Thoughts on the Jon and Kate Divorce Announcement

Yesterday's announcement of divorce on the part of Jon and Kate Gosselin - stars of the ridiculously popular TLC program 'Jon & Kate Plus 8' - came as a surprise to few. Not only had the Gosselin couple been experiencing very public marital problems for months, but rumors of their separation and divorce experienced an upswing since the debut of the fifth season of their show. Numerous crossovers and cross-promotions with other television shows were the method of choice to avoid addressing the marital problems of Jon and Kate Gosselin in the last few weeks of the show. All of this begs the question, "how could anyone not see this coming?"

First, Jon and Kate Gosselin had to deal with the stress of caring for eight children. This alone would be too much for most couples. Having to feed, clothe, provide for, and love eight children is a large task, made even more difficult by the fact that the majority of the kids are younger and require closer attention.

Second, Jon and Kate had to deal with media pressure and constant scrutiny. As Jon Gosselin noted, it became impossible to go to the supermarket without being recognized or having fans of the show take cell phone pictures of him. The Gosselins had to live life inside of a bubble, where a TV audience was treated to a view of their home and camera crews were present at the house almost half of the time. How could this not drive a person to act out after a while?

Third, they became celebrities with money. Jon and Kate had money and promotions bestowed upon them, and were paid between $50,000 and $75,000 per episode. It is no secret that money and fame can change people.

Fourth, the relationship between Jon and Kate was always tense. It is easily seen in the show that Kate more or less minimized Jon as a person. Kate constantly berated Jon for his grammar, his way of speaking, or famously, the manner in which he was breathing. I think that Jon began to "act out" in response to years of this treatment. While cheating in a relationship is rarely excusable, it's easy to understand why a person in Jon Gosselin's shoes would stray after such public berating.

Fifth, Jon gave up his job to stay at home with the kids, while Kate began to go on book tours and speaking engagements. Few men aspire to be stay at home parents, and this reversal of stereotypical gender roles may have put extra pressure on the Gosselin marriage. Jon may have resented that Kate was able to get away from the house to advance her own career and personal endeavors.

While the Gosselins may have been adorable, a number of problems and issues combined to break up this almost idyllic family. At this point, there is very little that can be done, and we can only hope that Jon and Kate work together to give the Gosselin children as normal and ideal a childhood as is possible.