The Greedslins Time Machine ~ Shall We Travel? It IS Gratis, After All!
Oct 7th, 2008 by BohemianMoon
In the recent People Magazine Article/Interview with the Greedslins, Ma and Pa Greed contradicted themselves once again and finally admitted that they do, in fact, read the the comments made about them on the internet, particularly the Greedslins/Gosselins faction of the Blog-O-Sphere (like it was ever a question if they did. Please!) With that ingression, it struck me that there just may be a few (or thousand +) People Magazine readers out there that had no idea that blogs and forums regarding them are so prevalent. As such, it also struck me that they also may have no idea of the history of these parents that has been uncovered in the catacombs of the internet archive.
(Thanks J&K for sending out that memo, much appreciated!)
The greed, self entitlement and historic vie for donation after donation of Ma and Pa Greed is truly unsurpassed. From the very beginning they had their hand out and they, four years later, have yet to pull it back in.
It probably would have been helpful if Jon had worked before and after the sextuplets were born, particularly since they had help not only with the twins pre-sextuplet birth, but were privy to an army around-the-clock volunteers, post. But did Jon get out there and make sure he was bringing in resources knowing his family was going to more than double?
That would be a resounding no.
It was so much easier for the Greedslins to rely on the government, their church (whom soon after they gave the ol’ heave ho) and their community to supply what they needed. After all, the widespread media reporting on the birth gave them the perfect outlet to set the stage for a cunning cupidity that would rival that of even Henry the VIII.
And Kate herself stated in a Reading Eagle interview in 2005 when they were appealing the State’s decision not to fund the taxpayer nurse for another year due to all of the sextuplets being healthy, (paraphrase) that because society created fertility drugs then society should help pay for them. I wonder where God was in all this? When it comes to taxpayers monies, it is society, but when it comes to the babies, it is God.
How convenient.
When TLC entered the picture their requests never stopped, they accelerated. Now with a television audience, they gleefully have used this medium to state their (false) lack of finances over the last 3 years to unsuspecting and gullible viewers internationally, and happily raked in whatever they could from viewers, attendees at speaking engagements (primarily good Christian audiences), and every corporation that could buy what they were “selling”, which unfortunately, is their children.
But lets not get too ahead of ourselves here, lets start back at the beginning with the Greedslin’s website from the year 2004 until 2007. Pay close attention to their “prayer list”. No it is not a list of people that they would like others to join in prayer for. It is their list of what they want donated for the sextuplets. Please also note their “praise list”, for those who got suckered in.
I do need to qualify this by stating I have no problem with a family receiving donations when truly needed, particularly for those families that found their families doubled in nine months time due to high order multiples. Fair enough, I say. It is certainly not unusual for companies to donate diapers, formula, blankets and baby clothes to ease that burden. Most families are extremely grateful and do their utmost to show their gratitude, know when they should say “Thank you for that generous boost, but we are in a decent place now and going to work hard to make it on our own”, and most give back as soon as they are able.
Not so of the Greedslins.
Donations they received at the beginning were systematically rejected if they were not matching and new, including nursery furniture and clothing. The donated items (which are overwhelming in number over the years) that Mr. and Mrs. Greedslins received were also sold at their yard sales, over the net, or in area consignment shops. Never donated back into the church or community so other families in need could benefit from them. Oh, no. The Greedslins never gave back until it was clear that their popularity was slipping and their PR team felt it would be a move. I just love the fact that just held a “yard sale” recently at a church (not their own) in which they sold items that were donated to them to benefit Pediatric Cancer Research. Of course, like the donation to the Ronald McDonald House which was shown on the recent “Kate’s Labor Day” episode, their “yard sale” fundraiser was also filmed for an episode. It was damage control grandstanding, and nothing more. I think people would have possibly be impressed if it the donation was, for say, their salaries for that episode. But no, the Greedslins would have never agreed to that. Selling items that were donated in which they spent not one red cent are fine, but something out of their pocket?
Not a chance.
Grab a cup of tea or better yet, a glass of wine, a few munchies and enjoy your ride as we travel back to the beginning of the sextuplet’s birth in 2004 and travel forward through 2007~
http://web.archive.org/web/*/www.sixgosselins.com
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_334106.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1400462/posts
http://readingeagle.com/blog.aspx?bid=3&id=1188
http://readingeagle.com/blog.aspx?bid=8&id=1132#1750
http://readingeagle.com/blog.aspx?bid=8&id=983
http://internetservices.readingeagle.com/blog/mother/archives/2005/05/here_we_go_agai.html
You have a scary obsession with this family! Get yourself some help my dear!
