"I've discovered that my own little postage stamp of native soil was worth writing about and that I would never live long enough to exhaust it."
- William Faulkner




Tuesday, June 23, 2009

J&K+8

I am sure the blogosphere is all abuzz with the recent happenings with Jon and Kate Gosselin. I’m fully aware that I’m not posting on an original topic, but I still want my two cents thrown in the pot.

I started watching J&K+8 two years ago when I was at a trade show in Toronto. I remember being sick with what turned out to be a wicked cold, and I spent one night watching a marathon of what would soon become America’s favorite TV family of multiples. I laughed out loud despite my misery at those precious kids and their funny parents. Over the coming months and years, I among millions of others watched the Gosselins take ski trips, visits to DisneyWorld, celebrate Christmas, go to the dentist and even renew their vows – as a family. I recommended the show to anyone who would listen, confident that they would like it as much as I did. I quit watching the show after last year’s Christmas episode and even deleted it from my DVR. I was just over it. The kids seemed a little too old, and the shows seemed a little too forced.

So needless to say when I heard of the turmoil within the family, I was sad for Jon and Kate, but heartbroken for the kids. I hope that 5, 8, 10 or 20 years from now, those twins and sextuplets, those 8 children, don’t end up on Oprah or worse, Dr. Phil, lamenting how their parents splashed their childhood all over cable TV. We are certainly not placed on this Earth to judge anyone, and none of us is privy to the whole story. If there is anything I have learned as I’ve gotten older, it’s that each person navigates through his or her own life the best he or she knows how. Sure, we all make mistakes, and we disappoint just as we are disappointed. But there are a myriad of factors that affect how a person views his own world – be they emotional, psychological, physical or otherwise.

Jon and Kate, because I’m sure you are dedicated readers of this humble blog, this is my plea: stop. Stop the show before you and your kids are shells of your former selves. I hear you when you say you’re doing this for their future, but what good is their future when your children that you fought so hard to bring into the world are hurting? Let your books, DVDs and syndicated shows be enough. I feel confident the kids would prefer their family back to normal over future Master’s degrees.

Wow, looking back on what I just wrote, that was pretty dramatic! I promise I have a life outside of TV.

4 comments:

Lindsey Hoskinson said...

Amen, sista! I never even watched the show, but ever since they have been ALL over the media, I have thought the same thing: ditch the show & save your marriage! Those poor kids...

Katy Agnew said...

Linds and MSKS, I agree with both of you! I have only watched the show a couple of times but every time I did there was always a tension of some sort. It made me very uncomfortable. I think the kids are too stinkin' cute and hope and pray that they will make a lot of lemonade out of all these lemons.

LT (and Max) said...

yes! i probably shared too much about my opinion on my blog, because last night i just got so mad at jon. in all honesty though, they both made their share of bad choices. but you're right...it's the kids that need those extra prayers the most! and i was totally hoping that they would just stop the show too.

Lindsey Hoskinson said...

Mary Straton, we had the BEST chicken pot pie & peach cobbler last night for dinner! The Casserole Queens ROCK! Thank you guys so much for the gc & for introducing us to a new Austin eatery. Yay! Haley was there when they delivered & she said it was one of the owners, and she was dressed up in a 50's like outfit. Oh, and if you are around tonight, they are going to be on Throwdown with Bobbie Flay at 8:30...just saw that on their website. Hope you are doing well- sorry for the long comment, but I don't have your email! Thanks again!

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