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Single Celeb Dads Get Laughs, Not Love
August 27, 2008 2:10 PM
While single celebrity moms elicit "oos" and "awws," single celebrity dads just aren't getting much love.
Ricky Martin, the Puerto Rican pop sensation who became a dad earlier this month, was blasted by a leading Latino Catholic cardinal for fathering his twin boys through a surrogate mother.
"What Martin did diminishes the dignity of a human being. You can't just buy or rent life. It's even worse when someone famous and in the public eye is doing it," the cardinal of Honduras, Oscar Andres Rodriguez, said on a visit to Chile.
And while People magazine reportedly inked a record $14 million deal for the U.S. rights to publish the first photos of Brangelina's twins, there'll be no such clamoring for the photos of Martin's kids.
"We aren't jumping like we usually do," a celebrity magazine editor told The New York Daily News this week. "We don't think he is going to tell the back-story, so the whole thing just seems kind of icky."
Clay Aiken got more crass comments than congratulations when he became a dad in August. Aiken and platonic producer friend Jaymes Foster conceived their son through in vitro fertilization.
"Noooooo! Must not let him procreate for the sake of the human race!," ABCNews.com commenter "Don Quixote" said on a blog about Aiken's pregnancy news. Out of the 47 comments posted on that blog thus far, the majority echo his sentiments.
When Minnie Driver revealed she was pregnant earlier this year but kept mum about the baby's father (besides the fact that they have no plans to marry), people continued to coo over her growing belly. When Mary-Louise Parker adopted a baby girl from Africa last September and subsequently broke up with her fiance, no one batted an eye.
But when a single male star opts for fatherhood and forgoes the traditional route, ridicule follows. (Remember when Michael Jackson had a son through a surrogate?) For Martin and Aiken, homophobia may play into the hate -- they've been plagued by gay rumors their entire careers and have largely stayed silent about their sexuality (though Aiken claimed to be asexual in an interview last year).
Opening up about why they had kids and who with (Martin still hasn't confirmed the identity of his surrogate) could help. But so could a more open-minded perspective on parenting: If the star's up for the challenge, who is anyone else to judge?
Sheila Marikar
August 27, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (106)
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NOTHING can diminish the dignity of those babies or their fathers...the only party with diminished dignity is the Cardinal and the Church by making such judgements. Who are you, really? Just shut up for a change.
Posted by: Antonio | Aug 27, 2008 2:28:30 PM
So sad that so many people are so willing to rain on someone else's parade ... "can't we all just get along?"
Posted by: Francisco | Aug 27, 2008 2:31:45 PM
I agree with Antonio...and it matters not that they're "celebrities"...I'm a single father - raised my teenage son since he was a baby...it's a tough gig, but the single most important one in my life...
Posted by: Jazz | Aug 27, 2008 2:32:27 PM
And just like that, nobody bothers to post comments... What is wrong with a gay man wanting to be a father... I have several gay friends with children and they are the most wonderful fathers and their children are NORMAL! Other than Michael Jackson, I think that most of these single fathers will make wonderful fathers... What is wrong with equal rights in this world??
Posted by: weaver | Aug 27, 2008 2:33:57 PM
My personal opinion is this: I feel babies should be brought into the world by 2 loving parents. I think the main thing with these men is that they could have adopted instead of having kids of their own. I know clay has some kind of relations with the woman he chose. Not sure about ricky. I dont think its bad for kids to be raised by a single father, i just hope they do get a "mom" influence at some point in their lives. It does just seem strange though.
Posted by: LIFE | Aug 27, 2008 2:34:24 PM
Life - it seems strange because it is non-traditional. This is the 2000's - get with it. Non-traditional is the new traditional.
Posted by: GoHexYourself | Aug 27, 2008 2:40:38 PM
Hey LIFE -
No stanger than a single mom raising a kid???
Posted by: jozy | Aug 27, 2008 2:41:00 PM
First everyone need to know that Ricky Martin is not very smart, in fact he is a fool. What he did is wrong along with the many other things he does. How deep does his self involvement go? To bring into the world children and starting them off with no mother or if we are to use his logic he will buy one maybe? The Orphanages are full of children who need a home (a life) but for this clown no way - ego ego - There should be a law aginst these type of people using their wealth to buy human life. Shame on him not that he cares or even understand the word shame. Clay is no better maybe even worst he had a better edgucation the poor stupid ricky
Posted by: Tired of waste | Aug 27, 2008 2:41:28 PM
I think it's terrific that these two men wanted to have children and set about doing so. No thinks anything about it when a woman does the same thing. There is such a double standard when it comes to single fathers.
Posted by: Office Goddess | Aug 27, 2008 2:46:13 PM
There are thousands of single fathers in this world and nobody is bashing them or making negative comments about them... Why do it to Clay Aiken or Ricky Martin.. Just because they are in the public eye?? I think it's wonderful that they have been blessed with children... Why should it matter whether they are single or not?? Their kids will not turn out any different than a child raised by a single mom... I agree with LIFE... People think its strange because it's non-traditional but since when has anything in this country been traditional?? It's 2008 not 1954... Congrats to both of them...
Posted by: virginiagirl | Aug 27, 2008 2:49:48 PM
In this day and age, anyone who wants to be a parent badly enough and has the financial resources to do so, does it. The consequences are not considered. But who are we to judge? Sure there are thousands of children who need loving parents, but the call of biology is strong. Leave the guys alone. (If they were openly gay, they'd have trouble adopting anyway.)
Posted by: rc | Aug 27, 2008 2:50:43 PM
Is Clay Aiken really a single father? I know he and the babymama didn't get married but they are apparently living together and from what I understand plan to parent their child together. Sounds to me like a committed relationship - one source even said they were hoping to give their child a sibling next year.
Posted by: charice | Aug 27, 2008 2:54:17 PM
Let them be... I bet they arent doing it just for the kicks... they will fare much better than many moms that didnt pretend to be one.
Posted by: Juan | Aug 27, 2008 2:56:21 PM
This is the worst thing i have heard! children being loved by a father who wanted them , how icky>?!!
what is wrong with the world?
men father children and then go on with a life as if they didnt thats icky!!
Posted by: melissa | Aug 27, 2008 2:56:38 PM
Maybe Clay is getting flack because he has just become freakishly weird. Look at his face.Is that plastic surgery already? His future has Michael Jackson written all over it. And Ricky Martin is a tool...always has been, always will be. Sexual preference has nothing to do with the bashing.
Posted by: Jen | Aug 27, 2008 3:02:26 PM
Which one had the baby if being gay is natural then one of the gay partners should be able to get pregnant.
Posted by: confused | Aug 27, 2008 3:02:42 PM
being able to get pregnant doesnt mean you are going to be a good parent just ask mrs.smith who drowned her two kids over A MAN! women who leave kids alone to go drinking ----
shouldnt we be more worried about the kids being taken care of then what the fathers do in the privacy of a bedroom?!!
Posted by: melissa | Aug 27, 2008 3:05:28 PM
Got a surprise for ya' Melissa...you're the one who's "icky"....jusr reading your post is "icky"...I bet you're an "icky" person...
Posted by: Jazz | Aug 27, 2008 3:05:49 PM
how is my post iky?!! please do tell.. im dying to hear this!
Posted by: melissa | Aug 27, 2008 3:07:03 PM
bless them both for having the courage to go after their dream of having a child regardless of how the outside world my perceive them. charice, you are correct, Clay & his babymama live together and will both be in the childs life on a daily basis. Another child for the two of them? I take that news with a grain of salt
Posted by: kat | Aug 27, 2008 3:07:20 PM
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