Currently Megyn Kelly, another of Fox's blond bimbo-ish talk show hosts, is on maternity leave.
You would imagine that those who espouse the "conservative family values" point of view would find that admirable. But apparently you would be wrong.
Here is Fox News contributor Mike Gallagher and Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace acting like neanderthals on the subject.
Yeah, how proud am I of MY gender right about now?
Thankfully I am a REAL pro-family progressive, and not one of these knuckle draggers who only give lip service to the idea of sacrificing for their families.
However leave it up to the brilliant Sarah Jones, of Politicususa, to quickly recognize just who it is that reinforces this type of antiquated thinking from conservative males:
A side note while I point out just one more reason women have problems with women like “conservative” Sarah Palin; Palin told the media that she gave a speech after going into labor (or breaking water) and then flew home ten hours before driving another two to her preferred hospital. Three days later, she arrived at work with her new baby and men all over the country said, “Atta gal!”
They praise her now as the “ideal wife”, as if she had no help with her child, as if taking a 3 day old infant with health problems to work is a viable idea, as if motherhood weren’t really, actually, very time consuming and physically draining. All of this leaves women like Megyn Kelly even more vulnerable to criticism for taking some time off before and after giving birth. This is “Mama Grizzly” feminism: Selling the unrealistic notion that women can and should do it all at the same time, no less, and look great while they’re doing it.
So you see it is not JUST that the pregnancy hoax gave Sarah Palin pro-life credibility that she did not deserve, and put her on the short list of possible John McCain VP candidates, it ALSO reinforces a negative stereotype that working women use their children as an excuse to get out of work whereas men do not.
(And we all know that if MEN had to give birth, they would demand SIX months off from work, as well as a trophy for their accomplishment, and probably a holiday named after them just to top it off.)
In truth Sarah Palin has done more to set back the Women's Movement in this country, than Hooters, Baywatch, and Hustler magazine combined.
And I would also like to point out that is REAL women like Sarah Jones and Laura Novak, female journalists who are willing to address the Palin faked pregnancy head on, that should make feminists and working women proud of their gender. NOT the phony, hypocrisy ridden, Sarah Palin.
It was easy for $p to be back at work three days after the birth of her fifth child. All she had to do was go pick him up. Clearly she did not give birth to this child, or do any of the work of caring for the child. She does not have a clue how to take care of children.
ReplyDeleteMen will undercut women whenever they can as long as they feel "safe" doing it.
ReplyDeleteA few women like me in the workplace made many, many, many men a whole lot more careful about displaying their demeaning attitude toward women. Unfortunately it made them better at hiding it and much more inclined to inlict as much harm to professional women as they could without SEEMING to be the vicious bullies they actually were.
In the end I came to prefer the open vocal bully to the ones undercover. At least I knew where I stood.
Women's "liberation" is really just a way of saying "you're on your own, girl. Ain't nobody going to give you nothin' 'less you stick it to them good".
My grandmother couldn't vote as a young woman. That's about all the "progress" women have made since.
I retired from a very successful career to stay home with my children. Granted, most women don't have that opportunity. But with sacrifices and some fancy financial work, it was possible. And my children are all the better for it.
ReplyDeletePalin could have done the same, or mr. palin, doesn't matter. I'm proud of the hard work it took, and don't see the heroism of taking your kid to a job you don't 'do' anyway.
Look at our education system. The books are mostly about men, written by men. The boys get more attention and more easy credit than girls. The expectations for girls are much lower. Girls are derided for ability in math and science. Boy 's bad behavior is more tolerated. Girls are pressured to look sexy before age 10. Even in a first after-school or summer job, girls are instructed to be less agressive and submissive to bosses, co-workers and customers.
ReplyDeleteAnd then girls get to the "she was asking for it" age and learn how sexual abuse (1 in 4 women) is pretty much what to expect.
Life is just so great for women. A couple of TV talking heads being a'holes is really nothing to bother me.
Educated women comprehend and most put a newborn infant's distinct needs above what some fool man would say about her. Palin blamed men for parental negligence diverting attention from her negligence.
ReplyDeleteTrue story: my neighbor, nine months pregnant complained to her husband about her physical discomfort. He basically told her to shut up commenting "women in China pick rice, deliver and keep picking rice". Her reply was " really? I know there are men who make a million dollars a year. When you make a fucking million a year I'll drop a baby in a fucking rice paddy". She was an executive puttanking her spouse. This was 1979.
