Straight Up

The Big Kids Question pt II: fertility, pop culture parenthood and unspeakable truths

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Episode notes

Male infertility accounts for half of all IVF cases, so why does society so often consider it a ‘women’s issue’? We get into the taboo around fertility and masculinity, as well as the thorny topics of egg freezing, the 'queer tax' and the commodification of reproduction in this second part of our exploration of why more and more people are putting off having children. We also dive into plenty of other unspeakable truths, from 'unnatural' parents, the fantasy mother vs monster mother tropes in Hollywood, and loss of identity. Plus, we discuss some of the most joyous things about being a parent, how social media is shaping parenthood norms, and much more.

Reccos discussed

• Stand Up to Infertility,  BBC
• 'Elizabeth Day: At 45 I will never be a mother. I’ve made peace with it', The Times
• Magpie by Elizabeth Day
• The Birth of My Daughter, The Death of My Marriage by Leslie Jamison, New Yorker
• Laura Jackson on Grace Beverley's podcast
• Why Must We Pay Queer Tax? the Guardian
• 'I’m a sexual and single but wanted to become a mum’, Stylist
• Straight Up with Tove Lo, and Straight Up with BabyQueen
• Diary of a CEO: No.1 Neuroscientist: "Kids will make you unhappier"
• I chose my marriage over having kids by Ruby Warrington, The Times
• The School for Bad Mothers, Jessamine Chan
• Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel
• The false escapism of soft girls and trad wives, Time 
• How Long Can You Wait To Have A Baby? The Atlantic

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