How long will this Jon & Kate thing go on?

[Murphy101]

My biggest opinion is that it all just makes me glad to not have cable.

 

I've never seen any of these shows, table of 12, duggars, gosslings... only read up on them via their blogs. Which was enough to not particuliarly care to watch any of them.

 

As for christan witness...

 

I don't look to anyone on tv to be a christian witness.

And even if it did, if the only witnesses we're going to let claim the label of christian are those without scandal or blemish.. well good luck with finding that on TV. Or anywhere else.

[Love2Smile]

who is KATE and JON???????/

 

I keep seeing this everywhere! Have I been under a rock????:confused:

[Alicia64]

I don't watch TV either, but mom thinks this show is the most adorable thing she's ever seen. :glare:

 

Here's my .02: I'm wondering if it's all a well staged PR event. These people make between $50,000 to $75,000 an episode, I read, so someone might have talked them into doing this sort of thing to increase ratings. Milking it for all it's worth before their fifteen seconds of fame is up.

 

You'd think, "oh, who would do that?", but if you had to put all those kids through college you might at least think about it. Plus the TV people might be pushing, pushing.

 

I just think it's awfull convenient that all this is happening right as they're beginning to do new shows -- or so I heard.

 

Alicia

[Highereducation]

You'd think, "oh, who would do that?", but if you had to put all those kids through college you might at least think about it. Plus the TV people might be pushing, pushing.

 

 

They only have to worry about paying for college for the twins. A fund was set up by the Gov. of Pa. when the tups were born, and their college is covered.

[Rhonda in TX]

They are so down to earth. That dad has incredible patience. (the mom, too) Did you see the episode with the kids "helping" him with his honey-do list? I loved it.

[Ginevra]

who is KATE and JON???????/

 

I keep seeing this everywhere! Have I been under a rock????:confused:

 

 

They are a family who had first twins, then sextuplets. They have a "reality" show on TLC called "John and Kate Plus 8." As you can surmise from the posts, the show was pretty good when it began a few years ago, but the direction it's gone in has been pretty high ick-factor.

Edited May 15, 2009 by Ginevra
Because I mispelled and wrote "pretty hick ick factor" LOL!

[Ginevra]

They are so down to earth. That dad has incredible patience. (the mom, too) Did you see the episode with the kids "helping" him with his honey-do list? I loved it.

 

They are down-to-earth. They seem like lovely people. One interesting difference is that they already had two sets of twins when they hit the jackpot and got sextuplets. So, I surmise they were already embracing of having a bigger family than average, although I'm sure they never imagined it would go quite like that!

 

Honestly, I hope the J&K debacle doesn't shy the Hayes' away from doing Table for 12.

[Bess]

Anyone see the season opener? I missed it.

[OnTheBrink]

Anyone see the season opener? I missed it.

 

It was really really sad. J and K's body language during the interviews was hostile and he just looked like a completely defeated man. She carried on about how she's doing things all alone (even though she has tons of help) but when she goes away, he has help so he shouldn't complain.

 

I really really dislike her. I keep hoping my dislike is manipulated by editing, but the more I watch, the more I doubt that.

[Ginevra]

Anyone see the season opener? I missed it.

 

Yes, I watched it. It just left me more confused. I don't completely "get" it.

 

Jon denies the affair. But does Kate think he is lying? That's one part I don't get. I don't know if she is saying, "I don't think I can get past what he did." or if she is saying, "I don't know if we can find our relationship again." None of it really makes sense to me. :confused: I mean, they had a vow renewal in Hawaii of all things, just last year. And, yeah, she was always a pain towards him, but they used to have a comfort level together and now the body language is just totally horrid. He looks like a whithered schmuck and she's sitting so rigidly, she could be cast from stone.

 

Watching the show, I just felt that she has let the celebrity of the show go straight to her head, has shook the money tree for all it's worth. I don't think Jon (alone) would have done that. In all that, I think they killed the goose that laid the golden egg. I was crying softly through the show because I just think it's a disaster that didn't have to be.

[NorthwestMom]

I have only watched one or two episodes of this show, because my friends told me she treats him harshly. I did not see that during the episodes I watched.

