American Idol is Over, but it’s never really over is it?

Last Wednesday night David Cook won the title of American Idol. We all knew it was going to be David, we just didn’t know which one. Archuleta was a good rival, but with 12 million fewer votes, he wasn’t America’s favorite this year. It was another great Idol season and many of us were sad to see it go. But, despite talks about Idol losing viewership and not reaching out to viewers anymore, Idol isn’t over for good – not by a long shot.

All you have to do is look at all the other shows on TV to see why Idol will be sticking around. Sure, the show may have gotten a little old and listening to grumpy Simon season after season is annoying yet somewhat enjoyable. But, America still loves Idol. In fact, so many Americans watch Idol that it gets the top spot by millions of votes each night it airs. So, even if they say it’s slipping in viewership somewhat that doesn’t mean there is another show out there that could replace it.

Why We Love Idol

To really think about why American Idol is so popular we need to think about ourselves. We all have a dream, whatever it may be, and it is nice to see a show allowing real, every day people, just like you and me, achieving their dreams. Sure, not everyone wins the title, but as the past seasons have proven you don’t have to win to become famous. Getting into the top 10 – 12 is really all you need to have a chance at becoming a superstar. And to many Idol wannabes, just making the show is a dream come true.

So, we all tune in to watch potential Idols chasing their dreams. It gives us hope, it gives us inspiration, and it makes us evaluate ourselves. You have seen those kids on there who never had a shot and how they simply serve for entertainment. The good thing about those kids is that not only is it funny to watch, but it helps people put their own dreams in perspective. If you are dreaming of becoming a professional athlete, but you can’t even make your high school team, then you should reevaluate your dream.

Then, there are some of those who in spite of zero talent remain determined to become singers. These contestants are great examples to all of the rest of us. They prove that if you really want to do something then you can, that there is a way out there somehow. These kids audition on Idol, and while they may not become the next big superstar, they just might get to perform on the final show as an entertainment act. Some produce songs like the unforgettable William Hung singing “She Bangs” and it was is hilarious. So for those who have talent there is the option of being discovered and having a real music career. For those who aren’t talented, but who are really funny, there is still opportunity to make people laugh. Idol really does make dreams come true!

 

Now that the show is over, many of us are sad for David Archuleta having not won the title, while others are basking in David Cook’s glory. But, just because the show is over doesn’t mean you can’t hear the two sing on stage anymore.

You Don’t Have to Wait

The American Idol tour starts on July 1 in Glendale, Arizona, and will continue through September 13 hitting a city near you. Some of the states the Idol tour will visit include California, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Texas, and others yet to be announced. You don’t have to wait until the contestants have their own CDs out, you can hear this summer at a live concert or download their performances on itunes.

What’s Next

Over the coming year we will surely see David Cook and David Archuleta come into careers of their own. Don’t count Syesha Mercado out, either, because she has a powerhouse voice and is beautiful, the whole package when it comes to the entertainment industry. There are several others in the top 10 who are likely to come out with albums of their own, too, so just wait a couple months to see what happens. In the meantime, enjoy the Idol concert tour and listen to your favorite singer’s songs on iTunes.

Free Mariah Concert in Times Square April 25th

Tomorrow morning, Mariah fans need to get themselves to Times Square for the Friday, April 25th LIVE performance for Good Morning America. Seating for fans is free and will be available, although on a first come first serve basis, which means those looking to attend the show will want to rise and shine and get to Times Square very early to ensure they snag a good spot to watch Mariah perform.

The show takes place at 44th Street and 6th Avenue at 6 am on the dot where fans will be lined up and escorted to the audience section. Expect to be available from 6-9 am on Friday, April 25, to attend the concert.

This live performance is the best way for Mariah fans to see her live and in person and best of all – for free! Attendees will see her performing music from her new album E=MC².