Moon ~
Well said! This piece is exceptional.
moon,
I love it.
Thanks I put my kids to bed, grabbed the whole bottle of wine (probably shouldn’t have but figured it was going to take a while), and took a trip back.
Well
Done.
Is it just me, or is anyone else having trouble viewing the article in the second link…i can read the comments, but nothing else. Although based on the comments there are a lot of people unhappy with them at least then. Thanks for this blast from the past moon, very informative!!
Moon-
Excellent summarization. Hopefully it will open up some eyes out there, who have yet to see the true situation with this family. I hope you forwarded this to People magazine.
moon, well done!! And for all your newbies that have been introduced to these blogs because of Kate Greedlin’s “shout out” to the blogosphere - have fun with the reading. When you are done, you will see these 2 in a whole new light. All I have to say is, please pray for the Gosselin children.
Well done as usual!
http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/01/sextuplets_and_parents_conquer.html
Here’s another way to deal with it all
I have to go to work but when I get home tonight, I am going to grab a cold beer, sit down and read about the Greedy’s from the beginning. Thanks, Moon and I think you said it all!!
Moon. Please also mention that in the Reading Eagle, Jon said that they would donate the donated items to people in need after using them. Instead he sold them off their website and the previous yard sales! Thanks!
Moon,
Well said, as always-
Thank You for bringing giving us the links-
That being said, I’m so discouraged by the PR promoting this farce-
So far they are Teflon, nothing sticks–
I’m beginning to think the only way for the explotation to end-Will be by their own hand–Simply overplaying–I’m usually optimistic, IMO, the best hope for these children is Paul Peterson’s group(A Minor Consideration)–I think at some point, protection for the kids(from that point) will come into play—The damage done emotionally will never be addressed- Kate & Jon are their parents, that says it all–When this ends, I have no doubt J&K will blame the kids privately–Poor Mady, she’s in for a rough ride–
Publically, they will proclaim, They(J&K) stopped the show in the best interst of the kids–The speaking engagements will then kick into high gear b/c they are in a dire financial meltdown–Look what they have sacrificed for the welfare oftheir kids–God let them know it was time to leave TLC–TLC was going onto a direction they couldn’t endorse as christians–The PR firm will definetly be one of first thrown under the bus-
They will probably rake in more cash than the paltry sum they are scraping by on at this point in time-
When the kids are no longer performing there will no longer be any wittnesses to the abuse, anyone or law saying the children must be compensated–
J&K will fight relinquishing control (the children’s rightful shares) of the monies their children have earned–
How any perpetrators involved in the ongoing abuse of these children sleep at night is a mystery to me–
My opinions–I hope I’m proven wrong-
So interesting that the main focus of the home page is “financial.” Pray for us and our financial situation. Pray that someone antes up the money so we can have a helper, a van, a new this or that.
Yeah, they sound spiritual, but the underlying reason for the prayer is always visible.
THANK YOU for posting this!
Ya know Moon, I just started reading these blogs about 2 months ago when Kate irritated me after watching the show. Now I see that people have been bitching about them for years….truly amazing how one woman can piss so many people off (and she’s so good at it!)
Thanks for sharing
I lurk, not troll, here very often as I am fascinated by what this family has become. They are like a car wreck, hard not to look as you pass by. I looked back at the older websites through the first link and quite honestly, I was stunned. I was a social worker for many years and I understand families in need but this? There are no words. “Pray for the 15 passenger van. We haven’t left the house altogether yet.” This is something to pray for?? Most of the families I served had to get their kids and all the kids stuff on public buses to get anywhere. Never once did I ever hear one of the say “Pray for a car for me.” A prayer asked for was usaully about making the rent on time, getting their bills paid so the electricity didn’t go out. All things worth praying for. This family was never really worried about their basic needs if that’s what they wanted people praying for. It is just mind boggling and disgraceful. I love watching those little children but I think we all know in the years to come there will be the stories of rehab, etc. and then the show in the media will become the children’s personal “car wreck” stories and we will all slow down to watch knowing we saw it coming years before. They have no shame.
Here is the Good Housekeeping cover…….
http://justjared.buzznet.com/2008/10/07/gosselins-good-housekeeping/
Yuck.
#15 EE~
Thanks for posting that, it is appreciated.
#15~ betsy~
It is an interesting history, isn’t it?
You know what the kicker is about “the van”? These folks had two vehicles in which, if used, would fit all of the family. They made it sound as if they were landlocked because they didn’t have a large enough vehicle. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I particularly loved when they placed on their site that they finally got their van “that they paid for themselves” after months and months of lobbying for one from every source they could think of.
