“Can women have it all” and “how do you balance being working mothers?” are age-old questions, and unfortunately still common. Even if we are living in an increasingly progressive society, these offensive and sexist questions just prove that there’s still a buried misogyny that we need to overcome. When was the last time, people got all hot and bothered about whether a male celebrity was being a good enough father?
Jennifer Garner, perfectly highlighted how strong the double-standard in media is when reflecting on a press junket she attended with then-husband Ben Affleck, during a Women In Hollywood event back in 2014. “[E]very single person who interviewed me, I mean every single one — and this is true of the red carpet here tonight, Elle — asked me, ‘How do you balance work and family?'”
“…and he said the only thing that people asked him repeatedly was about the tits on the ‘Blurred Lines’ girl [Affleck’s ‘Gone Girl’ co-star, Emily Ratajkowski] … As for work-life balance, he said no one asked him about it that day,” she continued. “As a matter of fact, no one had ever asked him about it. And we do share the same family. Isn’t it time to kinda change that conversation?”
This is why Madonna’s latest Instragram post is such an important one. We need women like her putting people in their place, saying that OF COURSE women can be hard working, and influential while simultaneously being fantastic mothers. There are plenty of powerful women who also happen to be great mothers, just look at; Beyoncé, Angelina Jolie, Julianne Moore, Amy Poehler and Kerry Washington – to name a few. Need I say more?
In the midst of an ugly custody battle, Madonna took to Instagram to tell the world that she has had it with all those bad mother claims, “Its possible to be an entertainer and a good mother!!! Too bad we don’t live in a society where many encourage strong independent single working moms! The next great Frontier!”. Well said, Madonna! Thank you for taking a stand, and voicing your opinions. It’s time we change the conversation.
#Peace.Love.Madonna
