Shiloh Jolie-Pitt Changes Her Name to 'Ben'

on September 1, 2011 at 2:19 PM

shiloh jolie-pitt, angelina jolie, zahara Shiloh Jolie-Pitt rocks a red dino shirtPoor Shiloh Jolie-Pitt. Well, not really. The kid has a pretty sweet life. But I can only assume the "Angelina Jolie is trying to turn Shiloh into a boy" and the "Oooh, Shiloh is clearly going to be a lesbian" rumors are going to blow up once this news gets out ...

Apparently the 5-year-old is obsessed with the cartoon character Ben 10. So obsessed, in fact, that she insists on dressing like him every day (white t-shirt with logo and green pants). She also prefers to be called "Ben" and says that her magic wristwatch can turn her into an alien (Ben's watch has similar extraterrestrial powers).

Um, so what? First of all, she clearly has method acting in her genes. Plus, she's a little kid! When will people realize that gender-bending is a perfectly normal phase?

Both of my kids, not to mention most other children I've known, did Shiloh-esque things when they were small. When my daughter Charlotte was a toddler, she was obsessed with the Disney movie The Jungle Book. In case you're not familiar with the flick, the main character, Mowgli, is a little boy who essentially spends the entire movie wearing nothing but red underpants.

So guess what my daughter wanted to wear?

Wait, let me rephrase: Guess what was the only thing my daughter would wear?

Yup. Here's a sample conversation with my daughter from that time period:

Me: Honey, you can't wear just underpants to the playground.

Charlotte: Yes. Like boy jungle.

Me: But we don't live in the jungle. We live in Brooklyn. We wear clothes here.

Charlotte: NO!!!! LIKE BOY JUNGLE!!!

Now my daughter is 10, and she is neither a tomboy nor an exhibitionist. And my son, for the record, has outgrown wanting to dress up like a nun. (Don't ask. There was this box, with old Halloween costumes ... whatever.)

The point of my rather disjointed story is: Kids have big imaginations! And they like to dress up! Relax, gender-police!

Does your kid dress up like characters of the opposite sex?

Image via Splash

About the author Jacqueline Burt

has written for numerous magazines, newspapers, and websites. She is easily bored and often tired, so she requires constant entertainment to keep her awake. Dance, Monkey! Dance!

Filed Under: celeb kids

Comments (138)

Bugzmomma

on Sep 1, 2011 at 2:29 PM

It think people who pick on little kids for just being themselves are pretty pathetic. We are so obsessed with what "celebrities" are doing or not doing. Who cares?!?! If Shiloh wants to be Ben 10 who are other people to judge her? Who is anyone to judge a child? I think we could all take a lesson from children. Be happy and fly by the seat of our pants no matter what people say.

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dirtiekittie

on Sep 1, 2011 at 2:48 PM

oh please - who cares? kids go through phases, and discovering gender and identity is a part of that growing phase. i would much rather that a kid's parents encourage their child to grow, to learn and to express themselves than to shush them into some stereotype.

amycal420

Completely agree I couldn't have said it better bugzmomma!

nmmama09

on Sep 1, 2011 at 2:57 PM

Sure, my little ones will put on my bra and say "I'm a girl!", then laugh hysterically. my nephew likes to cruise in his sisters jelly shoes. No biggie.

PonyChaser

on Sep 1, 2011 at 3:27 PM

You know what I have a problem with? Celebrities spilling every detail of their children's lives to the press for their own edification. Why do we need to know that Shiloh likes to wear boy's clothes? Honestly, if they hadn't said anything, there would be none of this speculation. It likely would have been passed off as a tomboy phase that many little girls pass through. But no. Angelina, in some interview or other, has to go on and on about how Shiloh must want to be a boy.

And now this. Again, nobody outside the family needs to know that Shiloh wants to be called Ben. It's not that they should be ashamed by it, but honestly, doesn't she deserve to have her little quirks just be within her family?

But again, it's put out to the press like it's some big, massive deal. All to show how "open minded" her parents are, instead of just acknowleging that it's a cute phase and that's it. If they don't want their daughter "judged" by other people, STOP SPILLING HER SECRETS. Or is it because they're hoping that she'll be gay? Why would they do this?

vicki77433

on Sep 1, 2011 at 3:43 PM

I think it's great that they are letting her be herself.

jkm89

on Sep 1, 2011 at 3:47 PM

Nbd, I think it's cute!

Facebook comment from Leanne Carnegie

on Sep 1, 2011 at 3:51 PM

Just wanted to comment on that picture... the red dino shirt is from walmart! My son has the exact one and it came with a pair of pants to match.

Melissa042807

on Sep 1, 2011 at 4:45 PM

Any concern anyone has should be eliminated by the fact that she claims her wristwatch turns her into an alien. :-) The kid is a fan of a cartoon. Big whoop. And y'know, there are so many other battles worth fighting than the clothing one. So she dresses "like a boy". At least she's dressed.

Facebook comment from Evalyn Carnate

on Sep 1, 2011 at 4:52 PM

Agreed. Little kids should be free to dress and pretend (with in reason) as they like. We have our whole lives to be told how to dress and behave. Let them be free!