Since the rapid increase in the popularity of reality television, American parents are intensely divided when it comes to media exposure and how harmful the impact might be on children. Kate Gosselin relies on media coverage of her show biz kids to pay the bills. Gosselin insists that her boundaries were always respected by the film crew. And she does not believe that filming did any damage to her developing offspring who thrive as show biz kids.
The Effects of Paparazzi
However, Kate does, acknowledge that the all-consuming paparazzi coverage that followed her divorce from husband, Jon, was beyond her control. Members of the paparazzi are known to mercilessly photograph and report on celebrities with profitable story lines of personal drama. Their once stable and picture-perfect home life made the Gosselin’s immune to Hollywood-type gossip. But like the many to come before her, Kate knew she was in trouble when her issues became coveted plot points for magazines.
American Judgement
The family’s reality show made them vulnerable to prying eyes. With their intimate details being showcased for the world to see, it was only a matter of time. American audiences rarely take anything lightly when it comes to public figures. This is especially true for parents. Audiences fear the influence celebrities have on all American kids. But they are also harsh advocates for how they believe celebrities should be raising their own children.
Though Kate Gosselin is to some degree forced to argue in favor of her main source of income, other artists are not. Cardi B knows first-hand how exploitative the entertainment industry can be. She applies her hard-earned experience by mostly shielding her two children from the lime light. Perhaps this is a trend among hip-hop artists like Drake. He famously commented on his feelings on children and the media.
His lyrics stated: “I wasn’t keeping my child away from the public eye/I was shielding the world from my child.”
Hip-Hop Innocence
Maybe rappers most especially understand what the entertainment industry is capable of taking from an individual, and how precious and worthy of protection innocence really is.
With all this and their own personal histories in mind, will Rihanna and A$AP Rocky choose to allow the world to meet their first child?
Great quote from the author! “Audiences fear the influence celebrities have on all American kids. But they are also harsh advocates for how they believe celebrities should be raising their own children.” Yes, there is a lot of projection when it comes to what is considered “correct parenting.” I also love & agree with Drake’s song lyrics too. I relate to that as a parent having raised a child up in this world.