Jon and Kate Plus (H)8?
"the Kate"
I debated seriously about giving more column space to this family than is already out there splashed across the blogosphere, but, in case you just returned from a remote island or are pulling a Rip Van Winkle, let me reluctantly explain to you the horrific train wreck that is Jon and Kate Plus 8.
Jon and Kate Plus 8 is the name of a TV show on “TLC,” an American cable channel. It is about a married couple, Jon and Kate, and their eight children. Two of the children (the oldest) are 8-year-old twin girls: Cara and Mady. The remaining six are 5-year-old sextuplets (or “tups,” if you want to be in on the “know,” as aficionados of the show like to abbreviate it). The TV show was formulated a few years ago to show the hilarious ups and downs of a cute little family in the ‘burbs wrestling with the day-to-day issues of raising so many young children.
Flash forward to the present, and the opening of season 5 last Monday, and it’s a disaster crumbling before all of our eyes. Jon and Kate have a shell of a marriage and appear to be on the brink of divorce. Jon has been caught in a car with a 23-year-old and claims he was “in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Kate has cashed in on their newfound celebrity, gotten a tummy tuck (donated by the show, natch), created a craptastically bad new hairstyle euphemistically now known as “The Kate,” and travels around the country speaking to family groups and churches. Oops, and oh yeah, she may also be having an affair with her bodyguard (yes, she now needs a bodyguard – eyeroll). The eight children? Left behind in the new mansion in the Pennsylvania countryside, with the personal organic chef, housekeepers, gardeners and a personal assistant – because it’s all about the children. (another eyeroll)
Now, if you happen to hear someone at the water cooler lamenting about the dire state of American television, you can make a snappy retort, something along the lines of: “Yeah, it’s so sad, look at Jon and Kate Plus 8. Try more like, Jon and Kate plus HATE. Sheesh!”
(image above taken from http://blogs.discovery.com/jon_and_kate/)
Read on:
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Comments
Ah the transition from “The Rachael” to “The Kate….”
I suddenly yearn for the good ol days of “the pony”
Hahah, I like B’s comment! How about the, “messy bun.”
Great summary. Much better than what all the magazines are saying.
HAHA, da Twerp, good one. “The messy bun” – like it. How about “the messy bun with scrunchie from the 80s”.
Thanks for posting, I really enjoyed reading your newest post. I think you should post more frequently, you obviously have natural ability for blogging!
I’ve been a huge fan of this show and have always backed Kate. Sure, we are all bossy at times, but I don’t know what it feels like to have 8 kids! I’ve bought/read nearly all the magazines about it. Overall, I’m just disappointed bc I do feel like she is “me” “me” “me” and less and less about the kids. My favorite article (although from Star magazine) quoted her brother and sister in law who used to be on the show and are not only season 4 or 5 because they were going to make money off of it and Kate got upset about it. (!) Also, your article doesn’t point to the fact that Jon also has received benefits from the show like (a) not having to have a normal full time job (which he is now complaining about, but he doesnt note that he was actually fired from his) and (b) he got hair plugs.
I could go on and on about this family….
HI KeeWee — You’re right about all of that. I didn’t mention it but Jon did get hair plugs and also has obviously benefitted b/c he does not have to go to a full-time job (though he now says he’d feel more of a sense of purpose if he did). I really liked Kate in the beginning b/c (and still like about her the fact that) she was/is sooo organized. I liked that about her b/c I like to try to live the same way! Sigh. I don’t know. It’s just gotten sad recently. I do hope and wish the best for all of them, especially the children! Thank you for your comments.
Update: Friday’s USWeekly (5/29/09) reported that the Gosselins are under investigation in Pennsylvania for possibily violating child labor laws:
http://www.usmagazine.com/news/jon-and-Kate-gosselin-under-investigation-for-violating-child-labor-laws-2009295
I don’t know why I am infatuated with this family and all of their recent drama, but I am! Thanks for this post! I agree with you that at first I really liked Kate because she was so organized and also seemed to be quite religious. However, I am honestly not sure about her anymore due to the recent drama…actually, I’m not really sure what is actually true or untrue…is a lot of this simply to promote their new season? What I DO know is that I do feel for the children.
I think what initially started out as being “for the good of the children” has now ended up getting way out of control. I think they truly need to stop their show for the “good of the children!”
I think we’d all agree: at least Kate seems like she is better than “Octomom.” :*( :*( :*( I really feel sorry for her children and I heard she is getting her own reality show now. 
What is this world coming to?
[...] like to discuss another uncommonly large family, who are as different from the Gosselins of “Jon and Kate + (H)8″ as night is from day. The Duggar Family of Arkansas, headed by dad Jim Bob and mom Michelle, have [...]
Jon and Kate are supposedly announcing “a major decision” on Monday’s show….
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090619/ap_on_en_tv/us_tv_jon___kate_announcement
This is an addendum to my original post:
Look at the transformation Kate has gone through since the show’s launch in 2007!
http://www.rantrave.com/userimages/posts/2144_Medium.jpg?083922
Wowie.