Who Runs the World? Miserable, Childless, Cat Ladies (Apparently)
“This country is run by a bunch of childless cat ladies. The entire future is controlled by people who don’t have children.”
This is my new daily affirmation. It sounds like something a bunch of witches in cloaks and hoods would be chanting around a cauldron at dusk, casting a saving grace spell over humanity and manifesting a better future. Unfortunately, this isn’t the new mantra being adopted by the astrology girlies or the tarot card readers that keep showing up on my FYP. It’s a legitimate lamentation from JD Vance, Donald Trump’s new Running mate in the 2024 election.
To the shock and surprise of no one, every single one of Vance’s claims can be debunked with a simple google search. What was surprising, though, was when he blamed Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg for the rise in childless leadership, because BOTH of them are parents. Harris is stepmother to two children and Pete Buttigieg is father to two adopted children. Did JD Vance intentionally suggest that adopted children and step children are… not as legitimate as biological children? If so, does he know he’s alienating the 4.5 million adopted children in the U.S. and their parents? Adoption is very bipartisan and very personal. Conservatives adopt, liberals adopt, republicans and democrats adopt, politically neutral folks adopt… and all of them seem to be outraged by JD Vance. Here’s a list of people who have spoken out against Vance’s statement:
1. Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer does not have any children, and in 2022 opened up about her struggle with fertility through her 30s and 40s. She wanted children, and tried everything she could to have them, but it never happened for her. Vance’s comments hit especially hard for women who wanted children but faced infertility, and are now being told they are less worthy because of it.
2. Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg said on her talk show The View: “You never had a baby. Your wife had a baby. ... So you know nothing about this. And how dare you. And women, you heard how he thinks of you.”
3. Swifties
Though Taylor herself is much too busy performing the Eras Tour overseas to stoop to Fox News’s level, her fans are outraged on her behalf. Taylor Swift is arguably one of the most popular and beloved childless cat ladies in the world. Taylor has always been known for her love of cats, even going so far as to pose with her cat Benjamin on the cover of Time.
It’s a well known fact on the internet that Swift can be an influential endorsement. When she posted a voter registration link to her Instagram story, there were over 35,000 new registrations in just 24 hours. Her fan base is young, and that demographic can turn elections around. She’s not someone the Republican party should be careless about pissing off as the world waits for her 2024 presidential endorsement.
4. Hillary Clinton
5. Beverly Hallberg, popular conservative Fox News contributor
This is what I mean when I say JD Vance’s words were alienating, even to members of his own political party. The woman vote has been split nearly 50/50 in recent elections, and conservatives can’t afford to lose that. Comments like that could be disastrous to their campaign.
5. Kerstin and Ella Emhoff, Kamala Harris’s co-parent and her daughter.
Kerstin Emhoff, ex-wife of Douglas Emhoff (Kamala Harris’s husband) and biological mother to Kamala’s children, praised Kamala for being a “loving, nurturing, fiercely protective” mother. Ella Emhoff said via Instagram stories: “I love my 3 parents.” If anyone doubted the legitimacy of Harris’s parenthood, let these statements speak for themselves.
Countless other women have responded via social media, including myself:
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I think the general consensus is basically this: STFU. Shut up about women’s bodies, shut up about our choices, shut up about what you think we should and should not do with our lives, and SHUT UP about our cats.
I have many plans on my Substack to talk about things that make me happy. Music, art, psychology, pop culture, the dog I saw on my walk today, etc. There’s just something about election season and men with ridiculous amounts of power making stupid comments about things they don’t understand. Maybe tomorrow we can chat about something more fun. Thanks for reading, and dont forget to take your birth control!