Will you never stop! You are driving me crazy with your lies! (Dear God, make him stop!) Why don´t you go away? Why must you always pop our bubbles about Sarah? We loves our rainbows and lollipops!
ReplyDeleteAnd all of you lying commenters stop! Stop believing these lies! Stop telling these lies! Enough with the rumors and innuendo! Show me proof that Sarah hasn´t taken a shit in two months!
How does Sarah directly affect this?
ReplyDeleteIt may sound cliche but my grandmother had 9 children, ran her family farm, went right back to her work the day after giving birth EACH time and raised 9 healthy, mature children.
Stop finger pointing! I did notice you didn't reference Tina Fey saying Sarah's success is a success for all women. hmmm Wonder why.
Whoa. Great post, Gryph, great job uncovering this radio excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThough female myself, whiny loud females make me cringe (think Code Pink). But I don't understand how some men believe that they know what it's like to be a pregnant woman.
I hope somebody's keeping track of all the cultural sins Sarah is guilty of. Once she is toppled from her perch, we need to be vigilant in making sure we're not threatened by her ilk in the future.
"(And we all know that if MEN had to give birth, they would demand SIX months off from work, as well as a trophy for their accomplishment, and probably a holiday named after them just to top it off.)"
ReplyDeleteLMAO! As a wife whose husband has been on LTD for almost a year due to an MCL injury, truer words were never spoken! OH, the whining...
Speaking of which, Your Heinous? No way in HELL you gave birth to Trig. Keep spinning, grifter, your house of cards is going to tumble, and SOON.
If men had to give birth:
ReplyDelete1. All children would be from one child families
2. The species would die out after the second generation
3. Men would want a nerve block from the neck down once labor started.
wow...I--
ReplyDeleteWow.
I have no words for how crass these men are.
The sooner this Babygate book comes out and Sarah defrauded, the better.
(And we all know that if MEN had to give birth, they would demand SIX months off from work, as well as a trophy for their accomplishment, and probably a holiday named after them just to top it off.)
ReplyDeleteSpoken like a woman! And I mean that as a compliment--women have said this forever, but I've never before heard a man acknowledge/ admit it! I've long believed that if men had to go through menstruation, there would be two days off per month built into FTO time to deal with the cramps and mood swings.
Please advise your readers that voting in the townhall Sarah Palin poll will require their email address, and they will NEVER get taken off townhall's spam email list once they give it to them.
ReplyDeleteYou can try unsuscribing once they've got your email, but you will have no luck.
I've had some interesting conversations lately with friends (nurse & social worker who works w/adopted/foster children) about the difficulties that children have when they do not have proper bonding at a young age.
ReplyDeleteThere are some women who are quite capable of going back to work soon after having children -- physically. However, the larger & more important issues, in Bible Spice's case and in most cases, is whether or not it is best for the child.
A child with health challenges, such as Trig, should probably not be taken to the office "3 days" after birth. Any and all children benefit from having a mother (& father) able & willing to stay at home with them, give them lots of cuddles, food, minimal superfluous stimuli, and the opportunity to sleep often and develop good sleep/eat/wake cycles.
Screw Fox news, it is best for Megyn & all other mothers to stay at home with their children. The children need it, and the mothers need it too. There are real biological changes taking place in both the mother's brain and the baby's brain -- attachment issues & many more.
TXSMR
My idea: John Cleeze (sp?) of Monty Python produces a movie of Wasillabilly Summer Vacation paralleling National Lampoon's Grizzwald vacation movies. That would be hilarious! The Paylins go patriotic and people donate for the multi millionaire We Paid Cash For Our Mansion shoot meat to eat clan to see the USa after failed governorship and VP candidacy.
ReplyDeleteIt would be a reversal of the Grizzwald relatives freeloading from their RV going rogue uber patriotic! Road trip to the oval office after DWTS, reality show andajor facial reconstruction epic fail.
We live in an insane world when people support this madness.
Of all the negativity Palin has spread around, her pitbull lipstick bloody hunt fish whacking iron uterus wannabe cajones superwoman winky miniskirt schtick irritates me as much as anything she does. Fox Noise aids and abets the denigration of women with its dumbed down big haired short skirted "news" babes and misogynist comments like those in this clip. Yes, sensible women like me despise hearing pseudo men like you jerk off in public.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully said, Gryphen. There is nothing more important than being with your newborn and there for him/her and those precious moments of time you have- just the two of you together- can never be matched. What was her big rush to get back to the job she hated so much? She had just "given birth" (some say) to a "premature"
ReplyDeleteDS baby who- any decent mother would know- needs more than a full term infant who is perfectly healthy. Not only that, a "mature" woman giving birth to a special needs child might just need some time for quiet reflection. But, then...
