Posted on 11/17/2008 12:17:58 PM PST by buccaneer81
‘Jon & Kate’ are doing their children no favors By Mark A. Perigard
TLC’s favorite fertile couple renews their vows tonight.
But this wedding may have some viewers raising objections.
As the episode opens, the Gosselin clan - parents Jon and Kate, twins Mady and Cara and the 4-year-old sextuplets - are vacationing in Maui.
The parents hammer out a renewal ceremony. The girls go for pedicures. Jon meets with relatives he hasn’t seen in several years.
Even by “Jon & Kate” standards, it makes for a slim show.
Why do the couple feel the urgent need to renew their vows after only nine years of marriage? Kate tells the camera that she wants her kids to know that while not all moms and dads stay together, she and Jon are forever.
As the ceremony later demonstrates, not even the oldest girls understand the ceremony’s significance, and the youngest surely will forget it.
This cynic is forced to conclude the “wedding event” is a way to capitalize on a free vacation in Maui.
“Jon & Kate” has become increasingly about the freebies the Pennsylvania family can gather. The visits to increasingly far-flung destinations are nothing more than travel infomercials, with the kids as adorable props. Jon’s morning on a golf course here is a chore to the eyes, but he dutifully plugs the management in his armchair confessional.
If we’re rewarding people on the basis of fertility, shouldn’t the prizes go to the least blessed?
Yes, it’s kind of horrible the way Kate talks to Jon as if he’s one of the 4-year-olds.
As he samples wedding cakes tonight, Kate tells the wedding planner, “I’ll try what he decides. And then I’ll argue, if he decides wrong.”
But as my favorite relationship coach - that would be Judge Judy - would say, he picked her. Save your concern for the children.
Mady, for example, almost has a meltdown when her mother expects her to be her maid of honor. Is she just another reality show witch? No, she’s just an 8-year-old, having a perfectly normal moment for a child - that is being broadcast to millions of homes.
The younger kids have been trailed by cameras for almost their entire lives. What does that do to a child’s perception of the world and his or her importance in it?
The kids might not mind the cameras following them now, but they’ll probably feel differently in about 10 years when their high school classmates can download footage of their potty training to their iPods.
Imagine having all your worst moments from childhood available to anyone who wanted to see them for the rest of your life.
That’s what the Gosselin children face.
Maybe it’s time for Jon and Kate to drive the cameras out of the home for some quality family time.
Free trip to Maui? Dave Murray of Iron Maiden lives there.
I think I’d take the trip...
I've never seen anything like that happen.
Prove it.
In the few times I’ves seen the show, I can only guess that the renewal of vows has more to do with proving that Jon isn’t ready to kick Kate’s butt to the curb. God bless him, I would have smacked her long ago. Is the woman EVER happy?
My teenage daughter ...17....and all her friends love the show and watch it always. I used to watch the early episodes
I watched for a few minutes, did not hold my attention. I rather watch an episode of: Redneck Wedding, hosted by Tom Arnold - this has to be the most bizarre, yet fascinating show on the air./Just Asking - seoul62.......
well said...you got to love armchair judges.
I got lousy grades and broke the law when I was their age, and my mom had me in Sunday School every week when I was a kid.
If you watch the show you know that Roloff was acquitted.
The father was found not guilty and from what I see, the kids have been improving in school and broke the law for what? Driving with an underage passenger? And I’m sure no teenager has ever broken a rule while driving. Of course their actions should be punished, but let’s not act like teenagers don’t do some stupid things every now and then...
I think they are quite the normal family for having so many challenges.
Thanks for the reinforcement!
Actually, she conceived (duggers now) and lost a child in the 80’s. They swore never to use BC or abort any child they may have from that point on. Maybe they should learn her cycle a little better. No reason to keep pumping them out because you lost one in early adulthood. Its tramatic, I know but please, your investment properties only can pay for so much.
It's none of your business HOW many children this family has...they're supporting them, not you.
See post 18. My problem is not with the way they raise their kids but with their priorities.
Its no worse then that show about little people. This is america you make money where you can and for as long as you can.
So was OJ. Just because you’re found not guilty doesn’t mean you’re innocent. The point was that family isn’t perfect either and quite frankly the wife can be just as mean to the dad as Kate is to Jon. She even talks about divorce. I have no problem with any of the families, they are all different and handle things differently.
I find it more disturbing how Kate runs roughshod over Jon, and her girls are becoming as bitchy as she is.
Thanks for the ping....happy to be a FREERIDER!!!!
I was answering a question someone asked. Besided my grandmother was in the near same position and nearly caused her an early death because grampa couldn’t control himself.
You really are a disgusting pig. If they want to have 35 kids it’s none of your business. They seen to love and take care of their children very well. Certainly better than a lot of families I know that only have one kid.
July 25, 2008 by Katherine Coble
As I watched the “Embarassing Moments” episode something sunk in that has so troubled me I’ve debated about even writing about it. I don’t want to bring more attention and publicity to this trainwreck, and the adage of “any publicity is good publicity” is fresh in my mind. After sleeping on it for several days and mulling it over in my mind I decided that it didn’t matter. I HAVE to say something. Even if no one hears me. Kate slaps her husband. She slaps him hard enough to get a sharp “crack” and she slaps him frequently enough for it to not be noticed if you watch several episodes. It becomes a sort of background noise.
Um, they've decided to turn their family into a reality show. They're the ones making their lives everyone else's business.
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