Is Lourdes Leon A “Celebrity” Just Because Her Mom Is Madonna?

People magazine has a two page story on 12-year-old Lourdes Leon’s fashion and lifestyle. And she’s a cute girl and all but we’ve got to wonder why a magazine would think readers would be interested in the life and hotpants of a preteen who is not working to promote a movie or a song or any other such project - She just happens to be the young daughter of a pop star. 

Of course, much of the public’s interest may be in Lourdes’ parents’ decision to make public, work-related appearances with their daughter in tow, and their willing to talk about Lourdes with the media. It also seems that Madonna and ex-boyfriend Carlos Leon may be grooming their daughter for a place in the spotlight. Says Madonna:

She loves to dance, to perform; she’s not shy at all… She’s very gregarious.

Carlos adds:

She can sing - she has a great voice.

Uh oh. Lourdes, according to her proud and super-private parents, is also quite smart - she’s fluent in Spanish and French and currently learning Hebrew. She is also, says her dad, a fan of making prank calls. All fascinating tidbits, to be sure. But… 

Shit. We know how weird it is to put yourself out there and to have your face (and opinions) splashed over the internet. We’re not sure we’d want that for someone who’s a minor and didn’t - or can’t - consent to having their image displayed on the web or in a magazine. It’ll be interesting to see whether Lourdes (or her momagement) will try to segue her mom’s fame into a career for Lourdes. She can definitely make her own capsule line for American Apparel, at the very least.

Growing Up Fast [People, print version]