a dump, subsisting on a diet of rice and beans so that Kate can be the perfect, long-suffering mother? – This what the public appears to be effectively saying. Saving for something as important as college, apparently should not deter them from saying goodbye to their successful television show.” I do not agree with that. I would rather have a TV show to support my kids. I do not think it is right to live in a dump and eat rice and beans and any scraps you can find if there is a better way.
This is nuts! this is totally made up by the tabliods to get a story off of DUH! My mom used to JOKE with me that boys were “gross” so? I have a brother niether me or my mother were serious when we said boys were gross! Mady is hard kids to handle LOTS OF KIDS ARE! I was! Kate is not saying she is some god awful child! I am not saying Kate is perfect NOBODY IS! Jon is a passive agressive tool and she is a shrew HOW IS THIS NEW INFORMATION?!?! Yes they have nice things and they do make money off the show, alot of money if you dont like it they STOP WATCHING!!! If you dont watch, ratings go down, show goes off the air, the end. If you do like it keep watching and find a fan site!
Some of you people are dumber than chimps on crack!
I am so sadden to read all the negative soap opera comments.
Dr.Gosslin the Grandfather of the children must be turning over in his grave.
Hopefully the parents will remember to once again put all the children’s needs FIRST!
To be able to have had (8) normal healthy children is a miracle,to raise them is a gift from GOD.
Um, a lot of people need to check themselves. I don’t completely agree with Renee, but a lot of commenters are going totally over the top.
The way Kate talks to Jon does bother me sometimes, but it is NOT all the time and I actually think she’s gotten better. Meanwhile Jon is also rude and snarky sometimes. That happens in marriages, in families – doesn’t mean it’s necessarily right but neither Jon nor Kate is a villain. And when Kate gets controlling sometimes – I’m sure it’s a combination of her personality type (which he was aware of when he fell in love with her and married her) and the fact that she needed to have a very strict system to keep a household of 10 running properly.
The kids have had countless opportunities that they never could have had without the show. Maybe the show needs to end at some point, but let’s not pretend there hasn’t been a lot of good that has come out of it for the children.
Most of all, let’s all keep the hatefulness to a minimum – these are real people, parents of real children, who are doing the best they can.
Kate is a horrible shrew of a woman.
OMG, Shakespeare lives! Kate is threatening to cuckold her husband and usurp his rightful place as head of the household! Don’t feed her! Don’t have sex with her! Don’t let her have a new hat until she submits!
Thanks for the great post, Renee. “She’s a shrew” must be on a sexist bingo card somewhere, isn’t it?
I don’t follow the show religiously so I won’t claim to be an expert. But I do remember at least a couple episodes when he was being equally snarky towards her. I also agree with the comments made by Mariella and theKP.
And what’s with the ignorant, hateful tone from the majority of commenters here? Because you don’t agree with the author you have to resort to personal attacks? You can’t just respectfully disagree, state your point of view and leave it at that?
Thanks for the thought-provoking post Renee.
Ive only ever watched a few episodes of this show…all I can say is that people are not perfect. We all have our moments in which we are glad there wasnt a camera around to remind us of it. (and now days thats harder to accomplish with phone cams etc).
We all love the idea of making money and living the “good life” but the moment someone does it we start pulling them apart with snide comments and out right bashing.
Children have lived through a hell of alot worse then cameras following them around everywhere they go…the are resiliant and will get throug it. Believe me there are worse things in life for children to suffer.
Husbands and wives clash on a daily basis…I dare say if someone followed you around for one day with a camera and then let you view it at the end of the day…would you be happy with everything you said and did and how you treated others etc? I know I wouldnt.
Kate is what she is…and Jon is the only one that has a right to accept it or reject it…after all…she is his wife…not all of ours. And vice versa with Jon and his actions. Its for her to judge and decide if its something she wants to accept or reject…he isnt our husband…why do we care?
When we become voyeurs into peoples lives we feel we have a right to critisize or complain about how they act etc…but if Jon and Kate turned the cameras back on you for a day…how well would you handle the critism from the multitude of anonymous masses?
Why not view Kate as a strong minded woman that knows what she wants and doesnt wait to be “saved” or “guided” to get it. She isnt the traditional “wait and let the man handle it” sort of woman…and she lets her man know it. We all use harsh words…we all use bad language…we all say things we wish we didnt…but we all dont have it caught on camera for the pleasure of public consumption.
