Celebrities and their lives dominate many of our social media feeds. Sure, we hear about Beyoncé and Jay Z and Kim and Kanye (the list goes on and on), but we also hear about their children, marriages and other interesting things going in their lives. We are not only invested in these celebrities’ careers and achievements, but also their homes and personal lives. No matter how invasive our queries may be, we don’t hesitate in acquiring any and all information about people we obsess about and admire.
And with Super Bowl Sunday coming just around the corner, we seem to be hearing a lot about Boston’s iconic football hero, Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady, whose life has been in the public eye for many years now, especially in the Northeast. But some of the public reaction to these figures’ personal lives is bound to be negative. Last Thursday, WEEI radio show host Alex Reimer referred to Tom Brady’s 5-year-old daughter as a “little pissant,” while speaking about her appearance in Brady’s documentary “Tom vs. Time.”
Brady, who speaks on WEEI’s radio show “Kirk & Callahan” every week, still appeared during his scheduled slot the following Monday. He called the remarks disappointing before leaving air prematurely. Reimer, who graduated from Boston University in 2015, was suspended indefinitely by the radio company. Brady himself expressed that he hoped Reimer would not be fired.
Brady left his interview in a civil, appropriate manner without being spiteful or rude. While Reimer appeared inflammatory in his comments, Brady remained respectful and handled the situation nobly. There are other instances in which Brady’s behavior and actions could be scrutinized — most notably his friendship with President Trump. However, those actions can be discussed and criticized as they pertain to Brady himself, not to his children. The way Brady handled this situation was warranted and justified. Attacking any child, regardless of their celebrity status, is not acceptable and should not be tolerated by any child’s parents.
Moreover, the argument that Brady should not have featured his own child in a documentary about his life is an unreasonable one. Howard Stern, another BU alumnus notorious for his controversial statements, spoke out Tuesday defending Reimer, saying it’s “Tom’s fault” for putting his kid’s behavior out there for the public to see. This is neither rational nor grounded. Of course a documentary about Brady’s life would include his children.
This incident is reminiscent of another celebrity’s child who has been unwillingly thrusted into the critical media’s radar — Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump. Some media outlets speculated whether he was a “normal” kid or if he would grow up to be like his father — others even went as far as to question whether he has autism. This scrutiny in and of itself is wrong. We shouldn’t be putting Barron or any other children under a highly critical lens, particularly when the negative comments made about them are pure speculation. We have to remember these children didn’t choose to have famous parental figures and don’t deserve to be bullied by adults in media.
Before we look to blame others in situations like these, it’s important to note that we are all accountable for what happens online, in the media and even on our social media feeds. That isn’t to say Reimer’s response was okay, but we should not embrace this situation as an inevitable consequence of a lack of privacy. The Internet often seems like a place where there is no regulation, no control — but ultimately, people are behind that content. It’s up to us to hold people responsible and accountable for their hurtful words if we want to see a less hateful, more considerate world.
