When I read that Aniston said dogs were good preparation for children I initially thought she said that dogs were like children and I thought “oh brother.” It sometimes bothers me when people compare my child to their dog and it can come across as callous despite best intentions. That’s not what she said though. An LA Times journalist asked Jennifer Aniston if she thought dogs were good preparation for children, and she immediately agreed. She was also in one of those press interviews where she’s probably been talking for hours, and in the video she looks kind of uncomfortable like she’s been put on the spot all day:
They did bring their own dogs on the set. But not ON the actual sets after one of Jen’s dogs, Norman, well, christened the fake lawn.
Is getting a dog a good way to prepare for having children, the Dish Rag asked the two single, childless, dog-owning stars.
Oh, yes, agreed Jen, citing the “commitment of training them, cleaning up after them, loving them unconditionally and getting home to feed them.”
Asked what dog trait they think humans should emulate, Jen thinks of something but then just giggles. Owen recovers and talks about all the unconditional love dogs give.
“And they don’t talk,” adds Jen.
Yeah, that’s a plus. Not like some chatterbox young musicians we could think of.
[From LATimes Dish Rag]
What’s more is that they add that they asked Aniston off camera if she will ever do a “Friends” movie. Her answer: “I hope not.”
I really loved “Friends” and while I can see how Aniston wouldn’t want to go back to it, a movie could be very successful for her and her former co-stars, who have been struggling with their careers since the series wrapped in 2004. They made it work for “Sex and The City” and maybe Aniston shouldn’t close that door. There was that whole sexual harassment scandal with the “Friends” writers and maybe it was a bad working environment in some respects and that could play into it. Aniston’s got her production company and her other career now anyway. She also claims that dogs are “absolutely” good training for children. I wonder how she thinks she can answer that with such certainty.
You can watch the video of Aniston’s interview on the Dish Rag’s website.
Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson are shown at the premiere of Marley and Me on 12/11/08. Credit: Juan Rico/Fame Pictures
lovely woman.
you are not right, cb.
for example…david schwimmer…he made “run, fat boy, run”. a movie with simon pegg. david schwimmer directed it. it had a good success.
Anyone who has ever had children has to laugh at those who have not, but think they know anything about it. She has no clue.
Syko, she was asked, she did not volunteer the information. CB when I first read the header, I thought the same thing. The reporter must have been hoping that Jen would give a date for having children.
I love dogs, mainly because of their loyalty but nothing and I repeat nothing can prepare you for your own child. Hopefully Jen has hers soon. She is still young enough. With modern technology, she has another 10 years or so.
i dont get why everyones pissing a fit for other people to have kids …. ” single childless dog owners” … wtf, her womb is her bidness, no one elses. Just because a woman doesnt have kids doesnt make her less of a woman or incomplete.
Edit: Owen is a ” Hollywood playboy” being single at his age. Jen is a ” old spinster” because she doesnt have kids.
Sexism – Alive and well. 🙄 🙄
i dont think she’s acting like she knows everything. she just mentioned the basics. man, u brangeloonies really really hate her dont u?
Agree SeVen
having had our pup for years before we had our kids, i think having a dog is a great step in getting ready for kids.
Its no longer about you. you just cant take off and do what you please. and lord knows what messes a puppy can make.
Of course, having kids taking it up a thousand notches, but yeah, I see how someone could say its training for having kids.
what did she do with her face? she doesn’t even look like herself and also keeps getting blonder and blonder. what an empty, needy woman.
Oh for pete’s sake, she’s merely saying that owning a dog gives a small indication of the responsibility involved in taking care of a dependant creature. Which it does.
@Syko – I know your comment was directed at JA but found it a bit patronising. I have a dog. I don’t have kids. Now I might have kids (we haven’t decided), equally I might not (and completely agree, seVen, re your point on this), but not having kids does not mean that I don’t have a perfectly good idea of the difference between a two-legged responsibility and a four-legged one since *gasp* I have family and friends with two-legged ones and am capable of having a perfecly valid opinion on the responsibility and reality based on that.
Us ‘childfrees’ or ‘undecideds’ are not idiots and our opinions are as valid as those of you who’ve been there and done it.
