Quantcast
 

Stop the Jon and Kate Plus 8 Hate

Wed, 07/23/2008 - 10:00am by lilsugar
9,497 Views - 54 comments

As most lilsugar readers know, I am a huge fan of Jon and Kate Plus 8, a show that gives parents a peek into the harried lives of a couple with two sets of multiples. I remember watching their first special in awe of how such young parents managed to juggle their eight offspring. So I was stunned to recently learn that there are entire websites dedicated to smearing the Gosselin's name, one of which is supposedly written by a relative's sister. I can't imagine any well-intentioned human being who realized their actions could adversely affect the Gosselin children would do such a thing. To read why I am appalled by these people's actions, read more.

In some of the posts on the sites, people accuse Jon and Kate of making money off their show, charging for appearances, and employing help. As a viewer, I didn't find those things shocking because the couple often mentions how thankful they are for the opportunities the show has allowed them — a trip to Disney World, a ski vacation in Utah, going on Oprah, etc. And, when they went caroling in the Christmas episode it was to the homes of people who fold laundry, babysit, and provide other services for them. They also discussed how the film crew assists them in daily tasks at times.

It is naive for anyone to think that a family of 10 would allow their lives — good, bad, and embarrassing moments — to be taped without some sort of compensation. If allowing America a glimpse into how they cope has helped other parents manage the stress of raising children, good for the Gosselins. If in that process, it has proved lucrative for Jon and Kate, I wish them well — they have eight kids to put though college. I can't imagine the woman who carried six children at once and her patient and loving husband would ever put themselves before their seemingly well-adjusted, smart, wonderfully playful and adorable children. If you aren't a fan of the family, turn the channel.

Read Related:  
on Yahoo!

54 Comments Add a Comment

  • gab6784's picture
    gab6784
    1

    I actually had never seen the show until yesterday and I just decided to turn to it because of all the coverage it gets here on lilsugar. I think they are great and the kids are all adorable and surprisingly well behaved. I agree with you, if people don't like it they should just change the channel.

    17 weeks 14 hours ago Report Comment
  • pinkprincess1101's picture
    pinkprincess1101
    2

    that is so not right they seem very involved in all 8 kids lives and tend to all 8 kids needs, while juggling work sick kids mad kids, i will admit sometimes kate gets on my nerves the way she treats john, but hey he is in it for the long run and if he doesnt care oh well and maddy thats another story

    17 weeks 14 hours ago Report Comment
  • Greggie's picture
    Greggie
    3

    I dislike it intensely but still watch it once in awhile, to cement why I cannot stand Kate. I shouldn't have to change the channel just because people don't agree with me.

    I don't get dedicating a website to not liking it, but Jon and Kate aren't the only targets of stuff like this. Pop itself probably wouldn't be that successful without people posting about stuff they dislike. Britney Spears probably has thousands of websites dedicated specifically to slamming her.

    I also don't see what's wrong with saying Jon and Kate do it for the money, especially if they acknowledge it.

    17 weeks 14 hours ago Report Comment
  • CJaneTyp's picture
    CJaneTyp
    4

    Hm. I always assumed they were getting paid for the show; why on earth would they do it otherwise? Nothing wrong with that. At least they are not on public assistance or something.

    17 weeks 14 hours ago Report Comment
  • tatsauce's picture
    tatsauce
    5

    I love this show! How can you not love these kids? I'm not a mom but know a lot of hardworking mommas, it's tough!

    17 weeks 14 hours ago Report Comment
  • YayaOzoHead's picture
    YayaOzoHead
    6

    Seriously, a show about the daily poops and hissy fits of 8 kids and the parents who are too stressed out to breathe . . . not really what I want to watch after having dealt with my own kid all day. I was interested at first when they did a one-time special on them, but after marathon after marathon on TLC, enough already! It's right up there with the Duggards and Little People Big World. There's only so much they can cover before it gets repetitive and start reaching for story lines.

    17 weeks 13 hours ago Report Comment
  • numbnutz's picture
    numbnutz
    7

    Um why should anyone feel sorry for people who made a choice to have this many children. I don't hate them, I'm totally indifferent and don't know why they are the center of attention in the first place. There are thousands of poor families who have multiple birth for reasons ranging from poor education and lack of birth control (come on man, we are human who can't abstain all our lives) to religious reasons. I'd much rather give attention to families who actually need help.

