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CBS/ June 30, 2009, 12:46 PM

Playhouses Popular After Jon & Kate Split

Last Monday night, reality television stars Jon and Kate Gosselin announced their separation, and their plans to get a divorce. As far as ratings for "Jon & Kate Plus 8" are concerned, the show was a huge success, pulling in a record 10.6 million viewers.

But before announcing they were through, Jon and Kate had a big fight about some playhouses they were having installed for their eight children.

The playhouses they were talking about are called Crooked House Playhouses.

Turns out, Jon and Kate spread their success around.

Skewed and cartoonish-looking, the playhouses feature twisted chimney pipes, cattycorner roofs and sloping porches. They look as if a kid had designed and built them, and up until Monday night, very few people had heard of them.

But since the show featuring them aired, the Crooked Houses company has been one of the biggest searches on Google. The small concern of five people -- with only two full-time employees -- has been booming.

Prices range from $1,400 to $2,500 per playhouse. A doghouse featured on "The Early Show" Tuesday costs around $500.

All the Crooked Houses were are suddenly in high demand. On top of having some basic ready-to-assemble houses for sale, kids can custom design their own houses, as they did with Jon and Kate. Children and parents can pick colors, themes and other details.

Crooked Houses has also launched a program recently where 10 percent of all profits from every house sold will go toward underprivileged housing.
Copyright 2009 CBS. All rights reserved.
4 Comments Add a Comment
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webmonkeydc says:
What a difference a year makes. Just a year ago, Jon & Kate were enjoying family time at the beach with fireworks. After a year of media fireworks, what can you do for them today? http://*******.com/q7vur5
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cheetah57 says:
How ironic!!! Crooked houses. Maybe their popularity is reflective of the crooked homes of the people who are buying into this disaster. Excellent article below that addresses all of these complex issues.

The 'Jon & Kate' Sideshow

http://elitestv.com/pub/2009/06/celebrity-scales-the-%E2%80%98jon-kate%E2%80%99-sideshow-star-studded-legal-commentary-for-the-celebrity-obsessed
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dg441-2009 says:
Only thing is J&K didn't pay for their crooked houses.....another perk of exploiting the kids and family. Get a real job!!!
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u-r-right says:
And Jon and Kate were given how many of these things for their over-indulged kids and lifestyle? I hope they fade away now to live a life as normal as the rest of us. Good luck supporitng all those kids if they lose their gravy train (TV show). I hope they are saving their money.

Looks like the bluprints came straight out of Pee-Wees Playhouse.
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