...but let's not watch

By David Zurawik / The Baltimore Sun

Jon and Kate Gosselin, the stars of the TLC reality TV show “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” made it official Monday night: They are divorcing after 10 years of marriage.

“Kate and I have decided to separate,” Jon said about 40 minutes into the one-hour show. Their eight children will remain living in the mini-mansion in Berks County, Pa., where the show is filmed.

The reality TV series will continue, the two said in making the announcement. But the question is how many viewers will now stick with the show. And what lies will those viewers tell themselves to try and justify their voyeuristic participation in the misery of the children - misery caused by these two immature, self-absorbed so-called parents and a cable TV channel.

“How does the show go on? The show must go on,” Kate said, sounding more like a show biz monster than a mom. “It's going to change a lot because there will be time that I will have to be away from them.”

The parents will alternate living with the children in an arrangement that will keep both of them in the kids' lives - but not together.

“I'm still in the show, but we'll interview separately,” Jon said in Monday night's telecast.

The show has been in a tabloid tailspin since March when Season 4 ended amid reports that the 32-year-old Jon was having an affair with a 23-year-old teacher.

By the time Season 5 started May 25, interest had reached a fever pitch and the show drew 9.8 million viewers. But it also drew widespread criticism for putting the eight children - twins and sextuplets - through this kind of public trauma. The audience dropped by half from week one to two.

Monday night, the charade ended. And, again, just as I did while watching the season opener, I felt both exploited by the producers and debased for even bearing witness to this carnage.

I can tell myself that it's my job - I have to watch. And the sociology of seeing an American family melt down before the reality TV cameras does seem worthy of any critic's attention.

But I wonder what viewers who don't have to watch are thinking. I wonder if they feel exploited by TLC selling ads and making millions of dollars out of a show announcing a divorce that will not only leave eight kids with a shattered family - but a video record of their family coming undone that will define them for the rest of their lives.

I'm done with this sick carnival side show. How about you? It is now clear that the only way to make it stop is to quit watching.