Strollerderby : Celebrities

Morning News - California Supreme Court Upholds Prop 8

Brett Singer — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

In a move that surprised many, the California State Supreme Court upheld Proposition on Tuesday. BUT they let existing marriages stand. Which seems odd to me. How can you have it both ways? I think it's beacuse the ruling doesn't mean the court believes that Prop. 8 is correct, at least as far as I can tell. "The 6-1 decision upholding Prop. 8 was issued by the same court that declared a year ago that a state law defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman violated the right to choose one's spouse and discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation," says the San Francisco Chronicle. So the voters voted for it, and while it may be wrong, that's the law of the land. If I've got that wrong, I'm sure someone will let me know. (Be kind. I'm a New Yorker and we're very fragile.)

Now, the story that I know everyone was waiting for. An Alaskan man won the 2009 World Beard and Moustache Championships. This happened on Saturday, but the news only just made it to CNN. That's because it is VERY VERY IMPORTANT news. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin had no comment.

In the tech sector, Palm continues to botch the launch of the Palm Pre. Wired reports on a leaked document that actually includes the phrase "We Can’t Afford to Sell the Pre to the Wrong Customers." Even if there's a logic behind that statement, it's terrible PR. Add that to the fact that it appears that there won't be many Pres to be had when the phone is available for sale on June 6th, and Palm may have done Blackberry a huge favor.

President Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court yesterday. She would be the first Hispanic woman to serve as a Supreme. Here's a sentence from Yahoo! News: "The White House tableau itself was history: A black president and his white vice president, Joe Biden, striding onto a stage in the ornate East Room with the nominee who grew up in a New York housing project where her parents had moved from Puerto Rico." Which is great, but I guess we should also know what her views on various issues are. Republicans will likely be fighting her appointment, but some say that Sotomayor isn't a great target for attack.

In entertainment news (and I use the words "entertainment" and "news" loosely here) a lot of TV critics served up some hate for the season premiere of "Jon & Kate Plus 8". Somewhat amusingly, said critics seem to have suddenly noticed that it's hypocritical to compain about paparazzi when you put your offspring on television for money. Guess what people? Putting her kids on TV wasn't any more wrong before all of the hoo-ha about her marriage to Jon became massive tabloid fodder. Also hatin' on Kate is her sister-in-law Julie, who urged "viewers not to watch" the premiere. And so it goes.

Finally, loudmouthed Brit Lily Allen says that Susan Boyle isn't all that. Allen tweeted: "I thought her timing was off on Britains Got Talent on Sunday - no control, and I don't think she has an amazing voice. She can sing, but it's not about talent with her, is it?" Zzzzzz... Oh! Sorry. Just nodded off there for a moment. I'm back. (You can see Susan Boyle's performance for yourself here, if you are so inclined. You can see Lily Allen on her MySpace page. If you really want to.)

Image: CNN

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Morning News - Farrah Fawcett Hopeful

Brett Singer — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Before I say anything else, I should point out that I didn't really get hit by lightning yesterday. In case you were worried.

The Twitter feed Haiku Headlines isn't exactly news, but it is ABOUT the news, and is kind of clever so I thought I'd share it with you. Not every haiku on the feed is brilliant, but I like the idea. One of my first tweets was a haiku; this was a long time ago, and I predicted Twitter wouldn't succeed -- smart! There is now a "movement" of haiku on Twitter, with some actually calling them "Twaiku". Anyone else have trouble saying "tweeting" without grimacing?

Farrah Fawcett is very sick and it seems likely that she will soon no longer be with us. It's sad when anyone dies from cancer, of course. With her, it's not any more sad, but it does seem vaguely surreal since when I was young she was the best looking woman on the planet in a way that couldn't happen in today's more crowded media landscape. She told the L.A. Times back in August that she was hoping to recover and that she was less than pleased to see details of her illness leaked. "It seems that there are areas that should be off-limits," she said. Hard to disagree.

Reverend Run's son was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana. Jojo Simmons panicked, tried to escape the police, and "once his escape efforts failed, the MTV reality star got out of his car and tried to fight the officers." That's not good.

Look kids! An electric motorcycle! (I'm still waiting for a flying car.)

Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal (I like to call him Darth Murdoch, or Rupert Vader) has a new survival plan. "A sophisticated micropayments service" for individual articles. The struggling daily newspaper ("struggling" pretty much describes every newspaper these days, doesn't it?) will also try to gain ground in the local news market online. Senator John Kerry "told the Financial Times it was conceivable that publishers could be given limited exemption from antitrust laws to discuss online models." Um, hang on. Does that mean even less competition? Oy.

And CNN tells us that "Fish, olive oil, nuts good for eyes too" according to studies published in the Archives of Ophthalmology. See, I eat olive oil and I still have glasses. Obviously this study is wrong. (Note: that statement is not only foolish, it has no basis in fact. But hey, why should I be any different from a certain major news channel?)

Happy Tuesday, everyone.

Image: Amazon

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Poll - Portia and Ellen Most Trusted Moms

Brett Singer — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:30:00 GMT

ParentDish did a Mother's Day poll. Over 10,000 people voted. (For an Internet poll, that's a lot, trust me. Or as Paris Hilton might say, "huge.")

The first question on the poll was the following: "Which celebrity would you most feel comfortable leaving your kids with?"

You know who won? Drum roll, please...

With 31%, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi took the top spot. Rounding out the list were Jennifer Aniston (22%), Rachel Ray (20%), Angelina and Brad (18%) and coming in last was Oprah Winfrey with 9%.

The results are interesting. I probably would have put Rachel Ray first, and Ellen and Portia second. (Carrie Prejean, methinks, would put Ellen and Portia dead last.) Putting Jennifer ahead of Angie and Brad seems odd, but I guess that's the way the celebrity winds are blowing this week.

Obviously the fact that the top choice was a same-sex couple is worth mentioning. Or is it? Have a majority of us progressed past the point where we care what sort of family we would leave our kids with? (In theory of course -- as far as I know, none of the famous folks in this poll are offering babysitting services.)

Out of this group, who would you leave your kids with? Would the sexual orientation of the parents factor in to your decision?

Source: ParentDish

image: Daily News

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George Harrison Faked Beatles Signatures for Sick Kid

JeanneSager — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:36:00 GMT

How far would you go for a dying child?

The late great George Harrison apparently figured a child's happiness meant a lot more than some silly authentification process. Handwriting experts have proven Harrison forged the signatures of his fellow Beatles on a photo in the late 1960s.

The picture was for Ann Bartlett, a dying teenager. The story has just come out as Ann's father, Harry, donated the picture to a charity auction to benefit leukemia research. Even with the knowledge that John, Paul and Ringo weren't really signators, the photo, plus another personalized pic of Harrison himself that read "Ann, Hope you will be out of hospital soon, love from George Harrison, XXX" still sold for 1,300 pounds to an anonymous bidder.

