This news article from Fox News explains this whole phenomenon perfectly. To summarize the whole situation, Jon and Kate Gosselin have 8 kids-- a set of twins, and a set of sextuplets. They decided to create a reality show that originally had the intention of a documentary--to show people what it was like with 8 children. The more popular the show got, the richer they became and people watched as their lives changed before our very own eyes. For starters, Kate, used to be a very "homely" looking woman. One that looked like crap because she didn't have time for herself and was putting the children first. Now, she gets her nails done. Her hair done biweekly. And this is her "normal" life? She originially was a high strung mother doing what was best for the kids by feeding them all organic foods, and running their days on a strict schedule. This hasn't changed, she just takes it to an extreme. She is now firing people for the dumbest reasons, and demanding that people "know who she is."
I have been keeping up on all of this drama because I am an avid viewer of the show. I look forward every week to the ups and downs of the Gosselin family as well as just some fun light-hearted entertainment. Monday's premier of the fifth season reached its highest viewers--almost 10 million. The sad thing is, most people tuned in only to hear Jon and Kate discuss their current marital battles. Both are under the spotlight for apparent infidelity with a school teacher and a bodyguard. It is sad that this is the sole reason for this huge number of viewers and it almost seems like the family as well as the TLC network is milking this entire thing at the expense of their children.
I know the children are young, and most likely don't understand what's going on other than possibly noticing their mom and dad spending a lot of time apart; however, this really just isn't fair. The parents claim that they are doing everything for their children, but now the only thing that people will connect with this show is the huge scandal that shocked the public for quite a while. They have made the headlines for the last few weeks and have been on the cover of tabloid magazines all over.
Looking at this entire experience on the show, technology has potentially ruined this family. The parents are milking their drama for higher ratings and more viewers. Not only this, but they are exploiting their children for a bad cause. In the article, the sister-in-law and brother speak about pretty much all of this. They state that there needs to be a law imposed that creates a safe environment for the children in reality television. I highly doubt this will ever happen; yet, SOMETHING needs to happen with these kids. The whole situation is just awkward. Looking at the family interact together during the premier was making me cringe. Its like a battle, who can act like they are doing everything for the kids more.
I feel bad for this family. This show started out harmless, and could almost be beneficial for the kids AND the parents. Today, it is nothing close to this. Not only has the show changed, but so have the people involved. It is obvious what this fame and fortune has done to the egos of both the mother and father and I feel this will have a long term effect on the children. Bummer.
This was a really interesting post. My friend was talking to me the other day about this show and I had never heard of it. I agree that they are potentially ruining their relationship with their kids and what people are seeing isn't the real them. You said the mom now wants people to know her and gets her hair done and such, which is not the real life they were probably living before the TLC show came on. I agree that technology probably did have a negative effect on this family, however it probably is making them a lot of money (which isn't everything!!).
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