Dear TLC

I became a loyal watcher of Jon and Kate Plus 8 back at its inception. At the time I was myself a new mother, and I enjoyed watching the show and how this family dealt with everyday situations under their extraordinary circumstances. I especially enjoyed episodes like the one where she showed us how she grocery shopped for so many children and still stuck to a budget. It was relevant and helpful.

Then we spent most of the last couple of seasons watching them take what was no doubt free trip after free trip, from Disney, to skiing, to the North Carolina Beach, to Lego Land, to HAWAII, while many Americans began to struggle financially, even to put food on the table. We’ve had to listen to how they’re “so used” to flying and traveling. Most Americans can’t afford to take their family on one vacation a year, let alone several.

Suddenly the show is becoming less relevant and even less helpful.

It’s bad enough that most of America is now aware that neither of these people work in the traditional sense, but rather survive on what some consider the exploitation of their children. I often wonder what goes on behind the scenes and how these children cope with having cameras constantly present.

Surely you are aware that loyal watchers of this show are mainly moms, and many, I daresay most families are struggling to one degree or another in this economy. If these people weren’t watching, there would be no show. If there was no show, there would be no new mansion for the Gosslins. I feel it was completely insulting to have loyal watchers of this show presented with several episodes of them moving into this new sprawling manse. And it was even worse to hear Kate speak of how her kids “deserve” this—I’m sure there are moms out there who are losing their homes of a more meager variety, and I’m sure their kids deserve to have a home, period, and they are struggling to provide it.

But I think to worst of the worst came with this week’s episode. To see Jon and Kate using their old house as “storage” for three months because they couldn’t be bothered to sell it was disgusting. People are being thrown out on the street and to make a show out of this is unimaginable. To watch Kate throwing away perfectly good things because she deems it “junk” was abhorrent. Surely there’s a family in need, no doubt someone in her neighborhood!

I am rather disgusted with TLC for being so out of touch with its viewers and what is going on with American families. The very people who watched and made this show a success are suffering so greatly right now, and watching this family in this fashion is disrespectful.

Shame on you.

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I emailed this letter to TLC today. I used to really enjoy that show and now everytime I watch it I end up disguested. I just couldn't take it anymore. There's a lot more that has been annoying me about this show as of late, but I decided to stick to one topic.

Oprah's getting a letter from me next. Last week she had a show on about not being wasteful where she even pointed out that she saves leftover toast) and this week she's having Kate on after Kate's show just aired of her piling up tons of perfectly good things for garbage. I LOVE Oprah, but I just can't let that pass.