Good point Geronimo. I have a son but I have got some of the best advice from ‘childfrees’ and ‘undecideds’ as you call them. I wish people stopped labelling every woman miserable for not having children or a husband at a certain age. It is mean and sexist. Also saying a man is OK to cheat if his wife is not ready to have children is wrong. Once someone is married, they have a commitment and that includes not ‘falling in love’ with your co star as and when it suits you.
The world today is civilized, if you cannot find a common ground on an issue and it is irreconcilable, then go your separate ways with diginity. And please do not wake up after four years and start confessing to adultery. No wife deserves that humiliation. I have a feeling that is going to be Brad’s biggest mistake.
Correction- won’t do the ‘Friends’ movie YET.
Well…being a mom, I feel qualified to say that dogs ARE good training for kids. For babies, anyway. Having a new puppy is just as time-consuming as having a new infant.
I love my dog. She is a part of our family, and she’s spoiled rotten. I also have a five year-old daughter. I am after both of them constantly for one thing or other…and you’d be SHOCKED how similar their “house rule infractions” are. I laugh to myself all the time at how much ALIKE their behavior is at this stage. Obviously, children need more depth from their parents than dogs need from their masters, but if we’re talking about getting people to understand the “putting my responsibility for something else ahead of myself,” then I don’t find the comparison unjust.
That said, I would never compare the needs of a dog to the needs of a child…nor would I compare or entertain comparison of my child TO a dog. People who do that irritate me to no end. I don’t care how much you love your dog; the dog is not the same thing to you as my daughter is to me.
The effort of raising a puppy, however, is arguably a fantastic preparation or reality check for parenting readiness. I whole-heartedly defend Jennifer Aniston in that statement. It’s totally true.
penelope: in the fith and sixth season of friends she was VERY blond. and had in some episodes hair to the chest.
so what? whats the problem with gettin blonder? who cares?
geronimo, I am 100% with you on that one. We also took a puppy 3 years ago and it is a big responsibility, especially in the city, where you have no backyard and our dog is very strong. Also, one of the reasons why we are still on the “undecided” side is exactly because we know very well what tremendous resources (tangible and intangible) raising a kid requires, if you want to do it properly and responsibly.
She is the one who said that she did and would have kids. Owen has never made a statement. True he is not asked. I don’t think Jen really wants kids. She and Brad were together for almost 7 years, married for 4. He wanted them badly..thus his six. I don’t think there is anything wrong with not wanting them. I wish she would say that. Just say.. If I have them great.. If not great too. Her statements are the reasons for the questions. She may as well play Rachel. She has kept the same Rachel look for 6 years now. Nothing new or unique in her appearance at all.
debra77 – Maybe she likes the way she looks? No one hounds men to change their look. Matt Perry has looked like Chandler for years, same with the dude who played Ross.
Oh -Wait, Sorry, I forgot men can get away with putting minimal effort into their appearence whilst women are slammed for not looking perfect. My bad.
interesting that nobody ever ask Owen why he tried to kill himself. I don’t think he needs kids he needs to focus on takiing care of himself.
as for Jennifer, i am so sick of people still talking about her and brangelina…what is this high school? i think she is cool the way she is with or without kids,,it is her business.. 🙄
I also wanted to add, that even thought I do not have kids, I am positive that dogs are good preparation for kids (at least for us), because we learned so much with the dog in the last 3 years – about ourselves, about our dynamics, about shared responsibility, about surprises, about unconditional acceptance and acceptance in general. It would be probably damaging to the kid if we went through that learning process with a human and not a canine. And we are not very young, so we had experience in dealing with things and projects, but it is just different when you actually have to care for a living being and to try to raise it properly (especially since as I mentioned, we live in the city and the dog is very very powerful, so the education and the training were critically important and we both are of the left-leaning, intellectual, non-disciplinarian types, so we had lots of learning to do).
@11 – I know several couples in their 30s who split over the kids issue, but in all the cases it was done very respectfully and amicably.
