Do I want to write about or defend Chelsea Handler in any way? No, I don’t. I can’t stand the woman. She’s dreadfully unfunny and deeply hateful and bigoted. I clearly have a lot of reasons to dislike Handler. One of those reasons is NOT “because she’s childfree.” Chelsea Handler, like many women, has chosen not to be a mother. It’s actually becoming something of a trend – women in their 30s and 40s just opting out of the whole motherhood thing altogether. Especially after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, I find “the childfree option” to be completely reasonable in a society literally forcing women to carry unwanted or dangerous pregnancies. In any case, Chelsea Handler decided to make a video about her happy childfree life:
Just another day. pic.twitter.com/Bf4cdBqunG
— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) February 10, 2023
Again, she’s just so utterly unfunny. That’s my issue with this – I don’t care that she’s childfree, but I care that she’s one of the unfunniest “professional comedians” out there. But of course, this was bait – Chelsea is hyping her gig hosting The Daily Show, so she was trying to stir up some culture-war controversy, and the entire right-wing media apparatus is now crying about Chelsea Handler being happily childfree. All of these conservative dudes are super-worried that women will realize that, oh right, they don’t have to have babies if they don’t want to. It’s not just men though – there are a lot of judgy moms in her comments, yelling at her about her “meaningless” existence. Congrats to Chelsea – she got what she wanted. I’ll even defend her: at no point does she say that no one should ever have kids or whatever. She’s just promoting her childfree lifestyle… like tons of people promote their parenthood lifestyle.
This sexist rant is so unbelievably unhinged.
I literally watch Tucker Carlson as my job and even I'm sitting here like, "Jesus Christ, dude." pic.twitter.com/eEEKGKBQGc
— Kat Abu (@abughazalehkat) February 15, 2023
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Chelsea Handler attends the 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on January 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California,Image: 749951008, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Chelsea Handler, Credit line: – / JPI Studios / Avalon
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- 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards Red Carpet Fairmont Century Plaza Century City, CA January 15, 2023,Image: 749951121, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Chelsea Handler, Credit line: Jill Johnson / JPI Studios / Avalon
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- 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards Red Carpet Fairmont Century Plaza Century City, CA January 15, 2023,Image: 749951135, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Chelsea Handler, Credit line: Jill Johnson / JPI Studios / Avalon
I abhor Chelsea Handler. I’m glad she chose not to procreate. I am also glad that she had the freedom to choose whatever path she wanted in life – and I must add, she seems to live a pretty amazing existence. To each their own.
Wowwwww it’s easy to forgot as a non American just how insanely and overtly unashamedly awful Fox News is.
Jep thought the same..
I can’t stand one second of Fox news. I’m serious, it makes me physically ill.
I never liked the idea of having my own children, and never even saw the allure of the whole thing…. but society has always been obsessed with the ‘dogma’ that a woman is only complete if she gave birth.
I don’t think it’s just a conservative point of view, many of my so-called liberal friends had kids because “it’s what women do to achieve something in life”.
It never sat right with me but what do I know… 🤷♀️
That’s not liberal. It’s oppressively patriarchal.
It is, but what do I know… they describe themselves as liberal.
I wonder if it depends on religion or geography? I’m a mom and that’s an outlier among my friends. Not sure it was the right decision myself lol. I’m sure some more of my friends will have kids in the next decade, but even with my friends who are older and have almost certainly closed that door, it’s way less than half of us. Maybe 1/4.
The whole issue is letting women have a choice in their lifestyle. I know women who are childless by choice and not by choice, as well ass women who have children. My opinion is that we all should have the ability to have whatever we want in our families. Could be a spouse with or without kids, or it could be a woman with her pet.
MayBench, respectfully that is a patronising comment.
So if I think of my husband, cats, mum, brother, friends, I’m being selfish because I’ve no kids??? Lol
ETA: also, torture?? I take issue with such reference as I was a babysitter/aupair (on an off/on basis) for over 20 years. Some of my ‘kids’ kept in touch for decades. Really, some mums are the worst.
It’s things like that which make me realize that those who Americans call liberal would sometimes still be rightist here.
I think Gen X is the first generation of women who openly challenged the assumption that women should have children. I’m married and child free, as are many of our friends.
