# Would you let your family be a "reality" show?



## csb (May 26, 2009)

I know you're mostly a bunch of dudes out there, but I bet a few of you have heard about the latest scandal involving Jon and Kate Gosselin, stars of TLC's Jon and Kate Plus 8. The show focuses on their children- a set of twins and a set of sextuplets. They reportedly get $75,000 an episode.

So it raises the question:

Would you take the money to have your lives taped?


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## GulfCoastCivil (May 26, 2009)

If I accidentally ended up with 8 kids, you bet your sweet .... I would!


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## MA_PE (May 26, 2009)

I might be tempted. The part that really amazes me is that there's a market for this type of show.

This type of stuff makes me believe that the Idiocracy movie is more fact than fiction.


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## Fluvial (May 26, 2009)

Not just no, but hell no. I wouldn't give up my privacy for any amount of money. I'm too painfully shy !!


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## snickerd3 (May 26, 2009)

i thought I remember seeing a headline of $25,000 an episode plus whatever they do that day.

but there is not amount of $ to get me do a reality show, if you call any of those things reality shows.


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## Chucktown PE (May 26, 2009)

Sign my ass up right now. Put up with that shit for a year and you're set. Or you go screw around on your wife while she's at home taking care of your 8 kids, get photographed by US Weekly, and she'll get all the money in the divorce.


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## MGX (May 26, 2009)

For 75K an episode you can put a spy cam in the crapper for all I care! But who would want to watch an engineer at home?


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## csb (May 26, 2009)

Chucktown PE said:


> Sign my ass up right now. Put up with that shit for a year and you're set. Or you go screw around on your wife while she's at home taking care of your 8 kids, get photographed by US Weekly, and she'll get all the money in the divorce.


actually...she's on the road and YOU'RE at home with 8 kids...but you still get to fool around...


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## rudy (May 27, 2009)

Show me the money! 75k! I'll do it. One episode / year will do it.


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## Chucktown PE (May 27, 2009)

csb said:


> actually...she's on the road and YOU'RE at home with 8 kids...but you still get to fool around...



For that kind of money he could hire a smoking hot nanny.


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## maryannette (May 27, 2009)

Not a chance. It's not normal.


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## Capt Worley PE (May 27, 2009)

Oh, hell no. I can't even stomach that crap. Why would I encourage it?


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## Mike in Gastonia (May 27, 2009)

csb said:


> I know you're mostly a bunch of dudes out there, but I bet a few of you have heard about the latest scandal involving Jon and Kate Gosselin, stars of TLC's Jon and Kate Plus 8. The show focuses on their children- a set of twins and a set of sextuplets. They reportedly get $75,000 an episode.
> So it raises the question:
> 
> Would you take the money to have your lives taped?


Are you telling me there's a potential scandal just as the season premiere is about to show? Who could have predicted that there would be some controversy that would create publicity?

I think this the absolute worst type of show - the exploitation of these children is just pathetic......


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## RIP - VTEnviro (May 27, 2009)

My home life is too predictable and mundane to make it worth watching.


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## Wolverine (May 27, 2009)

VTEnviro said:


> My home life is too predictable and mundane to make it worth watching.


Ah yes, but the question is would you take money and allow America to see just how predictable and mundane your life is? (oh btw, they can do amazing things with editing - I would say there's a season worth of material in PigMRI alone)

Last year I would say hell no. This year...mm, not so much. $75K did you say?


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## Flyer_PE (May 27, 2009)

Nothing worth filming for posterity going on here either. However, $75k would cover paint, interior, and a new engine for a Cessna Cardinal.


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## Supe (May 27, 2009)

Absolutely! Between the boring bits and gratuitous nudity, they won't know what to edit first! They'll be lucky if they get five minutes of real airtime anyways.

I'd love if they'd film at work, too. I'd go out of my way to recreate most of Office Space.


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## RIP - VTEnviro (May 27, 2009)

Wolverine said:


> Ah yes, but the question is would you take money and allow America to see just how predictable and mundane your life is? (oh btw, they can do amazing things with editing - I would say there's a season worth of material in PigMRI alone)


You know, I think you're onto something. I bet there's all sorts of people with crazy, hectic, wild lifestyles that would love to see how the other half lives.



