Theresa Santoro

In fairness to the criticism I offered on Jon and Kate, I went on YouTube to catch their 10year marriage vow renewal. I also got to catch their original vows.

On the sofa interview, Kate commented how Jon's vows were better than hers, and commented that Jon's outdid hers, "believe it or not"... Her words, not mine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghAnnilUdl0

Note to Kate: Not necessary to keep putting down the husband you have little regard for...

So here is the view from where I sit. This man genuinely loved a woman who did not love him back. Watch the two vows and tell me he was not genuine.

It was better for ratings to be Amazon power woman with a husband who was better seen and not heard. I can only figure that somewhere along the making of this reality show, some producer said, "we like the castration of your husband...keep it up!"

This works in regular scripted television, because the players are actors. Everyone Loves Raymond and all of the other shows like it were very successful in making the husband out to be the village idiot. Audiences gobbled this stuff up. Why not find a reality family willing to play the same game?

Super mom has to take care of 8... no make that 9 children (when we include the stupid husband)!

The problem with reality television is we are dealing with real people with real feelings.

When we first met this family, Jon and Kate got through it all because of their devotion and faith in a higher power.

In the beginning of this series, God was the core of the relationship.

Remember I pointed how boring day-to-day life actually is? In reality television, you get clothes and makeup and gifts galore! As fame came, and money flowed, it seemed God was set aside for greed, and the meaner Kate got, the better the ratings. Of course, the ratings were never better than when the whole thing fell apart!

Unlike scripted television where the kid actors often end up really messed up, we are now in uncharted territory. Who protects the "reality" kid? Can the parents spend all of the money, or should the law require that a percentage be set aside? No rules. No limits. No moral compass. A lose, lose situation. Could this marriage be saved? I think it could have been at some point. If you look back to the simpler times the show portrayed. They seemed to be a team. They seemed to love. They seemed to put God and family first.

Now? I am not so sure. I think walking away from the show would have been the best bet, even if the money coffers ran dry a bit. Re-group. Re-focus. Pay off the bills, and live for a bit off of the millions they have earned. Move smaller if you have to. I can bet the kids would give it all up in a minute to have their family back!

It is a simple enough solution. But you have to want it. You have to want to stay married. These two clearly don't want to stay married. They claim their children will be first. Pshhhaw! The children are the very last in this marriage. My ten year old figured that out!

I am really disappointed in TLC. The Learning Channel: "a place for learning minds." To continue on this quest, and not cut the ties to this family is sad. The children are hounded by the paparazzi. The parents are splashed all over the gossip magazines. It is like watching a shipwreck, and waiting to see if there are survivors. A new type of child abuse for the entertainment field in this century. The scars will be there for many years to come!

And so it begs the question. What about the children?