I am proud of Sarah Jones and Laura Novak. Thank you, and brava for your real and professional journalism.
ReplyDeleteI suspect, and my hunches are usually correct, that Sarah Palin HATES...DETESTS....DESPISES women. I also suspect, and once again...I'm usually correct...that Sarah Palin HATES...DETESTS...DESPISES men, as well. But of the two groups, she knows she can bullshit men much easier than she can bullshit other women. We've got her number. We knew cockteasers like her growing up, and we know she's full of hot, stinky, smelly air.
ReplyDelete"In truth Sarah Palin has done more to set back the Women's Movement in this country, . . ."
ReplyDeleteAccurate, and also one of the goals of the right-wing (and fundie evangelical) backers who puppet her and who pour money into keeping her in the news as well as rushing to her defense everytime someone tells the truth about her.
AMEN!
ReplyDeleteI can only hope that Kelly takes six YEARS off...what a shrill little witch is she.
ReplyDeleteFox news people are just so painfully stupid. Thank God you will never have to worry about your daughter going on maternity leave.
ReplyDeleteShe is neither a feminist nor a superwoman. She is a lying asshole.
ReplyDeleteThree days after a normal, vaginal birth, you can be out and about, but your stomach is still swollen, your breasts are engorged, and you are still wearing a pad from residual bleeding. Oh, and your newborn doesn't know the difference between night and day, so you are up every 2-3 hours feeding him. Overall, it makes even taking a shower difficult. Sorry to be graphic, but that is how the human body that has just given birth is.
ReplyDeleteYour infant goes to the doctor within days of being released, and your are advised to limit interaction with a lot of people since their immune systems are not developed for the first few weeks. And this is for normal, healthy, full term babies, not preemies.
So yeah, I would say that only a crazy person would bring a three day old preemie to an office. Unless he wasn't really three days old, thenit would be perfectly fine.
Just to show how stupid these men are, they apparently bought Palin's cockamamie story about the circumstances of Trig's birth. It obviously escapes them that if there was any truth to Palin's story, then she was guilty of recklessly endangering a child already more fragile than most infants due to his condition.
ReplyDeleteThey also sound as if they view even their own children as undesirable appendages. But then, what else can anyone expect of 13-year-old moron's in men's bodies?
I always say if men gave birth, every family would have only
ReplyDelete1 child!
If men had to give birth, abortion would be a sacrament, not illegal.
ReplyDeleteExactly right, Gryphen! I have many children(more than Sarah) and have dedicated my life to the vocation of motherhood. The things you mention are exactly the things that first got under my skin about this woman when she was introduced to us in 2008. I live in a very red state, too, and know more moms who identify themselves as conservative than liberal. It floored me to witness their collective embrace of this person who, for me, embodied the opposite of womanly/motherly virtues. I couldn't believe (this is when I knew much less about her, remember) that family-values voters praised a woman willing to hit the campaign trail with a brand new special-needs infant and a teenage daughter in crisis, plus three other children, two of whom were school-aged. My own code of family values would have made it impossible for me to accept that job offer of a lifetime. I would have put my kids first. I'm no saint. I just live in reality and know what it takes on a daily basis to raise the kids I brought into this world. It's hard and unglamorous but I "chose life" and those are the terms of my contract.
ReplyDeleteWhy has it taken so long for the media to pick up on this?
ReplyDelete$P also ignored the very real deal that doctors have of women who've given birth multiple times to need a c-section due to all kinds of complications. For women who hate Mat-Su Regional and who would rather drive to Anchorage than give birth there, Anchorage doctors make sure to get them in right around their due date. Everything is planned.
After a woman gives birth, her body needs a rest. It's expelling blood, hormones, and what it doesn't need any more. Younger women handle it better than older women, but it's trying for everyone.
As usual, jackboot conservative women benefit from feminism even as they deride it. In this case, Ms Kelly is not only able to take maternity leave, but gets verbal support from Ms Jones. Meanwhile, Ms Kelly happily plays the dumb bimbo to her male cohosts and spews reactionary rhetoric.
