Yet Another Post About the Potential Contents of Ashlee Simpson’s Uterus

I’m going with “she’s not” for right now. Why? Because Pete Wentz said she’s not and for me that’s a more reliable source than some anonymous person who may have talked to US Weekly. PLUS, recent pictures of her at LAX reveal an Ashlee who doesn’t appear to be showing. Remember what that “source” supposedly said, she’s due in October and wants to get married in May before she’s got a major bump. Girl doesn’t even have a MINOR bump, and for three months into her pregnancy? Seems unlikely. Granted, some women don’t show much at all, but on Ashlee’s frame you figure you’d see something.

But anyway, that’s not the point here. The POINT is that people were screaming and bemoaning so many things, including the ridiculous assumption that Ashlee having Pete’s baby would end Fall Out Boy (which…HOW? Really, where the hell was the logic in that?) and talking about Pete getting Ashlee pregnant out of wedlock (LOL N00BS TO ROCK STARS). But a more realistic concern was that Ashlee would have to put her own career to the side in order to have the baby.

Granted, valid concern. What really shocked me, though, were people saying that her career was over because of this. Because for some reason a woman with a child can’t be a successful pop act. Let alone have outside ventures such as a clothing line. And there’s no way in hell she could be married to a successful rock star at the same time.

DAMMIT GWEN! STOP PROVING PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET WRONG!

Look, my point is that Ashlee is very lucky, that if and when she has children, she will likely be able to do so in a way that puts minimal hold on her career. Like Stefani, who toured while pregnant (including yelling on stage “I want you to sing so loud the baby can hear you!” as a way of confirming her pregnancy) and now tours with her son Kingston in tow. It’s taken a lot of planning and modifications to the normal sorts of things you see on rock tours, but she’s done it. As for recording, it did delay the release of The Sweet Escape, the follow up to Love. Angel. Music. Baby. But it didn’t negate the record’s existence.

What I’m saying here is that it shouldn’t be taken as fact that when a celebrity gets pregnant, she’s going to have the baby and that’s that. Really, how many Hollywood moms do you know of that said “Oh, hai, pregnant, gtg!”? Women like Halle Berry, Tina Fey, Madonna, Julia Roberts and MORE have had children and continued with their careers.

Is this something I’m missing seeing on lower levels, though? Do that many women really believe that once you have a baby, that’s it? Your career and your plans are over? It upsets me as a feminist to hear that.

Let me explain: I am the sort of woman who believes feminism is, at it’s core, about presenting women with options and above all CHOICE. Real feminism doesn’t regard being a wife and mother is degrading, nor does it think not wanting to do so is. Basically, real feminism is about women having the right and the ability to be wives and mothers, career oriented women or *gasp* BOTH.

Along those lines, it also means that fathers are free to be stay at home fathers if they wish, and urges them to be as active as possible in the raising of their children. Because it’s about equality. There are many limitations placed on us biologically, but that doesn’t mean the emotionally or financially there should be huge indiscretions.

The thing is, in today’s world it’s damn near impossible for many families to live on just one income, regardless of what certain douchebags might think. It’s likely both parents will need to be out in the workforce, and really it should be possible for them to do so without sacrificing the bond they have with their child or children. And there’s a whole SLEW of issues that brings up including family planning, rate of pay, cost of living, healthcare, etc. And I can’t address them all here.

But I can say this: I will probably never choose to be a mother. I don’t want that. I want a career. But if there is a woman who wants both, she should be able to have them.

Besides, I think if more girls were like Gwen, the world would be a more interesting place. Certainly blonder.