By Anya
Recently, Dadsroundtable.com scored an interview with reality TV dad Jon Gosselin. Jetts31 (also known as Jimmy) tracked the elusive Gosselin down via social media tool (and annoying-link-to-former-co-workers), LinkedIn. (Jon Gosselin’s on LinkedIn?!) Well, anyway that is the story Jetts31 tells and who am I to dispute it? Let’s just say that Jetts31 conducts somewhat of a softball interview with Jon. Not that there is anything wrong with that. There is no need to antagonize your interview subject and questions such as “how good is it to have a strong network of friends?” are likely to put your interviewee at ease and get him to open up. And boy, oh boy, does Gosselin open up. I encourage you to head over to Dadsrountable.com to read the whole thing yourself because it wasn’t until I read it through completely on my own that I could really appreciate the craziness. (I had read a recap earlier in Radar Online that didn’t begin to do the verbal diarrhea that comes out of Gosselin’s mouth justice). But, if you are not in the mood for self-punishment, let me touch on some of the uh, high points.
Jon Plays Fast and Loose with the Truth
“I quit the show so our divorce couldn’t be filmed. So there was no video record of the demise of our marriage and the insecurity of our children.” – Jon Gosselin, July 2013
Sorry, Jon, but most of your behavior at the time you quit filming contradicts that assertion. Remember a little reality show project called “Divorced Dads Club” that you were working on with Michael Lohan shortly after you quit filming? (Fun fact: your ex Kate Major eventually married Lohan and had his baby!) Oh, and there were also your ridiculous appearances on Entertainment Tonight where you were more than happy to discuss your divorce in detail and your relationship with the much younger Hailey Glassman. The low point came when you exploited the twins’ 9th birthday and told ET that it was going to be WWIII if you didn’t get your way regarding your plans for the twins’ birthday celebration. It’s pretty clear to those of us who have been around a while that you were furious with Kate and mad at TLC and didn’t want to work with either anymore. The kids’ well-being was far from foremost in your mind and your actions during that time demonstrate that.
The English Language is Hard for Jon
Just curious whether Jetts31 gave Jon an advance copy of the interview? Because there are quite a few quotes where poor Jon absolutely murders the English language. Here are some gems:
“But I’m still guarded. I still have laws, I still have back patterns, and I can’t tell you everything. I know my legalities and where I can get in trouble.”
“I feel you out and I’ll ask you questions at certain times and in different ways to see if you keep the same answer and I just keep it all straight in my head.”
“Do you know what I mean? It’s unconditional. You know, you don’t understand that if you’re not a parent so it’s like it’s a weird fence. It’s weird.”
So there you have it – “back patterns” “weird fence(s)” etc. Luckily, Jon is able to keep it all straight in his head. (Mine is throbbing though).
Jon Has a Pretty High Opinion of Himself
Honestly, I could have written a whole article about how arrogant Jon comes off in this interview, but I think I’ll just stick with one of my favorite parts. In at least two places in the interview, Jon mentions “working for the Governor.” I didn’t remember this factoid and I have a pretty good memory when it comes to Gosselin-related trivia (kind of sad, I know). So was high school graduate Jon an aide to Ed Rendell?! Wow, why would he have left such a lucrative job, especially when he had eight (8!) children to support? Sadly, The Internets contains few concrete answers to this mystery. I’m not normally a betting woman, but my guess is that perhaps Jon at one point (probably for a short time as his job stints seem to be) worked in the Governor’s office. See the difference there? Do you have friends that work in the federal government? Do they tell you they work for the President? No, they don’t because you’re sane and your friends are sane and Jon is….well, Jon is Jon.
Jon is a Gun Nut!
I’m sorry; I meant to say Jon is a gun owner. He doesn’t feel capable of protecting his kids without a gun on him. Sorry, this sends shivers down my spine, especially when later in the interview Jon says “…one day, I’m just going to snap.” I wish I had something witty to say about this, but truthfully, I find it pretty freakin’ scary.
Jon is a Hippie?
Gee, that doesn’t really fit with the gun nut persona, does it? Truthfully, I am just (jokily) calling Jon a hippie because he spends a good part of the interview letting us know that he isn’t beholden to The Man. Job? You can take your stinkin’ job. If a job isn’t working out for him, Jon just quits and doesn’t look back. His “former wife” (isn’t it mature that Jon can’t be bothered to call her by her given name once in the interview?) will take care of the (tedious) financials involved with raising eight children to adulthood – you know, the housing, food, clothing, medical, schooling costs – the little things, in other words. Jon is just focused on being there for his kids (according to the interview he sees them about 8 days a month). It is Jon’s assertion that Kate is “sitting on a pile of cash.” So why should he have to contribute?! Oh, and what does Jon have to say to others he may owe money to? “I have to take care of myself. And people are going to have to eat it.” That’s right baby, you’re number 1!
