Jon and Kate Plus Eight

[agzg]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

Wow. Maybe it's a midwestern thing but people of all ages play beer pong. There was a beer pong tournament at MGM Casino the other day.

I was going to say, I played Flip Cup on Friday night - Which is worse? Granted I'm not 33 with 8 kids but I'm certainly out of college.

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Since it is a show, maybe the show's contract does not cover the extended family. Maybe the producers feel people are more interested in seeing Kate play Superwoman and Jon play the more reluctant superhero.

Other than that, maybe Kate doesn't want family to help at all because she likes being Superwoman and putting her all into her kids. Or maybe the family doesn't like them. It isn't that uncommon for family to eventually decide not to come around when coming around proves more trouble than it is worth.

Jon and Kate have explained it vaguely - that Kate's family "choses" not to be involved. TTBOMK, they never were around the 6. Church volunteers helped when the babies were itty bitty. And while I can see maybe having a personality conflict with some of your family, in light of the Aunt Jodie incident, I call shenanigans.

[gee_ess]

^^^I agree. I have been a little offput since the Aunt Jodie incident, too. I think it is a red flad when family disappears with only half hearted reasons to explain it. Something is starting to smell a bit at Jon and Kate Plus Eight.

Plus, unless it is my imagination, the whole tone of the show is different. Kate, please, please, stop telling us what a pain those kids,dogs,your lives are! I think we want to watch these cute kids to feel good.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

I think the other issue is how does Jon think his actions won't be noted and publicized? If you are selling your reality show on the basis of its wholesome family values, you have to realize your actions in public are under scrutiny. Thus the Salon blog's emphasis on the fact that the children are not in a position to say yea or nay to having their lives documented, and it can (as we've seen with other child celebrities) have a negative impact on their later life. I've been uncomfortable with the show since the Aunt Jodie incident, and am also a little curious as to why the extended families are not in the picture - that's weird, imho. Who turns their back on family when they have a challenge (lots of children, illness, whatever)? Would both sets of grandparents (Yes, I know Jon's father is dead) really not be in the picture if something weren't . . . I don't know . . . not quite right?

Honestly, who really cares what he does? If it isn't harming the children, I don't see the big deal. It's dumb for Jon to have to "watch" his actions because it might reflect badly on the show. The children ARE in a position to say yea or nay, it is in the contract that Kate & Jon have. If at any time a child shows that they don't want the cameras filming them, the camera won't.

There is waaay more to the Aunt Jodie/Beth incident than Jodie's sister is saying. Of course you are going to spin the story one way, and the whole idea of Kate practically beating Collin over the gum is just a little too farfetched for me to believe Jodie's sister.

Not everyone has a happy family, where they get along with the extended family (i.e. grandparents). I don't think it's fishy that Kate and her parents don't get along. I don't blame her for not wanting them near the kids. We don't know what the seperation was about, maybe her parents are racist and don't like that Jon is Asian. Who knows.

[gee_ess]

Hmmm - I don't know the gum incident. I need to catch up on my internet gossip!
You bring up a good point about Kate's parents and their possible reasons for not being on tv...

But I have to disagree with the comment that the kids can say no. They are just now getting old enough to even be able to articulate that sort of decision. A group of multiples more than likely functions as a unit - pretty rare for one of them to really leave the group. Now, I think in another year or so that might change but the chances of one of them bucking their parents in any real way is rare for a preschooler.

I think we need a Barbara Walters interview to get to the bottom of this..lol.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by alphagamzetagam

I was going to say, I played Flip Cup on Friday night - Which is worse? Granted I'm not 33 with 8 kids but I'm certainly out of college.

It's definitely a college thing in the places I've lived.

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by epchick

Honestly, who really cares what he does? If it isn't harming the children, I don't see the big deal. It's dumb for Jon to have to "watch" his actions because it might reflect badly on the show. The children ARE in a position to say yea or nay, it is in the contract that Kate & Jon have. If at any time a child shows that they don't want the cameras filming them, the camera won't.

