Tuesday, August 26, 2008

A bit more on the last topic.

Many comments said something about the fact she may act that way due to having so many children.

Point taken.

BUT ... it's a horrible example to show for those children. All 8 of them are growing up watching her bark orders at her husband and verbally degrade the guy. True, he's taking it, which is also a bad example, but I just don't understand why that channel (what channel is it? TLC?) would choose to have a show out there showing what ~not~ to do? If it WAS, in fact, a "this is what not to do" type of show, where they would have someone come in and help her back the fuck off and him buck the fuck up, maybe. But it's not. It's supposed to be this cute show about this woman who beat the odds and had 6 babies survive after a fertility "nightmare" (which I do agree her approach to IUI was a nightmare and may be causing more women to go ahead with those kinds of conditions instead of choosing what is smart for her own health and the health of any babies conceived).

note: I'm not saying she should be perfect. I wouldn't expect it to be all puppydogs and rainbows with a household like that. But she just should not degrade her husband ever 2 minutes.

So, instead of 8 children being raised to see her mockery of her ~husband~ (you know, the guy who should be held in the utmost respect? As both man and woman should be in all marriages?), it's being viewed by millions of households too.

I just find it sad that just because they are a novelty of birthing a bunch of children, a very dysfunctional marriage is being made to look "okay", normal or not.

15 comments:

Samantha said...

When I first started watching the show I thought the same thing (I don't watch it religiously or anything) but after seeing a couple episodes they kinda do it to each other. Granted she is a little more harsh to him than he is to her, it seems like they just have a very sarcastic relationship and they make fun of each other A LOT. But they both seem to just have those personalities and it works for them.

Am I saying she doesn't take it completely out of hand sometimes... Absolutely not, there have definitely been times where I'm like did she REALLY just say that??

Jen said...

I don't think TLC gives a rat's ass about whether or not the show sets a good example. What they care about are ratings. And the drama of 8 kids and dysfunctional relationships creates ratings.

Jill said...

I should add, too.... if you think the few minutes you saw was bad, you should see the "most embarrassing moments" show. She completely tore him down during that ENTIRE show. I felt so bad for the guy.

MrsSpock said...

You know, my GM had 9 children and never acted like that. My great-GM had 12- and she was a real pistol. But you'd expect that from a spoiled old Sicilian woman. I can't watch that show because she annoys me too.

Mareike said...

I haven't seen the show nor do I care too. It's another sad commentary on what some consider entertainment. I'm assuming that this is not a 24/7 web-cam where you can look in on this family at any time of the day or night so someone is making the choice to show these moments. There is something sick about a family that would agree to this either way. I'm sure the parents were feeling desperate but agreeing to this was not the way to get help.

Not in the Water said...

After I commented J&K+8 was on at 11 - 12 on TLC. The 2nd episode they were celebrating Julyl 4th.

She was really bitchy!! Jon said take the strollers and she was like NO, you would walk with a single 3 yr old...we are going to walk with our 6!

But great point about how it's showing the kids a marriage should be (or not be!)

I think with 8 kids their marriage is 100th in line to be taken care of. I don't watch regularly but have seen a lot of Episodes and I think I have seen them on a "date" 2x. They have been filming for 2 years now.

Maybe that would help her bitchiness.

Kim

Chastity said...

I don't know...I've watched it all along, and I don't see it as a dysfunctional marriage. I think she's gotten so much better over the years. She's a control freak and a nag, but doesn't always take it. They're nothing like my husband and me, but they seem pretty normal. Maybe you just have to watch more.

Rachel Inbar said...

I have 6 kids and I'm nice to my husband (really, I am) and he's nice to me too... OK. It's not sextuplets, but we do have one who's 3-1/2, one who's 2-1/2 and a 5-1/2 month old baby, so life's pretty intense, not to mention the fact that neither of us work a regular job...

AwkwardMoments said...

i can't watch the show because it makes me twitch for many of the reasons you listed

Catie said...

Yea she kind of gets on my nerves, I watch the show because it reminds me of how lucky I got to just have one to begin with. But I see myself in her too, I snap at DH all the time, so I can imagine how bitchy I would be if I had 8...

Mrslady1975 said...

Ok, I'll admit that I have never watched the show. But, I read the blog that the SIL(?) keeps. Wow! And, I have read other people's blogs who comment that she can be a real bitch. So, I am going to have to say she is either a bitch or she really thinks that people tune it to see her be a bitch.

Anonymous said...

Not sure how familiar you are with this show, but you might want to check out this blog ("Truth Breeds Hatred") -- this is by someone connected to the family. http://truthbreedshatred.blogspot.com/

Has some pretty interesting info about the "background" of that family...if it is true.... :)

Jennifer said...

I don't really watch it much, but the few I've seen she really is mean. My friend loves the show and her personality is similar to Kate's. Of course my friend's husband needs "guidance" at times and she has gotten better about being so bossy.

No one's marriage is perfect, but it would be nice if tv producers used better examples of a real, partnership marriages.

Jamie said...

I agree with you - she DOES seem to talk down to him. My husband thinks she is a raving bitch, but somehow he gets sucked in to watching it anyway. It is almost like he wants to see just how big of a bitch she can become.

*Christina* said...

I agree she can be a bit harsh sometimes, but she's just a control freak. I think she's relatively normal in comparison to some. I'm sure many of us would be mortified if someone filmed our lives for a month and we were forced to watch it on tv. I'm sure there's a lot we wouldn't be proud of that we just don't notice in normal life. I also wanted to point out that Kate has PCOS and conceived with IUI and injectables. She has said on several occassions that they are an infertility nightmare NOT a success story and doesn't recommend following their example. Just FYI.