I’m an elder millennial and totally okay being child free.
I just explain that while I like children, I already have a job and don’t need a second one as a parent.
Gloria Steinem openly challenged that assumption as did many others.
I’m an older millennial and my daughter was around 7 when she realized that one of my friends didn’t have children and she asked why, I said she just doesn’t want them, and my daughter said, “you mean I don’t HAVE to have a baby if I don’t want to”, and I felt terrible that I’d given her that impression! Lol. She thought about it for a minute then said maybe she won’t have them, and I’m totally ok with that. I would love grandchildren but it’s 100 percent up to her and I’m glad we aren’t forcing women into motherhood anymore. I know plenty of people who seem to resent their children and treat them like an annoyance, I’m like why do you keep having them?!
No, there were plenty of Baby Boomers and Silent Generation women who challenged the idea that women needed children to be complete.
I have friends that don’t it don’t kids cuz they just never found the right man to marry and didn’t want to raise a child alone. I tell them not everyone is meant to have kids and they can always find a partner later in life now that the pressure of having kids is gone.
I’m a Gen X and never wanted kids. And I also never wanted to be partnered. Unlike most of my fellow child free friends, I never really got any push back about not wanting kids. But man, people lose their ever loving minds at the idea that I am perma-single by choice (I call it self partnered lol). I’m not asexual. I’m hetero and don’t want kids, including a man-child.
I’m in the South and I get the biggest side eyes when I don’t mention birthing my child as my biggest achievement.
A) I didn’t have much choice, he was gonna come out at some point! And 2) he is 6. Keeping him alive is my biggest concern at the moment, why would that be my biggest achievement in life?
Don’t get me wrong, he is a kind and considerate kid and I love him more than anything. I’ve been told I’m a good mom but I’ve got some work/school achievements that far outweigh “birthing a child.”
As a happily childfree woman it’s nice to see this topic become more mainstream, though the unhinged sexism aimed at women without children is wild.
I will say this, I’ve never regretted my choice but comments from family and strangers do make me sad sometimes. I don’t go around slagging mothers/parents, why is it ok to do the reverse?
Yeah, why? I always wondered as well. Likely due to the fact that having children is still seen as the ‘norm’ in society and not having them is controversial. I wonder if a new word could be coined about such attitude, childfree-phobic? 🤔
Same – the husband and I met when he was 40 and I was 30 and we just enjoy our own company way too much to have anyone else in it. We travel, have hobbies, good friends and family. 25 years later and we are still best friends and adventure partners. More and more people are accepting these days, which is nice, but, as you said, there are still the judgy comments or backhanded snide remarks. But from what I’ve seen in my personal experience those tend to come from a place of insecurity for the most part so I generally ignore them. It’s still annoying though…
They are probably jealous! I’m happily a mom but I know it’s not for everyone, or the be-all and end-all of existence.
I’m a mom too. This perfectly encapsulates my view of it. Well said
Having a child is a big decision and it’s personal. I don’t understand the need for anyone to brag or shame anyone else for having a child or not having a child. I have children, I love them to death, but it’s a hard job. I feel zero need to convince anyone else they should have kids or that my choices are superior, but neither do I want to be put down for having them.
I would rather not have something in common with Chelsea Handler, but yeah, I don’t have kids either. Never wanted to. I’ve known I didn’t want kids my whole life, and at 46, I am very happy I have none. I don’t hate kids or anything like that, but they are not for me. And it’s so incredibly important that only people who are sure they want kids and are totally ready for them have kids.
My life is not empty at all. I have my husband, my cats, my friends, my self. People have insulted me about not having kids — including a couple nurses — and it’s always “But all women want children!” Not all people, but all *women*. Incredibly misogynistic and patriarchal.
“But all women want children!”
Yeah, it’s treated like a default setting all women should have, like child-free women are missing a chip or something…. Patriarchy at its finest.
Well there’s also a middle ground people don’t seem to talk about much…women who want kids but prioritise finding a solid partner to have one with.
I absolutely would have had a kid or two with the right person. That person didn’t come along and I was not particularly impressed with the men who wanted me/us to default to a 1950s family model.
Finding a man who is willing to engage in conversations around co-parenting responsibilities is like finding a needle in a haystack. So I am childless…by circumstance more than intent.
