Jon and Kate…..I hate.

[Tev]

No really, I managed to remain blissfully unaware of these people until a few months back when my co-worker was talking about her favorite “reality”-type TV shows. Ever since then it’s like the world’s spotlight has turned on this couple. I hear about them on the radio talk shows, run across articles about them in my Google News sections, and see blurbs about them on TV all the time.

So they got eight kids? So does that octomom lady in California. Eight’s not even really that ridiculous a number as some other couple’s churning out number nineteen here in a few weeks. What’s worse is that I really didn’t care a lick about these people. Any of them. But now my day just doesn’t seem right if I’m not hearing about how Jon’s partying it up with his new mistress of the week and pissing off his wife (http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/08/21/2009-08-21_kate_major_goes_off_on_jon_gosselins_bachelor_r omp_and_outright_lies.html) or how Playboy is trying to get Kate in the sack for some pictures (http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/09/08/2009-09-08_report_kate_gosselin_offered_400k_to_pose_nude_ for_playboy.html).

And as I said before, deep down I don’t want to care about these people. They are frivolous folk and their shows are dumb. Why won’t they get out of my head? Gaaaah!

Are any of the rest of you infected by this drama plague or have you already chosen sides in the inevitable war that will errupt across cable over this crap?

[Lost in Time]

I seriously want to know why people want to look into other peoples everyday mundane lives? Reality shows are neither exciting or gripping, there's no real hook at all. Like Tev said, eight kids: so what? My mother is one of eight children, I grew up with that (not seeing them as children, but I hear stories). I didn't need some goddamn television show to see that. I don't watch it, and I stop paying attention whenever it is mentioned. And that's how I'll keep it.

[TopHatAssassin]

It's because it's scandalous, and we all love a good scandal. Then we can all talk about it and act righteous and everything, which is totally fun to do because it makes us feel like our views about other people are important. I'm guilty of it; I like to think I'm above most of those shows, but sometimes I just can't resist reading about what's going on.

I think, deep down... we're all a bunch of nosy buggers. And that's why we like to watch other people.

[Dracorion]

I was going to ask "who?", but I don't think I want to anymore.

[Julford Hajime]

I'm currently watching an episode from a series called "The Little Couple", which is about two people with dwarfism who are married. They're trying to figure out if they can realistically have a child right now. GRIPPING STUFF INDEED.

My Grandmother digs these types of shows, and I'm visiting her at the moment. It's... okay. I've never gone channel surfing and gone "Ooh, this looks good!", but hey, I can stand to watch it.

Lifetime movies, on the other hand... *Shudders*

[synkr0nized]

What's wrong with you? You clearly care about them enough to make a thread, so don't try to claim you hate it.


@TopHat: While getting enjoyment of others' failures is indeed enjoyable, don't make that a general "we". I don't watch "reality" shows, and I'm quite content to keep it that way.

[Archbio]

What's wrong with you? You clearly care about them enough to make a thread, so don't try to claim you hate it.

Hate is... a form of caring?

In the sense that one cares about bad things happening to someone else?

[synkr0nized]

I guess that works for you guys? I don't watch something that I don't enjoy, so I was assuming that he enjoys it. I generally don't enjoy shows that I hate.

[Archbio]

Don't make that a general "you."

But really, I got the impression Tev for one didn't catch whatever show this is, and is just getting exposure to it through osmosis, which can suck pretty badly all the same!

[synkr0nized]

Don't make that a general "you."

It's already been promoted and given extra stars.


In any case, I feel... bad? for people what who "watch" shows second-hand, as you allude to with the osmosis idea. I guess I practice in-one-ear-and-out-the-other too often.

[Aerozord]

what ititates me is not this show, or even shows like this, but the fact shows like this exist in such large quanities. Partly because of what it says about our society to have so many that enjoy them, partly because they treat human lives and relationships as public specticles, and partly because I realize this is evidence that writing in modern media is so horrible real life is preferable

[Bob the Mercenary]

My Grandmother digs these types of shows, and I'm visiting her at the moment.

My grandma loves Big Brother. At one point I did try to turn her to better, more intelligent programming. But, it turns out that talking about Big Brother is one of the major connections she has with my cousin, so I let it slide.

As far as JaKP8 goes, I always love to see these types of shows end in the most predictable, logical, and deserved way...in the family's complete destruction. They serve as examples that exploiting your children for monetary gain (while at the same time complaining about it at every chance) and doing it on national television is a really fucking bad idea. Sure, they'll be rich. But, where's their dignity?

And know what the worst part is, the producers know this is going to happen. They have to. They're banking on a dramatic, scandal-driven plot essential to daytime soaps happening in real life. Or else there would be no show. It would be Jon and Kate's Home Movies.

Reality sickens me.

[Jagos]

Girls seem to love this crap...

I haven't understood it but there's time in the day that they can talk about Jon's interview going badly or Kate being a nagging bitch.

I guess it drives the world in some way? I unno... But they get some money out of it, and I guess they get some type of incentive to do all of this stuff.