> Absolutely! Between the boring bits and gratuitous nudity, they won't know what to edit first!


Are you calling my bits and pieces boring?


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## Supe (May 27, 2009)

VTEnviro said:


> Are you calling my bits and pieces boring?



Uninspiring, if anything.


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## csb (May 27, 2009)

On the size of televisions that most of America has nowadays, I don't think anyone's bits and pieces can look uninspiring.

And for the record, I wouldn't subject my family to this. I like that Kate is freaking out about paparrazi, yet she she's okay with a whole camera crew being around all the time. For her it's just about the money.


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## Slugger926 (May 27, 2009)

Supe said:


> Absolutely! Between the boring bits and gratuitous nudity, they won't know what to edit first! They'll be lucky if they get five minutes of real airtime anyways.
> I'd love if they'd film at work, too. * I'd go out of my way to recreate most of Office Space.*


I wouldn't need to go out of my way.


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## Slugger926 (May 27, 2009)

csb said:


> On the size of televisions that most of America has nowadays, I don't think anyone's bits and pieces can look uninspiring.
> And for the record, I wouldn't subject my family to this. I like that Kate is freaking out about paparrazi, *yet she she's okay with a whole camera crew being around all the time.* For her it's just about the *money and body guard.*



Fixed it for ya. She was with the bodyguard long before Jon went out for some fun.


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## Dexman1349 (May 27, 2009)

The part I don't understand is this: How the hell do these guys have the time to fool around and have sex lives with other people? My wife and I never seem to have the time and we only have *2* kids..


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## roadwreck (May 27, 2009)

Dexman1349 said:


> The part I don't understand is this: How the hell do these guys have the time to fool around and have sex lives with other people? My wife and I never seem to have the time and we only have *2* kids..


They make $75,000 an episode. They pay people to look after the kids these days.


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## snickerd3 (May 27, 2009)

at 75k an episode, the $ should be divided by 10 for equal shares and the kids shares put in trust or college funds.


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## Capt Worley PE (May 27, 2009)

snickerd3 said:


> at 75k an episode, the $ should be divided by 10 for equal shares and the kids shares put in trust or college funds.


Those kids will be out on the streets with their ne'er do well parents before they attend college.

I never even heard of the show before this weekend, and I can make that prediction from what I've heard since then.


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## Guest (May 27, 2009)

csb said:


> I know you're mostly a bunch of dudes out there, but I bet a few of you have heard about the latest scandal involving Jon and Kate Gosselin, stars of TLC's Jon and Kate Plus 8. The show focuses on their children- a set of twins and a set of sextuplets. They reportedly get $75,000 an episode.
> So it raises the question:
> 
> Would you take the money to have your lives taped?


In a word: No.

I think there is something lost when you allow your family to be exposed to the pressures of creating a product that will be used for entertainment. It seems to be, in part, something that is happening to Jon and Kate.



MA_PE said:


> This type of stuff makes me believe that the Idiocracy movie is more fact than fiction.


I like lattes ... and money. But I wouldn't like them on TV.

Wanna go to Starbucks? 



MGX said:


> But who would want to watch an engineer at home?


:appl: :appl: :appl:

Winner!!



Mike in Gastonia said:


> Are you telling me there's a potential scandal just as the season premiere is about to show? Who could have predicted that there would be some controversy that would create publicity?
> I think this the absolute worst type of show - the exploitation of these children is just pathetic......


In line with that thought, I think it also broadcasts the steady decline of what FAMILY time is about.

Another show that also completely amazes me ... it makes me cringe to see the commercials ... "Bridezilla"

Holy crackers!!!!! :blink:

JR


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## Mike in Gastonia (May 28, 2009)

Oh no! I heard on the radio this morning that Jon and Kate might be getting a divorce!!

Somehow I have a feeling that by the end of this season, they will have made up. but you'll have to watch every show to see what happens. Give me a break.......


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## jeb6294 (May 29, 2009)

My wife watches it so I've seen it a few times....the show is total bullshit.

It started out as a show about how they got through the day with 8 kids. Now it's morphed into them going on free vacations everywhere and shopping for their new million $$$ home. Kate is a total bitch who is obsessed with getting as much exposure/free stuff as she can. Like someone mentioned earlier, she spends most of her time on the road away from the kids now.

