myerstownherald.com

By ASHLEY DOS SANTOS
The Gosselins are reality television’s latest victims in a long string of Hollywood-induced broken homes.
In April 2007, a slew of TLC executives invited us into the home of “Jon & Kate Plus 8″ with the promise of a modern day Brady Bunch trying to make their hectic lives work in a stressed but fun environment.
Now, two years later, America is chronicling the demise of this larger-than-most family unit.
And we have to ask, did the producers see this coming?
Well of course they did.
Hollywood studios know the statistics just as well as any family or marriage counselor.
Studies have shown that the decline in intimacy within a marriage is one of the leading causes of divorce next to cheating and addiction. Now add media intrusion, twins and sextuplets into the mix.
Jon and Kate not only have cameras invading their private lives every day, but they have eight children in constant need at all times. And for TV producers, the potential collapse of this family structure meant a high probability of record-breaking ratings.
And what do you know?
This season’s “Jon & Kate” premiere attracted nearly 10 million viewers, more than double the audience that tuned in for the show’s Season 4 finale in March.
Estimates also show that the premiere was Jon & Kate’s most-watched episode.
Jon and Kate aren’t the first fallen family in the history of reality TV and they most certainly won’t be the last.
From Newlywed’s Nick and Jessica to the Hogans to the “Girls Next Door,” “reality” couples are no strangers to turmoil.
And it is America’s seemingly relentless addiction to train wrecks that keeps studios on the lookout for more tragedies-in-the-making. These shows signal to viewers that it is now socially acceptable to give into the human tendency to gossip and to want insight into other people’s lives.
Even better, the TLCs and Bravos and VH1s of the world will provide you with a camera-ready view to do so.
Reality TV exploits the institution of marriage and family. Through selective editing and contrived situations, viewers are taught that vows and values should be minimized for the sake of sex and scandal. Jon and Kate started off wholesome but eventually fell prey to the Hollywood machine that dictates no marriage or family under strain will be able to withstand the added pressures of constant media scrutiny.
And with skyrocketing ratings, we as viewers are signaling to the studios that they should continue doing what they do best and find us more families to judge ‘til they drop.
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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.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney finally has provided a voice for the Republican Party. Cheney’s recent vigorous defense of the national security policies of the Bush Administration has been essential to challenge the campaign by President Obama to diminish what his predecessor did to keep the country safe. Cheney has helped keep the conservative view of how to handle national security matters before the public.
Cheney’s effort has been particularly necessary because the Republican Party has been largely leaderless since President Bush’s popularity began a freefall after Hurricane Katrina.
Bush appeared less and less frequently in public to defend his policies on all subjects as his popularity declined. People also may have been less willing to listen to his explanations.
The recent presidential campaign did not produce a clear spokesman for the Republican Party either. None of the Republican candidates for president either galvanized the party’s base or inspired undecided voters.
The nominee, Sen. John McCain, often seemed to be trying to distance himself from the party, rather than embracing it or trying to define its agenda. Since Republicans lost the majority in Congress, they have been unable to effectively oppose the Democrats’ agenda.
While the Republican ship drifted, Barack Obama relentlessly attacked Bush Administration policies during the campaign and after he became president. He advanced the viewpoint that terrorism could be defeated if the United States simply was nicer to countries committed to our destruction and gave greater protection to captured terrorists.
The result of the Republican leadership vacuum and the effective attacks by Obama on the party’s accomplishments in national security is that many good policies implemented by the Bush Administration were not defended. Obama now is trying to undo these policies, including ending tough interrogations of captured terrorists and closing the Guantanamo Bay prison for captured terrorists. Obama has tried to portray tough questioning as ineffective and as torture.
Cheney, whose popularity was even lower than Bush’s, has stepped up to challenge Obama, and he is the only high-profile Republican to defend the party in a meaningful way in a long time.
Cheney does not care about popularity or poll numbers, but he does care about keeping the country safe. He has made the case that valuable information was acquired through tough interrogation and that this interrogation is not torture. He will not convince people who are opposed to these methods, but he has brought important aspects of the national security debate to light.
The Republican Party needs more forceful, vigorous, articulate leaders such as Cheney speaking up for the party’s agenda. These leaders must challenge on Obama on national security and economics. People will be willing to listen if the message is presented in a clear and direct way.

