Customer Reviews

The Secret World of Jon and Kate: The Stupidest Story in the History of the Universe and the People Who Covered It

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

This witty look at the unReality Show and its stars faked lives reminds me of a Coen Brothers film noir comedy, Blood Simple, in which the shadowy characters stay disconnected and everything falls apart. It shares the same tone of dry, literary humor; it's raw and it's an audience pleaser. I also heard a Raymond Chandler/ Robert B. Parker tone (poet/thug), which I find an interestingly edgy combination. The guy mixes salty language with a lot of ten dollar words.

The violence here is mostly of the emotional variety: scamming, betrayal, narcissism, alcoholic behavior, manipulation, control, and from the accounts in the book, questions of child abuse, neglect, and exploitation could be raised. The eight kids involved are clearly being robbed of their childhood, privacy, dignity and more. Did they choose to be filmed during potty training?

Authors Al Walentis and Polly Kahl interviewed child actor advocate Paul Peterson (of the Donna Reed Show), whose perspective adds even more gravitas to the already compelling concerns about the welfare of the children, as well as family members, former friends and professionals who have observed Kate's disturbing lack of "graciousness," among other signs of basic humanity.

The adult Gosselins seem like tragic figures, too, and I was glad that counselor Kahl considered this point. What would it take for a narcissist and a people pleaser to heal? I liked her compassion and professional perspective. Her writing style was a nice counterbalance to his, though she also shared a certain ironic bemusement which I enjoyed. And I especially liked that Walentis, veteran entertainment writer, who was hired by Us Magazine to cover the Gosselin story, looked at the whole industry, saw its shadow, and owned his own part of it. This, to me, is a moment of beauty in the book that moved me deeply. Whole people have a sense of humor about themselves and can admit to flaws. It is the pretense NOT to have a shadow that creates the craziness shown in this weird tale.

But what I hope stays with you is the compassion between the snarky lines. This is the book's golden shadow. Concern for the kids is right on top. But dig deeper and you will find a secret underground world of compassion even for the "antagonist": Kate, aka Hate, who is so lonely and armored that she responds to a friendly, "Hi Kate, I'm your neighbor." with "I live on 23 acres. I have no neighbors."

And of course, society itself is the real antagonist. The network who put this dark dramady on TV would not have done so without an audience. That's us. The "what are we going to do about it?" part is right in your face as you read this book. But the more subtle questions, "Can we forgive ourselves? How do we heal this?" ...that these flirt ever so slightly outside awareness makes them even more powerful catalysts for positive change.

If your shadow enjoys snarkiness, your social conscience cares for kids, and your soul is calling you to compassion, they'll all enjoy reading this book. Highly recommended.

Imagine you are 13 years old, and your classmate has, on her cell phone, a video of you potty training, which of course she shows to everyone in school.

Imagine you are married to a woman who criticizes you, right down to the way you breathe, on national TV. And then one day, she tells you "It's over" (but please, let's pretend it's not, for the cameras.)

Imagine you were a middle child, who never felt important enough, so you had 6 babies and a reality TV show, and now you live in a $1.3 million house on 23 acres of land, and no one is your neighbor.

Imagine you are a respected local reporter, hired by a national magazine to report on the people mentioned above -- along with other reporters and paparazzi from around the word, camped out by the side of twisting country road in a small town in Pennsylvania.

While the first "imagine" hasn't happened yet -- can you imagine that it *won't*?

This is the story of these people, as seen and heard by the aforementioned reporter, in the summer of 2009 -- and a little bit before and after -- the Gosselin Summer.

In addition to what the author saw and heard, hanging out with the others on the country road, this book includes interviews with local townspeople and comments from current and former neighbors of both Jon and Kate (even though Kate doesn't have any neighbors).

Find out how Jon was once considered a "cool guy" by the locals -- and then pond scum by local waitresses. Read blog postings -- long-lost from the internet -- which have been gathered from those with the foresight to save them, and blog posts from local Reading Eagle reporters -- that continued until Kate called the editor and told him She Was Not Pleased.

Also included are quotes from articles in newspapers in cities where Kate had speaking appearances, comments from fans who hung by the Gosselins' plastic security fence and "got to" speak with Jon, in those days when he was "famous" -- before TLC forebade him to speak (sorta like his now ex-wife, only with more experienced, more expensive lawyers) and excerpts from the information packets you would have received if you wanted the Gosselins to speak at your Church, Event, or Mothers of Preschoolers group.