Meli +1
I’ve got a friend who when she was in her 30’s didn’t have any viable partner options and she decided to adopt. I’m happy for her that she was able to have a family she chose
But for me that was not something I’d have considered- I grew up first with a father in the home who was a negative, destructive presence and then after my parents split, in a single parent home with my lovely mom who really struggled to keep a roof over our heads, heat on, food on the table plus keep up balanced in the wake of dad’s nonsense
Neither of those were things I had any interest in experiencing as an adult, or in inflicting on my own potential children. So finding a guy who would be a good life partner was higher on the list than having children. I might have happily become a mother if that happened soon enough (or maybe not) but it didn’t so I’m not.
I’m a lovely aunt though and godmother to some great kids. And I’m okay with that.
I am not okay with people who devalue or disrespect me because I’m not a mother… it makes me view them as narrow-minded and bigoted
Love what she’s saying here! I agree 100% If you take time to envision the life you want and that doesn’t include children why is that such a horrible thing to say? You get to be focused on yourself! Great! I’d like to smack Tuckers face off his face! (Heard that on insta and been saying to ever since!)
I too am not a fan of CH, but I am childless, its a choice I made because of breast cancer gene I have, and getting breast cancer at 34 limited my options, but I get her point.
I wonder if a man made a video like that what Tucker the Idiot and his band of ridiculous guests would have to say about that.
We childless woman are not saying a thing about those who have them, we are just saying stop worrying about us, we are good.
Like CH I am a great aunt… and I had a great Valentine’s day with them.
I’m no fan of Chelsea, her “humor” has always been more about her being mean than funny, but there’s nothing wrong with being childfree. I am, and I find that it’s projection among people with kids a lot, like i’m getting away with something and its unfair. I hear, must be nice all the time about going on trips, buying nice purses, going out to dinner, etc. I’ve had people tell me I still have time to ” change my mind”, that its selfish to not have kids, and ask me who is going to take care of you in your old age. I point out that having children for the sole purpose of having built in care is actually the definition of selfish, but what do I know.
@dee2 – yeah the “who will look after you” argument kind of went out the window when we see how many people live in assisted living as they age – and how many of them have little to no visitors…
And how many people’s kids despise them, may just be selfish themselves, or pass away before they do. I have a great aunt, the last two of my grandfather’s siblings who are still alive and she just turned 94. She has outlived 4 of her 5 children.
It makes me laugh when people say it’s selfish to not have children. I needed the help of medical science to have my kid, who I think is the greatest. I made her solely for my own joy and pleasure. It was an incredibly selfish decision! I didn’t need to have her.
That’s an excellent point
I really enjoy regaling those people with stories from my experiences as the only person in my family who cared for my grandmother in her old age — watching the blood drain out of their faces as I describe the exhausting years of trying to manage my own life (full time work plus full time school, laundry, housecleaning, errands, etc) along with managing all of her errands, housecleaning, laundry, plus escorting her to medical appointments and serving as an untrained home care nurse after significant surgery, followed by the mind-melting trauma of watching her wither up and die in hospice after the injury that ended her life, all done without a partner by my side for support because after all the work of maintaining my life and hers there was never enough time for me to actually go out and meet someone and fall in love for the long term… whew. It gets especially fun for me when I ask these people why they’d want their children to struggle the way I had to struggle.
@Wendy, I can relate to your story. I helped take care of my father after he had a TBI and vascular dementia, after all that caregiving in my late 20s and very early 30s, I have no desire, as a 37 year old woman, to have a baby. I gave up a lot during those years, and now my mother has cancer, so that adds to my no biological kids calculus.
I did recently get married, and I have two stepdaughters who are college-age, and being there for them is a rewarding experience. But it’s also nice that my husband and I have plenty of time to travel and do things for ourselves.
I hate the “who will look after you” part. I am not childless, I have one son, who is autistic. He’s as independent as he can be but he won’t be able to “look after me” or some such nonsense. He’s in his 20s now, doesn’t live with me, has a job, friends, life…so I’m wildin’ in my forties lol.
As for look after you, I was the health care proxy and power of attorney for a childless aunt, and had the support and input from all my cousins until her death years ago. If you’re that worried about having someone to look after you, having kids isn’t the answer. Kids aren’t retirement funds and they’re not retirement plans.
