Will Bristol Palin Sell Her Baby Photos?

By now, any American who doesn't live under a rock is aware that 18-year-old Bristol Palin, daughter of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, gave birth to a 7 lb., 4 oz. baby boy over Christmas weekend, whom she and finacee Levi Johnston named Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston. In light of the sensitive nature of teen pregnancy, and in keeping with the Palin's desire to "not glamorize" their daughter's situation (the former Vice Presidential candidate's own words during the campaign), the public had limited exposure to any young celebrity mom-to-be photos of Bristol; when compared with other high profile pregnancies, this is in stark contrast to what we have grown accustomed to. After all, photos of a similarly situated pregnant teen, Jamie Lynn Spears, and her growing belly were featured in tabloids on virtually a weekly basis (although, to be fair, this may not have been Jamie Lynn's desire; if memory serves, most of those pics were snapped as the young actress was leaving her local Wal-Mart).

That said, how was it possible that our access to Bristol was so limited during her pregnancy? There was obviously no shortage of press photographers tagging along with the Palins from September-November 2008. The answer: The governor and husband Todd allowed Bristol to accompany them in the earliest stages of Palin's campaign -- when their daughter was still in her second trimester. This is evidenced by the minimal footage news outlets have of Bristol: Her appearances at her mother's running mate announcement, the Republican Convention, and a tarmac meet-and-greet with John McCain - all of which were in her fifth month of pregnancy - are all the media has to show of her.

Responsible decision? Obviously. But does it end there? It didn't for Jamie Lynn.

Just as the Spears clan played the "leave us alone -- oh wait, don't go too far" game with the tabloids, the question remains: Will Bristol Palin sell her baby's first photos to a magazine? Some people may think so; after all, many were under the impression that she and Levi are a perfect fit for the stereotypical teenage parent mold. Not so, said her mother to People magazine last week:

"You need to know that both Levi and Bristol are working their butts off to parent and going to school and working at the same time," Palin told the magazine in a voicemail message. "They are certainly not high school dropouts."

Furthermore, the governor intimated that any suggestion to the contrary "harms Bristol's reputation and Levi's reputation and their chances for good work opportunities." What was that she said about hockey moms and pit bulls? Looks like the nation has more than one "governator" (Schwarzenegger reference, for those outside of California). But given the interest that Sarah Palin and her family generated in 2008, it's safe to say that publications are lining up to make their offers - which, for many celebrity parents, typically begin in the high six figures - as we speak. So will Bristol and Levi accept one of them? After all, did it hurt Jamie Lynn? Well...

In a word, "yes." To be specific, it actually did much to hurt the reputation of her mother, Lynne Spears, who has been called out by those who are disgusted that she would not only oversee the "pimping out" of her daughter's story when the pregnancy news broke, but also her granddaughter's first photos. Of course, Bristol is now of legal age to make those decisions without her parent's consent. However, it is likely that she shares and values their views on family privacy enough that it supercedes any potential earnings said publicity would generate. Furthermore, she likely recognizes the implications for her mother's future political ambitions (obviously, Sarah Palin does not need another political stumbling block if she intends to run for office in 2012 or 2016). Therefore, my answer to the title question - "Will Bristol Palin Sell Her Baby Photos?" - is a loud, clear NO.

I'd love to know what you think, though!