Opinion: Bottle Up the Bad-Mouthing and Leave Suri Cruise Alone

by Amy Hatch (Subscribe to Amy Hatch's posts)
Apr 20th 2010 12:00PM

Filed under: Celeb Kids, Celeb Parents, Opinions, Celeb News & Interviews

Stop hatin' on little Suri. Credit: KORPA, Bauer-Griffin

Poor Suri Cruise just can't catch a break. She was spotted with a baby bottle in her mouth last week in New York City, where mom Katie Holmes is shooting "Son of No One" -- and boy, oh boy, did that bring out the Judgey McJudgersons.

Us magazine published the photo in question and asked readers whether or not it was OK for the preschooler to drink from a bottle at the ripe old age of 4 -- after all, she does occasionally wear high heels -- so, shouldn't she have moved on to a sippy cup?

Comments on Us's site ranged from semi-supportive to downright cruel: "Suri can't possibly be a normal child. One look at her freak parents tells you that," writes AM. Another Us reader, Judith Rushia, wonders if the girl isn't "screwed up developmentally." Yet a third calls her "weird."

Yeah, it's a little creepy for a girl who is almost old enough for kindergarten to be toting a bottle around, but I know my kid is having a hard time weaning from the bottle and he's almost 2. My point is that this poor little girl is the subject of so much negative press, and the stories always seem to focus on her, like somehow she is in charge of her own upbringing.

First it was the high heels. After that, her $850 handbag made the news. Then it was the bottle. Now, she's wearing lipstick.

Her parents are raising her; she's just the kid. The vitriol seems out of proportion to her alleged crimes. My take? The press really wants to go after her parents, that famous Scientologist Tom Cruise, and his wife, Katie Holmes. Sometimes they do, but more often than not the paparazzi gets all up in Suri's grill, instead. And that just isn't cool.

Soon enough, Suri will be old enough to read, if she isn't already. It won't be long before she can do a Google search for her own name and up will come pages and pages of press coverage about how weird she and her parents are. Yes, her parents are celebrities, and yes, one of them has been pretty vocal about some of his more questionable opinions. But just like the rest of us, Suri didn't get to choose her parents.

It's time to back off and let her be a little girl -- high heels, bottles and all.

Related: Suri Cruise Is Her Own Stylist

ReaderComments (Page 1 of 4)

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4-20-2010 @ 2:10PM

anonymus said...

There is one good side though. All the attention she gets is a plus for a carreer in the future.

4-20-2010 @ 4:35PM

ashleigh said...

Agreed about media attention being too much, but I disagree about the bottle issue. She's WAY too old for even a sippy cup at her age, let alone a bottle! No child who's pre-Kindergarten and is going to be 5 on her next birthday should be drinking from anything but a regular glass! And that's a fact, not a criticism! I worry for her, which is not hating on her... And if her parents think that babying her by having her still use a bottle is okay, they're flat-out wrong!

I'mafan said...

I agree that everyone should be going after Tom and Katie and not Suri. I think that they could be doing a better job of keeping her out of the limelight. I think she is way over indulged. It looks like to me that they never tell her NO.

4-20-2010 @ 2:30PM

Pandabear0423 said...

I think that people need to keep in mind that the media often take something that is perfectly innocent - Such as a little girl who see's her Mommy wearing high heals and lipstick all the time and so,looking up to her mother, she wants to be like her mother- and then twists the image or story into whatever agenda they are trying to fulfill. It is unfair for the media to target a little girl such as Suri. As far as her still using a bottle at the age of 4, well that too is up to her parents to decide what's best for her. I personally wouldn't allow that for my children. In fact, I had a strict policy of no more bottles by the age of 2. But that was MY choice as a parent. Katie and Tom have a right to make THEIR own choices as parents too.
Also people need to keep in mind that they don't know what happens behind closed doors in that house any more than I do. And therefor to say that Suri is overindulged or that Tom and Katie never say no is not their place to say. Does Suri have top of the line designer clothes and accessories? You bet! Can her parents afford such luxuries for her? You bet! Does that make her overindulged? Not really. It all comes down to the parenting that takes place behind the doors of their home. For all we know Suri is an incredibly well adjusted child, who is bright, well mannered, and intelligent.
So next time, why don't you go and pick on someone your own size, and LEAVE Suri Cruise ALONE!!!

