View all newsletters
Sign up to our newsletters

Support 110 years of independent journalism.

  1. Politics
10 March 2017updated 04 Aug 2021 2:30pm

The BBC pundit’s children video is NOT FUNNY. It’s patriarchy in a nutshell

Once again, an awareness of the unequal nature of caring labour ruins a great viral video. 

By Moley Tant

Hello, it’s me! I’m the Media Mole’s killjoy spinster aunt, and I am here to disagree with my nibling and drop hot feminist takes all over your internet. Just call me Millie Tant. Moley Tant. Whatever. We’ll workshop it. 

Today, the internet has been on fire with hilarity over this video of a BBC pundit being interrupted, first, by a toddler. Then a baby in a wheeler. Then a woman desperately trying to retrieve both so that the pundit can get on with delivering his take about North Korea. 

Here’s the problem: I can’t enjoy it. 

This makes me feel so alone. 

There’s nothing worse than watching everyone else crease with mirth while you’re left thinking: but… no?

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

Basically, the message this video delivers to me is: being a man is playing life on the easy setting. Once again, the yawning awareness of the patriarchy shits on my ability to enjoy something. I can see why so few female Moles are feminists. 

Here’s the worst/best bit of the video. When Mr Pundit doesn’t even turn round to acknowledge his child, but instead gives the little tyke a gentle shove to get out of the way.

If a woman had done that, we wouldn’t be sharing the video while wiping tears of laughter from our eyes. We’d be knee-deep in a tedious discussion about whether she’s a terrible mother and whether her career of Korea Takes was leading her to ignore the small, simple pleasures of watching a child dance like a loon. 

Also – ALSO – Mr Pundit shoves the kid back with the easy reassurance of someone who knows that another person is going to swoop in and deal with the kids. This, you feel, is the kind of guy who refers to looking after his own children as “babysitting”.

It also exposes one reason why there are more men delivering their opinions all over our televisions most days – because women are doing the behind the scenes work needed to make that feasible. True equality will not have been achieved until we see a father desperately clawing at a baby wheeler while a woman talks about the rising threat of nuclear war.

Of course, this is all cruel projection. For all we know Mr Pundit might otherwise be an exemplary hands-on dad. Perhaps he’s changing the nappy of a third, hidden child under the desk with his feet. It’s not his fault that the patriarchy exists, and also annoys me so much. 

Still, though, pity me. Once again, an awareness of the unequal nature of caring labour has ruined a great viral video. 

Content from our partners
The promise of prevention
How Labour hopes to make the UK a leader in green energy
Is now the time to rethink health and care for older people? With Age UK

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU