You're Having My Baby: One Direction, Wedlock, and Friendship

A chronic fear of teenage girls for decades has finally come true: Louis Tomlinson got a girl pregnant.   The story has been circulating the internet for a few weeks now, but at first, it was assumed to be a hoax. One Direction Fans took to the internet to call the story everything from fake to disgusting to a crime. Then, Simon Cowell opened his big mouth and said he was excited for the One Direction crooner to be a father.

 

The internet was still skeptical. But finally, on Good Morning America, the expecting dad confirmed the news himself.

So, what’s the big deal? Louis Tomlinson is 22, and certainly not the first celebrity to get a girl pregnant out of wedlock. In fact, I know several men his age and younger who are already married with multiple kids.

 

The problem is that Louis Tomlinson is not married to the woman he got pregnant. In fact, as many sources are reporting, they are not even dating. There is no official commitment between the two except the life growing inside of her.

There is something wrong with our society when we view this as normal. As I’m sure we are all aware, it takes a man and a woman to make a baby, and studies have shown that is what it takes to raise one. How can we normalize bringing a child into a world where the parents are just simply friends who have fooled around a few too many times?

 

There is a big difference between friendships and a relationship. The lack of solid commitment in any friendship is not something you want to bring a child into. Without a relationship outside of that child, what kind of bond are you going to be able to build between child and parents?

Yes, children are born out of wedlock every day. That is undisputable. But it is not every day that a man who is part of one of the most popular musical acts on the planet does it, and gets praised.

Accidents happen, but we need to start asking ourselves whether we should accept this behavior as the new normal, or push for change? Think about a new friend you have made in the past year. Maybe they are ridiculously attractive. Maybe you like being around them. Do you want to have their baby?  

Louis Tomlinson is not the first man to have a baby out of wedlock, and he won’t be the last, but I hope he will use this experience to make a statement that this is not something to be lauded. Any pairing of male and female friends can lie down and make a baby, but does that mean they should?

I have several friends that I care deeply about, and some who are very successful (though not One Direction successful) but that does not mean I’m ready to have their baby with only the promise of friendship to keep me warm at night.