Brad Pitt and adopted son, Maddox

No story to link to. Just a question that occurred to me when I saw that picture of Brad and son taken at a ball game. So here goes.

Is it fair for high profile celebs like Brad and Angie or Madonna and Guy or Tom and Katie or Michael Jackson who have photographers dogging them every second they are out of the house to have children who must endure this pressure? You know when they go to school, etc, they will be followed by the paparazzi. No chance for a normal life. Every move is watched and scrutinized. Can’t take a crap or get laid when older without it hitting a tabloid somewhere in the world. Take a look at the Bush twins, for example. The alternative is never allow the kids out of the house with the parent so the press never sees who they are. Sneak them out with nannies so they can go do whatever, but without mommy or daddy.

Should these level of celebs give up having children as they have their anonymity for the sake of the children? The parents sought and got fame and it’s negatives. The children have no choice. Which is more important, having children like everyone else or not having children who will be hounded as they are and possibly made crazy, spending their adult lives on a psychiatrist’s couch?

What do you think?



  1. Noam Sane says:

    Kind of silly, don’t you think? What are you going to do, hand them their Oscar and then neuter them? Take away their right to adopt?

    These kids will never have to work a day in their lives. I work two jobs.
    So it’s kind of hard for me to feel sorry for them.

    There are plenty of celebrity offspring living obscure lives.

  2. Jimmy B says:

    I think the real people who shouldn’t have children are the ones who cater to the type of media that stalks these celebs. These distracting celebrity fluff stories are actually mind fuel for a good chunk of this country – sad to say.

  3. artfreek101 says:

    What about the fact that (I’ll say) some of them want to live normal lives and it is the media and those who abandon dinner to watch ‘Extra’ are the ones who make their lives what they are.

    You can’t just put the blame on people who just want to have children.
    How about just leaving them alone?…Speaking for myself, who really cares what Brad Pitt does at a ballgame (as long as the Yanks keep on winning)?

    (I know…I know…too much too ask.)

  4. Mark Derail says:

    How about the fact that many of those photographers are scumbags?
    The execs that buy their pictures are even worse.

    It’s a wonder how John C Dvorak puts up with it.

    // I don’t condone violence, but, way to go Jude Law !!!

  5. Gary Marks says:

    Although celebrities should always be allowed to reproduce, they should definitely be restricted from finding partners outside the celebrity breeding pen. The sort of voluntary, self-regulation that already often takes place is certainly preferable, but stricter enforcement and penalties cannot be ruled out.

    With a little luck and a few million years, we could possibly develop a new “homo celebrien” species, highly adapted for film and television work.

  6. grog says:

    there’s always heated debate on who deserves to adopt children on this blog’s posts and comment trails

    every single person in the world who wants to adopt a child has some reason they should be denied, no one perfect

    but i am of the mind that if a family can provide the kind of love a child needs and can afford food, clothing, and shelter, and can pass a background check, then they should be allowed to adopt a child, period.

    i have seen many adoptive families in my life, and they’ve all done a good job raising fine kids.

    children need a safe, loving home more than anything else, many happy families are poor (mine was when i was a kid), and many happy families are rich (i’ve met many over the years)

    money can’t buy happiness, but that doesn’t mean it makes you sad

    branjolina’s kids will have all the money and connections they need to make a fine life for themselves, if you grow up rich and famous, i imagine you get used to it — i wouldn’t know, but i have met rich people and they may have different attitudes toward money than those without, but they’re the same as you and me — human.

  7. Uncle Dave says:

    #2: “When are you going to open the discussion on children with no health care and substandard schools?”

    Do it here, if you want.

  8. Sounds The Alarm says:

    And remember – spay and neuter your celebs!

  9. Misanthropic Scott says:

    Should High Profile Celebs Have Children?

    No.

    Should anyone have children?

    No.

    http://vhemt.org

  10. undissembled says:

    These kids are just going to be rich, spoiled, ungrateful brats who will have spent many hours on a doc’s couch whilst having their own rich, spoiled, ungrateful brats. The circle of Hollywood life. However, at some point they all have an intervention and everyone will love them.

  11. grog says:

    people hate celebrities out of jealousy

    #10 “You seem to overlook the fact that some of those celebs make a living by selling pics and pic opportunities from their kids”

    that’s true but check this out — i went to high school with a kid who’s now doing life for murder, he came from a good family in the same neighborhood as me — does that have anything to do with my fitness for fatherhood? clearly the answer is no.

    are you one of those people who dismiss an entire class of people for the actions of a few to make yourself feel superior?

