I'm not sure that I understand much of what's in Jon's claim ... and I think some of it really is gobbly gook, but I think the language about the permits or lack thereof may translate to something significant. (or it may not. it may just sound like a big deal. LOL)
and $2000/episode in the beginning. wow.
To me that sounds like a lot of money.
I had some other thoughts that came to me this morning....random thoughts that may or may not matter, so bear with me.
1. They film several things out of the state of PA, for example--Wyoming...and of course CA. Some states have enterainment laws and some do not. Just popped into my head, but no idea if it is relevant.
2. Kate denied the water, not TLC or whomever was conducting that particular interview that the papers included as evidence of exploitation.
My only issue with this is--the child in question is prone to be manipulative and just b/c water was denied on the video, it does not mean that she was without water or nutrition before they set up the interview piece. Are they suggesting that a parent is not permitted to have a child wait until something is completed and then letting them have a drink?
Just rubs me the wrong way as they are alluding to the exploitation but it is clearly KATE who made the decision. Noone off set said anything (and perhaps they had a cup of water off camera or something).
Just some random thoughts on the inclusion of that video which I think was more a ploy than anything else to have it included.
3. Permits and documentaries:
Not here, but on other sites, it has been alluded that animals have more protections than these children.
But what is curious--they do vet documentaries, nature documentaries and all those things and I just cannot believe those animals get the same...protections if you will as a dog being used in a movie. Somehow, I believe it is legally different. Of course they can't go abuse the animal and honor laws that protect the animal (outside of filming), but they don't have to go above and beyond as a working animal might in a show, film, or tv show.
Weird thing to correlate--but documentary is just a different animal and I believe they will have a tough time in their counterclaim if TLC can properly defend that format.
I don't know how they will do it--but observing is not the same as asking a child to perform and it can be defended that in the first couple of seasons, the kids were truly being documented.
It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
Again these were random thoughts that popped into my head more as discussion points and not necessarily my opinion as to them being correct or incorrect.