My take on Jon and Kate

I will preface this by saying I have been watching Jon and Kate for a very long time and have been known to drive Ed crazy by watching reruns of my favorite early episodes. I didn't really watch last season, I feel like the whole tone of the show and family changed and the product placement, etc. became too much, even for me, who had always claimed with 8 kids, they deserved all the help they could get. That being said, I feel like there are two separate issues being played out in their lives.
First is the how long is too long question. Jon ended the season last year by saying he was done with the show and all the publicity that comes with it. He wanted his privacy back while Kate seemed to still be happy with doing the show and all the publicity tours, etc that came along with it. I wonder when the kids are going to stop enjoying the show if ever. Cara and Mady have been shown a lot less on later seasons because they did not enjoy being on TV anymore. Are the sextuplets going to be more comfortable with the cameras for longer because they have been around for as long as they can remember? Both parents claim they have always been doing this for the kids, but what happens when the kids may not make the decision that is best for the family or even that the whole family agrees with? They are five now, so certainly old enough to have their opinion heard but not old enough to have their opinion necessary respected.

Then there is the whole divorce issue. I will admit, I hopefully tuned in Sunday night, waiting for the revelation, not that they were separating or divorcing but that they were working together to make it work. Whether or not there was cheating (and really who knows except those actually involved at this point), I had always been a proponent that their relationship (or at least the one they presented on TV) worked for them. While their relationship style is not the norm in our household, we have friends and family who interact that way and have for many years. The more news that is released, the less optimistic I become and I find this the saddest part of the whole story. Whether or not, you watch or like the family, no one can be happy that soon, if not already, eight kids are going to have their lives changed forever. And that's why I can no longer watch.