One of the early shows was about how this poor family was struggling to get by when John lost his job. According to him it was because they didn't want to insure all those kids. After getting shit on long enough the (ex)employer finally got fed up and revealed that John actually got fired because he spent all his time at work trying to find ways they could use their kids to get free stuff.


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## rudy (May 30, 2009)

jregieng said:


> Another show that also completely amazes me ... it makes me cringe to see the commercials ... "Bridezilla"


Bridezilla cracks me up. :tv: Although there are some that are a bit annoying, but I am entertained.

It's amazing how different they used to look.

Her Before-and-After

Him Before


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## Guest (Jun 19, 2009)

And now it appears ... they have a special announcement coming up. 

The intro reads, "A family in turmoil ... A relationship at a crossroads ... Where do they go from here?""

Um .. yeah.

JR


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## Flyer_PE (Jun 19, 2009)

^They're going to go in whichever direction results in the greatest extension their "15 minutes".


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## Guest (Jun 23, 2009)

Well, just when you thought that show couldn't exploit those children anymore ... now America gets to watch them deal with mommy and daddy don't love each other and why doesn't daddy live here anymore. I guess the *REAL* surprise announcement would have been, "we are going to stop doing this show and work on our marriage and family."

Good grief ... :mf_followthroughfart:

JR


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## Chucktown PE (Jun 23, 2009)

jregieng said:


> I guess the *REAL* surprise announcement would have been, "we are going to stop doing this show and work on our marriage and family."



But then they couldn't whore their children out.


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## Supe (Jun 23, 2009)

They should just stick these kids in a zoo called "Octopia" since this entire ordeal is mirroring the lives of Apu and Manjula on the Simpsons anyways.


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## jeb6294 (Jun 23, 2009)

Kate is a genital wart on the ass of society. Of course their big announcement should have been that they were quitting the show to work on their family, but I'd be willing to bet that Kate came up with some way that getting a divorce would extend her 15 minutes of fame somehow.


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## Chucktown PE (Jun 23, 2009)

I just keep thinking about these poor kids and the bullshit they have to put up with. Hopefully their parents set aside a trust or something such that they'll have some form of compensation when they are older but from what I've seen from their ass clown parents they'll probably get a boot in their asses kicking them out of the house on their 18th birthdays.


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## TXengrChickPE (Jun 23, 2009)

I saw her quoted somewhere as saying "The show must go on"

They obviously don't give a rat's ass about the kids anymore (I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say that it USED to be about the kids).

It's the "Reality TV Show Curse". She says something about him on-camera that she'd normally ONLY tell her best friend, he does the same. Then, when they both see what the other person said, they react, maybe appropriately, maybe not... regardless, the boundaries that exist in a normal relationship disappear when everything's on camera.


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## Santiagj (Jun 23, 2009)

I agree with TxEngrChick. Plus Kate's a bitch.


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## mizzoueng (Jun 23, 2009)

There was a whole "exposure" for what the show really was a few years back. In reality the kids have a trust fund set up for them by a uncle. All 8 have enough money set aside that their education is 100% paid for at a 4 year university. There was no number given, but they are taken care of.

The parents (Kate especially) whored the children out, they got free stuff all the time and peddled a sob-story that they didn't know how they would feed the kids and pay for school clothes, college, etc. In reality the kids had the trust fund, food was available all the time from local charities, and they had 40-50K in savings and several CDs that were given to them by family.

They went state to state in the beginning, going to churches, asking for money from the congregation. They charged the venue (which included churches) thousands of dollars for them to speak, this did not include the costs for flying there, their entourage, food, and hotel, which they made the venue pay for.

All the while they were also getting paid lucratively by TLC. The children never saw any of that money because of the contract that Kate and her agent had written.

If you watch the first couple seasons you will notice that Kates sister was on the show helping with the kids. She isn't on there anymore. She was offering her time for free but in season 3 TLC offered to pay her since she was on camera for some many hours and episode, Kate and her agent kicked her off the show and stopped all contact with her and did not allow the kids to see her either.