Considering Harrison died of cancer himself, this story is nothing if not bittersweet. But Beatles fan or not, can you really be mad at the guy? He wanted to make a sick child happy, and there was no harm done here. In the end, it even helped a cause near and dear to the Bartletts' heart.

When it comes to making a terminally ill child happy, is it OK to cheat a little?

Image: Daily Mail

Possible Father of Malawian Orphan Opposes Madonna Adoption

Brett Singer — Sun, 03 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT

James Kambewa might be the father of Chifundo "Mercy" James, the girl that Madonna wants to adopt. And he's decided that he can take care of her. He feels that his little girl should be "raised as a Malawian", according to BBC News. So Madonna should step off.

I say "might" because it's not clear that the man is, in fact, Mercy's dad. In an interview with 'The Early Show' on CBS, he said that "he wore a necklace bearing his daughter's name around his neck, even though he had never seen her in person." He said that he wants "to take care of her, and I'm capable to take care of my baby." A big question, of course, is why Mercy was in an orphanage if she had a parent "capable" of raising her.

The whole thing is getting somewhat silly. Personally, I think Madonna should be able to adopt Mercy James, because that would mean a much better life for the girl. A court ruled that the adoption wasn't legal (Madonna's appeal will be heard on Monday), but if that's true, how was she able to adopt David Banda?

I'm not going to get into a debate about Malawian legal matters. I just think that it would be too bad if this little girl is forced to live in an orphanage when she could have moved into the lap of luxury. Especially if the only reason her dad came forward is because there were TV cameras around.

Source: BBC

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Tina Fey Sesame Street Episode On DVD

Brett Singer — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:30:00 GMT

It's a good thing Tina Fey seems so nice. Because otherwise people would have to hate her.

Consider: amazing career. Attractive. Insanely talented. Genuinely funny. And able to do an episode of Sesame Street with panache.

Of the few famous or semi-famous folks that I know, those who have appeared on Sesame Street list that as one of their top credentials. Even Gilbert Gottfried sounded excited about his episode, writing on his blog, "for the first time in my career, I can tell you how to get to Sesame Street!" The rest of the paragraph reads as follows: "You drive downtown during rush hour, go over the bridge, circle a few blocks without signs, park in an over priced garage and walk 11 blocks to the studio. Funny how they don’t mention that in the song." Hey, I wouldn't expect the guy to become warm and cuddly because of one encounter with Big Bird. (For many other great Sesame Street moments, including Robert DeNiro's brilliant impersonation of a cabbage, check out The Babble List: The 50 Best Sesame Street Moments.)

Tina played the leader of the Bookaneers, the pirates who love reading. Notwithstanding the fact that pirates aren't as much fun these days as they used to be, the episode was amusing and Tina (I imagine that she'd let me call her Tina, were we to meet someday) seemed to be very much into her role. It's no Sarah Palin impression, but it's still good. (Actually, Tina Fey doing her Sarah Palin impression on Sesame Street -- that I'd like to see.)

Sesame Street: Elmo and the Bookaneers will be released on DVD on April 21, 2009. List price is $14.93 but Amazon has it for $9.99. Such a deal! I haven't seen the DVD, just the segment with Tina Fey when it aired on regular TV. That's full disclosure, folks.

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Does Madonna Spank Her Kids?

Brett Singer — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:00:00 GMT

Somewhat buried in the news about Madonna's adopted son David Banda meeting up with his biological father in Malawi was this little tidbit (this is David's dad Yohane talking about his chat with David):

He told me his mum likes riding horses and that he too rides horses. Then he told me a story when one day he and his brother, Rocco, rode horses and fell. He told me his mum spanked him because they are not supposed to ride horses on their own. (Emphasis added)

Whoa, Nellie! Hang on a minute. Madonna spanked him?

Well, maybe. When I first saw this, Shannon pointed out that sometimes little kids exaggerate. I've never hit either of my children but my oldest once informed someone that I had. Somewhat out of the blue, I might add. Luckily it was a person who was inclined to take my word for it (a relative). But if it had been a teacher, I don't know how that would have gone over.

Still, it's interesting to think about. Do you think Madonna spanks her kids? Or maybe she has the nanny do it? Or is David just a little kid exaggerating?

Source: PerezHilton

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Madonna Adoption Denied, Appeal Filed

Brett Singer — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 14:00:00 GMT

A Malawi court ruled on Friday that Madonna could not adopt 4-year-old Mercy James because she had not been a resident of the country for 18 months.

As my son sometimes says, "I didn't see that coming."

Why do I say that? Well, here's the thing. She already adopted a kid from Malawi. David Banda. Remember him? Cute kid, rides horses, visited his hometown with Madge so he could hang with his biological dad?

According to the Telegraph, the rule about adoptive parents being residents of Malawai for 18-24 months was waived back in 2006 to allow Madge to adopt David. Now a local judge is concerned about setting a "dangerous precedent" if she is allowed to adopt again.

Except that the precedent was already set! You let her do it before! When you train puppies, or discipline children, you try to be consistent. I know that's an oversimplification, but isn't it silly to talk about "dangerous precedents" when you already did the thing that you now say you are worried about?

That could be why Madonna has decided to appeal the ruling. I don't know much about the law, and I know even less about Malawian legal issues (to be fair, I probably know more about brain surgery than I do about Malawian legal issues), but it seems to me that she's got a pretty good case. Because they let her adopt David Banda in 2006. Did I mention that?

It's possible that the adoption was denied because of Madonna's recent divorce from Guy Ritchie. The Telegraph quotes a government official as saying that, "Our official policy is that we do not encourage our children to be sent into broken homes." Because being raised by a single parent is clearly much worse than living in an orphanage. Never mind the fact that this particular single parent is wealthier than most of the people on the planet. And while I agree in general with human rights groups who have been saying that "whisking a single child off to a fairytale lifestyle in Hollywood" is not the answer to the world's problems, it's also not the worst thing that could happen to a kid from an impoverished country. (It's also worth noting that Madonna lives in England, not Hollywood. But whatever.)

I should point out that this is not, in my opinion, a major issue in our world today. But everything Madonna does is news, and while I don't care much about her music (or her movies, which, except for "Desperately Seeking Susan" are considerable unwatchable), I have to give her credit for commanding attention with every move she makes. I'll also give her props for starting a charity, Raising Malawi, to help other orphans in Malawi. According to the Telegraph, "She has already built a multi-purpose community centre at Mphandula village, 30 miles from Lilongwe, which looks after more than 8,000 orphans from scores of villages in the area." That's a lot of kids. So, in the language of her adopted British homeland, good on ya, mate. (Or something like that.) Of course, as Shannon pointed out, it's fine for Angelina Jolie to adopt a kid every other week, but Madonna we have a problem with. That's another topic, but one worth mentioning.

