Jon & Kate Plus 8 Season Premiere: “This Could Be Our Last Family Picture”
May 25, 2009 by Kath Skerry
I feel icky. This afternoon I got sucked into a Jon & Kate Plus 8 marathon on TLC. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t caught up in the recent tabloid exploits and accusations. But that doesn’t mean I have to feel good about it.
After watching the last few episodes of last season and tonight’s season premiere I was left feeling sad. Sad for the the eight little children who are left in the train wreck of this marriage and television show.
If you missed it, pat yourself on the back. Honestly, it was like the covers of the tabloids came to life in the worst possible way. Tonight’s Season 5 premiere was supposed to be centered around the 5th birthday of the sextuplets, which took place just two weeks ago, but it was really about the obvious split of their parents. Jon and Kate were interviewed separately and only shared the infamous love seat for the final moments of the show. Without going into explicit detail they both addressed the strain on their marriage caused by the alleged infidelity on both their parts. Although it wasn’t stated, it was clear Jon was no longer living at home. But I think that’s been going on for some time now. Having just watched the last few episodes of Season 4, it seemed that Jon was away an awful lot “helping his mother”. Coincidentally (or not), he was away right around the time all the rumors of his partying ways started to surface.
During their only joint interview of the night, one of the producers asked about their future. The two stared blankly ahead, seemingly unable to look at each other and just spoke of their devotion to the children. I don’t doubt their love, but just in those small moments it already seemed as if the kids we being used as pawns. Kate’s tone implied that because she was there every day for her kids, and lived her life for the kids, that Jon somehow cared more about himself. What it seemed to an outside viewer, or at least this outside viewer, was that Jon loved his kids with his whole heart, it’s the wife (and this TV show) he’s over.
The future looks bleak for Jon & Kate Gosselin. Kate said that it did come to mind that perhaps the family picture taken at the kids birthday party might be their last. And even though the family of ten was shown having a cookout in the final moments of the show, Jon’s voice over did mention that the kids will always be loved even if their parents weren’t married. Wow.
I really don’t care what Jon did or what Kate did. I don’t care if they cheated or not. I don’t care about either of them much at all. I just can’t believe that they are continuing the show while their family is falling apart around them. All 8 kids are in school, and Maddy & Cara are old enough that their classmates watch the show and see the magazines. Couldn’t they pull the plug on the show just to spare the kids? I get that the money is going to finance their futures, but they’ve had to have made millions already. Isn’t forfeiting some of the money in order to save the family worth it? Even if the marriage is over, can’t they shut down production in order to shield the kids from any more negative attention?
It’s a sad situation no matter how you look at it. I watched it, and as I said earlier I don’t feel better for doing so. While I can say I wasn’t “entertained” by tonight’s episode, I will acknowledge that for every single person watching, it was a source of “entertainment”. But if your heart didn’t break when one of the little girls hugged Jon at the party and said “Daddy, I don’t want you to leave anymore”, then maybe you need to get the ‘ol ticker checked out.
I know it’s insensitive to say but it’s like that car wreck on the side of the road. But, think about it. Wouldn’t you be less inclined to slow down and look if you knew kids were involved?
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The tabloids coming to life line is most definitely true. Pretty much everyday after work, I sit with other teachers and we have read alouds. People, US, etc. we’ve read them all. I really thought after the season finale that there would have been a break. They knew they were both on different pages and he said he didn’t really want to be in the spotlight. I think once one partner starts to feel that way, it’s time to end it. The show has basically covered the family since birth, that’s a long time. Sure I love watching every week but it was always to see the kids, not to have to watch Jon and Kate defend themselves. I’m not even sure I’d call what they’re doing defense. They act like they’re going to face the problems but it seems more like avoidance to me. And their “joint interview” almost seemed as if they were digitally put next to each other on the couch since they didn’t even acknowledge the other’s presence.
My joke has always been that the new TLC show would be “Jon’s doing fine minus nine” but tonights show was just horribly sad and I think it all needs to be done now. Turn the cameras off, work out what you can and move forward.
Kath you’ve made some great points and I couldn’t agree more with you. I have watched this show since the beginning and I watched because I love little kids. Those kids were too irresistably cute to not love the show. As the years went by I began to get more and more uncomfortable watching the relationship between Jon and Kate. It also became harder to defend the way that Kate treated Jon. And as much as I have enjoyed the show in the past it became harder to enjoy it and hope for it to coninue on. I couldn’t help but feel for the children and want to be able to spare them from what eventually has become of there lives in the spotlight. Tonights show just reaffirmed my feelings about the show. I am saddened that Jon and Kate, (seemingly mostly Kate) are continuing to put there children and their problems out there for the world to see, judge, and no everything that they are going through. And for no reason other than to make more money, because what else are they getting out of it, more pain and heartache? I can’t say that I ever would have expected them to come to this point.
