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• Do Celeb Moms Get a Worse Rap Than Celeb Dads?

  You know how all the news sources cover celebrity parenting like we'll just die if we don't know who held their baby over a pit of wild vipers and paparazzi and which celeb doesn't even know how to install a child safety seat? Well, when I saw this bit on how women celebs get more media focus for their antics than the dudes, I wondered if the same held true for celebrity parenting. After all, two of the examples given--Britney Spears and Heath Ledger--fit the parent bill as well. (And let me just say for the record that when the author of that bit says "It's time to bring some quality journalism attention to both sides of this equation and highlight these struggles before anyone else dies unexpectedly" I groan "Puhleeze". The media is gonna save lives by reporting early on the fact that so-and-so is depressed or a drug addict? Quick, get photos of him taking his anti-anxiety meds, before it's too late!) I'm usually the first person to... Read More... Posted Jan 28 2008, 04:31 PM by Kelly Mills with | with no comments Filed under: steve irwin, paparazzi, Britney Spears, michael jackson, celebrity parents, alec baldwin, sexism, David Hasselhoff, heath ledger, famous dads, stars, journalism, gender inequality, famous moms

• Are Celeb Parents Unfairly Criticized?

  Pierre posted about Steve Irwin's daughter Bindi carrying on his legacy. I think Mr. Croc Hunter was a perfect example of how celebs often get pilloried for their parenting. You might also remember that Irwin caught some serious flack for holding his infant while feeding a crocodile. But I wonder, does a public display of parenting affect how you view that famous person and/or their work? Does Alec Baldwin's horrific phone message to his daughter change how you feel about his performance on 30 Rock? It's not like we know much about celebrities past their public image, so the issue of whether you like or don't like someone as a person feels odd anyway. For me, it usually goes like this: if I think a celebrity is talented or funny or charismatic, public parenting mistakes don't influence my feeling about them that much. But if I already wasn't such a fan, I'll usually be the first in line to express outrage and horror for what they have done to their children (Britney! No seat belt, shame shame.) and take it as representative of everything that is awful about them. Its not really fair, but it's the truth.  In the case of Irwin, I just liked the guy. Here's a little video of him with Ross the Intern that shows everything good about him: light-hearted sense of humor and enthusiasm for what he did. I even miss him. Sniff.   Posted Jun 30 2007, 12:19 PM by Kelly Mills with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: steve irwin, celebrity parenting, celeblrities

• Terri Irwin On Life A Year After Steve's Death

  I wasn't a huge fan of Steve Irwin's crocodile hunting and wild animal escapades. He was over-the-top and camera ready at all times. But I admit that his passion for his work and his adoration of his wife and family were infectious and I am sure that this is why his millions of fans -- and even the rest of us -- were shocked when he died suddenly last year. It was one of those puzzling celebrity deaths that clearly came too soon. And Steve, who was always balancing his bravado with straight-talk on his knowledge about the animals he loved and the safety precautions he abided by, was essentially killed in active duty, speared by a stingray barb in the heart while filming a show. In the media attention surrounding Steve Irwin's death and widely-attended and viewed memorial service, I have become a fan of Terri Irwin. I've watched many interviews with her, where she has seemed very fragile underneath a stalwart determination to move on with life. She's been honest about the agony of losing the love of her life and the father of her children, Bindi now 8 years old and Robert now 3. And I greatly respected how openly she claimed her own pain, not just heartache for her kids. A year later, Terri is talking about the challenges of raising her children alone, about not getting a breather when she is at the end of her patience, about his legacy for affectionate cuddling that she's trying to carry out with her kids. She's talking about her insistence on never spending a night away from her kids so that they have a parent close and in the need and struggle for joy at the holidays. When I read her words, I feel like she doesn't sugar-coat what she and her kids are experiencing. In its honesty and its hearbreak, I'm sure she echoes what a lot of parents who have lost their partners in one way or another feel when she says, "I'm hopeful but I know it's going to be tough. I honestly don't think we will ever get over it — there’s still a part of me that thinks Steve will just open the door one day and walk right in — but we have to concentrate on the good times. That’s what Steve would have wanted."   Posted Jun 03 2007, 10:02 AM by Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: steve irwin, Terri Irwin, bindi and bob irwin, life after death of a spouse

• Bindi Irwin's New Show to Feature Her Dead Father Steve (Of Course it Will)

  Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin has been dead for six months, but he will live on in eight-year-old daughter Bindi's new Discovery Kids Channel television show Bindi, the Jungle Girl. Irwin will "appear" in various episodes.  The show revolves around Bindi teaching kids about wildlife from her treehouse with the help of her mom Terri and her dead father brought to life through the magic of television. It's no secret how we at Strollerderby feel about the way Terri Irwin is pimping out her young daughter under the guise that "she believe(s) in her father's mission to protect wildlife." She's eight-years-old, for fracks sake. Terri Irwin's priorities are so far out of whack it's mind-boggling, but this takes the cake. Are the Croc Hunter's segments going to be intro'd by Bindi saying, "Let's see what daddy thinks?" I mean, how do you plop a dead father into a kid show and not have it be creepy and disturbing, especially to Bindi.  But wait. There's more. The night before her show premieres, Bindi will be starring in an Animal Planet special called My Daddy the Croc Hunter where she will host the show and share photos, clips, and memories from her "childhood," as well as footage from one of Steve Irwin's last crocodile hunts. Riiiiiiight. Say hello to the next Britney Spears, folks.  Posted Mar 28 2007, 08:02 AM by Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: bindi irwin, steve irwin, toys, action figures, Terri Irwin, Crocodile Hunter, Bindi the Jungle Girl

• Steve Irwin Lives On as Action Figure

  Steve Irwin may be dead, but the Croc Hunter is soon to be reanimated as an action figure. Yes, all the little animal lovers out there who want to play "Stingray Attack!" (stingray and poisonous barb sold separately), can now whine to their parents for the Steve Irwin action figure due out next month. The khaki-clad doll has the blessing of Irwin's priorities-way-outta-whack widow ,Terri (of course), and exclaims, "Crikey!" and "Holy Guacamole!" Irwin recorded the phrases before his death. The doll is part of a 39-piece "Steve Irwin Wildlife Adventure Series" which includes plush toys and educational items. The line is being manufactured by K&M International. Read More... Posted Jan 23 2007, 09:04 AM by Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: bindi irwin, steve irwin, toys, action figures, Terri Irwin, Crocodile Hunter, Bindi the Jungle Girl

• Croc Hunter's Daughter Set To Become Celeb In Her Own Right

  Bindi Irwin, the 8 year old daughter of “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, is preparing to launch a major media blitz in support of her new show Bindi The Jungle Girl, airing on Discovery Kids. Little Bindi will appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Late Night With David Letterman, and is scheduled to address the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.  She will also join fellow Aussies The Wiggles on stage at their upcoming L.A. and New York shows.  Binidi’s promotional campaign coincides with the release of Ocean’s Deadliest, the documentary her dad was working on when he died. Together with his American wife Terri, Steve Irwin owned and operated the Austraila Zoo, in Queensland, which was originally owned and operated by his parents.  Irwin often spoke publicly about his wish for his children to carry on the family tradition of  wildlife conservation and education, as well as promoting Australian tourism.  One can venture to guess that Irwin would be proud of his little girl.   One can also venture to say that it is completely inappropriate for an 8 year old girl, who should be going to slumber parties, studying for spelling tests, and riding her bike, to shoulder the responsibility of being the new public face of her father’s foundation (Wildlife Warriors). One could also venture to guess that a small child, who has just lost her father in a violent accident, might be better off at home with her family, rather than flying all over the world promoting a T.V. show.  One could also maybe venture to speculate that perhaps it is unwise to groom a pre-prepubescent child to become an international celebrity and spokesperson.  But don't worry, folks, Bindi's manager - her manager, mind you - says "there's no pressure on (Bindi) to do anything at all." Oh, okay then.  Phew.  Posted Jan 10 2007, 07:29 AM by Alisyn with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: children, celebrity, entertainment, bindi irwin, steve irwin, parents

• Bindi Irwin PLUS The Wiggles? It's a Catastrophe Double-Header!

  It's comforting to know that, should a beloved children's host get taken out of commission, the capitalist machine will continue to exploit their image for profit. The latest gruesome news from New Kerala magazine in India is that Bindi Irwin, daughter of stingray'd conservationist Steve Irwin, will be teaming up with The Wiggles for shows in Los Angeles and New York City. Accompanying Bindi will be - ahem - "The Crocmen". It's bizarre and more than a little disturbing to see these two entertainment firestorms united by tragedy. The Wiggles, as every parent who hasn't just arrived from a 40-year-long Grateful Dead concert knows, recently replaced their ailing leader Greg Page. Known to most folks as "The Yellow Wiggle" - or, alternatively, "That dork I would laugh at if he weren't so fucking rich" - Page had to quit the group recently when doctors told him that he had orthostatic intolerance, a rare condition that prevents him from standing upright. (Egads.) I wish poor Bindi and the remaining Wiggles all the best in the world. May this tour make them even more rich than they are now. But if they think I'm taking my kids anywhere near this expensive double-feature, they've got another thing comin'. Yeah, sure, I still break out into a chorus of "Fruit Salad" every now and then. But thankfully? I'm glad that my kids are over this shit. In the Zero household, we've skipped over those pesky intermediate shows, jumping straight from The Wiggles to Futurama. As I write, all my kids are watching the episode where the evil robotic Santa Claus tries to murder Fry and Leela. Don't let anyone say I don't know from culture.  Posted Dec 11 2006, 10:33 AM by thezeroboss with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: children, kids, celebrity, entertainment, bindi irwin, the wiggles, steve irwin