We got a new TV this weekend! I'm not actually that excited about it. I still can't believe I spent THAT MUCH on a TELEVISION SET -- and we got one on sale for a really great price. But along with the new TV we picked up an antenna so we can at least watch PBS on occasion. I think cable is a total rip off, since I can buy episodes of my favorite shows through Amazon. BUT I'll totally spend $20 on a set of rabbit ears to watch a little public television...and maybe sneak some crappy network TV reality when the husband isn't around to judge me.
While watching KERA World, the secondary PBS channel, I saw a documentary made by a woman who was struggling with the hold that relationships had on her life. She was in her 40s, and she went to India, exploring with women there different views on sexuality and love. After the documentary was over, she and an interviewer began having a conversation about work and kids and blah blah blah. At this point, I'm sorry, I am tired of the way that most of these conversations go. Why? Because inevitably the question of, "Can women have it all?!" comes up, and I have to go stab my mattress 100 times.
CAN WOMEN HAVE IT ALL, Y'ALL?! I actually think this is an amazing stupid question, and if anyone takes it seriously, shame on them. Does anyone see this question as anything other than fodder for Yahoo content creators on a deadline who need something with click value? It's a media-generated conversation. For one thing, there's the obvious issue of the fact that no one ever asks men if they can "have it all." They can have kids and hand them off to someone else and go to work, the end. Also, in this day and age, I can't believe we're having this conversation because it's still framed as if anyone has a choice. I assure you, most women are working and having kids at the same time because LOL WUT? You can afford your kids any other way? And then, beneath these issues is this: WHO THE FUCK HAS ALL OF WHAT? I know no one, man or woman, who "has it all." I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT MEANS.
Seriously, it's insulting to all of our intelligence that we're having this conversation when we could be having real conversations about reshaping the world and making it work better for us ALL. We need to stop getting distracted with questions served to us repeatedly by lazy, hungover "content creators" at MSN, Yahoo, and HuffPo, and start asking actual, meaningful questions.
You first.
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Thank you, again. I was busy self flagellating myself over this same stupid question as I was doing my regular juggle all of this shit in the air that I put on my own shoulders. I looked over at my laundry pile and saw my "Fuck it let's drink shirt" (courtesy of your recommendation) and remembered, I'm pretty damn happy and I do have all that I need.
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