"Jon and Kate Plus 8": Misery Loves Company

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

28 May 2009 02:39 PM

Does it ever...

If you tuned into watch the Gosselin's martial meltdown of TLC's "Jon and Kate Plus 8" on Monday night you weren't alone.

According to reports, the season premiere of "Jon and Kate Plus 8" was watched by a record breaking 9.8 million people. To put that number into perspective consider that the premiere of ABC's "Lost" attracted just over 7 million viewers. The number is also on par with the finale of "Sex and the City," which aired five years ago.

The ratings for Monday's "Jon and Kate" were the highest in TLC's history. Not only did it score the highest cable rating for the night, it also blew away the competition on network TV as well.

When all was said, whined, cried and kvetched about, the episode pulled in more viewers than any other show that aired in primetime, and on a holiday no less.

Apparently, scandal sells.

The previous high for "Jon and Kate" was 4.6 million viewers, which was recorded for the fourth season finale. But, back then, there were just rumblings of discord in paradise. These days the Gosselin's smoldering wreck of a marriage is way out in the open and the show no longer appears to be centered on the daily lives of eight cute kids.

Perhaps that's why ratings are up.

Misery obviously loves company. Why else would two narcissistic parents with a boatload of adorable kids attract so many rubberneckers?

At this point, the self-absorbed couple's potential failure of a marriage is what's drawing in large numbers of viewers. The ball of twine has not only unraveled on the Gosselin's "happy home," it has been ripped to shreds by poor choices made by Jon and Kate, salacious media coverage, and the throngs of people who are only too happy to watch the couple's marriage fail.

Why else would a seemingly benign cable show obliterate its network competitors? The Gosselin's don't sing. They don't dance. And goodness knows they aren't eating bugs and trying to outwit fellow contestants, while trying to survive on a deserted island.

Instead, their marriage is eroding on national TV.

Whether or not you have experienced similar struggles with your own spouse, you have to admit that watching two adults behave as selfishly as Jon and Kate--the icy stares, the stone-cold silent treatments, the constant finger-pointing, the tension-filled birthday party for their sweet sextuplets and obvious lack of humility--is downright painful.

Not so much because questions about the future of their marriage remain unanswered, but because those darling children will one day be able to view exactly what went down behind the scenes on the show that paid for their massive pad and designer duds.

Did you watch the season premiere of "Jon and Kate?"

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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