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Friday, January 28, 2011 | 8:17am
SOUND OFF: Are Will & Jada Smith ‘Pimping’ Their Kids?
Was Terry McMillan correct in her Assessment?
@officialwillow @TheRealJaden @OfficialWSmith @jadapsmith
On Wednesday, acclaimed author Terry McMillan took to Twitter and announced what we’ve all (well many of us have been thinking.) Will and Jada Pinkett Smith are “pimping and exploiting” their offspring, Willow and Jaden. The comment was not completely random and comes amid news that Jay-Z has once again teamed with the Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment to produce a remake of “Annie” with Willow starring in the lead role. This same collaboration was responsible for the Broadway smash hit, Fela and the blueprint (pun intended) for such film was laid when Jaden starred in the Karate Kid remake.
McMillian a mother in her own right, felt the use of their children was “abbusive” and that such upbringing just “isn’t healthy.”
@msterrymcmillan: It feels like the Smith children are being pimped and exploited. Or, they’re already hungry for fame. What about 4th grade? The Smith children already act like child stars.
There’s an arrogance in their demeanor and behavior. I find it incredibly sad. A lot of A-list movie stars shielded their children from the Hollywood-world until they were old enough to decide. Look at those who didn’t. Look at Lindsay. Phoenix. To name but a few. They miss out on childhood. It’s more important than fame.
These kids don’t already know what they ‘love.’ Total bullshit. They’re not prodigies. They think Hollywood is real.
The comments have since been deleted but needless to say it sparked a whirlwind of discussion and controversy for the outspoken author. She would later semi-apologize/ semi-clarify via Twitter.
@msterrymcmillan: I raised my son. I’m not wasting another minute worrying about how Will & Jada are raising their kids.
@msterrymcmillan: I apologize for using the word pimp and exploit in referring to the Smith children. It was insensitive of me and wrong.
@msterrymcmillan: It is amazing, though, how fast an unflattering comment gets retweeted versus one that’s flattering.
Yeah amazing how that happens huh? We’re an exploitative society. This is capitalism after all right? Dog eat dog world, crabs in a barrel? But instead of bashing Terry, since I’m not famous by any means, I don’t think I’m jeopardizing anything by pondering the point further. Is she right? Isn’t she? I mean backtracking is the politically correct thing to do but how should we feel about the Pinkett-Smith spawn?
Are their not lasting psychological implications? Lets face it, Hollywood psychiatrists have been lining up for years jockeying for the rights to treat these two. The percentage of child stars turned adults with “issues” is endless. Michael Jackson, Dana Plato, Todd Bridges, Gary Coleman, Cory Haim and Feldman, MacCauly Culkin, River Pheonix….I mean the list goes on.
These kids are still in the development phase. At that age they’re supposed to be learning responsibility, sharing and living among the world. These kids are instead GIVEN the world. Told to live it up, everything is cool until…you mess up. Do a few lines of coke and eventually land under a blanket with bags under your eyes and a cigarette talking to Dr. Drew on Celebrity Rehab.
Now I have no idea what kind of life is like in the Smith household and if proper values are being imparted so it would be irresponsible of me to speculate. But regardless, does that change the fact that these kids are being used for a greater gain? Hell take it a step further, we had a discussion yesterday about the Illuminati? Who really is behind their success? Where do we draw the line with these kids? SOUND OFF: Do you co-sign what Terry McMillan said. Are Will and Jada “Pimping” their kids?
FILED IN Editorials, Entertainment, Fashion, Movies, TV
This society uses or “pimps” whomever it can in order to make the Almighty Dollar! I don’t see The Smiths being any different than any parents who are trying to promote or help their children “make it.” Now, perhaps they can exercise better judgement in how much they expose them to, as far as amount of work and environment. However, look at athletes. One can claim that some parents pimp their kids out when they let them go out of state and stay with “host” families and play basketball/football for some prep academy (which are just factories for D1 schools and pimps/agents). What about them? And then, when they get to college, don’t the colleges exploit the athletes? but you see the parents sitting in the stands with their kids’ jersey on and face painted in the school colors, hooting and hollering. Was what happened to Reggie Bush and more recently Cam Newton not “pimping” by their parents? …. Anywayz, I think Ms. McMillan is way out of line for saying that. She is a “public” person that Black people listen to and she is well respected and can shape the sheep’s public opinion. She should mind her business.
i agree with ms. mcmillan. just b/c its goin on in all circles doesnt make it rite. the kids are the future and arent we tired of all the hollyweird stuff. why dont will and jada break the mold? they have enuff money that 3 generations of their family want have to ever work. so why? i see a jackson family in the making
I agree with your perspective, dewayne. I think the same way. But I don’t think people (especially influential people) should start spouting off in the media, calling people pimps. It’s really nobody’s business how they choose to raise their children, even if we have examples of child stars who have had problems as adults, perhaps due to their hollywood upbringing. They are not the only ones. Many, many people have problems raising their kids. Hell, few don’t in this world. There is no guarantee that they will turn out like the failures that we read about. Just like there is no guarantee they will be upstanding model citizens if they just go to an elite private school and then Harvard. Life happens.
agreed! no one shud mouth off about someone else and how they raise their children. it would have been in her best intrest to hold that in. ur rite there is no guarantee that they will turn out rite but will and jada are already ahead of the curve. two parent home, no financial issues, they look healthy i mean its somethin to be said about not havin a childhood.
