Tuesday, June 2, 2009

I Know... I Cringe At Myself Every Time I Do This

But PLEASE somebody talk to me about those Gosselins!

I said I was going to boycott them... but... then their season premiere came out and I NEEDED TO KNOW what they would say.

That episode did not disappoint.

And YES I felt kind of dirty watching it knowing that I was feeding right into all the publicity for ratings and whatnot. But since it was the highest rated show EVER I know you were watching too.

21 comments:

inkelywinkely said...

I didn't and I won't. I will not send the idea that what they are doing is alright. They should just work on their family.

They may face charges for not obey child labor laws in PA.

Heather said...

Did you see the clip of Aunt Jodi and her husband (Kate's bro) on the CBS Early Show? There's speculation they were paid to do the show, but whatevs, I almost cried watching it. Jodi was like pleading with them to stop doing the show. :(

Was last night's episode like last week's?

Mrs Furious said...

Heather,
No last night was not like last week. I think last weeks was actually filmed pretty recently and it was pretty much all interviews (separately & once together) talking about the infidelity, their marriage, etc. It was painful to watch and probably the first time I'd seen Kate show real emotion. At the end of the day any failing marriage is genuinely sad.
I did not see the CBS show but I did watch them do interviews HERE online... same?


Inkelywinkely,
That's why they are still in PA... there are no child labor laws for reality TV. In CA their show would be illegal.

Jenny O. said...

I'm having so much trouble with this show/scandal. I go back and forth between being heartbroken for Kate and being frustrated with her. On one hand, she is suffering from her husband's infidelity and getting this "Well, she's a bitch so I don't blame him" attitude from some of the media/viewers/bloggers. I think that is totally unfair. If he didn't like her attitude, he doesn't get to go outside the marriage. He should have divorced her.

But on the other hand, I wonder what is going on that we don't know and don't see?

It bothers me. For some reason, this whole thing bothers me. I guess because I can see the multitude of reasons they did the show in the first place ( who wouldn't take that kind of money when they have a bazillion kids to support) and I can see where, back then, they never in a million years thought they would be of any interest to paparazzi.

Blech. That's my two cents I guess.

Chrissy said...

I watched the show last night. It was kind of sad to see because the filming and couch sessions were filmed back in March before all of the scandal broke about them, the show, their kids and marriage...it was more like the season finale couch session than last weeks episode. You almost feel sorry for Kate but then you remember that they are pimping out their kids and airing their dysfunction for all the world to see. We also don't know how the producers edit all the footage they have - although we hear that Kate is hell on wheels, perhaps they really play that up more than she really is. Is Jon a total wimp-ass or do they just portray him that way? I do believe all the boys are a bunch of whiney babies.... :) Kate seemed much nicer last night - perhaps TLC is trying to manage the Kate is a bi-ach backlash now?

The kids and marriage aside, I think the show is no longer what it was supposed to be...how does a young couple raise 2 sets of multiples in a tiny house and limited income? I'm pretty sure Jon put Hannah in the back of a BMW SUV or something equivalent to go to the doctor. While I don't blame them for being on a show that makes a lot of money for their family and for TLC, I do think they need to stop the "it's a crazy life, but it's our life" of how hard it is to manage when they do have help, go to places for free due to their celebrity and now live in a huge house. I think it becomes more of a managing 8 kids than figuring out how to make it all work in a 3 bedroom ranch and 1 mini-van kind of setup. Emeril Lagasse next week, Orange County Choppers sometime this season - the cake baker from the Food Channel. It's no longer reality - it's opportunity to cross-promote shows. Once again, not the original intent of the show IMO.

As for Aunt Jodi and Kate's bro...I think I have lost an respect I had for them - they should not be involved in any of this. Wasn't the brother trying to shop a tell all book around? Looks like Kate and her brother are more alike than not.

Sorry for being so long!

Chris Howard said...

Where the heck did this show come from? I had never even heard of it until a couple of weeks ago, now it's everywhere.

Lori said...

