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I’m not people, I’m person and I’ve never said that. What I have said and stand by is that the obsession by adults (particularly men) on a parents mesage board with the personal details of a young couple is disturbing. Agree, disagree, whatever. It’s icky.</p>
<p>People don’t appear “obsessed”- just observing and commenting. And Soozie is neither obsessed, nor a “he”. Not sure why she got singled our for commentary or hounding.</p>
<p>Sarah Palin has shown everyone what can happen when you pimp out your kids. She also showed Bristol how to turn a buck by being in the limelight. How else are they going to come close to making the kind of money needed to keep them in the style to which they have become accustomed? Levi was a failure at becoming a celebrity because he has the personality of a rock so he went back to a more reliable source of income. They cashed in on that reconciliation and made hay in the tabloids.</p>
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True. ANd that says a lot about them. None of it good.</p>
<p>But the vast number of long, snarky threads about them says just as much about the posters who are so invested.</p>
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That isn’t a very nice thing to say. Seems most posters here are just making observations or comments. Why the need to pass judgement, especially when the criticism seems to be about posters who you are accusing of passing judgement.</p>
<p>I do not think that the fact that people are commenting about this news story makes such posters “invested.” After all, zooser, you are commenting about it yourself. This is a cafe forum discussing a myriad of subjects, and often includes news stories of the day. Octomom was such a news story. When a story is in the news, and particularly in this case, the subjects of the news story ELECTED to put themselves in the news, it opens it up to commentary. This commentary is among friends or forum participants and not with the people in the news stories directly. The fact that people are chatting about stories in the news doesn’t make them “invested” or “obsessed.” You chat about all types of stories in the news, such as on the Pol Forum. Just because the subjects of this particular news story are young people, it doesn’t mean people are not going to notice or form opinions and chat about it. Actually, while they are young, they are also adults, not children. But in this case, they have chosen to be VERY public about their personal lives. That invites comments. And nobody is obligated to only have positive comments to make. I personally don’t think their relationship issues belong in the public eye and it is too bad that first their parents chose to make it so, and now the young couple has chosen to do that on a regular basis as well. If it were all behind closed doors, we would not be commenting. I don’t find it “icky” to converse with people about news stories in the press. That doesn’t make me invested or should not infer that it is all amusing. I feel badly for their troubles and tribulations. I can’t understand their desire to play it all out in the press. Sarah Palin elected that originally and it just continues for Bristol and Levi who have now elected that as well.</p>
<p>I imagine that Bristol was very happy when she thought that things were going to work out, and they would have a nice family of three. Since the earlier stages of their relationship were so public, she probably wanted to publicize what she thought would be a happy ending. Now that things have soured, she is probably regretting this decision.</p>
<p>I get the impression that Levi just wants to stay in the public eye in any way possible. I think I read somewhere that he wants an acting career. Not that he has training or experience in this field.</p>
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Yeah. And it probably really hurt. I would be humiliated and devastated under those circumstances. I have a kid the same age and I feel very sorry for Bristol.</p>
<p>The fact that many of us have kids in this age ballpark, is one reason the story is of interest. I also feel sorry for Bristol, even though I think it was a poor choice to constantly opt for magazine interviews about her personal life.</p>
<p>Bristol has a wealthy family behind her and is a good student from what I have read. She has completed high school and can probably get through college despite being a mom. Having a sibling close to her baby’s age makes child care a lot easier. I think she is pretty much set.</p>
<p>Levi’s family is as poor as dirt. Divorced mom shackled to her home due to a drug conviction. Dad is not contributing to family support. Levi also is a high school drop out, and I doubt very much that he has spent any time working on getting that degree or his GED. His ability to support himself is limited anywhere, but ALaska is a particularly poor state for getting work. His notoriety is about all he has to make any substantial money. </p>
<p>People are interested in their story, so it sells. Heck, there are 14 pages on this thread. I admit I am curious about how this is going to play out.</p>