There is waaay more to the Aunt Jodie/Beth incident than Jodie's sister is saying. Of course you are going to spin the story one way, and the whole idea of Kate practically beating Collin over the gum is just a little too farfetched for me to believe Jodie's sister.

Not everyone has a happy family, where they get along with the extended family (i.e. grandparents). I don't think it's fishy that Kate and her parents don't get along. I don't blame her for not wanting them near the kids. We don't know what the seperation was about, maybe her parents are racist and don't like that Jon is Asian. Who knows.

Um, you can't sign a legal contract until you are 18. It's unreasonable to think that preschoolers, or elementary school-aged children, are going to buck their parents - especially depending on how it is presented. Kate has shown herself to be very controlling - why would this issue be any different?

I'm just done with the whole thing. I think they are venturing into exploitation of their children, and I don't want to support it. Whatever their secrets regarding their family relations, if they didn't want to explain or be scrutinized they shouldn't have become reality tv stars. And if Jon wants to be able to play beer pong in peace he should ditch the tv gig. If not, I don't want to hear any whining about their privacy being breached. That's the deal, bucko - you become a media darling, you have no "privacy".

Originally Posted by gee_ess

Hmmm - I don't know the gum incident. I need to catch up on my internet gossip!
You bring up a good point about Kate's parents and their possible reasons for not being on tv...

But I have to disagree with the comment that the kids can say no. They are just now getting old enough to even be able to articulate that sort of decision. A group of multiples more than likely functions as a unit - pretty rare for one of them to really leave the group. Now, I think in another year or so that might change but the chances of one of them bucking their parents in any real way is rare for a preschooler.

I think we need a Barbara Walters interview to get to the bottom of this..lol.

I can't remember when it happened (2 seasons ago, maybe? - so they must have been 6 or 7), but I know for a fact that if Mady and Cara don't want to be filmed, they say so. I know Mady's made "No Cameras Allowed" signs for her room before. AFAIK, Jon, Kate, and the crew have been respectful of that. Mady and Cara's room (after the renovation in the old house) did not have the bright filming lights the other rooms had because they often retreated to their room for privacy.

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by OTW

I can't remember when it happened (2 seasons ago, maybe? - so they must have been 6 or 7), but I know for a fact that if Mady and Cara don't want to be filmed, they say so. I know Mady's made "No Cameras Allowed" signs for her room before. AFAIK, Jon, Kate, and the crew have been respectful of that. Mady and Cara's room (after the renovation in the old house) did not have the bright filming lights the other rooms had because they often retreated to their room for privacy.

That works - as long as the 6 don't mind being filmed. What happens if 1 of the 6 doesn't like it? Or just 2 of the 6? I find it difficult to believe that Kate would be okay with stopping then. But maybe I'm completely wrong, and they are not exploiting the kids for financial gain, but with the childrens' best interest in mind.

Maybe.

[gee_ess]

You are right, OTW. The older girls are very good about letting the adults know when they don't want to participate. I think that has been a really great way for Jon and Kate to give the older girls more autonomy and a "say" in what goes on around them. And that is my point regarding the younger ones. For someone to think a 2 year old, or even a four year old, is going to say "no" to a day at the zoo is kind of silly. They are just not able to do that..yet. But I think we will see it more and more.

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

That works - as long as the 6 don't mind being filmed. What happens if 1 of the 6 doesn't like it? Or just 2 of the 6? I find it difficult to believe that Kate would be okay with stopping then. But maybe I'm completely wrong, and they are not exploiting the kids for financial gain, but with the childrens' best interest in mind.

Maybe.

Just curious...

Say you had 8 kids. You're a nurse and your husband's a computer dude. How would the two of you manage to pay for all 8's college tuition? Food and clothes for the next 10-15 years? Would you rely on government assistance and pray like hell they get scholarships and other free money?

