Working Mother magazine has decided to get in on some of this Time action, running with the fact that five months of a year is plenty to decide which working mothers of 2012 are the most powerful/best mothers/correct lactationers/most loving/impossibly fashionable/cellulite-free/prettier-than-you/capable of raising better offspring.
EXCITING!
No, but seriously, this seems to be a controversy-free list that honors some remarkable women that just-so-happen to also be mothers. Oh, and RICHER THAN YOU. So maybe there’s that.
Sorry. Let’s proceed.
Sarah Blakely, Entrepreneur
Blakely is the mother of two year-old Lazer. She started the Spanx conglomerate around 1998, and after sending Oprah some of her undies (wait…) in 2000, the company really took off. Today, Blakely is a self-made billionaire who gives back through charitable organizations. Oh, and helping you reign in your saddle bags.
Suzanne Collins, Author
She is the mastermind behind the young adult Hunger Games series. She has a 17-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter, and was once a writer for a PBS children’s cartoon. Why she hasn’t yet hired a hairstylist, now that she’s a self-made millionaire, is unclear. (I know. I’m such a bad feminist.)
Ann Curry, Journalist
OH, ANN. There’s something about Ann that, despite how awkward she is or looks for 95% of her life, she remains lovable and somewhat endearing. Ann has taken over television journalism by way of the Today Show, all while raising McKenzie, 18, and Walker, 16. And, despite her daily schedule of taking over the world, she almost always made it to the kids’ school by 2:30 to pick them up. (Which is why she’s better than you, remember.)
Angelina Jolie, Actress
If you have read any of my posts on this site in the past year, you know that I am a vocal Angelina hater, despite the fact that she has eleventy adorable kids. Because HATERZ GON’ HATE, and it’s obviously something I’m discussing with my medical physician. (Don’t worry, I now dislike Brad equally, so I’m not a self-hating feminist, just a lousy one.) Anyway, we all know she’s on this list for good deeds such as GLOBAL CHARITY WORK, but I guess I’m just not certain that such things cancel out the ridiculousness of her leg meme.
Beyoncé Knowles, Entertainer
Beyoncé, on the other hand, has just entered the motherhood arena and is already making damn lists. This is obviously because she is beautiful and incredibly wealthy. And we all know that wealth and beauty are the most important things in this country. Unless you’re a social media maven.
Wait, what?
But for real, congrats to Beyoncé, the ONLY African American woman to make this list. It’s a white man’s world, ladies.
Melissa McCarthy, Actress
McCarthy is the proud mom of two young girls, ages 2 and 5, and has been an actress for years. But this year, the woman has done the impossible in Hollywood by finding success as a woman-who-is-not-size-zero. She’s got a devoted following, and while she hasn’t yet traveled internationally to settle border disputes with Angelina, McCarthy is doing a great job of being a wonderful role model for young girls and mothers alike.
Sherilyn McCoy, Businesswoman extraordinaire
McCoy has three older sons, and was a big honcho at Johnson & Johnson for years, overseeing 60% of the company’s revenue. Recently she was brought over as CEO to Avon in the hopes that she can turn the faltering company around. Go Sheri, Go! (And, when you get a chance, work on a shade of red lipstick that will look good on my yellowish skin tone!)
Sheryl Sandberg, Business woman extraordinaire
Sandberg is the Chief Operating Officer at Facebook, hand-selected for the job by Zuckerberg himself. She has a six-year-old and a four-year-old, and claims to still make it home by six every evening. Sandberg adds, however, that she’s been doing that ever since having kids, even while working at Google, but only recently feels “brave enough” to talk about it publicly.
INTERESTING.
Mary Schapiro, Politician
Schapiro is the Chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission here in ‘Mer’cuh. In politics since the 1980s, Schapiro has raised two teenage daughters, even while admittedly working through the weekend. No word on how long she breastfed. OR WHETHER SHE DID AT ALL.
Katie Jacobs Stanton, Social media MAVEN
Katie, here, is responsible for how Twitter has spread itself into a global information and social resource. She has two kids, ages 9 and 11, and also was once an employee of Google. She joined Twitter, she says, for more flexibility, insinuating that Google executives weren’t allowing her the freedom of getting home to her kids at night.
What do you think? Good list? Good mothers? Group hug?
I’m kind of surprised we don’t see Hillary Clinton or at least Michele Obama on that list. Lots of sectors of the American workforce seem to be left out, but whatever. It’s just a list, right?
LET’S START A MOTHERLOVING RIOT.
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About Kristine Cook