Jon Lets the Kids Google Themselves
According to Jon’s, um, logic, the kids can do this at school, so why not at his house too? This is a part of the interview, where I really wonder if Jon knows what the HECK is going on at his kids’ school? My understanding is the kids go to a very well regarded (and expensive) private school. Does he really think this school has no way to block certain websites from being available on their school network?! Didn’t Jon tell us earlier in the interview that he is a Network Administrator? Ok, I’m thinking, maybe Jon is right on this and I’m wrong (unlikely, but even a broken clock is right twice a day), but then he bizarrely shares that the kids also get US Weekly at school. Ok, Jon, now you are just pulling our legs! That said, Jon does have a point, eventually all eight kids are going to Google themselves (and their parents). I know they won’t like this article (I wouldn’t expect them to), but I want them to know not everyone in Gosselin Land sees everything black and white. Jon is a human being, not a monster. He’s flawed, like all of us. So here goes, I’m going to say a few good things about Jon:
-Of course, Jon loves his kids with all his heart.
-Jon seems to really revere his dad. I think his remembrances are sweet. He seems to want to embody his dad’s best qualities for his own kids.
-Jon is pretty easy-going (except on the subject of “former wife”).
-Jon seems to be trying to focus on a simple life and I think that’s something we can all aspire to.
-Jon’s take on reality TV is pretty spot on. He’s also right that TLC made hundreds of millions off the Gosselin family. He’s also right that Ed Hardy didn’t go under because of him.
Whew, ok, back to making fun of Jon.
Jon’s Career Plan is Concerning
When he is not fighting The Man, Jon assures us that he is going to get serious about his career when the kids go to college and he is 45 years old (“super young”, according to Jon). Notwithstanding the wise words of Geraldo Rivera who recently proclaimed “70 is the new 50”, being 45 years old and finally getting serious about your career is imprudent. (Actually, I think the word that I really want to use is stupid. It’s a really really stupid plan). The problem of age discrimination in employment isn’t a big secret. In fact, there is a federal law that attempts to deal with it (Age Discrimination in Employment Act). The sad fact is a 45-year-old with a spotty job history is going to have a rough go of it. I’m surprised that Jon doesn’t know this? Again, I’m having trouble coming up with anything funny to say here. Get a clue, Jon!
So there you have it. The first Jon Gosselin interview in quite a while and it was LOL entertaining, but there are a lot of questions unanswered. Such as, is he still with that girl, Liz? (sorry, I’m nosy!) Did they ever resolve the pit bull situation? And the big enchilada: how does Jon defend the allegations that have been made against him and his BFF, Robbie “Trashman” Hoffman? Also, when is Jon going to finally move on from the past? Maybe, we will finally get the answers when Jon responds to one of the other “millions of requests” for interviews that he supposedly gets!
Anya has written for ImperfectWomen.com since 2009. She dutifully follows current events and pop culture and loves having a platform to share her imperfect opinions.
Great article. I read the whole interview and I too came to the opinion that Jon has a pretty high opinion of himself. He is also aware he is able to fool some of the people most of the the time.
I liked it when he compared himself to Clinton, I wonder if he considers that a step up or step down from when he compared himself to Michael Jackson?
I don’t like that Jon says he is going to snap in one part, and that he is “chambered” around his children in another. Not a good combination.
The interview was a disaster IMO. Jon does not seem like a private guy who has moved on and is doing well. He seems like he is living in the past, resentful of his present situation, and is obsessed with “financials.” He hardly seems productive at all. He also refers to the kids turning 18 as if it is something he is waiting for. Yikes. When do they get access to their money? Yeah, I thought so. 18.
Thanks Anya
I came away from reading that dads round table article both sick and sad.
Sad for the kids that are still seeing him 6 or so days a month.
I can also see why it was done in 2 parts.
It left me feeling so uncomfortable.
He carries a loaded gun in the mall but lets the kids be out of his sight, as long as they tell him where they are going to be. They go to the restroom alone.
I liked Jon better when he wasn’t broadcasting how unstable he really is.
Wow Anya! I really laughed so hard at this–>So there you have it – “back patterns” “weird fence(s)” etc. Luckily, Jon is able to keep it all straight in his head. (Mine is throbbing though).
I read somewhere that Jon’s dad was an alcoholic. His parents divorced.I’m by no means a psychologist but I wonder did that affect Jon. Because something is not right with Jon.