    17 weeks 13 hours ago Report Comment
  • wadewifey3's picture
    wadewifey3
    8

    I love the show but I can see how people wouldn't like it or Kate at all. There's always going to be haters and lovers in life. I could care less whether other people watch the show or not or if people have entire sites hating them. Doesn't make a difference to me.

    Leah and Alexis are dolls Smiling

    17 weeks 13 hours ago Report Comment
  • mother's picture
    mother
    11

    I like the show, love watching the kids more than the parents. I think Kate is super-harsh at times to Jon, but I guess that comes with the stress of having that many kids. I have twins and my husband and I snap at each other at times, too, but after watching the embarrassing moments episode, I feel like even after Kate watched herself being nasty to him, she still had to justify her point and just couldn't say she was sorry and be done with it.

    I would definitely agree that if you don't like the show, turn it off. I would expect that they are being compensated in some way for the show, and if certain companies choose to give them free products or services, then that is their choice. I also agree that there are millions of well-deserving families out there who are struggling with a lot more than the Gosselins who could use help, so I can't feel too bad about the haters. Although these people coming up with these websites clearly have WAY too much time on their hands, as with any type of celebrity status, you have to expect the attention, be it positive or negative, and deal with it when you choose to put yourself out there. I just wonder if Jon and Kate have given any thought to how these kids are going to feel about this when they get older, and if it will affect them negatively as they grow up.

    17 weeks 13 hours ago Report Comment
  • CaterpillarGirl's picture
    CaterpillarGirl
    12

    I adore the Gosselins, there are always going to be people who hate , especially on a family that loves eachother so much and who has captured the hearts of america. Some people dont like Kate , and i can understand why , she can be the ice queen at times, but she cleary is dedicated to her family and her husband.

    17 weeks 13 hours ago Report Comment
  • adw7984's picture
    adw7984
    13

    I love those kids! They are the only reason I watch this show. However, I do think you can see with Mady and Cara how the cameras are affecting their lives. Cara is never on camera anymore, it is almost like she is trying to get away from it! Those twins probably get so sick of having their tantrums on tv.

    Monday's episode was truly painful to watch...I would add Kate yelling at Jon in that episode to their most embarrassing moments. She was treating him like a child and can never admit that she is wrong.....ugh! I try to fast forward through Kate and Jon.

    17 weeks 13 hours ago Report Comment
  • romaniagrl's picture
    romaniagrl
    14

    The show was interesting in the beginning, but there's only so much I can watch before it's kind of redundant. They seem like nice people, but I always wondered why they have broken relationships with Kate's parents. You would think grandparents would be a great resource when you have that many kids.

    17 weeks 12 hours ago Report Comment
  • mannylove's picture
    mannylove
    15

    Of course they get compensation for the show...why would you continue to do it otherwise?! Think of the hassle and inconvenience of having an entire crew, cameras, etc. inside your house all the time. I like the show & them, I enjoy watching and couldn't agree with your post any more. They are just real people...what husband and wife don't yell at each other from time to time, etc., especially with all the stress they have in their home!

    17 weeks 12 hours ago Report Comment
  • faerymagick15's picture
    faerymagick15
    16

    don't watch it, don't want to, but why bash them? I guess some people just don't have enough things to do with their time.

    17 weeks 12 hours ago Report Comment
  • stephley's picture
    stephley
    17

    I'm not nuts about the show and often wonder if it's good for the children but I can't condemn it. Kate gets on my nerves but I admire how she pulls everything together even if it isn't how I would have done it. They both seem like devoted, loving parents - of course they're compensated and of course they have people help them. If they didn't have help, I imagine the show would be two exhausted parents staring glassy-eyed at eight kids running wild.

    17 weeks 12 hours ago Report Comment
  • arienne's picture
    arienne
    19

    I don't understand why their getting paid for the show is a bad thing. It allows them to make some extra income while spending time with their children. I know a lot of working mothers who would like to stay home. A job you can do with your kids seems like a great solution to me.

    17 weeks 11 hours ago Report Comment
  • lickety split's picture
    lickety split
    20

    i heard kate say something like "people ask if they have grandparents. well yes they do but they are not in their lifes on a aily basis". i took that to mean that the rest of the family didn't agree with the show.

    the sister needs to get another hobby. weird. she maintains a site dedicated to hate? o-kay.

    this is a lovely family, imperfect as they may be, who hasn't made comments they wish they had not? this show allows them to earn an income that will support 8 kids and she gets to stay home and raise them.

