Jon & Kate Plus Eight

[MsDiva2007]

If you have watched this show for years you can see the changes relationship wise between Jon & Kate. The scenes on the couch between them have become a way for Kate to correct his grammar,belittle his actions and at times be downright rude to him. I used to like Kate but she really has changed as they have gained more money and fame. The kids I adore.

[Google]

 

[Oompaloopa]

girlsmom-

This is concerning because it translates into big money for TLC and thus the continuation of this car wreck of a show. I feel very sorry for all those poor children.

It's like any business that falls under the category of "Entertainment". Just like Bravo, what matters is the revenue collected off really stupid people who are willing to throw their kids under the bus, put the bus in reverse and roll over them again while the big media Kahoona's line their pockets and vacation all over the world. Sure, the parents earn a few bucks and as the saying in Hollywoood goes, "Any attention is good attention as long as their talking about you". That said, I imagine having your face plastered on the front pages of D-Listed, Stupid Celebritites, and the National Enquirer is gratifying in some sick way. In the meanwhile, the kids are left to deal with the criticisms of their familiy and being teased by their friends and school mates.

The issue isn't new, it goes clear back to much older TV shows where kids carried the show. Look at some of their lives and how many turned to drugs to cope with the let down after the shows were cancelled as well as the pressures they endured while the shows were in their prime. And how many of those parents squandered away a lot of the money that actually belonged to the kids?

[newshound]

Originally Posted by Veruka

I think this was illustrated in two scenes from Monday's show which generated a lot of chatter -- The first was Joel thanking Kate forthe party, and having to say it more than once. Many saw a self-absorbed mother ignoring her kid. I went backto watch it, trying to figure out how I missed it. when I did, I saw a mother talking to another mother who either did not hear a soft-spoken child, or was trying to show respect to the other mother by nto interrupting her immediately to talk to her child. The second scene was Jon talking to Alexis when she told him she didn't want him to go away so much. Jon's response was that sometimes daddy's have to work. Some saw that as a loving father who wanted to be with his kids, but his manipulative estranged wife got in the way. Given that Jon does not work, I saw it as a dad whose caught up enough in his own wants and personal needs right now that he's okay with his children just having to learn how to accept missing him.

I read these scenes the same way, Veruka. People are being too harsh on Kate for not hearing her son right away and while the scene with Alexis was touching because they clearly love one another, it was also kind of icky for a reason I haven't been able to put my finger on. Instead of focusing on his daughter's neediness, he was focusing on himself.

[mom2]

I'm curious ... is any money (per episode) being put away for the children??

[ButterflyFaery]

Originally Posted by mom2

I'm curious ... is any money (per episode) being put away for the children??

thats one of the main reasons so many are shouting out for their to be some sort of law passed...as it stands right now...all we have are the words of the parents..but IF AND WHEN their website ever comes back up you will notice that the area where they used to show how much money was being set aside for the children's college education and things has not been updated in over 2 years...this is one of the main reasons that CA now has the laws it has regarding child labor laws and someone has to be apointed to be on set..it is called a set teacher I think or something similar whose sole interest is to protect the child and keep careful records on how much time daily the child works..how much time is spent on school work..and this person is also there to intervene if the child is not having a good day (melt down time) or they are sick and this person doesn't feel like they are able to work as much as the director thinks they should..this person from what I understand can no longer be a "parent" because its been proven time and time again from all the child stars that have sued their parents because they never saw a dime of the money they made as a child.

The best example I can think of as it applies to this situation is go to any search engine and type in the Dionne Quintuplets...there are 100's of pages of testiments and articles about what they endured as children affected their lives after they grew up...and to me this says it all.

Their "mother" was a succession of nurses in white uniform. Their "father" was a brisk country doctor. Their "governesses" were the welfare minister of Ontario, the district supervisor of the Red Cross, and a court-appointed board of guardians. Their "playground" was a side-show/laboratory. Their "home" was a hospital.

They were the Dionne Quintuplets: Yvonne, Annette, Cécile, Emilie and Marie. Their story can be seen from many angles, but one thing is clear: They were removed from their home, made a $500-million industry by the Canadian government that would rival Niagara Falls as a tourist attraction, and were destroyed in the process.

[Oompaloopa]

Originally Posted by mom2

I'm curious ... is any money (per episode) being put away for the children??

Over the years they have changed the laws regarding this. I don't profess to know exactly how it works but by law, monies do have to be set aside in a certain type of account. However, it doesn't provide total security for the kid's once they can tap into those resources.

All too often the kids are easily swayed by a money hungry parent who, after their kids turn eighteen and able to manage their own accounts, end up using the old guilt trip, "I got you the gig, you owe me" sort of thing and the kids still being immature and not knowing any better give into the pressure.

Look how many A-listed celebs are estranged from their Manager/Parent relationships or their parents who they claim spent their money.

[hepcat]

There is a law - kids have to have a Coogan account when they enter into a contract that will pay them money as a minor. Does that not apply to reality television? Or maybe the kids themselves aren't paid?

[dustypants]

I hope it's ok to post this (I'm still too new to link), but TMZ just reported that "Jon & Kate" is being investigated by PA Dept of Labor for Child Labor Law compliance.

[maude~flanders]

I'm wondering how much the child-star laws apply to these kids. Since it is a reality show about the parents, the kids may not have to be paid for their appearance. It may be that they fall under a loophole of sorts.

[Veruka]

My guess would be that the laws protecting minors who are actors don't apply to reality shows. It is not the same thing, but union contracts for actors don't apply to reality shows. A line has to be drawn somewhere, and I would guess that is somewhere between acting, and living your life in front of cameras. If it extended beyond acting, then where do you draw the line? If a family is featured on the news including the children, does that apply? What if it is a more in depth profile piece on a family? There is definitely a lot of grey area in there, but it's grey enough that it would make sense to me that protection for actors would not apply to reality shows.