Your Views: Should Madonna Adopt?
Ohhhhh my dear, sweet, honey-dipped Madonna. I remember her. Circa 1990-something. Madonna: sporting a white tutu-looking thing, bright red lipstick, blonde hair, and thick black eyebrows with dark roots to match. Me: wearing my “Homey Don’t Play That” t-shirt and watching Desperately Seeking Susan on my television set. The years. They’ve flown, haven’t they??
This whole international adoption thing has grown into quite a mess, hasn’t it? I wouldn’t blog about it because I think it has already gotten quite a bit of attention these days. BUT … I couldn’t think of anything else to write about today. So, please use the comment section to share your views: Should Madonna be allowed to adopt David Banda from Malawi?
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PS: Tomorrow I’ll give you an update on my Aussie Boy.
October 26th, 2006 at 9:47 am
Recently, it seems as though African causes have been the new photo-op for celebrities. Although, what they’re attempting to do is admirable, what really are the motives?
I’d hate to see African babies become the new Coach bag of the hollywood elite.
Also, have people forgotten how many countless children are available for adoption in the U.S?
If she broke adoption laws, I don’t think she should receive any special treatment.
October 26th, 2006 at 10:26 am
i feel like her adoption is such a PR stunt. also as an adopted child myself, i really think more people should be looking into adopting children from the U.S. who are also looking for homes. it may be more glamorous to get a child from an exotic locale, but there are millions of children right here in America stuck in the system with no place to truly call home.
October 26th, 2006 at 11:03 am
Madonna shouldn’t be allowed to reproduce, much less adopt. She is a friggin’ idiot and thinks that laws do not apply to her. She needs to go to a chicken farm and adopt a pet with Pam Anderson.
October 26th, 2006 at 12:03 pm
Um…maybe my opinion won’t be the popular one, but PR stunt or no, this boy needs parents, and no matter who steps up for the job, I just like knowing someone will take care of him.
I definitely agree with YC’s point, though. There ARE countless homeless children here in the U.S., so I’m not sure what the pull is for Africa right now, but I guess it’s more sexy to some.
As for Madonna not being fit, that never crossed my mind. She’s managed to do pretty well with her two biological children, and if she wants to add to the family without procreating this time around, so be it. To each, their own. I’m not here to judge OR tell others what they should or should not do.
October 26th, 2006 at 12:08 pm
How sad it’s to see when celebrities do stupid things. I think that adoption is a very kind gesture to do; I mean, I´d do it (if I weren’t broke, single and lived with my parents LOL) but hasn’t the whole foreign adopting craze gone a little too far? So yeah, she’s raising a kid that otherwise would be poor and hungry but what about all the rest of them? How dare she gets to decide over somebody´s life like that when many others are abandoned? How about a charity program or sth where more kids could take more advantage of?? I think this is just wrong.. but, whatever! That’s the magic of being a celebrity! Let me know about the Aussie guy!
October 26th, 2006 at 1:09 pm
I have to agree with Amy on this one. If the father originally thought it was better for the boy then so be it; however, the cynical side of me thinks maybe it was a somewhat of a PR thing. She was trying to downplay and denied at first it was going on. But then she is not the idiot that people are making her out to be. She is a genius at PR and marketing, which is how she has maintained her presence for decades now.
She has publicly stated that it was media’s fault the adoption failed and I agree on many of her points. This adoption was as newsworthy as gay marriage is important as an government issue. Yes, Madonna may have manipulated the media to some extent, but it’s the media’s choice to print the story all over the freakin’ world. Unfortunately, the media gives many people power they may not need or know how to use properly.
October 26th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
As an adoptee, I have trouble criticizing Madonna for choosing to adopt, so long as she followed the rules, paid the fees, and that was the end of it.
At the same time, AmyD is right – there are a ton of kids who needs homes in our own countries, but sometimes, taking in a child who needs the support from the down the street just isn’t as ’sexy’ as adopting a child from abroad…
October 26th, 2006 at 4:44 pm
I think that the adoption is a great thing, IF she is being genuine about it without any ulterior motives. That said, she has gone about this in the worst possible way. I mean he’s not even an orphan is he, he has a dad? Why couldn’t she pick a kid who was really an orphan and needed a home? It’s as if she decided to do it on impulse and didn’t think it through….It’s as if she decides to make a fruit smoothie cuz it’s the ‘in’ thing and she’s put in the beef casserole and mayo and tuna along with the fruit and yoghurt!
October 26th, 2006 at 4:59 pm
I think its great that Madonna felt compelled to adopt the boy. I seem to remember reading that she said she felt an immediate connection with him. I also think its pretty sad that the media is coming down so hard on her. I mean, she went to help, felt a connection with a sick child in an orphanage and adopted him. She is to be commended. I wonder why the big stink now with Madonna and no big stink when it was Angelina…hmmmm.
October 26th, 2006 at 5:13 pm
Oh…I forgot…while there are kids here that need homes, there are kids in all parts of the world that also need homes. With the various diseases that run rampant in many countries, the opportunity to just ‘live and breath’ can’t be taken for granted…so I guess that if there is a child from Africa that someone is willing to give a chance to, then I think its great. I remember reading an article about Dr. Rey (a plastic surgeon) from Dr. 90210, he was an adoptee from Brazil, his story is very, very interesting. Someone adopted him and gave him a chance, now look at him. Simply amazing. Sorry for the long posts :-)
October 26th, 2006 at 6:08 pm
Instead of adopting one child and spending millions on him and turning him into a useless, coke sniffing, arrogant, drunk, womanising brat, she should perhaps setup a nice orphanage in Malawi and help thousands if not Millions…
Rich ppl always have this “air” about themselves that laws don’t apply to them…
October 26th, 2006 at 6:44 pm
Madonna is reportedly funding an orphan care center.
http://www.raisingmalawi.org/rm/home.html
I think its great because she is actually helping the people of Malawi AND she is (hopefully) going to enable to child to become educated…hopefully he will return to his country to help in the future.
