Thursday, November 20, 2008

Jon & Kate Speaking Engagement Review

I wanted to share this with you as its one persons account of a recent Jon & Kate speaking engagement. Read it HERE. While I will work more on this post, it was important to get it up on a fan site because it was linked (with or without permission) by GWOP. Now remember a few months back when they took video and pictures from a fans site without her permission? Well she wound up putting it on You Tube for her family had to immediately take it down..

Its important for blogs like this to not be engulfed in the haters from GWOP. Please read and feel free to leave your own comments here or there. And if any of you went to this, I am also trying to get more reviews from more people who might have had a different view or experience. Most that I have spoken to said they were charming and the speaking engagements are always alot of fun. Let me know what you think.. UPDATE: Did you see the guy Mike in the comments section that wrote about meeting Jon & Kate? Read it HERE. It was so cute!

25 comments:

Dina said...

Everything I've read about people attending speaking engagements, has been very nice and pleasant. I did read the article you posted of "katies" experience, and honestly when I read it, I felt sorry for her, I dont know what she expected from Jon & Kate?

~duckie~ said...

Hopefully when the kids turn 12 they can really start to speak out for themselves and their younger siblings (hopefully something will have happend between now and then that is 4 years); and they can really tell their parents that they are very tired of the circus that is around them.

And I am, with everyone else, really tired of PA not doing anything about the child acting laws. There has to be something in place especially when so many movies have been filmed in Pittsburgh and Philly.

And anyone who thinks that scripted reality tv should not be included in acting or production laws needs a brain transplant. When you have a clapper to introduce or redo a spontaneous scene, the parents tell interviewers that they sometimes eat at the "organic" craft-food services tables, and we are always reminded that the show is their "family" job, I believe that is when a reality show becomes a scripted show.
~duckie~

Anonymous said...

I feel bad for that blogger. I would never want someone to link my personal blog to a hate site or any other site. But seriously Jon and Kate were just there to speak. They were not specifically there to sign autographs and yet she got one. So she should be thankful.

I wouldn't want Kate's autograph. I love Kate. but what would I need it for? LOL she is just a normal person. Just my opinion though.

All those haters comments are really very judgemental. I'm sure they don't know anyone else who's rude and stressed out and nags their spouse and gets mad at their kids. I'm sorry but tons of people do that. It is human to make mistakes. I hate how everyone expects Kate to be perfect just because she is on TV.

If she truly is a brat then she is a brat but their are tons of brats in the world. So they need to move on.

I'm still a huge Kate fan. :)

Denise said...

There's a new National Enquirer story that is pretty negative

The Travel Mom said...

Apparently there is a person that feeds all this garbage that is from GWOP. I would laugh my behind off if it ever got back it was Julie. She is still lurking there and actually posted recently, but "insists" she doesn't watch the show..yeah right. Someone is taking the garbage from that site and making money by selling the lies to NE. Its all about money...

Anonymous said...

you know, Jon and Kate are only human - they have good days and bad days.

Artsy Gal said...

I think this is all TLC here:

I think what we should notice here is that most (if not all of this) is TLC's doing.

First, for anyone who thinks Jon and Kate are exploiting their kids - what about TLC and their exploitation of the whole family? They probably make a heck of a lot more money off the show than the Gosselin family themselves do for actually doing the show. If anyone's the culprit here, it should be TLC, not the Gosselin family. TLC and the ratings is what's created such a huge popularity of the show. I don't believe Jon and Kate ever expected things to get this big, and they're probably in over their heads.

Most networks "think" they know what people want, and very rarely are they right. It could be that TLC was thinking "Gee, it would be so boring if we continued showing the family doing mundane, everyday things here at home" - plus, they'd run out of ideas a lot faster. Also, has anyone noticed that Jon and Kate faught more back in the days before they went on trips and everything? That says to me - it could have been the producers/network trying to create drama for more ratings.

Now, that we see them go on trips more, you notice the couple doesn't appear to be bickering as much? It's likely because the network feels that they're gaining people's interests by showing the family in a different environment - doing something different and going on a trip somewhere, that Jon and Kate don't have to fight as much to help out the ratings. I'm not saying that all their fights are/were fake, but I do feel they probably had some help from the producers. But even that plan has backfired, because now many viewers have problems seeing the family go on trips.

I once tried finding a direct email address on TLC's website, but - I couldn't find one. It might be helpful if they had a way people could contact them, telling them what the viewers would prefer. That way the network can really know what the viewers would like to see and even perhaps give some show suggestions.

Lesa said...