Mariah’s New Music

Mariah is accustomed to success and her new album E=MC² is certainly destined to do well. It has already reached #1 and she passed Elvis Presley’s record of 17 #1 songs with her 18th #1 song “Touch My Body”. “Bye Bye” also appears to be doing well and reaching #1 status! Her new album has been in stores since April 15th. She will no doubt be performing her top songs “Touch My Body” and “Bye Bye.”

Her appearance on Good Morning America is not her first public appearance for this new album. In fact, she has been making appearances non-stop to promote her new release. You have probably seen her on “The Hills”, “IDOL Gives Back” and “American Idol”, “Saturday Night Live”, and “The Oprah Winfrey Show” just to name a few.

All of these appearances have worked well for the international superstar because as album has had the biggest debut week in her entire career. That says a lot for her new album and should defiantly increase the interest in her free concert on Saturday. There will certainly be people lined up around the block so to ensure you get to see the concert you might even want to make a night of it.

Antonio ‘L.A.’ Reid, Chairman, Island Def Jam Music Group said, “Mariah’s an inspiration, the true definition of a star. She continues to amaze us with every incredible new album she creates. Now Mariah has added another plateau of success to what has become her virtually unapproachable track record on charts around the world. She proves beyond a doubt that with talent, ambition, and sheer force of will, all things are possible.”

If the free concert is too early in the morning for you or if you want to see more of Mariah on Friday then try and get tickets for Live with Regis & Kelly where she will be making an appearance after the concert.

Mariah is certainly a superstar and her fame and success are only continuing. She is the only person on the Hot 100 who could possibly reach the success of the Beatles with 20 #1 hits.

Producers of the New Album

Mariah Carey, C. “Tricky” Stewart, and artist The-Dream produced “Touch My Body.” Other producers on E=MC2 include DJ Toomp, Jermaine Dupri, Bryan Michael Cox, Will I Am, Stargate, Nate “Danjahandz” Hills as well as James Poyser. The executive producers are Island Def Jam Music Group, Chairman, Antonio “LA” Reid and of course, Mariah Carey.

Her last album was The Emancipation of Mimi and it sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. She also received three Grammy awards for the album, had two #1 singles, as well as other honors. The album was on the charts for 18 months and made her the top selling female artist in history with more than $160 million in sales.

Mariah Carey was born in Huntington, Long Island, New York on March 27th, 1970.

Beyonce and Jay Z Finally to Wed… Is it any of our Business?

Beyonce Knowles and Jay Z have finally taken out a marriage license in Westchester after years of dating. And, since the license is only valid for 60 days every paparazzi is on alert tracking the stars to find out what they are doing and trying to find out hints about the ceremony. The thing is – it isn’t anybody’s business.

The couple has been dating for several years and they have always kept their personal lives under the radar. Just because both individuals are megastars and household names does not mean that they are friends to everyone in the world. If they were, then it would be natural for people to feel a need to learn more about their upcoming nuptials. But, since this is not the case, why do so many people care?

And, it’s really not just about caring when Beyonce and Jay Z decide to tie the knot, or even where or what dress she wears. It’s all about living vicariously through someone famous.

Of course, Beyonce and Jay Z deserve the wedding they have always dreamed of. They deserve for the public and the paparazzi to keep their noses out of it and simply let them plan the event without any worries or stress. However, this will never happen. The paparazzi will never allow it. So, this brings us to the following question.

Why do we care so much?

You know how most couples get married and then submit a write-up of their ceremony to the newspaper? Most of the write-ups include information on all the wedding showers and parties thrown for the couple. They also include details of the wedding ceremony, the bride’s gown, and even the honeymoon. But, how many of these do you read with interest? Probably not many. And, how many do you read of people you actually know with interest? Maybe a little more, but still not a lot.

So, why is it that you feel like you have to devour the newspaper, magazine or website that reports up to the minute information on the celebrities?

The answer is simple. We all dream of being famous. We all want to be recognized and live a superstar lifestyle. However, the vast majority of us don’t, so we don’t get much pleasure reading about the details of another one of “us” who gets married. But, when someone outside our realm ties the knot then we want every little detail so we can “oooh” and “ahhh” as well as criticize.

