Heather Wilhelm writes at National Review Online about negative unintended consequences associated with modern feminism.
How do we solve a problem like modern feminism? As I’ve long argued, it offers little more than a long, drawn-out, decidedly un-fun handbook for ruining your life.
Don’t believe me? Witness the latest victim in this long-running series: Sarah Silverman, the high-profile comedian, actress, and very public non-mother.
This week, Silverman whipped up an Internet storm — a mix of shame, drama, and endless variations on “you go girl!” — by declaring the following to her 10 million Twitter followers: “As a comic always working and on the road I have had to decide between motherhood & living my fullest life & I chose the latter.”
Where to begin? The comment had something to annoy a whole lot of people, including the implicit suggestion that mothers, saddled by a bunch of downer children, were not living their “fullest life.” Silverman quickly doubled down on the weirdness, suggesting that men can flit in and out of their children’s lives like a mystical cross between Santa and Don Draper: “Men don’t have to do that. I’d so love to be a fun dad, coming home from the road & being my best fun dad self.”
Talk about oppressive gender norms. Why can’t a mom be a fun dad? It’s 2017, after all, and gender is fluid, at least I’m told. I’m also informed that gender is both completely meaningless and the most meaningful thing in the world. (Incidentally, I’m also repeatedly told that neither I — nor science — can question any of this or disagree.) So if boys can be girls, and girls can be boys, then moms can certainly be fun dads. Hooray! Sarah Silverman’s dilemma is over! This will be the shortest column ever!
Just kidding.
