I’ve been a fan of Jon and Kate Plus 8 since their first season. I’m a reality tv junkie and lover of all things baby, so I became a fast fan of the show. Other than the fact that I liked it, I didn’t really have any opinions of the show or the Gosselin family.
And then I ruined it.
One day I happened to stumble upon a blog that was super critical of Jon and Kate Gosselin, Kate in particular. Readers of the blog had a million and one comments regarding the show. I never realized that Kate was such a controversial individual. She’s too mean to Jon, she doesn’t do enough with her kids, she’s neurotic, she’s money hungry, she doesn’t have a relationship with her parents, she’s ungrateful, she’s annoying, she shut Aunt Jodi out of the lives of her children, etc.
A quick Google search informed me that there is a whole slew of Kate haters all over the web. On occasion her fans will stick up for her, but the fans seem to be greatly outnumbered by those who criticize her.
This week while watching a recent episode, I became extremely annoyed. I couldn’t just see Kate Gosselin as a regular mom of 8 (super cute) kids. All I saw were the less than desirable qualities that others see in her and so vehemently blog about. It’s no longer mindless television. Crap.
I wonder if Kate Gosselin really is deserving of all the criticism or if she’s just an unlucky victim of the blogosphere? Either way my Jon and Kate Plus 8 experience is now totally unenjoyable. Thanks a lot blogosphere.
P.S. Where the heck is Aunt Jodi? Perhaps the rumors flying around the blogosphere and this blog (allegedly written by her sister) are true … So scandalous.
September 4, 2008 at 12:00 am
Funny….we were on the same wavelength today.
I wrote about Kate after getting some not-so-nice comments about another post I wrote about loving the show.
September 4, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Once an mistake always a mistake – my name. To tired to spell tired correctly. But I’m glad you googled some of the information regarding the show. I think people read too much about Kate’s behavior quirks and forget to read the rest of the message which is we won’t to end the exploitation of those children. Jon and Kate have never been poor, nor have they ever had to do it alone. They had assistance even with the twins. The fact that they shopped around the videos of the sextuplets and got a taker with Figure 8 who sold it to TLC and zoom another decent rating maker. Granted 2.2 mil isn’t much to a major network for TLC is holding on for dear life because they are getting that sponsors $$$.
So since Jon and Kate won’t listen to reason that expecting these children to be filmed for another 40 episodes this year, Figure 8 and TLC won’t listen because they too like the $$$. And it’s not that easy to change laws. New Mexico finally did due to the disaster of Kid Nation but we really don’t want a bad outcome for one of the Gosselin kiddies to be the reason the law changes.
Please go read what Paul Petersen said on A Minor Consideration. This is not the way to raise children you love. It’s exploitation and it’s wrong.
September 6, 2008 at 8:08 pm
I came upon your blog here and I just loved it. I was wondering if you would allow me to post you story on my Jon & Kate fansite. Please contact me in any of my comments sections, as I have well over 40 of them at this point. I have been posting almost every day for a little over a month now. I think alot of my readers and fans of the show would be interested in reading what you said. Rings so true. Thanks! Baby Mama
September 9, 2008 at 10:26 am
Check out my blog today…..thanks again!
September 9, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Jen, don’t the haters ruin your experience. When I first started reading a particular blog-that-shall-not-be-named, I too felt depressed and it effected my enjoyment of the show.
There are now a few other blogs out there with different perspectives – Baby Mama’s and Gosselinsdonotneedourpity. You will get a much more balanced perspective at these sites.
You don’t have to believe the Gosselins are perfect in order to enjoy the show. None of us is perfect. My take – there are a lot of jealous and petty people out in the blogoshere. A few may have genuine concerns about the appropriateness of the show, but most just want to complain about the freebies the Gosselins’ get and whether Kate is a) gaining weight or b) pregnant. A lot of us watch the show now and wait for what the haters are going to say. It’s actually kind of entertaining when you flip it around like this!
I enjoy your writing and will come back again….
September 11, 2008 at 6:14 pm
I have had the same experience. I loved the show and still do. I never realized all of the negative comments out there until I stumbled across a J & K blog. While I agree with some, I also disagree with alot. I now watch the show with a more critical eye. However, I still enjoy watching it and feel the positives outweigh the negatives. In my opinion, Jon and Kate love each other and ALL of their kids.
The kids are perfectly normal kids. Happy at times and not so happy at others. Such is life.
September 12, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Hi, I post at http://www.jk8forum.com. It has been around since March of this year and is open to people of all opinions. It has 450+ members and is not a hate site. Anyone who can be civil to their fellow posters is welcome. No trolls, no drama. Just a civilized discussion. Read the facts there and decide for yourself.
September 20, 2008 at 3:41 pm
I had the same experience…be careful what you google. Once you know something, you can’t unknow it!
September 25, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Now that the Goesslins suddenly have money, and one show after another is about their travels, new home, and add that to Kates inability to nurture those children. Pretty much done.