First, for anyone who thinks Jon and Kate are exploiting their kids - what about TLC and their exploitation of the whole family? They probably make a heck of a lot more money off the show than the Gosselin family themselves do for actually doing the show. If anyone's the culprit here, it should be TLC, not the Gosselin family.

All they have to do is end the show. Simple as that.

Yet is goes on and on... hmmm....

Anonymous said...

I'd just like to say that I applaud and respect this site's owner for letting not just the comments that agree with her up, but everyone's opinion up. That is more than we can say for the other blogs that attempt to make it look like everyone agrees with them by deleting any comment that even slightly disagrees with them.

I do also think that TLC pushes a lot of it. The bigger the show gets the more overwhelmed Jon and Kate most likely become. And yes they could stop the show, but knowing that they want to give their kids everything before they stop the show, I'm sure they feel torn. I am sure that TLC offers them more money every year to continue the show.

I do not look at them as being greedy. I see it as they see that they have 8 kids and they look at what TLC has done for them and they know they never would have gotten anywhere near that on their own. I have heard both of them express gratitude several times. I really don't know why people expect so much more from this family. So many people would do this for the money especially with our nation and the way things are right now. It gives them and thier children wonderful opportunities and experiences. But I'm tired of people singling them out like anyone else wouldn't jump at a big wad of money if they had 8 kids.

I wish people wouldn't be so quick to judge. It is not as if any one of us is on the set with them and sees what goes on. We are not in Jon and Kate’s bedroom when they talk to each other before they go to sleep. And just because it may appear that Cara was upset that day does not mean that she is tired of the show. I remember being that age and I got into moods like that too and It wasn't because I was on a TV show growing up. It’s normal for all people to have good and bad moments. A lot of people always want to jump so quickly to the conclusion that they must be tired of the show when they are mean or upset. None of us know any of them personally. So we can't say that for sure sorry.

Anyway… I love this site!

BEE said...

I can really relate to "Katie's" experience of seeing Jon and Kate at a speaking engagement.

I saw Jon and Kate last february and thought they did a great job as far as telling their story etc. They were very inspirational and both my husband and I got a lot out of it. I would definitly go and see them again!!

However, Jon and Kate were just as "Katie" described. They were nice and funny, Jon did hold a baby that was in the audience, but besides that they certainly didn't walk the aisles shaking hands or anything of the sort.

I will be honest and say that I was a tad disappointed like "Katie". It took me a few days after seeing their speaking engagement to realize why I had so throughly enjoyed what they had "said" at the engagement but why I had been put off a bit by their lack of warm fuzzies to the audience.

It was because as a fan that watches the show every week I feel like I KNOW them to a certain degree. In reality I am aware that I only know what I see on TV and to say that I KNOW Jon and Kate would be nothing more then a lie.

However, I expected more out of Jon and Kate during that speaking engagement and that is where my dissappointment stemmed from. I GET "Katie's" dissappointment when Jon and Kate didn't run over to her and the other fans to give them autographs and simply say "hello". But I also GET why Jon and Kate didn't. They don't know "Katie" anymore then the strangers that bombard them at the airports or that blast them on the internet.

Sure, it would be nice if perhaps the Gosselins could be a little warmer in public. I bet if "Katie" and the other waiting fans had received a smile and wave of the hand from Jon and Kate as they went out the back door, then "Katie" might not of been dissappointed at all.

But I also had to remind myself that there are many reasons why the Gosselins do the speaking engagements. And YES money is one of them....it IS a part of their "job".

If anyone gets the opportunity to go and see Jon and Kate talk, I would reccomend it!!

Lesa said...

I do not look at them as being greedy.

Not greedy? You can't be serious. They just bought a 1.3 million dollar house, when the one they had was fine.
They have been on more trips in the last year, than I have in my lifetime. (All paid for by someone else, that's what invited means)
They get all their clothes for FREE from expensive stores.

And if they want to give their kids "everything" they should consider what they really need. They don't need 12 vacations, they need their parents. They need friends and family.
Material things are NOT as important as a normal life.

Dina said...

Lesa, if someone gave you all those free trips and free clothes etc. you would take them in a heart beat, you know you would!

I thought this was a fan blog???

Lesa said...

You are right. It is a fan blog.

I'll leave you alone to worship J&K.

Anonymous said...

Yeah... so anyway did I meantion I think this site rocks? Well I do. :)

~Jordyn said...

Mention* you mean? Yeah I love this blog!

Pam said...

I don't think people here worship Jon and Kate. I don't understand how buying a new house equals being greedy. I don't care how much the house cost. Many people in this country live in homes that are beautiful and expensive. Why are you holding Jon and Kate to a different standard?

