Happy Marathon Hump Day! Things have been hectic here in Baby Mama's home, so I am thankful I have another great post by a woman named Karen. It was posted on Facebook and I feel that it represents alot of your feelings as you take the journey that is Jon & Kate.....
"Being originally a big BIG fan of JK+8, and then having read various blogs and websites online for the past few months has really soured my appreciation for them. And from that point on, I've been watching the episodes with a skeptical eye and being wary of all their actions that seem to coincide with all the negative stuff online. But recently, I've been retracing my thoughts and realized that my extreme admiration for them still exists.
I started watching JK+8 from the very beginning with the one hour specials. I remember being in a hotel room and flipping through the channels when I noticed the sight of so many little babies and the scene of Kate talking about how Cara was her "helper girl" in cooking. I've always had an interest in baby shows and children from mixed heritages and large families, so naturally this show appealed to me. And when the weekly episodes came on, I was absolutely thrilled! I really adored Jon and Kate and how they were able to raise their amazing family. My thoughts at the time were just, "Wow, what an amazing family, how blessed and lucky they were, and how I really looked up to Jon and Kate's relationship". I loved seeing Jon and Kate interact with each other because it seemed so real and full of love. I just loved the show SO much! I could not get enough of it.
Then, the shift occurred. I somehow found out about GWoP and Julie's blog. I was present in the group when Julie first posted here about the link to her fan group of Aunt Jodi. Soon, I became an avid reader of GWoP and found out more and more about JK+8. I became sceptical, thinking that JK were not as real as they seemed on television, and became very affected by all the info that I read. Nevertheless, I didn't become a "hater" as some of you like to say, but rather, I approached the entire thing with lots of questions, and wanting to inspire others to talk about it also. I didn't know the entire truth, but only knew the side of what was happening through the online community. As some of you might have noticed, I've participated in a number of discussion boards on here, trying to find the truth on an objective level as much as I could.
From that point on to the last couple of weeks, I've still been a fan and watching the shows, but what was being said online always lurked in the back of my head.
Then, another change occurred. I thought to myself, there's so many people coming up online that say so many things of what they believe to be true of JK. And so many of those things are purely negative things that bash Kate and their decision of doing the show. Yes, the children are "exploited" in a sense, and yes they are "living off the show" and receiving freebies left right and center, and there is still the question of their extended family members. But I've realized, just by watching the show, the kids are happy and receiving so much that they wouldn't have if they didn't do the show. And most people really don’t know what it’s like to raise 8 small children. I still think Jon and Kate are SO very lucky to have so many beautiful kids. I don’t know what the future holds for them, but I still admire them very, very much.
Basically, I've come from a long way. From being a devoted fan, to being a skeptical fan, to being almost “hateful”, and now coming full circle to being a fan again.
I don’t know how others have felt about the issue (those who know all the controversies surrounding the Gosselins), but this has been my take on the entire thing. I’m looking forward to more episodes though, but only if Jon and Kate decide that it is in their best interests to continue.
Thanks for reading :) Props to anyone who read the whole thing :D"
Additions To "My Favorite Kate Recipes"
When I first started this blog the last week of July this was the third blog I did. I added Korean Beef Bulgogi in honor of Jon. You can see all the recipes HERE.
4 comments:
Thanks Karen (and Baby Mama). I read it all!
Your post resonates with me. I post on GDNNOP a lot. I am generally a Gosselin defender, but like you, I have read various accounts of disgruntled friends and family and had a few doubts along the way.
I don't pretend to have all the answers, but what I have basically decided is that J&K may have issues and may have done some unkind things in their life, but they are human like you, me and the person down the street. I don't have a serious concern about the present effect of the show on the children, although I think it should remain the paramount consideration for everyone involved. At the end of the day, however, J&K are the parents and they get to make the decisions for their kids .
Thanks again for an interesting read.
"I don't pretend to have all the answers, but what I have basically decided is that J&K may have issues and may have done some unkind things in their life, but they are human like you, me and the person down the street."
I understand that, but the whole Kate flipping out because TLC offered to pay Jodi as a recurring character bothers me. I still love the show, I still like Jon and Kate despite their flaws and enjoy watching them, but in my gut I believe that to be the truth. And it bothers me. Just being honest.
The same thing happened to me - was a fan, read the blogs, became skeptical and suspicious but I still like the show.
I thought about it and realized there is not really any concrete or reliable evidence of anything. So I will watch the show for what it is - an entertainging show. And I will look forward to the next time Aaden does one of his little dances.
I have just recently become just like Karen, and in the same order. I just got sick of reading all the negative and really, really mean things that made the G's into really evil people. I do not and never did believe that, but it is so easy to get wrapped up in the "group" mentality. I am ashamed of myself for being like that. I do not think Kate is perfect, I have seen for myself some really mean things she has done on the show and in her behavior to others, but I do believe that she loves her children very much, they seem happy to me, and she and Jon have a different relationship than I would, but if it works for them, who am I to criticize them? After all, I'm not raising 8 children, 6 of them the same age! I still enjoy the show and my 8 yr. old granddaughter and I watch it every week together.
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