“People see a Natalie Portman who boasts, ‘We’re not married but we’re having these children and they’re doing just fine.’ I think it gives a distorted image. It’s unfortunate that we glorify and glamorize the idea of out-of- wedlock children. Most single moms are very poor, uneducated, can’t get a job, and if it weren’t for government assistance, their kids would be starving to death and never have health care.And that’s the story that we’re not seeing.”
– Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee explaining why the pregnant and unwed Natalie Portman shouldn’t be winning acting awards on The Michael Medved Show.
I agree with Mikey on the fact that Natalie Portman probably shouldn’t have won the Oscar for Black Swan because that movie was gross and Michelle Williams totally did the damn thing in Blue Valentine, but damn. Natalie Portman having a baby is like Murphy Brown having a baby except it’s 2011 so no one should give a shit. She’s fly and already successful. Plus, she’s engaged to that dude who knocked her up, right?
There are way worse people out there than little Natalie Portman, Mike Huckabee.
And where was Huckabee on Bristol Palin???
Ha, true.
Huckabee misses the point entirely. Natalie Portman can support kids all by herself. She will feed, educate and get them medical care without imposing on her fellow citizens. Same with Bristol Palin.
Holding these two women up as a poor examples is ludicrous. He’s just trying to get free political airtime.
Way to isolate a large portion of voters, Mike.
What about the girls on Teen Mom and that whole ilk, making them WANT to get pregnant so they can be famous and get their faces on magazine covers?
His description of “most single mothers” really bothers me. While I’m sure there are plenty of women out there who do in fact fit that description, I am a single mother who does not. I work full time to support myself and my daughter, and am currently in the final stages of finishing grad school. I know plenty of other single mothers who are well educated and work very hard to support their children without government assistance.
I also believe I’m taking this too personally.
She should not have won because the movie was “gross”? What kind of a statement is that? Sure, the movie wasn’t the best picture, but it was very good. Also, it was VERY clear that Natalie was the best actress this year. You must have seen her performance while you were drunk or something.
oh, and you messed up the quote. Here is the entire quote.
“You know Michael, one of the things that’s troubling is that people see a Natalie Portman or some other Hollywood starlet who boasts of, ‘Hey look, you know, we’re having children, we’re not married, but we’re having these children, and they’re doing just fine.’ But there aren’t really a lot of single moms out there who are making millions of dollars every year for being in a movie. And I think it gives a distorted image that yes, not everybody hires nannies, and caretakers, and nurses. Most single moms are very poor, uneducated, can’t get a job, and if it weren’t for government assistance, their kids would be starving to death and never have health care. And that’s the story that we’re not seeing, and it’s unfortunate that we glorify and glamorize the idea of out of children wedlock.”
Now, in what part of that did he mention that she should not have won the award? Get it right.
I’m sure that most women, when deciding whether or not to have sex when not married, do not include in their reasoning the behavior of rich movie stars. Please. I don’t think anyone thinks that they will have a baby and be transported to a world like that in which Natalie Portman resides. If they do, they are 11 years old (or have the mentality of an 11 year old) and shouldn’t be having children anyway, single or not.