Jon and Kate (of Jon and Kate plus 8)

I believe we're doing this because, you know what? People actually could relate to this couple and this family, for all their very human foibles and failures, far more than most on here are willing to admit publicly.

In short, somewhere along the way, we actually started to care about them. They're like any good feature story. Why do we, or any newspaper readers, say, ever care about any previously unknown kid or his family in the Podunk Press?

Through the show, we feel like we've gotten a window into their lives, we've watched the kids grow and develop personalities through the years, and we like them. We've watched Jon and Kate engage in loving, laughable, and terrible moments together. We feel like we've gotten to know them. Whether we actually have, or not, doesn't matter that much at this point.

Because now, we care, and are interested, even if only out of curiosity, and are going to watch, anyway.

Save for the TV-filming, they are pretty much just normal people, living normal lives, when it comes right down to it. Sure, "it might be a crazy life, but it's their life," as the opening of the show says. It made them relateable.

And, frankly, their sharing of what they're going through now -- however much we may disagree with it being done via television, or maybe for TV -- is kind of like us being flies on the wall to private, privileged information.

It's sad, even heart-wrenching, in a way. But still, again, it's very relatable. The "readers"/watchers care, whether they every actually knew the family before, or not.

And, come on, Kate is not going to end up with Danny Bonaduce. She certainly doesn't need him, and she's way too smart and strong a woman to ever want somebody like him.

 

When Mrs. Wretch started watching the show, I was fascinated at how two parents with eight kids could both hold down full-time jobs and live in a normal-sized house. He was an IT guy. She was a nurse. They had relatives come over to help. I remember one episode where they dropped like $2,000 at Sam's Club or Costco on diapers and baby food.

That show was interesting. Watching Emeril cook for them in their McMansion isn't.

 

Yep. Perfectly stated.

 

In this thread, WriteThinking is E.F. Hutton.

 

Sepinwall tweets last night's show got 10.6 million viewers breaking previous record for show of 9.8m for the season premiere.

 

Ratings were great and rising fast before any of the breakup stuff happened---a fake breakup was not needed and makes no sense.

In this situation, I only feel bad for the kids, for obvious reasons.

 

Found this story pretty interesting:

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/jon-and-kate-how-much-money-is-stake-2009135

 

Kate grew up in a trailer park? Shocking!

 

From that link ...

<Cough> bullshit <cough>!

 

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Kate Gosselin says in divorce papers that she and her husband Jon have lived "separate and apart" for at least two years. Gosselin filed for divorce Monday in Montgomery County Court in Pennsylvania, saying in papers that her 10-year marriage is "irretrievably broken."

The star of TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus 8" also says they have been unable to agree on dividing their assets.

The Gosselins had portrayed themselves as happy until the past few months, even renewing their wedding vows in Hawaii last year.

The divorce filing was obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/23/jon-kate-divorce-papers-l_n_219804.html

 

So if they have been separated for the last two years and were only living together for the cameras was Jon really cheating?
If it was a sham marriage for the cameras, that doesn't make him quite the douchebag, I think.