We have no idea what is going on in their life with their family and friends.We do not truly know if there are family rifts. If they are having problems with certain family members, they very well could be having them if they were dirt poor and holding down four jobs between them and living in an apartment.

Anonymous said...

I have riffs with my family and I'm dirt poor.

....Who here thinks Alexis is a cutie... raise your hands!

Dina said...

Aww I LOVE LOVE LOVE Alexis!! She is def. one of my favorite Gosseling beauties.

Anonymous said...

Lesa - my goodness, jealous much?? What on earth is greedy about a family buying a bigger and more expensive house for their family of ten people if they have the money to do so?? Sheesh - I have three kids, and if my husband's job suddenly started paying in tons more money, or someone offered me oddles of money for making a tv show about my life, you betcha I'd buy a bigger house!! How can you say the house they had was fine?? They have 8kids!!! They are on top of eachother in that house! It's about time they got a bigger house - they deserve it! I for one am happy for them. And why shouldn't they accept the invitations to all those beautiful places? If someone offered me free trips to great place, and free clothes from Gymboree and The Gap for my kids, I'd take it in a heartbeat. And so would you. You will deny it here, but no freakin way would you say no thanks if you were offered all of that, and no way would you keep your family of ten in a 4 bedroom tiny house if you could afford better. No way!!

Carol B said...

I LOVE Alexis, she and Aaden are my favorites. Collin's a close third.

Nobody knows how much their new house cost; it's all speculation. It may have been 1.3 million, it may have been 10 million. It might have cost them nothing, they might have had to contribute some, who knows. For many people in the world, an $80K house here is a mansion. They work every bit as hard as we do while living in tin shacks.

I don't understand all the jealousy and resentment. There are many, many millionaires and billionaires in this country, why focus on this one family? Who, by the way, are not all that wealthy in the grand scheme of things.

Finally, being a fan of anything does not equal worship. Illogical snide remarks do not further anyone's point of view.

Cindi said...

This blog does rock, I only wish I would have thought of it first! My very generous father in law just bought us a laptop so now I can leave comments on this site from my couch - yea! I guess some posters on this site would say that accepting his gift makes me greedy, greedy, greedy!

~duckie~ said...

Fine... We are jealous that Mr. & Mrs. Gosselin were able to buy a $1.3mil dollar home. I know I am b/c I live in a trailer that gets freezing pipes in the winter and the heating is really bad and the money I make at my full time jobs doesn't give me the luxuary to buy a home that I really want for only $45,000.

But, the true reason why I am jealous is b/c they were GIVEN money to buy that home from people who go and see them speak and more then likely believe that they don't have any money to buy milk let alone a home.

And now they are going to have this "yard sale" why can't they just pay the stuff forward? Give the items, that they were more then likely given for free, to others who really are in need and can't afford to buy them even at a yard sale.

Like someone said who really turns down free items when they really need them. Well I know someone that would... that would be my mother. We were a very poor family that didn't even have car while I was growing up and even though we needed some charity my mother made sure that what we were given and didn't need anymore was given to someone else who did. We also volunteered at the soup kitchen when were one of the families that need the help. We felt that it was our "FAMILY JOB" to do that!
~duckie~

Anonymous said...

Haha.. um yeah I love it how at their yard sale they DID give that money away to a good cause. I guess they aren't as greedy as some people thought. :)

Anonymous said...

More Information about this episode

http://eye4ever.blogspot.com/2008/12/jon-and-kate-plus-8-giving-back-s04e28.html

hesterprynne said...

Unfortunately for Kate, most men do not leave their wives unless they have someone to run to. I am very saddened that these children will not see Mommy and Daddy working out the problems of life together. Even if they both remarry, the subsequent spouses will not be the parents of these children! However, I wondered from the very first episode how Jon could let Kate emasculate him in so many ways. He became her "fetch and carry" guy and seemed to lose his own identity. She was very happy just being the mother of the twins and sextuplets but he was not, it seemed! Children are wonderful and a tremendous blessing but also very stressful especially in this situation. There is more to one's life than just raising children but with eight almost the same age, there ISN'T! Kate has wonderful organizational skills but you don't organize love! And, although she is doing a wonderful job of making each child feel special, when does she take time for the same for Jon? He, however, is also not blameless. He almost certainly has been having an affair and the loss of trust must be devaststing to Kate. She thought she had a family! I am so saddened that these children will have to leave their home to go and see "the other parent" and day to day decisions will be made by one or the other --------but not BOTH!