How much longer, Jon & Kate?

I don't watch a whole lot of TV. Not because there aren't any televisions in the house; in my opinion we have about 4 too many, but hubby thinks each room should have a television. I just feel there isn't anything worth watching on TV. Programming has become either excessively violent, has WAY too much foul language, even on regular channels, and the sexual innuendos, not to mention the outright sex, is something I don't care to watch, much less subject my kids to. So most of the time the TV stays off other than for cartoons. That is, until Monday and Tuesday nights. Tuesday nights I love because I get to watch the Duggars, a Christian family who isn't afraid to let the world see how a godly family lives, and isn't ashamed of their relationship with God. Mondays of course is Jon and Kate Plus 8, another program that I can sit and watch with my family because it's just good, wholesome family values. Even though they can argue at times, Jon and Kate aren't much different than most couples, and it's nice to see that they make the effort to resolve their differences and work together for their family. The children are adorable, too. It's been enjoyable to watch this family's antics each week.

Which is why I've become concerned with the show lately. Ever since they moved into the new house, I began to sense something different about them. Usually they'd both converse, giving opinions, going back and forth, laughing or arguing. Yet after the move I noticed Jon has become very quiet. He barely says two words during the whole show. As for Kate, she seemed irritable for the first two episodes of the move, which I chalked up to exhaustion. I remember moving with 3 children, one just 4 months old, and I told my husband I wouldn't move again unless I could leave all our stuff behind and buy everything new. Packing and unpacking was a nightmare. I can only imagine what it must have been like to pack and unpack for a family of 10. I'd be grouchy too! But now that I've seen a few more episodes, I get the distinct feeling that Kate is over it. She seems tired of doing the show, tired of having the cameras follow her around, tired of sitting on the couch explaining everything she, her husband and her children do on a day to day basis. She isn't the type of person who can hide her true feelings, and her body language says it all. I'm beginning to wonder if the show will go on much longer.

I can't say that I blame them. They started doing this show, as Kate explained, so that curious people could see what life was like with two 6 year olds and six 2 year olds. It was intended to be sort of educational, so that we could see inside their window, so to speak, at how a family of this size manages each day. It also helped them document the growth of their children which they just didn't have time to do. I'm sure they never expected the show to take off like it has, nor for their popularity to become like that of celebrities. They seem to be like any other large family, except that 6 of their children are the same age. It must be difficult, not to mention a bit unnerving, to try and take your children on an outing to the grocery store and get recognized at every turn. They no longer have privacy because they're spotted anywhere they go, and people seem to think that once a family is on TV, they have some sort of obligation to stop and speak to every stranger that approaches them. I don't know about most people, but this would freak me out.

What really upset me was this weekend when I was at the checkout line at Wal-mart. There was the family, a picture of all of them, on the front page of a tabloid magazine, stating that Jon is moving out and they're talking divorce. Now, put yourself in their place. How can they go shopping with their children? What if one of the older girls, who already can read, sees a headline like that? Talk about traumatizing! Having to explain to your children why this magazine is saying terrible things about Mommy and Daddy. You can pretty much bet this isn't what they signed up for. Sadly, tabloid lies are what our culture feeds on, and so long as Jon and Kate are in the spotlight, this will continue.

So, how much longer, Jon and Kate? If I'm reading them correctly, I wouldn't be surprised if this were their last season. I'll miss them when the show is over. It'll be one less good program on TV.