TV: Jon & Kate + 8

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No, I don’t have eight kids. BUT I think that no matter how many you have, you need to treat them lovingly and respectfully. Putting them on TV, in my opinion, doesn’t meet that criteria. I don’t watch the show anymore for that reason - I think it’s exploits the kids. How would you like it, as a teen, to know that everyone in America is familiar with your potty-training accidents?!
If I knew that my parents had chosen life for me in the face of huge societal pressure and later chose to put me on TV partly as a means of financial survival and partly as a means of preserving some of those memories I’m pretty sure I’d get over the potti training on TV issues rather quickly.

I guess I’m more like Jon that way. 👍
 
I watched this show once maybe twice but I, too, am not a big fan of how Kate treats Jon. When we had cable I would watch that show about the Duggers.
 
My comment simply meant that I believe parents are being hypocritical in judging Kate’s reactions in some times of stress. I’m sure we all do/say things we don’t mean in these situations. Hers just seem to be caught on tape.
It seems to be a lot better now that the kids are a little older and Jon is home more.

I guess as someone who often lashes out at the ones I love most in times of stress and ends up having to apologize later, I can understand where she’s coming from.
 
It’s not that you can’t discuss the show and what you think is good and not good about the show, but how charitable are statements like this:

“Now I can’t imagine why Jon hasn’t buried her in a shallow grave-- justifiable homicide, for certain.”
My comment [pretty clearly, I thought] wasn’t meant to be taken literally.

Not completely literally, any way.

Seriously though: if a man in his postion snapped, punched his wife and went to trial…

and if I’m on the jury, and they show me a typical 30 minutes of a tape of her behaving as Kate does…

The guys walking.
 
So what’s the point of even having a thread if the only thing we are allowed to post is ‘Golly I love them! Love them so much!!’?

I’m not judging how she treats the kids-- you guessed it, I don’t have sextuplets! Surprise! though it’s pretty clear that a couple of them would like a lot more attention than they get.

I AM judging how she treats her husband and others, though: relentlessly mocking, negative, nagging. She uses her struggles with the kids as a license to treat all those around her badly.
She strikes me as a perfectionist, and perfectionists act that way. It’s not personal to him…and he has a mouth–he could tell her to be quiet, but he doesn’t. Maybe when the cameras turn off, he gives her a piece of his mind, never know. :o She seems to love him…it shows in her eyes…and I think that if a camera were filming all of our relationships/marriages, it might catch a few bad moments for all of us. 😉
 
I initially liked the show just because of their special/peculiar circumstance, but I have grown to not like Kate so much. Seems a lot of the time, the conversations display her insistance upon her being right (even at her husband’s expense). She does tend to treat him like a child, whether or not he acts like it. She normally nullifies any attempt at an apology by turning the conversation to how, once again, she was right about whatever the topic/situation was.

She also seems to do most of the talking. This week’s episode had John talking most of the time and Kate sat there with her chin in her hand looking like a bored, spoiled little kid. If I had to guess, maybe the producers prodded them to let Jon have more of the narrating. Do you think maybe he feels this bored when Kate does all the talking? When she does all the narrating and quick tries to get a response from him, it’s normally monosyllabic. I wouldn’t want to say much either if I knew I was only going to be ridiculed and/or criticized!

Also, while Maddy may be suffering from attention depravity, that young lady needs some serious discipline and it seems BOTH mom and dad just shrug their shoulders and really don’t do much. Kate may criticize or ridicule her behavior or mock her (sinking to Maddy’s level of immaturity), but that doesn’t replace discipline - in fact it probably only agitates the situation.

I agree w/ some of the other posters - HURRAY FOR THE DUGGARS! I bought their book and finished it in 2 days - I found it very inspiring. Michelle is much more respectful of her husband. I realize that her circumstances are different, b/c her children are spaced and didn’t come all at once and the older ones help out. I really wish we could see what things were like when she had 7 or so under 10!

The other thing I struggle w/ in the ‘reality’ series is the income and promotional freebies offered by the network. How many people get to go on the sorts of trips these families go on? How interesting would the show really be if they didn’t take these trips? And, just how nice of a home would these families be able to afford if they only had their regular income w/out the network’s assistance?
 
The other thing I struggle w/ in the ‘reality’ series is the income and promotional freebies offered by the network. How many people get to go on the sorts of trips these families go on? How interesting would the show really be if they didn’t take these trips? And, just how nice of a home would these families be able to afford if they only had their regular income w/out the network’s assistance?
Well I think this is something the Duggars profit from as well. I personally don’t have a problem with a big family getting a free trip to Disney World or wherever. Raising a big family is expensive and I would rather see a family get money to go on family trips or have nice rooms and clothes for the kids than see a model win $100,000. 🤷

Although it would be cool to see how the families would live without the extra money–which is why I like the shows that come on occasionally and it’s just one episode of a certain family. I’m sure they get paid for it, but the depiction of the family is more “real life” because they are getting less perks. But these shows aren’t meant to be reality shows, imo, so like I said, it’d be cool to see how they coped with expenses without the extra income, but I’m glad they are getting paid so they can do nice things with and for their kids. 👍
 
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The other thing I struggle w/ in the ‘reality’ series is the income and promotional freebies offered by the network. How many people get to go on the sorts of trips these families go on? How interesting would the show really be if they didn’t take these trips? And, just how nice of a home would these families be able to afford if they only had their regular income w/out the network’s assistance?
Why struggle with the money issue? I am betting that with 6 kids all the same age - needing new shoes all at the same time -they expenses are outrageous. They go through a huge amount of food.
We have no idea what kind of income this family makes sans the TV show. The show is an intrusion into though private family life - they ought to get paid for it. The TV network is getting paid by advertisers so why shouldn’t the family.
 
