» Jon & Kate Plus 8 Options

[Lewanne]

If they were smart people, they would not allow their family to be in this mess to begin with. However, at the very least, a smart parent would try to do some damage control "on the couch." It could be as simple as, "She makes herself throw up when she doesn't get what she wants. The doctor has assured us it is not a medical problem, just manipulation."

Well said! There is SO MUCH damage control that could be done on that couch but isn't. With a few words of explanation or show of remorse, Kate would be so much more palatable to viewers.

[RockClimb]

I don't think that Alexis should have gotten the bagel just because she wanted it. If Jon and Kate know their children have eaten enough and just want something, and they have already said no, I'd rather them stick to their guns than give in. It's not necessarily just because it was a bagel worth 50 cents. It's the principle behind it.

Exactly. it's consistent discipline. K explained that bagels are treats, and you just don't give in to a demanding child or they learn that all they have to do to get what they want is loudly demand it 6 times.

There is SO MUCH damage control that could be done on that couch but isn't. With a few words of explanation or show of remorse, Kate would be so much more palatable to viewers.

I don't think K gives a rat's ass about being more palatable to viewers, and it's one of the things I like about her. They're doing what they think is best, and they are offering parts of their lives up for the world to see, but I'm glad she doesn't feel the need to go into endless explanations about every situation, or be defensive about her choices.

[nutgoodie]

I finally saw the scene where Kate was combing someone's hair in the kitchen (yuck) and caught the total product placement of the hair detangler. "Your hair smells so yummy"

And I dig Aaden but if my kids kept coming downstairs with his underwear on backwards and wanting to be dressed ALL THE TIME I would plan a special day out (including a trip to the Dairy Queen) but only for kids who dress themselves. I work with little preschool kids (yesterday was the last day of school though) and let me tell you: Kids like Aaden who never want to dress themselves or more importantly, want to help out around the house will almost always try to not help.

And Jon and Kate can have a chore chart but can't have a chart to determine who has a special day with Mom or Dad? I would prefer Jon as he is way more laid back. Like a lot.

Kate seems to think she is always right

You mean she is not?

ANd I have heard of families with a mission statement - although I would like to see more of the "giving back" part. Our family has a motto of JOY - anyone who watches the Duggars knows what that means. ANd good for Kate for admitting that sometimes they go astray on the patience part. Actually it appears that only she goes astray but hey maybe Jon gets impatient, it is just shown.

And now Jon is the bed making supervisor? What else does Kate not do? They are both home now, why does it sound as though Jon does more in terms of chores and child grooming?

This post has been edited by nutgoodie: Jun 5, 2008 @ 4:24 pm.

[camom]

Also, I assume that when they are doing the couch interviews they don't know what (small) portion of the hours filmed will be used. They can't be expected, IMO, to address or explain every scenario that has happened. Of course it could also be their total and complete lack of insight. YMMV.

[doodlebug08]

Also, I assume that when they are doing the couch interviews they don't know what (small) portion of the hours filmed will be used

I thought the couch interviews were filmed well after the rest of the footage was obtained. By the time J&K plop down on the couch, the basic themes of the eppy are known to production and, most likely, to J&K. I'd imagine they also are aware of exactly what footage is going to be shown for the most part, too. Then, as we've seen repeatedly, J&K are not giving extemporaneous commentary, they are answering questions being asked by the show's producer in order to elucidate the accompanying scenes. I can understand how it might look like J&K are completely in the dark based on the content of their couch talks, but I think they're just not that bright and really don't know how to explain themselves. Or they really do think they're doing such a fabulous job raising their kids that there's nothing to explain or regret in the first place.

[Abacus]

Now, when they play the clip of it, they only show her doing it once or twice. Nice editing. This was after it was said that they can't ask for anything more than once or else they get time out. Apparantly that doesn't count all the times they ignore her. That was such created drama I can't begin to say. What is the harm in giving her a little piece of bagel. I doubt the tups have the capacity to eat a whole one, especially after they already ate. By her own admission Kate only gets these as a "rare treat", why can't the tups partake in the treat? I bet one more bagel cut into 6 pieces after breakfast would have kept that whole mess from transpiring. What is a bagel with nothing on it, 50 cents? What is chaos worth?

The bagel thing still bothers me, too. I can't bring myself to agree to giving different food to the different children. Especially not when it's something like a bagel that they can all eat. It looks to me like setting J&K up for the very thing that they got - Alexis asking for and yelling for bagel. How much simpler to have cut the bagel into pieces to begin with and give all the children some bagel and all the children some cereal. To me this is just another example of Kate setting herself and the children up. She has the chaos and some poor child gets punished when none of it had to happen if Kate thought really thought through what she was doing in advance.

[twinks]

They needed someone to come to the house to show them how to separate recycling? and blackboard paint? why? I noticed in this epi that Mady really plays up to the camera. How much longer can this show go on?
Kate, comb the back of your hair!

