Pop Stars Are Not Role Models for Your Child. You Are.

Bless that Rihanna.

Not since Madonna and Ga Ga has someone caused such consternation regards what she wears or, more to the point, doesn't wear. 

Last week, at Paris Fashion Week, she was photographed wearing a mesh top and no bra. Yes, everyone, her Lady Lumps were front and centre.

Now, what Rihanna thinks of bras I don't know. I'm not a massive fan of the buggers myself, and there is no greater feeling than removing one after a long day (especially the scaffold ones I have to wear these days). However, the fact that she has a rather admirably fine pair of them, well, good luck to her. She's a grown woman, she is clearly confident enough to pull it off without a hint of embarrassment, and frankly, boobs are such that you may as well make the most of their flashability before they droop. There is only a short window of opportunity. 

The media had a field day though, and, as per usual, the same "how dare she! She's a role model for Britain's youth!" was voiced loud and clear. 

Well, the thing is, I don't agree. 

When Harry from that crap band my daughter likes goes out merrily shagging anything with a pulse and a Lady Garden, there is mild tuts but he's treated like a legend. Rihanna celebrates her lovely figure and pert bosoms and she gets widespread condemnation. 

The thing which annoys me is not just the blatant sexism, but the fact that there is a suggestion that, down to Rihanna, a load of young impressionable girls will be no doubt going to their local shopping centres with their own burgeoning breasts on show. 

How, though, is that Rihanna's fault?

There seems to be a suggestion, linked to the media, that Pop Stars and TV folk are suddenly responsible  for what our children do. It's their fault if your child goes out inappropriately dressed. Or if they have daft tattoos too young. 

Yet it's not their fault. It's your fault.

Celebs are not there to parent or guide our children. They are not there to show them what is right and wrong. 

I'm finding, as Mini gets older and starts to get to the Tween age (she's 7 in April), that she likes a wide range of celebs and their music or TV shows. She loves Perrie from Little Mix, and as she is blonde too (although I'm not sure Perrie is as naturally blonde as my daughter), Mini wanted to dye the ends of her hair just like her favorite pop star had last year.

This is as close to dressing like Little Mix as my daughter gets

If I had of let her do that, whose fault would that have been? The whole putting chemicals in her hair thing? It would have been my fault as her Mum. 

She also likes Rihanna and Katy Perry, and although both dress the way they do which is, if not age appropriate certainly makes the most of their figures, there is no way on earth I would allow Mini to wear anything like what they wear. Especially not the vest with on show boobage thing.

It's not the job of these people, who we will probably never meet and who, most times, are guided by a need to be in the newspapers and on gossip sites to tell our kids how to behave.

It's about time we told the media that too. Stop making excuses when parent's fail to have the sense they were born with. 

So, next time you blame a celebrity for your child's behavior or dress sense, take a moment and take responsibility. There is such a word as no after all. 

Is It Just Me: Who Thinks Suing Newsagents over Men's Mags is Daft?

Erm, can I just point out that, despite the broad shoulders, and the height, I am, in fact, very much a lady. Not in the way David Walliams used to say "I'm a Laydee" whilst dressed as one, no, an actual lady who has had babies and everything. Or, as Loaded would refer to me, "a Bird".

See, that's kind of fitting to this story, the reference to Loaded magazine, as it seems Lawyers are actually arguing, on behalf of feminists, that selling Loaded and it's similar lads mag titles in a newsagents however big or small could, apparently, amount to sexual harassment, and said shopkeeper should be sued for such.

Really?

Why?

Katie Price: Do Shut Up

There's nothing I like more than a bit of peace, a cup of coffee, and a read of the papers. It's something I used to do every day, but now I have less peace and quiet to read anything, so am left with reading the Teletext service instead.


I do, however, still buy papers on Sunday. I can't be bothered with every high brow broadsheet as it's Sunday and frankly you need one day where you don't have to read about depressing economical news, or how bad our government is getting. So I read The Sun on a Sunday, as it's full of nothing but trashy celebs. It's a point and laugh exercise.


They do make me giggle that they have tried to go a bit more high brow by getting columnists in. I laugh because one of the columnists columns couldn't be less high brow if she tried.