By KARA CONNERS
The buzz around the town is “Jon & Kate Plus 8.”
I hear and talk about it so much at the salon that I’m going to call it something like the latest virus of Swine Flu.
How about a sweet abbreviation like “JKP8″?
Catchy, isn’t it?
Maybe it will be a new catch-phrase; hopefully, it won’t be a deal-breaker.
If you haven’t heard of the Gosselins, you are probably living under a rock.
Their wildly popular reality show pulled in a whopping 9.8 million viewers for the season premiere on May 25.
America needs to be reassured that they are not alone in the daily mishmash of screaming children and arguments with husbands.
I’m not sure if it is so popular in this area because we feel a connection to them. The Wernersville residents are the closest thing to fame around here.
It is hilarious to hear clients talk about a connection they have or had with them in the past.
It’s pretty cool to see where the family goes and visits.
It’s not every day you get to know familiar landmarks on national TV.
In the first episode, they were at Target in the Reading area.
The funniest thing … there was paparazzi!
Holy cow! I didn’t know Reading had paparazzi. It just makes us laugh.
But, the thing that makes no one laugh is Kate’s hair.
Ugh.
Kate, please cut off the cow tongue at the side of your head.
It looks awful! We took votes all this week at the shop, and not one person liked or even asked for that cut.
Remember the posh cut?
Yeah, gave about five of those a day, not one request for “The Kate.”
Maybe it’s because nobody wants to topple over because of hair’s weight.
I have watched the show over the years and Kate really does have good hair and style.
At least, the color part of her hair is great.
Unfortunately, the cut is a no-no.
Maybe Jon should speak up for once and tell her it’s awful. For now, I will be tuning in once a week just like the rest of America to see what will becomes of our “JKP8.”
Hopefully a new hairdo for Kate is in the works, and Jon will be moving back in with his family.
However, that hairdo is definitely a deal-breaker.
—
Kara Conners, the Hair Doc, is the owner of Hey Gorgeous Hair Studio, located on 39 West Main Avenue in Myerstown. Please e-mail her comments and questions at:
heygorgeoushair@yahoo.com

By ERIC FISHER
The Pittsburgh Penguins have already made history. By sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes, the Penguins became the first Stanley Cup runners-up to return to the Stanley Cup finals the following season since the Edmonton Oilers returned to the finals in 1984.
You might remember that Oilers team. They were led by a couple of young guys named Gretzky and Messier. They also went on to win four Stanley Cups during the ensuing five years.
Nobody is comparing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to Gretzky and Messier. At least they shouldn’t be making that comparison. Not yet.
The Penguins’ centers form arguably the best young one-two punch at center ice since Gretzky and Messier. But to earn a place in a conversation with these two Hall of Famers, Crosby and Malkin will have to win a few Stanley Cups.
Crosby and Malkin will get another opportunity at their first Stanley Cup when the finals begin Saturday (NBC, 8 p.m.). Standing in their way will be the Detroit Red Wings, the team that defeated Pittsburgh in last year’s finals.
This marks the first time that the same teams have battled for the Cup in consecutive years since the aforementioned Oilers and New York Islanders clashed in the 1983 and ’84 finals.
In another historic note, the Penguins and Red Wings are the only teams since those storied 1980s Oilers squads to win consecutive Stanley Cups. The Penguins won in 1991 and ’92; the Red Wings won in 1997 and ’98. The Red Wings, of course, would like to repeat as champions again this season.
Looking at the talent on these two teams, it isn’t a shock to see them both back in the finals. The Penguins, however, took the long road back to the finals.
As late as early March, there were doubts about whether the Penguins would even return to the playoffs. In addition to missing Marion Hossa, the high-scoring winger who left via free agency and signed with – who else? – Detroit, Pittsburgh seemed to be lacking the grit supplied by players such as wingers Ryan Malone and Georges Laraque.
General manager Ray Shero made his first big move to change the team’s attitude on Feb. 15, when he replaced head coach Michel Therrien with Dan Bylsma. Later that month, Shero traded for left wing Chris Kunitz, who had been a key player for Anaheim’s Cup-winning team in 2007.
By the way, when Kunitz split time between Anaheim and the AHL’s Cincinnati Mighty Ducks in 2003-04, one of his teammates was a veteran named Dan Bylsma, who was in the final year of his nine-year NHL playing career. It’s a small world.
The world gets even smaller when one realizes that Anaheim’s head coach that season was Mike Babcock. Yes, the same Mike Babcock who is the Red Wings head coach.
In early March, Shero made another important acquisition: Bill Guerin. This veteran right wing brings toughness, talent and playoff experience to the Penguins. Guerin broke into the NHL with the New Jersey Devils and won the Cup in 1995. The team the Devils beat in 1995? The Red Wings, who were making their first finals appearance in 29 years.
The notion that the Red Wings hadn’t been in the finals for 29 years sounds crazy to younger fans. The Red Wings have become a perennial power, gunning for their fifth Stanley Cup in the past 13 seasons. In fact, the Red Wings are arguably the most successful franchise – in any sport – during the past 15 years.
The Red Wings are overflowing with talent. Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen, Valtteri Filppula … the list goes on and on. The Red Wings definitely have a European flavor, but nobody should be fooled into thinking that Detroit can be pushed around.
A ray of hope for Penguins fans are the injuries to Lidstrom, the NHL’s best defenseman, and Datsyuk. Both players missed Games 4 and 5 of the Western Conference finals with undisclosed injuries. (For those unfamiliar with secretive NHL injury reports, injuries are listed vaguely as “upper body” or “lower body” injuries, and team personnel would withstand waterboarding before giving away the true nature of an injury.)
Another reason for Penguins fans to believe the outcome in this year’s finals will be different is goaltending. Marc-Andre Fleury has been terrific during the postseason. Without a few huge saves by Fleury at crucial moments, the Penguins may have been knocked off in the first round by their cross-state rivals, the Flyers.
Detroit goalie Chris Osgood doesn’t receive enough credit, but it’s not a knock on Osgood to state that the Penguins have the edge in goal.
Another key for the Penguins is defenseman Sergei Gonchar. It’s not a coincidence that the Penguins’ improved play – often attributed to the hiring of Bylsma and the trades for Kunitz and Guerin – coincided with Gonchar’s return from injury.
But the bottom line is that Crosby and Malkin must play like superstars. Otherwise, the Penguins will be history. And not the type of history they’re trying to make.

