CELEB MOMS - THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE FUGLY

With most of Hollywood's leading ladies at the brink or in the midst of motherhood, the spotlight is shining on celebrity mommies and their (sometimes grossly inadequate) parental skills. Some, like Angelina and her growing brood, seem to remain inexplicably clear of controversy, while others, like Kate Moss, could use some help with their parental judgment. All in all, in true Hollywood style, we see some real class acts, only this time they're off-screen. Let's look at some highlights:

Most Likely to Damage a Child's Psyche for a Photo Op: Victoria Beckham (aka Posh Spice).
In what looks like a regular family outing to the mall Posh Spice, decked out like any other mom in a miniskirt and impossibly high stilettos, took the boys out to do a little shopping. That's all fine, but isn't the oldest one a little too old to carry a teddy bear!? Sigh! What some mums will do for the right photo op!

Most Likely to Overly Endorse Teenage Pregnancy: Sarah Palin
I appreciate mothers' supporting their children through good and bad but most moms who find out that their teenage daughters are pregnant would undergo a little bit of hysteria and a whole lot of soul-searching, even if they are Republican. Let's hear it for Sarah Palin, who embraced Bristol's stupidity with all the fervor normally reserved for a globally acclaimed hockey team, and even managed to turn self-affirmed redneck Levi Johnston into a card carrying member of the Republican party!

Most Likely to Jump on the Parenting Bandwagon, 26 Years too Late : Lynne Spears
In a pathetic attempt at publicity and sympathy, Lynne Spears released a book this year describing the trials and tribulations of her fame-plagued family. No we didn't buy it, Lynne (the story or the book). A few months later, she is back at playing mommy again, with a slightly more drastic attempt at fixing problems that should have been addressed a decade ago: "No sex for six months, or you'll go to your room". Or your multi-million dollar mansion that you bought through the career we sold you out to when you should have been in gym class with other pre-pubescent girls your age.

Alas, all celebrity moms are not nuts. Here's our shining beacon of hope:

Most Likely to be Kidnapped and Pummelled by Other Celeb Moms Who Can't Stand the Pressure: Jennifer Garner
Now iisn't she perfect? Dimpled beauty and former Alias star is all about motherhood as she goes about her motherly chores, maintains a full exercise regime while other preggie moms are OD'ing on twinkies and popcorn, and aspired to do more for the world. Refreshing!