The previous statement is me!
the interview was a bunch of lies. He’s not been silent since 09. Selective memory maybe. Or someone’s feeding him lines.He would have put his kids on tv had the divorced dads show had been picked up.Only his fans would believe him. And they do. They’ve picked out the parts they want in the interview and ignore the not so good parts.The gun makes me nervous.Kate had a bodyguard for that.Yes,Jon has a permit and it’s his right to carry a gun.What worries me is that house if full of kids 12 and under. And we all know kids are curious.The stats on kids getting a hold of household guns are not pretty and that’s what worries me the most. I’m not just concerned about the Gosselin kids but Liz’s children.They live there 24/7. Accidents happen. I wish Jon had said that he safely locks the gun away when he’s not using it. He probably does but it would have been nice to hear it from him.
Anya….You are so funny and spot on. In the same respect it is such a sad situation for his children. Thank God Kate is responsible for caring for the kids. He sounds so immature, jealous, and vindictive. He tried to explain and rationalize his behavior then and now. He continues to paint himself as just another dead beat dad. This interview was a diaster.
Oh my, LMAO, The English language is hard for Jon. Anya, that cracked me up.
Jon comes off as angry, irresponsible as a father and jealous of Kate’s money. He has never been silent and always had plenty to say. I think he’s mad about the lawsuit. What did he expect? He and his good buddy Robert Hoffman conspired to bring down Kate. Did he expect no repercussions? He has been dogging Kate for so long. It’s a shame for the kids. It’s a good thing Kate has been responsible and taking care of their needs. I’m impressed at her priority of keeping them in their home and school. If it were left up to Jon, who knows where they’d be.
I always liked Jon and have always seen Kate as a bi*ch. The only thing that interview sold me on that I was wrong about him.
It doesn’t make me like Kate but I do have to give her credit and respect for making sure those kids are provided for.
Jon came off as whinny, and I can’t shake the feeling he was threatening Kate.
Jon saying he is ‘chambered’ when he leaves the house concerns me. We have all seen the picture of Jon firing the gun when he was switch living at the house. The judge then ordered Jon to remove the guns from the premise. What bothers me more though is this comment he made in the interview “I don’t go to the girls because they’ll lie right to my face.” What an awful thing to say in an interview about your daughters.
Ofttimes one can learn the most amazing facts from lies
#11 con’t Jon lies and lies and just continues to show sane rational people what he really is….a douche bag extraordinaire.
Jon said the girls lie to him because he probably questions tgem about Kate.
What he said about the girls is wrong.He has issues with females.He blames the woman in his life for his failures.Goody I think you’re right about Jon questioning the girls about Kate.Neither should be doing that.
I don’t know if he even gets how horrible he sounds. I just don’t know if he has enough self awareness to get it.
He needs to grow the hell up.
I find it curious that Jon is suddenly claiming to be SuperDad because he has his kids two weekends and four dinnertimes a week What about during the previous school year when he admitted that he didn’t see them much… just for dinner on Tuesdays. What about the period of time last winter when he couldn’t have the kids at his house because there was no electricity. What about the pit bulls? Jon seems to have a very selective memory. A few weeks of summer vacation seems to have erased all the time he did not spend with his kids in the past year.
IMO, the purpose of his interview was to slam Kate and make himself look good. Guess what? He failed.
…meant to say two weekends and four dinner times a MONTH!
but then he bizarrely shares that the kids also get US Weekly at school.
OMG, I just saw this! I think he means Weekly Reader. LOL, Jon, if you are reading, it’s not the same, LOL.
Jon. Jon. Jon. So very bitter.
Rumor has it he and Liz are no longer an item.
Daisy,
I have heard that also. That Jon has a new girlfriend. I wondered when I read the interview why they didn’t mention Liz because that would just seem kind of natural to do since they mentioned his girlfriend was watching TV with them.
Wait just a darn minute…. Is this “private guy” Jon?
I wish Jon would have addressed how he would plan on supporting the kids if they lived with him. Looking for cs from Kate? She can’t get a gig because his supporters have made sure of that. Kate needs to work, if nursing is her only option, she needs to do it. The kids money is tied up, he can’t touch it from reports I have seen. Would be interesting in court to see what he and his friends have done all over the internet to Kate and their children. He lives in the woods, not by their school, etc. New gf? I do hope if Liz supported him and paid his bills, she sells her story to get her money back.
New girlfriend?????? Schmeck????????
Lol, yes stxmom, Jon RPG Gosselin – Regular Private Guy. Just an ordinary man about town, calling into VH1, giving interviews, wanting to be on DWTS. That’s the one.
Yeah, Regular Private Guy who calls an established hate blog with an unethical owner to spread his self-serving lies.
Great piece! That interview is unbelievable. I really wonder about Jon’s mental stability.
Bravo Anya, my sentiments also and everyone here as brought up most of what I was thinking.
I see several issues I with this article that concern me.
