Why can’t we let Bey-Bey bump be great?

When a baby is on the way, most mothers-to-be enjoy gifts from friends, extra help from family members and well-wishes from co-workers, associates and just about anyone they come in contact with. But for Beyoncé, pregnancy has also brought on the task of fighting off wild speculation and rumors about her and her child-to-be.

In case you missed it: Gossip bloggers are alleging that Beyoncé’s baby bump isn’t really a bump at all, but a prosthetic device being used to trick the public. It started with an overseas television interview earlier this month, in which Beyoncé’s dress billowed as she took a seat. Certain bloggers insist that her stomach “folded,” and are claiming the interview as proof that she’s wearing a belly made of foam.

theGrio: Wendy Williams wonders if Beyoncé’s baby bump is fake

As improbable as a fake baby bump is (her publicist has called the allegation “stupid, ridiculous and false”), the rumor has taken on a life of its own. Talk show host Wendy Williams and ABC News have given airtime to the speculation, and now, “bump truthers” (as the Washington Post is now calling them) seem more intent than ever on proving that Beyoncé is pulling a stunt.

But why?

It seems the joy over Beyoncé’s impending motherhood, announced last month during MTV’s Video Music Awards, has mutated into a strange and discomforting mix of cynicism and contempt. And it’s uncomfortable to watch.

Some entertainment-watchers have bemoaned the fact that Beyoncé announced her pregnancy so publicly. Others are questioning why she’s still working, shooting videos and making appearances, instead of disappearing for nine months. Women have complained that she looks “too perfect,” admitting that they hoped she’d have an “ugly pregnancy.” And a few tweeters have even gone as far as to say they hope she suffers a miscarriage.

How cynical do you have to wish a miscarriage on a pregnant woman?

And why has Beyoncé’s pregnancy drawn such disdain?
Is it jealousy? Annoyance? Beyoncé fatigue (which may be understandable, as the singer has worked almost non-stop in the past few years)? Or is it an inability to stomach a happy, beautiful, mom-to-be in the public spotlight? Whatever the reason, the chatter has become so vile that even people who are more or less apathetic to Beyoncé’s music are coming to her defense.

“People will never be 100 percent happy with anything Bey does because they really do try to find her faults even where they don’t belong,” says one humor blogger. “Her pregnancy has brought more debates than any other I can remember.”

“It’s no wonder she never said a word about her relationship with Jay-Z,” says another friend. “She tells the world she’s pregnant, and look what happens.”

It’s seems that Bey is at that annoying point in her career where she’s damned if she does, damned if she doesn’t. The irony about the uproar over her pregnancy is that just a few years ago, bloggers were insisting that she take a break (she was in the middle of promoting I Am… Sasha Fierce), sit down and give Jay-Z a few babies.

But now she’s decided to do just that — and look what happens.

Even the host and producers of Sunday Night HD, have joined in defending the mom-to-be, asserting that there was no funny business going on when they interviewed the star.

“I saw a gloriously pregnant woman who was delighted with the Collette Dinnigan baby booties we gave her,” host Molly Meldrum said to Australia’s Daily Telegraph. “Jay-Z wouldn’t support a stunt either.”

Beyoncé, true to form, has taken the high road by deciding not to personally address any rumors. In the meantime, she’s released a new full-length video along with a snippet of a second one, and announced the launch of her maternity line, in collaboration with mother Tina Knowles. She’s still, if nothing else, a businesswoman.

Bump-truthers, meanwhile, will just have to swallow the fact that an entertainer who has worked constantly since the age of 15 isn’t suddenly going to disappear because a baby is on the way — especially when said entertainer has a new fragrance and a platinum album to promote.

Few women drastically change their lifestyles when they become pregnant — in fact, it would offensive to ask a teacher, lawyer, CEO or any other professional woman to do so. Even as an entertainer, Beyoncé is no exception to the rule. So one would hope that people would be able to look beyond their cynicism long enough to simply wish the woman a happy, healthy birth.