She can be annoying but I still like her a lot. She has worked on herself and keeps growing, I love her podcast and good for her! Live YOUR life Chelsea. I would do the same if I had her money and didn’t have any kids.
So her multiple racist comments doesn’t bother you?
I like Chelsea and think she’s hilarious. So there. And I too am child-free, very much by choice. I have nothing but respect for those who take on the very difficult job of having and raising kids. I support Moms and Dads whenever I have the opportunity. But, it was definitely the right decision for me. I’ve never regretted it, not for a single day.
The fact that she a racist doesn’t bother you?
of course not. racists of a feather flock together
@Moi
True it’s awfully quiet between their comment and the one above.
So there WHAT?? There that you’re cool with her misogynoir and racism?
I think its great to see childfree women showing their lifestyles, talking about how happy they are, etc. One of the “talking points” I guess for younger women (teenage girls, then women in their 20s or even 30s) who don’t want kids is “well you’ll regret it when you’re older.” So yes, older women who are childfree, show that you do not regret it and you are living your best life.
I have children, and I don’t judge anyone for being childfree or not wanting children etc. I’m sympathetic of course if its not by choice, but if you are someone who did not want children and you don’t have children – good for you. Children are hard. Pregnancy is hard. Childbirth is hard. It’s emotional, its exhausting, its draining, its expensive. I love my children but I 100% get why its not for everyone.
After I had my first child, I became even MORE pro choice in every sense because no one should be forced into pregnancy/childbirth or even pressured into it by society. Women should have children because they want to, and if they don’t want, they should not have to.
“After I had my first child, I became even MORE pro choice in every sense because no one should be forced into pregnancy/childbirth or even pressured into it by society. Women should have children because they want to, and if they don’t want, they should not have to.“
Same 💯
Same, same!!
The threat of regret almost got to me a few years ago, I’m about to be 39. But there was no dude in sight and it never even occurred to me to have a kid alone. The though horrifies me, it seems like a two-person job at least. Maybe even 3-4. And pregnancy? Birth? HELL no. The thought of having that forced on me … not to get graphic but I can see how a desperate woman might do desperate things. I’m still single and thought by now people would know I’m not having kids but since women have babies well into their 40s, it’ll be a few more years. Great.
I don’t like Chelsea but that video resonated with me. LOL Yeah, that’s my life and I love it. Every single one of my girlfriends who’s had a baby is tied to that child, physically. I don’t care how many people tell you that there are good men out there, 99% of the time it’s the mother in a heterosexual relationship that will do most of the childcare. No thank you.
I’m the aunt with the free time to do fun shit and take mom out if she needs it. Someone has to do that.
I too became even more pro-choice after giving birth. And my feels come from the perspective of “No kids sign up to be born to someone who doesn’t want them/ can’t take care of them!” Every kid that’s born deserves to know he or she is loved and WANTED!
And birth is hundreds of times more dangerous and traumatic for women than abortion!
If Chelsea wants to do her little middle finger to the Christofascists, then that’s fine.
(& ugh, that poster with the “whataboutisms” spamming multiple messages about how she’s racist.
Yes, Chelsea is an unfunny, clueless, impulsive, provocative, privileged, hypocritical little limousine liberal, but it’s not like she’s storming the US Capitol with her own Hitler/ 3% tattoos. The racists are still the ones getting “triggered” by Fox News chyrons. Gimme a fucking break with the holier than thou BS from that poster above!).
I have three kids and being a mom has been one of the greatest joys of my life. But I was raised by a woman who had kids because “that’s just what was done,” and the damage from that has been a mountain to overcome.
I can’t imagine telling any woman (or man) that they should have kids. Especially if they don’t think they want them. Parenting is a gig you should do with your whole heart.
Intersex woman with Turner’s Syndrome here: physically can’t have kids. Love my niece more than life, but I’m happy to send her home when she comes over. She’s exhausting.
I’m going back for my PhD, and planning lots of travel for research. I travel solo a lot cause I’m single too. Am I lonely sometimes? Sure but even married moms can feel lonely sometimes. I don’t mind my life. It’s good.
But this sexist “motherhood is the best thing a woman can do/you don’t know love until becoming a mom” crap is enraging.
Chelsea sucks, but Fox News sucks more.
Hello fellow ‘I’, childfree by choice – I was always on the no-kids train even before my ‘diagnosis’ and married before that too… however, I was clear to my husband I didn’t want kids at all, he agreed and it has gone well without issues (until now, at least!).
Goodness those aholes on that show make me have to like Chelsea Handler-someone who I have never liked bc of her weird war with Angelina Jolie -who is no angel herself. I just thought it was a tacky the way she inserted herself into the team Jen thing for so long that Jennifer Aniston herself was like no more, stop…such a long time ago
Eh, she made fun of Jennifer Aniston until she became besties with her. I assume it was to elevate Handler’s standing in established Hollywood. That being said, the thing that irks me most about her is that she doesn’t deserve the space she has. She is not nearly as funny as Kathy Griffith or Ali Wong, or Sarah Silverman. There is a long list of more talented women ahead of her.
She is absolutely right. I have children, don’t regret it, however I completely understand and respect women who decide not to. Their Body their choice. Its not a given that every woman must breed. My best friend Nicole has no children and doesn’t want any. She is just fine. Her life is filled with her love, laughter, fun and no regret. Your life is not meaningless if you don’t breed. Do you. Regardless of what anyone says children do change the direction of your life and no, it’s not always for the best. I’ve seen it.
Also not a fan of hers and not thrilled about her hosting Daily Show, and I’m a mom, and I thought this was funny. I laughed and went on with my day.
As for the larger issue, I support people making their choice for themselves. There is no wrong or right answer, and the folks who say otherwise reveal much more about themselves than they realize.
That dude in the Tucker clip said he had a 0.0 GPA and that was his road to what, fulfillment? I forgot what this whole story was about after seeing that clip. He used the word womb! Jfc that was so insane even for fox.
Oh yeah, this was about child-free women. I’m one. It’s great. Nobody cares. Happy Wednesday.
I love my child dearly and wished I could have had another one just like him, because he’s been absolutely delicious.
But, even though the video derails at the end, I thought the first 2/3rds of it was really funny.
Regarding the comments about children being hard, yes, but it would be less hard for women if society demanded that men actually participate with true equality in all of the scut. The loss of female creative space and ambition and potential outside of motherhood is just such a loss for every one.
I know one guy who reduced his wife into his receipt collector and organizer, and that was how they “team played” after kids came along. That was how the parenting expectations about shared work / division of labor played out, and I think that happens more often than anyone wants to acknowledge.
The patriarchy makes family life much harder on women that it could otherwise be.
They want it to be hard though. They want women to be all consumed with child rearing, so they can go have all the professional success, power, influence, and everything else they want to do.
If conservatives really wanted people to have more children, they would be supporting strong schools, free healthcare for all, subsidized childcare, family leave, all of the things that make having children possible. Yet those are all of the things that they want to cut. Because they want to go back to the 1950s when women were trapped in their homes and men could go do whatever the fuck they wanted.
I’m not a fan of Chelsea, early in her career I enjoyed the sketch show she did, not much since. I do appreciate her throwing this out there, but the exaggerated nature of it is like chum in the water to these dumbass conservatives, who have no ability to sense nuance or hyperbole.
How do middle class families do it? My husband is still 10 years away from paying off his student debt. Our home is only 2 bedrooms and one is my office. My parents managed with even less but they were stressed out and unhappy. I never wanted their life.
The cadence in tone when saying that part about society lying to women into believing that they think they can be a “girl boss” is remarkably funny to hear out of an adults’ mouth. It’s like hIs words weren’t going to make his point well enough about a woman backing up (is that a thing?) that he needed to emphasize it by saying it in a flippant way.
So much better than the men who want children but don’t want anything to do with raising them. I’m looking at all those prolific sperm donors as well as the deadbeat dads.
I have two kids whom I love to death (they’re only 2 and 4 so give me time, right?) but that was of my own volition—can’t imagine being pressured into having them. Even the subject of a third (husband desires one, I am on the fence leaning towards “no”) is a HUGE, life-changing decision. Being child-free is a choice and yes, it’s a good one. No matter what people say, parenthood consumes your life so you better love it (and your kids, obviously) or leave it entirely.
