Does Cindy Crawford's 9-Year-Old Son Think His Mom's Nude Pictures are as Fab as Everyone Else?

Let's just start by saying that I think Cindy Crawford is a beautiful woman whose nude shots in Allure magazine are more than alluring. Yes, they do affirm that a firm body is feasible for some of us forty-plus types and that is fabulous. But what I'm lathered up about -- obviously more than her -- is that I can't help thinking that maybe her 9-year-old son Presley won't think these shots are as fabulous.

I only say this because I have a young son at home and this year he is of the age where even the slightest slip of a nightgown causes embarrassment and shrieks of "Mom, cover up." Unlike his father, who can walk around the house naked with impunity, I no longer can get dressed with our bedroom door open as I have for years or shower without giving my son advance warning before he wanders into our room. And lately he'll protest if I happen to walk into his room while he's changing, though as I remind him, I've seen him undressed from the time he came out of me.

But his reactions are also very normal . We live in New England not California or Europe. And each environment has its own cultural norms.

A few years ago I asked my colleague, Dr. Ava Siegler, at what point can I no longer be naked in front of my son since coming from a European family, I'm pretty relaxed about it at home. And many of my friends said that they were very modest in front of children. Her wise advice after 30 years of practice was, "he'll let you know." And this year he has.

Which brings me back to thinking about Presley Gerber, Crawford's son as well as her daughter Kaia. I asked my baseball loving, football throwing, tennis fanatic son what he thought of a Mom posing naked to show that beauty is possible at all ages.

"If I was her son, it would embarrass me and make me feel my Mom doesn't care about anything," he said. "She's nude to people that she doesn't even know. Isn't that cheating on his Dad?"

When I pointed out that the human body is nothing to be ashamed of, he reminded me of how I had told him that "private parts are supposed to be seen only privately."

Oops, I did say that.

I didn't bother saying that I'm sure that Crawford's husband Rande Gerber is getting countless high fives that his wife is hotter than a lava pouring volcano and that everyone else most likely sees nothing wrong with it. But who really matters?

My son then added another point worth mentioning. "Didn't she think of how embarrassing it will be when her son's friends see his Mom nude on YouTube, because you know they will," he said. "People will make fun of him and say, "Ooh, I saw your Mom on my Facebook page and that's just not right."

I'm having trouble with this one and hope you out there can help me. On one side, I did feel for Crawford's son when I saw the picture and then I thought of how totally appropriate Kate Winslet's nude scenes were in The Reader and how I didn't flinch or think of what her son -- Joe is five years old -- would think. Furthermore, does this make me a prude, something I don't think I am.

I'm trying to figure this out. Trust me, this is not jealousy over Crawford's fab bod since I am part of the cougar contingent. At last, for the first time in history, thanks to exercise, nutrition and science, women look so good that it's hard to decipher whether they are in their 30s, 40s, or 50s. And we still have the wisdom from experience unlike our younger counterparts, which makes us more alluring, smart, confident, fun and comfortable with our bodies. However, I'm sexy because it makes me feel good and as a result my husband benefits too. But call me old-fashioned, I still think there has to be boundaries since I am also the mother to three children. Maybe in fairness, since I am not an actress or model, I'm not looking at it as an expression of art; I'm just thinking of the expression on my son's face if I posed naked. And I'm not doubting that Crawford isn't a loving parent.

Basically what I think I'm saying is that I don't want to be a MILF if it ever hurts or embarrasses my son. I'd rather be a MILK -- someone his friends say is a Mom I'd Like To Know.

Comments

[Lisa Earle McLeod - Huffpost Blogger]

Ask any male alive -

It's gross to have people gawking your mother.

Yes, we Americans are weird about sex, and especially weird about sex when it comes to mothers. Somebody sees your naked parts to get you pregnant, lots of people see your naked parts when you have the baby, but after birth you are never supposed to admit you had sex, or were ever groped, or gawked at by anyone.

[jackstpaul]

Does Cindy Crawford's 9-Year-Old Son Think His Mom's Nude Pictures are as Fab as Everyone Else?

Actually, if he's like most males, he'll think his mom's nude phtos are more fab than almost anyone else's.

[deliberateDem]

Nonissue, but...
Speaking of Facebook, kids can also embarrass their parents! Alot!
Today I saw this post on Facebook from one sibling to another:

"so i got a call from dad last night. wondering where and how you were. i told him i hadn't talked to you but that i saw by your fb headlines you were alive and back from mexico. he then said "maybe i should get a fb thing to keep up with him." i discouraged this. please call dad for the sake of our anonymity. please. call. dad."
: )

[TooLooze]

So......why do you say you are "part of the cougar contingent"?

[onceler]

there would maybe be some point to this discussion if Cindy Crawford hadn't already appeared nude so many times.

whatever it means, he son is going to see her hot naked body many, many times before he dies. who cares?

