[Bacchus]

Here's an interesting piece about feminist types who choose to be stay at home moms. It seems that this generation is not willing to swallow feminist doctrines whole after experiencing the stress of balancing work and family and seeing how the life of a career woman plays out. They still keep the feminist label, but as Forest Gump said, "Stupid is as stupid does," and their decision to remain at home to raise a family and do housework appears to be a decidely intelligent rejection of feminism. It's worth remembering that the families profiled in the article all belong to the upper-middle class, so it's not like the working mother is going away. Still, it's nice to see a mainstream left-wing source question the feminist lie.

The Feminist Housewife

Quote:

"The feminist revolution started in the workplace, and now it’s happening at home," says Makino. "I feel like in today’s society, women who don’t work are bucking the convention we were raised with... Why can’t we just be girls? Why do we have to be boys and girls at the same time?" She and the legions like her offer a silent rejoinder to Sandberg’s manifesto, raising the possibility that the best way for some mothers (and their loved ones) to have a happy life is to make home their highest achievement.

Quote:

“I was … blessed,” wrote one woman on the UrbanBaby message boards recently, “with the patience to truly enjoy being home with my kids and know that in the end family is what is important in life—not pushing papers at some crap job.” When the UB community fired back with a fusillade of snark, the poster remained serene. “It’s sacred work but not for everyone,” she wrote. “I will never have regrets.”

Quote:

When Slaughter tours the lecture circuit, she is often approached, she says, by women younger than 30 who say, "I don’t see a senior person in my world whose life I want."

[MikeCF]

The comments are good. This one was my favorite:

"What rubs me (and some other commenters) the wrong way is its near relentless focus on white, upper middle class women and their oh so precious internal dilemmas."

[Excelsior]

(03-21-2013 12:47 AM)MikeCF Wrote:  

The comments are good. This one was my favorite:

"What rubs me (and some other commenters) the wrong way is its near relentless focus on white, upper middle class women and their oh so precious internal dilemmas."

[Handsome Creepy Eel]

I always crack up when I see the name Anne-Marie Slaughter.

[Vitriol]

(03-21-2013 12:47 AM)MikeCF Wrote:  

The comments are good. This one was my favorite:

"What rubs me (and some other commenters) the wrong way is its near relentless focus on white, upper middle class women and their oh so precious internal dilemmas."

When the most privileged group in human history has even a minor roadblock all hell breaks loose until they return to the level of absolute comfort and safety they consider normal.

The best is hearing their dilemmas about shopping for clothes and useless trinkets discussed at a level of grave concern.

[bacon]

(03-23-2013 12:18 PM)Vitriol Wrote:  

(03-21-2013 12:47 AM)MikeCF Wrote:  

The comments are good. This one was my favorite:

"What rubs me (and some other commenters) the wrong way is its near relentless focus on white, upper middle class women and their oh so precious internal dilemmas."

When the most privileged group in human history has even a minor roadblock all hell breaks loose until they return to the level of absolute comfort and safety they consider normal.

The best is hearing their dilemmas about shopping for clothes and useless trinkets discussed at a level of grave concern.

Its hard to believe anyone in NOT included in their demographic sees their "problems" as little more than a spoiled kid from MTVs MY SWEET 16 complaining about getting their new BMW in "wrong" color.

[Veloce]

(03-21-2013 12:47 AM)MikeCF Wrote:  

The comments are good. This one was my favorite:

"What rubs me (and some other commenters) the wrong way is its near relentless focus on white, upper middle class women and their oh so precious internal dilemmas."

I can't tell you how many girls I've known, either dated or platonically, that fit this description. I'm sure it's worse in L.A.

I know a girl that fills her apartment with life-affirming bullshit like "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." and "It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light." and "You can do anything you set your mind to."

Really cheesy bullshit like that, stuff you see in Hallmark stores.

This girl is a hostess. That's all she knows how to do. She has nothing going for her, except the fact that she's pretty damn cute. She's never had a serious boyfriend or functional relationship. Her personality is shit. She stays up until 4am watching infomercials while eating junk food and reading self-affirming and inspirational books by Oprah.

I know another one that's just like her except she spends $75 per week on therapy sessions and just bought a new car, as in new off the dealer's lot, while she's already thousands of dollars in debt. Failed actress, professional server that can't stay at a job for more than 3 months because "she has to be true to herself".

Both cute white girls. Both completely fucked in the head and suck at life.

[Sombro]

Quote:

I know a girl that fills her apartment with life-affirming bullshit like "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." and "It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light." and "You can do anything you set your mind to."

[Cincinnatus]

I think it's funny hearing about careerist broads returning to the home. What the hell are they going to do? Microwave TV dinners? Call the cleaning lady to make sure she won't be late? Troll for strange dick on Ashley Madison?

I have yet to meet a woman in her 20's or 30's that knows how to cook as well as I do (mostly from scratch). Most also have no idea how to REALLY clean a room (esp. bathroom or kitchen). Hardly any of 'em know how to wash dishes, iron clothes, or raise a child that grows up to become a productive citizen.

Careerist women returning to the home are simply seeking an easier ride on the gravy train.

[Bacchus]

I'm going to stick up for the careerist broads for a second. I'm as sick of privileged women's whining as the next guy, but they are doing something positive. They are embracing their traditional gender role. Sure, they are couching it in feminist terms, but there's nothing feminist about giving up career ambitions to be a stay at home mother who cleans the house, watches her kids, and cooks for her family. Besides, feminism is so ingrained in many women that it forms a part of their identity, and everything they do is 'feminist.'

Here's a part of an irritated comment:

Quote:

My eye has been twitching since I read this. Framing this around feminism should be an aside - of course these ladies are feminists, of course Marissa Miller is a feminist even if she's too cowardly to say it. Forget that angle, and we're left with a piece about how women are naturally meant to be home, taking care of children.

Exactly. Feminist eye twitching = truth.

The families profiled certainly fit a demographic profile and can more than survive on only the husband's income. But they would also have the money to pay a nanny while the wife selfishly pursues career goals, all while her family suffers. But they're not doing that.

These are women who are consciously choosing family over career. These are women who believe in traditional gender roles (i.e. that women are better at keeping house and men at providing. These are women who are turning away from feminism. Ignore their babblings about fulfillment and focus on how they're rejecting feminism's initial cause, getting women out of the house and into careers.

And for the question what they do during the day, who cares as long as she does not spend all the money, the housework is done, and there's a hot meal on the table. Let her get into yoga, knitting, or crafts on her own time. She won't be deluded about the importance of those hobbies in the world as she might with her career.