4-20-2010 @ 2:38PM

I stand by my comments. She APPEARS to me to be overexposed and overindulged. This article is asking for an opinion. You have yours and I have mine.

4-21-2010 @ 1:13PM

Carol said...

Thank You! It feels good to find someone who feel the same as I do.

4-20-2010 @ 8:21PM

toddler mom said...

I agree with your comment. People can have opinions, but honestly, their nasty remarks are doing more damage. I'm just an average person sngle mom, and I wouldn't want someone telling me how to raise my child, and I know plenty more moms that feel the same way. I sometimes buy cuter outfits that cost more than I would normally buy at a cheaper store....because I can. It's my dime, not theirs. I have a 4 y/o son in gymnastics and karate, and sometimes he wants to drink out of a sippie cup, and sometimes I want him to just for the sake of less mess when on the go. To each their own. I know when we are at home, sitting at the dinner table, he's fine to drink out of the cup. He's adjusted just fine, and ready for school. What next, somehow someone is gonna say he's mal-adjusted for society because he has a teddybear at night. People don't know what goes on behind closed doors in someone else's house and should keep the hurtful comments to themselves. I don't tell other parents 'my how retarded your son /daughter is because of how she looks or says certain letters or lack thereof", or certain outfits their kid or the parent may like may like when inside I'm thinking something else.
It's funny how no one here including myself knows her, or her parents, yet they make nasty comments and judge her parenting. Adults and media bullying a minor....how mature.

4-20-2010 @ 2:31PM

KatieCouric'sNemesis said...

To Amy Hatch:

If a media outlet takes a survey, then let's not call people who respond names, okay? Where would YOU be if no one bothered to read your over-reactionary and judgmental column (you're the one name-calling here, dear)?

1. Suri's parents put her on display. Don't think for one moment it is not calculated to elicit responses. Her parents are ACTORS and they are using her as a ploy to stay in the media's spotlight, especially around the time of a new film or it's release.

2. Suri's parents should be getting her ready for kindergarten. That means weaning her away from her blankie, and her woobie and her nutsy and all the rest of babyhood. Four is far too old to be sucking on a baby bottle or a pacifier. It is also far too young to be tripping about a city in "tart's trotters." It is equally wrong to put her in mommy's high heels and lead her on a walk-about. That sort of play acting is for the house, not the public streets.

3. Suri is being trained to follow in her actor parents footsteps and that means courting media attention. They got their wish.

4-20-2010 @ 2:41PM

Kris said...

When you see things like this, you should be looking at the parent if you're going to blame someone, not the child. Suri can't possibly know she shouldn't be drinking from a bottle if her parents haven't told her she shouldn't - she's still just a 4 year old, and highly impressionable. The critics need to lay off the cutie and go after the psychos who are raising her like this...

I should also mention that my mom was allowing my sisters to drink from bottles until they were 9 and 11 -- my father and I had to be the ones to intervene and say they were too old for that and my mother should not have been enabling their bottle drinking knowing full well they were both going into puberty soon. It was ridiculous! (My sisters' excuse was "We're lazy and nobody's stopping us!". Sigh.)

4-20-2010 @ 2:55PM

Frank said...

My opinion only - not a reply to anyone.
Suri is a precious little girl who should be left alone by the media. Her parents should be left alone. Actually, it is no one's business how they raise their daughter.

4-20-2010 @ 3:15PM

Pete said...

AMEN! Just leave them alone to raise their child as best they can. Both of the parents are very hard working professionals and are perfectly OK. Their religious preference is THEIR business, not ours, as we would not want them laying their's on us. Just leave it alone says I.