 

I cannot believe how her family and friends are turning on her in the media. The viciousness of it all repels me. I guess that she must have caused some amount of unhappiness in her life, since a number of different people who know her personally are very critical of her, but to see her harshly criticized and called fake by her own family in national media.... how she must be hurting!

 

This family is in a sad place and I hope they reclaim their privacy and learn to be a couple and a family again. : (

[Pamela H in Texas]

Well I'll admit that I watched the season premiere last night.

 

I TOTALLY agreed with them that there are issues with such media coverage of family issues. I was disappointed to see such disconnect in their interviews though.

 

What REALLY was frustrating to me was that Kate acknowledged that having the show was a big part of the problem but that was the way it was and the way it will be. John just said that he really feels the show has become too much of a job (and a prison) the last two years and that he wants a separation of family and job. That is irreconcilable. They can't both have his/her own way. It's not possible.

 

They both seem to want to work it out but....wanting to and WORKING to are two different things.

[Pamela H in Texas]

double post

Edited May 26, 2009 by 2J5M9K

[Bess]

I have only watched one or two episodes of this show, because my friends told me she treats him harshly. I did not see that during the episodes I watched.

 

I cannot believe how her family and friends are turning on her in the media. The viciousness of it all repels me. I guess that she must have caused some amount of unhappiness in her life, since a number of different people who know her personally are very critical of her, but to see her harshly criticized and called fake by her own family in national media.... how she must be hurting!

 

This family is in a sad place and I hope they reclaim their privacy and learn to be a couple and a family again. : (

 

If you watched more than two shows, you would see that Kate truly is very harsh with Jon... treats him like a 9'th child. I don't feel sorry for her... she made her bed.

[Liz CA]

Rhonda. Don't feel bad. I had to google and youtube them before we got tv service recently.

 

They are a couple who had a set of twins (w/ fertility treatment), went for fertility treatment and ended up with sextuplets. Adorable children really. Anyway, they had a couple one hour specials about them then got a series a few years ago. I think the kids are like 7 adn 4 now.

 

Thanks for clarifying. I had no clue either.

[Big Buckin' Longhorn]

If you watched more than two shows, you would see that Kate truly is very harsh with Jon... treats him like a 9'th child. I don't feel sorry for her... she made her bed.

 

I don't feel too sorry for him either.

 

When a weak man joins himself with a strong woman, he has to expect to be treated with as a child. They are both currently laying in beds of their own making.

 

From a little reading around on the internet (and this may not be true . . . so . . .) it appears that Jon really has a tendency to be lazy and had trouble holding down a job before they got the show, so I'm sure Kate had to be the "boss" of the family long before the show came along. All of the fame and money certainly has made her incorrigible, but that's what can happen. I'm not defedning her, I just sort of . . . understand.

 

I do feel sorry for this kiddos. When they grow up and watch episodes like last nights . . . I think they'll be sad, embarrassed and angry that their parents didn't protect them more. Very sad.

[Maria from IN]

I watched last night as well, and I think if I hear "I'm doing this for the kids" one more time I'm going to ralph.

 

Wanna do something for the kids? Drop the stinkin' tv show, get out of your million-dollar ego trip home ("but it's for the kids!"), and work on your marriage. Model good relationships "for the kids."

 

Sheesh.

[OnTheBrink]

I watched last night as well, and I think if I hear "I'm doing this for the kids" one more time I'm going to ralph.

 

Wanna do something for the kids? Drop the stinkin' tv show, get out of your million-dollar ego trip home ("but it's for the kids!"), and work on your marriage. Model good relationships "for the kids."

 

Sheesh.

 

EXACTLY.

 

If you don't want the media taking pictures, don't put yourself on TV. You can't expose your family and lives on tv and then get resentful of "fans" or of papparatzi (I know I misspelled that). What did they truly expect? It's obvious the show has caused their marriage a lot of damage, so why not nix the show and fix the problems? Why is that so hard to figure out? Is the money really THAT important--so much that it's worth wrecking the family over?

 

I think they need to get off TV and fix their relationships--FOR THE KIDS.

[4kiddies]

I will admit that I haven't finished watching last night's show ( I have it on DVR) but I have always felt that Jon needs to grow up. He's treated like a 9th child because he ACTS like a child....Step up to the plate and do what needs to be done. If you had 8 children and your husband was like him you would be a little edgy too.

