Gwyneth is Better Than Us

Gwyneth is Better Than Us

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Mom•Logic's Andrea asks: Are we brainwashed to think celebrities are better mothers?

The press has once again breathlessly proclaimed a celebrity Mom will take a break from her career to concentrate full-time on motherhood. Said Gwyneth Paltrow at the Prince's Trust Awards in London, "I'm not doing another film until next [autumn]. Everything is about family, I'm putting movies on a backburner."

Can you just see her and hubby Coldplay frontman Chris Martin going over their household budget to see if they could make it on a single income? Neither can I. Yet, why is it when I first read Gwyn's quote I was impressed? I thought to myself. "Wow, she's so amazing, what an inspiration. If Gwyneth Paltrow can take time off to be with her kids so can I!

Then I snapped out of it.

WTF? I personally haven't looked at Gwen and Chris' bank statements, but I'm willing to bet they're not spending their nights clipping coupons. They'll sacrifice nothing from Gwyneth's transition from superstar to SAHM.

Yet those supermarket tabloids continue to fall all over themselves with admiration over anything, and I mean anything, a celeb-u-mom does, as if it's the last word on perfect mothering, with lines like: "Jennifer Garner goes to a public park with her kids!" "Reese Witherspoon walks her daughter to school!" "Heidi Klum wipes her son's mouth--WITH HER OWN NAPKIN!"

Don't celebrities get enough applause and accolades without getting praise for things we do every day? It sounds like I'm jealous, but I'm not (OK, maybe a little) but let's spend our time admiring that Mom friend who never eats out, never buys herself anything so she can just work part-time, or that couple where one works the dayshift, the other the night so they don't have to ship their kids off to daycare.

Think celebrities get too much praise for their mothering skills?
Know someone you know make huge sacrifices to be a SAHM? Tell us!

filed under: celebs & entertainment

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great article. but i think this retirement is code for “gwyneth cannot get hired”. how many times can you retire from acting when you’re 35? only americans. i mean no british actress would announce anything about her life/career. and i guess she thinks she works hard with a staff that includes nannies (plural), a cook, maid, personal shopper, lawn maintenance, laundry worker…and being on a set with catering and wardrobe and having to wait until you’re called onto the set for 5 minutes to do your 10 memorized lines while your nannies (plural) take care of your kids is pretty exhausting. i’m so relieved she can finally take a break. the reality is that she’s not getting hired since she was overhyped and its caught up with her and this is damage control she was advised to do by her publicist to explain her lack of presence in any movies.

- emmarose

Posted 03/24/08 03:01 PM

i am so sick of celebs getting praised-they have no idea. Does a CSAHM (celeb stay at home mom)mean they have someone doing their laundry and cooking their meals? OH WOW, you should win a F ing medal! Whatever.

- lisa

Posted 03/24/08 05:35 PM