    17 weeks 11 hours ago Report Comment
  • Swedeybebe's picture
    Swedeybebe
    21

    i completely concur!! i ADORE this show, and i ADORE this family! these people manage the craziest household, and do it well. the kids seem very well adjusted, and jon & kate stress the important things in life- like family & friends, treating others the way you would like to be treated, etc...
    just like you said, kate always mentions that the things they do, trips they take, people they meet, are solely because they are doing this show- they wouldnt be able to do any of it otherwise. could you imagine how much it would cost to take their family to go to the crayola factory let alone DISNEYWORLD??
    honestly, i would like to think that most people who dislike the gosselins may have a tinge of jealousy!

    17 weeks 11 hours ago Report Comment
  • amers230's picture
    amers230
    22

    i love watching the show (even though Kate drives me nuts) but there have been rumors about what Jon and Kate are really like for a looong time. it's a half hour show, noone really knows what these people are like.

    like i said earlier, i'm a fan of the show and i love watching what the kids get up to but Jon and Kate (and anyone really) cannot believe that negative things shouldn't be said about this family simply because it will impact the kids. if they are so worried about it they shouldn't allow their kids to be filmed, period. there's a price for everything.

    and i skimmed that blog you were talking about and it doesn't seem as much of a hate blog as an "in defense of my sister Jodi" blog." It sounds like there was drama between Jodi and Kate and the writer feels Jodi got the bad end of the deal. (lol can you tell i'm sick and have nothing better to do with my time than putz around online?)

    17 weeks 10 hours ago Report Comment
  • graylen's picture
    graylen
    23

    I'm with amers230. If you read the site, it isn't dedicated to hating on the Gosselins. It has several posts in defense of her sister, Jodi. It basically says that Jon and Kate aren't necessarily being truthful about what help they are getting, while asking for help under the precept of them not having hardly any assistance. It also talks about how Kate told Jodi she would no longer be needed when the producers wanted to pay Jodi because she was on so often. It is not complimentary towards Kate (if what I've seen from the 30 minute episodes is any indication, Kate doesn't exactly seem to be the epitome of sweetness). I hope the kids are getting plenty of time without camera crews filming everything. They are cute kids, but they didn't get any say on how that would affect their lives.

    17 weeks 10 hours ago Report Comment
  • Greggie's picture
    Greggie
    24

    Does simply stating that I don't like the show and can't stand Kate count as "bashing"? I don't know if the comment was directed at me or not.

    I like the kids. The kids are adorable.

    17 weeks 10 hours ago Report Comment
  • macgirl's picture
    macgirl
    25

    greggie, I didn't take that comment as directed towards you... but obviously I didn't make it so I can't speak for the poster.

    I find it interesting the amount of time and energy that people sometimes put into being hateful. I had a problem with someone on another sugar site and when I looked at her comment history 99.99% of her comments were negative. I find that in my life I don't have this negativity because I'm happy. I've had times in my life when I wasn't and looking back I was much more negative. So these kind of hate sites just make me sad for the creators and their sad lives.

    17 weeks 9 hours ago Report Comment
  • Greggie's picture
    Greggie
    26

    I just wanted to be sure since sometimes it's hard to tell. Also, I've had bad experiences with Jon and Kate fans (not generally here) thinking that any dislike of the show translates into a bashing and personal insult.

    I assume it's directed at the web-site, but I like to clarify just to be sure. I don't think the website is hugely bad, but like I said, I don't get the point.

    17 weeks 9 hours ago Report Comment
  • MartiniLush's picture
    MartiniLush
    27

    I've watched this show only twice...all it did was cement in my mind that my decision to only have one child is the right one for me at this time! Eye-wink I can only imagine what it would be like to have 8 kids tugging at me all day. I don't blame them for getting compensated, I mean, there is no way I would let a film crew follow me around all day and record all those personal things about me with out some compensation!! Why bash them?

    17 weeks 8 hours ago Report Comment
  • kendallina's picture
    kendallina
    28

    I love this show and this family! I can't believe anyone would take the time to dedicate an entire website to smearing their name. So sad! Sad

    17 weeks 7 hours ago Report Comment
  • LiLRuck44's picture
    LiLRuck44
    29

    I didn't read any of the hate sites (can't spend energy on that) but I did skim Jodi's sister's blog. Seems more like what amers and graylen said, just defending Jodi more than anything.