In fact, many of us read these stories specifically so we can criticize these folks. We talk about how stupid a $10,000 wedding dress is and that a million dollar wedding is wasteful and simply stupid. We fantasize what we would do in their situation and we talk in detail about their hair, makeup, and fashion sense.

So, the answer as to why we become enamored with celebrities and want to know everything they are doing and why they are doing it, especially when nuptials are involved, is quite easy. The answer is as simple as fantasy.

We all have fantasies, all of us. And, we imagine the lives of the celebrities are magical. They are not, of course, but our imaginations tell us so many things we believe that it becomes hard to see reality. Especially where the stars are concerned. So, we allow ourselves to become engrossed in the celebrity and desperate for every detail of his or her life. Planning a big event like a wedding makes people become even crazier because they want to be the one who gets noticed, who gets to have the fairy tale. And, absorbing every detail of a celebrity’s life gets us that much closer to the fairy tale.

So, do celebrities who are public figure deserve a private life? Do they deserve to not answer the public’s questions and share their innermost thoughts and experiences with them?

I think they do deserve this privacy. They are after all people, just like all of us, and they don’t want to have to be “on stage” all the time. However, with the Internet, paparazzi, and crazy fans the likelihood of celebrities getting that private life is much more difficult. So, it really is up to the individual celebrity to lead a low profile life in order to have some semblance of privacy. The others who complain about their celebrity but go out to paparazzi filled bars and restaurants don’t deserve a whole lot of pity. That’s my opinion at least!

Why Do We Care So Much about Celebrity Pregnancies?

Pregnancy is beautiful and people feel a connection to expecting women. Add to the equation a celebrity and you have millions of interested people worldwide wanting to know every little detail. It is probably because of the added scrutiny from paparazzi that celebrity women wait to announce their pregnancies until they are in the third trimester. Even when women are obviously pregnant (think J. Lo and Angelina Jolie), they avoid the obvious and carry on as if they weren’t pregnant.

This leads to many questions why these celebrities choose not to just say, “I’m pregnant!” when everyone already knows they are. I think it comes down to privacy. When women are pregnant they are anxious and highly hormonal, not to mention they want to keep the details private. This is not unlike other women, but being a celebrity makes being pregnant even more stressful.

Think about it. For any of you who have ever been pregnant, or had a pregnant spouse, you know how upset it made you (or your partner) if some random person came up and put their hands on your belly. This happens all the time and pregnant women are outraged that people feel they have the right to invade someone’s personal space to such a degree.

Now, multiply that invasion by millions of people worldwide who believe they have a right to know all the details and want to basically “put their hands” all over the celebrity’s pregnant belly. Obviously, this could be quite irritating and frustrating. Not to mention make pregnant celebrities even more protective of their privacy.

That’s why I think celebrities do their best to hide their pregnancies and then wait to confirm it. The longer they can keep themselves out of the limelight the better.

Angelina’s Baby Bump

Over the last few months there has been a great deal of conversation about Angelina being pregnant. But, if you search Google you can see that the paparazzi were guessing she was pregnant as soon as three months after Shiloh was born! Any slight bump, which could have been a bad angle, meant she was pregnant again. Any loose fitting shirt or dress meant Angelina was carrying the second child of Brad Pitt. Of course, when nothing else happened there were no more pregnancy rumors.

Now, pregnancy chatter is really ramping up.

After that large tent of a dress Angelina wore to an awards ceremony the chatter started that you could make out a pregnant belly underneath. The gossip websites were going wild with the pregnancy and the fact that the Jolie-Pitt brood could be growing yet again.

Then, at another awards show, Angelina showed up in a really tight fitting black mini dress. This dress obviously showed off quite a large bump on the usually ultra thin Angelina. So, what does this mean? More than likely it means she is four to six months pregnant! But, the couple hasn’t confirmed anything yet so nobody will know when to expect a biological brother or sister for Shiloh.