 

Also, I wish people would stop saying they should just give up the show...THEY CAN'T. They are under CONTRACT! They can't just walk away. And I get the feeling from Kate that she wants to make sure that there is a financial safety net when it all goes away. She needs to be able to support her family if and when she is a single parent.

[HRAAB]

I don't feel too sorry for him either.

 

When a weak man joins himself with a strong woman, he has to expect to be treated with as a child. They are both currently laying in beds of their own making.

 

 

I don't get this line of thinking. Why should a man expect to be treated as child if he marries a strong a woman???? IMO, a truly strong woman wouldn't feel the need to treat any other adult, especially her husband, like a child. I feel I am an very strong woman, and I would never dream of treating my husband in such a manner. I see that more as a need to be in control which, I think, stems from insecurities.

 

Janet

Edited May 26, 2009 by Ishki
Can't spell, can't type....

[PineFarmMom]

Those who have watched the show in the past, could you "feel" the darkness that the $$ has brought to them? I know $$ is not dark...many can handle that perfectly fine. This is not an anti-$$ thing. It's just a disconnected, hard edge that has come over them that just wasn't there a year ago...I don't even think it was there until they moved into that mansion. Yes, she was bossy. No, I didn't like the way she talked to him. But there is a distinct difference in demeanor, facial expressions, etc., that is not just about the distance they have. The only thing I can compare it to is when a dear friend who was precious and kind came into a lot of $$ and started competing with everyone around her. Something of her kindness and gentleness went away and a competitive hardness took its place. I watched the show and just got this feeling from it that the $$ and fame has done the job of helping in their ruin. :( All those kids want is a mom and dad.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Also, I wish people would stop saying they should just give up the show...THEY CAN'T. They are under CONTRACT!

 

There would be a CONSEQUENCE to giving up the show but they most certainly CAN. And IMO, the consequences of NOT giving up the show are way too severe to continue the show. There is no guarantee they will choose to fix things but I definitely think they'd be better off without the show.

 

At some point, the kids must come before the money. I don't think money was likely originally a/the problem. But it certainly is when she won't give it up to save her family.

[Pip]

Watching that show is like driving past a horrific accident - you don't want to look but can't avert your eyes. No marriage is safe from infidelity but, as Christians, they need to get out of the limelight and work on the marriage. They are terrible witnesses and I am surprised Zondervan hasn't talked to them (maybe they have). A good Christian counselling is out of the question because I don't see them agreeing, but if Zondervan cuts the money train, that might speak to them on some level. I mean, my non-Christian friends say their biggest gripe with Christianity is the hypocrisy they see. So they still have Christian music on their website under their favorites?

 

apparently Kate wants to be a talk show host. I think she has killed that idea.

 

I shudder to think what those poor kids are going to be like in a few years.

[Big Buckin' Longhorn]

I don't get this line of thinking. Why should a man expect to be treated as child if he marries a strong a woman???? IMO, a truly strong woman wouldn't feel the need to treat any other adult, especially her husband, like a child. I feel I am an very strong woman, and I would never dream of treating my husband in such a manner. I see that more as a need to be in control which, I think, stems from insecurities.

 

Janet

 

I don't think Kate should treat her husband like a child, I think Jon acts like a child. Perhaps I didn't word it properly.

 

It's my opinion that some people with weak and lazy spirits (like Jon) marry super-strong controlling people (like Kate) thinking they can just coast through life, but later grow up to realize they just wanted the free ride, not necessarily the uber-controlling loss of self that comes along with that set up.

 

I've seen this sort of thing happen in other relationships.

 

Also, I wasn't saying that Jon should expect to be treated like a child, nor was I implying that being a strong woman was a negative thing to be. I think of myself as a strong woman, and I'm gay so even if I wasn't, one of us has to be the strong one, LOL, so I certainly don't think of it as a negative character trait - quite the opposite as a matter of fact. :lol:

[battlemaiden]

I watched last night as well, and I think if I hear "I'm doing this for the kids" one more time I'm going to ralph.

 

Wanna do something for the kids? Drop the stinkin' tv show, get out of your million-dollar ego trip home ("but it's for the kids!"), and work on your marriage. Model good relationships "for the kids."

 

Sheesh.