What do you think? Should Madonna be allowed to adopt Mercy James?

Source: Telegraph

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Did Sarah Palin Know That Bristol Was Sleeping With Levi?

Brett Singer — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 22:07:00 GMT

In an interview with Tyra Banks that will air on Monday, Levi Johnston says that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin "probably knew" that he was having sex with her daughter Bristol. Levi also tells Tyra that Mama Palin allowed the young lovers to sleep in the same bed at her home.

Well. As the Church Lady might say, isn't that special.

It's all well and good to scream and holler about how "the media" should "leave these kids alone," as Angie Harmon recently did on Fox News. But someone needs to tell these kids to stop doing so many interviews. I mean, Tyra? Really Levi? Why? If the reason is "because they asked," someone needs to point out to the young hockey player that "no thanks" is an acceptable reply.

Over at ParentDish, Susan Wagner writes that Bristol and Levi "clearly they haven't been getting very good guidance from the adults in their lives. It's our job as parents to help our teens mature into responsible people, and sometimes that means saying no -- to sex and to interviews." Funny how the advice from "the media" can be better than whatever these two seem to be getting from their own parents.

Source: US Magazine via AOL ParentDish

Image: FameCrawler

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Morning News - The Obama Bracket

Brett Singer — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Monday Monday… Can't trust that day…

Actually, you kind of can trust Monday. It's fairly reliable in that it always comes after Sunday. I don't think that's what Mama Cass and Co. were talking about, but then again, it was the 60's, so who knows?

Anyone make an NCAA bracket? I did. I know nothing about college basketball, and my picks are proving it, especially in the Midwest Conference. At least there's no money at stake for me. President Obama made one, which is being resoundingly mocked by many. Some were upset that he even took the time to make his picks, which is hilarious if you consider the amount of vacation time that former President Bush took while in office. (I know, it's a cliché, but it happens to be true.) Taking a few minutes to fill out a bracket is a pleasant distraction from the day's events for everyone, Leaders of the Free World included. If people want to complain about Obama's policies, fine, but his bracket? Let it go.

Damn those blasphemy laws -- a Pennsylvania man tried to register a limited liability company called I Choose Hell Productions, LLC but was told he had to pick another name because PA has an anti-blasphemy law on the books preventing such things. The laws were common the 19th century, but this one was enacted in 1977 when someone tried to register God Damn Gun Shop. The ACLU is suing the state. Heh heh. God Damn Gun Shop... (NYT)

A revival of "West Side Story" opened on Broadway with some of the songs translated into Spanish. Interesting idea but I can't imagine that makes the songs better. Frank Scheck of the Hollywood Reporter saw the show and agrees, as did many other critics. (Note: I haven't seen this production. I'll probably stick with the movie.)

The post office is in trouble. They lost almost 400 million dollars last quarter and are offering early retirement to 150,000 employees, in addition to staff cutbacks and location closures. Not enough people mailing letters I guess.

Susan MacDougal (remember her?) can't have the transcript of her own testimony in the Whitewater trial. She was hoping to use it for a novel or screenplay. Whitewater looks pretty damn tame compared to all the nonsense going on these days.

Some governors, including Nevada's Jim Gibbons, are turning down federal money to beef up their unemployment funds because they don't like the 'strings' that are attached. The thing is, those strings disappear when the federal cash runs out. (This according to a New York Times editorial.) Nevada will run out of unemployment money by the end of the year if they don't take the government cheese. (Nose, you don't mind if I cut you off to spite my face, do you? Cool, thanks.) You can't play games like this when people are out of work. And unemployment money gets taken out of your check every week for a reason. You get it back if you're unemployed. Hence the name. So it's not unreasonable for people to expect to receive that money if they lose their jobs. In other Republican Governor news, Alaska's Sarah Palin (perhaps you've heard of her?) is only accepting Federal money for projects that are truly "shovel ready." Alaska Democrats are not happy, saying that she is playing politics with state residents. There's definitely a shovel needed for what's coming out of the mouths of both Republicans and Democrats these days, but it's not the kind you use to fix roads.

Eliot Spitzer is talking smack about Andrew Cuomo. Hey! Here's an idea, Spitzy. Shut up. You have no credibility anymore. Sorry. You screwed up. Apologize and go away. Although maybe you can blog for Huffington Post like Gary "Monkey Business" Hart. ("G'head! Follow me! You won't find anything! Wait, you thought I meant that? I was only kidding! Aw, crap…")

Responding to Sheri's comment: I hadn't heard about what the President said on TV, so I looked it up. Seems that while being interviewed by Jay Leno on the Tonight Show, President Obama said of his bowling skills, "It's like the Special Olympics or something." He apologized to the President of the Special Olympics before the show aired. Comments at ABC News' web site range from "who cares?" to "see? I told you he was an idiot." (I'm paraphrasing.) I can't say I agree with those who say that this is somehow on the same scale as other "gaffes" spoken by Republican politicians, or even "gaffes" from Democrats. Personally, I think the President is a little bit too much of a regular guy, at least in the way that he sometimes speaks in public. It was a dumb joke but hardly the worst thing ever. He also invited Special Olympians to the White House to do some bowling. There's one Special Olympic bowler who has three perfect games to his credit, so maybe he can give the Prez some pointers. By the way, Sarah Palin weighed in on the President's comments, because she's not all about politics like some politicians. This issue really effects Alaska, hence her very public reaction. Also: the President of the Special Olympics is Tim Shriver, Maria's brother, and therefore Ah-nuld's brother-in-law. That has nothing to do with anything except that I think it would be fun to have Arnold Schwarzenegger as your brother-in-law. The Governator, by the way, supports Obama's stimulus plan.

Tuesday, Tuesday… I trust that day… Nah, doesn't have the same ring to it. I guess John Phillips knew what he was talking about. See you tomorrow.

Image: WhiteHouse.gov via Washington Post

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Morning News - iPhone Gets Feature Other Phones Already Have

Brett Singer — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Updating yesterday's Natasha Richardson story: an autopsy reveals that she died of bleeding in the brain and "she might have survived had she received immediate treatment." The thing is, people with this sort of injury typically feel fine at first. So sad.

NBC is launching a show to compete with "American Idol." Simon Cowell probably thinks this is a "horrible" idea. ("Horrible" is one of the words he uses a lot, right?) On "Idol", Alexis Grace went home. She was shocked. Shocked. Why are they always so surprised? I guess you have think you're a major talent to get on TV and sing like that but just once it'd be fun to hear someone say, "Yeah, I suck. It was only a matter of time before I got the boot."

