Wow, comments! From cool interesting women. My second try at blogging, like my second try at baby making, did not exactly get off to an auspicious start. But the IComLeavWe is a fine fine thing. And I hope it bodes well generally.
Now, I sat down here 5 hours ago when Turtle was napping with full intentions of writing a long post, having actually forgotten all about IComLeavWe. But then I saw all the great comments. And I remembered! After browsing many blogs; and leaving my required comments; and getting dinner for Turtle (which we ate picnic style on the floor in the living-room air-conditioning); and doing bath-books-bed with Turtle; and eating myself; and doing some more blog browsing, I am now wiped and brain dead.
But I do have a question. Why do you think the media is playing up motherhood so much right now? I was alive and sentient in the 80's and I feel quite sure that no one knew a damn thing about Goldie Hawn's cute little baby Kate until said Kate was grown and ready to be a movie star herself. Why do we hear so much about celebrity pregnancies now? Why the obsessive focus on motherhood? Even if you try to tune out pop culture, I bet you can name the crazy baby names of at least a dozen celebrity kids.
The reason I ask is this: how am I supposed to discern my own genuine desires for motherhood from the Pavlovian marketing of motherhood that I see around me every day? I mean, I think I do want another child. I think I want a sibling for Turtle. But can I or any other American consumer with a pulse honestly say it's not at least a little bit about the Pottery Barn kids?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
I think it's part of our general turning-inward away from the problems of the big bad world. The environment going to hey, our politics a Roman debacle, etc. Instead we spend more time at home, build outdoor kitchens as elaborate as our indoor ones, and peer into celebrity family lives like we peer into their indoor spaces. Because indoor spaces are the only spaces we have anymore.
I dunno, that's my stab at it. It's a great question, though!
Here from ICLW. I think it's a combo of the young, cute, popular girls getting pregnant AND the societal obsession with seeing every detail of someone's life. Do I care where someone buys their 100% cashmere baby blankets?
Interesting question. I think it's a bit nauseating how Hollywood has made such a big deal out of what women (famous or not) do everyday. Well, you know what I mean - what women are supposed to "easily" be able to do everyday.
Celebrity moms and celebrity kids? I think it's the same media selling us pictures of the same people buying groceries, walking into the lady's room, drinking a coffee, walking down the sidewalk.... does it get any better? (kidding)
(Visiting for ICLW)
thanks for visiting my blog-I heart ICLW too. And good point about the whole marketing/media blitz surrounding motherhood these days. I love my life and the kidlets in it, but I'd be lying if I said there weren't days where I thought, "WTF? I did NOT think it was going to be like this!!" But then of course, the moment passes and the kidlets pull my heart strings a little harder....
Hi Anne,
Returning your ICLW comment (thanks!). I agree, ICLW is so much fun!!
I think that attitudes about womanhood go in cycles. When Goldie was having her little Kate, career women were the media darlings. Not just women who worked, but women with unprecedented achievements, women starting to break through the glass ceiling.
Right now, maternity dresses are the new shoulder pads.
By the time Brangelina have their 14th kid, maybe the media will be tired of motherhood and move on to something else. I wonder what's next?!?
Stopping by from ICLW...
I can't stand the way that Baby Bumps are the new accessory. But I don't think it's going to stop anytime soon.
Everyone is pregnant everywhere! And of course the worse is J-lo and Halle claiming it was all natural at 40! I'm also suffering from secondary infertility and recurrent miscarriage so I feel your pain.
Great post, great questions -- I have often wondered these same things. Particularly about whether my desire for children is partly due to marketing. I like to think of myself as immune to all that, but I'm sure I'm not. It's very disconcerting to question things you think of as integral parts of yourself or your psyche and consider that you might have been programmed. We all want to think of our desires as innate and authentic.
As for the why of the obsession with motherhood, I'm not sure, but my sense is that it's part of the pendulum swing. During the 60s, 70s and 80s, the focus was on women getting out of the house and into the work force. There were good reasons to rescind the limitations on women's autonomy and career prospects, but as the 80s gave way to the 90s and today, some of the problems with this shift started coming into focus -- i.e., with everyone at work, who is caring for those who need care? Is it really better to outsource caretaking to underpaid workers? And so forth. So there is a renewed focus on children as we are sorting these things out.
I also like the turning inward explanation, though.
Post a Comment