I need to vent about Jon & Kate

A) Please stop saying that the fame and media attention you've gotten is unsought.  It's not.  You signed on to do a TV show.  TV is media.  And you continue to do the TV show even after the "horrible" stress of the fame has you so pissed.

B) What you are doing to your kids is child abuse.  They are growing up in front of the entire nation from birth... they literally have never not been on TV.  That's alot of pressure.  Young adults that areon reality TV end up with eating disorders and drug addictions b/c of the stress, so what is going to happen when these kids hit puberty (which is pretty soon for the twins)???

C) When asked if the show would continue Kate replied: "The show MUST go one"  Ummm, wh exactly must the show go on if you are so angry about all of the attention you're receiving because of it.

I'm pretty suer they're completely delusional about their lives.

Original Post by kae03:

if I had a chance to do something like that and make a GOOD living for my kids, provide for them in a way I NEVER could...stay home with them, enjoy them, love them you better beleive I would do it

 Would you keep doing it even during & after major traumatic life events.  And yes, divorce is traumatic, whether it occurs on tv or not.  But I have to think that the tv aspect adds another dimension to what the children are going through.

Original Post by sugarshocked:

Original Post by kathygator:

Reality check: signing a contract to be in a reality show is not child abuse.

 reality check: making them go through the dissolution of their parents on national tv is.

 Reality Check: This is not even close to abuse. The children aren't being abused in any way. Will this affect them yes. How much and to what extent, no one knows.

Original Post by moonikins:

 Reality Check: This is not even close to abuse. The children aren't being abused in any way. Will this affect them yes. How much and to what extent, no one knows.

It may not be abuse, but I can't imagine how it wouldn't be very embarrassing down the road.  National media coverage while kids are still infants/toddlers is one thing, but dealing with divorce is traumatic enough without school age peers making them the subject of gossip.  Inside Edition may be a national program, but they're not nearly as judgmental and vicious as preteens.  I know this from experience.

Wow so many of you are calling a woman you don't even know names! o.O

I had never even heard of this show until a month or so ago. Should I be embarrassed? Lol. There was a marathon foreshadowing of Jon and Kate's pending marriage troubles. I didn't realize that was the reason for the marathon. :( I had absolutely no knowledge of their family previously. It's been made a seemingly popular hot topic/ "news" story since due to marital strife. No one has mentioned marriage counseling or even hinted about it. I would have thought that would be one of the first steps before divorcing. I just can't believe it hasn't even been appropriately mentioned by either of them. I mean if this is for the health of the children they share it would be important,imo. Why not go through all the necessary steps to see if this marriage could be saved? Instead of going from 0 to 100 straight to divorce court. Any couple that has 1 child, let alone 8, should spend some time with a therapist or counselor before deciding that divorce is the best route,imo. It was never stated either way if they'd been to counseling/or therapy? They never said they did and they never said they didn't though. They could have been in sessions over the break in filming I imagine. They may have explored that option to no prevail sadly. I hope the Gosselins sought counseling before making the decision to divorce.

The circumstances/outcome are heartbreaking either way,imo. I hope the entire family finds happiness.

Oh,well. Btw:

A) The media/paparazzi/tabloids are known to go to extremes. Beyond that as an fyi everyone complains about something at some point. That's life.

B) It's not child abuse.

C) I have watched this show from start to current. She has never done anything to deserve your judgment. Kate is the one who took care of those kids from day 1. SHE bathed then, clothed them, fed them. She has done everything for her children. That's what she's saying when she says the show must go on. Regardless: She's MOMMY. JON AND KATE decided to do the show together so they could afford to pay for everything those kids need, food clothing, diapers, cars, a roof over there heads, braces, college etc...... Multiply one kid for eight. You do the math. Tell me would be better if they didn't do the show so their kids could have none of that. And if anything it's the paparazzi/tabloids and those that read/write/buy them that are making this traumatizing for the kids.

