Vote on Jon and Kate’s Divorce Goes Too Far
With the reports of Jon and Kate Plus 8 and their potential demise coming fast and furious, I wasn’t surprised to find a poll over at Extra’s Website about whether or not the Gosselins should just call it quits.
Not surprised, but a little digusted.
Sure, it’s just an informal poll. But it seems to fall dangerously close to laying bets. Laying bets on the fate of eight kids.
It’s true that Jon and Kate Gosselin have brought this type of frenzy upon themselves. They signed up to do a national TV show. They invited cameras into their living room. They let us see their kids struggle with potty training and sibling rivalry. We’re going to speculate. We’re going to write about it (I know I have), and we’re going to talk about it. As a willing participant in that frenzy, I can’t criticize the rest of the group for doing it.
And I wouldn’t – they’ve put themselves in the public domain (hence all that talk about how they are fame whores exploiting their kids!).
This poll, however, asks “Are the Gosselins headed for divorce?” with the choices:
A. Yes, it’s better for them to break up
OR
B. No, they will stay together for the kids.
Perhaps it’s no different than any other piece that’s appeared on the internet. I haven’t seen them all; and I’d wager Extra isn’t the first to bust out something of this sort. But this isn’t talk about what is actually going on in their marriage or even weighing in on WHY we do or do not like Jon and Kate Plus 8.
I just can’t get past the ick factor of actually laying wagers (albeit with no financial gain) on someone’s marriage. I’d have the same problem with a poll on Brad and Angelina. Or Michelle and Barack. This is not some misguided loyalty toward the Gosselins. There are times where I’d even say it IS better for a couple to get divorced, despite the presence of children.
But where I can criticize the Gosselins for being famewhores, for what’s seen on TV, even what’s reported by sponsors of Kate at speaking engagements, I wouldn’t tell my best friend to divorce her husband. I can’t well see telling the parents of eight kids who I’ve never met to do it. Or laying bets on it.
What do you think Babble readers? Would you feel icky taking that kind of poll? If not – go for it.
Image: Extra
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Please can we stop giving these people the time of day and get back to our own lives and loved ones. Yes it’s sad but many people have multiples and many people have kids and are going through difficult divorces but they don’t get paid for it and they certainly don’t get freebies handed out to them every five minutes. Jon and Kate are not positive role models for a world desperately in need of them, Their kids are behaving more grown up than they are! Seriously people, should the kids feel delighted that mommy and daddy are making sure that the kids still have “their” house? Grow up – a house does not a family make! It’s the people in that house that make a family!
The show where they announced their divorce was really sad. It’s a shame their marriage has come to this. I’m a divorced dad, so I know the pain they are enduring. Jon and Kate have no idea what divorced parenting is like. They’ll have a ton of single parent, coparenting, and multi-home issues to deal with, not the least of which is how to spend birthdays (8!) and holidays together: http://dadshouseblog.com/2009/05/28/jon-and-kate-divorce-future/
i think that a show is meant to be about love not who can cheat on whom the first kate is a mean person who only out to get the money and that is it well jhon does love his children he cant be with them and only on the show and that is it poor kids what well happen next
First of all, an informal poll is only happening because all of us keep the buzz about these people going and on some squeamish level, we get a kick out of seeing others squirm. Kate—to me—has gone from being approachable and relatable on the show, to a glamazon who feeds off of what this show has done fame-wise for her personally. Okay, she claims to love her kids, and probably does on some level, I do believe that.
Butn c’mon, can’t everyone see what she has morphed into??? Okay, so Jon is layback and still dresses a bit too casual or “frat-boy” like. Whatever. His antics with friends especially w/female friends have been in poor taste. he admitted that, but seriously, folks…can anyone really blame him?
Oh, and the comment made about them BOTH being estranged from their respective parents. Just Kate is. She came from a trailer trash background and supposedly has been at odds with/parents and siblings for years.
Look at their episodes from the beginning till now. I had not been a viewer of this show until recently and only occasionally. I saw the marathon of their previous shows and Kate was sweet, fun and funny and soooo different from who she is now. Now, the Kate we all see and Jon and the kids are forced to live with is…well…yucky.
Jon is not comfortable in the limelight. He has said this time after time. Everyone wants to pick him apart.