I'm wondering how the McCaugheys did it with their septuplets. While they didn't have a reality show, I remember reading they did have music and book deals.

[SWTXBelle]

The same way I do my 4 - um, work? Get help from family and friends? (I have always relied on family and friends for childcare help.) Perhaps write books about it, maybe do a special or two, but I would not have my home become a television production set. As to college, colleges seem to have this thing about scholarships for multiples - I know of several sets who have been given scholarships seemingly because of their "multiple" status. I'm sure they were otherwise qualified, but still.

And let me point to the Duggars, who until recently HAD no television show, and yet they've provided all these years for all of theirs.

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

The same way I do my 4 - um, work? Get help from family and friends? (I have always relied on family and friends for childcare help.) Perhaps write books about it, maybe do a special or two, but I would not have my home become a television production set. As to college, colleges seem to have this thing about scholarships for multiples - I know of several sets who have been given scholarships seemingly because of their "multiple" status. I'm sure they were otherwise qualified, but still.

And let me point to the Duggars, who until recently HAD no television show, and yet they've provided all these years for all of theirs.

The Duggars live debt-free because they have several commercial properties they rent. Do we know if their families are wealthy? Michelle's dad looked like he lived on a sweet piece of property. Maybe the parents gave em a wad of cash to buy property? While they were young when they married, they didn't have all 18 at one time. I just don't buy the fact that Jim Bob and Michelle didn't get a lot of financial help from their family, especially in the early years.

Sure, you work. But would you work so much that you couldn't spend time with your kids? There's only so many hours a day you can work to earn that money. Methinks that still wouldn't be enough.

The show started out with just those first two specials. America became so fascinated with them that the show was created. I don't think J&K are the only ones to blame.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

The same way I do my 4 - um, work? Get help from family and friends? (I have always relied on family and friends for childcare help.) Perhaps write books about it, maybe do a special or two, but I would not have my home become a television production set. As to college, colleges seem to have this thing about scholarships for multiples - I know of several sets who have been given scholarships seemingly because of their "multiple" status. I'm sure they were otherwise qualified, but still.

And let me point to the Duggars, who until recently HAD no television show, and yet they've provided all these years for all of theirs.

Were your 4 born at the same time? I've heard it a lot that the Gosselins should be able to do it themselves because other people have X number of children and they did it themselves. But these people didn't have 6 kids that were born at the same time, needing the EXACT same things at the EXACT same time.

I don't see what the big deal is, because I'm pretty sure that a lot of us (if presented with an offer like Gosselins) would take it. I know I would, especially if I was in Kate's situation. I can't imagine what life would be like for them if they did not have this TV show. Jon & Kate would not have made enough money to take care of these children. I don't see the problem with the TV show. It allows Jon and Kate to stay home with their children, giving them the time & attention the children might not have otherwise gotten w/o a TV show.

In my opinion, you CAN NOT compare the Duggars to the Gosselins. In fact, I hate comparing, in general. But since you brought up the Duggars let's compare. Within the first 5 years of marriage, the Duggars had 1 kid (Josh), the Gosselins had 8.

Originally Posted by OTW

Do we know if their families are wealthy? Michelle's dad looked like he lived on a sweet piece of property. Maybe the parents gave em a wad of cash to buy property? While they were young when they married, they didn't have all 18 at one time. I just don't buy the fact that Jim Bob and Michelle didn't get a lot of financial help from their family, especially in the early years.

If I remember correctly, when I read how Jim Bob & Michelle got together, Jim Bob did mention that Michelle came from a more wealthy family (that and she wasn't religious at all). I do think that, at least at the beginning, Jim Bob & Michelle's family helped out.


According to this article, Jon & Kate parents don't help out because they "disapprove" of and don't want to take part in the show.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by epchick

Within the first 5 years of marriage, the Duggars had 1 kid (Josh), the Gosselins had 8.

NIGHTMARE.