Sure They're Cute... But 14 MILLION?

You knew it would happen. From the minute the world went on Brangelina baby watch, there were three big questions:

• When will they be born?
  
• What will their names be?
  
• How much will the first pictures go for?

And here are the answers:

• July 12, 2008
  
• Knox Léon and Vivienne Marcheline
  
• 14 Million Dollars

Now, these are adorable kids, but come on... 14 million? For the record, I don't fault Brad and Angie for setting up the shoot. These aren't stupid people. They know the press will hound them for pics. By orchestrating exactly when and where these photos were taken ensures a level of safety not only for the twins, but the whole family. And when you consider that all the money from the photos goes to charity, I'd say they handled things pretty well.

Here's what floors me about this situation: People Magazine (in a joint deal with British tabloid Hello!) know that by having the exclusive to this lovely family portrait they will profit well over the 14 million they spent. What does this say about the public at large? Are we so celebrity obsessed that we must know every little thing about not only their lives, but the lives of their offspring? The silliest thing about this is that those kids will be popping up in magazines for years whether they want to or not. Eventually, everyone will know what they look like, and for a lot less than 14 million!

Since I don't want to take any money out of the pockets of the swift business minds that inked the Knox/Viv photo op, I'm not running a picture of the twins. Instead, visit People Magazine's website to see the cover. They really are cute kids.... check out the one in the bottom left. He (or she) looks like the happiest baby in America. I wish the entire photogenic family of eight many blessings and years of joy.