Blogs and Stories
Why We Love to Hate Kate
Heidi Gutman, ABC / Retna Ltd.
From Kate Gosselin to the housewives of New Jersey, loathsome suburban moms are having a moment. Diane Clehane talks to her friends and neighbors about our national addiction.
From Kate Gosselin to Bravo’s newest Housewives from New Jersey, I’m obsessed with the entire spray-tanned, French-manicured sorority that has managed to turn suburban motherhood into compulsively watchable—albeit train wreck—television.
In this age of living with less of everything, from money to expectations, even our celebrities have gotten smaller. A lot smaller.
I’ve never been a regular watcher of Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise. But for some inexplicable reason, I just knew I had to watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey—and I can’t stop watching. These five women, who clearly shop at the same places Carmela Soprano did, make the screeching strivers from New York look tame.
Watch 10 of Kate's Angriest Moments
And then there’s Gosselin, TLC’s new cash cow and one half of the formerly wholesome, bickering twosome of Jon & Kate Plus 8, about as prototypical a suburban couple (with eight children) as you’d ever find on television. The pair has been transformed into the recession era’s Brangelina, with a record-breaking number of tabloid covers to prove it.
When I see photos of Kate in her red leather (or is it pleather?) jacket and denim miniskirt striding through the airport with her bodyguard, or read stories of a Jersey housewife’s plans to launch a children’s accessory line, I am struck by the thought that in this age of living with less of everything, from money to expectations, even our celebrities have gotten smaller. A lot smaller.
And yet I find myself equally repulsed and fascinated by these women. In an effort to find out why, I decided to ask some of my friends, the “real” housewives of Westchester, to weigh in on the phenomenon. Not surprisingly, no one who copped to watching these domestic divas in action wanted their names used.
How Rich People Smoke Pot
Paul Schrodt is a writer living in New York City. He has contributed to New York magazine, Radar, and Esquire.com.
Justice Clinton?
As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, corporations and causes, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono. McKinnon is co-chair of Arts & Labs, a collaboration between technology and creative communities that have embraced today's rich Internet environment to deliver innovative and creative digital products to consumers.
Recession Marriage Wars
Diane Clehane is a contributing editor at mediabistro.com where she writes the 'Lunch' column. She is at work on a memoir and lives in Westchester County, New York.
Spasticula
"Now Kate's done with him." said the anonymous eavesdropper.
Uh yeah... terrrrrrrrrific analysis. Any husband would be lucky to have such a ball-crushing, asshole wife be "done with him." I'm sure Kate had really great parents telling her what a a unique snowflake she was, while she was aquiring her heinous, contemptuous people skills. Kate's "assertiveness" is the externalized misery of a complete retch. John and Kate are perfectly matched pair of young, self-absorbed dumbsters.
thecolonel
This is just a great article. So much in-depth analysis and critical commentary. Thanks for really digging into the "why" of these cultural phenomenons.
Thanks, Beast, for giving me 0% more than US magazine. Actually, far less. At least US has lots of pictures.
zanbyrd
I love the beast, but I agree - not much here!
Not sure I agree that Jon is "clueless". I think he appears clueless as to why Kate has to be such a constant total bitch.
KarlaRose
HA! Excellent summary!
rahrah
the should put an EXTRA link to the narcissism piece at the end of this one.
bigwurzz
this is because TV love a clueless, powerless, pushover as a white male.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
This user is no longer registered.
n--Y--jdavxcThis user is no longer registered.
n--Y--Portmanteauclarityinthedefaultworld
sorry, but 1) not news, 2) not insightful and 3) not even written well.