    The kids are very cute, but I don't really watch the show anymore. I just find it pretty negative.

    17 weeks 7 hours ago Report Comment
  • Ashybaylor's picture
    Ashybaylor
    30

    Preach it sister! They are great, I would do the same things if I had 8 kids.

    17 weeks 7 hours ago Report Comment
  • kia's picture
    kia
    31

    I love Jon and Kate Plus 8. I want to have kids one day and my husband and I enjoy their show and the glimpse into their lives with their cool kids. I am also shocked that these sites exist. All I gotta say is that the folks who engage in these sites are nothing but haters.

    17 weeks 6 hours ago Report Comment
  • phatE's picture
    phatE
    32

    comes with the territory of having their live on a reality tv show.. it puts them out there to be judged and questioned and it doesn't surprise me so many people do.. i hope they are able to avoid the negative and shrug it off, i think how they handle it will speak louder than anything else. i do admire the humility they show and the appreciation they have for how people have helped or given to them.the show is obviously a benefit to their family and quality of life so i guess that out weighs the negative publicity for them..

    17 weeks 6 hours ago Report Comment
  • Tracy3906's picture
    Tracy3906
    33

    After watching them from the beginning; I have cancelled my timer for their show. I'm so saddened and disgusted with Kate's treatment of Jon and her utter disregard for his legitimate concerns about how she treats him. It is NOT OK. I have a busy house too and sometimes take it out on my husband. And I have to admit it and say I'm sorry. Having kids does not excuse treating another person poorly. And I'm thinking this can not be healthy for the children. I can't believe how frequently there are new shows! About nothing!

    17 weeks 5 hours ago Report Comment
  • lellybear's picture
    lellybear
    34

    i love this show. i especially love when there are marathons. the kids are so flippin' adorable. with one exception, like pink said, mady. that child is absurd. i get that she's just a kid but good grief. my parents would have never put up with me being that much of a brat. no way. i dislike watching her tantrums more than kate's.
    and jon, he's a great dad from what i've seen and he takes so much crap from kate. i'm waiting for the day he loses it and gives it right back to her.
    team jon!

    17 weeks 5 hours ago Report Comment
  • ajennilynrushhh's picture
    ajennilynrushhh
    35

    So people are getting mad because they're making money of the show? And they know it also, and they do appreciate the opportunities that has been given to them. And what's wrong if they're getting paid for the show? Kate quit her nursing job to take care of all the kids. Wouldn't you if you had 8 kids? And it's not like Jon could financially support everyone by himself plus with the rest of their bills, food, clothes, their house, etc. If people wanna get mad and hate, then whatever. But I love their show. Even though Kate does irritate me sometimes because the way she treats Jon and Maddy is kinda annoying too. The kids are soo adorable! Esp. Alexis, Leah, and Hannah Smiling Geez, they got 8 kids, but Jon & Kate can get things under control even though they're super stressed out.

    16 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • JennyJen's picture
    JennyJen
    36

    I wonder if Said sister is getting advertising $$ for her site. Hmmmm .. it is okay for her to benifit - and all she doies is share some genes with someone.

    I love Jon and Kate plus 8 - and I hope they keep making episodes.

    16 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • Greggie's picture
    Greggie
    38

    "comes with the territory of having their live on a reality tv show.. it puts them out there to be judged and questioned and it doesn't surprise me so many people do"

    Excellent point. Is Pop not supposed to comment on Denise Richards' show because children are involved?

    It's a choice they made, and if they didn't know going into it, then they're a lot more naive than they appear. I don't think it's a good thing that people dedicate websites to it, but I don't understand being appalled or demanding the "hate" end.

    16 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • depeche3's picture
    depeche3
    39

    I am absolutely obsessed with this show. Yes, Jon & Kate bicker but what married couple doesn't. You can still see how much they love each other and the kids. And, who can't resist watching those adorable kids and their antics. I hope they have several more seasons of this show.

    16 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • skigurl's picture
    skigurl
    40

    it's a great show...i mean, the kids are so well-behaved (with the exception of maddy) and jon and kate do an awesome job, considering...i mean, she's annoying some times, but frig, she has 8 children. give the woman a break!!

    and furthermore, obviously they're only filmed like once a month. i mean, it's not like the cameras are around day after day after day. each episode is about a day or two worth of activity, and it's always very specific activities, it's not like they follow them around in hopes that one day they'll do something exciting

    16 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment