Reality T.V. has definitely taken a turn for the truly tasteless. Exploiting children?? My goodness, where do I begin…
Let’s start with the most popular, Jon and Kate Gosselin. For those of you living under a rock, Jon and Kate Gosselin are the parents on “Jon and Kate Plus 8” who are currently under the media radar. They are also being investigated for exploiting their children to make money for themselves. We all know that parents of multiples, especially more than quadruplets are often the targets of endorsements and donations from corporate sponsors. But those things come at a hefty price. The pair have 8 children, a set of twin girls and sextuplets.
The children are 5 years old now and have been on T.V. since they were in utero. The camera crews of the T.V. show “Jon and Kate Plus 8” have become a permanent fixture in their lives. They follow them around capturing intimate moments and basically documenting their every move. Isn’t this a privacy issue? The children’s lives are intruded upon at the hands of TLC, the demands of the show, and the needs of the family’s corporate sponsors.
Kate Gosselin has had free plastic surgery and a makeover and now she is a “celebrity”. She went from “housewife” to “hottie”. She has written books about her life (as if the TV show wasn’t enough) and travels around making paid public appearances, without her husband. Her most recent sighting was at the beach in a skimpy bikini, which is a far cry from the laundry room and kitchen we are used to seeing her in. She has been deemed a “monster-mega-bitch” and known for belittling her husband both on and off the camera. People are coming out and starting to admit that she was the brains behind the operation and used this show as a way to make money.
Can’t really knock her hustle, but did she exploit her kids in the process? It is rumored that the two are separating, as they have both been seen with other people. One has to ask… is this a ratings move? Is this another way to earn more money?
“Octomom” a.k.a. Nadya Suleman is next on deck for a reality show. She is a single mom in California. She has 14 children in total, 8 of which are octuplets. She is said to have inked a deal with 3Ball Productions to chronicle her life and the lives of her children. She has already made close to a million dollars doing interviews and other publicity events. Now if this is not kid exploitation and clearly a money move, I don’t know what is.
Then there’s the The Duggar family of the T.V. show “18 and Counting”. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are the parents of 18 children. Their website opens up with a biblical quote “Children are a heritage of the lord…” Hmmmmm…. That kind of freaked me out. As I watched this show, the majority of the housework and raising of the younger kids was done by older siblings. All of the children are home-schooled by their mother. Now I imagine that siblings can pitch in at some level but are the other children supposed to be responsible for all that? Their house is to die for. Video game rooms, diner style kitchen… Who can afford that? Sure they own their own real estate company and are debt free but I’m sure being on this reality show only helps their pockets. Their endorsements are not so evident but with 18 children but I can’t imagine that mom and dad can do it alone.
They believe that God will determine how many children they will have and hey, everyone has their own opinion but when will it be too much. I say they can counter that and buy a pack of condoms.
Now my question behind all of this is… If it weren’t for their reality shows and product endorsements, would these people be able to take care of these children straight up? I know some people with two kids and have decent paying jobs, live in an apartment and are struggling to make it.
Is it morally and ethically okay to exploit the lives of your children to make money?
-This has been another Lady Blogga public service announcement
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