Up Front - Do even the best marriages fail?

Emily Plihal
Express staff

I very rarely have time to sit and watch television, but one show has captured my heart and I’ve made a point to watch the series every week.

My favourite television show is Jon and Kate Plus 8, a TLC program involving twins, sextuplets and two parents... well for now at least.

The show has just begun its fifth season, coincidentally celebrated alongside the sextuplets’ fifth birthday.

Each year, the show has allowed viewers to speculate what it would be like to have two sets of multiples. It involves examining the stresses, joys, triumphs and failures of Jon and Kate Gosselin (the parents)in every day life situations.

Unfortunately, this season I think there will be a horrible twist to the plot.

Dad Jon has been accused of having an affair with a young teacher. Although the allegations have been denied by Jon, damage has already been done by tabloids and some forms of media.

The series premiere was heartbreaking. Although sometimes Kate is condemned for her aggressive nature, she is a loving compassionate parent, who has been obviously adversely affected by the affair or “speculation” of the affair.

These six babies; Aaden, Alexis, Colin, Joel, Leah and Hannah along with big sisters Cara and Madelyn, have been raised to be loving, well-educated children.

For the first four seasons, Jon and Kate evidently had some problems, but they always seemed like they loved each other. More importantly, they blatantly showed how much they loved each and every one of their eight children.

The series premiere, however; showed an entire different side of Jon, who was once my favourite parent.

I understand relationship problems, I can only imagine what he is feeling after being stuck in a less than pleasant light, and I understand there must be a lot of tension surrounding both parents as they try to iron out their problems.

My only concern is now they’ve had to deal with their tabloid issues, will their marriage last? Will those eight children still be able to have mom and dad in their lives?

Jon seemed to purposefully ignore Kate throughout the show. Then at the birthday party for their children, which Kate planned on her own, she ignored Jon!

Kate explained how the divorce rate of parents with multiples is really high and she and Jon hoped to beat those odds. She said, with tear-filled eyes, now she is not sure if their marriage will last.

When asked what the future holds, Jon and Kate both stared at the camera with blank faces, stumped and lacking words to express their pain.

Is it television? Is it the fame? Is it the stress of not having alone time for nine years as their children grow?

What is more important to this family? Is the $70,000 per episode worth losing their family, their spouse and their original marital values?

Is our pressure on tabloids so strong to find a gripping story, that we are now putting a stress on families, love, and relationships in general?

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