Okay, the guy is far from perfect. Got it. He really wants a secure life for his kids and himself. I take from his interviews that Kate has not always been this dictator-like and was, at one point, someone he wanted to create a family with and love forever.
Kate is not that person anymore and it appears he has been pulling away from the Kate that is there because it is repelling. Her demeaning verbal abuse is unforgiveable. It is NOT Christian. Her first concern is NOT the kids. It is making more and more money.
What we live and how we act shows where our heart and loyalty(devotion) is. Kate’s is NOT with her marriage or her kids.
Actions do speak louder than words. Kate, you are called out.
Jon is not off the hook. His flirtatious actions were not sound and he has apologized over and over and over again. He won’t be dallying again any time soon. Seriously, as much as I cannot fathom condoning infidelity, maybe this case is the exception.
Jon’s method to reign Kate in used to be more effective, but her need to feed off of the fame-frenzy AKA financial security, has overtaken her.
She used to love his layback approach to life and has cited that in her books, I am told. Now, it is the very thing that embarrasses her.
TLC, take this show off the air…it is too sad to watch…
I think this is all medias fault, they just love this kind of thing. Jon and Kate, hang in there, dont listen to all the bad things, the public just love this kind of bad publicity. Go along with it and put on a show for them, it’ll eat them up Love you all!
Yes,its going to far
I don’t believe Jon did any of that. Or Kate. I do love the show, but for the sake of the kids they should STOP it!
I think they should stat the way they are because jon is the loving father and the boys need you there when it comes to girls. or when a boy dosn’t show up for your daughters prom jon is doing a great job. Katie your a amazing mom i like how you keep everyone in shape i just started the organic thing and my kids love it.
I think enough is enough. If they want to work it out, do so first by stopping the show. If not, still stop the show and move on. I feel bad for the children because of their parents actions lately. He’s partying with women and she’s out with a bodyguard constantly on the road. It would be fine if their children graduated from high school but they are little. Please Jon and Kate, stop the show and try to work on the two of you and your family.
I think they should split. Here’s why. The kids are going to learn how to BE in a relationship from their parents. The girls will learn that it’s OK to domineer and disrespect their husband because that’s what Kate does. The boys will learn that you find inappropriate escapes when you are unhappy. The relationship model presented by Jon and Kate is so unhealthy and toxic that they should scrap it for the kids sake.
“. . . they’ve put themselves in the public domain (hence all that talk about how they are fame whores exploiting their kids!).”
Jeanne, you hit the nail right on the head.
I would add that they are cash whores, too. Just look at the house and land they bought! (On ONE salary??? In their mid-thirties??) The high-ticket vacations (Hawaii, DisneyWorld, a ski resort, etc.) either were freebies or the purchases of a very wealthy couple.
These two people have been beyond the pale for a very long time. And I don’t think they have had the support many couples have and need–friends, family, religion.
Re friends, I can’t imagine they have many because Kate repels with her my-way-or-the-highway stance on everything. They said two years ago that they both are estranged from their own parents. As for religion–well, Sundays now are for going out of town to *lecture* and sign books at churches, rather than going to their own church. (Safe to say that’s not the experience the rest of us have.)
I think they will do whatever Kate decides. She’ll make Jon’s and the kids’ lives a living h— unless she gets her way.
I DONT THINK HE CHEATED HE WAS JUST HAVING FUN SHE DONT HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT
Polls are waaay too far. I feel bad for the kids.
Maybe its a publicity stunt…
What really matters in all of this isn’t a poll or what we think, its how are the children being affected. I am from a divorced family and know that this is hard on a child and to top it all off they are in the publics eye. They need to stop and think about those kids. I would imagine that Jon and Kate have thought about what this means for their children, but obviously not to hard or they wouldn’t have put themselves in this perdicament.
First of all, the poll is a little much…and secondly, can I please get this off my chest: Jon, you look like a total idiot in those stupid clothes and backward hat. You are not a stupid frat boy, you are a MARRIED GROWN UP and you have EIGHT FREAKIN KIDS. Can you please act like it? Aren’t you a little young for the midlife crisis already???
I am a little disgusted at the wording (i.e. “Should…”). Because no matter what any of us think, it really isn’t our life, so it isn’t our business.