I was just saw pic's of Kate on AOL in her bikini. She looks amazing! I want a tummy tuck!! lol
I too am intrigued by the whole thing. I wonder what it was that turned John off to the whole media thing. I wondered how long he would put up with Kate ordering him around like a child. I just wish he would have been man enough to do the right thing and step away if he was that unhappy.
It looks like they are set financially because of her book.
I think they are caught up in the whirlwind of publicity and the overbearing public. Kate seems to love the attention, especially now. She even acted different/nicer on the new show.

Smoochiefrog said...

I hate those fame whores in every way, shape, form, and fashion. Haven't ever watched the show other than for about 10 minutes. I couldn't stomach her pious attitude any longer.

Think of it this way if you really don't want to watch anymore; every time you do, you're putting more money into their pockets.

Shannon - www.thedailybalance.com said...

I am also FASCINATED with this whole saga, as well. Being a communications theory junkie (esp when dealing with relationships and family dynamics), I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.

I think it is a combination of several elements that led to the failed relationship. My heart really goes out to the kids and I worry about what long-term effects this entire experience will have on them. Ultimately, I think Jon and Kate stopped making eachother a priority. I also think they were too quickly thrown into the public’s eye and the pressure got to them.

Just think how difficult it would be to have JUST your relationship videotaped (hello Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey?!) throw in having to raise 8 KIDS and still keep a stable marriage and family? It’s like the entire thing was foreshadowing the relationship’s demise.

It really is sad to watch them. I’m not sure if anyone (other than themselves) will truly know the whole story.

I don’t really like that people keep pointing the finger at TLC, though. Yes, some may say they are corrupt and only hurt matters, but no one forced Jon and Kate to invite cameras into their home and choose money over a stable household for their children.

I find it interesting that Kate just wrote a book about how much she loves being a mother, yet she’s left her kids without their mother while she goes on tour to promote it…

sorry for just going off on a rant and taking up way too much space in the comments! I could go on and on and on – it’s so interesting!

Robin said...

Last week's episode was painful. I quit watching about two episodes in to the first season. Kate was too much of a bitch. I'm not watching anymore, I just had to see last week.

I think the whole thing is sad. I could go on and on about how much I dislike Kate.

BUT, when I read that Lori saw bikini pics, I, of course, had to google. You get lots of pictures and lots of, "OMG, she looks so great, she is so hot, and she's had 8 kids!!!" Blech. Not to say that she isn't working hard for her body (while someone else is watching her kids and paying for her trainer.) But a tummy tuck and a boob job go a long way toward making a mom look good in a bikini. The whole thing is disgusting. Yet I can't look away. Train wreck.

Mrs Furious said...

Chris,
Oh this show has been a very popular reality show for the past 2 or 3 years. It didn't start out to be what it is now... now it is pretty much a show about reality stars. It has always been pretty controversial because of the relationship between the husband and wife.


JennyO,
I'm with you completely. I can totally understand why they started the show and how things have just evolved without them necessarily knowing they would or in what direction that would take things.


Chrissy,
I did not know Kevin was shopping a book. Hmm... that makes things a bit different. Interesting.
"It's no longer reality - it's opportunity to cross-promote shows. Once again, not the original intent of the show IMO."
Oh completely. The show stopped being interesting once they reached their second season and everything was orchestrated around making an episode instead of just watching their struggles to get through a day.

Lori,
Oh you can sign me up for a tummy tuck ;)
"Kate seems to love the attention, especially now. She even acted different/nicer on the new show."
I agree.


Robin,
" The whole thing is disgusting. Yet I can't look away. Train wreck."
Word. Seriously I took it off my tivo line up because I just didn't want to see it anymore... then along comes the new season and all the trumped up promotion and I was there with my popcorn ;)


Shannon,
"My heart really goes out to the kids and I worry about what long-term effects this entire experience will have on them. "
There will be some kind of E True Hollywood story about them in 15 years and it isn't going to be pretty. There is just no way to come out of this scenario and have any sense of normalcy or grounding or appropriate boundaries. It's so far and away beyond the scope of a normal child actor's experiences in front and behind the camera that it really is like a human experiment.
"I think Jon and Kate stopped making eachother a priority. "
Agreed.


