Along with 9.8 million other views I got sucked into watching the John & Kate show last night. Now, I should preface this by saying that I am not a follower of their show. I do catch it from time to time and read the tabloid commentary about their lives. I find it interesting to see how a family of 10 functions, in much of the same way I would watch the Dugger clan. Again, please don't think I sit around watching reality TV all day. (Honest, I'm not that big of reality TV fan, I prefer something as fictional and as far away from real life as I can possibly imagine to entertain me.) However, I do imagine that my peaked interest probably stems from my inability to control or run a household of 3 successfully, so I can't imagine how the rest of the world functions.
But here are my thoughts...
If you've ever asked yourself what is the cost of a marriage?
Then I would say that J&K have successfully placed the value of their marriage at $75K an episode. I know that is bold to say being that I do not know these individuals, their family, their problems, etc. However, as it would appear to me, a single viewer, many of their problems stem from the stress that comes along with being on TV, including and most specifically - the media.
So, what do you do to remove yourself from the media? You stop the show. Not just for yourself, for your children, for your marriage. Both of them stated several times that they are doing what is best for the children. Really? Do you honestly believe that? And at what cost?
And to answer the reverse of that question, how do you not stop the media? My guess would be to announce your pending divorce on national television.
Now I won't venture into who the good or the bad guy is in their current situation. I've seen how she orders him around like a dog, but I also heard his less-than-concerned responses to the most difficult questions last night.
I guess in the end, it would seem to me (a wife, mother, daughter, social worker that deals with the difficulties single parents face on a daily basis), that if they were truly concerned with saving their marriage, then the answer would not be to continue the show. But to do away with it - for a season, for a lifetime, whatever it takes. To really heal a marriage, you have to put it first. (Don't worry, I'm preaching to myself as well here.) But you can't do that with camera crews and paparazzi. I wonder what their life would have been like without this show? My guess is that they'd be a lot like you and me - struggling to make it in the real world, they'd cling to one another and to their family because it's all that they have, all that really matters.
I do wish them the best and I hope that they are able to find whatever happiness they are looking for. Much like I hope this for myself and to you as well. And by the way, it's okay to disagree with me. I don't know everything. Just don't tell Jamie or Aiden that - it's taken me a long time to teach them otherwise... heehee.
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