Jon Gosselin Fans Switch to Team Kate, but Kids Still Lose

July 22, 2009 — -- Jon Gosselin just can't keep it on the down low.

Barely a month after he and Kate Gosselin announced their divorce, he's transformed from Mr. Mom to man about town so swiftly and so publicly, it's hard to believe the dude with the 22-year-old girlfriend and tight-fitting Ed Hardy t-shirts is the same dad who used to court audience sympathy on "Jon & Kate Plus 8."

Since Jon, 32, started dating Hailey Glassman, the daughter of the plastic surgeon who performed a tummy tuck on his ex-wife, the two have been spotted cavorting on a yacht in St. Tropez and kicking their feet up on a swing set in New York City. They kiss, they cuddle, they stare longingly into each other's eyes, and indulge in other PDA as the paparazzi snap away.

But while Jon and Glassman may be reveling in their new romance, it appears fans might not be. According to unscientific user surveys conducted by PopEater.com, many of those who used to sympathize with Jon -- the man famously berated by his other half for breathing loudly -- now bat for Team Kate.

On June 22, when the Gosselins dropped their divorce bomb, 62 percent of more than 102,000 PopEater.com readers said they sided with Jon. Asked who they supported on July 17, 58 percent of more than 54,000 readers who responded said they sided with Kate.

Fans Bash Jon Gosselin

"I'm with Kate and the kids. It's clear this guy is all about what is best for Jon," said Lisa Imamura from Larchmont, N.Y. "As a child of divorced parents, I think I can say that while he may not have destroyed all happiness in life for his children, he is creating a legacy of misery that will follow them all their lives."

"I used to feel a little sorry for Jon," said Julia Powers from Greensboro, N.C. "Now I see why Kate did so much nagging. It is now clear that Jon wasn't interested in stepping up to the plate and doing stuff without being directed. He wasn't a partner; he was another person Kate had to take care of."

"I'm on Kate and the kids' side," said Patricia Coleman from Port Charlotte, Fla. "Those poor kids saw their dad every day for the last couple of years because he wasn't working. … What are they going to think when they see daddy pushing his little [girlfriend] on a swing in N.Y.?"

To all-out outrage:

"Go Kate!," said Marie Hernandez-Gomez from Chowchilla, Calif. "I hope Jon believes in karma 'cause it's going to kick him in the butt real hard. ... I salute you, Kate, in the name of all women scorned by a deadbeat jerk!"

"I think Jon is taking his fame and money too far ... this dude is showing no kind of sympathy or respect for Kate or his kids," said Jessica Chavez from Los Angeles, Calif. "Jon, start working and stop partying. You look dumb being photographed with different women. Loser!"

Jon can't be surprised. Earlier this month, he told People magazine, "I'm a regular guy who is a going through a very difficult time in life and wants to move forward." But regular guys don't have 10.6 million people tune into their divorce announcement. They don't have camera crews tracking their every move and entertainment reporters writing about their new girlfriend's old reported arrest for marijuana possession (allegedly caught carrying three grams outside her Indiana University dorm in 2005, for those unfamiliar with the details.)

And most "regular guys" don't have eight children watching the whole ugly mess unfold.

Gosselin Kids Lose, No Matter Which Parent Wins

"For all intents and purposes, the kids' world is in chaos right now," said Roberta Eisen, a Washington, D.C. based divorce counselor. "Jon flaunting his new relationship puts them in a position that makes them feel as if they have to choose sides. It's very painful for a child to have to feel as if they're sharing a parent with someone else."

Yes, in the end, divorce experts, fans and celebrity observers agree that no matter which parent wins in the court of public opinion, the kids lose.

"What family would have played this out so publicly? It could all have been done more discreetly -- movie stars in Hollywood do it all the time," said E! Online columnist Ted Casablanca. "If you want to keep it under the rug, you can. If you want to play it in the tabloids, you do exactly what Jon and Kate are doing."

"In truth, they're both skanks," Casablanca concluded. "They're sending a message to their kids that when they grow up, they should slut themselves out to the media."