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

I watched last night- like passing an accident on the highway. My neighbor across the street had been watching the marathon and told me about all the hoopla yesterday afternoon...so I watched.

 

I wanted to smack her. "it's all for the kids" :001_huh::glare: Puhlease! She is simply selfish and proud, and she is ruining her family. Jon isn't perfect, but it is clear who steered that car off the road.

 

I was so disturbed by the end of the show and I was quite animated. My dh, who hates all reality television, even watched a little because I was ranting at her for saying she wakes up every morning to work for the kids. My dh and I had a wonderful discussion about getting what you wish for and being content. Crazy. But true.

 

Ahhhhhh.

 

I feel relieved to get that off my chest. :D

 

Jo

 

It is really very sad.

[HRAAB]

I don't think Kate should treat her husband like a child, I think Jon acts like a child. Perhaps I didn't word it properly.

 

It's my opinion that some people with weak and lazy spirits (like Jon) marry super-strong controlling people (like Kate) thinking they can just coast through life, but later grow up to realize they just wanted the free ride, not necessarily the uber-controlling loss of self that comes along with that set up.

 

I've seen this sort of thing happen in other relationships.

 

Also, I wasn't saying that Jon should expect to be treated like a child, nor was I implying that being a strong woman was a negative thing to be. I think of myself as a strong woman, and I'm gay so even if I wasn't, one of us has to be the strong one, LOL, so I certainly don't think of it as a negative character trait - quite the opposite as a matter of fact. :lol:

 

I misunderstood you. Thank you for explaining. :001_smile:

 

Janet

[rowan25]

I don't think Kate should treat her husband like a child, I think Jon acts like a child. Perhaps I didn't word it properly.

 

It's my opinion that some people with weak and lazy spirits (like Jon) marry super-strong controlling people (like Kate) thinking they can just coast through life, but later grow up to realize they just wanted the free ride, not necessarily the uber-controlling loss of self that comes along with that set up.

 

I've seen this sort of thing happen in other relationships.

 

Also, I wasn't saying that Jon should expect to be treated like a child, nor was I implying that being a strong woman was a negative thing to be. I think of myself as a strong woman, and I'm gay so even if I wasn't, one of us has to be the strong one, LOL, so I certainly don't think of it as a negative character trait - quite the opposite as a matter of fact. :lol:

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

[Johanna]

I watched last night as well, and I think if I hear "I'm doing this for the kids" one more time I'm going to ralph.

 

Wanna do something for the kids? Drop the stinkin' tv show, get out of your million-dollar ego trip home ("but it's for the kids!"), and work on your marriage. Model good relationships "for the kids."

 

Sheesh.

 

:iagree:

[Maria from IN]

I will admit that I haven't finished watching last night's show ( I have it on DVR) but I have always felt that Jon needs to grow up. He's treated like a 9th child because he ACTS like a child....Step up to the plate and do what needs to be done. If you had 8 children and your husband was like him you would be a little edgy too.

 

Also, I wish people would stop saying they should just give up the show...THEY CAN'T. They are under CONTRACT! They can't just walk away. And I get the feeling from Kate that she wants to make sure that there is a financial safety net when it all goes away. She needs to be able to support her family if and when she is a single parent.

 

Sure, they're under contract--but aren't contracts renewable?

 

If your kids address the cameramen as if they're family members, if they're blase about paparazzi, if you really just want them to be kids, don't renew the contract. If you feel your marriage is out of control, don't renew the contract. If you don't want people to mistake you for Victoria Beckham (I don't know whether everyone does or not, but I sure did a double take the other day), stop acting like her.

 

Jon's not without his faults, either, but if you want your husband to step up and start acting like a man, don't emasculate him by insisting he quit his job to take care of the kids while you run around doing "book deals" and let him contribute to the household in his own productive way. (Not that I think that every Mr. Mom has that situation--or that every Mr. Mom is not a man, either--but I'm being specific to what I know about this one.) Treating him like the 9th kid in public, recorded for everyone to play back over and over, is probably not how he wants to be remembered. I have a family member that likes to do things like that in public and frankly, sometimes it's easier to let them make an arse of themselves and promptly shut up than to argue with them and watch them break into a full-on tantrum.

 

It's very simple, really. Use plain old common sense, not movie magic.