JON and Kate have both made mistakes because they're only human.There should be many steps before divorcing especially with children. However, we have no idea how long it has been bad between them. Who knows, maybe their relationship was never good and they kept it together for the show? Maybe they have been in counseling for a long time? Maybe they have separated before? A reality show, despite the name, is not necessarily reality.They have 8 kids. He is the one that's cheating on his wife. Kate said that HIS recent actions have caused her to file for divorce. Jon has always acted like a kid,imho. Seriously though. It's of course obvious that she's bossy too. She's the married single mom of nine. j/k! Try being the single parent of one child. EVERYTHING is a potential worry/concern from what they eat to every moment they are away from you. Multiply that by 8. Jon needs to grow some ___s and stop acting like some single 25 year old party boy. Maybe if he helped her out without needing to be told more often... she wouldn't need to be so bossy. Plus: They can filter any footage to dramatize/cultivate the reaction they want from viewers. If she has become more obsessive with routine/planning ahead to make it easier on herself, that's just the way it is. I can understand if she gets annoyed when Jon tries to change the routine that she created when he wasn't there. I've heard people say she treats/talk to him poorly. Guess what?! Different couples communicate in different manners and opposites attract. If Jon has an issue with the way his wife talks/treats him...I honestly think he needed to man up and say so.... Cheating/Fooling around with college girls wasn't a quick fix! One person isn't to blame for the failure of any relationship. However:That doesn't mean that he isn't accountable for his actions/choice to cheat.

I think everyone should really get off Kate's back. Yes, she's promoting a book, and yes, the show is still filming, but life must go on, even without her laxadasical husband. ( The show aka their life. ) She has to find a way to now be a single mom,co-parenting with her ex-husband, supporting her family financially and emotionally. Until you walk in their shoes, you have no right to judge. Jon made a bad choice, but I've always liked him otherwise too.

This whole thing is utterly fascinating to me.  The way folks are reacting to it and the media coverage reminds me of people's reaction after Brad and Jen broke up and he started shacking up with Saint Angie.  I'm surprised there aren't "Team Kate" or "Team Jon" shirts circulating yet.  Personally, I only caught a slight bit of the show as reality TV really isn't my thing.  I thought the kids were average looking, the dad was kind of a wimp, and the mom was kind of a shrew. 

"lackadaisical"

Original Post by santonacci:

Original Post by moonikins:

 Reality Check: This is not even close to abuse. The children aren't being abused in any way. Will this affect them yes. How much and to what extent, no one knows.

It may not be abuse, but I can't imagine how it wouldn't be very embarrassing down the road.  National media coverage while kids are still infants/toddlers is one thing, but dealing with divorce is traumatic enough without school age peers making them the subject of gossip.  Inside Edition may be a national program, but they're not nearly as judgmental and vicious as preteens.  I know this from experience.

I'm not saying it's good for them. But the claims these kids are being abused is way off base.

I'd also like to point out that if the parents have invested funds for these children they won't suffer nearly as much as many posters have imagined/predicted.

Original Post by crazydiamondchrysalis:

"lackadaisical"

It wasn't a typo. :)  I meant to type it that way as in a slang term for him,Lol. Thanks though.

Urban Dictionary is the slang dictionary,Lol!

http://www.urbandictionary.com/

1. laxadasical
adj. 1. Having a relaxed attiude. 2. Not in a hurry 3. Mellow (Possibly a derivation of the word relaxed) She approached her homework with a laxadasical attitude and she didn't finish in time to turn it in. lackadasical laxidasical mellow relaxed attitude

2.

laxadasical
Laxadasical 1. to be laxadasical, lathargic 2. take it or leave it. 3. laxadasy can't be assed. 4. laxadasy whatever Im a bit laxadasical toward that girl, laxadasy, believe.
Are you coming out tonite? laxadasy, i mite seeya there.

I have to say that this whole thing with John and Kate really is irritating. I mean they are only human...and so many people expect these sort of shows to show reality whaen in fact..it only shows you what it wants you to see. I think the whole trouble they have been having with the media is something that they totally brought on themselves. I mean when you sign up to have your lives filmed all the time, you better expect them to want all the dirt. they need to ask themselves if the free tummy tuck, hair plugs, trips, vacations etc.......was really worth what it has done to the family.

fine, i'll be the first dbag to say it:

TEAM KATE.

my main problem isn't so much that the kids are at the very least being unfairly thrust into the spotlight... It's that Jon & Kate have the audacity to say that they the fame and media attention is unsought.  That is th exact word they used, "unsought"... how can it be unsought when you agree to and sign on to take part in a televised show where you and your family are the only topic?  And if you're so upset about it then why the hell do you continue to renew your contract year after year? 

Original Post by amethystgirl:

A) Agree

B) Agree

C) Agree

To your last point... yeah, I agree.

I only worry that J&K going away makes space for Octo-Mom.

