The Charm of "Jon & Kate Plus Eight"

I admit to being a cynic when it comes to reality shows, especially those that revolve around people who allow their lives with their families to be put on camera. In the case of those individuals- especially celebrities- who chronicle their household's doings, I always suspect that a degree of narcissism is their real motive and that much of what the audience sees is largely contrived.

I have, however, found one family reality show to be an exception.

Jon & Kate Plus Eight, aired on the TLC channel, follows the everyday lives of Jon and Kate Gosselin and their children. What makes this household unique is that it includes two sets of multiples- twins Cara and Mady, born in 2000, and sextuplets, Hannah, Alexis, Collin, Aaden, Leah and Joel, born in 2004. Both sets of multiples were conceived with the help of fertility treatments, although Jon and Kate never expected sextuplets.

Their reality shows deals with how Jon and Kate handle raising such a large brood and manage to keep their relationship intact, in spite of all of the chaos.

Although there has been criticism from some viewers who accuse the Gosselins of exploiting their children, I honestly do not agree with this. What makes this show a standout from other "film-my-family" reality shows is the absolute genuineness of this couple. Kate is bubbly, outspoken and sometimes a little controlling, while Jon is laid back, easygoing and struggling for his place in this whole dynamic, which is common to any couple raising young kids.

The difference between the Gosselins and those on similar family-based reality shows is that we are seeing exactly who these folks are. There is nothing egotistical or artificial about them. I think they are probably the same off-camera as they are on-camera.

Of course, the biggest reason we tune in is to see those eight adorable, rambunctious children, each of them with their own quirky personalities. It's fun to watch them grow and learn and experience things for the first times. It's touching to see them interact with their parents, siblings and the world around them.

Beneath all the noise, poop, tantrums and general bedlam is a family who sincerely loves each other and, therein, lies the charm of this program.

By: Ezriela Devereux
Published: 07/17/08

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1 Posted Comments:

Exactly

@ 6:45 pm 07/25/08 by Zomba Tatamata

You're exactly right. Jon and Kate act like normal on the show. They don't care if a camera's there or not, they're gonna act like they usually do. Even when they fight or argue, the beauty of the show is seen by the fact that they seem real, and everything's not perfect like other shows. Great article.

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