When I was a teen, I remember so clearly that our male friends gushed about future fatherhood while we were all cautiously considering the balance between career and family. Probably because most of our parents were Boomers and to the guys fatherhood still seemed like a fun adventure of taking your kids out on weekends, while we all saw our mothers struggling to balance work and home. Don’t get me wrong most of those guys became dedicated fathers, but that’s my understanding of why parenthood seemed “fun” to them.
The ones who gush about it usually do turn out to be good fathers, and it’s a great thing when they get what they want. But I read awhile ago an article about the most prolific sperm donor and his motivations for being so “altruistic.” Turns out, he’s a single guy who likes the idea of having so many offspring and spreading his seed; he’s just not sure he wants to raise kids. Historically, men have been preoccupied with/able to get away with propagating their genes without doing the bulk of the work, so you do see many men say, “yeah I’d like to have kids” but with the option of opting out of the day-to-day grind of their upbringing. Women who don’t want kids mostly just don’t have them. They’re not out there donating their eggs, making sure their family line (however abstract) doesn’t end with them. There is a lot of power and courage in having to say, “I don’t want them and that’s it” instead of being wishy-washy/half-in half-out.
I have never found Chelsea funny but the response this generated was both hilarious and scary. Ben Shapiro and Matt Walsh of the Daily Wire had absolute meltdowns over this, angrily tweeting that she’s lying, she’s not happy, no woman could ever be happy without kids, that she’s leading girls astray, everyone will be miserable, the human race will die out, her life is meaningless and sad, and she will die alone and her cats will eat her. Then they tweeted each other and everyone who agreed with them multiple times. These sexist creeps are furious that she dared go outside the lines they want us in and said she was HAPPY.
“The human race will die out” – that’s the main mantra of the conservatives as they’re mostly signalling that they are worried the ‘white’ race will die out. They’re scum, aren’t they?
Yes, they are. It is also their main argument against the LGBTQ community – well, you can’t have kids but they do. And then they all freaked out when Pete Buttigieg took parental leave because one of his newborns was in and out of a NiCU for 3 months.
The loudest dog whistle ever.
TBF there’s a population decline all over the world however men need women to have kids. Women just need the sperm.
Many men see women as breeding cows who must have babies in order to be fully accomplished. Having children is a very personal choice and nobody has the right to make childless women feel ashamed, incomplete and SELFISH. The human race is in no danger of becoming extinct any time soon so not every single woman has to have babies. In any case women could donate their ova to be used for women who want to be mothers but they can’t. If men can have sperm banks women should be have ova banks as well.
@LOLO86LF – no there’s more.
Breeding cows – yes.
But also cows who fetch and make and scut and provide sexy times on demand. And all for their benefit. Because they’re the primary bread winner right?
Well they are after they shove the woman into the box….
Right? Have all the babies but don’t you dare look matronly for doing so.
Having children wouldn’t be as hard if the men did their fair share of the work. As women we have to work, clean, cook and take care of the kids. My husband’s great contribution is taking out the trash.
I have never even heard of The commenter on Tucker Carlson’s show, but now I actively loath him.
Really, a woman’s entire happiness in life can be summed up by whether they get a present on Valentine’s Day? !!!! I am happily married, 2 kids that I wouldn’t trade for the world and I don’t care about VDay even a little bit….too busy living my life. I have always thought that picking one day to show love through material gifts is ridiculous and commercialized. I would rather show love in a million other ways all year long. What an adolescent BS view of “fulfillment.” Sure sounds like he’s trying to gaslight a bunch of women into marrying and procreating men like him because anyone with two brain cells to rub together would RUN the other way.
lol seems to me the angry ppl are the ones that are unhappy being parents and regret it.
parenting is arguably the hardest task anyone signs up for. and anyone happily a parent wouldn’t begrudge anyone choosing not to do it. Because they’re happy with their decision knowing it’s hard but still find it rewarding.
A woman’s life is nobody’s business but her own
To have children or not is each persons private choice, IMO.
Mind your own business.
These conservative meltdowns have nothing to do with children. Instead, it has everything to do with voters. Conservatives need white, married suburban moms. And elections after election, we see these white suburban moms voting for Republicans over Democrats.
