If You Ask Ariana Madix About Babies One More Time, She's Walking Out
This Vanderpump Rules gal has a lot going on: "I have goals. I work hard. Ask me about it.”
Ariana Madix is sick of the baby talk.
While her other half, Tom Sandoval, works hard at getting Tom Tom off the ground (his West Hollywood bar with Lisa Vanderpump and Tom Schwartz), he’s been getting question after question from interviewers about his latest project. Ariana, on the other hand, gets the usual “when are you getting married and having babies” question.
Well, she’s fed up.
When the couple is interviewed together she says it usually goes like this:
“When @TomSandoval1 and i do press interviews together, i get asked about babies and he gets asked about TomTom and future career plans,” she tweeted. “I’m putting this out there now: i will walk out of any situation where this happens from now on. I have goals. I work hard. Ask me about it.”
As much as the subject of babies and marriage has come up for the two on Vanderpump Rules, Ariana, 33, has made it clear she has career and travel goals to accomplish before she settles down. Like many millennial women, getting married young (or at all) just isn’t important. And if she changes her mind on having a baby, she should feel comforted by the fact that women are now having babies into their 50s and higher, thanks to science.
As for her career, she says she has some “formal announcements” coming soon.
Life coach and therapist Dr. Liz Lasky noted there are a few things Ariana can do (besides walk out of an interview) to help people understand just how annoying this line of questioning can be.
“Many of my clients are very high-powered women who are often in the company of professional men. Sometimes they are the only woman in the room,” Dr. Lasky explained.
“Acknowledge to the room that there is a difference in how women are treated. Sometimes women simply call out what can happen with other men. I've had clients say things like, ‘Hi, everyone, I know that I'm the only woman in this room right now and sometimes men very easily talk over women. I anticipate this will not happen in this group,’ or ‘Sometimes my male counterparts speak over me or discount me in other meetings. I look forward to that not happening here.’ Some women prefer not to be the only woman in a meeting. Even having an intern, or someone your junior, can be helpful or supportive and can also be a good learning experience for them, too.”
Ariana’s right to point out the unfair questions thrown at her.
“If you're being asked a question that would not be asked to a man, there is always room to push others to think critically about their actions,” Dr. Lasky said. “Pointing out that you're only interested in answering questions that could also be answered by a guy can feel empowering. It's not your job to answer every question, especially about kids, home life, or your outfit if you're there to talk about goals, business, and making moves. Always feel free to ask for the next question.”
Get support from others and get them on your team.
“Get a coach like me. Get a mentor. Find a mentor in your industry who has been through the same things. Ask them for advice. Study them. Imagine what they would say if they were in a difficult position,” Dr. Lasky said. “Many women before us have accomplished great things that we can learn from.”
Like, say, Ariana's boss, Lisa Vanderpump?
