Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz split up ages ago, but they do have a kid together who they named after a borough of New York and a character from The Jungle Book, which explains why Pete isn’t so happy that Ashlee’s been going wild in recent months, partying hard and even engaging in lesbian flings (ooh la la)! Basically, he’s told her to calm the hell down and start acting more like a mother and less like a carefree 18-year-old with an experimental side.
From Radar Online:
“Ashlee is in the dog house right now with Pete,” a source tells Radar. “He’s concerned that she’s burning the candle at both ends and worried about the effect on Bronx if she continues in this current state.
“Pete’s told Ashlee that enough is enough, and she has to cut back on the partying. He’s even spoken to [her mom] Tina to get her take on the matter and make sure that he’s not overreacting in any way. She reassured him that he isn’t and said she’s been worried about Ashlee too.”
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Ashlee displayed some “out of control” behavior at a Hollywood hotspot recently.
“She was downing drinks like there was no tomorrow,” according to an eyewitness, who exclusively told Star magazine the star was throwing back cocktails at Pink Taco.
“She asked for a straight shot and added it to her already mixed cocktail,” the source added.
I have to say, if it was Pete Wentz out drinking and making out, no one would raise an eyebrow, but because women are held to some ridiculous standards and are called crazy, wild sluts if they don’t adhere to them, this is a story. It really chaps my hide. Do I think she probably needs to settle it down and pay more attention to her responsibilities? Yes, of course. But do I think that being a mother means you’re nothing but a mother and not still a woman and, you know, a person who might want to let off a little steam and chill the hell out without your kid attached to you 24/7? Duh.
Humm…haven’t read about this until now. I guess I’ll have to put radaronline on my celeb reading list !
It is very interesting for me to read your interpretation of this story.
First of all, I don’t understand that you should maintain that men who live it up are being encouraged by society, and women are being called names. Anywhere I’ve been around the world, including somewhat backwards Bulgaria and presumably developed America, men who have small children and drink/take drugs are seen as “no good”, and I have never heard their behavior to be encouraged. People who believe that it should are usually the same men that do it, and such men are not any marker for what is right in the world. The artificial (and typically feminist) argument that men are held to a less rigid moral standard is pure bullshit.
Social pressure isn’t what matters when it comes to raising children, but the children themselves. In the case above, this is a bit different, since they can afford help and babysitters who would take over should the parents are too wasted to take care of the kid. However, in no universe it is okay that either of the parents parties like there’s no tomorrow on a regular basis, and there’s no way this would not affect the relationships and the family dynamics. Also, I’d like to point out that Ashlee, at least according to the reports, isn’t “letting a little steam”, but acting like there’s something utterly wrong in her life and she’s drinking to make up for it.
And since you don’t have children of your own, it would be a little difficult for you to judge what constitutes harmless fun vs falling off the ship in relation to one’s ability to be a parent. I have been in both situations, and I can assure you that even one drink more the previous night makes it much harder to keep your wits about your child the next day. Hell, even an hour less sleep makes a huge difference.
My impression is that the social standards are applied to the folks in charge of caring for the child, so in a case like this where the parents are divorced and have nannies, it can be a bit muddled. But I agree, Bobby, this isn’t something where I’ve seen women held to ridiculous standards, while blind eyes are turned toward their male counterparts. I’m a mom, by the way, so I’m speaking mostly about the people I see around me day to day.
Also, it’s nice to see you back around here!
Aahh, yes, dismissing any actual talk about sexism by using the term “feminist” as if it were something bad… Good ol’ classics, eh? But you see, men *are* held to a much lower moral standard than women. Charlie Sheen is a father, where is the criticism that a ~~father~~ like him shouldn’t be doing the shit he does? Even on this site, by the way. I heard that in the US there are balls where girls pledge their virginity to their fathers. Are there balls where boys pledge their virginity to their mothers? Tell me, how many terms do you know that positively depict sexually active women versus how many do you know for men? Who is more vilified in Celebrityland over the Aniston/Pitt divorce? Pitt, who did the actual cheating, or Jolie? KStew or that Saunders guy? Nah absolutely no double standards whatsoever. You keep on thinking they don’t exist. It’s fine! I wish I could also be oblivious, would save me a lot of anger.
My point exactly. But lucky men – they’ve got a much-needed ally! We couldn’t have anyone discriminating against them by pointing out obvious, centuries-long, cold hard facts about societal standards favouring men over women. We’re just being crazy feminists and we must be stopped!
Great comment, Mireee!
She isn’t breastfeeding the child alcohol laced milk. I’m sure she can afford a nanny. I’m not concerned.
PREACH IT, Jennifer. I love your style.
eh, be a mom.