4-20-2010 @ 3:00PM

SKL said...

Yes, I've been disturbed about these endless attacks on Suri from day one. She is one cute little girl. With people trying all day, every day to photograph and publish every little thing she does, I'd say she's doing pretty good. A lot of kids would fare much worse with paparazzi after them all the time.

I also don't understand the vitriol against their parents. You don't agree with scientology? Fine. Move on. Don't make it your life's work to attack them and their daughter.

I don't agree that, just because she goes out of the house without a mask on, her parents are exposing her too much. My kids spend hours outdoors every day. I don't see why Suri should be denied access to sunshine, fresh air, and the world around her. It's the paparazzi who are in the wrong when they don't let a little girl take a normal stroll down the street without publicizing her every stumble to the whole world.

As for the bottle, what's the big deal? So she has a security object. If she's going to have time with her mom during the day, she's necessarily going to be in contact with all kinds of scary strangers, and I see nothing wrong with her wanting to hold a security object during those times. Hello, preschoolers all have little quirks. None of them are ready to take on the world. That's why they are preschoolers, you know?

I think the US consumer should boycott publications that place this kind of negative attention on kids just because of who their parents are. If there were no money in it, it would not happen. When these kids are 18, if they are still toting a bottle or whatever, then, go to town.

4-20-2010 @ 3:01PM

Mythbreak said...

But no one says boo when Zahara was carrying a more expensive bag a year earlier... or Shiloh dressing all in boys clothing.. or parents/grandparents bringing the twins out on the balcony so everyone can photograph them..

Please.. Suri pales in comparison to the Jolie/Pitt clan...

4-20-2010 @ 3:51PM

Judy M said...

Well said. It appears that Suri is learning to deal with being in the limelight and is well behaved. Tom and Kati love her and appear to be hands on parents. Yes, I think Tom is a little odd, but he might think I am odd. DO NOT ATTACK INNOCENT CHILDREN.

4-20-2010 @ 3:17PM

menda said...

WOW! Talk about pimping a kid out. And on top of that not even parenting her neough to teach her how to use a sippy cup. I wouldn't be surprised if whe wasn't wearing pull -ups too. This kid is WAAAAY too spoiled and needs to be set straight. Also, What's the problem with Tom being a PARENT to HIS OTHER TWO KIDS???? He NEVER showed those kids off like he does Suri. He NEVER pimped them out or BRAGGED about them like her. Their NEVER even brought up.Talk about making a kid feel bad. How disgusting is that? Tom and Katie need to grow up and wuit acting like it's all make blieve and just fun fun fun.

4-20-2010 @ 5:05PM

lonestarry said...

His other kids had a HUGE advantage---their mother has a brain.

4-20-2010 @ 7:16PM

JessicaL said...

How do you know she can't use a sippy cup or a regular one. Maybe she just so happened to be playing with a bottle that day. I think it's absolutely shameful for grown people to bash a 4 y/o as if she should be held accountable for her actions. What's worse is that some of you have children and know all children have their own quirks as someone put it earlier. What works for one child may not work for another.

4-21-2010 @ 1:12AM

JERRY L SALAIS said...

WOW MENDA , I GUESS WE SHOULD ALL BOW TO YOUR
SUPERIOR INTELIGENCE . WHY DON'T YOU PUT A SOCK IN IT . SOUNDS TO ME LIKE YOU WERE RAISED ALL SCREWED UP .

4-20-2010 @ 3:25PM

Debra said...

I couldn't agree more. Your comments hit the target dead center.

Netta said...

I agree Suri is probably a little bit overindulged, but she appears to be slightly underdeveloped emotionally, socially, and developmentally. Overexposed Hollywood is notorious for being unable or unwilling to discipline or deny their offspring anything and this poor child is a prime example. My guess is that she will grow up to be a special kind of nut, but through no fault of her own. She has two parents and they should step to it and do it. Leave the child alone. She is not her own mommie and daddy, and I say shame on TomKat.

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