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Real moms take on real issues

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The Secret Life of Celebrity Moms

Posted August 05, 2010
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Posted Thursday August 5, 2010 by Jackie Morgan MacDougall

What do J.Lo, Amanda Peet, Gisele Bundchen and countless other famous moms have in common? Sure, they all defy the law of post-baby gravity, miraculously getting their body back before they even leave the hospital, but they also share another increasingly common trait... they are secretly trained medical professionals and child development experts. Shhhhh!

Wait? That's not true?

Then I guess I'm baffled as to why these ladies feel compelled to use new motherhood as a soap box, stepping up to dish out advice on parenting, sometimes before the tummy tuck stitches are even out.

This week, it was supermodel Gisele Bundchen playing expert, voicing her opinion on breastfeeding to Harper's Bazaar UK. "Some people here (in the US) think they don't have to breastfeed, and I think 'Are you going to give chemical food to your child when they are so little?' I think there should be a worldwide law, in my opinion, that mothers should breastfeed their babies for six months."

Her comment ticked me off initially. Who is she to judge, making such a bold statement when she doesn't know each mom's personal circumstance? I mean, doesn't she and every other celebrity have a responsibility to think before speaking, knowing that their words can have an impact on others?

The short answer... NO.

Gisele is trained to pose for a camera. She's paid gazillions to make men fantasize about her and women want to be her. But new motherhood is no catwalk and you don't have to be a supermodel for it to turn you into an opinionated know-it-all. I remember my smug first couple of years. My husband and I knew exactly what we were doing and had no clue that soon, with a little experience and two more kids under our belt, we would be stripped of that self-righteous judgment, leaving us searching for camaraderie from other imperfect parents.

It's not that Gisele has an opinion that's so surprising, it's that anyone actually cares what she thinks. The Internet is abuzz with criticism, even forcing her publicist into overtime, pushing out an apology faster than you can say "pump and dump." But was anyone even a little interested in anything she had to say before she popped out a kid? While a sex tape can put a wannabe star on the map, it seems motherhood is the secret to being relevant in the media.

Celebrity moms sell and regular moms are often the ones buying. How else can you explain the endless paparazzi shots and "How I Got My Body Back" magazine covers, crediting their ripped abs to breastfeeding and "running after a toddler" (because daily workouts and a personal chef didn't help). Controversial comments are media gold, with magazine editors crossing their fingers every month that  J.Lo will make some bogus claim that she does it all without a nanny or a B-list actress will embark on an uneducated crusade.

But it's not just the stories that sell, it's also the never-ending, often-useless advice. If I see one more tip from Kelly Ripa, I will spontaneously combust. Here's a tip, Kelly... when you're making your kids' lunch, try a sandwich yourself.

And what happened to getting our advice from our own mothers, or even a dated sugar-coated pregnancy book? Now it's like why do we even go through the hassle of seeing the OB/Gyn at all when we could just get our pregnancy advice from '90s child star, Blossom's Mayim Bialik (seriously, who chose her for pregnancy advice)? We certainly could avoid the dermatologist co-pay and just turn to Carnie Wilson for her groundbreaking beauty tips like "wash and use moisturizer."

Hear that, President Obama, celebrity moms could be the answer to our health care crisis.


Jackie Morgan MacDougall is a TV-executive turned parenting blogger who lives a crazy life with her husband and three small kids. Her dreams of climbing the corporate ladder have been replaced by the dream of one day having a nap.

Related Articles on Family.com:

Why Moms Should Try Tweeting

Making Mother/Daughter Relationships Work

A Day in the Life of Teri Hatcher and the Team

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The Secret Life of Celebrity Moms

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