And as a social worker (I have a degree in social work as well), I am sure that you will appreciate this: When they knew that the one your taxpayer nurse was coming to an end and they were going to appeal it, they begged on their site for $25,000 so they could pay her should the appeal not be granted (it wasn’t) and they never got a donation of $25,000.
Can you imagine?
Just when I begin to think that I couldn’t possibly expect any less from them, it happens again! Maybe I was raised in a different time but for us, our prayers consisted of praying for one’s healthy or for a family going through a loss or a difficult time of some sort. At what point did their “prayers” turn into a virtual wish list?
I have three children that we provide for without any assistance of any sort. If I want my kids to be in coordinating outfits, I have to BUY them. WITH MY OWN MONEY *thud* Can you imagine?
Between the free house remodel, free furniture for the babies, free clothing/diapers/toiletries/strollers and one vacation after another, it is astonishing to me that their hands are not yet filled to the brim with all the freebies they could ever dream for!
What does Kate actually do? She “cooks” AKA reheats what the organic chef has already prepared. She cleans…well, supervises the cleaning crew that the show paid for. Hmmm, she doesn’t mother the children. She doesn’t nurture them. She hides in her bedroom with the laptop, leaving the crew or her newly acquired babysitter to fend for eight children alone!
If I remember correctly, wasn’t Kate who claimed that she couldn’t care for her eight children alone? She wanted the tax payers to continue paying a nurse to help her in that area!
YET, Kate’s paid sitter seems to watch them all…all the time while kate plops into the nearest chair with the uniform scowl on her face!
I used to really enjoy the show. I used to really admire their family but those days are gone. Each show is more heartbreaking than the last and I know these poor children are the ones paying the ultimate price.
#19~ Flutterby~
*****If I remember correctly, wasn’t Kate who claimed that she couldn’t care for her eight children alone? She wanted the tax payers to continue paying a nurse to help her in that area! *****
Thanks for weighing in with your htoughts and insights, Flutterby, they are welcome and appreciated. Regarding the above quote from your post, keep on clicking the links that I have provided. The exact quote from Kate is there, and oh so much more!
#19 Flutterby~
Amen! I have 4 with the 5th on the way (as well as a stepchild) and I have NO help. I am amazed to always hear the “I’m so exhausted” line from her. We have now outgrown our minivan and are trying to figure out whether to buy a bigger vehicle or not. You certainly won’t see me asking my family, friends, or community for help! I go without so the kids can have nice clothes, participate in activities and play sports. That’s what REAL parents do. My husband works around 55 hours a week so I can stay home with the kids. We budget and plan. It’s insulting to have Kate tell us how to clip coupons or use lay-away when she herself does nothing of the sort. I could go on and on…but I think you all get the picture!
Great, Great Post. Keep them coming - you certainly have a way with
words - needs to get out to the masses, imo.
Expect jons memo was a sweet war of words.
Appears that the crew are the baby sitters - as kate is rarely seen
outside, from what her neighbors say. Her compulsiveness is avoidance avoidance of issues, imo.
When they married, she had to know she would be the primary breadwinner of the family as jon had been camping across europe and
worked at a hotel. Thus in that title she’s working the kids, imo.
Having read that kates dad is an educated person, credit to society.
let’s continue to hear from Julie, Jodi, Kevin and her sisters, also from jons side of the family. From day one, we’ve heard comments re the greedslins, the economy may have the last word re the continued status of the g’s, they too, will also feel the effects of the current financial issues, and may have positive affect on the kids, imo.
Thanks again Moon for your continued interest.
Moon: Any possibilities of printing the Paul Petersen bit that has
been aired on CNN Headline News today? I have missed it.
Apparently watched the other CNN News channel. Thanks much.
#24 Louise~
It has been up for a couple of hours
http://blog.psychic-wisdom.net/2008/10/19/cnn-and-paul-petersen-from-a-minor-consideration-take-a-look-at-the-gosselin-children-exploitation/
There is also a tab at the top of my blog for “Jon and Kate Plus Eight”. You can always press that tab for the latest entries on the Gosselin train wreck that I have published.
Thanks so much for taking the time to inquire. You are appreciated!
Peace and good from the Moon~
Dear Moom,
I think you’re GREAT!
I’ve been visiting your website for about a month now and everything you feature, or write, or include photos of, is SO interesting. And all of it is done so CREATIVELY!
Your site is like all my favorite magazines, journals, and newspapers rolled into one - except I don’t have to wash the ink off of my hands after I’m through reading; ha!
I wonder if Hallmark would be interested in DONATING some “Thank You” cards to Jon and Kate? Do you think she’s ever actually written even ONE?
Thanx for everything, Moon!
alana