Why is Steve Wozniak on "Dancing With The Stars"? Based on this quote from his website, I guess the reason is because people said he wouldn't be able to do it. I wonder if Apple fans will keep voting for him the way football fans did with Jerry Rice. Woz has definitely been keeping in touch with his audience, accusing "Dancing" producers of rigging the voting in order to goose the ratings, then apologizing, all via his Facebook page. If this keeps up, I might actually have to watch the show.

Speaking of Apple, the new iPhone software will include bleeding edge features like the copying and pasting of text. What's that, your phone has been able to do that for years? Mine too. The iPhone is nifty but certain omitted features prove that Steve Jobs could probably sell water to a drowning Apple fan if it had that logo on it. (Personally, until the iPhone has an actual keyboard, I won't even consider buying one.)

Financial news update: stocks tanked and it wasn't CNBC's fault. Are you happy, Jeff Zucker?

Austrian monster dad Josef Fritzl was sentenced to life in a psych hospital. Life in prison would be better, but even though he could be paroled in 15 years, it's not likely to happen. The speed of the trial was kind of impressive; in the U.S., these things seem to take a lot longer. I'm sure there's a reason for that but I don't know what it is.

And finally, there were a heck of a lot of babies born in 2007. Madeline points out that it wasn't Octomom's fault -- "she only gave birth to one baby that year."

That's all for now. Have a great weekend and we'll see you on Monday.

Image: Woz.org

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Steve Martin Funds Banned High School Production of his Play

Brett Singer — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 03:40:00 GMT

I always liked Steve Martin. One of my first R-rated movies was "The Jerk," and I listened to his comedy albums "Comedy Is Not Pretty" and "A Wild and Crazy Guy" over and over again. (Two words - cat juggling.)

More recently, Steve (he lets me call him Steve - well, we've never met, but I think he'd let me call him Steve. Maybe.) has written a few plays, including "Picasso at the Lapin Agile", which ran Off-Broadway for awhile and has since had many productions around the world. Students at LaGrande High School in Oregon were rehearsing the play when 137 people signed a petition protesting the show. In a bold move, the school stopped the rehearsals.

So Steve (for now, I'll just call him Steve, OK?) offered to pay for a production off campus, far from the reach of the long arm of the educational law.

What was the perceived problem with the show? It features "people drinking in bars, and treating women as sex objects." Now, far be it from me to tell a local high school what they should and should not allow on their stages. But any Shakespearean tragedy features murder. Does that mean it can't be performed? How about the perennial high school musical favorite "The Pajama Game"? Unions. And we all know that "union" is code for "communism."

Steve wrote a letter to the local paper defending his work.

"Because of the controversy, I recently reread the play, and, frankly, I could understand how some parents might object to certain lines if they were to be delivered by a 16- or 17-year-old. Yet I do believe that the spirit of the play and its endorsement of the arts and sciences are appropriate for young eyes and minds.
"So while the question of whether students should perform the play at their high school remains something to be determined by the community, I firmly believe that seeing the play will bring no harm to them and might well uplift them — and acting in the play, if they are permitted by their parents, would also bring them no harm, and may help them to understand the potency, power and beauty of the arts and sciences."

The fact that he decided to go the extra mile and go all "Hamlet 2" and rent a theater off campus is kind of amazing. On the one hand, why should he care? On the other hand, if he believes in freedom of expression, why not put his money where his mouth is?

I bet the students are pretty excited. I know I would be.

Source: The Onion AV Club

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Oprah Gets It Right On Chris Brown

Brett Singer — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 22:00:00 GMT

My mother and I sometimes disagree (shocking, I know) and occasionally we argue about Oprah. (Not a lot -- don't worry, we're not obsessed or anything. We have far more important things to fight about.) She'll tell me that Oprah said this or that, and oh, isn't it wonderful, and I'll say, feh, Oprah, she's not so great, she's responsible for unleashing Dr. Phil on the world. So when mom told me that the Gayle King's best friend was doing a show about the Chris Brown and Rihanna situation, I was skeptical. Too many celebrities have been talking about the incident and not saying the right things.

For example: Sean Combs (aka Diddy or whatever the hell he calls himself these days) kind of missed the point when he told Ellen DeGeneres, "I don’t think it’s right for anybody to hit anybody…. We know sometimes relationships get ugly (but) we don’t know exactly what’s going on (in this one). It isn't right for him to put his hands on her or her to put his hands on him" -- which to me implies that somehow if Rihanna had slapped Chris, it would be OK if Brown gave her a black eye. Which it isn't. Ellen, for her part, gets it right when she says that she doesn't want any girl to think that "it's OK to go back to a guy that hit her," although she says it in a very wishy-washy manner ("I don't want to judge" anyone, that sort of thing) and lets Diddy to the hook too easily ("I want to dance!"). Yes, her show isn't exactly "60 Minutes," but this also isn't a fluffy issue. If you're going to bring it up, you should be clear how you feel, and if possible get the last word. (Here's a clip if you missed it, which would be understandable. I never watch that show.)

Back to Oprah. I didn't watch the whole segment (hey, I'm busy) but I feel confident that the tone she took with was the correct one based on this quote:

"Love doesn't hurt. And if a man hits you once, he will hit you again."

See, it really is that simple. I understand that the charges against Brown are pending, and as Diddy so brilliantly points out, none of us were in the car with the young couple when the incident occurred. But Brown has shown no remorse at all. More disturbing is the way that many of Brown's peers are defending him, and that anyone thinks his alleged actions are OK. Grammy-winning Rapper T.I. said on Carson Daly's talk show that he told Brown "this too shall pass." He went back on that statement, perhaps when he realized that Daly's show is actually broadcast on television, which is a mistake I can understand. And Usher backtracked on his earlier statement that Brown should "have a little bit of remorse" about what happened, and not hit the jet skis at Diddy's house. (Good thing he apologized -- that's crazy talk!)

Brown dropped out of the Kids' Choice Awards, which was a good PR move, but it's also somewhat irrelevant, since his statement just said something about it being difficult to "focus on the music" with all of this other stuff going on. Oprah used my line (OK, other people said it too) and called this a great "teaching moment." Problem is, I'm not so sure that the right lesson is being taught. It's important to everyone, but especially important to parents, since many of our kids are still young enough to not have formed opinions about this issue yet. (Some of those kids, though, are much smarter than our celebrities, which is always nice to see.)

For me this is a simple issue. While legally what Brown did falls into the category of "allegedly," he hasn't denied it, and in fact has basically admitted that he beat up Rihanna. Rihanna got back together with him and decided not to press charges. Anyone who says anything about this issue in public needs to be very clear because many of Brown's fans are young and for better or worse they sometimes take their cue from celebrities. Hitting your girlfriend is wrong. If your boyfriend hits you, leave. Why is that so hard?

