Like millions of other folks, I am - at this very moment - watching
the season premiere of the TLC reality show, "Jon & Kate Plus 8,"
which has over time morphed from a reality show about a family into a
reality show about a family on a reality show. As I sit here watching Jon and Kate Gosselin sit there on the screen across my living room, each individually offering up the most private details of their very public marital difficulties
to their huge viewing audience, I feel sort of like a participant the
ultimate postmodern performance art piece. It's "The Truman Show" come
to life, but with a weird return feedback loop via the very opinionated online community that has grown up around the show, and the family.
I've
watched the show a number of times over the past few years, fascinated
like so many other mamas by how in the WORLD these people manage having
8 young children without losing their minds. I must admit that I always
found the family - at least as presented on their TV show - to be a little bit on edge,
particularly Kate Gosselin. (On the other hand, I would probably be a
little bit crabby as well if I were raising twins and sextuplets.)
Today, I happened to be home most of the day - a rare thing - and there
also happened to be a "Jon & Kate" marathon on all day. So while I
did a lot of cleaning the house, I left the TV on in the background,
watching episodes of the show from each season.
While I
realize that much of the "unscripted" show is quite scripted, I still
felt like I got enough of the reality of their family life in watching
them go about their day-to-day lives in these back-to-back episodes to
recognize that I was truly watching a real-life tragedy unfold over
time. The harried, slightly bitchy, but loving mama of 2006 - looking
suburban-cute in cargo pants and flip flops as she bustled about her
very modest kitchen, knee deep in children - has been replaced by an
overdressed, over-tanned, overcoiffed, obviously depressed, exhausted
and angry woman. She now lives in a mansion, travels many days each
week (with a bodyguard) while her young children remain at home, and
she and her husband - with whom she lovingly bickered in the first
seasons - are openly discussing divorce. In the season premiere
tonight, I see the estranged couple struggle through their kids'
birthday party, with pain over their disintegrating marriage palpably
etched on their faces. The seriousness of the situation is obvious to
viewers, because it's needed for dramatic tension. Unfortunately, as I
watch the scene play out, it's also all too obvious to their eight
children, who seem anxious and unsettled.
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