How did Jon Gosselin go from whipped husband who had everyone's sympathy, to a guy made fun of by late night talk show hosts? The events which could be seen in Berks County that summer are recounted in this book -- along with true stories of how the reporters got those stories (following the car of a financial advisor 60 miles, back to his home office on the day the Gosselins' divorce was announced is my personal favorite).

If you've watched Jon & Kate Plus Eight, or even seen Kate on all the covers at the supermarket checkout, this is the book for you. I found it more interesting than Multiple Blessings: the God-centric book "by" Kate, which was actually written by Beth Carson, a former friend of hers -- who is also interviewed in this book -- and *much* more interesting than "woe is me for being your mother" I Just Want You To Know -- (private) Letters to My Kids (published for the whole world to buy and read) on Love, Faith, and Family (if only I understood what any of these things were).

If you really believe that Kate Gosselin is Super-Mom, who can juggle eight kids (my grandmother had 13) and still Dance With the Stars -- you should read this book.

If you've wondered how TLC could air promos about "Life-Changing Decisions that will Affect Every Member of our Family" for four days before airing, and then post as a part of the episode (in white letters on black screen) that the Gosselins had filed for divorce on June 22, 2009 -- the same day the episode aired (wow - those producers at TLC have amazingly fast post-production times! Or maybe, like everything else on this "reality" TV show, the timing was just another "event" to get ratings (I heard they got 10 million viewers that week)) you should read this book.

If you are a God-fearing Christian, and feel this family represents you and your God-centered lifestyle, you should read this book (Deut. 19:15, 1 Thess. 5:21) -- but please be forewarned about the salty language, cause there are only so many different ways to say "Jon wanted to find someone to have sex with." If I were God, I would say My name was being taken in vain.

If you think that everything you saw on Jon & Kate Plus Eight was Reality: real life, with no camera setups or retakes -- you should read this book.

You will notice I haven't mentioned the kids a lot, after the beginning of this review. The book doesn't either. It's mainly the story of Jon and Kate and TLC and the three-ring circus taking place in Lower Heidelberg Township, PA before, during, and somewhat after the summer of 2009.

There is a small (about 30 page) section at the end, by Polly Kahl M.A., a counselor who had the experience of having the Gosselins move into her town in late 2008. The possible effects on the children are covered in part of that section, along with some *actual* thoughts on Love, Faith, and Family and the personalities of those who would sell all that away for the false values of Fame and Fortune.

I just finished the book (waited to receive a hard copy) and found it to be a very good read. Considering the several negative posts it received, I wasn't expecting much and was pleasantly surprised. It's exactly what it was presented to be ... a look at the Jon and Kate fiasco through the eys of the pap. Perhaps other readers' expectations were unrealistic; i.e., a "tell-all" book... that really could only be written by a first-hand participant. As pointed out by other posters, there were several errors in grammar and/or typos, but that's certainly not a big deal. There are errors/typos in every book I read. I have a Masters in English ... you read it and move on. Anyone so fixated on minutiae can apply those standards to their own writings, but should not impose them on others' wriitings ... it'll kill the joy of reading. Since the book is written in the style of a tabloid, I also don't understand those who are offended by the writer's style/language. Surely those complaining have read many blogs and tabloid sites ... otherwise, they wouldn't have been aware of, or interested in, the Jon and Kate trainwreck in general, or this book in particular ... and should be rather inured to the style/language. Seems a bit hypocritical to me.

I've followed the Jon and Kate saga for the last couple of years, and many/most of the anecdotes in the book were familiar to me from reading the blogs. However, the book goes beyond what is presented in the tabloids or on the blogs by giving a behind-the-scenes look at the flurry of activity that occurs among the pap and the journalists in getting the story to print....all in all, a totally different perspective on the events and a very enlightening one at that.

In addition, there are many new little tidbits of information scattered throughout the book ... some are about Kate, but most are in regards to Jon. The author could only write about what's available to him. Since Jon has been much more overt in his activities, there's obviously much more information to be found on him. The next book will be when someone finally cracks Kate's inner circle.

For the uninitiated, this book may be a bit confusing as it assumes that the reader is aware of the history of Jon and Kate, leading up to the current trainwreck. Probably, a short prologue to bring the reader up to speed would have been beneficial. Also beneficial would have been a different title to the book ... one that better emphasizes the role of the pap in the book.

I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who has been following the lives of Jon and Kate. It's so nice to have information that is spread around the Net compiled in a single volume.

