Okay, hookers – fair warning. Tonight is the season premiere of Jon & Kate + 8 and I will be watching. Not because I love little childers, or unusually large families or abnormally high incidences of twins. No, I will be watching because these people are like the tragic tractor-trailer-car-cow accident you can’t help but stare at, mouth agape. I don’t follow the show all that closely, just whenever I happen to see it on – in fact, this will be the first time I am setting the DVR for it. And like most of you, the recent tabloid scandal du jour regarding these masochists has piqued my interest, so I want to see what happens.
Now, just to get it out there ahead of time:
- I will not be giving fair and balanced consideration to the various difficult family situations for these people
- I will not be watching the show while keeping my own baseless assumptions in check
- I will be judging their marriage and behavior of their brood
- I will be snarking, probably unfairly, on Kate’s hair, Jon’s hairplugs, and the venomous looks I will think they are giving each other
Of course, if the show turns out to be a total bore I’ll be watching either The Dog Whisperer or playoff basketball instead.
ButtercupPunch - "La clique, c’est chic!" 
May 25, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Much like Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, these are two people of whose existence I would be unaware except for the internet, as I’ve never seen this show (nor have I seen “The Hills”).
I now know intimate details of how their marriage is falling apart, Kate’s controlling ways, and Jon’s flagrant cheating with a 23-yo school teacher. Still, HAVE NEVER SEEN NOR WANTED TO SEE THE SHOW.
The internet is amazing in its ability to provide useless and unwanted information like that. Also, I thought their children had Down’s Syndrome and that was the point of the reality show, but it seems that is not the case.
May 25, 2009 at 7:21 pm
There is a sextuplet (the one with the very thick glasses) that, in my opinion, seems to be lagging a bit developmentally, but I am just going by my many years in education and what the editors choose to show on TV. I’d hesitate to say he’s got something as serious as Down’s or Autism, HOWEVER a child with severe eyesight issues at such a young age can easily get behind in school, often unnoticed until it’s too late. Just sayin’.
May 26, 2009 at 12:41 am
I used to work with developmentally and physically disabled kids and thought, oh, this is great, if it’s not exploitative! Just normal family life, could be very educational.
Again, does not seem to be the case. Just some people with too many children rewarded with a reality show for their fertility drama.
May 26, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I agree with you on this – in fact, it looks to me like all of the boys might be (as we say very unkindly in the south), ‘ a little slow’.
but I have no basis for this perception besides possibly wonky eye placement.
May 25, 2009 at 5:27 pm
My teenaged daughter is hooked on this show. She cannot believe how the wife treats the husband, and is enthralled and now delighted by it after news of the cheating emerged. She will be watching tonight as well.
TF: I have only seen it once or twice but the tension between husband and wife is profound. That’s what makes it so good.
May 25, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Yeah, Kate’s a shrill control freak, and Jons a passive-aggressive moron. BUT I didn’t give 2 flying farts about these people, UNTIL Kate gave an interview to People Magazine to complain about how the media is “making her life hell”. REALLY!!?!? KATE! REALLY!?!?!
These two deserve each other. She needs control and he needs a mother. Train-wreck… hell yes I’ll watch that!
I will never forget the ep where they answered viewer mail, and someone asked Kate if she minded that none of her kids looked like her, and she announced didn’t mind at all because she “always wanted a bunch of Asian babies”. My jaw hit the freakin’ floor. What a sad woman.
May 25, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Jesus Hell, Kadinsky, I love you so much right now.
May 25, 2009 at 10:24 pm
You totally need to be liveblogging this… she is driving me insane! What the difference between the paparazzi and the TLC crew? GAH!
May 25, 2009 at 10:54 pm
They’re the 10 car pile up that just begs for attention, so I’ll gladly snark with you Kadinsky!
I suspect they’re so accustom/addicted to the freebies and easy money of the reality TV lifestyle they’ll find a way to tolerate one another to keep the cash cow alive and kicking.
As for Kate’s hair, just goes to prove you can take the girl out of the trailer park but you can’t totally get the trailer park out of the girl.
May 26, 2009 at 7:30 am
I just feel sorry for the kids. They didn’t ask to be born to two fame whoring nutjobs. They’re going to need some serious therapy down the road.
May 26, 2009 at 8:43 am
I hate both of them with a fiery passion. They are both verbally and emotionally abusive to each other. One of the twins, is really evil and needs a timeout. For the sake of their spawn, they need to turn to marriage counseling and turn the cameras off.
My hatred for the Gosselins manifested itself when their visit to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital turned into a giant product placement for Kmart and Despereaux. It was pretty disgusting.
Kate also had the nerve to distribute to the children a CD mix of songs that she listened to when she was bedridden in the hospital. I bet good money that there was some Michael Bolton and Celine Dion songs on that CD.
May 26, 2009 at 12:31 pm
“..distribute to the children a CD mix of songs that she listened to when she was bedridden in the hospital.”
NO.
May 26, 2009 at 12:29 pm
man, I love you bitches.
So! my highlights from the premiere:
– Jon is a child, now becoming a resentful teenager who purposely tries not to do anything that Kate wants him to. this includes showing up to the bday party (in his flashy little sports car?? please.) and just sitting around unless given explicit instructions to help.
– Kate is full of shit with her “we will never have a nanny” lines. who else would be watching the litter while she gets that fabulous mullet FROSTED and her spray tan on?
– The solo interviews are great, it really gives you a better platform to see each of their crazy.
– They will need a bigger couch for the couple interview because I have never seen two people sit SO FAR apart on one love seat before.
– I like how they tried to top each other when they were insisting that EVERYTHING THEY DO IS FOR THE KIDS, because of course we all know everything is for the children, such as.
– I want to know how soon the litter is going into therapy and will it be pay-per-view?
May 26, 2009 at 1:30 pm
If the Trailer Park Mullet Queen and her whipping boy could guarantee $$$, damn strait their therapy will be pay-per-view!
May 26, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Seriously, the last time I sat so far away from someone on a couch it was to break up with them in my therapist’s office.
What!?!?
May 26, 2009 at 2:32 pm
I used to watch it, I can’t anymore. It used to be funny in an obnoxious sort of way. But now it’s just horrendously sad. I can’t watch the destruction of their marriage and the children’s sanity. I saw the episode last night. When Kate started talking about how the twins were really pitching in to help with the little ones, I almost lost it. They are helping in hopes it will put their parents back together you dumb box! Turn off the freakin’ cameras and get your sorry butts to counseling or to separate lives. This is just prolonging the agony for everyone.
May 26, 2009 at 3:56 pm
I know! those twins are going to *hate* having to be caretakers to the sextuplets, bet.
May 26, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Speaking of THAT hair, one of the weeklies (I’m not digging through our massive pile at work) had a poll on its website asking if people wanetd Kate’s hair. 51% said no.
Who is this 49%?
May 26, 2009 at 3:58 pm
I want Kate’s hair to get into a fight with Trump’s hair.
May 26, 2009 at 4:08 pm
I really want Kanye to consider this:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/15-celebrities-that-look-hot-with-kate-gosselins
May 26, 2009 at 11:19 pm
Clearly, those numbers are consistent with the Prop. 8 results in CA last November.
And we all know it wasn’t the gay who want that hair.
KA-CHOW!
May 27, 2009 at 3:29 am
I wish we could post videos in the comments. Because I keep hearing Blondie’s “Rip Her to Shreds”.