• by Payal Berning , February 17, 2012

Moms value the opinions of other moms because they all face the same types of experiences—the good, the bad and the very messy. Marketers employ the use of celebrities for many products, especially those directed at moms and her family. It made us wonder about how celebrity moms are perceived and valued by real moms. Are moms becoming de-sensitized to the portrayal of celebrity moms in the media, or do they welcome it? We turned to our global community of moms in the Moms Human Experience Center to if celebrity moms are welcomed into the “real moms” world.

Admiration, respect and even friendship exists

Moms crave celebrity gossip. They soak in the content through magazines and websites with both admiration and judgment for the celebrities.

Moms feel connected to celebrity moms when they share common experiences. For example, when moms are pregnant at the same time as a celebrity, an unspoken bond is formed.

“Seeing a favorite celeb growing a bump in tandem with mine makes me feel like we’re bonded for life. I had a celeb pregnancy BFF both times I was pregnant. One was Courtney Cox.” –An American mom

“The most recent celebrity mother I have started admiring is Aishwarya Rai only for the fact that she chose to bring her child into this world through natural method of childbirth. She showed the world that ‘no one is too posh to push.’”

-AnIndian mom

Celebrity moms’ “Perfect Motherhood” just doesn’t resonate with real moms

While moms honor each other through the bond of motherhood, they lack the ability to relate to other celeb moms’ lifestyles. They do not share the same values or problems that plague most moms. In fact, the life of a celeb mom can cause stress on real moms by setting the bar too high, and creating unrealistic standards of perfection.

“I have no interest in celebrity moms because they don't live in the same world as us, and sometimes it's ridiculous to see how their children are dressed (for example the kid of Tom Cruise who has shoes with heels at 4 - isn't it even dangerous for her back?) I prefer to ask my mom or my friends because we share the same values.” –A French mom

“When you see celebrity mums they are all so pampered and preened to perfection when in reality, mums do not get chance to wash their hair for days on ends and practically live in their maternity clothes, these celeb mums seem to be back in their skinny jeans before its time for baby’s next feed.” –A British mum

An appreciation for the genuine

However, even though it feels like celebrity moms are from another planet at times, moms value “real” stories of motherhood. Moms appreciate when celebrity moms share their stories of parenting in an authentic and genuine way – it makes them relatable, admirable and part of the “moms club.” When celebrity moms turn off the “celeb” behavior, they are celebrated and appreciated by moms around the world.  

“Gwyneth Paltrow said that she is sometimes angry with her children and she finds it normal as we are all just people. Angelina Jolie told about the importance of having your personal time for your inner strength and health. I sympathized with Britney Spears when she was going through the divorce having 2 children.”-A Russian mom

“I think there is comfort for moms in realizing that there are aspects of parenting/pregnancy that are glamorous for no one -- not even celebrities.”-An American mom

A new breed of Celebrity Moms

Are we on the verge of a new “celebrity mom” endorsement? Here in the United States, we are seeing celebrities like Soleil Moon Frye, Mayim Balik and Jessica Alba sharing their genuine experiences as moms, not celebs, and it is creating a wave of positivity among females. Basically, they are endorsing motherhood!

“Remember the sitcom ‘Punky Brewster’ ... check out her site The Little Seed. She also blogs and tweets about being a happy, messy mom. What could be wrong with that?” – An American mom

We’re also seeing a new breed of “celebrity” moms in the blogosphere that connects with moms on a 1:1 level. Mommy bloggers represent a new type of celebrity that moms listen to and aspire to be.

"I also think there are some new generation ‘celebrity moms’ who are the mommy bloggers. I know a lot of moms who read their blogs and get some parenting, design, food, etc. advice from these sources."- An American mom

So if you are thinking of including a celebrity mom in your next campaign, find one that your mom audience can relate to. And make sure that she is sharing honest stories of motherhood that other females can celebrate and enjoy around the world.