Bad Advice is a twist on my usual Feminist Advice Friday. In this semi-regular column, I look at the bad advice other columnists have given. The bad advice is often rooted in patriarchal norms, in the idea that women’s emotions really don’t matter, and in the cultural practice of centering men’s desires at the expense of women’s needs. You can find a complete list of previous bad advice columns here.
A pregnant woman writes to Slate’s How to Do it column (a frequent flier in this series, due to its uniquely horrible advice and exceptionally low insight into human existence).
She says that her partner is less interested in sex with her now that she’s pregnant—already a red flag, given that a disgust toward women’s bodies when they are pregnant (or when they are anything other than extremely young and thin) is a very significant red flag.
It’s not just the usual ew-mothers-are-disgusting-and-fat nonsense, though. Her husband has informed her that he thinks sex is only for reproduction, and that it is therefore done, at least for now. She says this has damaged her confidence, and that she is considering ending the relationship.
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.