By Darlene Pham
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In 2004, America was introduced to the Gosselins: an adorable family of 10, consisting of a pair of twins and, miraculously, sextuplets. What started as a one-hour special on the family’s journey and miracle moment turned into a weekly show documenting the lives of the Gosselins.

While I was a huge fan of this show, memorizing all the kids’ names and admiring Jon and Kate for their ability to take care of 10 young children, this all changed this summer when rumors of Jon’s love affair broke out. This rumor spiraled into an overly dramatic battle between the two parents which ultimately ended in divorce.

All my previous respect and admiration for the two parents dissolved as quickly as the drama of Jon and Kate invaded the news. They were soon on every single cover of every tabloid and gossip magazine. I was astounded that the news, a place that should be reserved for stories and issues that matter, started talking about them. Not only was I incredibly annoyed at their Jon and Kate invasion, I was also mad that they would risk their own children. What selfish parents would have a public battle of divorce at the cost of their own children? Apparently, Jon and Kate.

The sad situation is, Jon and Kate aren’t the only parents who exploit their children. TLC, the TV cable network that allows for these parents to do that exploitation also airs shows such as “18 Kids and Counting” and “Table for 12.” All three shows present large families and share with the nation the special memories and moments of their children’s lives. It seems that every tidbit of these kids’ lives are shown, from toilet training to every emotional breakdown.

Another thing, when “Jon & Kate Plus 8” aired, it was original. No one had seen it before and those Gosselin kids were just too adorable. Now, it’s just the same show with different families. It’s also apparently encouraging people to have large families in hopes of having their own exploitation of their children. The woman deemed as “Octomom” is an example. Rumors have been flying around that she might get her own show. Seriously people, it’s getting old. You have a big family, big deal.