<p>That is the problem with income being tied to personal information. Holding the check in one hand while holding the headline that resulted in the other must be a tough position. Regret becomes relative when she obviously wants a nice life for her son. I’m sure others who have decided their careers are being tabloid fodder would love to be able to make a comparable income doing other things, but what are those other things?</p>
<p>Totally true cartera. I always say that about Kate Gosselin.</p>
<p>I just feel bad for Bristol. I don’t know. I just do. I didn’t when she got engaged last time, but I can only imagine how much this latest must hurt.</p>
<p>I feel badly for her too. I felt badly for her a long time ago when she was dragged out on her mother’s stage and forced to be the poster child for unwed teenage mothers making all the right choices. The choices she didn’t get to make were involving the entire country and bringing Levi into the limelight to start with. Her mother made those choices for her and Bristol is still dealing with the ramifications. She must wonder what life would have been like had her mother decided not to “celebretize” the entire family.</p>
<p>Well said, cartera.</p>
<p>Seems the ex-girl friend pregnancy story was a total fabrication. Score one for Levi–he’s famous enough for people to be making things up about him.</p>
<p>I wonder how he will handle being falsely accused. It is a shame that it appears Bristol doubted him.</p>
<p>Perhaps he and Bristol can balance a marriage, family and celebrity status. I read that the “best estimate” for the family picture was $100K. Levi is getting $6K for the music video. It’s not like he isn’t trying to support their child.</p>
<p>[Lanesia</a> Garcia says Levi Johnston isnt her babydaddy | Entertainment/Music | Peacefmonline.com](<a href=“http://foreign.peacefmonline.com/entertainment/201008/65615.php]Lanesia”>http://foreign.peacefmonline.com/entertainment/201008/65615.php)</p>
<p>So, are the bets back on for the date of the wedding?</p>
<p>While I can’t find the original article I read about this a couple of days ago, it said the engagement was not called off necessarily due to the pregnant ex-girlfriend, Ms. Garcia. Supposedly, Bristol was upset about a meeting she had with another ex-girlfriend of Levi’s, Briana Plum, who said things that upset her, and further she found photos of her and Levi on Facebook. </p>
<p>All this is very high school-ish stuff that typically would not be public fodder of course. That said, on the face of it, Levi and Bristol were broken up during all this time. Was he not supposed to date other women? They only recently got back together. I mean it would hurt a young woman, I suppose, but Bristol and Levi had no plans to be a couple and so people move on. </p>
<p>But in any case, I sure wish they chose to keep this relationship stuff private. I realize there is money to be made by the interviews but after a point, it is embarrassing for them to be airing all this, I think.</p>
<p>Since I don’t have the original article I read to back this up, here is a new one that says something similar:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/briana-plum-the-reason-for-fallout-between-bristol-palin-and-levi-johnston_100405419.html[/url]”>http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/briana-plum-the-reason-for-fallout-between-bristol-palin-and-levi-johnston_100405419.html</a></p>
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<p>He could hit the lecture circuit with Al Gore.</p>
<p>Not that I have any personal experience with this in my family, from what I have observed in our community with girls who get pregnant in or right out of high school is that in the first year, there’s much doting and attention given to the new mother/new baby by friends; then as the baby gets older, such as toddler age, the novelty of having a baby becomes old to all the school friends and the mother realizes this little ‘bundle of joy’ is for life and they begin to feel overwhelmed. I have to wonder if Bristol hit this reality and was more inclined to overlook some of Levi’s limitations, resulting in their reconciliation. She’s not even living anywhere near her family right now and must feel very alone in raising this kid. Yes, it was her choice, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t underestimated exactly lonely it would be.</p>
<p>I don’t think this problem is high schoolish with another pregnancy involved. It’s one thing if he were seeing other women after their break up; really pretty much expected. BUt to be irresponsible again, after already having a child and understanding the responsibilities that go with it, to not take precautions. I don’t blame Bristol for calling the thing off. I think a paternity test is in order for that baby that is supposed to be his.</p>
<p>Wow. I’ve never poked my head into a thread about the Palin children here before. I can’t believe so many adults care about this story. Honestly, I don’t have the first iota of interest in Bristol Palin and even less in Levi whatshisname. Was it the Playgirl article that got everybody fired up?</p>