Jon and Kate Plus 8 - Regular Family or Money Hungry Media Whores?

Jon and Kate Gosselin and their eight kids came to fame through their television show, Jon and Kate Plus 8, which appears on TLC on Monday nights.  I watched the show for several seasons now, and I always enjoyed seeing the kids interact with each other and the world. But, for the last several episodes, it's getting harder and harder to watch. The show initially interested me because I wanted to see how a large family functioned on a daily basis. How did they feed all those people at one time, how did the laundry get done and the house cleaned? Kate shared organizing tips that I found useful for my own house and family. But, over time the show has evolved from a peek into the lives of everyday interesting people into an endless string of obvious product placements interspersed with moments of nagging and bickering by Jon and Kate. Supporters of the show state that Jon and Kate's relationship is just like any married couple, and I suppose that could be true. My problem is that if I want to see a bickering couple, my husband and I could just look in the mirror. Just because it's realistic and true doesn't mean I want to see it on television. Jon and Kate spend most of the time on the show posing for photo ops, taking expensive trips to places most families of four couldn't afford, and traveling for their book tour. I certainly don't begrudge someone making a buck off their story, but when Kate is traveling and Jon is out partying all night, who is watching the kids? And isn't that what this show is supposed to be about? The kids?

So, we are left with a choice: continue to watch as the family struggles with celebrity, scandal, and rumors of infidelity or change the channel. (In this case, delete the season pass). Even if I choose not to watch the show any more, it's not like I can escape the Gosselins. They have been on the cover of no less than four magazines in the last two weeks. Blogs with the Gosselins as the subject have reported skyrocketing click-throughs. They are the subject of speculation on television news, radio news, the internet, and general gossip. Everyone wants to know what they will say and do next. And, it's my understanding that a new book about their struggle with celebrity is in the works, as well as a made-for-tv movie. Ka-ching! My question is, how much can people take? When will we reach Gosselin overload? I'll let you know after I watch the season premiere, Monday, May 25th!