@Nina – with you on the resources, both emotional and financial, involved. Huge decision and one which we’ve still to make. A lot of our friends (in their 30s) have recently had babies and seeing the impact it’s had on their lives leaves us in no doubt (not that we ever had doubts) about the commitment it takes. Like you, we are undecided BECAUSE we know the difference between dogs and children!
I sure hope dogs are preparation for kiddos. I’ve been married for a month & a half & I consider our 2 furbabies great training! At least for my “mom voice”
While I don’t know EXACTLY what its like to have a child, I do have a pretty good idea. And not just from the dogs; I lived with a friend & her toddler
I also think Jen is just fine the way she is…she looks fantastic in the pic with Owen..so what if she does or doesn’t have kids??its her life to live the way she wants…
Well it was an interview for her new movie and interviewers are always trying to “catch” celebs and make news. And their pets are their children for a lot of people. I don’t think she really wants kids that much, but she is saying what she knows they want her to say. But it is her choice to make as it is every woman’s. No one should have kids if they don’t really want them as it is a major and permanent life changeing event. As she has already said that she will not adopt then her window is narrowing. I know women have kids now at 70 but not without a lot of medical intervention and luck. This is one of those questions that I wish interviewers would not ask but of course they will do so. Whether she has kids or not should not make one bit of difference as it is her business and no one else’s. They do not ask men these kinds of questions.
Owen is so much better looking than John Mayer. Jen and Owen look like Barbie and Ken dolls, really beautiful!
if a dog is great training for kids….
then hand rearing a kitten who was days old is the best birthcontrol out there for us “childfree” types!! (seriously)
my husband and i took in a little scrap of a kitten that had been abandoned and needed round the clock care. to the point where i would have to bring her to work with me since i didn’t have a kitty sitter!
a few weeks of those 2am feedings will totally sway you to one side of the fence or the other about kids!
(8 years later, 2 cats, 0 kids!) 😉
dr.grrl that’s amazing 🙂
I too am happily “childfree” – I have my hands full with my 100-pound dog. Agree with Bodhi about the “mom voice” – but he’s been doing something new when I scold him. He gets down as low as possible and starts *slithering* to me, like a friggin’ snake. It’s both disturbing and adorable.
The dog face only a mother could love.
dr.grrl: Awww, that’s cute. 😀 But how did you keep your kitten from climbing all over everything in the office?
My son and daughter-in-law have a cat. Every time I visit them and stay over, she climbs into bed with me and wakes me up slurping all over my face. They can’t have a Christmas tree because she climbs into the tree and pulls all the ornaments off.
I don’t know why people make such a big deal about Jen being asked a question about wanting children just like in every interview the reporter asks Clooney when he’s going to get remarried and if he’s sure he doesn’t want children. The reason that no one has asked Owen about his overdose/suicide attempt is because his PR person put the kibosh on it. And the reason people continue asking Aniston about having children is because she always states how much she wants to and/or intends to become a mother. I think it is totally fine if a woman decides that she will be childless but I also think if that is the case then just say so and stop trying to placate those moms in middle America who may be turned off.
I hate to say this, but I would love a Friends movie much more than another SatC sequel.
And what was that with the writers sexual harassment scandal?
Kaiser: One of my dogs does that, too. He knows it charms me out of being mad, and it really does work every time. 😛
well, turns out that momma cat had left our little one for a reason….she has partial vision in one eye and has lower cerebellar damage!
her eyes never changed color from newborn kitten (a very pretty shade of blue) and you can see a vague iris and was projected to not function very well in adult life. (walk along walls, not able to support self, etc)
by this time we had grown to love the little mite like none other and resolved to raise her no matter what. turns out a year into life she went into heat (vet said that was great cause no survivor would develop as such). eight years later, she is the best bug catcher of the moggies and loves the mr. like none other! she is a constant source of amusement, amazement and wonder on a daily basis!
(maternal pride shining thru
)
my daughter told me that she’s feeling ready to have a child — so i sent her the cat to take care of. suddenly i’m not hearing any child talk anymore. 😛
I have, in my short 22 years, had 3 fish, a guinea pig, a rat, a hamster, a 2 cats and a dog. I’ve also babysat children ages baby to 15. Animals and babies (especially young dogs and babies) are extremely similar. Bizarrely so, really. They both whine for attention, need constant surveillance, crap whenever and wherever they feel like it and conk out at random times for random reasons.