Smoochie,
I know I know...

HC said...

Yep, trainwreck.

Adam has a conspiracy theory that J&K planned jon's bar shenanigans and all the marriage drama as a means of keeping the ratings up... I'm not convinced either of them is smart enough to come up with that, though.

Greedy and shortsighted, yes. Smart, not so much.

P/F said...

I've never watched a full episode until last week, and I have to say that it was just sad. My husband watched too, and after we turned it off he turned to me and said, "What does it say about us that we're watching a family destruct as entertainment?" I still feel icky, but I do appreciate my non-wimpy husband much more this week than usual. I have this week's episode set up to record. I'm going to cancel it because I know that I have better things to put my energy into.

Thanks for bringing up the topic to give me the chance to think about what I'm doing watching the show at all.

Andrea said...

It makes me so sad all of it the kids are going to suffer the most and that breaksmy heart I loved this show in the beginning now all I can think about is how sad.

Claire said...

I'm glad Haley said what she did - because I have been thinking the same thing - not that they necessarily thought the whole thing up themselves - but maybe their agent did - just to stir up interest in the show!

Amy said...

I can't watch anymore. If they (esp. Kate) were really concerned about their children, they would stop the show.

Some wise thoughts here, esp, "what does it say about us that we're watching a family self-destruct as entertainment?"

Mrs Furious said...

Claire & Haley,
The timing is just too good to be true. Between the close of their last season and the start of this one they have been on the cover of magazines nearly the entire time... with it only intensifying as their new season opened. Whether it was manufactured (the Kate & bodyguard does reek of this) or actually happened it was clearly managed well in terms of TONS of exposure at the exact right time for a show that was winding down in interest.


P/F,
"What does it say about us that we're watching a family destruct as entertainment?"He's right. When I watched that episode I was so emotionally drained... because it is a real family not just a show with actors.


Andrea,
What is sad (and telling) is that it went from a cute show that Kid enjoyed watching to a show I no longer thought was appropriate for kids to see... and it's the same stuff their kids actually live.


Amy,
I think it is fair to say that they are absolutely not concerned with what is best for their kids... except for maybe financially. I'd love to know how they (and if they) are setting this money aside for their children's future.

inkelywinkely said...

Heather, I think I read that Kate's Bday is in March... so that would mean even though it is relatively recent, it was a while back.

I know that there are not many child labor laws in PA, but:

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12479546

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor is investigating whether the hit show "Jon & Kate Plus 8" is complying with the state's child labor law.
It's not clear how the state's child labor laws apply to reality TV. Investigators will have to decide whether the Gosselins' house in southeastern Pennsylvania is essentially a TV set or a home.

Hope that helps, Mrs F. :)

inkelywinkely said...

OH..Did you know that the new season is set to have 40 episodes? That is double last season.

At over $60,000 per episode, that is a load of cash.

I have to admit, my hubby called this from the first episode.

Julie said...

Well, whether the marriage in crisis is real or not, I actually watched again for the first in a really long time. It had gotten so boring with all of those "outings" like Jon takes the boys to an animal farm or Kate takes Hannah to a pottery place.

My husband was disgusted with me when he saw that I was watching it. I felt so sad for them.

Those kids only know what it is like to have a camera watching them most of the time. How weird is that? I hope Jon and Kate are setting aside enough money for the intensive therapy those kids will need.

P/F--What does it say about us that we're watching a family destruct as entertainment? Word on that.

Also, perhaps I am a total bitch as well, but I don't think Kate is as bitchy as everyone is always harping on. I would be freaking bitchy, too, if I had 8 kids...6 of which being the same age. I do agree she can be harsh at times, but it actually cracks me up...she sounds so much like my mother-in-law! And I do love my mother-in-law:)

Hey, my husband and I have sounded like those two on particularly stressful days/moments with the kids. Oh, but never in public. Yes, we are closet-bitchy quippers.

Heather said...

http://blindgossip.com/index.php/2009/06/03/your-reality-show-outrage-is-right-on-schedule/

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