Jon and Kate Plus 8

Jon and Kate Plus 8 was a show that I used to watch religiously. I could not get enough of the adorable sextuplets. The family's ability to overcome daily challenges that are magnified due to having eight children kept me mesmerized. The show documents a type of family that isn't considered to be the stereotypical mother, father, and two children type family. It shows how far we've come from the white picket fence"American Dream." Jon and Kate plus 8 is watched by all different types of audiences from teenagers to mothers. I think people have a certain admiration for their ability to handle each of the very different children and tailor to each of their needs. Mothers watch the show when their days get tough and think "well at least I'm not in Kate's shoes." The show provides as an escape from one possibly hectic household to another, where you only have to watch, not act on the crying and yelling. Although I'm sure every reality show has it's cues from the directors (such as telling the family what they think the audience will want to see), this show seems to be pretty real. It is hard to control what a bunch of four year olds are going to say or do so things can't be very scripted. Viewers would not get the same enjoyment out of the show if it was rehearsed and staged because then it wouldn't be two parents dealing with eight kids like they normally do. As much as I loved this show and adored the children, I was completely turned away from it once the whole scandal began between Jon and Kate. When this occurred, it made me feel like the entire show was a lie. Now instead of adoring the children, I feel bad for them and think they deserve better than constantly being in the spotlight because of their mother's need for fame. Even though I believed the show was not staged before the scandal, I now believe that it actually might be.