I love children and will have some eventually. Right now I’m enjoying my dog and learning a lot from him. And i don’t really think that it’s wrong for some people to love their animals like they would a child. For some people, a dog literally IS their child.
Now..saying that owning a 15 year old Labrador retriever is like having a baby around is wrong, I will say that.
Geronimo, I’m sorry, I would never mean to patronize you. Of course my sneers are all meant for JA, not you.
Drgrrl, I raised 5 newborn kittens once and a human baby is much much easier. At least you can leave the house and take the baby with you, you can’t take a litter of kittens to the grocery store and put them in the seat in the shopping cart. It was fun at times, trying to bottle feed one while four others crawled up my arm, but I was very happy when they were all weaned and potty trained and found new homes.
lene – I’m sure what CB means is, they’re all firmly planted in the B-list. “Run Fat Boy Run” was not a huge success by any means. Lisa Kudrow gets small roles in mediocre movies; Courtney Cox’s TV show is going nowhere and had less than 10 min screen time in the last movie I saw her in; Matthew Perry’s TV show tanked; David Schwimmer is directing relatively weeny projects and appearing behind a giraffe mask in sub-par children’s movies; and as for Matt LeBlanc, one word: “Joey”.
Ling, if what you say is true, then the only thing that saved Aniston from the obscurity her co-actors were relegated to was her marriage to Brad Pitt — and as CB said on another thread, the only thing that is keeping her name in the tabloids is her divorce.
Are there any major female stars who have come out and said they aren’t interested in having a child? Whoopi Goldberg is the only one who comes to mind.
Maybe they’re afraid to, considering the emphasis the celebrity press puts on kids–everything from pregnancy (bump watches), birth (paying millions for photos) to endlessly stalking cute tots like Suri Cruise and Violet Affleck.
meh, don’t have kids and damn glad for that.
Geez…isn’t her 15 minutes up yet?
Because I’m still waiting for … well, something.
Talent? Nada.
Looks? OK, nothing to write home about.
Intelligence? See number One.
Good for mankind? Well, John Mayer doesnt count as mankind.
I’m still waiting…..
Everyone I know who has kids or dogs complain all the time, seem miserable and are always trying to shove them onto someone else! At least people who don’t have kids don’t complain. I say if you’re going to have kids, raise them properly and stop gripping about how hard life is. Women in the olden days were stronger than today’s wimpy mothers with undisciplined children. If this doesn’t apply to you, you have no reason to get angry and have a nasty response. If it does, I expect responses.
Cheyenne: Her last movie made 4X its budget. That is better than most movies do. This Marley and me will probably be a huge hit! So how about if marley and me is a huge hit you stop with the only thing that makes her important is Brad. I am really tired of you saying that after Jen has had hit movies, her own production company, a huge TV show that the only reason she is noticed is because of Brad. Is that the way if every woman? We only get noticed because of the man we are with. Come on – Jen has won many awards etc. it is so down to women in general to say that someone is only something because of a man. and why are you even posting here. This is a Jen thread, you obviously hate her. Why don’t you give her what she wants and ignore her. Go and post on brad/angie posts they hardly get any attneiton anymore.
Her “15 minutes”? People who have 15 minute careers are reality tv stars and socialites.
If you don’t think she has talent, whatever, but she was on one of the most successful television shows in American history and her storyline with Ross was like, the most watched bit of the show.
And I highly doubt she cares that you are waiting for her “15 minutes” to be up. You’re gonna be waiting a long time.
1. Let’s have a reality check here. I don’t even like this Jennifer Aniston and never got into Friends. However, Friends was one of the most successful programs in tv history. Period. Aniston is one of the most successful actresses in tv history. Period. Television acting is legitimate acting. She did all that before Brad. She annoys me, but you can’t take her success away from her. She is one of television’s most successful living stars. In terms of women, tell me who’s alive who is a bigger tv star than she is in terms of fictional television (sitcoms/dramas)? The only men who have been as successful on TV who are still famous are Will Smith and George Clooney. What woman is as big a female television star as she is? What other woman alive has been successful in both television and film? All of her competitors have done one or the other. She is the most successful TV AND Film actress in the world? And I don’t even like her!!!
