Madonna and her latest....

[wishful thinker]

....must have accessory, a Malawian baby called David.

I can't help but be appalled at the way the woman turned up, like a visit to Battersea Dog's Home, and whisked this poor child away from his native country, in defiance of the local laws, and the protest of children's rights campainers.

Surely if her intentions were that altrusitic she could of helped the child's father to bring him up himself. 

[zheer]

Ithe woman turned up, like a visit to Battersea Dog's Home, and whisked this poor child away from his native country,

 Thats one way of putting it, a more accurate way would be, madonna turned up and decided to adopt a child and provide that child with a far better life, with the consent of the childs farther.

[wishful thinker]

That consent is now being contested.  The news today is that the father thought it to be a temporary arrangement.

And why help just one to a better life?  I am sure with her money she could have done much more for the wider community (including helping the boy's father).

[zheer]

.  The news today is that the father thought it to be a temporary arrangement.

  I doubt that, simply because he said yes if it means my child will have a better future, the implecation being long term. Hence once the child reaches 18 for example he could return at his free will to his country.

[jas]

I'm in two minds about this. I think that when Angelina Jolie did it it was a great thing, and done for the kids' sake rather than her own. She seems to know a good deal about it. Isn't she a UN Goodwill ambassador or something? With Madonna, though, I'm not so sure. It looks like she's jumping on a bandwagon to me, and it's looking slightly as though this child is something of an accessory. She's always had to be at the cutting edge of every trend, and she courts controversy at every opportunity, without seeming to care who she offends.

However, if the kid is going to have a better life with her than at home, then that's no bad thing. She's got her own kids, so she must know what she's doing. And she's donated a lot of money, so it's not as though she's just whipped him away and left everyone there in complete poverty. Regardless of her intentions, adopting that boy will make a huge difference to his life, which is what's important.

I just think that in the long run this adoption thing isn't going to help much, because it's beginning to look like it's not completely altruistic. Or maybe I'm just too sceptical.

[ada]

Madonna should be ashamed of herself. She is a disgrace and an embarrassment.

Her pathetic decision to adopt a cute impoverished African kid doesn't have the slightest thing to do with altruism.

It's nothing but the most shallow, self indulgent and cynical attempt to collect the latest must-have celebrity fashion accessory like another Gucci handbag.

You can be sure the kid isn't hairlipped or HIV positive.

With her money, why doesn't she become a patron of the whole orphanage or two or three or four? A couple of million bucks a year is just a drop in the ocean for her, but it could make a lot of difference to a lot of people.

Instead she's taking the kid away from its family and culture and heritage to bring it up in the glare of the paparazzi spotlight and on the front cover of the trash mags.

When she splits with her husband what's going to happen then? Will she dump the kid on the hired help like Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise did with their adopted children so they could go an live in Nashville with their new partner or start another family, cos adopted kids are so last year? 

Shame, Madonna.

[gilad]

that little boy is a lucky child. Life in Malawi is filled with poverty and hardships.
What, is it better he remains there, an orphan in his native land?
Think globally is all I can say, if the child ever wants to visit malawi its only 15 or hours away, there he can go back to his "beloved orphanage". Anyway, most people this side of the world dream of moving to developed countries, life is not a bed of roses when you're an orphan in one of the most impoverished countries in the world. Good for David and good for Madonna.

[henrah]

Madonna should be ashamed of herself. She is a disgrace and an embarrassment.

Her pathetic decision to adopt a cute impoverished African kid doesn't have the slightest thing to do with altruism.

It's nothing but the most shallow, self indulgent and cynical attempt to collect the latest must-have celebrity fashion accessory like another Gucci handbag.

You can be sure the kid isn't hairlipped or HIV positive.

With her money, why doesn't she become a patron of the whole orphanage or two or three or four? A couple of million bucks a year is just a drop in the ocean for her, but it could make a lot of difference to a lot of people.

Instead she's taking the kid away from its family and culture and heritage to bring it up in the glare of the paparazzi spotlight and on the front cover of the trash mags.