I agree Kath the kids are far past the age or being able to be shielded from what’s going on. I know there is no going backwards and going back to the way things were before, but there is a way to go forward. They will not be able to do this by continuing to put everything out there for the world to see. I can’t believe that they are going on with the show, it makes me want to not watch and it makes me upset that so many people are capitalizing on their problems. As Kath said it’s like the car wreck I cannot stop looking at. Mostly I keep watching because I want to know what will happen to the children, but I too cannot deny that I also watch because I want to know the truth about what is going on.
I too did not get entertainment out of watching the show tonight as I often do when watching. I was so saddened and sickened the whole way through. It was extrememly uncomfortable to sit there and watch the exchanged eye rolls, crying, and feel the unbearable tension. I did not like the feeling at all and had to look away a few time. It also made me sad to see how it is already begining to affect the children, as would be expected, but not to put out there for the whole world to see. As I am sure most of the world was watching. I will continue to be sad for the children and can only hope the best for them all. I just hope that Jon and Kate deal with their issues off camera and focus on the their children as they have promised to do so repeatedly. I too hope they do not use their children as pawns, because that is the worst thing they could ever do to them.
I agree they need to pull the plug on the show. Jon seemed over it last season, but Kate wants to keep trucking. I don’t quite understand why, but I’m not Kate and don’t live her life.
I truly feel sorry for the kids. When little Alexis hugged and kissed her dad and said she doesn’t want him to leave anymore my heart broke. I think the marriage is over. Now they need to work on being civil and friendly with each other for the kids.
I read on another blog site that they noticed when Jon and Kate were given separate interviews that Jon sat to one side of the chair and had his arm around an invisible Kate. A clear sign from his body language that he still wants things to work. Kate clearly sat in the middle of the chair during her interview indicating the show had become about all about her. Sorry Kate, I’m siding with Jon, especially since I believe he didn’t do anything. Sure bad judgement but he didn’t cheat so grow up and get over KATE!
Also one more note. Notice how Kate has changed from previous seasons. Look how polished she looks, her clothes, hair, makeup, legs, etc. She obviously has time to tan. Like I say, body language never lies, just the mouth!
Yeah there is no excuse for them to continue doing a “job” that is destroying their family. They claim to be Christians and if that is the case they are obligated to do everything possible to keep that marriage together before resorting to divorce, and “everything possible” includes getting OFF tv and living in seclusion if necessary to see if they can work it out.
I love this show and have since the beginning, but I agree with everyone that it’s time for it to be over and for them to work on their marriage and family. Kate said the spotlight will never go away now…not true! Take yourself completely out of the spotlight and 6 months from now our fickle society will have moved on to the next thing and will have forgotten all about you. I wish I wouldn’t have watched last night. I have felt sick ever since. 🙁
Yeah, I cried when I watched last night’s episode. I totally agree with you, however, I believe they are under contract to complete this season. In fact some lady on GMA today said they were in fact under contract and that is why they haven’t pulled the plug on the show. I’m sure if it were their choice, they would have pulled the plug last year.
I wonder what the penalty would be to breach their contract with TLC. It’s time for Jon and Kate to focus on each other and the kids. There is always, and I mean always hope, when both sides want something to work. There are two things here that started to destroy this family. First of all, devoting that much of their life to exposure on the camera. It obviously creates too much tension when one person wants more fame and the other one does not. Secondly, the P-people (as the kids called them). That side of the media makes me so angry because their whole career is devoted to destroying people. What a sad existence. What’s even more sad is that it works. Rumors or not, everything published in the tabloids has ruined their marriage and hurt the children. There really hare some horrible people in this world. I’m praying for those kids.
Agreed, they need to end the show. Can’t they see what the media is doing to the family and the kids?
I’ve always considered myself to be an optimistic person, focused on extracting the good from every person or situation. In fact, as a non-viewer of J&K’s previous adventures, I thought the tabloid frenzy would lend itself to an hour of unintentional comedy every week. I even went so far as to ask Kath if I could chime in about the show on a regular basis on GMMR.
Unfortunately, the spirit in which these two people are living their lives for public consumption was deflating to me. Though I would like to believe theEvilAngel’s contention that J&K’s motivations to continue their charade are merely contractual, I think that both Mom & Dad have fallen victim to the pull of celebrity.
