Big Ratings for Jon & Kate but Are They Faking it?
Last night's premiere of Jon and Kate Plus 8 on TLC generated huge ratings.
According to reports, the Jon and Kate Plus 8 season 5 premiere on May 25th 2009 achieved 9.8 million total viewers and 4.3 million viewers in the Women 18-49 demographic - TLC's best ratings ever!
That's not surprising considering the tabloid media storm surrounding this reality couple's marriage crisis.
What is surprising is that everybody believes this story is true - that Jon & Kate are having serious marriage problems.
Here are five reasons why I believe this story is completed fabricated:
ONE: Timing is Suspect -- The story broke a little over a month prior to the season premiere. That's convenient! And, I'd say almost too convenient!
TWO: Lack of Evidence -- The details provided by the tabloids are inconclusive at best. Sure, Jon was seen with a younger female out a club and sun tanning on a lawn - but he's never been caught in the act of doing anything that serious! Plus, Kate was allegedly getting too close to her bodyguard. Give me a break!
THREE: Big Money is at Stake - According to reports, Kate Gosselin makes an estimated 75K per episode. That's a lot of money - especially in this economy. If Jon & Kate lose the show, they lose that income. And, after watching the show, I'm not confident that they could find a way to financially support their family.
FOUR: It's Reality TV -- Anybody who would put themselves on a reality TV show is not the same as your average Joe. It's hard to imagine how you could do that to yourself and your family. So, if this couple is willing to put themselves and their 8 children on TV, it would not be far-fetched to conclude that they would conspire to "fake" their marriage drama to boost ratings.
FIVE: It's Season Five! Every reality show runs its course (except for MTV's Real World). With Jon & Kate Plus 8 in its fifth season, it really didn't have that much more steam left. But, this marriage drama has given the franchise an entire new life.
I'm going on the record and saying that I believe this is the biggest publicity stunt of 2009 and will be remembered as one of the biggest publicity stunts of all time.
One person that would disagree with me is People Magazine's deputy managing editor Peter Castro.
"If they are acting, they should both win an Emmy for best acting performance. It would be an extraordinary snow job," says Castro.
What do you think? Are Jon and Kate marriage problems for real or are they faking it to keep their show alive?
Vote HERE and sound off below!
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
My daughter was out at a restaurant in Newburgh, New York with her husband and their three small children on Memorial Day(the day of the 5th Season Jon and Kate opener). Jon was at the waterfront eatery with 2 women. My daughter said he walked by their table and looked longingly at he kids. She said he looked punched in the face and very drained and weary. She came home saying she wished she had gotten a picture, then she said she would have had some moral reservations about doing it. Someone else took a picture and its now out through TMC. I trully think Kate thinks she's better then Jon and a lot of other people....
Hmmm ... which would I prefer viewing a, "reality show," that pretends realism while carefully staged and marketed or .... a drama, which contains, "strong elements of reality," to entertain?
Hmmm ....
They are both narcissistic jerks and genuinely hate each other. What a great format for a family show.
WHO would want to live with that woman... she whose way is the only way?
Thank goodness for Rachel Maddow and Kent Jones. I never heard of these people before last night. Apparently they've been on for five years?
I did it...I watched the season opener.
I told myself I would not watch any longer...i
Dare I say it, I believe she needs some serious counsuling (sp) and the children need to be given gaurdians until the mom gets her life straightened out.
She seems not to see anything but what she wants to and it is all about her needs, etc.
Early on in the show...the children seemed to be well cared for by friends of the family when ever Kate
and Jon needed to be away from them...I forgot the names...I think Jon worked for the husband for a while. When the children were with this family...t
Watching the opening show, I felt it was well scripted..
Altho it seemed the kids had friends at the party...th
Where are their other friends?? Where was family??? Something is very wrong.
TLC was once a very good channel to watch...it
So, I bid good by to the Jon and Kate show...and also TLC...but I will continue to hold positive thoughts and prayers for the whole gosselin family...e
If it's not in trouble, it should be. If Kate"s acting can be portrayed as hateful, obnoxious, demeaning, critical and sadistic toward her husband, she should be in Hollywood accepting the Academy Award.
