Carrie Underwood covers the November issue of Redbook and while her overall look is usually very “done” I like that it’s accessible and pretty. They put her in clothing that I might wear, and I’m going to steal that idea of pairing a denim shirt with a girly skirt. Also, they get a lot of points for getting her to pose with her adorable dogs. In the interview, Carrie talks about whether she’ll have another child (it sounds like she’s trying), being a mom to Isaiah, now 19 months old, and mom guilt at having to tour and raise a kid at the same time. She has a nanny and she sounds guilty about that too, which is understandable but a lot of working moms have help there’s no shame in it.
How her onstage persona “Carrie Underwood” differs from the real “Carrie”:
“I love being onstage, but that’s different. That’s not Carrie. That’s Carrie Underwood. The rest of my life I feel like I’m incredibly disappointing to people. Like if I run into someone at the grocery store, I really don’t know what to say because I don’t have a microphone in my hand or bling on. They expect me to be ‘Carrie Underwood,’ but I’m just Carrie. I’m sorry!”On having a second child with her husband, NHL star Mike Fisher:
“If my husband were at the beginning of his career, I’m not sure we could handle it. Since he’s kind of nearing the end and won’t be traveling so much, we’re like, “We can figure it out for not that long.” You make it work. When I was pregnant, I thought, How am I going to go on the road? How am I going to keep doing my job? I had to just give it to God and stop worrying about it. Sure enough, we figured it out.”How online bullying has changed the way she uses social media:
“I feel like bullies have changed the way I react to the world. You want to be connected to your fans, and I used to feel like I could go through social media and talk to people, really have that communication. But you get to a point where there are too many mean people saying mean things— probably just to get a reaction from you—and eventually I was like, “I don’t know if I can do this.” You have to have a barrier up, which is sad.”Her advice for working mothers:
“Ask for help. Accepting help is hard for me, but I’m learning. Sometimes I feel guilty that this is my son’s life: We live on a bus and we’re in a hotel room and sometimes we’re in the middle of nowhere and it’s not so great. It’s not all glamorous. We have a nanny who helps out, especially when we’re on the road. But I’d feel guilty asking someone to watch him at home while I run to the grocery store.”How having her son, Isaiah, has changed her as a person:
“I definitely feel like it’s changed me as a person. I’m happier. I’m in a better mood a lot of the time. He’ll be watching cartoons and I’ll be watching him. I’m completely in love. I love it when he’s sleepy and I get to hold him and smell him. He doesn’t know I’m staring at him and being all googly-eyed!”
[From Redbook]
It bugs when singers have stage names for their performing personas, but I’ve never been in that position so I can’t understand the pressure they’re under. As for online bullies, I strongly feel that all social media platforms should have the type of controls that Facebook does so that you can ban and block people without others seeing their comments on your account or page. Twitter’s platform doesn’t lend itself to that unfortunately so people can talk smack and say horrible things and you just block them so you don’t see them. It’s not very effective.
Also, I’m surprised that Carrie wants another child at this point. She said for years that she was waiting to have kids because she was focused on her career, but it sounds like she’s experience motherhood, loves it and knows how to make it work, guilt aside. I still feel guilt that I have to work at night sometimes and can’t devote more time to my son. It’s always a balance.
Photo Credit: Jeff Lipsky
That picture of her little boy and the sesame street stuffed toys is adorable!
Reminds me of Loretta Lynn, on the road, endlessly touring with hubby back home raising the kids. It’s doable and the money is great, but the guilt must be overwhelming at times. If there’s a way to make it work, then that’s what counts.
David Bowie always says he separated the two, stage performer and David Jones at home.
Carrie is a sexy, energetic performer on stage, and I think she thinks people expect her to be more on when they meet her in real life.
I’m not a fan of country, do I don’t know much about her, but I have heard SEVERAL stories of her being extremely rude to people from friends and coworkers. She came to my town a few years back for a concert and was just incredibly rude and dismissive to any of the workers around her. I think if that anytime I see a story about her.
I can believe it. She always looks like the ex sorority president from some tiny Midwestern college who’s now a mommy and will cut you over a Michaels coupon.
LOL! But those Michael’s coupons are GOLD, dontchaknow!
@It’sJustBlanche Ok, your comment is comedy gold! I seriously laughed out loud. “Michaels coupon”….I love it!!!!!
I always get an unlikable vibe from her. I can’t put my finger on it, just like in this interview I can’t point to anything objectionable that she said, but still….there it is.
I came to say the same thing. I respect her career I admire her dedication to talking about food journaling but there is just something about her that makes me so meh.
I like her answers. And obviously she is gorgeous. I heard she has a catty streak with other artists but anyone who is photographed loving their pups has an instant “approved” stamp in my book.
I like country music but not her singing. I also get a ” I am gorgeous and better than you” vibe off her. She appears to me to be arrogant and believes her own press that she is great.
can’t stand when people who have no intention of changing their life go on about how guilty they feel. she feels guilty but not guilty enough to stop touring. i wouldn’t expect her to, but she could just accept that it’s the way it is and stop prevaricating to placate her mom fans who might think it’s a bad choice. or self-flagellating because it somehow makes he feel better about it.
I think every mom has guilt of some sort. Working mom guilt, letting the kids watch tv guilt, etc. I can’t think of a day that goes by that I don’t feel some sort of mom-guilt. I blame the internet.
But this is different than the average working mom. Her son’s life is on the road. He doesn’t get to sleep in his own bed. He doesn’t get the run of his own house. I find it all extremely selfish. I’m sure I’ll get a beat down for being a “Mommy shamer” for saying it but it’s true. They don’t need the money and she could take a break but she’d rather maintain her star power than let her little boy have a normal life. IMO she should feel guilty. That’s no life for a kid.
I thought she was adorable and real on American Idol, and then morphed into my mind’s eye image of what happens to pretty midwestern girls when they get in ‘the biz.’ A lot of catty, hungry and condescending sharp edges happen around that wholesome image.
This.
I met her once and she was very quiet and down to earth. A little reserved, but friendly. Just a regular person, in all honesty.
I know millions of people love her but to me her voice is worse than nails down a chalkboard. When she sings the intro to the NFL I hit the mute. Don’t care for her at all.