Jon and Kate: Reality Retch
I’m a little sick to my stomach after watching the clip of Jon and Kate announcing their separation. We all knew it was coming, yada yada, and I’ve been disgusted with them for a while. One morning in Burbank I was approached by an E! camera crew wanting me to comment; I declined but later wished I’d agreed, once I found out they wanted people to wish the Gosselins a happy anniversary. I would’ve said no on national TV, that I can’t believe what they’re doing to their children on national TV. At any rate, curiosity got the best of me and I watched the “divorce clip” online. Check out the language they’re using:
Kate Gosselin:
The kids will remain living in their house; I’ve always called this their house. I will remain here as well, during my portion of having them. Jon will also come here when it is his days, and we will flip-flop that way.
Jon Gosselin:
They love it here, this is their house. We bought this house for them, not for us. The security, the room, the land, all for them.
Um, gosh, it really sounds like you guys were planning to be together forever. All for them? Their house? The conclusion one draws here is that the kids are entirely on their own, and they truly do have actual parental units, that will move in and out of their lives, disconnected, willy-nilly. To continue the show under such an arrangement is unconscionable. Let’s rename it Shame on Jon & Kate.
And now I say, with just a hint of irony, thank God for the Duggars.
ADDENDUM: Reading further reports, I see that Jon is quoted as saying, “We are no different than other couples and parents who are facing a crossroads in their marriage.” Except for that whole filming-it-all-for-national-TV thing. Except for that.
I actually think that having the kids stay put while the parents move back and forth is the best way to do joint custody–speaking as someone who grew up with two different homes and zero stability.
that said, I think Jon and Kate are disgusting parents.
Agreed. At least some semblance of stability. What I really object to is the philosophy behind the language they’re using. And to Jon and Kate themselves, of course!
Divorce is such an ugly thing. To have it all play out on national television is selfish and disgusting. Of course they don’t want to lose their celebrity standing. And all that cash. But really, who is putting the kids first? Not Jon, not Kate, certainly not the show’s producers. If Kate and Jon were putting those children first, there would be extensive counseling, they would have ended the show long ago, the minute their marriage was in trouble and got down to the business of saving their family. I have no desire in watching two parents fumble around navigating divorce. You can watch that reality show in your neighbors backyard, within your family or friends. What made (notice the past tense) their show special was the fact that they were a family making their way through life together – no matter what. What happened to that?
Kate constantly talks about Jon’s “bad decisions”, and I don’t disagree. Really, did he think he could just go out with some other woman in the middle of the night and not get caught? Hey Jon, did you forget you’re FAMOUS? That said, Kate hasn’t exactly been making top notch decisions about her marriage and family either. It was pretty clear after a few seasons that Jon was not happy doing the show, but she’s the one who insisted on continuing knowing how unhappy he was. That doesn’t seem like a great decision, Kate – just a selfish one.
I hope the show nose-dives. Then they’ll both have to get real jobs like the rest of us and figure out how to manage on a realistic salary, what 3 households? One for Jon, one for Kate, and one for the kids? How to feed and clothe them all. How to budget, now that money doesn’t grow on trees. Now that’s a reality show!!!!!