This week on The Learning Channel TLC: Jon and Kate teach their children how to manipulate the media...

I have never watched Jon and Kate + 8 on The Learning Channel, better known as TLC. I have no plans to EVER watch Jon and Kate + 8 at any point in time. But the relentless barrage of media coverage for these two over the past month has put them squarely on my old, broken-down, pre-WWII era radar. And lord, I hate what they're doing.

Hey...let's get divorced! But wait...let's leak it to the press that everyone should watch our show on Monday night for a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! And then we'll reveal our divorce to the WHOLE WIDE WORLD. ON THE TEE-VEE! Because nothing--absolutely NOTHING--is private anymore. Not even good old-fashioned divorce. Would that the Catholics had a powerful enough lobby to ban not only the two of them from church, but from television forever.

I don't know why this bugs me so much, other than it's the constant white noise of reality TV. Is Adam Lambert gay? Is Cloris Leachman too old and crotchety to be a dancer? Which minor league Baldwin brother left NBC's ridiculous celebrity survivor show and who really gives a rat's ass? Even if you care not one iota about any of this utter crap, you're struck with it every day, every time you log in, every time you turn on the news. One family with 8 kids at a time is news. That family going through a divorce, no matter how public, and no matter how evily manipulative, is not news. It's sad, but it's certainly not news.

So, TLC, why don't you do this: Follow the + 8 kids through life, Truman Show-like. Watch them grow. Forget about their self-centered, self-absorbed parents. Let's just look in on just the kids. That way we at home can play along and watch as they grow up in this toxic environment, one filled with cameras and technicians and sound trucks and wires. Because these kids will not know how to live their lives WITHOUT cameras, we can all lay bets on which of them gets busted for drugs first, which one for shoplifting, which one for grand theft auto. We can follow them through juvie prison, drug rehab, halfway houses. Because with a life like this, played out on TV all the time, these kids will never grow up normal. Especially when their parents feel a divorce is something best held for the TV camera.

Comments

[Gene & Jacquie Elsasser]

We really care about Kate & the kids. We think she was just trying to do something to help provide for the kids, for now and for their future. We believe TLC helped them do a lot of wonderful things for these kids. We think Jon is a lazy, uncaring, selfish husband and father. We hope this message gets to this wonderful mother of 8.

[MARYANN DORMANN]

IN MY VIEW TLC HAS LOST ITS QUALITY ESPECIALLY WITH THIS NEW ONE COMING ON WIH THE MONKEY. YOU HAVE LOST ME WITH WATCHING TLC ANY MORE I AM DONE. JON AND KATE I AM SUSPICIOUS NOW JON WANTS TO SLOW DOWN THE DIVORCE...IS THIS ALL JUST A PLOY.. YOU CAN SEE THE CHILDRENS FACES ON JON AND KATE NOW THEY FIGHT MORE THEY ARE LOUD THEY HAVE BEEN AFFECTED CAN JON AND KATE SEE THIS OR DO THE DOLLAR SIGNS MEAN MORE THAN THESE CHILDREN. BEFORE THEY WERE WELL TAKEN CARE OF EMOTIONALLY. YOU QUALITY SHOULD BE KEPT TO THE HIGHEST DONT TRY TO ATTRACT THE LOWER CLASS OR I GUESS THERE IS MONEY TO GAIN FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. TRY TO IMPROVE TLC KEEP THE STANDARDS HIGH AND YOU WILL HAVE MORE PEOPLE WATCH DONT BE SO DISHONEST (OR BUT THERE IS MONEY BEING DISHONEST TO THE PUBLIC) MARYANN

[Joyce]

After Jon's interview on 'Family Secrets', I think everyone knows where to place the blame for this breakup. If there was any doubt about Kate being too hard on Jon, we now know that she had to raise him along with her children. Someone has to lead. It's hard to follow a parked car!
The things he said about loving another girl(this soon), and loving her more than he loved Kate was disgusting to most of us. It was to completely try to hurt Kate, as he started the interview angry. I really don't see Kate trashing Jon, ever. Only talking about the sadness of the situation and trying to understand why. She's not the one out there living the wild life(another example of maturity). She obviously wants a good life for her children but the time has come to spare the kids from not only their father's outrageous behavior but the hurt of thinking that their mom is being harmed. Know for sure they WILL take sides at some point and they WILL see and hear all the comments. Time to cancel the show!! I always watched and Kate is quite an inspiration to moms everywhere, but there is too much negativity out there now. TLC and Kate...take a breather. Get your new life established and get Jon out of the picture for good and maybe in the future we will see KATE (minus Jon) + 8.
Good will come from postponing.
Joyce

[Diane S]

This is NOT TV!! This is a "raping" of a once whole family with their problems(we all have them)Why is is right to slow down at an accident and LOOK? Why is it so enjoyable to watch a family be destroyed by being in the public eye? If you film it we will WATCH!! Misery loves company? We can say it's Jon and Kate's fault for continuing...BUT really it's TLC for being greedy and wanting the ratings!!
PEOPLE stop watching and they won't have our support! TLC shame on you for being a part of destroying this family and their kids! Anything to pad your pockets!

[Gail Maddox]

I will not watch Jon and Kate again. It should be called "The Kate Show" from now on. If Kate really wants to do something good for her children she would quit the show and spend her energies on rebuilding her relationship with her husband and her children's father. My family is not at all surprised that Jon feels the need for validation outside the home. We have watched her verbally castrate him for years on national TV. I pray for the healing of their home often but I will not watch the show any more. May God help those children.