So, Jon and Kate Gosselin’s Big Announcement? They’re getting divorced.

Well, actually, during the clip titled “The Announcement,” both Jon and Kate announce (separately) that the couple is separating, but CNN reported (and backed up with a TLC-released statement from Kate) that Kate filed for divorce from Jon on June 22.

Potayto, potahto – the point is, the couple has finally entered Splitsville, USA, Population: 50% of all American marriages (or some such high statistic), and I’m willing to bet most Americans aren’t too surprised.

Me? I was a little surprised. I haven’t watched Jon & Kate Plus 8 since those sextuplets were in cribs; I’m not invested and I didn’t watch “The Announcement.” Still, I was hoping I’d turn on the ol’ computer yesterday and find out “The Announcement” went a little more like so:

“Dear TLC and America: We’ve been married for ten years, we have eight beautiful children together, and our marriage is falling apart. So, while we thank you for all the opportunities reality television has provided, we’d also thank you to kindly get the hell out of our house now.”

Jon was quoted admitting he’d been “too passive” and “let [Kate] rule the roost and do whatever she wanted” but was now “proud” of himself for standing on his own two feet, so undoubtedly there’s more to the dissolution of their marriage than just infidelity. Yet, whether it’s one reason or a million, surely it’s tougher to deal with when the entire country is watching? Much less when your own family members are all but selling you out to Jerry Springer?

Don’t get me wrong: I am in no way making light of any of the Gosselins’ problems, and I’m not one of these people who thinks a couple should remain married simply because they have kids or they believe God wants them to. I believe that if you’re miserable – if you’re in an abusive, unfaithful, and/or loveless marriage – you’re going to make everyone around you miserable (not to mention put your life at risk, in the case of abuse), and the best solution is to do whatever it is you need to do to get rid of the misery. If that means divorce, so be it.

But make damn sure of it, first.

According to Jon, the couple’s been having problems for six months. But does six months worth of serious problems during a ten-year marriage add up to divorce? Sounds more like marriage counseling time, to me (and 34% of the TVGuide.com voters – the highest number – who guessed “The Announcement” was going to be that they’re entering marriage counseling), but, that’s just me. And that 34% of voters.

Fortunately for the kids, TLC is putting Jon & Kate Plus 8 on hiatus until August 3 to give the family time to regroup (I use that word loosely).

After that? Who knows.

Jon & Kate Plus 8 has been a reality show for Americans, but it hasn’t been a reality show for Jon, Kate, or the eight kids. It’s been five years of cameras in their faces. That’s not reality – that’s fulfilling a contract. Sooner or later, the show will come to a permanent end – and then what? When the dust settles – when the show’s gone and the media stop snapping pictures and reporting some new speculation every single time one of them steps out of the house – will those six months worth of problems still seem so huge? Will the damage still seem so absolutely irreversible?

Or will Jon and Kate find themselves wishing they’d spent a little more time working on their marriage than they’ve spent in hair and makeup?

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    Last reviewed: 24 Jun 2009