When she splits with her husband what's going to happen then? Will she dump the kid on the hired help like Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise did with their adopted children so they could go an live in Nashville with their new partner or start another family, cos adopted kids are so last year?

Shame, Madonna.

Would you say the same thing about Angelina Jolie?

[jspash]

personally i don't have a opinion one way or the other about the kid...

but I AM APPALLED by her "English" accent 

i'm a fellow American who has lived in England for 7 years, and the only thing that has changed is that my grammar has gotten better. (or is that gooder?)

[gorbee natcase]

The girls go to have her trophie

[letters]

I think its shameful that the laws on adoption in Malawi can be bent so that Madonna can adopt this child. If she really cared about the child then she would be more than happy to live in Malawi for a time, and go through the whole adoption process (which takes about 4 years i believe.) However she just can't be bothered because she can just get them to give her one straight away! It doesn't appear that much thought has gone into this.

Angelina Jolie on the other hand, although a controversial character, is a UN goodwill ambassador and i feel she cares more about the children and their cause than Madonna does.

I don't understand why they can't just donate a ton of money instead of picking up these kids. Surely they would be better off growing up in their own country but in better conditions. Just wait til Jade Goody or somesuch adopts a child. That's when it starts getting a bit sick.

[thalbergmad]

Lets us pray that Paris Hilton does not get the same idea.

Thal

[ahinton]

Lets us pray that Paris Hilton does not get the same idea.

Thal

For heaven's sake, man - do not pray, or urge prayer, for any reason (however plausible it may otherwise be, in and of itself, as here) on this forum; you surely know that this will simply be taken as an invitation for "pianistimo" to write about prayer (which, of couse, she is welcome to do if so she chooses, except that it is not a specific part of the subject of this thread)...

Best,

Alistair

[ada]

Lets us pray that Paris Hilton does not get the same idea.

Thal

Get with it Thal, she already does. Don't you read the gossip rags?

Her quote was that she wanted to adopt a child, presumably to keep her pinkachu company, because she isn't the kind of girl who has a baby out out of wedlock.

Wonderful to see a woman with such high moral standards and sound logic.

[thalbergmad]

Sounds like i am behind the times as usual.

The whole subject disturbs me, everyone in Hollywood will now want a Malawi child.

I would rather live in poverty, filth and be disease ridden than be subjected to a lifetime of prying eyes.

God help the poor little bugger.

Thal

[ahinton]

everyone in Hollywood will now want a Malawi child

...provided (as has already been observed) that the said child has no hair lip and/or does not test HIV positive; well, that should depopulate Malawi fairly rapidly, I imagine - so might one suppose that plans are already afoot to set up American armed forces bases there immediately following completion of such a depopulation exercise? Gotta keep that freedom-'n-democracy-(with-fries) boat afloat, after all - and we all know that it belongs exclusive to the US navy, don't we?...

Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

Guy Ritchie was interviewed on the radio today.

He said: "Thats the last time i give Madonna my credit card and tell her to buy a nice black number".

Thal

[ahinton]

Guy Ritchie was interviewed on the radio today.

He said: "Thats the last time i give Madonna my credit card and tell her to buy a nice black number".

Thal

Very amusing, of course - and in that time-honoured Thalbergian manner to which we have all had the delight to become accustomed on this forum...

That said, the idea that even Mr Ritchie would feel any need to give Madonna his credit card for any purpose whatsoever seems just that little bit untenable...

What's so special about Madonna, anyway? She's quite a shrewd businesswoman, I'll give her that, of course - but beyond this...

Best,

Alistair

[zheer]

Guy Ritchie was interviewed on the radio today.

He said: "Thats the last time i give Madonna my credit card and tell her to buy a nice black number".

Thal

    , what a terrible thing to say.

[wishful thinker]

There was an excellent article in the London Evening Standard today about the experience of an Eritrian girl adopted by an english couple in the '70s.  I will try and find it (and she has written a book, soon to be published).  The bottom line is that despite the love and support from her adoptive parents, she wished it never had happened.