Jon and Kate Plus 8

Jon and Kate Plus 8

TLC (The Learning Channel) has a show about a husband and wife that have 8 children (a set of twins and sextuplets). I occasionally would catch an episode if I just happened to see it on. Right after I had Abby, one of Stuart’s cousins had a comment on Facebook about Kate’s book Multiple Bles8ings and how fantastic it was. I immediately went to Barnes and Noble (my favorite store) and bought the book.

At a time when I was feeling overwhelmed with having a new baby (as well as Stuart being overseas), reading this book about a Christian woman who had 6 at one time and how she kept her faith really made me feel better about my situation. If she could have 6 babies with 2 3-year olds as well, who was I to complain about one relatively good baby?!

So after reading this book, I started watching this show more frequently. TLC was running it about 4 times a day and I was on maternity leave, I had lots of daytime on my hands – it is truly amazing the junk on television during the day. I also started trying to catch the Monday night premieres.

This was a great show!! The kids are incredibly adorable and it is amazing to see them growing up. My thoughts of Kate were that she was very organized (as I imagine you would have to be with 8 kids!), didn’t take anything too seriously and constantly ribbed her husband. Jon was so laid back, yet really helped out. He took apart and put back together every kids bed in one day. In my opinion, they were just a normal (although large) family. Who doesn’t joke with their husband and give him “love pats”?

Then all of a sudden, the media frenzy begins! Jon is seen with friends that are girls. Kate is spending too much time with the bodyguard. Usmagazine.com has a post every other hour about every single comment that is “overheard” by this family. Every day there is a new story more horrifying than the rest. Us Weekly has had her on the cover for 5 (yes, 5!) weeks in a row. This week is “Mean Mommy”- the story is about an “onlooker” that heard a five year old say Mommy is Mean. What in the world is going on that paparazzi is quoting 5 year olds?


Attached to these posts are some of the most vicious comments that I have ever read. Kate is a media whore, monster, mean mommy, those kids should be taken from the family, she should have been cheated on etc. Jon is lazy, dumb, a whipping boy. The worse are the ones calling the kids stupid, retarded, spoiled, ruined. These are children that will one day have to hear about all of these comments and the way their parents were raked through the media. My anger towards the morons that post these comments is too strong for me to even put into words. If you don’t like the show, DON’T WATCH IT! If you don’t like the family, DON’T READ THE ARTICLES! We live in a country where freedom is such a privilege. People do have the right to make whatever comments they want, but geez, if you don’t like the show, you have the freedom to change the channel. I don’t like to watch people eat goat parts or whatever, so I don’t watch Survivor.

I just wanted to write this because I feel very strongly that this is a good Christian family. They definitely started this show with good intentions and good hearts. I blame the paparazzi (p-people), Us Weekly especially, for taking an innocent show on TLC and just devouring the parents and children. This poor woman cant go anywhere without being photographed, lashed out at, and criticized for every outfit she wears. I did like the show better before all of the national attention, but what is happening to them is just so wrong.

Thanks for letting me rant. This just eats me up inside!