myerstownherald.com

By ASHLEY DOS SANTOS
“Jon & Kate Plus 8″ may want to consider changing its name to “Do You Hate Kate? Yeah, Us Too.”
Or at least that’s what Kate’s critics would lead us to believe.
In recent weeks, Kate Gosselin has transformed from “Mom to Monster” according to US Weekly.
Deemed rude, mean and hateful – reportedly by her own children and their paid caretakers – Kate is now fighting an uphill public relations battle to reshape her image. Currently embroiled in a media soundoff with the infamous Octomom, Kate is already off to a rough start.
It would be easy to blame both Jon and Kate’s cheating scandals for the onslaught of venom aimed toward Kate but her negative press began some time ago.
Several “Jon & Kate” episodes depict Kate as overbearing, nagging and wholly unlikeable in comparison to her husband.
Now with rumors of Kate’s affair, her approval ratings are taking an even bigger nosedive. And yet her husband, Jon, reportedly cheated first.
So where are Jon’s “From Dad to Demon” headlines?
Beyond a few sporadic asides, they are nowhere to be found. Media critics and the general public have saved all the demonizing for Kate as America’s modern-day June Cleaver gone wrong.
She is too focused on her career and not on the kids. She uses the reality show’s profits to pay for liposuction and haircuts instead of college savings plans. She tears down Jon instead of working with him to raise their eight children.
There may be some truth to these allegations. Or they may be completely blown out of proportion. Either way, Kate and Jon are not held to the same level of scrutiny.
“Kate Gosselin” returns more than double the amount of Google news hits as “Jon Gosselin” within the past 30 days alone. On magazine covers, you are more likely to see an enlarged picture of Kate next a postage stamp image of her husband than a picture of same-sized Jon and Kate together.
For now at least, Kate Gosselin is the tabloid money maker and her husband is an after thought. She is in a no-win situation. In an age where working moms are more common than their stay-at-home counterparts, Kate serves as an example that women’s progress over the decades is still incredibly fragile and prone to censure.
Though both Jon and Kate are reaping the same financial rewards from the show, Kate is the only one accused of being an opportunist seeking to forge a career for herself at the expense of her children.
And though Jon was first seen stepping out with a younger woman, Kate’s alleged infidelity with her bodyguard has garnered more media coverage. Historically, women have received the lion’s share of responsibility – and blame – in child-rearing and family maintenance despite outside commitments.
While 2009 offers opportunities that women in 1959 did not have, the familial responsibilities and expectations are often the same. And some of Kate’s biggest critics are women, which suggests that her public disdain is not rooted in misogyny but in ties to tradition.
The perception being that if Kate spent more time as a wife and mother instead of basking in the glow of stardom, perhaps her approval ratings would start to rise.
But it’s easy to use the women’s liberation movement to explain away Kate’s lack of public appeal when the issue simply may be that she is not as personable as her husband. America’s favorite TV mom, Clair Huxtable, of “The Cosby Show” was a sassy working mom and has been embraced by millions of families over the past 25 years.
Kate Gosselin does not have the personality or the appeal of our beloved Clair and is miles away from ever achieving the same level of adoration.
Instead of a hair and body makeover, Kate Gosselin is in dire need of a perception modification. A shift in focus from self-promotion to family healing would do the world of good for all ten Gosselins and the millions of viewers waiting to see what will happen next. And for Kate to translate her current fame into long-term success, her next photo opportunity should show more hands-on parenting and less of her bikini-ready body.
—
Ashley Dos Santos serves as a senior account executive at Crosby~Volmer International Communications in Washington D.C. She received her bachelor of arts degree in women & gender studies and romance languages from Dartmouth College.