Monday Morning Update

Jon and Kate Plus 8: In Touch Weekly reports that Jon and Kate are having marital problems.

Melissa Rycroft/ABC

Dancing With the Stars: Rejected Bachelor contestant Melissa Rycroft’s 15 minutes of fame aren’t over yet — she will be on Dancing With the Stars.

Top Chef: Check out Season Five runner-up Stefan’s new clothing line.

The Bachelorette: Former Bachelorette and Bachelor star Trista Sutter says she’s hoping her second baby won’t be premature…Check out pictures from Trista’s baby shower…Former Bachelorette final rose winner Jesse Csincsak will be on America’s Most Wanted.

The Bachelor: Jason says he’s “not happy” with the criticism he’s received.

The Hills: Lauren says being on the show felt like leading a double life.

American Idol: Kanye West and Kelly Clarkson will be on the show on Wednesday.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta: Housewife Sheree Whitfield is being sued for not paying her legal bills for her divorce…The new housewife will be Kandi Burruss, a successful singer and songwriter.

America’s Next Top Model: A recap of last week’s premiere episode…A big turnout in Jacksonville for auditions for next season.

Special Edition: The Bachelor fallout

 

Jason Mesnick proposes to Melissa Rycroft/ABC

 

UPDATED ON 3/6 at 4:53 p.m.

I decided to do a special edition today on the Bachelor. As I’m sure all of the Bachelor fans already know, Bachelor Jason Mesnick dumped the woman he gave the final rose to, Melissa Rycroft,  for the runner-up, Molly Malaney.

This was a twist that one blogger, Reality Steve, had predicted weeks ago.

But the controversy ensues because many think, including Melissa herself, that Jason had contact with Molly after the show ended. There are accusations, too, that ABC set this up as a ratings-booster.

Check out some of the stories on this below:

On the Ellen DeGeneres show, Melissa accuses Jason of cheating.

Jason complains about the public backlash to the LA Times.

Melissa declined an offer to be the next Bachelorette.

Another Bachelor contestant, Jillian Harris,will be the next Bachelorette instead.

Molly says that she and Jason are “happier than ever.”

Ex-Bachelor Andy Baldwin, and Former Bachelorette Trist Sutter criticize Jason’s decision.

Host Chris Harrison defends the decision to film the break-up and denies that Jason and Molly had seen each other since New Zealand.

Bachelor producer Mike Fleiss says Jason wasn’t required to break up with Melissa on the show.

Former Bachelor Andrew Firestone isn’t buying Jason’s “poor me” act.

Jason tells Ellen DeGeneres that he regrets breaking up with Melissa on TV.

And, finally, leaked e-mails where Melissa rips into Jason for the on-camera dumping and Jason tries to blame the producers.

Monday Morning Update

The Hills: Audrina is determined to find the person who burglarized her house…Pictures of the show’s stars having

Jerry Sims/Survivor Credit: CBS

lunch on Saturday…Lauren Conrad writes a fiction novel that sounds suspiciously like her own life.

Survivor: Ousted castaway Jerry talks about his time on Tocantins.

The Bachelor: The big finale is tonight! The Seattle Times runs through all the possibilities for the “shocking” season finale…Jason tells People his decision on the final rose was “very difficult.”

Top Chef: Finalist Carla says Jamie, Audrina deserved to stay in Top Chef …Finalist Stefan says he’s still in love with Jamie, is working on a clothing line…A recap of the finale…Winner Hosea says he plans to open his own restaurant, is working with Whole Foods on its prepared foods.

America’s Next Top Model: The show is looking for short models for its next season…How the show compares the the edgy Make Me a Supermodel.

Patti Stanger

Millionaire Matchmaker: Patti Stanger says the recession hasn’t hurt her business one bit.

American Idol: Seattle Times blogger says the show has no clear fan favorite…Judge Paula Abdul says adding a fourth judge slows down the pace of the show…Three more final-12 singers are picked.

Real Housewives of Atlanta: Housewife Kim Zolciak sues her former publicist.

The Rachel Zoe Project: Contrary to rumors, Zoe’s rep says she is still working with stars Debra Messing and Cameron Diaz.

Dancing With the Stars: Actor Gilles Marini from “Sex and the City: The Movie” ends up in the hospital after rehearsal.

Random bits: Comedian Jerry Seinfeld to create reality show on marriage.

Has fame ruined the authenticity of Jon and Kate Plus 8?

 

Jon and Kate Gosselin and their eight children/TLC

 

I’m a huge fan of TLC’s Jon and Kate Plus 8. I dig Kate’s bossy demeanor and can’t get enough of her cute-as-a-button kids. 

But I’m also familiar with the Gosselin haters out there, the ones that believe she treats her children like commodities to make more money and think her bossy behavior emasculates her husband Jon.

I’ve finally read a great article on this very topic in Philadelphia Magazine which poses the question of: has the fame and the money made Jon and Kate less relatable and led to a backlash? It brings up the disappearance of Aunt Jodi and her friend Beth, and the noticeably more put-together Kate.

