The divorces of other celebrities never have as much publicity and public appeal as that of the Gosselins. However American people can relate to the Gosselins because they are a family living a "normal" life. Many viewers might feel a connection with this family considering the way Jon and Kate Plus Eight is designed. The family goes through everyday struggles which viewers can empathize with. So is empathy the main reason for the heightened interest in the divorce of this couple? Or perhaps the scandalous nature of the divorce strengthened its attention? Either way the media has promoted the story in a way that pulls in readers, and additionally raises questions about the interests of American people. Americans could be attracted through feelings of empathy or perhaps the immoralities that "normal" families experience.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Jon and Kate Plus... Media
Ever since the rumors of separation began for reality t.v. stars Jon and Kate Gosselin, the Gosselin family has been under constant scrutiny by magazines, newspapers, and the Internet. Over the summer the relationship struggle between this couple has been featured on the cover of People magazine multiple times, with stories that range from Kate's perspective to Jon's to the family in general. With the numerous cover stories it is clear that the American public is eager for more information about the divorce of this famous couple. This information presents an interesting question: Why is America so fascinated by their divorce?
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I admit I am a religious "Jon and Kate Plus Eight" viewer. I have seen every episode! I think that people have gotten so attached with the family of ten from watching them over the past couple of years. They were just a typical family trying to live everyday life. But ever since their show became popular, Kate has changed before our eyes. It seemed she just wanted to do the show for the money and Jon wanted to stop the show. He just wanted to live his life normally. Thus they parted ways. So I think that the scandalous nature is a key reason on why America is so fascinated with their divorce.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a good example of one of the story arcs we talked about in class on Friday. In the beginning, the Gosselin family had eight young kids and little money. Then, they got enough fame and money to last them a while. And on top of it all, for the first few seasons, they seemed to have the perfect family dynamic, too. Everyone was full of smiles and laughter, things every family wants. This is the typical "rags to riches" story. They went from having nothing to having everything.
ReplyDeleteOr so it seemed. I think that people are so fascinated with this divorce because they get to watch the whole thing play out on national television. People are eager to choose sides and give their two cents because the family continues to tug at their heart strings. There was obsession and scrutiny of the family before the divorce, and the divorce either gives people the opportunity to further scrutinize their choices to side with John or Kate.