Extreme Parenting on TLC

How cable's megafamily reality shows captivate parents and push our social buttons

Illustration by Francisco Caceres

One of the saddest things about the saga of Nadya Suleman, or Octomom, was her seeming belief that having octuplets via in vitro fertilization would make her beloved like Angelina Jolie. Fat chance. To be a parent is less to be loved than to be judged--even if you haven't fired your charity nannies and disappointed Dr. Phil. You are feeding your kids wrong, teaching them wrong, putting them to bed wrong. Having had 14 kids, Suleman is judged fourteenfold.

With Jolie-dom off the menu, Suleman has reportedly sought a reality-TV deal. But cracking today's field of giant-family reality shows could prove...

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