2. Jen’s terrible movies make money. She is considered more marketable then actresses who are paid more money because her films actually make more than theirs do. I don’t like her movies or her acting, but she is one of the most successful movie actresses in the world because she makes cheap films that make a lot in box office and rentals. Those are the facts. I don’t even like her, but let’s be honest and realistic here. She is one of the most successful actresses on the planet.
3. Whoopi Goldberg does have a daughter.
One more thing. If Aniston never made another film or tv appearance, I wouldn’t care. I’m not a fan or a hater. She just doesn’t really register for me. I admit that I do find Angelina more entertaining though they can both be equally annoying.
HOWEVER, THE SEXISM OF DISCREDITING ANISTON’S CAREER DOES REGISTER WITH ME. Why are we as women so dismissive of other women’s accomplishments? Even if you don’t care for somebody’s work, why do you have to dismiss its significance? I don’t get it. I find this frightening.
Di: /cheer. Preach it, Girl.
Lena: I totally agree. I chose motherhood, and I am keeping to the responsibilities that come with that. Many women don’t. Their children are accessories that they shove off on “help” the way that people shove their pets into kennels when they need some time off. It’s sickening.
I’m with you 100%. If you don’t want them…don’t have them. If you have them…for God’s sake, parent them.
PJ, as Di stated, Whoopi does have a GROWN daughter and grandchild/children. She chose to stay out of the limelight as did Loni Anderson’s daughter who is a teacher. I really believe Aniston wants children, but, wld. prefer to do it in marriage w/ a partner to share responsibility. I think that when she was married to Brad, she was not in a hurry because she figured she was married for lifetime & it wld. come. Did not work out that way for her. She missed that Blue Train & probably didn’t want to rebound marriage/children.
Cheyenne: Kindly do not put words in my mouth. Aniston was the most marketable Friend (thanks for the word, Di). If her success were solely due to Pitt she would be nowhere. Attending charity events and guest-starring on Hope and Faith instead of the Oscars and 30 Rock.
Lena: Some parents, maybe, but is it right to judge an entire group of women like that? Also, how can you say women in the olden days were stronger? First off, you weren’t there; second, if the family was rich the children would have nannies, and if there weren’t nannies, there were open palms and switches.
I was doing great until that last pic of JA, as i scrolled to read the comments i saw “see brads intimate angelina pic’s” and almost choked on my chips! I know it advertising, but who ever “placed” that “product” should be promoted…
Merry Christmas Everyone 🙂
“Just because a woman doesnt have kids doesnt make her less of a woman or incomplete.”
Thank you! I get so tired of people asusming that I am either cold hearted or otherwise deficient because my husband and I have chosen to not have children. At at 44 and 20 years of marriage, it’s a safe bet that we aren’t going to be changing our minds.
I have one co-worker who make comments almost every day about me not having kids. I like her, which is good, because if I didn’t I’d be complaining to HR about the harrassment. But, it needs to stop now. No one has the right to tell someone else how to live their lives or how to form their families.
I have my hubby and my cat, and that’s just fine with me. For kids, I have lots of nieces and nephews that I adore.
@Lena~ I NEVER complain about my dogs or try to “shove” them off on other people. I may bitch about the mud they track in, but my life wouldn’t be the same without them & I love them.
I have no idea where you were going with that, but you need to watch the generalizations.
I’m not a mom and have raised my pup for 12 years. I know she’s easier than a child (now) but I use her first few months of life as a litmus test for whether I am ready (waking up 3 times a night to walk her down four flights of steps to go potty…in January…in Germany (brrrrr). Also the worry!
Jen’s got blonde-orexia! Or she’s doing as I do and choosing to lighten to more easily cover those greys! We have the same hair and I started getting the greys in my 20’s, tried the all-over dark color for awhile but gave up and do highlights because I can go longer between visits.