[MerhabaAbi]

...Furthermore, does this make me a prude, something I don't think I am.
..

I'm sorry but yes. It's ok, but you really ought to know. Do you feel the same way about the Bush twins? Their father started wars that have killed hundreds of thousands. Are you worried that they're embareassed? Cindy's son is living in the lap of luxury based upon his mom posing her body for photographs. Are nudists bad? They don't wear clothes even if they're fat. You chose your life, everyone else chooses theirs. Or you can be a prude and judge other's livestyles.

[XCITIZEN]

Not to mention that Crawford is appearing in what is essentially Art. You made some great points.

[Changeling]

He actually might think they are fab...as long as he's not raised like most American children that the Human body is some scandalous thing you should actually be ashamed of having, much less looking at.

[kristin1030]

I agree that Americans need to be more comfortable with their bodies, but maybe the reason they aren't is because of our over-sexualized culture which gives us all so many complexes. That photo, btw, wasn't just a photo. It was a pose intended to sexually arouse the people who are looking at it, and that can be a lot for a 9 year old to deal with.

[ChelleWeTalk]

The point of this seems to be that a parent should squelch any part of their identity not tied into being a completely asexual raiser of said child. I mean, what good could come of teacher a child that adults are people too?

[missmaryherself]

I'm the mom of sons who are now in their 20's, so I'm not looking in (and passing judgement) on this from the outside. My question: in the photo in question, the viewer doesn't see more of Cindy than we've seen in hundreds of photos of her wearing a bikini, so why all the handwringing? The pose is erotic, certainly, and she's covered by whipped cream, not clothing. If there is an issue of how the viewer will "take in" the image, okay, let's talk about 9-year-old boys whose mothers do erotic photo shoots. I personally lament that modesty is such an under-rated virtue in our time, but that it is a personal lament; no one is obliged to agree with me (or I with them), and it doesn't put Cindy Crawford in my crosshairs. I just don't think that this is a "nude" photo, so for me it follows that the thesis of the article is off the mark. Should the discussion shift to one which asks if his mother's erotic behavior embarasses the average 9-year-old boy, the elements of the discussion would, I think, be quite different.

[ohfarr]

I tend to agree with one of the comments already logged - that Cindy Crawford makes a living off her body and if she needs to pose nude to get a check, then she's entitled. Furthermore, her kids must be used to (and even bored by) the image of their mother everywhere. If not, as someone else also pointed out, her children will have access to expensive therapists.

But, with respect to how one dresses or appears with one's own child in the home. I think if your 11 year old is embarrassed by a nude parent or doesn't want to be seen nude by a parent, then we all have to respect these natural boundaries. It's part of growing up and preparing to live independently.

[freelyb]

I have to agree with author here. It is unfortunate that prominent 40-somethings, who should have the wisdom to know better, are joining with inexperienced young women to perpetuate the myth that we are who we can attract. Good health and the beauty that comes with it are wonderful at any age, but older women of substance (mothers especially) have a duty to enlighten the next generation, not compete with it.

[randomx6]

Uh, she's a model, that's her job or are you suggesting some age bias is ok in that field?

[JRsNana]

This article assumed that Cingy Crawford did not talk to her son before she did the photo spread. How do you know she didn't have the conversation and he said he was totally stoked about it? The amazing self-righteousness and judgmentalness (is that a word) of this article was a little disconcerting. I mean really, since YOU would feel uncomfortable, then EVERYONE should feel uncomfortable. The pictures were beautiful. Her son is going to be fine. But if he's not - there's always a $200 an hour therapist around to get him through the rough patch. Right?

[jillsond]

I agree, but for different reasons. I'm a fan of Crawford, think she beautiful, and I love her workout vids.

My first impression of this photo was that it is contributing to the weird competition out there lately with 40 something women. Jennifer Aniston's take was unsexy, IMO, and so is Cindy's.

Firstly, her face is way too made up for a shower scene. I thought it was Joan Crawford, at first, superimposed on another woman's body. And her expression is pained; I suspect it's because her hands are stuck in her matted hair.

Secondly, the airbrushing. With a body she obviously works hard to have, why airbrush? Flaws are sexy, make the person real and approachable. This is an unattainable person, like a wax figure. Demi Moore posing nude pregnant was way sexier.

Thirdly, from this massage therapist's viewpoint, the pose reminds me of clients with extreme lower back pain. The whole scene is not artistic, she appears to be trying hard to be alluring, and it just doesn't work.

This isn't a matter of how the pic impacts Crawford's kids, or anyone else's really, because it's just nudity. It's awkward nudity, and quite frankly it's tasteless.