September 26, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I use to enjoy the show, but it is no longer about a young couple who have a lot of kids, it is now about Kate yelling at Jon and all of the help they have and her complaining all the time about how tired she is (from what I have not determined), the freebies they get, the lack of money. They both just seem ungrateful and it isn’t pleasant to watch. Kate undermines Jon with the kids, belittles him, berates and those poor babies are all stuck in the middle. I say pull the show, let Kate come back to reality and let the kids lead a normal life.
September 26, 2008 at 8:58 pm
I agree iloved the show. but hearing what they are doing to aunt jodie is driving me crazy she was the steady rock in the kids life. kate seems to have problems with her family. her brother kevin was the only family member she ever talked about why i
sn’t the grandparents in the kids life
September 28, 2008 at 5:30 am
It is gross and blatant exploitation of 8 small children.
That is it; all she wrote.
http://blog.psychic-wisdom/net
October 12, 2008 at 9:11 pm
I love John and Kate…
what I wonder though..
how are the kids going to handle multiple shows of them naked… getting their diapers changed.. throwing up in trash cans… sleeping in the laundry room when sick… and being in the public for most of their few young years, when they get to middle school age.. there is sure to be lots of teasing.
October 30, 2008 at 8:13 pm
They are not celebrites. They are not on the red carpet or anything and Connie RN is freaking WRONG. Jon and Kate are good parents. Everyone is jelouses because they are famous and you and me are not!! LIVE WITH IT!
P.S. Who is Aunt Jodi
October 30, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Also watch the show more and hear when they say “WE ARE A FAMILY AND WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER. That is the truth and they follow that.
November 10, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Jen – Please don’t let the quantity of the negative comments on that blog fool you. They only publish the comments that support their mission. I posted several positive comments and only one was published and later removed. There are a lot of people out there that enjoy the show.
IMO – the “haters” have to keep explaining themselves over and over again…
November 30, 2008 at 7:13 pm
I love to see the children play, laugh and have fun, but Mady has a real problem with doing this show, at times I feel sorry for her, she seems so very insecure. Cara is such a loving young lady, I just wish Cara got as much attention as Mady does, but Mady does demand hers don’t she?? She makes me nervous just watching her roll her eyes around, and when she HIT’S the smaller children and gets away with it. To me she is a small Kate in action!!!
December 1, 2008 at 10:13 pm
I loved this show for a long time, and I still watch it. For any “normal” person to think this kind of attention and “fame” doesn’t change them, or those around them is just plain naive.
Kate is exploiting her children, and someday, when the cameras stop rolling, I wonder if they’ll survive without all the constant attention, Maddy in particular.
She treats Jon like hired help, she’s overbearing, certainly obessive compulsive when it comes to many things, over the seasons, it just seems like its gone to her head, and to a lesser degree, his as well.
Doing publicity, talk shows, is just normal? It certainly isn’t. Why drag those kids all over the place for those things? Shouldn’t they be in school? They do it for one reason – no one is interested in just Jon and Kate. Love her or hate her, those of us who watch do so because of those kids. Who would watch Jon and Kate without the 8? No one. It is simple exploitation.
There are millions of mothers out there who do it every day, without a catering service, without anyone buying them cars, vacations, clothes, whiter teeth, more hair. So what, she has two sets of multiples. She still does what the rest of us do, but with a lot of extra help and a much bigger pay out.
December 6, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Like you, Jen, I was thoroughly enjoying Jon and Kate + 8 until I stumbled upon the massive body of hate posts directed at Kate in a number of bogs. What I don’t understand is why people feel the need rip her to shreds, especially based on such an incomplete information set. It seems to me that these haters are the ones expressing the kind of unreasonable sense of entitlement that they are attributing to Kate. When I’m tempted to criticize anyone, I remember what Jesus said to those who wanted to stone the woman taken in adultery and am reminded that I’m not really in a position to throw stones. So let’s look for and talk about what’s going on there that’s good, instead of making things worse. There is plenty to admire about the way the members of this family conduct themselves on camera, and the evil picture that the naysayers are painting of Kate (and, to a lesser extent, Jon) will only hurt the children in the long run.
December 8, 2008 at 9:59 am
1st off-there r pros & cons with everything. I used 2 luv the show-not bc of J&K but bc of the kids. They were humble and very real back in the day but now that money is the driving force and its all about KATE AND WHAT SHE WANTS. The show isnt about showing the world how it is 2 raise 2 sets of multiples-its about Kate & what she thinks she deserves and the money she can make by using her kids & the begging is really annoying. It should say something that she alienated her own family over money. When she was in the hospital 4 2 months, her parents kept the twins but when the tups were born & her preacher dad & his church offered non matching cribs/clothes-Kate wanted MATCHING BRAND NEW EVERYTHING & She disowned her parents. She got rid of Aunt Jodi bc TLC wanted 2 pay her but K said No & got rid of her & those kids loved her. IF ITS NOT ABOUT KATE THEN ITS A NO GO. GO READ THE ARTICLES WHERE KATE SAID ITS THE STATES RESPONSIBILITY 2 FINANCIALLY RAISE HER KIDS. NO ITS NOT. SHE CHOSE 2 GO WITH THE IVI.