I stopped watching after season 2. It just got frustrating and I could not watch Jon get the life slowly sucked out of him by his overbearing wife.

This show will die off in a couple years, and when the two oldest daughters are 18 expect to see a law suit against Kate and Jon (assuming he is still alive) by the eldest daughters with the 6pack as co-plaintiffs to take whatever money and property they have left as back pay from the show that they did and and probably will never see.


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## wilheldp_PE (Jun 23, 2009)

I stopped watching before I started watching. I don't like "reality" TV in general, but shit like this is ridiculous. From what I have read about the situation, they really were struggling with the children when TLC did the first documentary about them. They were accepting charitable food donations and volunteer care from friends, family and neighbors just to make sure everybody was cared for. Then, after that documentary got good reviews, TLC did another one a year later. After that, they started the series. I've heard that Kate went from a frantic mom that never took the time to get cleaned up for camera in the documentaries, to the dolled-up bitch she has become during the span of the series. She no longer really cares about or for the children that have given her everything. Both parents just proved that the show and their lives have nothing to do with the children by announcing this very public divorce. It pisses me off that they are trying to pass this off as the "best thing for the children" when it is crystal clear that the best thing for the children is the cancel the show, quit being shallow assholes, and take care of the children that they made together.


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## MA_PE (Jun 23, 2009)

blame society. It's the idiots that watch this "show" that keep it going. There would be no money, no perks, and no show if no one watched it. Personally, I've never seen it and don't care to. Just like the midgets show, all of the "rock of Love" shows, Survivors, etc. They hold zero appeal for me.

Everytime I see some reference to his stuff on network "news" I envision society devleloping for real in the "Idiocracy" society. I'm convinced that that movie actually (and accurately) foretells the future.


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## Kephart P.E. (Jun 23, 2009)

Short answer NO. But I also make enough $ I don't have to. But if I had 8 kids maybe I would feel different.

My girlfriend watches this show and we were talking about it last night.

She says she started watching it to see how the couple deals with all those kids, but kept watching to see how bad Kate could treat her husband.

I know it sounds bad, but we also like to watch INTERVENTION while drinking cocktails.


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## Supe (Jun 23, 2009)

D. Kephart said:


> I know it sounds bad, but we also like to watch INTERVENTION while drinking cocktails.



And while doing a line off your girlfriend's chest?

Come on, step it up a notch!


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## jeb6294 (Jun 23, 2009)

wilheldp_PE said:


> I've heard that Kate went from a frantic mom that never took the time to get cleaned up for camera in the documentaries, to the dolled-up bitch she has become during the span of the series. She no longer really cares about or for the children that have given her everything. Both parents just proved that the show and their lives have nothing to do with the children by announcing this very public divorce. It pisses me off that they are trying to pass this off as the "best thing for the children" when it is crystal clear that the best thing for the children is the cancel the show, quit being shallow assholes, and take care of the children that they made together.


My wife found a clip of Kate that kind of sums it all up. She and the 8 kids (no sign of John) were getting ready to do some TV interview. One of the 8yo's is begging Kate for a drink because she hadn't had a drink all day and was dying of thirst. After telling her to be quiet, Kate asked someone if she (Kate) could get a bottle of water. Kate got her water, took a drink and then put the bottle on the floor next to her chair. When the 8yo asked if she could have some, Kate told her to sit down and be quiet (not very nicely BTW) because they were getting ready to start taping.



MA_PE said:


> blame society. It's the idiots that watch this "show" that keep it going. There would be no money, no perks, and no show if no one watched it. Personally, I've never seen it and don't care to. Just like the midgets show, all of the "rock of Love" shows, Survivors, etc. They hold zero appeal for me. Everytime I see some reference to his stuff on network "news" I envision society devleloping for real in the "Idiocracy" society. I'm convinced that that movie actually (and accurately) foretells the future.


I'll admit, I watch some of those once in a while...it's basically like a televised train wreck. Besides, it's a good way to make you feel better about yourself.


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## Kephart P.E. (Jun 23, 2009)

Supe said:


> And while doing a line off your girlfriend's chest?
> 
> Come on, step it up a notch!


Use her chest? You could lose some like that, plus her chest is where I like to store the bong.


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