Do celebrities make lousy parents?

Famous people should not be allowed to have kids.  At least, that’s the idea being advanced over at msnbc.com, where celebrities are knocked for everything from wrecking their kids soccer games by virtue of their attendance (Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes) to dangling their babies from balconies (Michael Jackson).  Between their inexplicable need to choose, ahem, odd baby names — Audio Science anyone? — to their even more inexplicable need to self-exploit via reality television, celebrities and their families have captivated the public in recent memory.  So much so, in fact, the author notes that "the hot celebrity accessory this season is the child — domestic or imported."

It’s only a matter of time before even Paris Hilton hops on this trend, ordering blond-hair extensions for her mini mirror image.  Here’s hoping Paris Jr. isn’t as easily misplaced as Tinkerbell.

Other offenses making the list of reasons why celebrities should be forbidden from having kids include their "innate inability to distinguish between healthy parent-child communication and ‘Glengarry Glen Ross," a nod to Alec Baldwin, and "Amicable divorces are even creepier than those that go to DEFCON 1," in reference to the Demi Moore-Ashton Kutcher-Bruce Willis love-fest.

Source:  MSNBC

Thanks to CBB reader Maya.

What do you think? Please note that the article is tongue-in-cheek!

Comments

Mama Llama on April 26th, 2007

Well, I’ve never attended a soccer game where Tom and Katie were present, but unless one of them is charging onto the field and attacking the officials or opposing team members (a la some non-celebrity parents I’ve seen news reports of) how are they ruining the game?

Also, I know many unfamous families who have chosen strange names for their children – they just aren’t in the tabloids so the general public doesn’t hear about it. Likewise, I know there are just as many celebs that have given their kids “normal” names.

What Alec Baldwin did was in no way reflective of his celebrity – millions of children the world around a verbally abused on a regular basis, and we as a society choose to look the other way. Again, it is just because he has a household name that we are even being let into this little domestic drama.

I think it is very unfair to lump all celebrities together and say “they shouldn’t have children”, just as it is unfair to lump any group together as a whole and cast judgement.

JennB on April 26th, 2007

What makes celebrity parents so different from “normal” parents other than the fact that they’re famous? I don’t think Tom and Katie have ever “wrecked” a soccer game – in fact, I think it’s great that they attend so many, because it shows that they’re supportive and part of the kids’ lives.

Considering all the horrible things parents do to kids, I think for the most part celebrity parents are pretty good. Just think about all the photos we keep seeing on the site of Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck with Violet, Melissa Joan Hart and her husband with their son, Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette with Coco, etc. They spend a lot of time with their kids, unlike a lot of parents. If the kids are happy and healthy, what’s the problem?

Suze on April 26th, 2007

I thought this was so funny! I think this is supposed to be taken fairly tounge in cheek, lighten up a little people.

shaynon on April 26th, 2007

I honestly think how a cleb child is rasied depends on the celb themselves…you can be a celb and be a good parent. You know who they are, but i think if ur a celb u have added pressure on you from everyone around you. there are celb kids out there who were rasied wonderfully and you never hear anything bad on them or the parents. One bad thing like the Baldwin incident and all heck breaks loose. Its just not celebritys though. That thing with Baldwin or Britney or anyone else could have happened to a friend, neighbor or yourslef..were just not celbs so its not published.. hope that made sense, lol

Coco on April 26th, 2007

I think what this article trying to say is that celebrities are in the business of being narsacists. Their whole goal in their career is to be a saleman and the product is them. In this case, no they shouldn’t have children because when your whole life is based on selling yourself and having life be about yourself can you really devote your time to raising children? Well I don’t believe that I should tell which person should have children or not because no matter where you go Hollywood or CT there are people out there that have children and should not!

