Monday, June 22, 2009

In Defense of Kate Gosselin

Continuing my obsession with reality TV: I've recently started watching the Gosselins---first just to see what the hype was all about then getting caught up watching the train wreck their marriage has become.

At first I totally related to John---to his obvious desire to escape his marriage. When he gave those dirty looks behind her back, I knew exactly what he was thinking. I didn't condemn, in my heart, his infidelity. When you feel trapped and unappreciated and doomed in a marriage, it's easy to look elsewhere.

She treats him very badly. I mean, honestly, he should have smacked her back a few times. When she smacked Emeril in a recent show, boy, you could tell it was hard for Emeril not to smack her back. She has to quit that stuff.

And again obviously, she's gotten full of herself. She's cuter than she was and she's famous and she's taken with all the fame of her self. She's easy to dislike.

But...lately, I've begun to feel very sorry for her. One of the hardest things in life is to face yourself. Maybe the cameramen and producers and writers are editing things to make her look the villain, but she sure comes off the villainess in all this. She seems conceited and self-absorbed and mean and insensitive to her husband and her kids.

I imagine her watching the show, though, and coming to the realization that even the camera people don't care much for her....as she realizes what's been done to her reputation; admittedly she did a lot of it to herself. But that's going to be a hard realization.

And at the bottom of her heart, she has to come to realize that her efforts to support her family have boomeranged on her and she's lost herself. Maybe her marriage.

Tonight, we'll find out, I guess, if this couple has decided to divorce or work things out. Maybe they've banked enough to live comfortably for the rest of their lives, but still, Kate has embarked on this rather desperate endeavor to give her kids everything she never had which has erupted into something she couldn't have wanted and she has to be scared to death.

Because what if they don't have the money? She can still be a nurse, but Jon has no career, he won't be contributing to the family if they bust up and the show ends. She still has 8 kids and no apparent ability to live with less. Many families have that many kids and don't have to put them on TV to feed and clothe them, but they don't have all tne "things" either.

So, she screwed up. She pushed Jon, who doesn't seem to have much of a backbone or ambition, into this to support them and provide for the kids. I feel a bit of admiration for the way she's soldiered on in all this, despite the public censure, she keeps trying. More than I can say for Jon.

4 comments:

life in red shoes said...

I have absolultly no more tolerance for these people. First of all Jon had a carrer, a good one that he put on the back burner to indulge Kates desire to go on with the show. It's seems as though Jon himself must have started watching and realizing just how she was treating him and decided to take a stand. Kate likes to paint the picture of the little woman at home with all these kids when in reality she has been out on the road promoting her books....and herself. Having a constant spotlight on the kids is beginning to show. They are turning into spoiled, overindulged brats that are also disrepectful to adults, hmmm, I wonder where they learned that? TLC should be slapped upside the head for their exploitation of The All American Family Gone Bad.
My opinion, for what it's worth (nothing actually) is this, quit making the show, invest the money wisely, and save a bundle for the ensuing therapy sessions.
There, I feel better now, how about you?

cathycan said...

I think your comments are right on. It is a very difficult situation, strong, ambitious woman/non-confrontational, laid back guy. Very hard to negotiate! and puhleaz, what's with the earrings John? I fell for the both of them, but at least give counseling a shot...and it would be great for ratings! Imagine those sessions! J.K.

cathycan said...

whoops! FEEL for both of them!
I didnt fall for either!

annegb said...

Yeah, what is it with the earrings? There are a couple of guys at work who wear earrings. I think they're heterosexual. I don't like it at all.

Kate is really hard to like. But it's so hard to have to look yourself in the mirror and if you have millions of Americans looking with you and putting you down, it would be hard to take. She seems to have the ego to deal with it, but her marriage has failed and in front of America. I think she has to be scared and unhappy.

But you're right, they should quit the show and try to give their kids some normality. I wonder how many families would stand up to such scrutiny? Mine sure as heck wouldn't.