By MOLLY DAVIS
John Mayer is trying to mount a “White Horse” for Taylor Swift.
Yay or Nay?
I say Nay.
Why?
Several reasons.
Although he is talented, his rep as a serial heartbreaker precedes him.
Jennifer Aniston, Vanessa Carlton, Minka Kelly, Jessica Simpson, and Cameron Diaz have all fallen for the self-proclaimed “bad boy.”
Be different, Taylor.
Don’t be another notch on this moron’s bedpost.
He is a first-class creep.
Which is clear when watching him try to joke around with the paparazzi — he fancies himself a comedian.
His jokes fall flat.
Stick to strumming, Mayer.
The beauty would most definitely sully her clean-cut reputation with a dalliance with the dorky, ditty crooning Mayer.
Let’s hope the already love-burned Swift doesn’t fall for his over-used lines that so many others seem to buy.
They performed Swift’s “White Horse” and Mayer’s “Your Body is a Wonderland,” which is rumored to be about one of his many previous flings — Jennifer Love Hewitt, at Swift‘s sold-out Staples Center Concert in Los Angeles last week.
The duo’s duets should stay on stage.
Although he is a step up from king dork Joe Jonas.
An itty-bitty step.
But still a step.

Heartthrob singer John Mayer made a stunning appearance at Taylor Swift’s concert at Los Angeles’ Staples Center on May 22.
Mayer, 31, teamed up with sizzling 19-year-old Wyomissing native to perform his song “Your Body is a Wonderland” and her hit “White Horse” before her screaming fans.
The appearance fueled Internet-generated speculation that the ladies’-man Mayer might be looking to make beautiful music with Swift — off the stage.
Despite Mayer’s reputation, Swift was impressed.
“I’ll never forget it, as long as I live,” Swift wrote on Twitter.com on the concert. “Thanks to (Mayer) for being there for me!”
Mayer dated Jennifer Aniston before they split up in March. The smooth Mayer also hooked up and broke the hearts of Jennifer Love Hewitt, Cameron Diaz and Jessica Simpson.
Even though she had a now legendary breakup with singer Joe Jonas, Swift seemingly doesn’t care if dates somebody famous — or a bad boy.
“When I’m thinking about going on a date with some guy or considering liking him, it really doesn’t matter what they do or how that affects my career,” Swift told the Associated Press.
“When you strategize a relationship too much, like, ‘We’re not gonna be public about it, and we’re gonna say this in interviews,’ when you think it all out, I think that complicates the relationship and I think that’s unfair for the relationship.”
Born and raised in Wyomissing, Swift peformed with the Pat Garrett Band and sang Karaoke at the Pat Garrett Roadhouse in Strausstown when she was 11.
Her music first aired on 1510-AM in Lebanon.