SuzanneHines on April 26th, 2007

I somewhat agree. Celebs live in their own world. They have babies, only to hand them off to their nannies. This isn’t being a real parent. It makes me sick that celebrities bring these children in the world just to show them off like eye candy. It seems like adopting and having children is the fad right now in Hollywood. I don’t know why everyone gives celebrities such credit. Any other parent who was out drinking and partying, and throwing their children off on other people would be criticized in the REAL world.*

Ashley M on April 26th, 2007

On the issue of Tom & Katie “wrecking” their kids’ sporting events, I think the thing is that because the paparazzi follow them to these events it puts the attention on Tom & Katie when it should be on the kids. That may be what was meant by that. Of course it is not Tom & Katie’s fault necessarily and it is nice that they like to go and show their support. I do think each celebrity is different as far as parenting goes and some seem to do alright…but I sure Paris Hilton doesn’t reproduce anytime soon!!

Heather on April 26th, 2007

I don’t think that celebrity parents are all that different from other parents. Many parents give their children unusual names nowadays and there are many nontraditional families out there (in reference to Demi; and I don’t know why thats a bad thing!). There are MANY non famous parents who are terrible parents. The only difference is that the whole world doesn’t know about their problems.

Lilybett on April 26th, 2007

Non famous people have done worse things to their babies and children. The Spartans left unperfect babies on mountaintops and then took 7 year old boys away for military training. Several modern warring countries “enlist” children and give them weapons almost as tall as themselves. Some countries still practice female circumcision of young girls. Some countries have poor people selling their children into slavery or prostitution.

In my own reasonably civilised country, I’ve seen a mother introduce her children to drugs; toddlers put in tumble dyers and burned; babies sat on or shaken because they’re crying too loud; suburban mums accidently back over their children with their ginormous SUVs; kids not wearing seatbelts… the list goes on.

Yelling at a kid over the phone or giving them a stupid name kind of pales in comparison.

tink1217 on April 26th, 2007

I think there are some people that should just not have children. There are plenty of regular old people I know that make me think twice about why they had kids. Granted there are many celebs that I scratch my head about too. Lots of parents just make plain old mistakes. I do think some celebs play up the “parent” role in the press though…to make themselves look great in the public. I do question motives sometimes. But, most just want to spend time with their children like any normal parent would…like attending their kids soccer game.

stephanie on April 26th, 2007

people who say that celebrities give their kids awful names should check out most baby naming boards and see the creative spelling regular folks give their kids.

“what’s your son’s name?”
“Meekhefqoel.”
“how do you pronounce it?”
“Michael.”

i’d rather have my parents name me Audio Science.

Clare King on April 26th, 2007

I think that post is a generalisation and you know what they say about generalisations. Having said that, I think Tom and Katie should have done more to stop paps and I think for the games at the beginning of this years they did and that is why we did not get so many pics of them. That does not make them bad parents. Both Connor and Bella seem like well adjusted kids and I can bet that if there hollywood kids who we will not see doing drugs, they are the cruise kids.

I do not believe that celebs as parents are any worse than any normal parent. The bad are just as bad as bad normal parents and the same goes for the good ones.

Though am still making up my mind about the welfare of the Jolie-Pitt kids. Don’t get me wrong, I think they are better off than they were in Orphans but too much publcity and exposure especially in such a controversial relationship cannot be good for them. Lately they also look very unhappy which is worrying. I pray they will be fine. No doubt their parents love them a lot.

PSB on April 26th, 2007

I think it’s a funny article and I agree with the poster who said celebs are narcissists and many of them don’t have enough energy to focus on people besides themselves—though obviously there are wonderful and dedicated parents out there like Jennifer/Ben and Toby & his wife.

As for Tom & Katie…sigh. I think they did ruin their kid’s game. I think they purposely used Connor’s games as photo ops to look like a happy family. It it were really about him, Tom would have gone alone occassionally and when Katie was there, they wouldn’t have held hands and cuddled throughout the games. They would have tried to draw less attention to themselves. Just my opinion!

Tessa on April 27th, 2007

If Paris Hilton has a baby the world may end.

pink.lioness on April 27th, 2007

tongue-in-cheek?
I don’t know. As much as I try, I can’t find that article ‘funny’. I imagine the author was probably drunk or just got dumped when he/she wrote this. And their IQ is probably about 20.
Please note that my comment is tongue-in-cheek.

BunsandChouChou on April 27th, 2007

Have you seen our comment on this whole affair? Ask the rabbits, kids. http://www.rabbitbites.com/archive/alecbaldwin.html