[Bee]

I couldn't watch it all. It was rather horrifying. I get what Jon was saying. It was there in every bit of his body language and his words and how he expressed them.He's simply had enough of it all. And Kate saw and heard none of it. It was like, for her, it's all "The Kate Show". I got tired of listening to her whine about how she was doing everything on her own and how hard it was. Umm...try being a single parent without all the money and helpers and then you've got a right to complain.

[Pajama Mama]

Ugh-Kate's brother and sister-in-law were on the Early Show this morning. The show was talking about how gigantic the ratings were for the season premiere. It looks like this show will be around for awhile. When your own brother is on a talk show talking about you...wow...just wow. What a mess. I feel so badly for those children.

[Ginevra]

The show was talking about how gigantic the ratings were for the season premiere. It looks like this show will be around for awhile.

 

Actually, I expect the show to bomb for the rest of the season and not be renewed. The gigantic ratings were made up probably of people like myself, who wanted to hear from their own mouths what the status of their marriage is. They didn't really explain anything and Kate is pretty roundly hated at this point. Critics blasted the show, fans abhorred it, moralists denounced it and Christians don't identify with it. Personally, I'm never turning it on again. Ironically, this is "The Learning Channel". Nothing there I want to learn about at this point.

[Gretchen in NJ]

Actually, I expect the show to bomb for the rest of the season and not be renewed. The gigantic ratings were made up probably of people like myself, who wanted to hear from their own mouths what the status of their marriage is. They didn't really explain anything and Kate is pretty roundly hated at this point. Critics blasted the show, fans abhorred it, moralists denounced it and Christians don't identify with it. Personally, I'm never turning it on again. Ironically, this is "The Learning Channel". Nothing there I want to learn about at this point.

 

The channel used to be great: before they went with the "Trading Spaces" type of shows. Dh and I use dto watch it all of the time. Now, we don't even bother.

[amy g.]

Well, I OUGHT to be about you!

[battlemaiden]

Right... like try being a homeschooling mother to six children while your husband is in Iraq... no helpers, no mansion house (base housing ain't no mansion), and no million-dollar Hollywood contract (no one gets rich in the military)...

 

THEN she can complain about doing everything on her own.

 

Not that this is all about me or anything... :tongue_smilie:

 

Yep. I wish she could just live in my base housing neighborhood for a week. If she could see what these ladies do with so little. We are fortunate enough to be officers, and I consider the pay very reasonable, but some of my neighbors have a crop of kids in these homes smaller than the Gosselins first home, and they are thrilled (it is new housing- not the cinder block WWII housing it was 2 years ago). And the pace of deployments between Iraq and Afghanistan right now is amazing. The good news is- we are seeing some more new "Welcome Home Daddy" banners lately. :-)

 

I hope for those precious children, Kate figures out how to swallow her pride and work it out with her husband. She should be willing to chuck it all for the sake of her family. We have to be ferocious about protecting our marriage relationship.

 

[stepping down]:chillpill:

 

Jo

[Ginevra]

Right... like try being a homeschooling mother to six children while your husband is in Iraq... no helpers, no mansion house (base housing ain't no mansion), and no million-dollar Hollywood contract (no one gets rich in the military)...

 

I can't offer you a TV show or a book deal, but I kiss the ground you military wives walk on! :patriot:

[mamato3 all-boy boys]

Right... like try being a homeschooling mother to six children while your husband is in Iraq... no helpers, no mansion house (base housing ain't no mansion), and no million-dollar Hollywood contract (no one gets rich in the military)...

 

THEN she can complain about doing everything on her own.

 

Not that this is all about me or anything... :tongue_smilie:

 

Karen,

Thank you, and your husband, for your sacrifice for our country. My small brood of boys (I only have 3!) and I (and my husband), are so thankful that there are families -- thousands! -- like yours who are willing to protect our country and fight for freedom.

 

And to all the other military homeschooling families out there, I thank you all, too, from the bottom of my red, white (the white color doesn't show up) and blue heart!

God's best,

[Catwoman]

I hope for those precious children, Kate figures out how to swallow her pride and work it out with her husband. She should be willing to chuck it all for the sake of her family. We have to be ferocious about protecting our marriage relationship.

