- This article about the Meaghan Daum book I recently posted about was in Friday's Globe & Mail. I particularly loved this sentence (which I think holds true for anyone who doesn't have children, whatever the reason): "Although we pat ourselves on the backs for tolerating all kinds of familial configurations in this country, we continue to reserve puzzlement, pity and judgment for adults who really don’t want to have children, ever."
- There was also this article in this weekend's New York Times about the book (thank you to Bent Not Broken for the link!), which ignited quite the conversation in the comments section. Caveat emptor.
- I'm finding it kind of amusing that so many commenters were complaining, along the lines of, "Why are there so many articles on this topic lately? Who cares?? Have kids or don't have kids, just quit whining!" lol Obviously, a nerve has been struck somewhere. (If they think they're hearing too much lately about not having kids, I wish they'd try walking in our shoes in this parent-and-kid-centric culture for a day...).
- Meaghan Daum was also a guest on a New York radio show this past week -- followed the next day by Lisa Manterfield at Life Without Baby, explaining that not all people without children deliberately chose this path in life. I have not listened to the show featuring Meaghan (yet), but I thought Lisa did a great job of broadening the discussion and responding to several callers in the allotted half hour. There's a link to the podcast on her blog, here.
- Has anyone seen the movie mentioned in the NYT article ("While We're Young")? (It did just open this weekend, and I don't think it's in wide release yet, so I'm not sure too many people have had the opportunity.) Apparently Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts play a childless-not-entirely-by-choice couple in their 40s. And while I like them both as actors, and there is some interesting casting in some of the supporting roles, and it's getting some good reviews, I am not entirely sure this is a movie I want to see, depending on how the plot turns out (i.e., do they wind up with a "miracle" pregnancy &/or baby at the end?? :p ).
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Nice summing up, Loribeth. Especially your comment "I wish they'd try walking in our shoes in this parent-and=kid-centric culture for a day."
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen that movie, and like you don't want to go if there's a cringing "miracle" ending. I remember complaining some years ago to my bookclub that whenever childless-not-by-choice people are represented in the media, they're either slightly mad (ie "desperate" child snatchers), or they end up with the "happy ending." As if we're not actually living a happy ending in our own lives. It infuriates me! (Can you tell? lol)
I have just seen the trailer "While we're young" and I really liked it.
ReplyDeletePlease, could somebody tell me what the ending of the movie is? Since, if they end up getting a child, then this movie is so not for me.
lots of love from sLOVEnia,
Klara
It is interesting that living without children is suddenly all over the news. It's also funny how people view it as a ploy to pit one side against the other. But in reality not an hour goes by when a an article about something about parenting hits the wires. Whatever.
ReplyDeleteThe gods of the internet have informed me that While We're Young ends in a way that we all probably could have predicted. Josh and Cornelia go to Haiti to adopt a child. I found the "spoiler" here: http://badassdigest.com/2015/04/05/while-were-young-gen-x-finds-its-way-between-boomers-and-millennials/
So much material to read and contemplate! Being off the grid last week I'm way behind.Thanks for sharing all the links...
ReplyDeleteRe: the movie: great article from Salon:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.salon.com/2015/04/30/youre_still_nothing_until_youre_a_mom_why_does_pop_culture_hate_the_child_free/