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Reality Television and Marriage
8-Jun-2009
Written by: Sarah Folmar
Married couples on reality television are starting to fall apart
In recent news, Jon and Kate Gosselin, stars of, Jon & Kate Plus 8, are apparently having marital problems. The tabloids have been all over this story since Jon allegedly had an affair with another woman, and Kate may have been perfectly content with this matter. Whatever the real story may be, the couple and their eight children have dominated the ratings on the TLC channel due to the controversy. Do you remember when they were happy though?
Jon and Kate started out as a seemingly normal couple who also happened to have eight young children under one roof. As the show continued to produce more seasons, the couple seemed to grow farther and farther apart. It seems like the pressures of being on camera for most of the day took a massive toll on the marriage. The family may be under contract to continue the show, but it seems like if they really wanted to work things out they would turn off the cameras and get to work on their issues.
Maybe Jon and Kate weren’t paying attention to other reality TV shows where the married couples suddenly were breaking up. While there are some exceptions, reality television surrounding married couples seems to be the kiss of death to their supposed marital bliss.
In 2003, Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, premiered on MTV. We watched the lovely romance between Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey bloom into what appeared to be a perfect marriage. Just over two years later, the couple filed for divorce.
Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro tried their luck at a similar show, ‘Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen and Dave, in 2004. Again, just over two years later, the couple filed for divorce.
Then there was Britney Spears and, Britney and Kevin: Chaotic, in 2005. This relationship was rocky from the beginning, so it was no surprise that the couple later filed for a divorce. For some it was actually a relief, but that is beyond the point.
Even couples who had been together longer than a few years were torn apart with their reality shows. Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston ended their rocky relationship, as well as Hulk and Linda Hogan.
A rare example like Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne is a real treat to see. The two have been together for decades, and their show did not seem to rip their marriage apart. Both of their children who appeared on the show went through depressions and drug addictions leading to rehab, so even though the parents made their marriage work, the show may have had a negative reaction for the kids.
Who knows why these marriages didn’t seem to work. One can only guess that having cameras constantly taping every moment of a marriage would tear a couple apart. As a newlywed, I am confident in my marriage, but having continuous television coverage of it along with tabloid rumors could drive me to insanity. I understand why these couples have all divorced, so hopefully others will learn.
Maybe it is time to go a different direction with reality television. We all seem so obsessed with watching other peoples’ lives, and get so upset when their lives don’t work out the way we would want. Maybe we should all just leave couples like Jon and Kate alone, and hope that they do the right thing for their marriage and their children.
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