Now that Kim Kardashian is pregnant, everyone seems to have an opinion on what it means. For her, for Kanye, for their careers, for the baby's career, for society, for married -- and unmarried -- people everywhere. As eyebrow-raising as it is that she's having the kiddo with Kanye whilst still technically married to ex Kris Humphries, we're at least over the part about her getting preggers without being wed ... right? At least Susan Reimer, writing in The Baltimore Sun, seems to think so. She says, "Celebs regularly put the baby carriage before marriage, and [Kim] is just the latest. ... We long ago stopped stigmatizing unwed mothers."
Hmm, maybe we've stopped stigmatizing unwed mothers like Kim Kardashian! But has the taboo surrounding unwed mothers who aren't tabloid staples really disappeared?
I'm not so sure. Kim and sister Kourtney and Jessica Simpson and Kristin Cavallari and their ilk are one thing, but if you found out someone you knew from college or high school was doing the same thing they are -- first having a baby, and then getting hitched or choosing to NOT getting hitched -- wouldn't it make for a biiiit more tongue-wagging? Totally.
Women I sat down to a holiday dinner with were clucking on and on about how so many celebs are doing everything assbackwards these days and they set a bad example for the non-famous. But I beg to differ. Maybe it sounds crazy to say, but celebs like Kim and Kourtney and Jessica and Kristin may all actually be doing us a favor. Their brave decisions to have a baby (or two!) before saying "I do" are not only chipping away at the stigma of unwed motherhood, but they're changing how we feel about marriage. As in when to marry or if to marry at all.
Don't get me wrong. The way some women -- famous or not -- are choosing to have kids and getting hitched on a non-traditional timeline isn't necessarily for everyone, now or ever. But if the way they're doing things ultimately has a way of making another woman's "backasswards" life a bit easier (and I definitely think it will), we gotta give credit where credit is due. We may have Kim Kardashian, at least in part, to thank.
Do you think celebs like Kim are chipping away at the stigma surrounding unwed mothers?
Image via Mike Ridewood/Getty
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Comments 23
Truth Teller is correct. And the state of California will consider Kris Humphries the father because that's her husband - she will have to provide DNA test to prove he ain't the daddy.
TIn addition to any debate on morality, those women all have the means to support a baby on their own, and the means to hire help if they need to.
Kim is married - just not to her baby's father! I will always look down upon those who chose to have a child out of wedlock.
I agree with you Pinkmani. I think for the "average" women, having a baby without the benefit of marriage is stupid. Just my opinion.
For all of you how 'look down upon' women who have children out of wedlock; FEEL FREE TO LOOK DOWN ON ME. I am not married, however still very happily with the father of my child. Will we ever get married? Probably not. He doesn't want to get married and I at least don't at this time. We had our baby in April. Benefit of Marriage, zandhmom2, is not the same in every situation. If him and I were to get married, it would make us shoot head firdt into a financial crisis in more ways than one. Plus the notion of marriage in our relationship makes things a little more stressed between us for many reason. As the writer said, It is NOT for everyone. So keep looking down at how happy my little, unwed family is. :)
So for those of you that say you look down on people who are not married, please explain to my kids why their parents relationship is of any less value than all their friends who's parents are divorced?