When it was announced that Kate Gosselin’s reality show, Kate Plus 8, had finally been cancelled by TLC, I was relieved by the news. Gosselin turned this once lovable show about the chaos of raising twins and sextuplets into a 30-minute whine about her struggles as a single mother.
Quite frankly, the show needed to end because Gosselin doesn’t deserve the public’s attention or concern. She isn’t your average single mother and media attention on her is only serving to skew the hardships of real working moms.
The cover of People this week was a reminder that Gosselin hasn’t left the public eye quite yet. The headline read, “Kate’s Uncertain Future: Will Her Kids Be Okay.” In the article, Gosselin moans, “that she’s freaking out. Big time.” My gut reaction to this was one of confusion — are we supposed to feel badly for Gosselin?
I understand that it can be scary facing the world without a job as a single mother. But Gosselin is far from the norm. She’s been made wealthy by her television show and the intense media attention that’s sprung from it.
If Gosselin was like most single mothers, she would have been saving every penny she could to get through the inevitable rough times. She has faced rough times before when the sextuplets were born and her then-husband lost his job. Past struggles should have taught her to save.
But, she hasn’t been saving. She gets hair extensions that likely cost thousands of dollars. Her show gave her endless freebies, including a trip to Australia and New Zealand earlier this year.
To me, this doesn’t sound like a struggling single mom who deserves our sympathy.
She admits to People that she’s determined to continue to give her children the lavish lifestyle they’ve become accustomed to, including a $1 million mansion and private schools.
Yet they spend time at their father’s bachelor apartment, which he affords off a construction worker’s paycheque. They will adjust. Gosselin isn’t worried about her kids; she’s worried about losing the lavish lifestyle she adores.
She wants our pity. How could TLC expect her to go back to nursing after being a star? But, in my opinion there are people more deserving of our concern, like the everyday single moms who are just making ends meet and could use a little help.
These are moms who deserve our respect and assistance, not a reality show drama queen
who has overstayed her welcome.
Tags
celebrity, Signed Ed, Television
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