I still defend the show and Jon and Kate, but this article made me wonder what their exit strategy is. How long can this go on? Will they be so cute when they’re studying for their SATs or learning to drive a car? Will they stop before the backlash becomes so bad they can no longer profit from their fame with books and speaking engagements? 

What do you think, readers? Are Jon and Kate simply taking advantage of a good situation, trying to create the best life for their children with a nice house and robust college savings funds? Or have they gone too far?

Lauren Conrad is leaving the Hills

Lauren Conrad has officially confirmed she is leaving the Hills in an interview with Seventeen magazine. The fourth season will continue airing on MTV in March. The fourth season will be her last.

“My biggest thing with the show was that I wanted to walk away from it while it’s still a great thing,” she told Seventeen. “I always want to remember it that way. I gave MTV a deadline and said, ‘This is as long as I can do it and stay sane.’ ”

Wednesday Morning Update

The Bachelor: Chris Harrison says Naomi thought the sea plane she rode in was a helicopter; reveals girls bring their own dresses, but can get their makeup done… I don’t agree with this, but someone has started a petition to make rejected bachelorette Stephanie Hogan the next Bachelorette… Rejected bachelorette Shannon Bair says she is back with her ex-boyfriend.

Jon and Kate Plus 8: Kate fumes over a shower nozzle, viewers fume over the fuming.

Survivor: The Brazilian Highlands season will force castaways to pick tribes completely on first impressions.

Top Chef: Casting begins for the show’s next season.

Random bits: Bromance star Brody Jenner makes out with girlfriend Playboy Playmate Jayde at a Super Bowl Party.

Monday Morning Update

Top Chef: Ousted chef Jeff says Hosea and Leah probably forgot the cameras were around when they kissed. NY Post thinks Stefan will be the winner. Jeff bashes judge Tom Colicchio.

Girls Next Door: Former Hugh Hefner girlfriend Kendra Wilkinson is working on a new reality show.

Real Housewives of New York City: Always-together couple Alex and Simon say their son will be featured more in season two.

The Bachelor: Chris Harrison says he tries to gently guide the bachelor during Rose Ceremony deliberations.

American Idol: Alleged names of the 36 semi-finalists are unveiled. Former Idol contestant Jennifer Hudson sings the national anthem at the Super Bowl.

Jon and Kate Plus 8: Kate gives advice to the California mother of octuplets.

Random bits: CBS to film reality show on desperate singles who are willing to enter into arranged marriages.

Friday Morning Update

America’s Next Top Model: Check out some of the girls that will be on the show’s 12th season airing in February.

The Bachelor: Ousted bachelorette Megan says producers kept handing her drinks the first night. A detailed preview of next week’s episode, which includes a trip to Seattle with the ladies and another precedent-setting Rose Ceremony. Oops, Megan says she told Jason she had commitment issues.

The Hills: Lauren and Lo are moving out of their house and into a condo.

Lauren Conrad

Top Chef: A recap of this week’s episode.

American Idol: Producers apologize to contestant for interpreting his Southern charm as a veiled threat.

Bromance: Brody Jenner says he really will hang out with the winner of his show.

The Real World: A recap of this week’s episode.

Random bits: Ex-Survivor castaway Elisabeth Hasselbeck is pregnant with her third child.

Wednesday Morning Update

America’s Next Top Model: Jezebel updates us on what all the former ANTM models are up to, with some doing runway and others doing cheesy photo shoots.

Sheree Whitfield/Bravo

Real Housewives of Atlanta: Housewife Sheree Whitfield’s husband allegedly doesn’t pay his court-ordered child support and has squandered his fortune. Singer Usher’s wife and former Housewife DeShawn Snow will not appear in the show’s next season.

Top Chef: A recap of last week’s episode. Cheftestant Hosea and his girlfriend have broken up, possibly because of the flirting between him and fellow cheftestant Leah.

The City: More on new castmate Allie, who apparently is very forgiving. The show is renewed for a second season.

The Bachelor: A recap of Monday’s emotional episode. More on “man up” Megan, who was rejected by the Bachelor last week.

Project Runway: The next season may never air, but producers are shooting the big finale fashion show anyway.

Jon and Kate Plus 8: A recap of Monday’s episode on their new house.

American Idol: Scenes of auditions from Jacksonville, Fla. make it into the show. Judge Paula Abdul storms out of audition.

Random bits: New reality show explores the ancestry of celebrities.

Tuesday Morning Update

The Bachelorette: Some of DeAnna’s men have developed a bromance. DeAnna: Jesse and I were two different people. (Another take on her People magazine interview by Reality TV World.)

Natalie/ABC

The Bachelor: Rejected bachelorette Natalie says she wasn’t comfortable in front of the camera, admits she wasn’t ready to move to Seattle.

Real Housewives of Atlanta: Kim Zolciak says she and record producer Dallas Austin have parted ways; starts work on new album this year.

American Idol: Is Joanna Pacitti too pro for the show?

The Amazing Race: Check out the identities of the teams competing on next season, airing Feb. 15.