Source: Oprah.com

Image from here

UPDATE: Chris Brown's Skipping the Kid's Choice Awards

Soldier Gives Birth At Army Barracks

Heath Ledger's Daughter Gets His Oscar

The Dr. Phil And OctoMom Show

Teens Talk Back to the Media on Dating Violence

Grieving a Lost Pregnancy? Sorry, We'd Like a Drug Test

Why Teens Are Quick to Blame Rihanna

UPDATE: Chris Brown's Skipping the Kid's Choice Awards

JeanneSager — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 22:01:00 GMT

As I previously reported, Chris Brown has been lobbying kids to vote for him in the upcoming Kids' Choice Awards on Nickelodeon. The TV channel has ignored some five thousand parent signatures on a petition asking for his removal from the process.

But someone's listening - Chris Brown says he'll skip the Kids' Choice Awards. Finally, one RIGHT choice for a guy who has made some pretty major mistakes recently - as you can see by the original post (BELOW).

I've always thought that celebrities are put on too high a pedestal where kids are concerned. They're human, just like the rest of us.

But the Kids' Choice Awards have put parents in a particularly tight spot this year - Chris Brown is up for an award, and he's lobbying hard for kids to cast their votes.

In a post put up on Brown's Myspace page on Thursday, Brown asks kids to vote for him as Favorite Male Singer and Favorite Song, providing direct links to the Kids' Choice voting site where they can do so.

Yes, this is the same Chris Brown accused of beating girlfriend Rihanna to a pulp before the Grammy's. What's more - he's up against her in the Kids' Choice Favorite Song category, which pits his "Kiss, Kiss" featuring T-Pain against Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music" as well as Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" (which is a whole OTHER post right there) and "Single Ladies" by Beyonce.

In general, the Kids' Choice Awards, a Nickelodeon invention spun off of their 1986 Big Ballot vote, are pretty harmless. It lets kids feel involved. But let's face it, the kids are not always weighing in on kid-friendly fare (hello "I Kissed a Girl" - about sexual experimentation). And after years of trying to make celebrities who don't have the shiniest of pasts into child role models, the awards force the issue. You will be in front of kids, so you better shape up.

Chris Brown only highlights that it doesn't work that way, and it never has. He's hardly the first to fall down on the "role model job." Whitney Houston hosted twice in the 1990s, the first Kids' Choice host to take the job two separate times. Talented singer, no doubt. But would you want your kids looking up to a reported crack addict?

Musicians, actors, athletes are regular people. Regular people with talent. That doesn't make them good people. There are thousands of stars worthy of your kids' adulation, but it isn't because they've been catapulted to stardom. It's their hearts, their good deeds outside of the limelight as much as in.

Unfortunately, we've put these celebrities front and center for our kids. Chris Brown is there, and there's no escaping either the pull of his music or the disgusting example of domestic violence. What are parents going to do now?

Image: Mix Matters

Celebrity Images Do New Moms No Good

Amy Kuras — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:01:00 GMT

There is no question that the standards women are held to are absolutely ridiculous, and nowhere is that more apparent than the media’s fascination with celebrities’ post-baby bodies. Any magazine, celebrity website, even our own Famecrawler, trumpet photos of famous women mere weeks, sometimes even days, after they have given birth – and they are almost always toned, thin, and bright-eyed.

Some sites even have the gall to comment if someone looks less than sylphlike when they first are out in public after giving birth. As if our responsibility right after having brought another human into the world is to make sure we’re pleasing to the eye, not keeping the baby and ourselves alive and trying to forge a new identity after the whole world has been rocked by the arrival of this new little person.

I thought this column, from The Age in Australia, was really good. Apparently some shots of Naomi Watts got out, taken right after she’d had her second child. They showed everything, including Watts’ C-section scar.

You know where this is going, right? Any of us should look so “awful” at any time, especially right after having had a child, and of course the writer’s friends ended up more depressed by hoping to see a new mom who maybe looked a bit more like themselves and instead ended up being just another reflection of the ridiculous standards women are supposed to meet.

She, and I, have this to say: Stop this RIGHT NOW, new moms of the world. You probably look great, certainly you look far better than you think you do, and if you don’t, well, you have a little seven-pound excuse right there in front of you.

Celebrities’ post-baby looks are absolutely deceiving. If you had a nanny for each child (Angelina), someone else to cook your meals, and (most importantly) a tummy tuck all lined up for moments after you gave birth, you’d look better than before too. If you’re a normal mom, give yourself credit or every day you can make it out of sweatpants those first few weeks – or at least locate and put on clean ones.

This is supposed to be funny, but honestly I think it’s damaging. It hurts regular-person new moms who, along with all the other pressures of motherhood, have these unattainable images shoved in their faces and are made to feel they must meet them or be an object of ridicule, at an already emotionally vulnerable time in their lives.

It hurts the celebrities who are putting themselves and their babies at risk by putting all their focus on losing the weight fast so they can look good for the paparazzi instead of, I don’t know, bonding with their baby?

And it’s bad for us, as a society, because it totally skews our idea of what monumental change motherhood makes in a woman —and that’s a change that goes a lot further than skin deep.

Doing Homework On Lincoln's Desk

Brett Singer — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:00:00 GMT

There are many important questions our new President must face. But one of them is not in dispute – which First Daughter will get Lincoln's desk.

That would be Malia, who cheekily called dibs on the 16th President's writing surface back in November (after her dad won, of course). She told Poppa Obama that she wanted to sit there when she had a paper to write for school, "because I'm thinking that will inspire big thoughts."

Lest you think this plan was forgotten in the Inaugural hoopla, the New York Times confirmed it in a front-page article on January 20th:

Where in the White House is Malia likely to gather her thoughts when she has a tough school assignment? (At Lincoln’s desk where he penned the Gettysburg Address.)

No word on where Sasha will sit and gather her thoughts. Me, I did it at the kitchen table. Come to think of it, I still do sometimes.

Source: NY Times, ABC

Image Source

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Third Printing For Obama/Spider-man Comic Book

The Obama Kids First Day Of School

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

VIDEO-Obama Kids Say DC Schools Are Wimpy

Parents Ripped Off On Inauguration Trip?

Britney Spears Will Cancel Tour If Kids Can't Come

Brett Singer — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Famecrawler and TMZ are reporting that Britney Spears says that she won't tour if her kids can't join her.

When I first saw this I thought, "Oh good. Another loony celeb mom who wants to drag her young'uns around the globe. What's wrong with these people?"

Upon further reading, it seems that Brit wants to set things up so that Sean Preston and Jayden James would stay put at three different "bases" in New Jersey, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. Mama Britney would "commute" from her shows to the home bases, thereby enabling her to tour and see the boys.

