Stop Saying Women Are Past Their Prime
Listen, if you’ve been reading me for more than probably one month you know that I absofuckinglutely do not support Nikki Haley or any of the MAGA-adjacent bullshit she continually spouts. First, she hates that one guy and then she’s like, nah, he’s okay, and then she works for him, and then she said she would never run against him, and now she’s running against him. She’s hypocritical and will do and say whatever she must to move her political career forward.
HOWEVER, this week I found myself in the very uncomfortable position of defending her ass.
You see, Nikki Haley has thrown her…umm…high heel…into the GOP presidential ring. I’m not a fan of her agenda but I do have to say something about the way her announcement was treated by CNN anchor, Don Lemon. God damn it, Don, why didn’t you keep your big, dumb mouth shut? I hate when I have to do this.
All right, so, Don and his co-host Poppy Harlow were talking about how Nikki made recent comments about requiring a competency test for politicians over the age of 75.
Hell must be freezing over, because I am 10,000 percent agreeing with Nikki Haley on this one. I’m tired of the doddering old men—and women— running amok around DC. I’m also for term limits for Congress AND Supreme Court Justices.
While I agree with Nikki, Don took umbrage (Perhaps it felt a little too personal, Don??) and he said, "This whole talk about age makes me uncomfortable. I think it's the wrong road to go down. She says people, you know, politicians are suddenly not in their prime. Nikki Haley isn't in her prime. Sorry. When a woman is considered in her prime in her twenties and thirties."
When I saw the video I was like, “Did Don just say Nikki shouldn’t run for president because she’s 51, which is past a woman’s prime? Did he then double down and say our prime ends in our motherfucking thirties??”
And Poppy was like, “Prime for what?” (The “motherfucker” part was silent.)
And then he just wouldn’t shut up. He pulled out a shovel and just started digging deeper and said Google told him when women are past their prime.
And Poppy again asked him to clarify what he meant by “prime.”
And he just kept going much like a…doddering old man. He rambled. Something about he knows facts. And asking the folks at home because they know old ladies when they see one. (As if 40+ isn’t the demographics for a CNN morning show.) And he warned Nikki to be careful about putting limits on politicians who are past their prime because his bestie Google told him Nikki’s too old to be president.
Poppy just sat there with her mouth hanging open because what the fuck, Don? Are you high? You know you said all of that out loud and on television, right??
I’ve never understood why football fans punch their TVs until that moment. All I wanted to do was punch Don Lemon in his stupid, smug, 56-year-old face.
Are you fucking kidding me, Don? You think a 51-year-old woman is too old to be president of the United States? In the last election, our choice was between two geriatric dudes who are both rumored to wear adult diapers and started their careers when Nikki was a baby!
The average age of a U.S. Senator is 64.3 years old. Just off the top of my head I can think of at least 4 Senators who are as old as dirt: Blumenthal, Sanders, Grassley, and McConnell come to mind. And I’ve never seen anyone suggest they not run because they’re “past their prime.” Can you imagine telling one of these shriveled old men they’re going out to pasture? No way! They’re “leaders” and have “illustrious careers” and have acquired so much “knowledge.” They’re treated like fucking sages!
[Side note: I will say Feinstein’s memory is fading and it’s time for her to step down. See? If we had a test or term limits or common sense, someone would have said, “Senator Feinstein, it’s time to let someone younger—maybe a 70-year-old man—take the reins.”]
This shit just pisses me off. If you want to judge Nikki Haley, judge her on her policies, but don’t judge her because she’s a middle-aged woman. We see this all the time. If a woman can’t produce babies anymore, she’s past her prime. It’s like all we’re good for is making obedient little workers and soldiers for the country and that’s annoying as fuck. In Midlife Bites I wrote about how I was forced to defend Justice Amy Coney Barrett when Republican Senator John Kennedy asked her “Who does the laundry in your house?” during her CONFIRMATION HEARING!
Fucking hell! Did anyone ask Justice Scalia who did the laundry in his house? Does anyone want to know if Justice Roberts empties the dishwasher? When Justice Kavanaugh is done updating his workout calendar does he vacuum?
FUCK! Stop doing this! Do better, men! I hate nothing more than having to defend these women against sexist and ageist attacks from you fuckers. These women are horrible because of their beliefs, not because of their dusty uteruses.