Crusty old curmudgeons who aren't my father or uncle tick me off. The most recent offender is Bill O'Reilly. Recently, O'Reilly decided to have a Jennifer Aniston hate-fest. Normally, I don't care if celebrities take abuse, because that's deal you make with the devil for fame. My beef isn't really with his extremely rude comments about Jennifer Aniston, but rather on the problem he has with Jennifer Aniston. What's worse is that it's not even about her. It's about the choices her fictional characters make.
So what did O'Reilly complain about? The choice Aniston's character makes in her most recent movie, The Switch. In the movie, Aniston is a single women who decides to pursue artificial insemination. O'Reilly believes that it's deplorable for a woman to pursue such a path. He believes that a man is necessary to create a happy family, and that Aniston is setting a horrible example for 12- and 13-year old girls by insinuating that it's fine to raise a child as a single mother.
First of all, what young teen is going to watch The Switch. Second, he's completely missing the point. The movie doesn't focus on a teenager who gets in trouble. It's about a 40-something (30-something?) woman who hasn't found the right man to have a child with, yet wants a child before she becomes too old. It's a completely different argument.
I believe that a nuclear family is best, whether that consists of two dads, two moms, or a mom and a dad. As long as there are role models of both sexes somewhere in that child's life, I don't see what the problem is. I would hope that someone who chooses to have a child is married and is able to fully support the financial burdens of a child (because I certainly don't want to fund your welfare checks without need). I think a father-figure is an important role, and, hopefully, that man is the father and provides a strong positive influence.
That being said, I don't think there's anything wrong with a woman wanting to have a baby, but not having a proper man in her life to father that child. Men will never quite understand the longing to have a child while hearing the deafening tick of an internal clock in one's ear. There's a definite time factor for women, and the older you get, the more health risks there are for the woman and the baby.
Third, I think O'Reilly is completely ignoring the fact that having the father be a part of a child's life is not always the best thing. For the vast majority of families, having a father in the picture is best, but for some, it's the worst influence the child can have. For those abusive (mentally, physically, whatever) situations, it's best to not have the father around.
Fourth (tied to third): O'Reilly previously had problems with Aniston's character on Friends, Rachel, who chose to have a baby without marrying the father. I agree that I prefer to see couples marry before having a child, but that doesn't always mean it's the best decision. I've seen horrible marriages that tear a family apart and permanently damage a child's growth and views on life. Sometimes, it's better for the parents to separate and find happiness with someone else. That doesn't mean the parents love the child any less. If anything, it might be the least selfish decision they ever make, and it might give that child a chance to grow up with a healthy view on relationships. The most important thing is that the child grows up loved and cherished.
I don't consider myself a feminist, but for O'Reilly to insist that it's immoral for a woman to have a baby without a father in the picture is just plain offensive. O'Reilly grew up in a time when pregnant women got married whether they really wanted to or not because there weren't a lot of good options for women financially. That's not the case any more. A single mother can well provide for a family on a single income. Who says a woman can't successfully raise a child by herself? (other than Bill O'Reilly) I've seen lots of single women raise wonderful children.
Someone just need to send O'Reilly a walker and plop his saggy butt on a wrap around porch so he can yell at kids to get off his lawn and express his misogynistic views to his imaginary friends.
1 comments:
I find O'Reilly mostly just kind of boring, so I don't pay much attention to him. I'll have to pick up the movie and see what it says. I am intrigued to see how they portray her new life with the baby. I realize that many women might make this choice for fairly good reasons, and it's a free country and I think they should be able to make it. However, as a new parent, I think you have to be slightly nuts to willingly enter this stage of life knowing absolutely for sure you won't have a partner to help you out. There is absolutely a reason why God gave you two parents. It is best for the child (anecdotal evidence about "good" single mothers is pretty flimsy in the face of the overwhelming stats about the better environment afforded by 2-parent families), and it keeps you from losing your mind. Yes, of course, women should be able to do this if they choose, but I'm interested to see if the movie portrays it as "easy".
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