So if Kate makes $75K per episode what does Jon make? What do the kids make? I thought this was a family affair -- or a least a Jon & Kate affair, as the kids I doubt had any say in having their lives exploited in this manner. I am so glad I don't watch this crap, or any other reality show.
Please folks, these kids are nothing more than the modern equivalent of the Dionne Quintuplets: with every moment videotaped for the cameras and shown pretty much 24/7 every where. The show went from being fairly sweet to this train wreck because the parents are greedy. Did they really NEED a 1.1 MILLION mansion? $1,600/day bodyguard for the wife? Will these poor kids ever see a PENNY of the money their childhood's earned? Not to mention, if we're seeing the birth mother on every magazine and news show or out signing autographs, and the birth father is out drinking - who IS REALLY PARENTING THOSE KIDS? Paid help. Sad, sad, sad. ALL CHILDREN IN ENTERTAINMENT - whether scripted or not - need the SAME compensations across the board in all 50 states - as California enacted, along with a new version of "Coogan's Law" to protect their earnings. FREE THE GOSSELIN EIGHT!!!!
Actually, all the money should go to the kids at this point. The only reason there is a show is because of these poor kids. Put the money in trust for them -- for their education in whatever area they want to go in, and for all the massive amounts of therapy they're going to need as adults.
The primary reason = $$$$$$$$$
Thanks for pointing out the other 4. Thank you for watching and reporting on this dreck, so we don't have to.
No, they are not faking it...and I have 8 reasons: Mady, Cara, Joel, Collin, Aaden, Alexis, Leah and Hannah.
But so many people who have never heard of the show or barely watched the show are quick to be oh so clever with their "analysis" of what is "really" going on. I don't deny that the family trips, outings, celebrations are staged. No doubt about it. But a married couple concocting relationship trouble, serious relationship issues? No. But that line of thinking sure makes you feel better about yourself for being oh so clever, doesn't it? Too bad there are real kids in the middle of it all who are getting hurt in the process.
the entire show is staged, scripted and fake so it certainly does stand to reason that the J&K marriage drama is also manufactured to get the ratings -- it seems more likely to me, however, that what we are seeing is unfortunate and inconvenient REALity encroaching on the make-believe
but whether J&K are or are not faking their marriage drama for the cameras, one thing is certain -- in any other context, what the parents are doing to these children would IMMEDIATELY be recognized as child abuse and the situation would be dealt with accordingly --
NO parent has the right to abuse and exploit defenseless children, scarring their tiny psyches for life, just for the almighty $$$
Agree 100%
Mark,
I thought of your top 3 reasons right away, and i still maintain that even after watching the premier.
They were too vague with their answers to be really in trouble in my opinion.
I told my wife my views, but she was crying while watching the premier's emotional spots, and just feels bad for them.
I was like, if they really thought this show was ruining them, they ask for a hiatus and get counseling.
I think if its anything thats messing them up, its the vast amount of money they got, the freebies by TLC, the Control Kate got over everything pry just lit her up like a neon sign.
Feeding her control needs is pry a bad thing. I can see making her too confident makes her into a tyrant.
But, theres still no evidence of any wrongdoing, and they denied doing anything and in the show seemed oddly vague.
Who are these people? I keep running across that---I didn't know who that Nancy Grace person was either. I never heard of these people until I saw them splashed all over HP. I guess I just don't watch the Learning Channel...
Same here. Never heard of them or that huge family with 17 kids till huffPo.
Me, three. I used to watch The Learning Channel a long time ago when it was really a learning channel. It was like The History Channel or National Geographic or Animal Planet. Now it's just The Family Greed Channel, freak show worthy of Barnum.
When, oh when, will these two be put out of their misery,already.
when the 10 million tune out.
True, 10 million people who need to get on with their lives and understand every time they watch these shows they are exploiting children.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