ReplyDeleteAll of this leaves women like Megyn Kelly even more vulnerable to criticism for taking some time off before and after giving birth. This is “Mama Grizzly” feminism: Selling the unrealistic notion that women can and should do it all at the same time, no less, and look great while they’re doing it.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, the night of the day I gave birth to my daughter I wanted to work on my post-election analysis for my office - because I was suffering from postpardum euphoria. In the first two weeks with an infant I was going out of my way to do things as simple as laundry and lunch for everyone as a way to prove that I could "do it all."
But this was just for myself, not to show asshole men in this country that you could show up to the office three days after birth with a special needs preemie and abs of st'ill and high heels to prove a bogus Frontier Woman persona.
Sarah simply didn't give birth, which is why she could bring a weeks old baby to work with a 'three day old' birthdate.
Anon @ 12:04 - I love that story!
ReplyDeleteWomen like Laura and Sarah put Palin to shame.
ReplyDeletethis explains everything
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/27/miracle-baby-born-outside_n_868294.html
If we as a special interest group started introducing legislation affecting mens paternity issues, perhaps they'd start to realize how disgustingly self-serving and women hating their 'pro-life' laws are.
ReplyDeleteMaternity leave and "choosing" life are both legally protected rights. And conservative State legislatures are constantly pecking at the integrity of these inherent rights to privacy.
If we got to regulate male puberty, ejaculation, circumcision, enhancement, circulation and prostate exams the way they go after women's health issues - they would never let go of their jewels.
We need to put it to them the way they put it to us, so that they gain some perspective as American's with voice and decision over their bodies.
12:57 PM, Could not have said it better. You have put into words the thoughts I have had for three years. Yes, women do have her number.
ReplyDeleteI gave birth to my first child at night, so when I woke up the next morning, I was surprised to see so many pregnant women walking around the maternity floor. I asked a nurse if they had checked in early before the birth of their children.
ReplyDeleteShe laughed at me. They had all given birth, a couple a days ago. The truth of the matter is that you just don't snap back into shape, and bringing pre-pregnancy clothes to the hospital to wear home was a joke.
We know from that posed photo with Gusty that Sarah looked like she had a distended abdomen, at least when they took the photo. Any woman with a belly like that would still have that belly a few days after giving birth. It takes easily six weeks to get back in shape. The photo of Sarah showing off Trig at the office shows Sarah wearing a tight pencil skirt and a fitted tight jacket. No way! No way at all!
Thanks for being our champion, Gryphen!
ReplyDeleteJust for fun, compare and contrast:
"The population of the city of Wasilla edged up by one on Monday, when Mayor Sarah Palin gave birth to a daughter, Piper Indi Grace Palin, at 11:37 a.m.. The mayor said she had been to work Tuesday, but only to redirect e-mail and phone messages to her home. She plans to use some of her sick leave, but otherwise would not be taking much time away from her duties. Deputy Mayor Judy Patrick and Deputy Administrator John Cramer would fill in as needed, she said.
"The mayor said the busy family was going to slow down and "savor" the first few days with Piper, because after three children they know how special and fleeting time with an infant can be."
http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2001/03/23/local_headlines.txt
"Palin said she's not aiming to take any time off from her job as governor, assuming all goes well with the pregnancy. She said when she had Piper -- Palin was mayor of Wasilla at the time -- the baby was born on a Monday and she returned to the office on Tuesday."
http://www.adn.com/palinfamily/story/336402.html
Oh -- and Megyn & Fox "news" -- how's that conservative values thing working out for ya?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gq.com/news-politics/politics/201012/megyn-kelly-fox-news
I had no idea that so many conservative men read GQ. Thought it was only the guys disdained by GOPers &/or wives, like me, buying the xmas gift issue to find stuff for their husbands...
TXSMR
You forgot to mention when Sarah gave birth, she did not take anything for pain. Sarah climbed a tree before enering the hospital and gnawed on a tree branch while giving birth and just took the pain like a momma grizzly.
ReplyDeleteI think Megyn Kelly is loathsome, but I would never take jabs at her for taking maternity leave!
ReplyDelete1:33PM Gryph's beautiful daughter can have a child if she wants to.
ReplyDeleteWhat do these men value? Just revolting. And they think they are so, tee-hee cute.
ReplyDeleteThe standard to avoid drive-thru deliveries is 6 weeks for a natural birth, and 2 months for a C-section.
