Love or Hate? Jon & Kate Plus Eight
Tuesday July 1, 2008
The television show Jon & Kate Plus Eight has focused a spotlight on multiple birth, featuring the Gosselin family of Pennsylvania with their twins and sextuplets. The television show, which airs on Monday nights on TLC (with repeats around the clock - check your television schedule), documents the daily lives of the family, sparing no details of the down and dirty work of raising eight children.
Everyone seems to be talking about the show and feelings are decidedly polar: you either love it or hate it. As the show's popularity has increased, the family has gained fame and noteriety, appearing on Oprah and The Ellen Show. Yet negative backlash is also on the rise, such as this article complaining about Kate's aggressiveness towards her husband and compulsive cleanliness. The blog Gosselins Without Pity is openly critical, accusing the family of exploiting their children by forcing them to live in a fishbowl and violating child labor laws by living with cameras around the clock.
Personally, I love watching the show. The kids get more adorable with each passing season and the twins, Mady and Cara, remind me of my own twin daughters. The episode where they took the twins to American Girl Place to celebrate their birthday brought back such lovely memories for me -- including the tantrums and meltdowns! -- and almost made me wish that I had such scrupulous documentation of my family's daily life. And I always feel better about my own parenting after watching the show. The challenges of my two surely pale in comparison!
But I understand the concerns and criticisms. By participating in the show, the family has opened themselves to scrutiny. No imperfection is spared: all the quibbling, squabbling, sniping and snapping is on full display for the world to talk about. What do you think? Vote in the poll, or leave a comment to share your thoughts.
And don't miss Then Came Six, airing in August on the Discovery Health Channel. It's a new series about the Harris Sextuplets. It will be interesting to see how it compares to Jon & Kate!
Everyone seems to be talking about the show and feelings are decidedly polar: you either love it or hate it. As the show's popularity has increased, the family has gained fame and noteriety, appearing on Oprah and The Ellen Show. Yet negative backlash is also on the rise, such as this article complaining about Kate's aggressiveness towards her husband and compulsive cleanliness. The blog Gosselins Without Pity is openly critical, accusing the family of exploiting their children by forcing them to live in a fishbowl and violating child labor laws by living with cameras around the clock.
Personally, I love watching the show. The kids get more adorable with each passing season and the twins, Mady and Cara, remind me of my own twin daughters. The episode where they took the twins to American Girl Place to celebrate their birthday brought back such lovely memories for me -- including the tantrums and meltdowns! -- and almost made me wish that I had such scrupulous documentation of my family's daily life. And I always feel better about my own parenting after watching the show. The challenges of my two surely pale in comparison!
But I understand the concerns and criticisms. By participating in the show, the family has opened themselves to scrutiny. No imperfection is spared: all the quibbling, squabbling, sniping and snapping is on full display for the world to talk about. What do you think? Vote in the poll, or leave a comment to share your thoughts.
And don't miss Then Came Six, airing in August on the Discovery Health Channel. It's a new series about the Harris Sextuplets. It will be interesting to see how it compares to Jon & Kate!
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