Jon and Kate Plus 8- not so great

It all started as a pleasant evening. I was out with #2- we were on our way to see The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra perform Carmina Burana (it was absolutely AMAZING by the way…) when this man shouts across the street at me “Hey! You know who you look like?” “Who” (I take the bait) “Jon and Kate plus 8!”  Ew. Icky. I can’t believe he said that. I am trying very hard not to use strong words like hate. But this Kate woman really REALLY irritates me, I would like to say I hate her but truly I don’t even know her. And he better not be talking about my hair because besides the fact that we both have short blond hair my hair my hair is NOTHING like hers… in fact, when I was last at the “salon” my terribly cool and uber tattooed stylist Andie, and I made fun of Kate’s hair. So there.

And it’s not like this guy knew I was also the Mother of a large family because I only had one kid with me.

Ew.

I’ll tell you why I took the probably- intended- as -a- compliment- but- really -was- a-n insult so hard.

I don’t get a chance to watch much TV and when I do there’s nothing on. I tried watching Jon and Kate plus 8 once because I had several people make comments to me (when they’d learn I had 6 kids)- like “Oh you must watch Jon and Kate”. So I once tried watching it and I hated it (oops there’s that bad word again). I’m not a big fan of realty TV. I watched it briefly when it first began. Survivor, America’s Next Top Model, American Idol, but it became really boring really fast. It quickly went from being true “reality” to a bunch of people hamming for the cameras- and I don’t know much about it but it really almost feels somewhat scripted to me. 

Jon and Kate are in it for the money. At the risk of sounding harsh (and using more naughty words) they are pimping their kids and I find it really disturbing. There is no way that anyone can tell me that to have cameras following a family around everyday for what I think is several years now, can be in any way healthy. Would a 1 hour documentary on what it’s like to raise 8 kids be interesting?… perhaps. Would it interfere with the kids well being? maybe, temporarily.  But having your childhood broadcast to millions of viewers week after week for years- where the general public  gets to “share” your every moments, warts and all… it’s gotta be damaging.

And what kills me is this Kate woman, between trips for plastic surgery, hair do’s and trysts with her bodyguard (OK I read that one on the cover of a tabloid while standing in the grocery store) has written a book on parenting and has been doing a cross country tour promoting it to many, many people who show up to see her and buy the book. 

I. Don’t. Get. It..

So to the fella on Granville Street last night who called me “Jon and Kate Plus 8”- you can call me a lot of things buddy, but Kate ain’t one of them.