***Warning, very long tirade, see next post if you don’t care about Jon and Kate***
Jon and Kate have been the most talked about couple as of recent months, last night being no exception. It was so disappointing seeing one more couple bite the dust. Coming from a large family myself, I know how hard it can be but it was still upsetting watching them take the easy way out. I know some people will say it’s easy to sit on the sidelines and point fingers and make judgments but the reality is that I’ve experienced the pains of divorce many times in my close-knit extended family and I know that the divorce is only the beginning of long-lasting pain. I was heartbroken for the family, the pain that they all must be going through, particularly the kids, as we all know that the kids are affected the most.
It was hard to sit there with the recent memories of their vow renewals as well as the episode where they discussed their family mission statement. They talked about the priority of their faith in God and in each other. They talked about commitment and how Mom and Dad were always going to be together. I wonder if they look back on that and brush it off as simply being naive. In a way, we’ve all fed the monster. We’ve all tuned in to watch the train wreck that became their marriage. Most of us have read the tabloids, only making the media frenzy and paparazzi worse. Some say that maybe if they’d just canceled everything and focused on their family, they could have saved it, but I think in reality, there was a lot more going on, for a lot longer then “reality tv” exposed us to. I question whether they even cared about saving it for awhile now. In the end, responsibility lay with both Jon and Kate and they refused to accept that responsibility. While some may disagree with me, in my opinion, they took the easy(er) way out.
Jon talked about wanting to cancel the show at the end of last season and take some time off and a lot of organizations and people have laid the blame on Kate for continuing the show and destroying the marriage but I disagree. I think Jon wanted to quit the show because he was already no longer committed to his family and didn’t want the media attention to showcase that. It’s a lot harder to get away with inappropriate behavior when cameras are following you everywhere. I think that’s also why he no longer appreciates his fans, many have turned against him, abused his naivety or just used him to make some money and get a chance at the spotlight. I’m sure it hurts when people you trust turn to the media and do tell-alls. I never understood the point of Jodi and Kevin doing a media tell-all. What point did that serve? Other than to feed the rumors and gossip and media frenzy even more? I think if they had really cared, they might have spent their time on Jon and Kate and the kids and helping them out, rather than blabbing to the world for who knows how much money!
In the end I was most disgusted with Jon, his change has been much more dramatic than Kate’s. If anything, this turmoil has softened Kate’s harshness. Yes, she’s more calloused and jaded because of the experience, but you can also see the hurt too. With Jon, every passing episode has only gotten worse. He has a lot of anger and defiance and definitely demonstrates a huge lack of maturity on his part. He’s a fine example of a man (*insert sarcasm here*). Running out on his family and refusing to accept responsibility is what it really comes down to. With each episode you can see the physical transformation representing the emotional and spiritual changes within him. The hair styling and gel, the earrings, the clothes, the snowboarding trips, the motorcycle, the new car, the dogs, the need to go out with his friends…all of it screams rebellion. Rebellion from his life, from his family, and from God. One day, he will look back and regret this decision. He may not admit it, even to himself, but he will. The grass is always greener on the other side.
I’ve tuned in and watched all the episodes from the very beginning, and from the very beginning, Jon didn’t handle the responsibility well. Yes, Kate nagged and yelled and I don’t excuse her behavior one bit, but I do understand why she reacted the way she did and treated him the way he did. I’ve cared for eight kids (and more) at the same time and of the same ages, day after day, so I know what it can be like. When you have eight kids to take care of, you shouldn’t have to always tell your husband what needs to be done, he should be able to anticipate and be on the same page, however, you never saw much of that with Jon. Too much of the time, he was just another child to care for…another responsibility to handle.
Sigh, very disappointing… In my opinion, marriage is more than just a simple promise. It’s a covenant, that you make before God and your spouse. You don’t just break a covenant before God because things have gotten tough. That’s when you’re supposed to dig down deeper in your faith and show what you’re made of. Jon and Kate have had there chance to show us what they’re made of. Just once, I’d love to see a large family portrayed (OTHER THAN THE DUGGARS….*gag*), with multiples, take a solid stance for faith, marriage and family.
End of tirade.
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