Of course, there are rumors she is not that pregnant and that it is twins, making her bigger early on. If you remember, there was speculation of twins when she was pregnant with Shiloh. Only time will tell and it is possible that if she is pregnant with twins she will confirm that towards the very end of her pregnancy like J. Lo did. But, the question still remains. Is it any of our business? Many people believe that it is, but most celebrities believe that it isn’t! Why is this the case?

Basically, celebrities are in the public eye. And, the public has long demanded to know everything about celebrities. There is a fascination and obsession with celebrities in this country and even more so when they are pregnant. Just think of how the paparazzi continually have “bump watch” photos? For the pregnant celebrities this must be a nightmare, but the public eats it up so it is a vicious cycle.

I believe that a celebrity’s pregnancy, or anyone else’s for that matter, is none of our business unless that individual chooses to share the news. Of course, my opinion won’t change the way pregnant celebrities are stalked for photographs, but the public in general could. Simply think about the celebrity’s right to privacy and how you would want to be treated in that situation. That might help turn things around a bit.

Of course, the paparazzi scrutiny doesn’t end after the pregnancy with magazines paying millions of dollars for the first photos of celebrity progeny. But, that is another story for another time. The moral of this story is to give pregnant women, celebrity or otherwise, the privacy and personal space they deserve.

The Media, Death and Celebrity — Even in the Afterlife there is no Peace

A couple weeks ago the world was rocked by the news that actor Heath Ledger had passed away. This was shocking and very sad. But, what was even more shocking and sad was how the media reacted to this news.

It is one thing to provide up to the minute information on the facts, it is completely unacceptable however to report information that is untrue or only speculation. And, that is exactly what the media did.

Within hours of Ledger’s death the media was reporting that it was an apparent suicide. Now, a couple weeks later it is reported that it was actually an accidental overdose. But, the problem is that the media put that information out there without ever really having hard evidence to support it.

This is a huge problem with the media and the information that the American people receive. The news has changed from information that is based on fact to information that is only speculation – with the excuse of providing up to the minute data to the public. It is actually quite shocking and in poor taste that the paparazzi and reputable news sources behave in this manner.

Respect for the Dead

As a nation we should demand respect for the dead, regardless of how they died. And, if the cause of death is unknown it should be reported as such until a positive cause has been determined. It is so sad that Heath Ledger’s name was drug through the dirt and it was reported that he committed suicide when this in fact was not the case.

Looking back it is so amazing that his death was labeled a suicide. News sources were reporting information that was taken completely out of context. An interview from 2007 where Heath said he was ready to die in a way because he could live on in his child was cited on many occasions as “foreshadowing” that Heath truly was contemplating suicide and that he was telling the world ahead of time. This couldn’t be further than the truth and the interview was taken completely out of context for the sole purpose of sensationalism and ratings.

It is so unfortunate in our country that we allow the news to report information that is not true. We all tune in to see what is going on or to hear the latest developments and we are all at fault for jumping the gun and jumping to conclusions.

But, news organizations should NOT be allowed to do this. The false information that was reported will be on the web forever and the young daughter of Ledger will eventually be able to read this information. Is this fair?

And, by the way, where has responsible journalism gone anyway?

To me it seems the paparazzi and gossip magazines as well as websites are no worse than actual news stations, at least not in the case. All of the major networks were reporting on Ledger’s death and they all fell into the trap of reporting misleading information.

It is quite sickening to treat a human being in this manner. His death was a shock to the world and he should have been given the respect of finding out his cause of death before reporting that he was dead and surrounded by pills and a rolled up $20 bill.

Regular folks die every day under unknown circumstances and since they are not celebrities their names are not drug through the mud, at least not on a grand scale. However, this incident should serve as a wakeup call for all of us.

When someone dies we need to take a moment to honor that person and remember them. Not jump to conclusions about how they died or what their motivation might have been for suicide. If anyone looked at any of our lives they could probably find reasons for all of us to commit suicide. Sure, these are not reasons that any of us would ever act on . But, once dead we don’t have a whole lot of say in what the world is talking about.