If you dont like it dont watch it..thats called choice people. Go watch Little People Big World…or whatever its called…or do you have some complaints about short people allowing cameras into their lives in order to afford a better lifestyle for their kids too?
I might also add that men (and women) dont need an excuse to cheat. Even the most loving and caring partners get cheated on. Kates behavoir (such as it is) is in no way to blame for Jons possible cheating…he made to choice to go meet up with that woman (even if that is all he did)…and loving spouse at home has never kept wandering spouses from wandering if thats what they really want to do.
I would like to point out to all the people hating on Kate that the show isn’t just taped and then put on air. It is cut and spliced to make it a show. I have no doubt that the directors and the producers edited all the livid moments of Kate’s “controlling” nature because they knew it would get them more views. “Ohh great! A non-submissive wife! Let’s turn her into a nag!”
I do feel Kate Gosselin IS quite bossy-overly so-Good speak your mind to anyone-being anyone-but do you ALWAYS have to be such a bitch about everythng! John needs to quit saying stuff like……”I thot I’d be 54 and dating a 19 yr old” (forget which one I heard this on) They do it to each other-Get a divorce or therapy if you hate each other so much-??? Spare your kids the public humilation-they are going to need therapy for sure if you don’t stop.
Then again-maybe your publisist was BORED-Everybod’ loves dirty laundry especially if it is X’s 8……
I wish every one would just shut up and leave them alone. STOP JUDGING. Are you perfect? If you your life was exposed to the public would you be considerd perfect? Or might your mistakes and flaws be magnified for others intertainment. Yes they let the camramen come into their home to do the show. They didn’t ask to be followed everytime they stepped out the front door. Kate if your reading this I just want you to know that you have my support. How painfull this must be. I went through a divorice and I was told that I nagged to much and was to controling. It hurt so bad. To a point this was true but the relationship falling apart was not all my falt. John, I know she’s not perfect but you’ll never find a woman like this again. Not that you can’t find someone decent. It’s just you will never have that bond that you have with her with anyone else. Don’t let her get away from you. I am not a crazed fan. I don’t watch your show like a religion. I just guess that I have a soft spot for your whole family.
I have been reading the comments posted and while I agree Kate has been extremly hard on her husband, I often wondered where is his backbone, at any rate I think she has done a magnificent job. I don’t know about any of you but I was sure impressed when they were told to sit in the corner and they obeyed, when they were leaving each other they would hug and kiss, I think the Gosslings have been fantastic parents, what they do and say to each other is another ballgame. Just leave them alone and watch another program if you don’t like them. I for one love the show and will continue to watch .
I have always felt sorry for Jon, I don’t know how he stuck it out as long as he did with Kate, Must have been his genuine love for his kids or something? Lets face it, the relationship between the two of them was not healthy for the kids either, The boys would grow up thinking that a man should be led around by the nose and talked down to by a women, and the girls would think that for a wife to control her husbands every move is normal, It was already starting to show in one of the twins. Poor Jon, would tuck his tail between his legs when Kate would chastise him like he was one of the kids, humiliate him outside of the home for all to see, Just like in the interviews, when Kate would jump on to Jon for interupting her, yet, she does it all the time to him, how many times did you actually see Jon get to finish a sentence, without Kate taking over? And the episode with the coupon issue when Jon failed to take it with him to buy the shower head???? what was up with that? I feel bad for the kids, they are over exploited by the media, and the seperation has made it worse on them, they need to be left alone. Kate is always going to be Kate, a neurotic, phsyco, dramatic, controlling B—h, who is obviously insecure in herself and feels she has to control a man. She needs HELP!! Serious HELP,, was she raised that way? or is that just they way she is? I knew from episode one she was FAKE, FAKE, FAKE!! My husband hates the show, but one day he sat with me and watched it, he was so disgusted with Kate, he could not watch it for another second. We have a loving, supportive marriage, and could not and would not ever degrade each other, Nor could I ever speak to him the way Kate did Jon. I commend Jon for getting out, On the flip side, I hope they both remember, that life is not about the two of them right now and put those kids first and leave their issues out of the kids daily life.