Agree, Bodhi. I only ever complain about my dog to my dog. And since he’s not book-smart and can’t follow even the simplest instruction, he just gazes adoringly at me, wags his tail and then goes off to bark at a shoe or a plant or something. He makes me so proud!! 😀
“He gets down as low as possible and starts *slithering* to me, like a friggin’ snake. It’s both disturbing and adorable.”
That’s interesting Kaiser. My chihuahua Gizmo does the same thing. 😀
Damn I got nabbed by the mods. My comment was for Kaiser re: her dog’s ‘slitering’ antics. My chihuahua Gizmo does the same thing. He’s also quite the escape artist.
the difference between a child and a dog is that a dog will love you unconditionally forever, will fight to the death to defend you, will never scream “i hate you!” and will never call you from jail or ask you for money.
😆 Geronimo! My big one is like that too
“I have my hubby and my cat, and that’s just fine with me. For kids, I have lots of nieces and nephews that I adore.”
barneslr, you could actually BE me.
Did I change my name while I was sleeping? 🙂
Ditto to everyone who is fed up with being looked down upon for choosing not to have kids.
You know, absolutely ANYone can breed. It’s not a skill, it doesn’t make you superior.
And since many of you do a god-awful job of raising your kids, you should really focus on your own families. 🙄
I Choose Me & Codzilla – Thank God my dog’s not the only one! He’s so uncoordinated, yet when he gets low to the ground, suddenly he’s like this massive black, furry worm squirming towards me. It makes me laugh, which I guess is the point. No scolding!
@ kate: How many dogs have gone rogue and attacked the children of their owners? And “love unconditionally”? Would they give one of their goopy turds about you if you didn’t feed them, or stopped feeding them? And even if they do, do remember it’s not out of love; it’s out of self-preservation, allegiance to the dominant figure in the house, a primordial instinct. Humans are blessed, or cursed, with critical thinking that allows them to realize when allegiance to a weak or dangerous figure is harmful to them, and the ability to imagine and want for a better situation.
I do have a dog, and I love her. I’m just being realistic.
@ling: more often dogs protect thier owner’s children rather than attacking them. but how many kids have “gone rogue” and stolen from their parents, or even killed them?the argument works both ways. as for unconditional love, dogs can be treated horribly and still wag their tails and try to cuddle with people. i should know, i used to work in an animal shelter, and have seen it over and over again. i’m not saying anything bad about kids, i’m just being realistic, too.
Ling: Maybe I read your post incorrectly, but are you implying that pets only “love” their human companions because of a survival instinct? While I’ll certainly concede that food and shelter are part of the overall package in terms of caring for and loving a pet, the implication that dogs (or any non-human, for that matter) can’t feel genuine love and affection that transcends their survival instincts is just plain wrong, in my opinion. Maybe your dog is a little more stoic than others, so you don’t experience the snuggling and mutual adoration the rest of us with more outgoing pups do. (That’s not an insult, by any means, just a guess as to why you might feel differently than many of us do about the love connection with our pets.)
Poor Brad he made such a terrible mistake by falling in love with a woman who actually wanted to give him a family LOL I bet he is REALLY going to regret that LOl what a stupid remark to make lol He said she is the love of his life and he loves his kids why should he ever be sorry that he left a woman who thought more of her body and career then she did HER commitment to her marriage and her husband????
@kate: True… I guess everyone sucks. (tongue in cheek, tongue in cheek.) I suppose, with the higher intelligence et al comes more things that can go wrong in the mind. Is higher intelligence worth that? There’s a debate that will never end.
@Codzilla: My dog is plenty affectionate, often completely insane. She’s great. Perhaps humanoid love can grow out of allegiance, I don’t know, I’ve never talked to my pet. If anything, I think I’m more stoic. I’ve never been the type to cry over Old Yeller, but I tear up in an instant over humans. Just me, I guess.
Good morning, I don’t go along with everything in this write-up, but you do make some very excellent points. I’m very curious in this matter and I myself do alot of research as well. Either way it was a well thoughtout and nice read so I figured I would leave you a comment.