I have been a tv follower of the defunct reality show Jon & Kate plus 8. So when preparing for the release of "The Secret World of Jon & Kate" I was prepared for a book that delve into all the aspects of this family & the behind the scenes.

When I started reading the book I realized the events in Gosselinland of 2009 happened very fast & furious and were a media swirl of sorts. I was glad after reading the book it peripherally addressed the minor children yet focused on the media circus & its two biggest clowns. Kate Gosselin - the matriarch that followed the TLC marching orders down to a tee. The of course, Jon Gosselin - who was like a caged orangutang gone wild giving the media much to twist/spin.

This book is packed with the stories behind the stories that were out there. Sprinkled with never publicly released facts of the matter. How TLC manipulated, How the parents own agendas came before those of an ideal family.

At the end...a very heartfelt analysis of someone who not only is a neighbor a local but a professional who can see the trainwreck & the collateral damage.

My favorite part of this book is it had no real beginning- and so it should because I don't know that Jon & Kate could really tell you the truth from all their lies. And the subtle ending of a dear friend of the Gosselin family, one whom bonded by feeding babies bottles & changing diapers and did not sell out her former friend out of a loyalty to how what she says may hurt her former friend. Many of us go through our lives with no true friends. Kate Gosselin had that in her court and she traded it for a BRAND.

Hope you take the time to read this book. Much will be written about the Gosselin's over the years. One Journalist with over 30 years of experience was ready, willing and able to get the story behind the story out there. Al...it was stupid but it had to be said.

This is a VERY good read and makes some valid points about the media and reality shows! I think the ensuing debate is healthy -- all of this is a necessary probe into the effect of media on families, and the love/hate fan frenzies that accompany the wake of anything controversial. Very interesting and worthwhile.

Loved this book. There should and probably will be more like it popping up every day. People who have worked closely to this situation will want to share their stories. Looking forward to future publications.

I'm the contributer of the last chapter to this book. It is 251 pages in length and dense with information. Don't be fooled by the flippant gossippy tone of Walentis's writing: This book contains some painful stories about two very dysfunctional people and the eight children dependent on them for not only food and clothing but mental health and emotional nourishment as well. This book doesn't hesitate to point out many hypocrisies, lapses of good judgment and examples of bad behaviors displayed by the all-American couple turned twisted train wreck known as Jon and Kate. The reality of this "reality" TV family is very different from the highly marketed clean-cut images you have seen on any Gosselin-related television shows. Al Walentis recommends this book is not appropriate for readers under 17 so be warned if you are easily offended. The author's snarky adult writing style matches the material very well and my chapter at the end of the book provides a more psychological view of the entire fiasco.

What a terrible person. She planned for fame and TV attention, but first begged for a town's support that she was really ungrateful for. Jon performed as trained while the cameras rolled.
It's a must read. You won't be able to put it down.
Tealady

I think this book captures the essence of how vapid our collective intelligence has become that we should focus so much attention at this dysfunctional couple with a planet-busting brood of children. Only in America could two people of just ordinary (at least Kate) intelligence, skill and talent be the object of such intense public fascination. This book chronicles this unseemly alliance between a shallow public and it's subservient mass media.

I used to be a fan of the reality TV show Jon & Kate + 8 until I realized that something did not smell right, and when I went to the Internet for background information about the Gosselin family I discovered I was not alone.

I went to a lot of web sites but when I discovered the archives of the Reading Eagle it was an eye opener - I learned why the locals are not fans of Jon and Kate. This tidbit alone confirmed to me that something is seriously wrong, and that we viewers across the country are not supposed to know these things. But thanks to the Internet this information will be available forever online.

There is no debate that both Jon and Kate Gosselin are pop icons. They have skyrocketed to media fame and then they used the media to manipulate story headlines and create photo opportunities. Until I got more involved into researching this situation I was a clueless - but now I realize how TLC/Discovery Channel have used this cute show to manipulate viewers to keep tuning in.

I believe that this reality TV family/train wreck will be studied in future college classes. In fact I will not be surprised if this book one day will be required reading for a class. See, this book is about a stupid story about BS, and it just so happens that this is the first line of the book.

The book does point out in many ways how Jon and Kate do not have a problem with being portrayed in the media in a negative light for $$$$ but yet their innocent children who have no say so in the matter must go along for the ride. These parents do not have a problem whatsoever with their children supporting their lifestyle to which they have become accustomed.

I did think this book was very informative as well as being a fun read. It does provide the readers an opportunity to examine your own personal principles and reevaluate not only family values but also the human values that are important to all of us.