A while back, there was a hashtag floating around twitter: #edgyheadlines. A few excerpts:
- Kate Harding@KateHarding ICYMI: Are men fit to lead? Can men have it all? Are men too competitive with each other? Are men their own worst enemies?#edgyheadlines
- Rebecca Watson@rebeccawatson Kim Jong Un Threatens US; Are Men Just Too Emotional for Leadership? #edgyheadlines
- Alyson Miers@alysonmiers Kids Getting Fat Because Fathers Not Cooking Meals#edgyheadlines
- Rebecca Watson@rebeccawatson Lego Introduces Blue Bricks, so Boys Can Join in on the Fun#edgyheadlines
They’re funny right? I mean, it really is. I laughed till I choked when I read “Single Men: They’re buying homes and working at jobs. But are they happy?” Because, I mean, come on: it’s hilarious. I have absolutely read a variation on the “Single women buying homes BUT ARE THEY REALLY HAPPY?”. This is not out of left field.
And then, just today – like, five whole minutes ago – I read an article on the Forbes website titled: “The Breadwinner Complex: Are Women Apologizing for Earning More Than Their Husbands?”
That’s a real article that someone pitched, researched and wrote and was published on a reputable media site. I’m not really laughing anymore. Not just because the question had to be asked, but because apparently this is a thing. There’s an idea floating around that if you make more money than your husband, that’s odd and weird and maybe you should be a little bit humble about it.
Here’s the response women should have for being the main breadwinner: You’re welcome. That’s what I’d expect any man to say who was supporting his family: you’re welcome for contributing. It is my pleasure.
Edgy headlines indeed.
InnerTeub 
I looooved those tweets, but if I think about them too hard, I get a rage headache. Kevin and I joke about income and education and who is the breadwinner a lot, but we also have serious discussions about how dumb the universe can be about this shit.
I feel more inclined to apologize to women at large for not meeting my earning/achievement potential than I ever have to my husband for my contributions to our household, but in either case, it isn’t simple math.
I saw that article and was so enraged that it was probably a good thing I was in a room full of people so that I couldn’t thrown my iPad across the room.
While I came here today looking for another topic ;), I of course have to weigh-in on this.
Is this really an issue? Or a reporter makes it an issue b/c they are not creative enough to think of anything else? Sometimes I think these gender/mommy/race/religion/sexuality/wars are just media sensationalism and no real people have this issues.