How long until Jon leaves and starts enjoying his life? Poor man always seems miserable. When he married Kate, I don’t think his life now is what he had in mind, but all the freebies from various companies seem pretty nice. Still, the man hardly has any freedom.
 
How long until Jon leaves and starts enjoying his life? Poor man always seems miserable. When he married Kate, I don’t think his life now is what he had in mind, but all the freebies from various companies seem pretty nice. Still, the man hardly has any freedom.
I guess I am not seeing the same Jon and Kate that everyone else sees.

I do not see him as miserable. I see him with an extreemely dry sense of humer and not emotionally volatile. Kate appears to be more volatile - but I do not see her as naggy or degrading.

I see the two of them with a demanding family - face it - 6 all the same demanding age is very difficult. In addition to the 2 older girls.

Daily life is not all roses. Caring for 8 very young kids is not joy and happiness at every turn. I bet these parents are ragged almost every day just chasing down the youngsters.
 
I guess I am not seeing the same Jon and Kate that everyone else sees.

I do not see him as miserable. I see him with an extreemely dry sense of humer and not emotionally volatile. Kate appears to be more volatile - but I do not see her as naggy or degrading.

I see the two of them with a demanding family - face it - 6 all the same demanding age is very difficult. In addition to the 2 older girls.

Daily life is not all roses. Caring for 8 very young kids is not joy and happiness at every turn. I bet these parents are ragged almost every day just chasing down the youngsters.
To each his own, but I would not enjoy that life at all. Then again, a lot of people wouldn’t enjoy doing a lot of academic work like I do and will do for many years into the future.
 
Every family is different, and every family has different dynamics, and I think, given the circumstances, both these families are doing pretty well. I have a 3 year old grandaughter that acts exactly like Maddy, and I watch my daughter interact with her, and I’ve seen her try various things to bring the child under control. It is a fine line to walk to try to discipline a child like this without breaking their spirit. But my daughter has only 2 to worry about, not eight, and not 6 three-year olds. Kate is probably juggling a lot trying to raise these children, and is probably trying to sort out the priorities–what is worth getting upset over and what isn’t, and if sometimes her priorities seem a little out of kilter to some of us, well, I think she is doing the best she can. She probably makes her share of mistakes, but I don’t know any parents who have not made their share, I know I certainly did. And I’ll confess that I yelled at my kids and got impatient, and wasn’t the “model” parent at times, and my kids would act up in public, and fight among themselves, etc., but there was plenty of love, the kids knew it, and my 2 turned out pretty darned well despite my mistakes. These parents love their kids, and the kids know it, and that is going to make all the difference in the world.

And we have to remember that sometimes, when we think we are doing the right things, and are handling our kids in the right way, others might have the completely opposite opinion and might be criticizing us for our parenting methods.
 
The Duggars were debt free before they started their show, so any money made off of it is just extra! Wouldn’t that be great! I love their house! The kitchen and pantry, not to mention the laundry room!!!
Jon and Kate both talk about being able to do things for and with their kids that they normally wouldn’t have been able to do. I think they appreciate the show and everything it has given them and I don’t think it’s hurting the kids any either.
I have a niece just like Mady, has nothing to do with attention, some kids are just like that. I think she will grow up to be just like Kate.
I think Kate can be a bit much, but I don’t blame her for wanting to keep the kids clean. I know how much pre-treating I have to do with my kids clothes, I can only imagine what it was like with 6 babies all the same age! What a mess.
I think Jon has a dry sense of humor that not everyone gets. Did anyone else see the episode in Hawaii where they renewed their wedding vows? It was very sweet. I don’t doubt they love each other or their children. She’s just not as sweet and quiet as Michelle Duggar. Everyone is different. I strive to be a Michelle, but some days…I’m a Kate:(
 
I can’t stand that show and I don’t like how Kate treats John. Their children are not well behaved either.
Honestly I watch TV to relax and get some down time, and their show just puts me on edge with all those kids crying and fussing the way they do.
 
I can’t stand that show and I don’t like how Kate treats John. Their children are not well behaved either.
Honestly I watch TV to relax and get some down time, and their show just puts me on edge with all those kids crying and fussing the way they do.
There are 8 very young kids. Not sure how orderly your house would be with all those kids the same age. What are ya expecting? :confused:

I think that is why the show works for that particular network. It showcases the trials of a family with multiple births. Honestly think it would be a headbanger some days.
 
There are 8 very young kids. Not sure how orderly your house would be with all those kids the same age. What are ya expecting? :confused:

I think that is why the show works for that particular network. It showcases the trials of a family with multiple births. Honestly think it would be a headbanger some days.
I have seen homes with multiples of young ages and they do not behave like that. They have at least some semblance of order and all I see at the Gosslings house is chaos and rudeness.
I like the Duggars, and most of all the way the children get treated.

I have 5 children all under 12. This may not sound like a lot but I am not trying to compare my situation with theirs.
 
I can’t stand that show and I don’t like how Kate treats John. Their children are not well behaved either.
Honestly I watch TV to relax and get some down time, and their show just puts me on edge with all those kids crying and fussing the way they do.
I agree that their kids are not the best behaved kids in the world, but I have seen much worse!! And from parents with only 1 or 2 kids!
 
I like the Duggars, and most of all the way the children get treated.

I have 5 children all under 12. This may not sound like a lot but I am not trying to compare my situation with theirs.
Thank God for small favors!!

I like the Duggars! They have such respect for each other. They just seem very kind and caring.
I sure do too. 👍
 
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