1) if my young kids claimed to be using a tabloid magazine in school, I would be calling the school to question it. I agree that it is US News weekly or weekly reader, but Jon thinks its Us Weekly and sees nothing wrong with that, at the same time as he claims to want to protect his kids. Shouldn’t school be a safe haven for them, not to mention that tabloids are not appropriate in any classroom for kids their ages
2) while claiming not to criticize his ex, he does it every other sentence as well as every time he’s spoken for the last four years. When he says that she tells him that they want something different than they tell him, that’s a common issue for kids. For starters, they have a tendency to want to tell each parent what they want to hear and also kids easily change their minds based on the immediate circumstances. Common examples would be a child being excited for a sleepover with friends and getting homesick and crying to go home at bedtime or when having fun at moms, saying they don’t want to stay at dads, getting there and having fun and asking to stay longer. It’s just something all parents have to deal with and it isn’t necessarily anyone’s fault
3. Jon can take the day off to do this interview, but not to attend his kids school functions
4. The girlfriend calls from the store to see if they need anything, but then he has to go get milk.
5. He claims to spend three or four hundred dollars a week end on food, but on what, sandwiches and French toast.
6. He claims that. His 40 hour workweek keeps him from attending any of his school functions or spending much time with them, but he is always saying things to the tune of that Kate should get that regular job, support the kids singlehandedly and have time to raise all of them. He sabatoges her efforts to provide for them and then acts like she is sitting on a chest of money.
Great points, Brandy. I would call the school if US Weekly were one of the library publications, especially if my family had been trashed in that publication!
I don’t see how working 40 hours/week means you can’t attend anything. Most parents work that much. My husband always did, in fact he works much more now, but he still attends school functions!
4. The girlfriend calls from the store to see if they need anything, but then he has to go get milk.
This made me LOL. Unfortunately, this has happened at my home, I am not proud to confess!
You know that if Kate decides to go back to nursing, the Jon lovers will call the Hospital and protest that they’ll never go there because of Kate. They don’t want her to work anywhere.
You are right Lana, it’s a good thing Kate does what is right for cher family.
Cher mot cher
Honestly, you sound like angry women. They got divorced, it’s never pretty and I am sure both contributed to the ugliness. Whatever went on – give the guy a friggin break that he is trying. I have no doubt that both parents love their kids and do the best they can. What judgemental people you are, judgemental Moms! Was this your best piece? Was this the best you could do? So ugly.
Who said anyone here is a mom? Sounds like you are being judgmental.
Sometimes the truth is ugly.
I think that Anya did the best that she could do with what she was given. Blame Jon.
P.S. Ya gotta love when people are judging and calling out others on being judgemental. No?
I have a question for you Joan H, have you been over to the 15 min blog to tell them the same thing? Wow, they sure are a judgey bunch of women, aren’t they. Not sure if they are moms are not but I don’t know what that really has to do with any of this.
Sue,
Looks like someone doesn’t know that Kate and her children are bashed everyday on twitter and at a hate blog. I have no opinion of her post, she spoke, but I do have an opinion when they have made sure all over the internet that Kate is targeted for any job that she tries to do. I would have loved to see her post the good qualities of both parents. I do hope she comes back and lets us know that fair needs to be on both sides. Is she willing to give Kate a break?
Anya generally bends over backwards to give people a break. She’s not a hater, of Jon or anyone. The fact that her article was as snarky (and funny!) as it was reflects the truth that Jon is his own worst enemy, and that he’s learned nothing from the turbulent years since his divorce.
Totally agree, Jennie. Anya is always beyond fair and not a hater of anyone. It was a great post and mild in snark compared to the majority of posts out there regarding Jon. I am not sure why IW is always held to different standards.
IMO Anya was very fair and funny, because IMO the article made Jon look really bad.
I had to laugh at the comment, that Jon is trying. My question is: trying to do what? Make himself look like an angry, irresponsible, jealous EX and a deadbeat dad? If so, he succeeded.
Pam,
Someone is very jealous. 🙂
I don’t know who says what or when about either of them, I happen to come across this article and I cannot believe how awful you all sound – call me names all you want but please examine yourselves.
Someone called you a name? I missed that. I did happen to see you come on this thread and call people “angry women” and “judgmental Moms”.
I find it hard to believe that you just happened upon this site with all of the articles out there on Jon and Kate written by the major celebrity websites that are much more negative and snarky than this was. Again, are you commenting on all those sites and telling them the same lecture?
I also think you know what 15mins is.
Someone seems to be a bit sensitive and maybe over invested in Jon. Jon’s interview was a disaster in my opinion.
Mine too, and I supported Jon through the show, through the divorce, etc., without supporting all his choices (Kate’s too.) This is a PR mistake. It also raises serious concerns. Saying he might just snap and admitting he is “chambered” around his children is scary, not mean to say.
Wow, great interview. Seems like he’s two completely different people compared to the original show. Thanks for the update