Teresa Strasser, known to some of you as the former host of TLC’s “While You Were Out” or as Adam Carolla’s morning radio sidekick, just started a blog about the ups and downs of her first pregnancy. John & Kate were the subject of a recent post by Teresa, where she cites evidence from Dr. Drew Pinsky about the narcissistic tendencies of reality show “stars.” I would invite all of you to take a peek at Teresa’s work, and the source material that led to her writing.
http://teresastrasser.com/blog/2009/05/jon-kate-8-schadengosselinfreude/
There is nothing funny about behavior that fails to consider the emotional well-being of others. Whether the victim is a faithful spouse unaware of their partner’s betrayal, a veteran employee caught blindsided by widespread layoffs, or a gaggle of children swept up in their parents’ practical abandonment, it is impossible to find material to wet your funny bone.
I hope that J&K’s program does not become a guilty pleasure for the viewing public. Unlike Howard Stern, Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, or Gossip Girl, there are consequences to lending your eyes and ears to this tragedy. If there is any karmic justice in the world, we will all tune out and give TLC an excuse to pull the plug on this heartbreaking circus.
This is going to come off high and mighty but I’m going to tell you all the same thing I tell the cars in front of me that slow down to gawk at a crash…don’t look. If no one is watching traffic flows smoothly and perhaps in this case they’d shut the Jon/Kate cameras down and save those kids from this foolishness. I cannot abide anyone dragging innocents in front of a camera like this. Proud to say I never heard of these people until last week and have never watched (and never will.) I watch my share of reality, don’t get me wrong, but the stuff I watch involves people old enough to sign a contract and presumably know what they are getting themselves into.
Did anybody see the interview with Kevin and Jodi (Kate’s brother and sis-in-law)? They make a great argument on behalf of the kids, who cannot speak up about their lot in life. They are suggesting that reality shows should have laws to follow about the amount of exposure to put on kids. I was happy to hear their articulate thoughts. They did not set out in a Jerry Springer fashion and simply bash on the parents. They brought about a bigger picture problem that needs to be addressed. I hadn’t thought about it, but it was hopefully a look at a silver lining in the future. It made me think about our labor laws. A 14-year old has a limited amount of hours and time of day that he can work, yet these kids are “on the clock” 24/7 with the cameras always in their faces.
The kids are getting a twisted version of reality if they think that they will forever be going on exotic trips and having such grand birthday parties. I hadn’t watched in over a year because it made me sick to see all the free trips and medical procedures that they got. The “real” in reality was gone almost from the get-go on this show. She got her free tummy tuck and asked the doctor to throw in a boob job, too (he declined). When it very first aired, I related to some of their life and I got on the website to send them an e-mail. I had to read a message from them (before I could proceed to the page to send the e-mail) offering to negotiate on appearance fees and basically asking for money. Then there was a “common questions” page, and the first thing I remember reading was how they don’t have their kids’ college paid for yet. So they wanted someone to step up and offer to pay, I guess. It just seems that nothing will ever be enough and Kate will keep clawing for the spotlight. It’s always been about her and how much she can get. More houses, more trips, more free clothes and haircuts for her & the kids, etc.
I recorded the season finale and season premeire for this season, but I could only stomach about 2 minutes of it. I think I may just hit “delete” because I’ve seen enough.
Saw a (I think) Huffington Post video and this woman was trying to blame America for hating on Kate Gosselin. She says that any time that a strong, aggressive woman is shown that we all turn on her. I don’t think that I would use those words to describe Kate. Narcissist, bully, mean, belittling. If Jon smacked her face and talked to her the way she does to him, it would have a different name: ABUSE. She picks on the way he talks, the way he looks and breathes. It is disgusting. I started watching the show because of the cute kids. Too bad it’s got nothing to do with them now. They are just a means to get the attention on Kate. “Look at me! I have a gaggle of kids! Can I have some free stuff or be on Oprah?” I saw a little of the Oprah episode and seeing them try to program the kids to yell “Oprah” who they didn’t even know. Then Kate is complaining at the end because she didn’t get to hang out with Oprah. Yeah, you two have so much in common I think you’ll be best friends.
Sorry I go on and on. It’s been a HUGE struggle for us and our 1/2-gaggle of kids, having a FT job and homeschooling, too. I get VERY angry seeing Kate act so unappreciative. If I had all the money they were having thrown at them by TLC, the last thing I would do is go on a book tour to try and make more money. Enjoy what you have, woman!
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