By MOLLY DAVIS
You know you’ve truly “arrived” when you get your own story on E!
Welcome, Jon and Kate Gosselin.
Although I did picture the couple’s kids having their own “True Hollywood Story” in about 15 years, this is an early surprise.
Like Halloween in May.
BOO!
It’s more of Kate’s scary hair on TV.
The show will air on May 29 at 10:30 p.m. on E! for all those interested in watching the train wreck barrel onward.
Aptly title “Jon and Kate: Twisted Fate,” the show promises to deliver all things drama — cheating, lying, etc.
I will of course be TIVOing the debacle.
The half-hour long special comes on the heels of the season premiere, which aired on Memorial Day, and shows that E!, along with TLC, will milk this story for every penny they can.
But I think they should have waited until the story played out.
What’s an E! special without drug abuse, drinking and ultimately rehab or jail time?
I can’t see the religious couple falling that far from grace.
Booooring.

By MOLLY DAVIS
I no longer feel sorry for Jon and Kate.
After watching the Gosselins “face each other for the first time,” as TLC promoted the much-hyped season premiere – I felt they showed a sense of entitlement that they are most definitely not entitled to.
John and Kate should be ashamed of themselves.
They have been given more free perks and privileges than most people on the planet.
First class trips to Hawaii.
Utah skiing trips.
Tummy-tuck surgeries.
Hair transplants.
Teeth whitening treatments.
The list is very long.
But they seem to have very short memories of all the “ups” of reality-show fame.
While I admit it’s awful to be under that kind of public scrutiny, I think the good has outweighed the negatives in their situation.
They live in a $1.5 million home and have lots of luxuries they wouldn’t have otherwise.
And when Jon stated “I didn’t sign up for this” I spit out my beverage.
Um, you may not have, but Kate certainly seems to be fully on board.
And the show is titled “Jon and Kate.”
Do the math.
No one deserves to have their private lives played out in the public eye, but it’s a necessary evil of the biz.
Nothing sells like people falling from grace.
It’s human nature.
Not to mention common sense.
So if Jon sincerely wants “out” – of the show and his marriage – he needs to make it known.
‘Cause from where I’m sitting, he looks like a more-than-willing participant.
The free ride will not last forever.
As for the paparazzi, which the couple both seem terribly annoyed with on the premiere, they are biting the hand that feeds them.
If not for them, would as many of the public know who they are?
Are there really THAT many diehard TLC viewers out there?
I speak for myself when I say that the only reason my fingers wander to that number on my remote is Jon and Kate.
I’m sure they had a solid fan base before all of this, but imagine the viewer ship they have gained in the last month by having their biz splashed all over the front of the tabs.
Not to mention being a lead story nightly on every TV tab show.
That helps.
Instead of whining about your circumstances, change them.
Stop production of the show.
No one will take you seriously if you continue to air your problems every Monday night, then complain about your “fame,” then continue to reap the benefits of said “fame,” and repeat that exercise weekly.
Count your blessings.
You know, all the on-the-house extras.
Oh, and your kids.

By MOLLY DAVIS
I’m a bit put off with TLC.
Why?
Their decision to continue filming the train wreck that is “Jon and Kate Plus 8” after everything that has happened.
It seems to me what once was an adorable endeavor has now turned into a money machine.
Yes, it’s the network’s highest-rated show.
But at what price?
The destruction of a family?
If you read all the gossipy blogs, it seems that mama bear Kate is the driving force behind keeping the show alive.
Which means she’s ignoring the obvious impact it has and will continue to have on her cubs.
I’m curious how TLC will incorporate Jon’s supposed cheating ways and the possible pending divorce drama into the reality nightmare.
What, is she going to sit on that oversized chair and actually be civil to Jon?
She never has in the past, so I guess this season won’t be any different.
The usual boring, harmless questions they answer, such as “How was the recent trip to the dentist?” or “How many loads of laundry do you do a week?” now seem silly with everything else that’s gone down in their world.
Some new question suggestions?
Field these, Gosselins:
“So, Kate, are you still banging your bodyguard?”
“Jon, tell us about the 23-year-old hanging out at your house in a bikini. Did she spend time with the kids while there?”
It won’t shock me if Kate pulls out a shiv and scalps those awful hair plugs of Jon’s.
But that would be hypocritical.
Have you seen Kate’s new beaver-tail-in the-front-porcupine-in-the-back do?
What on earth is going on there?
Yes, I digress.
I honestly feel TLC is enabling the downfall of a family for monetary gain.
And if I were one of the elite eight, when I hit 18, I would turn on my parents and sue them for squandering the money that I earned by being exploited every week.
Karma’s a b—-.