  12. Peter says:

    There are too many situations that will make it hard for a child to be the offspring of his particular parents and celebrity is just one of them. It’s up to the parents to be able to preserve them the best they can. If they are caring and loving and make a good job at explaining this sick little world to their children, chances are, they will grow up ok.
    I still think that being born to assholes is much worse. And there are too many out there…

  13. andrew says:

    I dont think it is really celebrities that are the problem, so much as it is the people who desire all information on these people. I would imagine that privacy could be had, if it was really wanted.

    I notice (for example) that a superstar like Tom Hanks and his kids are not now nor ever were on the cover of every tabloid. So I think it is possible to be famous without being exploited.

    Really, I think certain celebrities constantly crave the attention and seek it out. Why else would Angelina Jolie make sure her sex life was open for discussion.

    If celebrities did not want to be constantly photographed they could find privacy.

  14. BubbaRay says:

    Tough call. Some celeb kids have turned out great, others not. Here’s one short MSNBC (biased IMHO) article about it – Top 10 Reasons Celebs Shouldn’t Have Kids:

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18294523/

  15. Angel H. Wong says:

    Reason #1 why Celebrities shouldn’t adopt kids: Nicole Ritchie.

  16. Axtell says:

    Uhm you want to remove the basic right of people to have children because they might grow up emotionally scarred because of the press covering their lives?

    Silly….every kid has a chance to be emotionally scarred.

  17. tikiloungelizard says:

    People who know their kids will be physically or mentally disabled still have them, so why not celebs having them? The royal family over in the U.K. knows their kids will go through this, but obviously that doesn’t and shouldn’t stop them. We all have our burdens to bear.

  18. Misanthropic Scott says:

    #18 – Axtell,

    How will we protect the rights of the unconceived to stay that way?

  19. w5cdt says:

    Celebs are entitled to have children like the rest of us.
    The question is: can they do a good job? Or are they going
    to produce another screwed-up kid and release them on society.

    We have enough rich, drug-ridden, spoiled punks in the universe already.

  20. joshua says:

    Everyone should stop having children. Adopt, and adopt again, use up the worlds supply of unwanted, or cast off children. Get sterlized, tubes tied, vasectomy’s, what ever it takes…….the goal….zero growth, eradication of the human virus.

    Some famous people seek the camera lights and some don’t…..some refuse to discuss their private life or allow their children to be photographed or seen in public. We live in a tabloid world(at least in the more developed world, the rest have bigger fish to fry….namely finding food and water to get through the day). people seem to feel that the fact they once bought a 10.00 movie ticket entitles them to know every detail of an actor’s life. The tabloids just cater to what the nosey public will buy.

  21. MikeN says:

    Having children is part of how they show off.

  22. Carcarius says:

    There is no easy answer here. The celebrity hounds out there, AKA stay at home moms or people w/o lives of there own, ought to find something else to care about.

    As far as I am concerned, if I saw Brad Pitt sitting next to me at a ball game I would say hello and then continue making a fool out of myself as I scream and curse for my team to win the game. In other words, I would act exactly the same if I was sitting next to a non-celebrity.

    There will be a backlash at some point, when people realize that celebrities are nothing special, just highly paid advertisements.

  23. ChrisMac says:

    short answer.. yes

    should people idolize celebs.. no

  24. Mister Mustard says:

    >>eradication of the human virus.

    Whoa. Looks like you may be ready for the psychiatrist’s couch right now. You need to deal with that self-loathing.

  25. Mr. Fusion says:

    #23, Mike,

    Having children is part of how they show off.

    So, I guess that is why your parents chose not to have any children.

  26. Ralph, the School Bus Driver says:

    #24, Carcius,

    if I saw Brad Pitt sitting next to me at a ball game I would say hello and then continue making a fool out of myself as I scream and curse for my team to win the game .

    What if it was someone like Brittany Spears sitting next to you with no undies? Would you be screaming and cursing for your team or at the congregating fly problem?

  27. KVolk says:

    Interesting idea about stopping someone from conceiving a child. That process would make 1984 seem idyllic.

  28. Carcarius says:

    #28 – That depends, Britney circa 2000, or current day Britney? Besides, the argument is still irrelevant because I would be distracted by any hot chick with no undies sitting next to me at a ballgame, Britney (circa 2000) or otherwise. 🙂

    My main point is that until human nature changes celebrity worship will always exist. Therefore celebrities and their non-celebrity, innocent children will be targets by papparazzi who make their living quelling the market demand for celebrity gossip and pictures.

    So, back to the real question, should celebrities be allowed to have children of their own or adopted? I can’t answer it, although it opens up a new market or new field of psychiatry devoted to the general mental welfare and health of children coping with their celebrity parents.

    Let’s face it, any perceived societal problems can be converted into a market and therefore a business opportunity. Let’s simply build a new business out of it and call it a day.

    C


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