Why is this even a story? Because Britney, her family Jamie Spears (not to be confused with Jamie LYNN Spears, Britney's sister) and Kevin Federline (K-Fed) worked out this deal on their own. Without the lawyers. And that, my friends, is a veddy bad idea.

According to TMZ, K-Fed's lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan says that the situation, "could have been handled better if Jamie and company would have 'manned up' and had Kevin got the benefit of his lawyers to protect his position." K-Fed's attorney will present his own version of the deal, thereby justifying his existence and removing a roadblock to the deal going through – his ego.

Regarding that last paragraph: I'm not sure that I'm correct about that analysis, but I think I am.

Here's what I have a problem with here. As a parent, I would think that Britney and K-Fed would want to keep the details of their custody battle private. If Britney's dad can work out a deal with them, why is K-Fed's lawyer jumping in and mucking up the works, and possibly leaking the information to the press? Again: I need to say that I don't know if Mr. Kaplan, K-Fed's attorney, leaked anything. But he did provide a quote to TMZ about Jamie Spears "manning up". What kind of language is that? Why not keep things as cordial as possible? I understand him wanting to look for K-Fed's interests. But why insult the kids' grandfather, who is also in charge of Britney's interests at the moment?

As for Britney touring or not, I think that she's entitled to go out on the road since that's her job. If it were Federline who had a successful career (or any career at all, frankly), I seriously doubt that anyone would be concerned with what happens to the kids, despite that fact that he has custody. I don't think it's a great idea for kids to be schlepped all over the globe while mom prances around in stadiums wearing Spandex. But if they can work out a way to do it so that the kids aren't overly inconvenienced, what's wrong with that? Anglina Jolie and Brad Pitt bring those kids all over the place and nobody seems to mind.

I have to admit that reading this story, my eyes started to roll back in my head. Even keeping straight which Jamie Spears they're talking about – the father or the sister – starts to get difficult after awhile. Maybe I need to read more gossip magazines.

Source: Famecrawler, TMZ

Bart Simpson-Scientologist

Sarah Palin Says Leave My Kids Alone

Ann Coulter Says Single Moms Are Bad For Society

VIDEO-Obama Bet Daughter She Will Freak When She Meets Nick Jonas

Brett Singer — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 20:00:00 GMT

I'm going to say it again. Are you ready? Are you sitting down? I hope so. Here we go:

President Obama seems like a good dad.

I know. Earth-shaking stuff, that. I'm not sure why I'm so fascinated by our new President's fatherly behavior, but I am. One reason is that there seem to be many examples of said behavior available for public consumption.

Here's the latest one: Malia said that she would be calm and collected when meeting her crush, Nick Jonas. So Dad bet his daughter five dollars that she would not, in fact, be so calm and cool. Talking about the girls meeting their fave music act, the Prez says:

"That's big! Don't tell them at all. Particularly because I've got a bet with Malia because she's been talking about when she sees her Jonas Brother favorite ... what's his name? Nick ... when she sees Nick, she's going to be all sophisticated. And I said, 'Malia, I will bet you $5 that you will stammer and not have anything to say when you see Nick.' So she's all, 'No, no, I'm sure I'll say I'm a really big fan...' you know Malia, acting all sophisticated... 'and I really enjoy his music'. I said, you won't say that!...So we've got a $5 bet…I won't really take her money."

Here's video of the President telling someone this story:

So what's the big deal? First, it seems like he has a nice relationship with his daughters. A little friendly teasing goes a long way. Second, he knows who the Jonas Brothers are, but he doesn't know too much about them. Not knowing which one she has a crush on is a good thing in my opinion. So he's involved enough in his daughter's interests, but not TOO involved. Third, he's comfortable saying that he made a "bet" with her without worrying that someone will think he's promoting gambling. To me, that speak to a certain confidence that some politicians lack. Granted, this video was released well after the election was won but I imagine that there are a lot of pols who would never allow something this candid to be aired.

So much for that normal life thing, though. Most girls don't get to meet their rock star crushes in person.

No word on whether he knows the difference between Gryffindor and Slytherin. If not, I'm sure Sasha and Malia will clue him in.

Source: HuffPo

Read more:

Sasha and Malia See Hogwarts with Harry

Sasha and Malia Beanie Baby Dolls

Video and Pics: Lego Inauguration

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Obama Wants Kids To Have a Normal Life – Good Luck With That

Third Printing For Obama/Spider-man Comic Book

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

The Obama Kids First Day Of School

VIDEO-Obama Kids Say DC Schools Are Wimpy

Malia & Sasha Obama Sporting Some Recessionista Style

Babble Podcast for January 26, 2009 (now with a working player)

Brett Singer — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 03:41:00 GMT

Here is the ninth Babble Podcast.

You can either listen right here

or download the MP3 file by clicking here.

On today's episode:

1.    Quick news update:
- Obama goes after Limbaugh, kind of.
- Rod Blagojevich (who I've decided to start calling B-Rod) is just a bundle of fun
- The Dark Knight did not get nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. Some guy in his mother's basement is weeping.
2.    The Week in Blog
- Linda Ellerbee, mini cameras (not Mini-Me), and Jason Wu.
3.    Comment of the Week
- Sarcasm? Or something else?

Notes on this podcast:

Songs parodied:

- Los del Río, Macarena

Posts mentioned:

Linda Ellerbee Says Kids Should Skip School To Watch Inauguration

Parents Criticize Schools for Celebrating Inauguration

Parents Who Waited Decade to Report Son Missing Now Murder Suspects

A Camera for the Mini Photog

Star Baby: Who is This Caped Crusader?

What Should Malia & Sasha Wear to the Inauguration?

Sasha Gives Barack Obama a 'Thumbs Up'

Video: Obamas' Inaugural Ball First Dance & Michelle Wears Jason Wu

Explicitly Nude: Madonna's Photo Up For Grabs

Other posts worth reading:

Sarah Palin Says Leave My Kids Alone

Morning News - Obama, Limbaugh, Cheese

Third Printing For Obama/Spider-man Comic Book

VIDEO: O'Reilly Upset About Two Year Old Bashing Bush

Is The Peanut Allergy Scare Overblown?

Past Podcasts

Babble Podcast for January 12, 2009

Brett Singer — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 03:24:00 GMT

Here is the eighth Babble Podcast.

You can either listen right here

or download the MP3 file by clicking here.

On today's episode:

1. Quick news update:
- Barack Obama is a celebrity? How about Bristol Palin?
- Al Franken won – maybe.
- The Jets didn’t make the playoffs, which is worse than the Giants losing to the Eagles. Not much worse. But worse.
2. The Week in Blog
- A six-year-old driving to school alone, extra nipples, and Jett Travolta.
3. Comment of the Week
- Nobody ever claps for parents. Today, we fix that.
4. The Last Word
- The Wii Fit lets me work out in my living room, away from the freaks at the gym.

