This week, Beyoncé introduced an athleisure clothing line called Ivy Park. The brand’s name derives from a beloved childhood park she ran in, and from her 4-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy, a regular on her Instagram account and in her videos who also appears in the commercial, on her mother’s back and both wearing Ivy Park-logo headbands.



The response from the public was rapturous. People.com hailed the commercial as “empowering.” One fan in a YouTube response video said: “Some people just create a clothing line just to get money. And I think, you know, she’s actually doing it from a place where it’s, like, coming from her heart, especially when you name something after your child.”

They have a point. I am sure that Beyoncé would not include her daughter in her empire unless she felt it benefited her character. And there is a great deal to admire about the way she empowers others, particularly girls and women. (“My goal with Ivy Park is to push the boundaries of athletic wear and to support and inspire women who understand that beauty is more than your physical appearance,” she said in a statement.)

That said, there is still something disconcerting about seeing celebrities enlist their children in service of their brands, even if there is some ancillary political value.