Generally, a woman goes out when her doctor determines that her health and the baby's health might be impaired by staying on the job. this covers pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes etc.
Having known women who were forced to stay on the job and ended up with seizures from the pre-eclampsia, I can see the reason for leaving it in the doctor's hands.
So that is the new look of family values, eh!
What a couple of pigs.
ReplyDelete"I'd go tot he White House to hide from my children!" What a d--k.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous @ 12:09 - if your Granny
ReplyDelete"The population of the city of Wasilla edged up by one on Monday, when Mayor Sarah Palin gave birth to a daughter, Piper Indi Grace Palin, at 11:37 a.m.."
ReplyDeletePalin is a liar and asshole from one end to the other. Sorry, but I'm sick to death of her and sincerely hope she rotts in hell.
ReplyDeleteI had to go back to work 2 weeks after my son was born - not because I wanted to, but because I needed the medical insurance. I didn't have enough leave because I had been there much less than a year. Fortunately, I was able to take my baby to work with me. But it was hard...beyond hard, actually. I was exhausted and I didn't feel great physically (even though I gained only 17 pounds due to near-constant "morning" sickness). SP's perky demeanor and frontier gal determination is a load of B.S.
ReplyDeleteA lot of women have to work to put food on the table. They do two part time jobs, have no health benefits and struggle to find health care. There's a lot of very young children in this country that mind the baby while mommy works the night job to feed her kids.
ReplyDeleteMaternity leave for these women is non-existant.
@Anon 1:51 = Wonderfully said! Thank you!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhy can't the Palins just tell the truth, that's what God would want.
ReplyDeleteSarah's pregnant/ Wild Ride lies makes it harder for working pregnant moms. Now bosses expects their pregnant employees to man up like Sarah Palin and work until your water leaks and your boss expects you to return to work in 3 days even if your child has severe medical problems.
Bristol's lies makes it harder for females of all ages. These females now believe if you get your teeth aligned and loose 5 lbs, you too will loose your round fat face and loose your double chin which will get extended all by itself.
Sarah's lies to America that her son Track is a combat vet even though her son never fought in combat misleads our youth to believe that they too can be a decorated combat vet without even fighting in combat.
How about the Palins be proud of their shortcomings and end these lies.
Working at Fox, Ms Kelly should expect nothing less from her male colleagues. I haven't much sympathy for her frankly.
ReplyDeleteNo sympathy for megyn Kelly from me. You hang with asses, you'll get a little shit on you.
ReplyDeleteSarahs own explanation of troopergate was that she fired monegan for trying to get more money to investigate rapes. That was her official explanation...and yet women are expected to buy her as one of own, as a feminist and our champion when she puts such obstacles between women and basic human rights of not being sexually assaulted.
My dad is an effing conservative and he railed about NOW not endorsing a woman on 2008. Conservatives: they complain about identity politics and then they expect us to fall in line based on identity when it suits then. Asses!
Fuck them all. (no offense to the more conservative readers.)
...(And we all know that if MEN had to give birth...)
ReplyDeleteIf Men got pregnant Abortion would be a Sacrament.
What pigs! You are class act gryphen. Loved the Sarah Jones article andu r right about her and laura novac.
ReplyDeleteThe mortality rate among pioneer moms was high.
ReplyDeleteGiving birth is not a picnic, no matter how "easily" some women say it is--they're the rare ones. Other countries around the world recognize this, and give not just leave, but pay: http://www.apesma.asn.au/women/maternity_leave_around_the_world.asp
ReplyDeleteSure, you can get 12 wks in the US, but no pay. And it's esp hard on working class women, who sometimes get no leave, sick pay or vacation time. It really is a class thing.
I couldn't sit down for 2 weeks as a young mother because of an episiotomy necessary because of a breach birth (they didn't do routine Caesareans back then). My second child presented normally, but was a forceps delivery and recovery wasn't easy then, either, but better.
Childbirth is a humbling, if joyful, experience and different for each woman. But any woman who claims labor and childbirth are easy, and easy to get over, are lying through their teeth. Or they have a lot of help, which most women don't.
Besides, each child is also different, and I believe in bonding with that child for as long as one can. It would benefit mothers and children both if women could legally take 6 months off, with a percentage of their pay guaranteed.
But in a country like the US, where women are disrespected and discriminated against no matter what they do, it will never happen until there is a majority of women in Congress and who think like women, not men.