Knock It Off, Lady

Headline: "The Coronovirus is a Disaster for Feminism."

Thesis: Yes, men die at much higher rates from this disease, but the real tragedy is that more women will have to care for their own children instead of pursuing paid employment or great works.
When people try to be cheerful about social distancing and working from home, noting that William Shakespeare and Isaac Newton did some of their best work while England was ravaged by the plague, there is an obvious response: Neither of them had child-care responsibilities.
My sister's husband -- a great guy, this guy, who appears to have majored in college in 'being cool' and then built a life around it -- is the one watching their child all day every day.  They won't even let my mother do it, though she's just down the street, out of a desire to keep her quarantined.

That may not be universal, but it's certainly on the menu. If you've actually got a great work in you, and not that many people do, you can work it out. If you don't, you know, you'll probably appreciate the time you spent with your kids more than the time you spent at work. When you finally get to a place where you can reflect on what really mattered about your life, you'll be glad of that time.

3 comments:

Texan99 said...

What a whiny, ridiculous screed at the Atlantic.

Thank heaven for the huge numbers of people just stepping up to the job, whatever it takes.

Elise said...

A small point but something that really bothered me...

The author quotes Rachel Patzer as an example of dual-income couples who "might suddenly find themselves living like their grandparents, one homemaker and one breadwinner." But if you actually click on the link, you find that she's quoted only the first bit of Dr. Patzer's thread. Dr. Patzer was already on maternity leave and she says this about her husband working and living apart from his family while she is caring for the children :

It pains me to wonder how many weeks will go by that he won't get to hold our new baby or see our older kids. This is one example of the sacrifice that healthcare workers are making for our communities.

Not exactly the sentiment the article's author is ascribing to Dr. Patzer.

Anonymous said...

Elise, to me it's another example of the idea that the truth should never get in the way of the Narrative, whatever the Narrative happens to be.

And I for one and getting rather tired of it.

LittleRed1