Yeah I was going to say the same thing. Trust me, The Smith kids were set before they came out of the womb. I know both parents are very creative so chances are their children would be as well…simple genetics but they’re going hard with these two kids. At least Will and to some extent Jada stick very close. I guess I would respect it more if they both retired and instead focused on fostering their children’s careers. But now it seems like every move they make is pump Jaden and Willow (sp?) down our throats.
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I guess we will have to see what happens when these kids hit adulthood…. From what I understand in the game of pimps and hoes, the pimps get all the money and real fame and the hoes get backhanded and left with nothing….
And how much of a childhood do these kids really have being the kids of Will and Jada? I think that once you have parents in the celebrity spotlight as much as Will and Jada is/are?, you are marked, and your childhood is altered from birth.
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At the end of the day McMillan should mind her business. To broadcast your aversion on how someone is raisng THEIR children is irresponsible and reckless…..
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Isnt she the one that got her groove back, come to find out her husband was a closet homosexual? Dont comment on someones house when yours is in apparent disarray….
Good point. That would be the classic comeback from Will or Jada. We didn’t tweet about you when you found out your husband was on the down low.
Whats wrong with setting yours kids up for success and not failure?
I think they already did that. My question was did they take it a bit too far.
What’s up with people and TWITTER. TWITTER is not a new type of social network as far as connecting with other people, what it has become is an immediate, spontaneous, PUBLIC thought record. That means it is usually NOT well thought out. With that being said, will people PLEASE stop apologizing and deleting sh#t that you put on Twitter. Stop backtracking…just admit that you felt that way AT THAT TIME and now that you thought about it you feel a different way.
You hit the nail on the head. I think you’re absolutely right. I’m not sure celebrities have discovered exactly how to speak when everyone is watching/ reading. People say things they don’t mean. Even celebrities do. They’re just not used to not having a buffer. This is how it should be.
I’m cool with them being in the business, it’s almost unavoidable since BOTH of their parents are in it and have been for a long time. Nepotism has been going on in Hollywood since day 1 and if they are going to hook their kids up, then so be it.
Terry need to go finish Exhaling or something. She just want her name in folk mouth. Have not been there in a while.
I don’t think they’re pimping their kids per say, I think that their kids have grown up in this fancy, worry free house hold (as far as financial struggles go), and they know what fame is and what it means to be popular. I think the kids are the ones who are asking to be in the spotlight and Will is a blockbuster actor who can get them in there easily. I can’t knock on their hustle at all. My daughter is going to be 9yrs old in April, and she has already expressed interest to me about wanting to have her own show on Nickelodeon. Her favorite show is iCarly and she wants to a tv star and do music. Its what she sees on tv and she loves it. If I had the money and power to help her follow her dream I’d do it. Maybe its the same the Smiths’ kids. But I’d wait until my daughter is about 16 or 17 before I would even try lol.
one thing alot of famous people say is “i wish i wasnt famous” i wish we could know how the children feel. they would never be normal but michael jordan’s son looks like hes havin fun bein normal. i mean they cant go to public schools but reading scripts? acting ,shootin videos, i jus hope we dont have another todd bridges and ol girl from growing pains.
Will and Jada mos def have their hand in what their kids do in a positive way. Ms.Exhale may need 2 worry about not catching another “Down Low” or “Up High Homo Husband” instead of knocking the Hustle of Will and Jada and their kids r doing.It’s not like they are doing the shit that Drew Barrymore used 2 do at 5 and 10 yrs old(Powdering the her nose) or what Lindsay Cokehead and Miley Syphillis, Citrus or however u pronounce her name r doing. U want 2 talk about XXXploit check the Cokehead fam and Miley’s dad Billy Bob Syphillis or Citrus , I know I am f_cking up their names my fault.
I think everyone needs to mind their business. From what i see Jada and Will are letting their children play positive roles. I could see if they were playing roles that exploited themselves with s*x and drugs and other things. But from here it seems to be all positive.
But I do see the attitude from Jayden she is talking about. But I have also seen it with kids not in this type of spot light. So over all i think Mrs. Mcmillan needs to mind her own d*mn Business.
Look,..Dont Insult Terry McMillan for having an opinion and vocalizing.She has that right,Just like we are excercising our right to agree or disagree right now.I dont care, how famous she is or isnt or how influential she is or isnt. She can say what she want’s to. Hell, If she said it in a coffee shop over a cappucino…amongst friends and associates.She may as well speak her mind anywhere she damn well pleases. This IS America after all. I agree with her to an extent. However, We cannot judge Will,Willow,Jada and Jaden based upon the failures of others. None of us live in their house, They arent our parents or our kids, so We don’t know what is good or bad FOR THEM. We don’t know what THEIR children can handle or not. We don’t know HOW THEY WERE PREPARED,COACHED,COAXED,OR MOULDED.WE DONT KNOW IF THEY BUGGED THE HELL OUT OF THEIR PARENTS TO FOLLOW IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS.
…We dont know. So, We can disagree or agree…but respect each other’s right to do just that and not start talking about each other…LIKE BLACK FOLKS TEND TO DO..we turn on each other about stupid crap all of the time.
I guess we have to sit back and wait and trust that Will and Jada have things under control and are working for what THEY feel is best for THEIR children.
So I say, good luck to The Smiths…and at the same time. Thank you Ms McMillan for sharing your thoughts…thoughts that the majority of people have been thinking or muttering to themselves anyway…
I intend to hope for the best for all parties involved…but, when the signs get bad..not talk crap about them..