Nadya Suleman was “fixated” on wanting a “huge family” because she wanted “more affection from [her] mother.” That’s the story that was laid out this morning on The Today Show, as Ann Curry interviewed the mother of now-14 children. It was a coup for The Today Show–this is the kind of non-hard-news, tabloid-level story that morning shows adore: not tragic (the babies are alive and, on camera this morning, adorable in the hospital neo-natal unit we were shown) yet controversial (as Curry asked, “How will you feed all these children?”).
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Suleman is now becoming into pop-culture focus: we’re getting used to her calm voice, her avid gaze at her questioner. If we accept the pop-psychology scenario The Today Show imposed on the story, Suleman, after a “failed seven-year marriage” and numerous miscarriages, ended up having a total of 14 children. She volunteered that much of her motivation was about “me projecting my own wants and wishes onto my children.”
“To what degree is this too much about you and not enough about them?” asked Curry, even as The Today Show made it more about Suleman and less about the babies. Suleman came off as articulate, pious (“God will provide in his own way,” she said in answer to the “how will you feed them” question), and troubled, admitting to feeling “guilt, fear, disappointed in myself” for not being able to carry the babies to term. Curry asked Suleman if she was “deluded.” I’d say that The Today Show could have spent more time on real hard news, such as the economy and the President’s struggling stimulus package, but what’s the point? A morning news show like this mixes hard and soft news–if Suleman wasn’t around, they’d have spent more time talking about the Grammy Awards, most likely.
Meanwhile, those babies await attention: from their mother, but also from an America that will probably do its usual variety of things: help them, condemn or praise their mother, exploit them, and gaze upon them blissfully. And of course: More about Nadya tomorrow night, on NBC’s Dateline.
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Ken. I disagree. It is tragic. Tragic for the 14 kids who have a mentally ill mother and no dad. Tragic for the people in California who will now have to support 14 kids. Tragic for the Kaiser members who will get their rates raised to pay for the 5 million dollar birth and addition medical expenses. Tragic, yes.
I think any media outlet that continues to cover the octuplets is complicite in this deranged woman’s attempt at gaining attention, support and sympathy for a situation she put herself in. I’m looking down my nose at Ann Curray and NBC, but if they didn’t snap up the story, someone else would have. If ratings are the bottom line, they’ve won. But at what price dignity?
The grandma should have kicked the crazy nut out of her house after the second baby was born.
Maybe people should be giving the ring leader of this three ring circus mental help instead of national attention.
The woman is indeed delusional and the fertility doctor who impregnated her with all of those fetuses needs to have two things done to him/her -
1. Have his/her license taken away
2. Pay for the upbringing of all of those kids!
This woman is obviously psychotic… I couldn’t keep track of 7 cats with needs, food, meds, vets, etc… how much time does she think 14 kids will take?
The welfare system will supply a nice check to this woman every month but who will hold these babies when they cry, when they wake in the middle of the night , who will keep them safe, or when they just need one on one time with Mom. Physically it is impossible to care for so many children at one time. This woman is an unfit parent. My heart bleeds for these babies.
I like how she had time to get her nails done.
Look at the bright side – its 8 more democratic voters.
The media’s coverage of this and other sideshows only encourages this type of behavior.
Thanks slimeball media.
That’s great that after a year and you get your masters your going to be able to provide for your children. So what until then?? Not too mention you chose a pretty crumby time to have 14 children and look for a job. And what are you going to make like 300K a year because that’s what your going to need to provide care for your kids. This woman is crazy plain and simple. She even said that she wanted all the embryos implanted in her knowing how dangerous it would be…Yes you love your children sooo much that you would put them in danger and then not be able to provide for them when there born… Her kids should be checked in time to time by DSS and she should not be given money from TV shows. All this is going to do is encourage people to have lots of children to gain publicity. She needs to join the rest of the world on planet Earth where having 14 kids doesn’t make the world pause till you get a job and feed your kids.
14 kids? WOW! And I am having trouble deciding if I want to have my first child.
I am going to boycott NBC for a week because they enabled this ditz.
Well, maybe Obama will give her a bailout for her irresponsibility like the mortgage companies.
Any company or show that gives this woman product or money should be boycotted. Maybe this will stop another nut case from doing the same for fame and fortune.