I think its the best of both…
October 27th, 2006 at 1:11 am
Ok. People have been treating Latin American and Asian babies like “coach bags” for years. African nations seem to have more stringent adoption regulations–or at least, many used to. It sounds as though Malawi may have let Madonna jump the line a bit, but seriously, how long was that line? The only thing that makes this different is her level of celebrity.
I don’t know what her motives are, but after having spent months researching and delevoping a group of stories on transracial–and by extention, international–adoption, I have to say, I generally support it. It would have been nice if Madonna had set an example by adopting an American child, but frankly, even then, she’d likely catch hell for it. It’s often very difficult in the States to adopt transracially, and even more challenging if the family is “atypical”–which can mean anything from single, gay (but stable and partnered), male, even too “old.” Sometimes it’s just easier to adopt internationally.
i do hope, however, that recent high-profile celebrity adoptions will inspire some of the gripers to take their own complaints to heart and maybe adopt some of the hundreds of thousands of American orphans, themselves.
October 27th, 2006 at 8:52 am
YC: You pose a REALLY interesting question, and I think it’s the root question that’s on everyone’s mind: “What is the motive?”
tara: I agree with you about the domestic adoption stuff to a certain extent. I mean, if the “motive” is that they want to help a poor kid, hell, there are PLENTLY of poor & orphaned kids in the US. So it can’t simply be the desire to quell poverty — though you’d be hard-pressed to find parents who have adopted kids from other countries say that their motives were financial (those kids are cheaper), selfish (those kids are more fashionable), vile (other countries typically don’t have laws that protect biological parents) or anything other than altruistic.
AWE: You bring up another good point: not everyone is fit to be a good parent. I’m sure whether Madonna is or isn’t, but it’s definitely something worth considering.
AmyD: That’s true … all the media coverage has focused on Madonna but very few people are talking about how this kid need a home (any home) right now.
Nat: You ask, “hasn’t the whole foreign adopting craze gone a little too far?” In my opinion? Yes, yes it has. I’m not against international adoptions. I’m just saying that our country hasn’t really looked into the deeper issues about the issue. For example, of the two couples that I know personally who have adopted … The first couple admitted that they got a girl from China because (a) it was cheaper and (b) it lessened the chance that one of the biological parents would ever come knocking on their door asking for their baby back. The other pair is a lesbian couple who said, unfortunately, they couldn’t find anyone in the US who would let them adopt. So, they went to Russia and got a (note: “white”) kid there.
Howard: You said, “this adoption was as newsworthy as gay marriage is important as an government issue.” I couldn’t agree with you more.
Mitch: Good point!
Darwin: And, that’s a GREAT analogy.
CeeCee: Honestly, I don’t know why no one seemed to give Angelina any crap, but Madonna is getting a TON of coverage on her adoption. Hmmm …
CeeCee: I sometimes feel like the US is also rampant with diseases. :) And, I didn’t know that the Dr. 90210 guy was adopted.
Momok: “Spending millions on him and turning him into a useless, coke sniffing, arrogant, drunk, womanising brat” … Robert Downey Jr. was adopted?!?!?! ;)
CeeCee: KUDOS to her!! :) That’s great.
sid: WELL SAID!!! :) And, you bring up the big white elephant in the room that very few in the media have been willing to touch: race/ethnicity. In the US at least, the trend seemed to be to adopt kids from Eastern Europe because, well, they were white. Then Chinese girls became the new Russians. People adopted girls because “they were unwanted there”; so China became the hip, fashionable and socially acceptably country in which to go baby-shopping. Now, as it seems, Latin America & Africa are the new China. Related sidenote …. At church the other day, I ran into this blonde guy who was holding his somewhat newborn baby. Small talk ensued. I said, “Awwww, what a cute little baby.” He laughed & said, “Yeah, we kind of felt bad because he knew the HIP thing would have been to get a kid from China or something. But, instead, we decided to kick it old school and just make a baby on our own.” Call me goofy, but I thought that was kind of cute & funny.
PS: For the record and in case anyone was wondering … if I ever decided that I wanted kids, I’m pretty sure that I would adopt–domestically. There are more than enough cute little brown babies right here in the US of A. :)
October 27th, 2006 at 3:20 pm
many good points, but i don’t think it’s fair to say there are so many children waiting to be adopted here in the US, why’d she have to go to Africa.
Perhaps that’s precisely why. Children domestically up for adoption in the US probably have a better chance at a future than an orphan in Malawi who’s siblings died of AIDS. Adopting internationally is often expensive and those who can afford to should. You can’t hold that against her.
I think all the negativity is unfortunate. She’s proven to be a good mother (her 2 kids seem fine), she’s involving herself in a real way with Sach’s Millenium Village, and was/is doing so much for the country of Malawi. She said on Oprah, she plans to take David back to Malawi with her on visits, and hopes that he can use the education and opportunties she can give him to go to back to Malawi and do something for his country. That’s a beautiful thing.
ps: stoli, I’m still having to fill in all info everytime I leave a comment!! just hope this doesn’t go to spam.
October 29th, 2006 at 10:01 pm
I think it’s all fixed now. Your comment posted immediately and it didn’t shuttled to that random-ass Comment Limbo that I never check. Hopefully your details will stick this time too. :)
May 11th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you….
March 29th, 2009 at 4:00 am
Let's give her a chance. There's nothing wrong with Ladonna's adopting another child. It's good that she's helping a homeless child to have a family. That child will be loved. Why don't they give her a chance?