When my sister-in-law changed her Facebook status recently to “inexplicably sad about Jon and Kate,” I knew I had to say ~something~.
I will admit I am not an avid watcher of the TLC program, “Jon and Kate Plus 8,” however, I have watched my share here and there. What can I say, I am a bit of a voyeur. Usually I catch it on the weekends, when they’re running a marathon of episodes. I did make a point to watch this current season’s first episode, mostly because I wanted to see how they would deal with the Jon and Kate drama-rama. Aaaand because I do lurve my celeb gossip, I am always catching the latest dirt and keeping up to date with various mags and online sites.
I think anyone who has watched the show will agree with me when I say that Kate treats Jon like shit. Constantly correcting him, controlling him and embarassing him, she is a total shrew. She even admitted on this season’s first episode, that she knows she’s “been hard on Jon.” It is very clear who wears the pants in this family and there seems to be no equality whatsoever.
I believe that Jon has been unhappy with the situation for awhile. He ~never~ seems to look happy, but instead always seems to look harassed. It was even mentioned in the Utah ski episode, that there on the slopes was the first time in a long time that Kate had seen Jon look so happy and youthful.
While I think there is love there still, I don’t believe they are ~in love~ any longer. I believe that Jon has not had his emotional needs met for quite some time, and I’m guessing probably not his physical needs either, and it’s taken a toll. The same could probably be said for Kate. I think that turning their marriage and their family into a working environment was a huge mistake, regardless of the financial benefit. It has sucked all the intimacy and emotion away, leaving a husk of what once was. Now, instead of lovers who parent, they are caretakers who shoulder the responsibility of maintaining a business arrangement that provides quite extensively for their huge family.
I cannot say with certainty what failed there for Jon and Kate, no one can, we can only assume. I feel strongly though that if Jon cheated, or even if he didn’t, it was Kate who drove him to look elsewhere to fulfill his needs in some way. Being in a onesided relationship is lonely, and after awhile, it chips away at your soul. You crave that which the other person is not providing. You search to find something, any little thing to fill that void. Kate is driven, clearly, by financial gain and providing for her family. She enjoys what she does. This fulfills her. What does Jon have?
I don’t feel sad for Jon and Kate, not at all. I sympathesize with Jon–I’ve been there. I feel pity for both of them, but I do not feel sadness. They created this mess themselves, together. I think Kate would like to have everyone believe it’s the media’s fault, but they made that choice a long time ago, to open up their lives on national television, be it for financial gain or not. Media and paparazzi, they come with the territory. In making an informed choice regarding whether or not to do the show, they should have and must have considered what could be the result of such a decision. It’s too late now to go back and change things. I have seen entreaties online from Kate and “her public” to the media to stop hounding the Gosselins and let them heal and move forward in whatever way they can. It’s too late.
I think the people that are being hurt and traumatized the most here are the kids. They have become little more than a commodity. I do feel great sadness for the children, because in the end, they are the ones who will end up paying the price for Mom and Dad’s decisions and choices, whatever they may be. They seem, almost, to have gotten overlooked and lost in the media frenzy that is now the Jon & Kate drama-rama. What must those kids be feeling and thinking right now?? I know most adults probably believe the Gosselin kids are too little to understand what’s going on, but as a child of divorce, I can tell you–children are very perceptive as to the emotional state and condition of their parents and their marriage. Those kids know trouble is a-brewin’ and I can only hope that Kate and Jon are sensitive to that and are able to set aside their own issues and differences and deal with it with the kids in an appropriate manner.
As always, smoochies,
~TC
So, I’m sitting here at work, basically just trying to keep myself sane until 5pm, when I decide it’s definitely time for a blog update. My poor bloggy has been so neglected, sometimes I think I should just give it up and hit the delete button, but then I remember all the really good stuff I’ve written here and I just can’t bring myself to do it. I tell myself that I’ll get better, and post more often, but as they say, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and apparently so is the internets. Good intentions and porn.
So, I’ve been trying to write a blog post for days now, but nothing’s coming. The problem is not that there’s nothing going on. The problem is that there’s too much going on and honestly, where do I freaking begin?




