I’m suffering from a major sinus meltdown at the moment which means I’m housebound and claustrophobic. Hardly any voice, crappy feeling and just not a happy creature. Which means, I have an excess amount of time on my hands to watch incredibly trashy tv (now I remember why I prefer to work during the day) and cruise the Internet for weird stories. This particular story has been floating around my peripheral vision for awhile but I never had the time to deal with it. Anyone heard of the Duggar clan in the US? … the 19 and counting family. Its an exploitative travesty broadcast on TLC TV.
In case you don’t lurk in all the wrong places, TLC (formerly a respected TV station that touted itself as The Learning Channel) has degraded into a “reality” focused network that glories in exploiting the vulnerable. I use the term ‘reality’ knowing full well what the public is being served has little to do with the truth and everything to do with a marketing behemoth.
Doubt what I’m saying? Then explain the late and noxious child labour show Jon and Kate Plus 8′s 24 hour coverage of those poor kids- all so the parents could have their 15 minutes of fame. The spectacular implosion of the Gosselin marriage and accusations of child labour violations points to a serious problem with shows like this. Sorry, but no network should be following any family with children around for “edutainment”.
The fact the network pays the parents to put their children on TV so the world can live vicariously through the family’s ups and downs, to me is a violation of child labour laws and decency. The children have no privacy. Imagine growing up with the knowledge that strangers know the most intimate parts of your life – everything from potty training to emotional meltdowns. It was my misconception that parents were supposed to protect their children, not exploit them. TLC has a glut of this type of show. It’s one thing for adults to willingly participate in one – although it has become increasingly obvious that the networks prey on the mentally vulnerable to increase their ratings – but an entirely different matter for adults to sign up children to participate. Now that the cameras are gone from the Jon & Kate household, Kate has said the children are upset that the cameras are all gone. The fact this woman things this is bad – not the cameras being taken away, but the children upset at their leaving – indicates a cold hearted view of her children as commodities, not toddlers. This woman has NO concept of personal responsibility and is in it for what she can get: “society has a responsibility to help with the children, since modern medicine promotes the use of fertility drugs, which can lead to multiple births”. Hey Kate, how about you take some responsibility for your decisions.
This leads me to another of TLC’s baby bootie shows – the Duggar clan’s 18 and counting… actually it’s 19 now. Yes 19 children all on TV so people can gawk at them and the parents can keep popping out children (in an already overburdened world) in an irresponsible manner. The Duggars claim they are just doing what God would want them to do – repopulate the entire earth. Don’t hand me any of that nonsense about the family paying their own way blah blah… they are getting paid to be on TV – if they weren’t getting a handsome paycheque, I wonder how they would be paying for all these children. You wanna bet they are getting big help from a variety of corporate sponsors? They are also using this show as a vehicle to promote their “Financial Freedom” seminars and their book. More fruits of child labour.
First, this cannot be healthy for the mother – she’s in a permanent state of pregnancy. 19 children? Mother Duggar must be worn out. It’s not like they don’t believe in birth control – they used it early in their marriage. But they say “we committed to God that we would leave the timing and amount of children in His hands.” Not only is God busy helping football players win games, he’s now busy working as birth control for families who refuse to take on the responsibility. I’ve had it up to my eyeballs with people who use God as an excuse for their own excesses. They are as useful as parents who use their children as props for a TV career. I think what annoys me the most, is anyone who dares criticise the Duggars is labeled anti-Christian or self-righteous. Sorry, but using children like this is wrong. Don’t care what your reasons are, putting them in the glare of such intense scrutiny cannot be healthy for their mental growth.
