Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: The conversation they want to have

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  • Craig Ranapia,

    Via Megan Wegan, Ian Grant has the answer for you.

    Why do I feel an intense urge to waylay Mr. Grant with a copy of Anna Karenin and apply some loving non-parental correction to his arse until the brain starts working? Like Megan, I find it seriously obnoxious but can't muster enough bitch-energy to give it the attention it so richly deserves.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Lucy Stewart,

    I am particularly annoyed that I inadvertently followed his advice by getting married at 27. But I did everything else totally wrong! Yay!

    I second this. But at least I've still got two months to continue putting out without a ring on my finger, thus ruining my future wedded bliss.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

  • Andre,

    So when is the acceptable age for procreation?

    I recently became a Dad in my thirties - thank goodness. Procreating in your early forties feels a bit old. In your fifties is ok if you're an active guy but anything over 40 seems a bit old for a woman. This is an area where there is room for a bit of gender bias i think - men don't have to give birth. And I increasingly feel that many Gen X & Y women feel entitled to everything without having to give up years of partying and travel to have babies in their 20's or early 30's. In many cases it's not about them wanting to have careers - I reckon they just don't want to be tied down. My partner had a baby boy two days before my 40th - so I was 39 years and 363 days old at the time. Phew! That was a close shave...

    New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 371 posts Report

  • Lucy Stewart,

    This is an area where there is room for a bit of gender bias i think - men don't have to give birth.

    And you know what's awesome about that? They don't get to dictate when women give birth, either. What they *do* have to do is be involved in their kids' lives, just like women, meaning there is in fact very little room for gender bias here.

    I recently became a Dad in my thirties - thank goodness. Procreating in your early forties feels a bit old....My partner had a baby boy two days before my 40th - so I was 39 years and 363 days old at the time. Phew! That was a close shave...

    Hair-splitting for the win.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

  • Jackie Clark,

    I recently became a Dad in my thirties - thank goodness. Procreating in your early forties feels a bit old. In your fifties is ok if you're an active guy but anything over 40 seems a bit old for a woman.

    My father was 47 when I was born, and 88 when he died. Chew on that.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report

  • Emma Hart,

    I have to assume Andre is shipping some humour I'm unable to parse right now

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report

  • Danielle,

    I increasingly feel that many Gen X & Y women feel entitled to everything without having to give up years of partying and travel to have babies in their 20's or early 30's

    Yeah, how dare we feel entitled to full personhood and our own choices, like someone with a penis or something. Where are our selfless maternal instincts, I ask you?

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report

  • Rob Hosking,

    I recently became a Dad in my thirties - thank goodness. Procreating in your early forties feels a bit old.

    I procreated when I was 38.

    And became about 44 within 18 months.

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report

  • mark taslov,

    ha, nice.

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report

  • Lucy Stewart,

    Where are our selfless maternal instincts, I ask you?

    I misplaced mine somewhere while dreaming of the all-partying, all-the-time PhD student lifestyle in exciting foreign places. Has anyone seen them?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

  • Steve Parks,

    X & Y women

    There are no X & Y women, they're X X.

    I reckon they just don't want to be tied down.

    Depends, but wrong thread for that discussion.

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report

  • stephen walker,

    Procreating in your early forties feels a bit old. In your fifties is ok if you're an active guy but anything over 40 seems a bit old for a woman.

    ooh, ooh, does this mean i get to be the second stephen to tell someone to stuff their stereotyping bullshit up their jumper?

    nagano • Since Nov 2006 • 646 posts Report

  • Isabel Hitchings,

    I have to assume Andre is shipping some humour I'm unable to parse right now

    I haven't had anyone poking things into my brain and I'm still finding it a little too subtle.

    Christchurch • Since Jul 2007 • 719 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Staying with the kiddy theme, I have added to the original blog post above a picture of the mothers who brought their brats to what was supposed to be a serious market, along with their ghastly offspring.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Steve Parks,

    Repellent!

    Oh, wait, I was looking at the O'Reilly clip...

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report

  • Hilary Stace,

    Fathers of any age with babies need to consider the semiotics of the nappy

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report

  • Rob Hosking,

    Fathers of any age with babies need to consider the semiotics of the nappy

    Yeah, that's what I always felt like, after wiping away the brown smelly stuff at 2am.

    Thinking about semiotics.

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report

  • Lucy Stewart,

    There are no X & Y women, they're X X.

    The XY ones are unlikely to be popping out babies (until medical science improves, anyhow), but they're hardly non-existant, c.f. the last MP for Wairarapa.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

  • Morgan Nichol,

    It was clearly the patriarchy that designed women to be born with their full complement of eggs, and which has faked up the stats to say it gets harder to get pregnant with every year from about 28. Or that prevalence of Down syndrome goes from less than 1:1000 at 25 to about 1:100 at 40.

    Or perhaps it's not sexism, but biology, to suggest that it's better for women to conceive a bit younger than they've been trending towards?

    To be clear, I'm not telling you what to do with your body. (But nature is giving you some very strong hints of its own.)

    Auckland CBD • Since Nov 2006 • 314 posts Report

  • Keir Leslie,

    Um you do realise some pretty similar facts apply to men, right?

    And yet it is mainly those nasty unnatural women wee hear about. Odd, eh?

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    To be clear, I'm not telling you what to do with your body. (But nature is giving you some very strong hints of its own.)

    Morgan, I think the point is that women can take their own hints.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Danielle,

    Thanks for the heads-up there, Morgan, because none of us would have known that otherwise. We don't get *any* 'OMG YOU HAZ NO TIME BREED BREED BREED' messages from the age of thirty or anything.

    Also: fucking hell. Unpacking all the offensive assumptions in this thread might cause my brain to explode.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report

  • Morgan Nichol,

    Um you do realise some pretty similar facts apply to men, right?

    Of course I do. Tends to be a bit later though, and different consequences (most dramatically in an increased incidence of schitzophrenia).

    And yet it is mainly those nasty unnatural women wee hear about. Odd, eh?

    I don't think I said anything like that. At all.

    Morgan, I think the point is that women can take their own hints.

    Um, yes? Remember once upon a time, in the long distant past, when I said "I'm not telling you what to do with your body." Those were such good times. Innocent times. The sky was somehow bluer. Food tasted better.

    Auckland CBD • Since Nov 2006 • 314 posts Report

  • Keir Leslie,

    dude,

    [...] not sexism, but biology [...] better for women to conceive a bit younger than they've been trending towards?

    no unnatural women in there no.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report

  • Morgan Nichol,

    Thanks for the heads-up there, Morgan, because none of us would have known that otherwise. We don't get *any* 'OMG YOU HAZ NO TIME BREED BREED BREED' messages from the age of thirty or anything.

    Well if it's any consolation I've had three slightly-past-mid-30s friends have beautiful healthy babies in the last few months.

    And don't pretend there isn't any pressure on men to settle down and have kids. I'm sure it's not the same, but it's real and I feel it.

    Also: fucking hell. Unpacking all the offensive assumptions in this thread might cause my brain to explode.

    From who? Me?

    Auckland CBD • Since Nov 2006 • 314 posts Report

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