On the flip side, single women vote blue by almost 70%. Fox News was flipping out about those stats after the midterms and making comments how women need to get married. So that’s why this freaks them out. Single, childfree women are their enemy.
Let’s be real, Tucker is most mad about her wanting to go back in time and kill his hero, Hitler.
I have 4-wanted to be a mom more than anything else. I love it. But my sister in law has none by choice and is happy as can be. I don’t get why conservatives want people who don’t want kids to have them-bizarre. I also think it’s generational, my daughter is in her mid 20s and says she’s the only one of her friends who wants to have kids. So I think this is just the wave of the future-conservatives need to fixate on something else.
I think the next generation having less interest in children is at least partially because society has changed enough (regardless of conservative freakouts) that at least a few people around them don’t have children so they can see it is possible and perfectly acceptable not to have any. No one from my parents’ generation was childfree, but there are two of us in mine. So they can see it’s fine and they’re unlikely to get hassled by immediate family about it at least.
I do not like her. But she was surprisingly really good on the Daily Show.
I just turned 30 and don’t want children! And guess what? It’s no one’s business but my own. Have children or don’t. You don’t owe anyone an explanation ☺️
Oh, I’d say the conservative women crawling into that thread to declare superiority are the really wild ones. An ungodly amount of women buy into the idea that letting a dude bust inside you so you can push out a baby nine months later is some kind of miraculous accomplishment rather than just an act of nature. I’m totally cool with them making that choice, but they can miss me with the superiority complex. Call me in twenty years so I can see how well you did with the really hard part — raising them decently.
For those of us that got pregnant late in life having a baby was a miraculous accomplishment. I thought I was sterile after trying for so long. My baby and I almost died at child birth so giving birth and both of us coming out alive was my biggest accomplishment in life. I’m someone that has a doctoral and a great career but nothing compares to my son and I being alive.
I love my two kids but damn they are hard on everything! Marriage, sleep, trying to get anything done is so hard. My 8 month old has been waking every two hours for the past week and I’m barely functioning and my mental health is diving. Luckily I have support but nothing has made me as pro choice as having kids. I’m so proud and happy for my friends who are great step parents, employees, community leaders, and business owners who don’t have bio kids but are contributing so much to society in their own ways. Also I can’t wait to ditch my kids with my husband and hang out with them and get a kid free evening. No kids should be born into unwanted situations. It’s awful for them and we as a society aren’t set up to help them enough. Also we have too many people anyways on this planet. Republicans are freaking out over population decline but it’s a good think for this planet.
I’m 70, never married, never had kids, and I knew back in my teens that I didn’t want kids. Maybe it was my infernally frustrating mother and sister (BPD/NPD) who made my life a living hell at times but the thought of having children was just *yuck*. I remember men asking me why I wasn’t married with a family ALL.THE.TIME. like I was committing some kind of sin by being single. I had two longish live-in relationships, both of which I left when the going got tough and if I’d been married I would have had to go through a sh*t-ton of stress (they were both lawyers) and fighting, but I was simply able to make a clean break. Chelsea can be a nasty piece of work but on this I agree with her — it’s a woman’s choice to reproduce or not.
I’ve said this before on other threads. I’m a single mom by choice who chose to have a child as a sole parent. And I got a fair amount of side-eying, and some grief, about it. But not nearly as much grief as my married friends who chose not to have children. They have family and friends all over their case all the time.
It’s imperative that every person look into their hearts about what they really want from life. The only bad choice is to have a child without truly wanting to become a parent. Every child deserves to be wanted — whether it’s through birth or adoption.
And BTW, my son is named in honor of my child-free, “spinster” great-aunt, who led an amazing life, and was the heart and soul of our extended family.
I had a “spinster” aunt on each side of the family and they are beloved by all! I think it’s a major reason why my parents never cared/worried about me not wanting kids/marriage. If I turn out like them, I’ll be just fine!
I hope I can be that example to my eventual nieces/nephews (by blood or friendships) of a happy and fulfilled family/career/lifestyle without children. I see my friends who are married with kids, some very happy and some not, and it’s never wavered my feelings to want that life.
A friend of mine chose to become a single mother too, I could never do what she’s doing, I am incredibly happy for her and glad she pursued her dream.