 

I don't think Kate cares very much about anyone but Kate. :glare:

 

Cat

[HRAAB]

Today while my dh and I were waiting for a Dr. appt., the conversation behind the desk was about Jon and Kate. The other day, it was between a checker and customer at the grocery store. Then my sister asked me what I thought about Jon and Kate. I think I'm saturated. I just wish they would wake up one morning and get hit with a lightning bolt - oh, our children need us - and start doing the right thing. Oh well.

 

Janet

[BalanceSeeker]

I've watched these two slowly deteriorate over the years. Jon has always seemed to withhold love. Kate withholds respect and is nothing but a dictator. (I couldn't believe it when she admonished him for his breathing during an interview.) She has emasculated Jon in public, and he's finally had it with her. I do think he is lazy, but that's another issue. Now, he probably has positive attention from other women and he's both empowered and allured by it. So, he's outta there.

 

Kate seems to think she's really important and so interesting to the world. I don't find her interesting or inspiring at all. The show is BORING but I used to allow my kids to watch it, because they LOVE those little kids. When Kate's verbal berating got worse, I stopped recording it for them.

 

I used to have the high-paying job a few years ago. I was traveling a lot, speaking, bringing home very good money. Dh's and my roles were reversed and he said nothing about his sense of loss as a man. We were very comfortable, but when I recognized our marriage was suffering because of it, I LEFT THAT JOB, and handed the reigns back to him. Do we need that money right now? Desperately! But, it wasn't worth our family going down the drain. It was hard to leave that job, but the best thing for our family. I hope Kate will see the light and do the same.

[Nestof3]

I keep seeing this thread, but I have no idea who Jon and Kate are!

[BalanceSeeker]

I keep seeing this thread, but I have no idea who Jon and Kate are!

 

You're not missing much, but here's Jon and Kate in a nutshell:

 

Infertile couple who have 8 kids secondary to infertility treatments (a set of twins, and sextuplets).

 

Participated in a documentary about how they manage everything, which turned into their own show on The Learning Channel.

 

Kate got a free tummy tuck by a viewer, and that seemed to be the turnaround for them. Lots of free trips, freebies, and the money started rolling in. I think they're up to $75K per episode.

 

Kate's alienated her entire family (parents and now brother/sister in law) as well as friends, as evidenced by their sudden disappearance on the show.

 

Kate belittles her husband on t.v. and he just sits there and takes it, apparantly lacking any emotion.

 

Kate is a little OCD, which was once a little funny to watch, but now she just comes across as an intollerant human being.

 

Jon has finally had enough and is apparantly wanting to end the marriage.

 

I've followed Jon and Kate because my kids adore those sextuplets, and I like to watch what they're watching. They don't watch it anymore because now it's nothing more than your run-of-the-mill reality t.v. show.

[Garga]

Jon & Kate plus 8 is a reality TV show.

 

Jon and Kate had twins. They tried to get pregnant again with fertility treatments and had sextuplets. So now they have 8 kids.

 

The show was all about having all these kids at the same ages (6 babies, 6 toddlers, 6 preschoolers). Kate said that people non-stop would ask her about her life--just normal curiosity. So they did the show because people were so curious.

 

Jon is pretty quiet around the house and takes things slow and easy.

 

Kate likes things done quickly and orderly (she's a Martha from the bible personality.)

 

They're a Christian family who attend an Assembly of God church, but the TV show wouldn't show much of that part of their lives. Kate used to go to many Christian women's conferences as a speaker.

 

When things get hectic, she would get snappy, but it was good naturedly snappy.

 

But then something changed. If you read the posts, it seems that they had a lot of attention, got paid for doing the show, Kate started going on tour to promote books, and everything fell apart for them. Kate got resentful of Jon's easy going ways. Jon got resentful of all the go-go-going and her snappy comebacks.

 

And now, someone photographed Jon with another woman. And we're all left wondering if he cheated on Kate.

 

I find the whole thing absolutely heartbreaking. I really liked this family. Yes, Kate was snippy, but it wasn't horrible at first--she was just sooo frazzled. The two of them could have been a good balance for each other, but something went out of whack and instead of being a good balance, they're now at odds. Heartbreaking.

[Julpost]

I found this little clip on you tube about when they first met. It's very sweet and makes me that much sadder for them.