By ERIC FISHER
Memorial Day should be about more than grilling hamburgers and hot dogs. It should be about more than family outings and watching sports on TV.
Memorial Day is a time to honor those who died in our nation’s service. Originally, Memorial Day was created to honor Union soldiers who died during the Civil War. Not surprisingly, the holiday was only observed in the northern states. After World War I, however, the holiday was transformed into a day of remembrance honoring Americans who died in any war.
Please take a few moments this Memorial Day to honor the memories of those who died in the service of our country. Before we get to Memorial Day, though, I’d like to take some time to remember some of the sports figures who brightened my life. Maybe some of them brightened your lives as well.
Harry Kalas: The recent passing of Kalas may have been what pushed this topic to the forefront of my mind. It’s not an exaggeration to say that during my lifetime Kalas was the voice of the Phillies. His blend of charm and grace, not to mention the melodious voice and signature home run calls, made Kalas an integral part of so many of our lives. He is sorely missed.
Reggie White: I still remember driving across Pennsylvania on Dec. 26, 2004, returning from an out-of-state holiday trip to visit relatives, when I heard that a former Eagles great had died. A number of names raced through my mind. Reggie White’s name was not one of them. To think that this football giant – both in stature and impact – had died at 43 years old was unfathomable. White was the best player I’ve ever seen in an Eagles uniform.
Tug McGraw: Up until last fall, McGraw was the man who sealed the only World Series championship in the 100-plus years of the Phillies franchise. McGraw was known as much for his exuberant personality as for his on-field success, but neither Phillies fans nor Mets fans will forget his contributions to their teams. Ya Gotta Believe!
Gene Hart: The hockey equivalent of Kalas in my life. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Hart hooked me and hundreds of thousands of other youngsters on hockey. Hart’s influence is on display every time the Flyers’ rabid fan base fills the Wachovia Center.
Walter Payton: During my college years in Chicago, I had the privilege – and I don’t use that word loosely – to watch Payton week-in-and-week-out while he starred for the Chicago Bears. “Sweetness” was as tough as nails, using his forearm to smash would-be tacklers as he picked up extra yards. He is the best running back I’ve seen play. (Note: I did not see Jim Brown in action.) For those who didn’t see Payton regularly, the NFL’s man of the year award is named the Walter Payton Award. Enough said.
Roberto Clemente: I was barely old enough to see Clemente play, but somehow the memory of this graceful right fielder stuck in my mind. Even young, untrained sports eyes like my own could see Clemente and realize I was witnessing greatness. What I didn’t understand yet was Clemente’s value as a human being. This Hall of Famer died in a plane crash on Dec. 31, 1972, while delivering supplies to Nicaraguan earthquake survivors.
Owen Hart: Yeah, I know professional wrestling isn’t a sport. But Hart’s death was very real. The 34-year-old Hart fell to his death from the ceiling of Kansas City’s Kemper Arena on May 23, 1999, during a World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view. Maybe it was because Hart was known as such a good person or maybe it was because we were the same age, but Hart’s death hit me hard.
Gorilla Monsoon: While I’m on the pro wrestling trail, I remember being surprisingly upset by the death of Monsoon, the gentle giant from Willingboro, N.J. My memories of seeing Monsoon wrestle are scant, but I remember him best as an entertaining announcer full of quips and one-liners. His death (at age 62) on Sept 19, 1999, followed Owen Hart’s tragic death and preceded Walter Payton’s death on Nov. 1 of that year.
The day after Payton’s death, I lost one of my best friends. The three sports celebrity deaths combined couldn’t compare to the impact of my friend’s death, but, in retrospect, somehow their deaths-at-a-distance prepared me for the personal grief I was about to experience.
Eric Gregg: Long-time readers of this column know I became good friends with Eric after he lost his National League umpire’s job as the result of a union-orchestrated mass resignation.
Eric was a Philadelphia sports fan in the best sense of those words.
He had passion without the nastiness. As an umpire, he was impartial. As a fan, he bled Phillies red, Eagles green and Sixers … whatever color the Sixers were wearing that year. When the Phillies won the World Series last fall, I’m sure Eric lit up a big, fat cigar in heaven.