Watch CBS News

Scott Brown Daughters "Really Famous" Now

Fathers have a habit of embarrassing their daughters. It comes with the territory. But this week, the new senator from Massachusetts did it in front of the entire country.

CBS News correspondent Whit Johnson reports that Scott Brown's victory speech started innocently enough when he turned the spotlight away from himself, but veered in an awkward direction when he mentioned his daughters.

"I rely on Gail's love and support and that of our two lovely daughters," Brown began, adding, "And just in case anyone who's watching throughout the country -- yes, they're both available."

With that embarrassing "Dad" moment caught on national TV, Scott Brown thrust his college-aged daughters, Ayla and Arianna into the limelight - something, Johnson pointed out, they're likely used to.

Both of Brown's daughters appeared regularly in campaign ads -- a bonus for a politician with daughters like Brown's.

At just 21, Ayla has already made a name for herself. In 2005, she gained national attention as a semi-finalist on "American Idol." She's working on her third album. The six-foot beauty is also a basketball star at Boston College.

Ayla's younger sister, 19-year-old Arianna, is studying pre-med at Syracuse University.

With two accomplished daughters and a wife who's a TV reporter, Johnson joked the new senator may find himself struggling for media attention.

Nia-Malika Henderson, a White House reporter for Politico.com, said on "The Early Show" Brown has seen some censure for his remarks.

"Some people have found this comment kind of cringe-inducing. For instance, Glenn Beck was one of the people who criticized Senator-elect Brown for essentially saying that his daughters were available for marriage. But most people seem to find it funny and you looked at the reaction of daughter there. She kind of was embarrassed certainly, her mouth kind of dropped open there. And so it was a little embarrassing for them, but most people just think this was a real human moment for senator-elect Brown."

"Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith remarked that in an age when people want transparency, this may lend itself to a better image for Brown.

"That was a pretty transparent moment," Smith said.

"Exactly," Henderson said. "That's very much the kind of campaign that Brown ran. Very much outside the belt way, unorthodox campaign. Here's a guy who posed for a Cosmopolitan nude. And that's -- this really kind of weird campaign that he ran, very much resonated with for the folks who were sick of the button down ways of Washington."

But how is it this going to play when you get to button down Washington?
Henderson said that moment with his daughters shows a local politician who has suddenly been thrust onto the national stage.

"Things are certainly different when you're a national figure and when he moves to Washington. One of the things that we might see is this might be a senator who is gaffe prone, who has to walk back from remarks that he makes. But he could be a kind of hero for at least folks in the teabag movement and grassroots folks because he says what's on his mind."

As for Brown's daughter, Ayla, she's moving up the release date of her album up to Tuesday to capitalize on the publicity of her father's remarks. Her Facebook page, Smith added, was overwhelmed by people trying to "friend" her.

"She's really famous now," Henderson said.

Smith replied, "Unbelievable."

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.