[jajenkins]

I'm afraid a great deal of what is wrong with American culture is the hyper-sensitivity that parents feel towards their children. I put it down to guilt for not spending any quality time with them.

When I was a child, it was made very clear to me that in family decisions, I came last. I did not have "rights" and I was not as important as the adults in my family. This was a healthy outlook, since it taught me early on that respect for my elders and a sensitivity for the needs of others is important.

Children are naturally manipulative (from about age four on) and have a natural tendency to think that they are the centre of the world. That is why very young children whose parents divorce think that they are to blame - they must have done something, because they think that they entirely control their world.

The sooner this attitude is dispensed with, the better.

The same should go for Cindy Crawford. Her son's feelings should be a part of her decision making, but never a key factor. A nine year old should not have that kind of power over his parents and their career decisions. It leads to an inflated sense of self-importance.

[alkamm]

You drank the kool aid if you believe that you weren't as important as the adults. I'm afraid that you have made up for it now that you are "grown up." The healthy outlook you learned is that a sensitivity to others above you is to conform. It's the sort of conformity that rules the modern corporation, academia, and all of our social institutions, right and left.
The sooner the idea that children's voices are not as important as adults is discredited the better. My kids were not manipulative, but it's probably because we listened to their concerns and made sure we understood and appreciated their views. Oscar Wilde said that the old have a lot more to learn from the young than vice versa.
So did Jesus.
One of the reasons kids become manipulative is that direct dialogue is denied them by families such as the one you are so proud of.

[jajenkins]

At not point in my post did I say that "direct dialogue" was denied me. I had a part in every important family decision - it just wasn't a determinative one.

I consider my upbringing to have been incredibly healthy. My family was the type that ate dinner together every single day at the table, with the television and radio off. We had discussions about what everyone did at work or school and what we thought of the days news. I never lacked for attention, affection or care.

I just wasn't the centre of the universe. If my mother had been a model, she wouldn't have limited her career because of a passing prudish phase when I was 12.

I also fail to see how sensitivity or politeness equates with conformity. I was encouraged to stand by my opinions in conversation, and to consider other points of view.

[WaterLover]

Jill didn't say nudity was shameful. So those calling her prude or jealous are reading more into her article than is there. And her question is perfectly fair: How might a pre-teen kid feel if his/her mom posed nude (or semi-nude) in a popular magazine? My answer: I think Cindy Crawford's kids would react differently than Jill's son. Their mom has been a celebrity their whole lives, so probably they are used to "sharing" her with the public. And hopefully Cindy and her husband have talked with their kids about their mom being famous for being "alluring." But Jill's son has not had that same experience, so I can see why he would object to his mom posing nude, because that would be very out of the ordinary. Also, I can see why he'd think this was "cheating" on the dad. Let's remember he's 9, so cut the kid some slack. Probably he's noticed his parents don't share their nakedness with men/women they are not married to (presumably). It's perfectly normal for him to equate sharing of nakedness with intimacy and commitment. He is a kid after all, just now developing his own sexual awareness, so of course he's gonna feel awkward about the idea of his mom posing as a sexual being. That doesn't make him a sheltered child. In fact, it sounds like he has a mom who talks to him and asks him how he feels. I find that healthy.

[lord corleon]

(Part 1 of 2)

WaterLover,

No one is disputing the fairness of Ms. Brooke's question (at least I am not) - however the problem I'm seeing is the one-sided approach to it. Reading her article I come away with the feeling that the crux of her argument is that Cindy Crawford's nude images are somehow putting her preteen child at risk ("I feel for her son"), and I think that is a wholly unfair assertion on the part of Ms. Brooke. We don't know how Cindy Crawford approaches the subject with her children. But Ms. Crawford is a professional model as well as a celebrity and has been for years (not to mention hardly the first model or celeb to pose nude in a widely available magazine) and absent any evidence to the contrary I will assume that she is responsible enough to her family to help them cope with the myriad of challenges which come with being a professional model - exposure being only one of them.

[lord corleon]

(Part 2 of 2)

As for the comparison of nudity to cheating… Yes, Ms. Brooke’s 9 year old son brought up the comparison and yes, he should be cut some slack. However, Ms. Brooke’s comments about finding Cindy Crawford’s images somehow inappropriate yet finding Kate Winslet’s nude scenes in The Reader gave me some pause. As an actress Kate Winslet takes part in romantic scenes with various leading men. Do you think a pre-teen son would feel less awkward if he saw his mom making out with a stranger in a blockbuster film than he would if she posed nude for a photographer? Yet Ms. Brooke seems to sensationalize the model posing nude as opposed to the actress. It’s a little inconsistent, in my view, and I think it only fair to point that out.

I think it is good that Ms. Brooke discusses this issue with her son. However in my opinion her article paints a slanted view of Ms. Crawford and by extension other models who pose in the nude that have children.