Jon.
Kate.
Jon…
Kate…
JON!
KATE!
Who wants to hear any more about either of them?!?
Seriously. How much more of their family drama must we suffer through? I don’t even consider it family drama anymore. It’s just a hot mess of back-and-forth jabs, inflammatory headlines, and speculation. I bet the TLC execs are kicking themselves for letting what started as a wholesome family show turn into such a train wreck. But then again, ratings are ratings. I’m sure this topic has been covered from virtually every angle by gossip columnists, pop culture gurus, bloggers, social workers—and I consider myself a social worker so, no, I’m not mocking them. At this point, I’m not sure what I could even contribute to the conversation. But after reading yet another headline–there’s at least one new one daily–about what one of them allegedly did to the other, I just want to scream.
Are we supposed to choose a side? It’s like picking the lesser of two evils, so I guess we’re supposed to just munch on our popcorn and watch the “drama” continue to unfold. Their behavior should be offensive to anyone, but I think that they strike a particular nerve with regard to their children. Who, if anyone, is looking out for the best interests of their children? Now, we’ve seen those shows about “whatever happened to…” fill in the blank with a child star’s name, and the results weren’t always good. Children of celebrities and child celebrities themselves often have a rough time, we know that. But in this case, it’s not just that the Gosselin kids are constantly in the spotlight because of being filmed for their TV show; they’re also being damaged by the irrational behavior of their celebrity parents. A while back, before Jon and Kate’s marriage blew up, Kate’s sister-in-law constantly accused her of exploiting the children, and the show was a hot topic on mom blogs and parenting forums. I didn’t follow the chatter too closely. But the show went on and grew even more popular, at least in part due to the gossip, I’m sure.
Then the rumors of infidelity and a possible breakup started, and since then, the situation has spun out of control, so I’m just wondering who in their right mind still thinks that this show is a good idea? A TV Guide poll from Oct. 2nd asked if “Kate Plus 8” should be cancelled, and apparently 72% voted yes. See http://www.tvguide.com/News/Jon-Gosselin-TLC-1010402.aspx
That’s comforting, but it doesn’t mean it will happen anytime soon. I admit that it’s kind of fun to read other people’s comments about the whole fiasco. Hopefully TLC is reading as well, and realizing that a lot of people seem to be tired of the garbage that they’re showing. Oh, and Kate’s going to star in her own talk show? Ugh, I’m ready to cancel our cable service now. It’s been said before, but someone needs to step up and look out for the children. Rant over.