 Oh Em Gee...EXACTLY! My roommate and I were just saying the same thing

Original Post by sugarshocked:

my main problem isn't so much that the kids are at the very least being unfairly thrust into the spotlight... It's that Jon & Kate have the audacity to say that they the fame and media attention is unsought.  That is th exact word they used, "unsought"... how can it be unsought when you agree to and sign on to take part in a televised show where you and your family are the only topic?  And if you're so upset about it then why the hell do you continue to renew your contract year after year? 

People complain! Everyone lies! People blame! People cheat! Not always. Most people are the rule though instead of the exception. Jon and Kate are just two regular people,imo. It's why people choose to lie/blame/cheat/complain/etc that sometimes concerns me.

They're ready to split up to attempt to move on with life. Or: Forward in life. imo. While they've spoken angrily about the pressure/strain on their marriage from the ' unsought ' fame and press attention. She also conceded saying: " I believe that it's a chapter that probably would have played out had the world been watching, or not. "

It's human nature to allow our emotions to get the better of us sometimes.It may've been a defense tactic that failed them. Blame the fame/press by default reaction instead of facing each other. They may have been focusing on the focus on them...instead of  facing up the issue between them. Plus:/Or: It may have been a tactic predetermined as a couple. That way instead of saying no comment they could just speak on that. Rather than ranting/relaying more about their actual problems. To keep people talking in circles rather than giving them new comments to feed on.

I can totally understand why they started doing the show.  They suddenly had eight kids.  They were looking at HUGE espenses related to having eight kids.  They were two regular people that didn't have a lot of money.  Someone approached them and said "Hey, we think your family is pretty interesting.  Let's do an hour long show."  They said okay.  Then people liked it so they did more and eventually went to the regular weekly format.  They wanted to provide a financially stable life for their children.  If I were in their shoes I probably would have signed up for it, too.

The biggest mistake they made, in my opinion, is turning the show into their one source of income.  They aren't a "normal" family anymore.  They're a "TV" family.  Now the pressure is really on the kids to keep it going to support their new, more lavish lifestyle.

They probably would have gotten divorced whether they were doing the show or not.  Kate stated many times that parents of multiples have about triple the divorce rate and not every family with multiples is on television.  Their personalities and parenting styles are just totally different and it's only magnified when you have such a large family that you have to take care of.  She's overbearing, he's laid back.  That's going to cause tension. 

All in all, I'm not surprised that they are splitting up.  I'm also not surprised that they will still be doing the show since they've made it their sole source of income and have adjusted their lifestyle to fit their new paycheck.  They probably can't quit without losing out on a lot, financially speaking. 

Original Post by moonikins:

 And, if you want to make the mother out to be overbearing and overly critical of her husband, you keep filming takes when she is stressed out or tired or when her husband has gotten on her nerves and then you only show that portion.

 Well, in the final few episodes she did admit to "being hard on" Jon and regretting it.  Jon said that he had "let her call the shots" and was "finally standing up for himself" now.  I'm inclined to believe, since they said it themselves, that she actually is quite a control freak and that it did play into their decision to split, although I'm sure it is just one factor among many.

I think it its complete and utter exploitation.  "Needing the money" is no excuse.  If they needed to shove their children into a reality tv lifestyle to support them, they shouldn't have had any children in the first place.  It's entirely their fault.

Original Post by manda182:

I think it its complete and utter exploitation.  "Needing the money" is no excuse.  If they needed to shove their children into a reality tv lifestyle to support them, they shouldn't have had any children in the first place.  It's entirely their fault.

And exactly how many families only have children they can afford? I'd say it is pretty rare for people to say I'm only have 1 or 2 because I can't afford more. If people planned their families around their income there wouldn't be as many people in this world.

Original Post by sugarshocked:

my main problem isn't so much that the kids are at the very least being unfairly thrust into the spotlight... It's that Jon & Kate have the audacity to say that they the fame and media attention is unsought.  That is th exact word they used, "unsought"... how can it be unsought when you agree to and sign on to take part in a televised show where you and your family are the only topic?  And if you're so upset about it then why the hell do you continue to renew your contract year after year? 

They didn't go out and seek the attention or the fame. They didn't go to the producers looking to be on TV. The TV producers came to them. So yes, it was unsought. I don't think anyone could have predicted how popular the show was going to be.

Most people who have had fame and celebrity fall in their laps end up having some sort of coping problems. Some do better at it than others.

What I don't understand is how anyone finds these shows even remotely entertaining.  If I want to see people raise kids, I'll watch my friends and neighbours.  Having 8 (or 18) of them doesn't make it any more interesting to me.