[Aerozord]

makes more sense then the massive female audience of those ____ of love, shows. I once asked my mom why she likes watching women being treated as cattle to be selected or performing chimps to dance for a mans amusement, I have yet to get an answer. Hell they even strip these women of their names

[Mirai Gen]

I suppose what I hate the most about John and Kate is that they (along with Robert Patterson/Kirsten Stewart or Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt) are always on the fucking supermarket tabloids.

And I work at a grocery store. It doesn't matter how much I try to be blissfully unaware; it haunts me all the same.

[The Gunslinger]

Having heard about these people on the Soup before their relationship imploded on national television, I thought it was pretty obvious that they wouldn't last. I really just feel bad for those poor kids who have/are being exploited on television. Sure those two idiots Jon and Kate deserve all that they're getting, and more, but they aren't the only one's to blame.

The people running TLC deserve a slap on the wrist for not nipping this in the bud. They must have had the foresight to see this coming!

[TopHatAssassin]

Robert Patterson/Kirsten Stewart

But it's RPattz and KStew! They're so awesome!

The people running TLC deserve a slap on the wrist for not nipping this in the bud. They must have had the foresight to see this coming!

But what do they care? It's good for ratings.

[Mirai Gen]

The people running TLC deserve a slap on the wrist for not nipping this in the bud. They must have had the foresight to see this coming!
If there is one thing that TLC executives would get a raging stiffie about is the main stars of one of their shows being featured on every Goddamn magazine in every Goddamn store from here to Alaska.

I mean, I'm just saying.

[Jagos]

I suppose what I hate the most about John and Kate is that they (along with Robert Patterson/Kirsten Stewart or Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt) are always on the fucking supermarket tabloids.

And I work at a grocery store. It doesn't matter how much I try to be blissfully unaware; it haunts me all the same.

Better than Britney 24/7.

The 'loids are making progress.

[mudah.swf]

Eight’s not even really that ridiculous a number as some other couple’s churning out number nineteen here in a few weeks. What’s worse is that I really didn’t care a lick about these peopl?

This made me think of the Duggars (http://www.duggarfamily.com/) but then I realised that you said "in a few weeks" whereas the Duggars are expecting their 19th next year.

[The Gunslinger]

Damn, Mirai Gen, you're right! Those people at TLC are truly magnificent bastards.

[CelesJessa]

I'm currently watching an episode from a series called "The Little Couple", which is about two people with dwarfism who are married. They're trying to figure out if they can realistically have a child right now. GRIPPING STUFF INDEED.


I actually like shows kind of like this(not that I make a point to watch them all the time, but in theory), if only because it's nice to see "different" people in the media, now if we could just see them outside of shows that are like "woah people with handicaps are straaange and difffeeerrent", that would be cool.

[Magus]

I remember when The Learning Channel had, you know, educational documentaries on it. For learning. But like, a channel devoted to it. Yeah.

I think I've learned enough about midgets, octuplets, and people with freakish deformities to last many lifetimes now.

EDIT: Yes, to see these people explored as actual characters and/or people in fictional and non-fictional tv shows instead of as circus sideshows might be refreshing. I don't think this is a step in that direction at all, however, purely the opposite.

[Wigmund]

I remember when The Learning Channel had, you know, educational documentaries on it. For learning. But like, a channel devoted to it. Yeah.

I remember when MTV and VH1 actually showed music videos.

[The Gunslinger]

Okay. I'm sure we're all old enough to have realized that MTV never played music, and that they spread that rumor to drag my generation into 16 and Pregnant: The First Offical Endorsement of Teen Pregnancy!

[Magus]

I was going to say that MTV is pretty far from official but I think I'm fooling myself with that statement.

[The Gunslinger]

And we have them to thank for the Douchetastic Hills. I would probably watch it if they added the highly apropriate soap opera music

[Magus]

Y'know I might actually watch a show called the Douchetastic Hills. MTV should look into this burgeoning market of ironically titling your programming.

[TheSparrow]

It's already been promoted and given extra stars.


In any case, I feel... bad? for people what who "watch" shows second-hand, as you allude to with the osmosis idea. I guess I practice in-one-ear-and-out-the-other too often.

Well, he said "exposure through osmosis" not watching....but anyhow, I have never seen that show, I have no idea what channel its on even, Ive never even seen an ad for that show, but unfortunately I do know about it.

And in fact I find it hard to imagine that there are people who don't since those idiots are on magazine covers next to your checkout line at the store, there are articles about them in fucking newspapers and on internet sites under 'news' like MSN and Yahoo. I first heard about them getting divorced on the 11 o'clock news for god's sake.

[synkr0nized]

Man, those radical air-quotes and the use of the term second-hand didn't clue you in, did they?

[Yrcrazypa]

Unfortunately, my family has been obsessed with reality TV shows. When I was on leave for two weeks visiting, they'd be watching things like this a lot. I'd forgotten until that two week leave just how annoying reality TV was.