Motherhood and pregnancy should be protected. But the paparazzi just don’t care. Here’s what Blake Lively’s pregnancy taught us about the novelty of motherhood.
by Ivy Locke | Follow her on Twitter @THEEIVYLOCKE.
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Although Blake Lively is a megastar who is undoubtedly used to the spotlight, this does not mean her entire life is made for TV. This is particularly apt when applied to her family life and present pregnancy. As all moms know, being pregnant can be one of our most joyously terrifying experiences. Indeed, even the best moms in the world have dealt with mood swings, morning sickness, random aches and pains, weight gain, and moments in which we just don’t feel all that photogenic.
Nevertheless, when you are a celebrity mom-to-be, privacy is a luxury not afforded to you. Rather, the paparazzi seem intent on catching every fleeting moment on film as a means of immortalizing them and, of course, earning big bucks in the process. So, Blake Lively is taking a stand. But should we join her?
Blake Lively’s Pregnancy vs. The Paparazzi
After confirming that she was pregnant with baby number four, Lively addressed the paparazzi, asserting that they had been a nuisance to her and her children. In her pregnancy announcement, she wrote, “Here are photos of me pregnant in real life so the 11 guys waiting outside my home for a 🦄 sighting will leave me alone. You freak me and my kids out.”
Instead of being allowed to simply enjoy her pregnancy and revel in the joy that many experience when announcing her pregnancy, she was basically forced to promote the “No Kids Policy,” a policy many celebrities have been pushing for as a means of restoring a sense of normalcy and privacy among their offsprings. The celebrity-backed campaign encourages people to unfollow accounts that share photos of children in hopes of compelling media members to think twice before taking and posting unsolicited pictures of celebrity children.
What Does This Mean?
Although it’s not hard to understand why so many people want to participate in the pregnancies of some of the top celebrities in the world, there should always be a limit. In my opinion, once a pregnant mother is all but pleading with you to stop stalking her to take unrequested photos, that limit has been reached. Lively literally felt forced to post her own pregnancy photos in hopes that they would allow her to enjoy her pregnancy without the paparazzi jumping out of the bushes at every turn. Unfortunately, these predatory practices are a part of a celebrity-worshiping culture that has put many celebrity moms and their children in danger.
Overall, it seems that celebrity culture means being obsessed with pregnant women in a selfish and unhealthy way. The irony of situations such as these is that despite supposedly being so concerned about these new moms, the obsession is putting our favorite personalities at risk. Stress, of any kind, can be highly toxic to pregnant women and their fetuses.
So, while everyone wants to get the first photos of the glowing mommy-to-be, they are far less concerned with the safety of the babies or how their shady practices can adversely affect pregnant women. Hopefully, the efforts of Lively and others can help end this toxic trend before it’s too late. Otherwise, as with many of these situations, someone will have to get hurt before the lesson is learned. So, here’s hoping the “No Kids Policy” becomes a success worldwide.