[neptune42]

I don't think K gives a rat's ass about being more palatable to viewers, and it's one of the things I like about her. They're doing what they think is best, and they are offering parts of their lives up for the world to see, but I'm glad she doesn't feel the need to go into endless explanations about every situation, or be defensive about her choices.

I do like that Kate is forthright and assertive, instead of placid and sugary like Michelle Duggar. And she would be annoying as heck if she were trying to spin everything so that she would be likable to every one of the viewers.

But - there are children involved, that she is not trying to be palatable to, from what I have observed, and that is what makes her bitchiness bothersome.

If we had seen a scene the day after GumGate, where Kate sat down with Collin and said she was sorry that she had upset him, or if she had admitted on the couch that she overreacted and/or she was sorry that Collin was upset, the show would be more palatable, if not Kate. I've seen her wish that she could give her children more individual time. I haven't seen her spend individual time with her sons. And I haven't seen her express regret for the consequences of her words or actions upon her husband or children.

This post has been edited by neptune42: Jun 5, 2008 @ 5:15 pm.

[nanasez]

My suspicion about bagelgate, based on how things seem to operate in Gosselinland, is that Alexis asked for a bagel. No one paid attention to her because other chaos was ensuing. Alexis asked again. No one answered her. She started up her chant, getting louder and louder until she finally had a parent's attention. Said parent sends her to the corner for being loud and repeating a request. The "she'd already eaten" excuse is then voiced later in interview, when there's the realization that they need a reason why Alexis wasn't given a bagel when she first asked. I think this is why we never see a parent answer her. We never see her told "no," told why she can't have a bagel, or be told not to ask again. We just see Alexis doing her chant until it reaches a level that catches parental attention.

[Ivermom]

I do like that Kate is forthright and assertive, instead of placid and sugary like Michelle Duggar. And she would be annoying as heck if she were trying to spin everything so that she would be likable to every one of the viewers.

Me too! I prefer watching Kate over Miss perfect Duggar

[IowaMom]

If we had seen a scene the day after GumGate, where Kate sat down with Collin and said she was sorry that she had upset him, or if she had admitted on the couch that she overreacted and/or she was sorry that Collin was upset, the show would be more palatable, if not Kate. I've seen her wish that she could give her children more individual time. I haven't seen her spend individual time with her sons. And I haven't seen her express regret for the consequences of her words or actions upon her husband or children.

Excellent. That's all I'm asking, anyway -- just admit you screw up, Kate, and try to do better. No, don't try -- just get some help and DO BETTER while there's still time to keep from massively harming your kids' psyches. All just my opinion.

Dont want to veer off topic, but many of us watch Little People, Big World -- sad news there today. Mike passed away. It's being discussed on the TWP board...

[TWoP Mars]

Answers:

* What your parents did
* What you do as a parent
* What you think most parents do
* What you think most parents should do

Question:

What are a few things that are NOT ON TOPIC here?

In other words: Keep it about the show. This isn't a joke. Off topic posts are going to be deleted entirely and the posters will be banned.

If you're not talking about the show, or even Jon and Kate, you are so far off topic that there's no excuse for not realizing it.

[evilandproud]

Go sit in the UrbanAttackVehicle, Kate, IMO you are about as much fun as a snack cracker without spray-on cheese.

So Kate is about as fun as lunch?

My suspicion about bagelgate, based on how things seem to operate in Gosselinland, is that Alexis asked for a bagel. No one paid attention to her because other chaos was ensuing. Alexis asked again. No one answered her. She started up her chant, getting louder and louder until she finally had a parent's attention. Said parent sends her to the corner for being loud and repeating a request. The "she'd already eaten" excuse is then voiced later in interview, when there's the realization that they need a reason why Alexis wasn't given a bagel when she first asked. I think this is why we never see a parent answer her. We never see her told "no," told why she can't have a bagel, or be told not to ask again. We just see Alexis doing her chant until it reaches a level that catches parental attention.

Can you really blame her? Most four year olds, from my experience, can't grasp onto the fact that someone may be ignoring them when they are trying to get their attention. From Alexis' perspective she was just doing what she needed to do to get a piece of a friggin bagel. Even if Alexis was given the reason that "she had already eaten" and then sent to the corner I would feel better about it, but that didn't happen. Ech. Jabba probobaly wanted to eat that bagel later while she was lounging in her pink bathrobe from 1:30- 5:00 (a.k.a. nap time).

[Abacus]

My suspicion about bagelgate, based on how things seem to operate in Gosselinland

I agree with you assessment, nanasez. And it doesn't appear to me to be a good way to relate to children about food if that's the way J&K are implementing things. It doesn't appear to me to be a good way to deal with children's requests either.

[SparkleGirl]

Maybe this show could combine efforts with Super Nanny and do a TV special together.

It really would be fascinating to watch what kind of feedback J&K would get.

What I can't seem to understand is why do the show producers choose the footage they do?

If there was a lot of really awesome footage of how loving and sweet Kate could be, I would think they would show it.

Its hard to imagine that the show would really only show the bad stuff for ratings.

But...who knows? It is TV afterall.