So, the next time a person dies and the reason is unknown leave it alone for a while until a reason is indeed known. And, if there is never a real reason discovered just let that person go in peace. Knowing the reason for death will not make your life any easier. It might simply indulge your need for more gossip.

Gossip won’t get you anywhere and it only makes some feel better because they are talking bad about someone else. Avoid this at all costs and let the truth prevail. You will be a better person for it and maybe the media will get the hint that America wants responsible journalism to return and enough of all the gossip.

May Heath Ledger rest in peace.

Psychological Problems Deserve Prozac not Paparazzi

Many of us have dealt with psychological problems in the past and many of us deal with them every single day. For those that do not suffer firsthand they probably know at least one person in their family or close circle of friends that takes an anti-depression drug or a prescription for some other mental illness.

And, we all know when illnesses are treated, effected individuals are much better off. In fact, when we know someone suffering from depression, bi-polar disorders, multi-personality disorders, post partum depression, or anything of the sort we wonder how to help them and actually seek out ways to extend that help. Even if it means potentially causing some ruffled feathers along the way.

So, why is it that celebrities like Britney Spears cannot get the love and support from her family and friends to actually seek professional treatment?

Many people believe nobody can help her because Britney believes there is nothing wrong. Well, that is no different from any other person battling a mental illness yet their family members generally find a way to help them. Others believe the problem is that she has enough money to control her life and nobody else has a say-so in what she does or does not seek treatment for.

Well, I have enough money to control my own life as well, maybe not at the level of Britney Spears, but I manage to pay my bills, take vacations, and put money aside. And, if I were behaving like Britney Spears my parents would not wait until I hit rock bottom and asked for help. They would hog tie me and carry me wherever I needed to go to get the help I needed. And, I’m even a couple years older than Britney.

So, could it be that her family doesn’t care?

That doesn’t seem possible because Britney was their meal ticket and is probably the only meal ticket that family has for the future, especially with a 15 year old sister [actress Jamie Lynn] knocked up. You would think their current status of living would be enough to motivate them into action, if it weren’t from genuine love than for her welfare and safety.

The whole situation is so bizarre and I think that is why America is so mesmerized by it. It just doesn’t make sense at all.

You have this beautiful and talented woman who made it huge as a teenager. She then married, had kids, and divorced. The divorce is surely a bump in the road, but many couples have been through it and still manage to keep their sanity. The kids are a bonus for sure and you would think Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, alone would motivate her to act mature and responsible.

I know when I had my son 14 months ago I became more responsible, more concerned about our future, and more grounded. That has happened to most moms I know, so why didn’t it happen to Britney Spears?

Everyone has their own “diagnosis” as to her problems. She is psychotic, has multiple personality disorder, postpartum depression, and who knows what else. If she really does have a mental condition why is she not getting help?

Continuing on at the rate she is going will result in either her death or a severe accident. Nobody wants that to happen but instead of stepping in and finding a way to help her we all just read about the newest Britney development. And, as you well know, there is a new one every day.

In fact, the train wreck that is Britney Spears has been going full-speed ahead almost a year now. When she shaved her head we all sat up and said, “Hmm, there is something wrong with her” and that was after the multiple crotch shots.

Britney continues the nakedness whenever she can seemingly enjoying showing the world her private parts. And, after losing custody of her kids, having multiple incidents with her car from running over photographers’ feet to leaving it parked in the middle of the road, she is now using a British accent.

Seriously, she is speaking in a British accent.

Does this sound normal to you?

It sounds so far out from the Britney we all adored five years ago that it is obvious something major is amiss. The evidence leans strongly to some sort of mental unbalance rather than just a show she is putting on for attention.

So, the million-dollar question again pops up. How can we get this pop star the help she needs?

