I’ve always had this unmistakable love and admiration for Hilary Duff. Me and Hil, we go way back — to the third marking period of 7th grade, to be specific. After “Lizzie McGuire” first aired on the Disney Channel in January of 2001, I started to have recurring dreams that we were friends in real life. I even wrote her a fan letter that remains under my bed, unsent, to tell her so.
We were just like each other! We were both a little awkward with a questionable fashion sense. We both had little brothers and goofy dads and moms that cared. We were born only three weeks apart! As far as I was concerned at the age of 13, Hilary/Lizzie were the same person, and I appreciated all of her totally normal and relatable flaws. So when Hilary announced this past Sunday that she was expecting her first child with husband of one year, Mike Comrie, I got choked up. Even though we’re the same age and I can’t imagine myself married with children any time soon, the girl did the Disney image right. I’m so happy for you, Hil.
When famous people have babies (and it happens a lot!), they have to make a choice. Will they shield their children from the lens of the paparazzi or push them towards it? Ignore record deals offered to their middle schoolers, or let the kids sing their hearts out and seek fame?
Plenty of pop star offspring have tried and succeeded at “making it” like their parents before them. Perhaps you’ve heard of singer-actress Zoe Kravitz, baby girl to Lenny. Miley Cyrus has her country crooner daddy Billy Ray to thank for her outstanding career as singer/actress/spectacle, just like little Willow Smith owes her top 10 singles to papa Will. This isn’t a new trend — the women of ’90s pop group Wilson Phillips are daughters of the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson. Liza Minnelli is the daughter of Judy Garland. Hey, if you had those connections you’d probably rock them, too.
Madonna’s daughter, Lourdes, is 15, which is primetime for the burgeoning pop singer these days. Son Rocco is only 10 — but hey, so is Willow Smith. Gwen Stefani’s babies sure are growing up quick — Kingston is 5 and totally working father Gavin Rossdale’s rocker look. Toddler Zuma is about to turn 3. With names like these, they’re bound for stardom.
Britney Spears’ sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, will be 6 and 5 this September, respectively. Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz’s kid, Bronx, will turn 3 in November. (I have no doubts that Fall Out Boy’s records will have a strange and unfortunate influence on Bronx’s young life.) Christina Aguilera’s son, Max, was also born in 2008. Rumor has it, People Magazine paid Xtina $1.5 million for the baby pictures — the ninth most expensive baby pictures ever published.
What route do you think Hilary will take? Keep the kid hidden post pop-out (no pun intended) or accept a pretty penny for the photos? I’m on the fence. While I want Hil to maintain her caring and loving good-girl image, I’m not gonne lie — I want to see those pictures!
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Allison Berger is a Philadelphia-based writer and a pop music columnist for Reverb. Check out more of her writing here.
