Betrayed

I used to be a fan of the TLC show Jon & Kate Plus 8. Used to be. I used to watch it off and on, always shaking my head at the chaos that is a house with 2 sets of multiples. It was entertaining to watch them wrangle the kids and to see Kate act like the tyrant she is. Every time I tuned I always had so many questions.

"Jon must make good money as an IT guy, because we can barely afford to feed 4 people, much less 10 in family."

"They're going on another vacation? Man, I know it's probably subsidized by whatever resort they're at, but seriously......"

"She really only averages $150 a week at the grocery? When I just watched her buy 12 gallons of milk and 25 loaves of bread? AND she 'shops organic whenever she can'???"

"They must stay up really late to film these one on ones with just Jon and Kate. No way they could do it with the kids up and running crazy."

"How much laundry does she do every day? I do at least one load a day. How does she keep up with it?"

Well, I seem to be finding answers to my questions. I have found a few websites that contain some interesting information about the Gosselins. I don't believe everything I read, but much of this makes sense. First, they may have struggled financially at the beginning of their journey with parenthood, but they are doing just fine now. It's been rumoured that they receive about $50,000 PER EPISODE of the show. And they shoot about 40 episodes a year (far more than my favorite sitcom). You do the math. They also have speaking gigs at various churches across the U.S. Apparently they charge $25,000 per gig, and request first class airfare, all expenses, and ask that a 'love offering' be done during the event. A love offering is where a donation is requested to assist them with expenses associated with so many kids. And yet they're raking in about $2M a year from the show? What the heck?

They have several big name sponsors, including Gap and Gymboree for the kids' clothes, Disney, and Juicy Juice.

Kate has help! She downplays it to the point of nonexistence, but it's there. She has a cleaning service for the house, a nanny, someone who does and folds all the laundry, a lawn service, AND a full time organic chef. Yet the only person you see is the 'part-time' nanny. Hmmmm.....

There's also a repeated rumour online that they are building an 8,000 sf home in North Carolina. This will allow them to be closer to their production company. It's been said that they are paying for nothing associated with the house - not the land, the buildout or the furnishings.

I can't watch this show any longer. I know reality shows don't often show real-life, but if the above is all true, I feel so sad. Sad that this family continues to do the 'woe is me' act. Sad that Kate is such a shrew to her husband and children. Sad that Jon has no spine. And sad that these kids are being exploited by their own parents so they can make an easy buck. How traumatized are they going to be when they realize that their potty training was captured for the world to watch? That their Mom threatened and terrorized them on cable TV? That Dad mocked their childhood foibles for the camera?

And PS - the fact that they wanted to try "for just one more" after having the twins?? They had TWINS after using IUI! What did they think was going to happen when they did it again???

Jon & Kate, you just make me sad. Sad that you don't seem to even enjoy your children. Sad that you're nothing more than the man behind the curtain - presenting the world a created view of your life. And shame on me for buying in to the myth.