Jon and Kate Gosselin Latest in Long Line of Reality TV Families
Jon and Kate prepare for second show, while facing labor claims.
June 1, 2009 — -- Jon and Kate Gosselin's reality juggernaut TV show, "Jon and Kate Plus 8," has entered its fifth season with an ever-increasing audience, attracted to the couple's ever-growing made-for-tabloids life.
Nearly 10 million Americans tuned in to last Monday's episode to watch the obviously tense and noticeably distant pair try to get things back to normal after discussing their marriage woes,which include off-season allegations of adultry.
But life for Jon and Kate is anything but normal. The family can't seem to escape controversy with the latest blow coming from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor. The department announced Friday they are investigating whether Jon and Kate Gosselin's hit show violates child-labor laws.
Labor Department spokesman Justin Fleming told The Associated Press that the department is looking into a complaint against the show. In a statement TLC, which airs "Jon & Kate Plus 8," said it "fully complies" with state laws and regulations.
In addition to attracting the attention of Pennsylvania authorities, the Gosselin clan has become a tabloid staple. In recent weeks Jon and Kate have appeared on countless supermarket glossy covers with some tidbit about their personal lives serving as headline fodder.
Whether it was issues of infidelity, an alleged secret marriage contract or their potential divorce, this ordinary family has faced extraordinary media attention. It's attention Jon and Kate have said they dislike.
"When people invite America into their personal life, what they may not be prepared for is that they will be judged," said psychologist Terry Real. "They've had a large following; [and a] sudden bump in interest...It's a spectacle... When you invite people into personal life, [you're] inviting people to judge."
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