Superfancy
Reality shows are cast and edited to confirm our stereotypes, particularly of women. Many shows feature a screeching harpy like Kate. I don't understand why the author gleefully buys into this nonsense.
harlowe
So you and your buddies live vicariously through shows about vapid women. /twirls finger
I have to agree with clarityinthedefaultworld - this was poorly written and not remotely news. This should have been a personal blog entry not something on The Daily Beast.
scott1607
God that's sad in itself. It'd be one thing to live vicariously through someone who actually has an exciting, productive life, but these women? So you're basically emulating overly-made up clown whores?
zanbyrd
Amen harlowe & clarity...
kscr14
As the child of divorce,I wish my parents couldn't of afforded the divorce.Kate and Jon will ruin eight childrens chance at a somewhat normal life.Nobody really understands what it all does to a child.Pain,anxiety,sadness and wishing Mom and Dad would fall in love again.And,I would bet we will all get the chance to see it evolve on tv.Sad,very sad.
Coetzee
Awful article -just awful. Yes, we really need more empty-headed materialistic people out there. Poorly written as well. The "woman at Starbucks" source? It is possible to write about mindless fluff without being mindless fluff. Look into it lady.
KarenF444
I've seen these shows as my daughter watches them when she's home from college. I think college girls are a big part of the audience and theres an angle that might be interesting: Why do young women just starting in life, wondering how their lives will go over the next few years, wondering if they will meet someone and get married, etc. - why do they like the Real Housewives, Wife Swap, Trading Spouses, Jon & Kate? I wonder if its a comfort to see people a bit older than they are having messy situations and doing stupid things.
I saw the "Jon & Kate" where they talked about their problems. I found Jon's situation very sad. He's only 30 and he has no job outside the home; he's gained 30 pounds; his hair is thinning; he wears sloppy clothes; his family has turned into a "business." Meanwhile, his wife is having a blast traveling the country with her book and speaking tours (and possibly being involved with the bodyguard). She didn't have a good explanation for why she "has to" be away from home so much or AT ALL. Eight children and a home and a husband - she shouldn't ever be away from them for a night but apparently, she does it all the time.
Real Housewives of New Jersey is a bit of a mystery. I saw Teresa's husband pay out $100,000 in cash the other day - they are trying to make these people look like organized crime connectees. I live in New Jersey and I wonder if it will impact the governor's race. The Republican candidate, Christie, comes off as that thug-family-connected type. That may not be fair to him and he might be a real prince but thats how he looks on TV. And the image is out there, first with the Sopranos and now resonating with these Real Housewives. The rest of us are wondering how much of this mob-connected stuff there is in this state and how much they walk among us.
Bunx05
Your analysis was better than the entirety of this article. I'd rather read your thoughts on the deeper social impact of these shows than the crap I just wasted four minute of my life on.
guiltybystander
I love Kate (who is Kate again?)
Gwazdos
She is the dumb one with half of her hair covering an eye thinking that the look is cool. That in my opinion is the dumbest look that the so-called fashion hair people ever came up with _ NOTE _ the most attractive female is the one with no hair covering ANY part of the eyes!
guiltybystander
yeah, thanks (you're always the one who's last to get the joke, aren't you?)
bgcajun
This article sucks and is quite shallow. I read it because I am curious what will happen to Kate, Jon and the kids. I would love to see them leave television and focus on their family.
And I, too, live in Westchester County like the author. It's a beautiful place to live but it does have it's share of shallow, dim-witted folks like the NJ housewives and this articles author, too.
BAM717
Actually, what we'd all like to do is forget about this tedious woman and her bad manners and her pathetic obsession with celebrity. Yet you shovel this tedious garbage at your readers day after day after day as Page 1 news. She's news because you insist on treating her as news. Why?
naomaf
I did not watch the show but heard the latest garbage story. Husband was not much to look at! All those kids.
WHY? And a "reality show" -- most UN REAL. Who gives
a **** about these idiotic people?
carlinho
People watch because NOBODY can resist a TRAIN WRECK, Nadya Suleman getting a reality show deal PROVES this point.
This user is no longer registered.
n--Y--charles116Thank you.
As a first time user, your comment has been submitted for review. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two for your comment to be reviewed, depending on the time of week and the volume of comments we receive.