The hottest accessory for spring this year appears to be a baby. From new moms Katie Holmes (Baby Suri) and Brooke Shields (Baby Grier) to soon-to-be biological mom Angelina Jolie, Hollywood's obsession with celebrity motherhood shows no signs of ending anytime soon. Maternity clothes are getting chic-er, names are being scrutinized (shout-out to Nevaeh Sandoval), and exclusive post-baby workout plans are splashed across major magazines. Indeed, every day seems to bring news of another starlet and her brand-new, heavily- photographed little darling. And, of course, this being Hollywood, there's not an ugly baby in sight. Yet again, Hollywood is setting unreasonable expectations that none of us can hope to meet.
And with these high standards and overwhelming mommy-adoration comes scorn for those who do not seem to have memorized everything ever written by Dr. Spock -- or at least paid people to do it for them. In particular, the Queen of Oops -- Britney Spears -- has come in for her fair share of criticism and bad jokes. From driving a car with baby in the front seat to tripping on overlong jeans and almost dropping little Sean Preston, Britney and her lack of parenting chops just can't seem to get a break. It seems as if every celebrity magazine and blog has posted the infamous pictures of Sean's head lolling dangerously as Britney's bodyguard prevents her from taking a spill.
All this Britney bashing has triggered a backlash of course, especially with the undue attention given to her inadvertent trip. It is hard to be a mother, especially for the first time, and motherhood is probably not made any easier by constant surveillance. Indeed, the Associated Press reported Wednesday that on the Web site parenting.com, nearly 75 percent of over 10,000 respondents felt that the media was overdoing it with its portrayal of Britney Spears as a close cousin of Joan Crawford in "Mommie Dearest." After all, the girl is no Michael Jackson, and Sean Preston has been spared the treatment inflicted on the son Jackson affectionately nicknamed "Blanket."
Still, the attention given to Spears and her celebrity mother counterparts is interesting as an indicator of current social concerns. Motherhood is en vogue, but seemingly without the challenges everyday women face. Post-baby weight loss is the first major concern, after coming up with an appropriately absurd name of course. And, more importantly, celebrity moms seem to have no problem returning to work. While there are those mothers who do seem to genuinely place child-rearing above their careers, the majority seem to avoid the struggle between being a caring mother and having a career. In this sense, these women do an injustice to their everyday counterparts. Balancing career and family is a major concern for many women, both college-aged and beyond, yet these celebrities seem able to do so effortlessly.
And when they screw up, either dramatically, as Spears did, or by not fitting the culture's designated "mother" mold, they are roundly criticized. There is no gray area between being a good or bad mom, and there is no opportunity to make mistakes and learn. With the paparazzi there, it is easy to send the message that the perfect supermom is poised, knowledgeable and flawless, something that is patently impossible for women without access to airbrushing, gurus and screenplays. And none of these things seem to affect Hollywood Dads -- Crazy Tom Cruise notwithstanding.
Ultimately, Britney's parenting screw-ups can and should be seen as yet another sign of her slow descent from Teen Pop Queen to ordinary American with everyday problems, flaws and thighs. It is unfortunate, however, that her mistakes have been swept up by the Hollywood Mom craze, which highlights her problems and allows her no room to learn. While this is typical of celebrity, it is unfortunate that it could be adversely affecting contemporary thought about motherhood. Motherhood is on its way to becoming yet another arena where only the famous can excel. And that is something actually worth the outrage, screaming headlines and bad Britney jokes.