December 18, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Now it IS all about Kate. I did love the show when the babies were little and Jon actually went to work. Kate was truly a wonderful, very hard working young mother. They did have help when the babies were babies, and thank goodness for that. But now it is all about Kate. She has changed so much. I can’t see much entertainment in the show any more. It is just Kate taking, and taking, and taking.
January 3, 2009 at 2:56 am
Before I begin, I must stress that while I am a lover of the show, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have it’s flaws.
What I find strange is that people get so angry at Jon and Kate… especially Kate. I don’t understand it, I mean don’t these people ever make mistakes of their own? Are they saying that they never ever behave inappropriately in public or private? Do perfect people like that even exist in today’s world?
I believe that while Kate has her flaws, as does Jon, the truth is that you know exactly what you are getting with them. I am a big fan of people who are out there with who they are….. nothing scares me more than people who hide behind being nice and sweet all the time. I appreciate that I can see them arguing, and yet working things out over and over again. That is what a real relationship is about!
I do think the show is a bit exploitative, I mean we really don’t know what kind of impact it will have on their future; however if I had 8 children and was struggling financially and someone wanted to do a show on my family, and it meant that I could have a better life and make sure my children were taken care of, I would do it in a heart beat.
I have been reading comments all over the web about how selfish Kate is, and how mean she is to Jon; in the first couple of seasons she sure was mean! But they say so themselves, that they use viewer comments and the shows to learn how they can do better, and it seems that Kate is not nearly as mean as she used to be. And they are giving back alot more too, which is awesome.
Alot of people say that they should give more to charity; hard to think about doing that when you are totally consumed with caring for your 6 children under the age of 4, but now that the kids are older I see that they are doing more to show their gratitude.
I don’t know, I wish that Kate haters could get some perspective on the fact that while she may not be perfect, no one else is either, and all she is doing is taking the opportunity to provide for her family. I read somewhere that someone said she shouldn’t expect to have an amazing life…. why on earth not? Don’t we all deserve opportunities? Don’t we all deserve to have things provided for us?
Whew that’s it thanks for listening all!
January 6, 2009 at 12:46 am
Kate Gosselin claims that she wanted to do the show so that they can share their faith with people and show people what God has done for them. But that the show cuts out all of that. That’s crap that the show cuts out all mention of God and religion from their show. If that were true than why do they allow the Roloffs from Little People, Big World to speak of god and say prayers, etc. Now that’s a REAL family! And finally, speaking of prayer … I pray that Kate Gosselin will get the help she needs for her OCD. Poor Jon – he is absolutely gorgeous — thinning hair and all! That’s all for now!
January 15, 2009 at 5:51 pm
ironically i came upon this blog in my own jon and kate + eight search.
I think that, whether any rumors are true or not, that the internet and people’s gossip could ruin any kind of good thing.
January 25, 2009 at 4:38 pm
To all those who feel the need to “defend” Kate or Jon, might I suggest a little time googling before you type? Thre are stories from newspapers (not blogs)in their home state which do not paint too pretty of a picture. I might also ask viewers to look past the kids, and actually pay attention to what is said and done on the show. These kids are being exploited by greedy,lazy parents. That woman constantly belittles her husband, and claims to be a christian. Every trip and piece of clothing on their backs are freebies. Behind the scenes are nannies, chefs, and personal assistants working hard while Kate is always playing “needy”. How hard it is to raise 8 children. How hard it is to make ends meet. And Jon the whimpering puppy who puts up with it all.
This couple are con-men who have found a way to live (quite nicely) from a chance circumstance.
Those poor kids will be screwed up beyond belief by puberty.
January 28, 2009 at 5:40 am
Here is Aunt Jodi telling her side of things after she confided in her sister Julie thinking I am guessing their conversations would be between the two I’m guessing but her sister posted Jodi’s confidential conversations in her web blog.
Thats only one of the things that started the rift between Jodi & Kate along with Jodi finding out that TLC wanted to pay her a per diem for her time on the show and Kate knew about it for over a year and kept it from her and said NO WAY the only people who are going to make money of our kids are US. Jodi confronted Kate about it and Kate had a fit and cut her out of their lives.
Jodi after she was booted from the Gossling family then posted on on her sisters blog to say it was all true what her sister had written and you can see what she said here.
http://evilbeetgossip.film.com/2008/08/23/jon-and-kate-plus-eight-gets-nasty-aunt-jodi-tells-her-side/
The original was taken down as Jodi had had enough of the whole thing, but as per the web as we all know..things can be copied and saved.