Wait, what?! Charlie Sheen? The guy everyone thinks is one of the greatest douchebags ever roamed the earth? That’s not a very good example. Of course he’s been criticized for behaving as he did, but maybe in your anger you fail to see this. Also, I mentioned feminism because Jenns argument happens to be one of the proverbial ideas in feminism: Men who sleep with many women are cool, women who sleep with many me are sluts. It’s a tired old rap, and it didn’t connect in any way with the article, other than suggesting that Wentz also has been going wild at one time or another, but it failed to attract the same attention as when Ashlee did it. However, I suspect that people are letting it slide not because he’s a guy, but because this couple is fundamentally uninteresting and hardly news worthy.
If you’re going to “preach it” and insert ideological agenda (which I by no means think is “something bad”) at least do it a bit more…elegantly?
And while I agree that women take the heat more often than men in cheating situations, we’re talking about parenting here. I can’t stress enough how different things seem before and after you have a child. I also happen to believe that not just women, but all people who strive for empowerment and equality shouldn’t be afraid of being scrutinized and criticized, and they should willingly expect to be held at higher standards if they are taking on bigger responsibilities.
1. Of course I’m angry. I’m seeing a woman throwing other women under the bus saying double standards don’t exist.
2. Policing people’s tones is out of order, if someone’s got a point someone’s got a point, whether it’s elegantly worded (whatever that means) or not. Plus, this is a gossip site, I don’t expect elegance.
3. Women are still held to different standards than men when it comes to parenting. How many male politicians are asked who will take care of their children if they win the election compared to how many women? Is Eddie Cibrian criticised as harshly as Leann Rimes or Brandy Glanville over how the children are treated? How much shit is Kim Kardashian getting compared to Arnold Schwarzenegger for having a child out of wedlock? Also, the Pete Wentz argument is really weak. If they are both equally unimportant, why this article about her but not about him? Also, if you find that the double standards is an old rap, it’s because it is, and sadly things haven’t changed one bit.
Oh, and if we needed specific proof (you know, besides having functional eyes and ears) that this is actually happening, here’s something from JUST THIS WEEK: http://hellogiggles.com/couple-engages-in-premarital-sex-christian-college-fires-her-offers-him-a-job
I don’t know if you should ever go by gender on any problem. From the past pictures after the split he seems a lot happier than she is when their pictures are snapped with the child. From the stories that have been printed in the past, she hasn’t been that into parenthood but even if this isn’t true, who ever has a drinking problem should concentrate on working it out and let the other parent take care of the children, regardless of the sex. I don’t judge any sex harsher for the same screw ups, equal condemnation.
I am not throwing Jenn under the bus, Miree, I can assure you. I simply disagree, and im not looking to create some artificial conflict. I also do think that double standards exist. However, I find a way to not get upset about it, and this helps me to deal with the issue quite practically. Since I don’t believe that men are out there to get us women, but they are just very flawed in their thinking about our roles, I avoid adding to the issue by reading into such stories from a feminist perspective. Webster said it well, and I must add that I found it inelegant exactly because of such approach to the story. It’s not about wording it elegantly, but pushing ideological agenda appropriately in order to have the desired effect on the reader. The piece simply failed to convince me that this is a gender issue.
Jenn, the example you shared is interesting, but again, inappropriate. Unfortunately I don’t think that one can take religion out of that particular situation, as it has a huge influence on people’s thinking when it comes to gender roles.
Again, both Schwartzenegger and Cibrian (and Wentz) ARE being criticized, just in a very different way, and not as publicly. However, the social perception about those men is far from good. They don’t have careers to speak of, and they are not being respected. A jerk is always a jerk, and it affects people’s attitudes towards the said jerk, even if it doesn’t happen so outspokenly in the press. I do have functional eyes, ears, AND open enough mind to comprehend that.
I don’t need a celebrity gossip article to tip me off to the fact that the guy in a situation is equally responsible, and I don’t need a feminist ideology to show me that it’s somewhat unfair that the gal is taking all the heat. Still, I refuse to make a big deal about it, considering that there are much more serious women’s issues around the world other than moral misrepresentation in the press. I also refuse to be one-sided and selective about it.
I clearly remember a story about an actor who took his baby to the Playboy mansion. Then, if I’m correct, the blame fell much harder on him rather than on his wife.
And if we have to remind each other that this is a celeb gossip site, lets give a bit of thought about how exactly discussing female actresses’ every move, choice of dress and hair color, taste in men, relationship events, words and thoughts and weight and virtually everything, contributes to female empowerment and equality!? Surely there’s a way to incorporate one’s ideological beliefs in any public platform, but the last time I checked, this site wasn’t about fighting gender inequality. Especially in the way it was presented above.