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How much is your baby worth?

Posted in Media, Marketing, Latest reporters' blogs, Lucy Tesseras February 22nd, 2008 by Lucy Tesseras

It’s official. Babies sell.

Today Jennifer Lopez gave birth to twins. A momentous occasion for any new mother, but not as momentous as the $6 million (£3.1 million) deal she has reportedly cut with US magazine People for the exclusive rights to the first pictures.

Not content with putting her six fragrances, various clothing lines, albums, books and movies on the shelves, J-Lo now wants to add children to her expanding portfolio of brands.

Is nothing sacred anymore? Is the sheer joy of becoming a parent not enough, or is greed and exposure just worth that little bit more?

Yes celebrities by nature want to be in the spotlight, but even they should draw the line somewhere, shouldn’t they? Not least to protect the lives (and sanity) of their children, who if they’re not careful will be bombarded by paparazzi from the minute they wake up to the minute they go to sleep.

The magazines will argue that they are only providing what is being demanded of them, but what excuse do the stars have, and why do feel to need to constantly flood us with the intimate details of their private lives?

They are effectively pimping out their children for the entertainment of others, to look at it crudely, which in any other world wouldn’t be acceptable.

J-Lo is just the latest in a long list though. Last week Christina Aguilera showed off pictures of her baby Max for an estimated $1.5 million (£771,287), and prior to that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt sold exclusive snaps of Shiloh for $4 million (£2.1 million).

With babies due this year from Halle Berry, Jessica Alba, Gwen Stefani and Jamie Lynn Spears, among others, it looks like the war is set to intensify on who can earn the most for their children.