Celebrity Gossip /By Liz Smith
Don’t blame it on Jolie
Are you all Angelina-ed out? Especially now with the infamous “Octo-mom,” her brood of 14, and her suspiciously plush, Jolie-esque lips?
Eh, don’t be like that. It’s not Miss Jolie’s fault. Blame the culture of reality TV and cable news. Once upon a time women simply wanted to look like their favorite stars. Now they want to be just as fertile and/or maternal.
Jolie and Brad Pitt’s twins, Knox and Vivienne, are 7 months old. Brad and Angie are determined that Knox and Viv develop individual personalities, and come to be treated as separate entities, not as “the twins.” It helps that Knox is a boy and Viv a girl, so there can’t be a lot of dressing alike (although I’ve seen that!) but the famous mom and dad want all their children—six, so far—to feel distinctive and special. Be cynical if you like, but I feel that Jolie and Pitt are genuine in their parenting and also their world concerns. Or would you rather see them arguing in nightclubs, all dressed up?
•••
Speaking of Octo-mom, the fallout from Nadya Suleman’s multiple births has been severe. Criticism from her own mother. Death threats against her and her publicist, who has since quit. (Miss Suleman now has an agent, who appears to be made of sterner stuff.) Cable TV talking heads are screaming for her children to be taken from her. Oh, dear.
Miss Suleman does appear to be somewhat clarity-challenged, and a classic narcissist but this is still America, not yet a gulag or dictatorship. I say all these concerned bloviating cable-ready millionaires should pitch in financially, make sure all the kids are well cared for. Broker a deal with Nadya—your children will be tended to, and stay with you, but you must never appear on television or give another interview. Sign here. Remember, just one word to any of the ladies of “The View” and your money gets yanked. Perhaps some would see that as rewarding irresponsible behavior, but the children would be assured proper care. That’s what all these red-faced men, screaming for the infants to be taken away and given up for adoption, want— right?
Oh, and nerves are strained among producers who put out reality shows with a gazillion kids— “Jon&Kate Plus 8” and “18 Kids and Counting.” The octuplet debacle has opened a floodgate of criticism about the propagation of enormous families and having cameras shoved in the faces of hapless children, 24/7.
It doesn’t help that the parents on both these shows are less than sympathetic—Kate Gosselin of “Jon&Kate” gives new meaning to “tough cookie”! (Jon, a doughy sad-sack, appears ready to hit the road.) Although one does worry over poor Mrs. Duggar, mother of 18, and counting. No matter what her religion or her husband says, I bet she’d like to stop. And I feel sorry for the older Duggar children, parenting the young ones—is anybody having a normal growing-up here?
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Reader comments
Learn more about our moderation system.