Bad mommy. by Shannon Drury 6:13 am / 12 June 2009
Ok, pop culture nuts. Here is the clip of Kate "Reverse Mullet" Gosselin in action that's got the blogosphere abuzz.
I have never seen this program, but it has captured my imagination along with the rest of the country because it seems to encapsulate so much about what is wrong with America today. You know the usual suspects: fame, greed, infertility treatments, reverse mullets, the works. With this clip we can now add the age-old "is she a good mother?" obsession to the mix. The commenters on Gawker, where I first saw this clip, made a variety of excuses for how annoying whining children can be, so in their opinion Kate deserves the benefit of the doubt. I have a different take.
I am something of an expert on difficult children, never more than when summer vacation is underway. I can see myself in Kate's shoes here, grinding my teeth with rage after a long day of being harassed by a gaggle of little brats. One strategy is to keep the jaw wired shut and ignore them, which Kate is doing here. One could also explain to Mady calmly that it's almost time for the interview, and Mommy will get her a drink once it's over. A truly wonderful Mom of the Year might ask the Access Hollywood staff if they could delay the interview so all eight of the kiddos could get a drink, but it could be argued that Moms of the Year do not have reality television programs that get them into these situations in the first place.
One thing you NEVER, EVER do? Get yourself a water bottle and drink it while your thirsty kid cries. Parents are constantly challenged to balance what their children need with what the parent wants. It's a push-pull that happens to every adult with a small person in her care. This is a good example of how the parent's want takes precedence, with disastrous results. To hear Mady Gosselin plaintively wail "you're really really mean...you drank right in front of my face!" is to witness the effect of emotional abuse on a 8-year-old child. It's a disgusting power trip and it makes me sick. I can only hope the backlash will lead to this show's cancellation.
I feel terrible for all of Kate' children, but I also feel better for my two. Summer vacation might not be so bad after all.
I have never seen this program, but it has captured my imagination along with the rest of the country because it seems to encapsulate so much about what is wrong with America today. You know the usual suspects: fame, greed, infertility treatments, reverse mullets, the works. With this clip we can now add the age-old "is she a good mother?" obsession to the mix. The commenters on Gawker, where I first saw this clip, made a variety of excuses for how annoying whining children can be, so in their opinion Kate deserves the benefit of the doubt. I have a different take.
I am something of an expert on difficult children, never more than when summer vacation is underway. I can see myself in Kate's shoes here, grinding my teeth with rage after a long day of being harassed by a gaggle of little brats. One strategy is to keep the jaw wired shut and ignore them, which Kate is doing here. One could also explain to Mady calmly that it's almost time for the interview, and Mommy will get her a drink once it's over. A truly wonderful Mom of the Year might ask the Access Hollywood staff if they could delay the interview so all eight of the kiddos could get a drink, but it could be argued that Moms of the Year do not have reality television programs that get them into these situations in the first place.
One thing you NEVER, EVER do? Get yourself a water bottle and drink it while your thirsty kid cries. Parents are constantly challenged to balance what their children need with what the parent wants. It's a push-pull that happens to every adult with a small person in her care. This is a good example of how the parent's want takes precedence, with disastrous results. To hear Mady Gosselin plaintively wail "you're really really mean...you drank right in front of my face!" is to witness the effect of emotional abuse on a 8-year-old child. It's a disgusting power trip and it makes me sick. I can only hope the backlash will lead to this show's cancellation.
I feel terrible for all of Kate' children, but I also feel better for my two. Summer vacation might not be so bad after all.