If she were our friend or family member we would risk our friendship or relationship with her in order to help her get the help she needs. Since it appears very few people actually have a relationship with her and those that do don’t appear to be doing anything, there is really nothing to lose. So, America as a whole should join together and find a way to help Britney.

Yeah, I know that sounds kind of cheesy. Why would we want to help her?

Well, the answer is because she NEEDS it. It doesn’t matter how much money she has or how famous she is. All of that is about to go down the tubes anyway. What matters is she is a human being with two young sons who need their momma back.

Not to mention we the public need something else to focus on other than Britney Spear’s crazy stunt of the day!
So, here is to “America’s Campaign to Help Britney.”

Addiction — The One Area Where Celebrities are Just Like Us

After a brief respite from being plastered all over every website and magazine, Lindsay Lohan is back in the press. This time because she was seen drinking champagne on New Year’s Eve. For any other person, and even many other celebrities, this wouldn’t be that big of a deal. Even for some recovering alcoholics, this wouldn’t be that big of a deal. But, for LiLo, it’s as if she has committed the biggest crime.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think any recovering 21-year-old addict should be drinking nor doing any other type of drugs, period. But, is it that big of a deal that she had a sip of champagne on New Year’s, recovering alcoholic or not?

According to the reports, she controlled herself and only drank from the bottle because it was passed to her on a dance floor. She then proceeded to call her sponsor and not fall completely off the wagon and into alcohol oblivion.

So, my question is whether what Lindsay did was really worth all the hoopla. And while I think that any recovering alcoholic should stay miles away from beer, wine, liquor, champagne, and maybe even cough syrup, that is not necessarily very realistic.

I think when I go on a diet I should stay away from all the cookies and sweets I crave. But, if I go to a birthday party, someone hands me a slice of cake, and I take a bite that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m going to lose it and eat the whole cake. Do you see the difference?

Lindsay shouldn’t have taken that drink because she knows she is vulnerable. She shouldn’t have even been at the party around alcohol. But, that is very limiting and a decision to stay home on New Year’s for a young celebrity is certainly a difficult one to make.

A Little Self Control

In fact, we are all presented with difficult decisions every single day. And, we frequently make the wrong choices.

Even if I am on a diet, I don’t avoid birthday parties or restaurants that serve dessert. I just manage to control myself most of the time and only slip up here and there.

The point is that you have to learn self-control. Avoiding every situation where you might be around your weakness, alcohol for Lindsay and anything with sugar for me, then you won’t live a very fulfilling life. The point of recovery and therapy is to find a way to control your urges, get over your addiction, and live a normal life.

But, how normal is having every misstep printed in every national magazine, on thousands of websites, and broadcast on TV? It must be completely mortifying.

I admit I have snuck sweets when on a diet as if hiding my consumption from others would make it less real. If my failure to control myself was printed in my local paper I would feel ashamed and embarrassed.

So, my point is, how do celebrities manage to get over addictions and other personal problems they may have if they are never allowed even on misstep without being crucified in the press? We all learn from our mistakes, and even grow in spite of them.

I think we should give celebrities a little more space and a lot more understanding. Sure, they are richer, prettier, and thinner than the rest of us. But, they have absolutely no privacy and are judged at the drop of the hat. So, the next time you start thinking how Lindsay is an out of control celebrity with a drinking problem think of all the things you could call yourself.

I might be a perpetually dieting closet chocolate eater, but that doesn’t mean I’m not trying.

As the New Year gets off to a start let’s think about giving everyone a little more breathing room and a break or too, even the celebrities who seem to be asking for our criticism. It’s a great exercise in self-control to stop criticizing everyone else and try and focus on what they are doing right. Who knows, I might give myself a break or two and start eating my chocolate in front of anyone who cares to see!

Teen Pregnancy on the Rise…

After years of decreasing the teen birth rate increased in 2007, which was quite a shock to health officials nationwide. They claim this is a result of abstinence only education and that teens who do engage in sexual activity do not know how to prevent pregnancy. Apparently, this occurrence is not set aside for just average teens but celebrities as well are doing their part to increase the teen pregnancy rate.
The Spears Effect

Is the Spears’ family cursed, or what? Just this week 16 year old Jamie Lynn Spears, sister to Britney Spears who stars in Nickelodeon’s “Zoe 101”, announced she is three months pregnant with long time boyfriend Casey Aldridge’s child. The couple were not planning a pregnancy and apparently Jamie Lynn did not want to go on the pill because she didn’t want to get fat.

Ok. Right. That makes sense…

You don’t want to get fat, which with the pill it would be just a few pounds and many doctors say that it’s just a myth anyway so you might not gain any weight at all. So, it hardly seems worth risking a pregnancy at 16 for just a couple pounds. I mean, hello Jamie Lynn, pregnancy adds on lots of pounds. It seems risking a couple pounds for the prevention of such an event would be a good tradeoff. Apparently the Spears did not take a class on good decision making.

I guess kids will just be kids and always have that “It can’t happen to me” attitude. I don’ t know what is so difficult about using a condom if you prefer not to take the pill, but kids who are willing to engage in adult sexual behavior must understand the consequences of their behavior. It seems quite odd that after all the drama Britney has been going through for the past year that Jamie Lynn would have seen what bad choices can do for someone in the entertainment business. You would think she of all people would have taken note and said to herself “hmmm, I don’t want my career to be shot in the foot,” and she would have taken a little more responsibility for herself. I guess that would be asking too much.

On the other hand, you would think that Jamie Lynn had enough money that she could have gone on the pill, bought condoms, or purchased any other kind of pregnancy prevention device without her parents ever knowing. Lack of money is a complaint of many teens who become pregnant, but it does not seem that this should have been the case with Jamie Lynn.

So, exactly what was going through this girl’s head? More than likely nothing at all. She is a celebrity and accustomed to getting her way. She wanted to sleep with her boyfriend and most likely had many times before with no pregnancy to show for it. So, she probably thought that she could do whatever she wanted without any ill effects. Well, now she is 16 and three months pregnant and who knows how this will affect her career. She will be lucky if she even has a career after this blows over.

This situation does present an interesting question, however, which is how much being a celebrity affects a young person. Look at all these stars who became famous while they were young and have made horrible decisions as a result. When you compare Jamie Lynn to people like Britney, Lindsay, or even Paris, it seems that a simple pregnancy really is not that big of a deal.

While regular teens deal with peer pressure and making responsible decisions young celebrities are pigeonholed so to speak. They receive a positive response to everything they desire and believe that whatever they want they should get. Parents lose control over their celebrity teens and the child begins to get out of control. This could be from underage drinking and smoking to sleeping around, doing drugs, going to bars, and basically engaging in adult activity that teens should not engage in. And, while all teens face the same issues many times it appears celebrities are the most vulnerable.

What Can be Done?

Parents need to take control in my opinion. Regardless of whether your child is average or a celebrity there needs to be control. For example, kids should not be left alone with their boyfriends or girlfriends. This may seem extreme, but it is better than having a pregnant daughter. Also, parents need to get over their selves and have the sex talk. And I am not talking about the birds and the bees. I am talking about a real sex talk. Explain what can happen and be honest about how you feel. However, let your child know that while you don’t support them having sex before they are married you realize they will make their own decisions. Let them know you will buy them birth control pills or condoms and support their decision to have safe sex. Notice I did not say support their decision to have sex, but rather their decision to have safe sex should they decide to have sex. That may sound confusing, but not approving of your child’s behavior while approving of them engaging in that behavior in a safe manner is something parents should embrace.

As parents we must be open and accessible to our children. It does not matter whether you buy your kid condoms or not, they will have sex if they want to. So, it is best to know what is going on and do your best to provide safe alternatives. When you guide your kids down the road to responsibility and safe sex you just might realize that you have raised a child aware of consequences who will choose to wait until they are really ready. This goes for all teens, celebrities or not.