<![CDATA[Gawker: defamer, bad dads]]> http://tags.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/gawker.com.png <![CDATA[Gawker: defamer, bad dads]]> http://gawker.com/tag/defamer/baddads http://gawker.com/tag/defamer/baddads <![CDATA[Jamie Spears Gives Up Promising Career In Catering To Take Care Of Britney]]> In a touching coda to Father's Day, Britney Spears' father, Jamie, has petitioned the court to pay him for taking care of her. A real-life example of Chapter 5 of the Spears family parenting book, Their Personal Tragedy, Your Meal Ticket, Daddy Spears explained to the court exactly why he's owed $2500 a week for living with his daughter. The proud Papa was already awarded the weekly salary — plus money to lease a car — back in March. But that still left a month of pro bono parenting.

"After Britney was released from the hospital, I brought Britney home and secured her living and care situation," Spears said. "Throughout the time period, I ran errands, including buying groceries and cooking supper on a daily basis. I talked frequently with Britney about her health status...I arranged for Britney’s transport and security to go shopping and so that she could teach a dance class."

While most of us would not consider cooking and having conversations with an ill family member to be going above and beyond, Spears demands aren't as ridiculous as they might initially appear. Assuming he really was with her 24/7, that comes out to approximately $357 a day, or $14.80 an hour. That's hardly big money for a co-conservator. Most celebrity personal assistants make more per hour. It turns out that Papa Spears works for cheap.

The most interesting part of the petition is Spears claim that he was deprived of his livelihood. Many people have assumed his profession is "leech." Turns out he may have been handing out chicken satay skewers at the last industry function you attended.

In his original petition to collect what more or less amounts to back pay, Spears' attorney wrote that his client, who had been working as a caterer, had "been forced to forego [sic] other employment in order to devote his full time and attention to Britney and her affairs"

This just goes to show the dangers of stereotyping. Not all waiters are aspiring actors. Many are the the parents of hit-deprived popstars. A reminder of why we all need to tip generously.

]]> http://gawker.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5017320&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Mike Darnell Attempts To Make Amends For 'Moment' By Busting Deadbeat Dads]]> Just when we thought reality TV couldn't sink any lower, Fox has officially scraped the bottom of the cringeworthy barrel by ordering a JD Roth-produced pilot called Bad Dads. The series, originally titled Deadbeat Dads until Mike Darnell christened it with its new name, depicts divorced fathers who've refused to pay child support, ambushing them at their ritzy country clubs on camera and forcing them to pay up. Playing the Chris Hansen role is some guy from a child-protection agency, who will go so far as to "make their lives miserable - foreclose on their house...repossess their car...all for a noble cause"! Roth, the reality wunderkind behind The Biggest Loser and Beauty And The Geek, claims the series aims to provide "justice for women." Which sounds lovely, but how exactly will pointing out just how mean and "bad" men are week after week warm our hearts?

There are certainly more than enough shows on the air right now depicting women as gold-diggers (The Bachelor), alcoholic sluts (Rock Of Love), and vapid brats (The Hills). But is counteracting the derogatory portrayal of fame-hungry women by featuring dozens of selfish, uncaring absentee fathers really the logical next step? As THR puts it, the series will "depict the sacrifice and heartache" of wounded women. We never thought we'd say this, but we're kinda missing the era of Mary Tyler Moore and Murphy Brown at this point.

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