Posted on 02/09/2005 4:24:32 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
THE profit ploy of two parents auctioning off the naming rights of their unborn daughter could endanger the child's life, experts say.
The unnamed couple could even be jeopardising their daughter's mental health by making her a "commodity". The West Australian couple have listed an advertisement on internet auction site eBay calling for bids on the "naming, advertising and promotional rights" to their unborn child.
A colour picture of the pregnant woman, with the words "Reality Bites! Your Brand Here" painted on her bulging belly accompany the advertisement.
"For a period of FIVE YEARS from the date of birth, we are offering the exclusive naming rights (first name only) to my unborn baby due March 1, 2005," the advertisement states.
"Your company can have the exclusive rights to name my baby and use for all appearances, advertising, promotion and marketing for a period of five years.
"This is a unique and historical opportunity to promote your business, company or brand for a period of five years."
It lists the starting bid at $US750,000 ($974,000) and by late yesterday just one bid was registered to the name bbgunn69.
Bids close February 19.
Ethicists and child psychologists yesterday criticised the parents' actions as reckless and accused them of trading on their baby's identity.
Leading ethicist Nicholas Tonti-Filippini said the parents' action was depriving their child a normal start to life.
"There is something special about a child being named by their parents. The parents think about a name and give that child a welcome to life," Dr Tonti-Filippini said.
"The idea of doing it for economic benefit, where the name is chosen for commercial reasons, is seeing the child as an object rather than being looked at as a person," he said.
Psychologist Dr Kerry Powell yesterday labelled the Perth couple's actions as "very stupid and flawed".
She said their actions were destined to harm their daughter's well-being.
"This makes the child a possession, a slave and that is illegal," Dr Powell said.
"For a company to be able to use this child as a commodity is to rob that child of their own identity."
Virginia Schmied, a parenting expert with the Department of Community Services, said some children were bullied because of their names.
"Choosing a child's name is serious. You need to put your child's mental health and self-esteem first," Ms Schmied said.
"There's often a reason why we get our names and this can be help shape the identity of the child and create links within a family."
By 5pm last night, eBay had pulled the controversial advertisement.
There are several other advertisements placed by US couples auctioning baby naming rights, including one Texan woman asking for $1.5 million.
Oh come on. A childs life could really change with a $million in the bank for college.
Besides, I called my youngest "ATILLA THE BABY" for the first 5 years of his life.
In America this is considered gross stupidity.
Do you reckon if you'd been called "Osama", that wouldn't have a lifelong impact?
I know a fellow named "Osam". He's Japanese American. Doesn't bother him a bit. THen there are a couple of Arabs I know with that name.
Although the name isn't terribly common to most people in this country, it is a common name in others.
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