I’m finally getting past the “are you going to have kids“ age, so I don’t get the question anymore really, but then my younger sibling got married, and for years people were asking ME if THEY were going to have kids.
And then they did, and tragically their baby died, and it’s been hell, and still people are asking me “Are they going to try again?” And sooner or later I’m going to snap and scream that it’s no one else’s business and to just let them be.
Why anyone has the nerve to ask still bugs me, no ones’ business.
I have a relative whose child was killed in an auto accident, 20+ years ago.
For years after she struggled emotionally how to answer.
She is now in her late ’60’s and when meeting new people, she is often asked “Married, children?”
She automatically responds, “No and no.” And changes the subject back to them.
Some of us keep our grief to ourselves in order to make it thru the day, many people have life situations that we do not own explanations for to anyone.
No one should have to answer questions such as this. In any social or work setting.
I’m pretty sure the reason Fox and the rest are so upset is because she’s a white and conventionally attractive woman who doesn’t want kids – especially the “white” part of it.
I’m the oldest of 5 kids and childless by choice. I did enough mothering with my younger siblings. I never wanted children and had to endure a lot of questions about my womanhood and purpose on this planet, by men and women. Even into my early 40s. I finally told people that I don’t question their choices and they have no right to question mine. Marriage wasn’t on my bucket list either of things to accomplish in life until I met my husband at 30. I’m 64 now and not once did I regret not having children. I have 3 step kids all grown and on their own with their own kids.
My sister asked me once when I was 39 and I was helping her with her newborn twin sons, if this doesn’t make me want my own kids, since I clearly love them. I told her, I love your babies but when I leave it is out of sight out of mind for me.
Not everybody is made out to be a mother or father. It is a personal choice and IMO nobody’s business. Nobody should have to explain and defend why they are in favor of kids or not. My life, my choice.
She’s only mildly funny at best and I like that she’s so unabashedly “Child Free”. Many of my older friends have opted not to procreate while most of the rest have only one child.
The conservative men and judgy moms claiming a woman without children is “empty” or “sad” or living a “meaningless life” are pathetic. IMO, they’re either scared that younger women will opt out of breeding, or their jealous of how much time, energy, and disposal income most child-free modern women enjoy.
Not all women can procreate (I am one of them) and I despise the breeder mentality that shames women who do not become biological mothers.
I choose to become custodial Stef-Mom to the two kids born to the former love of my life. Their real mom was MIA for about 5 years (their teens) as she worked through her own personal challenges. I stepped in and stepped up and have no regrets. It was hard as hell, expensive, also fun and I learned more about myself than I ever thought possible.
Their dad and I ended up divorcing as the kids hit adulthood. He quickly married wife #4 whom the kids barely know and frankly, don’t like because their dad basically abandoned them as young adults when he took up with her just months after I moved out. I’m happy I came along when I did in their lives to ensure the family of three (plus me) stayed together through the tumultuous teen spirit years.
Fast forward to today and both my chosen kids are now new parents in their mid to late 20’s and they each have 3 seperate parents who love them, support them, and provide different levels of wisdom, financial support, and care for them and “our” grandbabies.
Procreation is not the only life path for women to be happy and fulfilled.
Step, I love that story. I am a mom of two (one bio, one adopted) and it does take a village sometimes.
Loathe Chelsea. Love this. Nothing better than Conservative outrage to start one’s morning.
Despite the video being unfunny (I would expect nothing less from CH) and kinda lame, I applaud the sentiment. I’m an elder millennial and have never wanted kids (even when I was a kid). I love my nephew, and my friend’s children, but I don’t enjoy small humans. I like my independence, and the ability to do whatever I want. If that makes me selfish, then I’m okay with that. I remember my uncle once told me when I was in my early 20s, that my life had no point to it if I didn’t want kids, get married, or believe in god. It’s sad that people believe that. Life is what you make it, and you can define what gives your life meaning not society. If you’re happy then that’s what matters. If that’s with children (great) and if it’s childfree (great). There is power in a woman’s right to choose, and that’s why the Right is trying to take it away from us.
I’ve only ever seen Chelsea Handler on Lebron James’ sports show, The Shop, and she was funny. She looks really good in the header photo.