Notes on this podcast:

Songs parodied:
- The Knack, My Sharona

Songs mangled:
- Led Zeppelin, Immigrant Song

Posts mentioned:

Parents Wait a Decade to Report Missing Child

Six-Year-Old Drives Himself to School After Missing Bus

Mom-to-Be Has Two Vaginas, Two Uteruses

Tripp Palin's Name Explained

Extra Nipples, Anyone?

Yup, This is a Fairy Door

Sasha Obama Brought Something Ugly To School

Update: John Travolta Son's Death Details & Statements

John Travolta's Son Dies

Funeral For Jett Travolta In Ocala

Stuff You Never Thought You'd Say -- Winter Edition

Other posts worth reading:

UPDATE: Kid Kissing A Pig - The Musical

Should Homeschooling Parents Be Certified?

Mom Saves Kids From Sinking SUV

More News About Missing Child Adam Herrman

Past Podcasts:

Babble Podcast for December 15, 2008

Babble Podcast for December 8, 2008

Babble Podcast for November 24, 2008

Babble Podcast for November 17, 2008

Celeb Parents Give Kid Normal Name

Brett Singer — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:00:00 GMT

I guess I'm on a "let's point out the other side of things" jag. First it was vaccines. Now let's move on to something significantly less important: the names that celebrity parents bestow upon their offspring.

We make fun of those who name their poor children something bizarre – Bronx Mowgli. Ouch.

In the interest of fair play, let us give props – nay, let us give mad props, as the kids say (do the kids still say that?) – to Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber who named their son Samuel, with a middle name of Kai. Samuel! Didn't these people get the Celebrity Wacko Baby Name Handbook, which clearly stipulates that a child's first name must be utterly bizarre, and the middle name even more so?

Sammy's big sibling is Alexander "Sasha" Pete, which is equally regular, especially if compared to Bronx Mowgli, et al. So there you have it.

In all (semi) seriousness, a kid's name is important. Even if you grow up wealthy and have super-famous parents, at some point you'll have to go out and deal with the rest of the world. And being teased sucks. I also think – and maybe this is unfair – that if a name choice is particularly weird (have I mentioned that I think Bronx Mowgli is, at best, an odd choice?) that means the parents are weird. Does that bear out? Maybe, maybe not. I don't know any parents who chose to name their children something as extreme as Bronx Mowgli.

Actually, I take that back. Without naming names, I do know of a couple of parents who named their kids something weird. And yes – they are strange people. (Anyone who knows me and is reading this – it's not you.) Maybe there is something to this theory after all.

Source: Famecrawler

Is Miley Cyrus' First Photo Shoot Creepy?

Name Guru Picks Eight Worst Celeb Kid Names of 2008 (Part 1)

Name Guru Picks Eight Worst Celeb Kid Names of 2008 (Part 2)

Working Parents Smackdown Part 1 - SAHD vs SAHM

Working Parents Smackdown Part 2 – Dads With Jobs vs Moms With Jobs

Announce Your New Addition With Panties: Male Perspective

Babble Podcast for December 15, 2008

Brett Singer — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:12:00 GMT

Here is the seventh Babble Podcast.

You can either listen right here

or download the MP3 file by clicking here.

On today's episode:

1.    Quick news update:
       - Shoes thrown at the President. It's not funny. Well, it was a little funny. And strange.
       - Big time fraud report: Bernard L. Madoff, Marc S. Dreier, and Rod Blagojevich.
         Rod isn't really a fraud case, I guess. But it fits.

2. The Week in Blog
- Kid hangs with an orangutan, a medic alert bracelet that's fashionable, Kerri Russel stripping.Well, not stripping exactly. Strips down. Whatever, just listen.

3. Comment of the Week
- Can we tie Rod Blagojevich to Obama? No? Can we try?

4. The Last Word
- Memo to McCain supporters: he lost. Obama won. Election's over. Deal with it.

Notes on this podcast:

Songs parodied:

- Hey There Delilah, Plain White T's

Just the one this week, but it is an epic tale of true love between a New York Yankee third baseman and one of the most popular pop stars of all time. Both of whom have young kids and should probably stop being so irritating in the public eye. All the time.

Posts mentioned:

Toddler Befriends an Orphaned Baby Orangutan

Bronx, Zuma Don't Make Top 2008 Baby Names List

A Guy’s Take on Stay at Home Moms and Dads (Part 1: The Cons)

Babysitter Made Pornographic Film With 2 Year Old

Students Watch Autopsy of Teen From School

Sweet Angel Child's Bracelet

Stuffed Alphabet Set

Stylish Medical Alert Bracelet

Details: Keri Russell Strips Down

Confirmed: She's Pregnant!

Kate Winslet Keeps Nude Scenes Real

Morning news: What's the Matter with Illinois?

Half Price Toys at Target

Other posts worth reading:

Movie Review – "Delgo"

Announce Your New Addition With Panties: Male Perspective

New Zealand Girl Treated Successfully With Cord Blood

Rite Aid Says They Will Stop Selling Expired Baby Products

Past Podcasts:

Babble Podcast for December 8, 2008

Babble Podcast for November 24, 2008

Babble Podcast for November 17, 2008

Name Guru Picks Eight Worst Celeb Kid Names of 2008 (Part 2)

Brett Singer — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:00:00 GMT

The Final Four! No, it's not March yet. This is the Final Four Celebrity Kid Names of 2008. Less exciting than college basketball, but hey, it's only December.

Here you go:

(You can read Part 1, with numbers eight through five, here.)

4. Ignatius Martin Upton
(son of Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton)
This one isn't in the "that's not even a name" category, but it definitely isn't a great choice. The name "Ignatius" reminds me of Ignatius J. Reilly, the lead character of A Confederacy of Dunces. Ignatius (the character) is kind of a putz, to put it mildly. Still, not EVERYONE has read that book (although many people have) and there are probably other folks who were named Ignatius who were not putzy. And again, the middle name is good – Martin Upton actually sounds pleasantly British.

3. Bronx Mowgli Wentz
(son of Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Pete Wentz)
OK, this one is bad. And no middle name to fall back on. The only hope for little Bronx (sheesh! Poor kid) is if Ashlee and Pete come to their senses and change his name to something else. If that doesn't happen, Zowie Bowie (son of David) no longer goes by his given name; he's now Duncan Jones, although at age 12 he asked people to call him Joe. (His full birth name was Duncan Zowie Haywood Jones.) So lil' Bronxy can change his own name when he gets older. I'm sure Zowie Bowie sounded funny to ol' Dave in 1971, but he came to his senses later in life – his daughter with current wife Iman is named Alexandria. Lansky puts this one at #3, if I were making a list like this, Bronx Mowgli Wentz would be #1 with a bullet.

2. Jagger Joseph Blue Goldberg
(daughter of Soleil Moon Frye and Jason Goldberg)
This one is bad, although I think Bronx Mowgli is worse. Again, at least the kid can go with Joseph. And while Jagger isn't exactly a great name, at least it's pretty easy to figure out who the kid was named after. Lansky really goes off on the former Punky Brewster this time: he says that he "had no idea that Jagger Joseph Blue was a girl" until he read the press release twice (twice! What nonsense. Bruce Lansky is a very busy man). Then he attacks the now-elderly Mick Jagger, saying that he does not provide an adequate role model "for a baby girl." (Bruce? Try decaf.) Then he says that "Soleil and Jason picked three names and couldn’t find one that’s likely to make their little girl happy," and caps off his mini-tirade by saying the following: "I find it surprising that a woman with two strange names…would pick three strange names for her daughter." I actually don't find it terribly surprising, especially if you consider the fact that Soleil's childhood had to be at least a little bit weird since she grew up on TV, and on a sub-par show at that ("Punky Brewster" isn't exactly "The Odd Couple"). Lansky does offer some useful info: "Soleil means 'sun' in French, so translated into English her name reads 'Sun Moon Frye'." Perhaps somebody's parents were smoking a little something when it was baby-naming time.

1. Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale
(son of Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale)
This is bad. Very bad. I think Bronx Mowgli is worse, but this one is really not good at all. Lansky focuses on what I think are pointless facts: that no one will know that, "Zuma is a beach in Malibu and that Nesta is Bob Marley’s middle name." If they did, would that make it better? However, Gwen Stefani is making big, big money – music, that fashion line, and endorsements, to name a few. So "I'm Gavin and Gwen's son" will probably go a long way towards dismissing the obvious name lameness. Maybe he can hang out with Knox Jolie-Pitt. They can console each other, each sitting on their own enormous pile of money, trying to decide how many women they should take home tonight.

Final comment: Obviously this is meant to be amusing. Having money and fame does not mean that a kid can't grow up screwy. But having money probably doesn't hurt, and let's face it – while a lot of these names are awful, most really aren't Pilot Inspektor-level awful. Not that it isn't fun to make fun of them. And let's not forget that having a funny name didn't stop a certain guy from becoming President of the United States. Perhaps one day we'll see the Bronx Mowgli Wentz / Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale ticket. Yes… we… can…

Working Parents Smackdown Part 1 - SAHD vs SAHM

Top Baby Names of 2008? Really?

Nine-Year-Old Lothario Gets Movie Deal

A Quiverfull Of Kids

They Say – Most Toys Are Toxic

Girly Gift Guide

Obama Name Suddenly Very Helpful For Speeding Tickets

Babble's Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide

Suri Cruise: Most Powerful Child On The Planet

Name Guru Picks Eight Worst Celeb Kid Names of 2008 (Part 1)

Brett Singer — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMT

I want Bruce Lansky's job. I mean, the guy just sits around all day and talks about names. Not even deep etymological studies, although sometimes he goes there. It's really just baby names. As near as I can tell, this is a way to make a living. America is a wonderful country.

Anyway, Mr. Lansky has weighed in with a list of the Eight Worst Celebrity Baby Names of 2008. So from the home office in my, um, home, here we go:

8. Sunday Rose Kidman Urban
(daughter of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban)

This one doesn't seem that bad to me. At least not compared to some of the others. Maybe the kid starts going by Rose. Rose is a nice name. Sunday, not so much. Lansky says, "Apparently the name was chosen to honor a patron of the arts in Australia, but most people who hear or read the name will find it an odd choice for an American girl born on a Monday." Whatever, dude.

7. Honor Marie Warren
(daughter of Jessica Alba and Cash Warren)

Again, not that bad. Kid could use the middle name. Dad's name is "Cash." That's much worse. (Unless you happen to be a rapper. Then it's OK.) Lansky says that Alba and her beau will probably start using their daughter's middle name themselves at some point, saying "that’s why it’s so important to pick a “high-odds” middle name when parents pick a risky first name." Not a bad strategy I suppose.

6. Emme Anthony
(daughter of Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony)

This time Lansky takes issue with potential pronunciation problems (say THAT phrase ten times fast), as well as spelling: "it’ll be misspelled ninety-nine times out of a hundred." Then he wags his virtual finger at the Lopez's (I say "Lopez's" because let's face it, Jen is in charge in that house): "That’s what happens when you pick an obscure variation of one of the five most popular girls’ names in the U.S. Emma would have been a much smarter choice." Except that this particular girl's name belongs to the daughter of someone who has made an enormous pile of money and is world-renowned. (Hint: she's married to some guy named Marc.) I tend to agree with Lansky that, when in doubt about a name for your offspring, go with the easier choice. That said, people get my name wrong all the time – one T, Bert, etc. Note to Emme: you'll get over it. I did.

5. Knox Leon Jolie-Pitt
(son of Three Guesses, The First Two Don't Count)

This name is odd. Lansky says that this poor lad will have trouble in school and will be forced to explain his name as, "Knox. As in Fort Knox." Yes. As in "my parents have more money than Fort Knox." Then he'll select one of the thousands of girls that want to date him and head over to the Viper Room in his chauffeur driven limo. Now I realize that money isn't everything. But it does make a dopey name a little bit easier deal with.

For the remaining four names, including what Lansky thinks is the worst Celeb Name of 2008, click here.

Working Parents Smackdown Part 1 - SAHD vs SAHM

Top Baby Names of 2008? Really?

Nine-Year-Old Lothario Gets Movie Deal

A Quiverfull Of Kids

They Say – Most Toys Are Toxic

Girly Gift Guide

Obama Name Suddenly Very Helpful For Speeding Tickets

Babble's Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide

Suri Cruise: Most Powerful Child On The Planet

Babble Podcast for December 8, 2008

Brett Singer — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 04:25:00 GMT

Here is the sixth Babble Podcast.

You can either listen right here

or download the MP3 file by clicking here.

On today's episode:

1.    Quick news update:
       - Barbara Walters' Most Fascinating People may not be all that fascinating
       - Plaxico Burress. Oy vey.
       - The Senate race in Minnesota is starting to sound like one of Al Franken's SNL sketches

2. The Week in Blog
- Pregnant 1 year old, Cream Booties and Britney Spears. Not all at once.

3. Comment of the Week
- Might want to re-think those rules for your son, dude.

4. The Last Word
- Political Correctness is back!

Notes on this podcast:

Songs parodied:

- REM, Stand
- Billy Joel, Captain Jack
- Movin' On Up, Theme Song from The Jeffersons

Posts mentioned: