Beyonce, Adele and other celebrity moms have been accused of glorifying their pregnancy and motherhood. A journalist from the New York Post criticized these famous stars for how they handle themselves alongside their image in the public.
Naomi Schaefer Riley wrote a scathing piece entitled "Having a baby isn't a miracle and doesn't make you a goddess," where she called out Beyonce, Adele and other celebrity moms. She said these stars "fetishized motherhood" and the obsession "has gotten out of control."
Schaefer Riley based her criticisms on Beyonce's Grammy performance, where the singer did a whole production featuring her baby belly in what looked like a fertility worship ceremony. Adele, on the other hand, spoke of her struggles as a mother in her Grammy speech.
The journalist thought these privileged singers have a misplaced view of what motherhood entailed, but their experience cannot compare to the actual struggles of regular mothers. Schaefer Riley also criticized Zooey Deschanel and Kerry Washington who voiced how pregnancy and motherhood have been the biggest things in their lives.
The New York Post piece, however, was not well-received. Clementine Ford of the Sydney Morning Herald slammed Schaefer Riley for failing to dig deeper into what Beyonce and Adele have to put up with as mothers.
Ford cited Beyonce, as a woman of color, have statistics going against her and her children even as she's a celebrity. She and her children can still be subjected to racism or oppression being African-Americans.
Ford also cited that Adele's postpartum depression cannot be downplayed. No amount of fame and money can erase the fact that as a mom, she can also have anxieties about raising a child.
Pedestrian rounded up how netizens also slammed Schaefer Riley for her criticism of the celebrity moms. "EVERY woman that has given birth or carried a child is a miracle worker. Period," one netizen said on Twitter.
Which side are you on this debate? Was Schaefer Riley right to say celebrities glorify their pregnancy? Share your thoughts in the comments!
