Octomom® Inc.
Posted by Osagie Obasogie April 26, 2009
Biopolitical Times
It is well known that the assisted reproduction industry is big business – about $3 billion a year. But doctors are not the only ones cashing in. The families engaging in radical IVF procedures that lead to risky multiple births are now getting a cut of the action.
Take, for example, TLC’s highly rated series Jon and Kate Plus 8 – a reality show based upon the daily lives of a family composed of IVF induced twins and sextuplets. The family has leveraged this television exposure into products such as books and DVDs. The popularity of this show has led TLC to start production on a second reality series based upon multiple, multiple births. Table for 12 features the Hayes family, featuring two sets of twins and a set of sextuplets.
It looks like Nadya Suleman, the infamous Octomom, will follow in these footsteps. Pardon me, I meant Octomom®. That’s right, Suleman has filed two applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark the now infamous term so that she can use it exclusively in future commercial endeavors. Apparently, Suleman has been approached to endorse several products, including children’s clothes and toys. Can a reality show be too far behind?
Take, for example, TLC’s highly rated series Jon and Kate Plus 8 – a reality show based upon the daily lives of a family composed of IVF induced twins and sextuplets. The family has leveraged this television exposure into products such as books and DVDs. The popularity of this show has led TLC to start production on a second reality series based upon multiple, multiple births. Table for 12 features the Hayes family, featuring two sets of twins and a set of sextuplets.
It looks like Nadya Suleman, the infamous Octomom, will follow in these footsteps. Pardon me, I meant Octomom®. That’s right, Suleman has filed two applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark the now infamous term so that she can use it exclusively in future commercial endeavors. Apparently, Suleman has been approached to endorse several products, including children’s clothes and toys. Can a reality show be too far behind?
