Comments on: Mommy Wars: Battle of the Booze http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/01/30/mommy-wars-battle-of-the-booze/ Sat, 22 Nov 2008 07:12:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: evil_fizz http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/01/30/mommy-wars-battle-of-the-booze/#comment-6330 evil_fizz Wed, 31 Jan 2007 23:37:26 +0000 http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/01/30/mommy-wars-battle-of-the-booze/#comment-6330 I remember reading about this in the NY Times and wondering how long it was going to be before we got into "But you're a bad mommy!" screeching. There is little mythology in contemporary America that seems as powerful as the bad mother. I am also very confused how "drinking while watching your kids" is different from "having wine with your family at dinner". I remember reading about this in the NY Times and wondering how long it was going to be before we got into “But you’re a bad mommy!” screeching. There is little mythology in contemporary America that seems as powerful as the bad mother.

I am also very confused how “drinking while watching your kids” is different from “having wine with your family at dinner”.

]]> By: Sally http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/01/30/mommy-wars-battle-of-the-booze/#comment-6255 Sally Wed, 31 Jan 2007 14:21:44 +0000 http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/01/30/mommy-wars-battle-of-the-booze/#comment-6255 <blockquote>There are safety issues to consider. Who would drive to the hospital if a child were hurt?</blockquote> Wow. Are they next going to go against those evil, abusive parents who don't have a car? How about two-parent families who only have one car, so that sometimes one parent is home with the child while the other parent is out with the car? Clearly, if you can't have a car with you at all times, your children should be taken away. When I was three, I managed to step on something and rip up my foot while my dad was out running errands with my family's one car. My mom bundled me up, found the closest neighbor who was home, and got her to drive us to the hospital. If that hadn't worked, I guess she'd have called an ambulance. Maybe she would have ascertained that I wasn't that badly hurt and called a cab. At any rate, she would have coped, as those poor, benighted single-car-family people generally do.

There are safety issues to consider. Who would drive to the hospital if a child were hurt?

Wow. Are they next going to go against those evil, abusive parents who don’t have a car? How about two-parent families who only have one car, so that sometimes one parent is home with the child while the other parent is out with the car? Clearly, if you can’t have a car with you at all times, your children should be taken away.

When I was three, I managed to step on something and rip up my foot while my dad was out running errands with my family’s one car. My mom bundled me up, found the closest neighbor who was home, and got her to drive us to the hospital. If that hadn’t worked, I guess she’d have called an ambulance. Maybe she would have ascertained that I wasn’t that badly hurt and called a cab. At any rate, she would have coped, as those poor, benighted single-car-family people generally do.

]]> By: Marked Hoosier http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/01/30/mommy-wars-battle-of-the-booze/#comment-6147 Marked Hoosier Wed, 31 Jan 2007 04:15:04 +0000 http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/01/30/mommy-wars-battle-of-the-booze/#comment-6147 Wow, NBC really sandbagged her. Wow, NBC really sandbagged her.

]]> By: ilyka http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/01/30/mommy-wars-battle-of-the-booze/#comment-6142 ilyka Wed, 31 Jan 2007 03:38:15 +0000 http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/01/30/mommy-wars-battle-of-the-booze/#comment-6142 That MSNBC article made me want to hit things. <blockquote>There are safety issues to consider. Who would drive to the hospital if a child were hurt? Unlikely, but it could happen. Then, there's the fine line between social and problem drinking.</blockquote> 1. Who would drive? The mother who'd had the least to drink. Considering we're talking about a maximum of two glasses, by the mothers' own report, that'd probably be a mother with 1/2 to 1 glass of wine in her. Big fucking deal. 2. There actually isn't that fine a line between social and problem drinking. Blurring the distinction not only harms mothers who drink socially, it harms people with alcohol problems by making the term "alcoholism" effectively meaningless. If it's alcoholism to enjoy 4 or 5 glasses of wine per week--let's say 1 at Tuesday's play date, 1-2 Friday night, 1-2 on Sunday--then everyone's an alcoholic, which means no one is. This kind of naggy-ass finger-pointing doesn't help anyone. Well, it helps Janet Shamlian feel virtuous for not being like those dreadfully irresponsible mothers she's writing about, but I don't actually believe she's that different from them--it looks like to me like the old Exception Clause is in effect. Just take your concern and shove it, Janet. That MSNBC article made me want to hit things.

There are safety issues to consider. Who would drive to the hospital if a child were hurt? Unlikely, but it could happen. Then, there’s the fine line between social and problem drinking.

1. Who would drive? The mother who’d had the least to drink. Considering we’re talking about a maximum of two glasses, by the mothers’ own report, that’d probably be a mother with 1/2 to 1 glass of wine in her. Big fucking deal.

2. There actually isn’t that fine a line between social and problem drinking. Blurring the distinction not only harms mothers who drink socially, it harms people with alcohol problems by making the term “alcoholism” effectively meaningless. If it’s alcoholism to enjoy 4 or 5 glasses of wine per week–let’s say 1 at Tuesday’s play date, 1-2 Friday night, 1-2 on Sunday–then everyone’s an alcoholic, which means no one is.

This kind of naggy-ass finger-pointing doesn’t help anyone. Well, it helps Janet Shamlian feel virtuous for not being like those dreadfully irresponsible mothers she’s writing about, but I don’t actually believe she’s that different from them–it looks like to me like the old Exception Clause is in effect.

Just take your concern and shove it, Janet.

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