Published: May 29, 2009 10:48 am      

Jon, Kate plus a divorce lawyer

“Jon & Kate Plus Eight” might have to change the title of their TLC hit reality show to “Jon & Kate Plus a Divorce Lawyer.” The couple, who are parents of twins and sextuplets, have garnered more attention than Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston in recent weeks. Why? Rumors of infidelity have circulated among the parents, with media tabloids flaunting pictures of a cheating husband and a bossy wife. Creating a firestorm, the couple seem to be drowning in the media spotlight; their marriage on the rocks. While both deny the rumors, Jon and Kate Gosselin admit their marriage is in trouble. The media attention has the ability to unravel a union, but it also has the capability to bump television ratings. Last Monday night, 9.8 million viewers watched the season premiere, opening up the fifth season.

My question is why are Americans gathering around a television to watch a marriage unravel? Yes, the kids are insanely cute, often funny. But are viewers watching the kids or the adults? Of course, the kids are the reason for the show, but it is Jon and Kate who create the atmosphere, tension and all. After glancing at the tabloids lined up on the supermarket counters, I see an average marriage falling through the cracks, not parents living a happy, somewhat chaotic life. Yet, divorce is nothing new; we can watch it happen in our families, without cameras. Which begs the questions why would we want to watch another marriage go down the tubes.

This is no soap opera or summer blockbuster movie. It is real life, unfortunately taped for television. I know there are millions of people who adore reality shows. And even I have sat down and watched an whole hour of reality show antics. Last Thanksgiving, I made my entire family watch the TLC “Jon & Kate Plus Eight” marathon. Proving no one is immune to the reality show disease, I watched with awe as a couple fed eight kids, took them camping and never lost a single child in public. Reality shows are like an illness, which causes time to stand still. The eyes glaze; muscles become limp. As much as one wants to move, a reality show keeps a viewer glued to the couch. The Gosselins are experts in affecting Americans with these symptoms.

When the show first aired, I enjoyed watching Kate and Jon overcome the trials and hurdles of parenting six new babies, with twin toddlers still learning how to dress themselves. The couple were a team — accepting life’s newest adventure diapers and all — and strove to make their children’s lives as smooth as possible. It was fun to watch the babies grow into toddlers, with expressive personalities. And it was funny to watch Jon and Kate try to tempt and bribe their posse to stand still for a family picture. But now, these children are 5 years old; they are not babies. These six kids will struggle with the ABC’s of kindergarten, not shove peas up their nose or lock themselves in a closet like toddlers. Let’s face it; toddlers are much more funnier than elementary children. Five-year olds listen to their parents (sometimes), dress themselves and operate computers and game systems like an adult. I was fascinated by the baby Gosselins, not Jon and Kate marriage.

There had to be a switch, which is why I think Americans are now fascinated with the adults of the show, not the children. The huge rating bump for season five only confirms audiences are clamoring to match tabloid rumors to reality show truth. I wonder what Jon and Kate think about the huge boost in ratings? I would feel uncomfortable, knowing that millions of people are watching to see a divorce lawyer on the show, not to see a sextuplet celebrate their birthday. Are viewers wanting to see a train wreck or a couple reconcile? Experts say Americans can identify with the Gosselin’s martial trouble. I do not agree. While millions of people deal with adultery, divorce and martial tensions, hardly anyone has eight kids under the microscope as well.

Hopefully, Jon and Kate can take this turn of events and spin it into a positive for marriage. Instead of falling victims to the reality star curse, they could work out their problems. The question is will they work their problems out on television or in the privacy of their own homes. Of course, a television intervention with top marriage counselors might bring in more television viewers. Just like other family reality show predecessors like the Osbournes and the Newlyweds on MTV and the Hogans on VHI, a viewer can only watch a celebrity or a mother of eight fold a basket of laundry a dozen times before getting bored. We start anticipating the train wreck, which only adults can supply, not the cute kids who stick peas up their noses.

Jamie Parsell is the Lifestyle editor at the Daily Telegraph. Contact her at jparsell@bdtonline.com