Hillary Clinton Subtly Straightens Chimamanda For Being Upset With the Former First Lady’s Bio
Author and advocate for gender equality, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has taken her feminism a notch higher after she questioned former US First Lady, Hillary Clinton, on why her Twitter bio begins with ‘wife’, while her husband, Bill Clinton’s doesn’t start with husband.
According to reports from The Guardian, the two power women were talking at a PEN World Voices Festival lecture at the Cooper Union in Manhattan on Sunday when Adichie, a married mother of one asked the former US presidential candidate while interviewing her:
“In your Twitter account, the first word that describes you is ‘Wife.’ And then I think it’s ‘Mom,’ and then it’s ‘Grandmother.And when I saw that, I have to confess that I felt just a little bit upset. And then I went and I looked at your husband’s Twitter account, and the first word was not ‘husband.’”
Former US president, Bill Clinton’s Twitter bio reads thus; “Founder, Clinton Foundation and 42nd President of the United States.”
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There was no mention of his marital status, neither did he add that he’s a father. Adichie wanted to know if it was Clinton’s choice to first be identified in relation to her husband, and if so, why.
Responding to her question, Hillary, 70, said: “When you put it like that, I’m going to change it.” Hillary laughed, before adding that women should be able to celebrate both their personal and professional achievements. Hillary went on to quote the late former First Lady Barbara Bush, who said:
”At the end of the day, it won’t matter if you got a raise, it won’t matter if you wrote a great book, if you are not also someone who values relationships.”
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She continued:
”It shouldn’t be either/or. It should be that if you are someone who is defining yourself by what you do and what you accomplish and that is satisfying, then more power to you.
That is how you should be thinking about your life, and living it.
If you are someone who primarily defines your life in relationship to others, then more power to you, and live that life the way Barbara Bush lived that life, and how proud she was to do it.
But I think most of us as women in today’s world end up in the middle. Wanting to have relationships, wanting to invest in them, nurture them, but also pursuing our own interests.”
While Adichie has received ovations for this, a lot of people on Nigerian twitter share their displeasure at her question;
Cameroonian singer and businesswoman, Dencia, in a series of tweets said Chimamanda thinks like a backward clock. She also told her that she should let women live how they want rather than telling them what to do.
”You aren’t a feminist if you are telling a female what to do. Weirdest thing is, chimanda’s followers, I know don’t know she’s married with a kid. I can bet $10k she cooks, cleans, feeds her husband & is the average African woman at home. Let women live how they want’.
Dencia also added that, ‘whatever her name is, the feminist lady who thinks like a backward clock’.
READ ALSO: ‘I just did not get the memo that men and women are not equal’ – Chimamanda Adichie
See other views…
@linesandtimes – “chimamanda said she was a bit upset by Hillary Clinton’s bio. her intolerance for anything that does not align with her idea of feminism is really tragic. a woman can be defined as anything she wants to be seen as, what’s important is that it’s her choice”.
@4eyedmonk– “Probably because she does not see anything wrong with being a wife and it is non of Chimamanda’s business?”
@KelvinOdanz– Chimamanda Adichie is UPSET because Hillary Clinton’s Twitter Bio starts with “Wife” among many other ‘qualifications. ???? Beyonce just gave Adichie the platform to derail her career as a writer. She’s become the leader of a bickering, self righteous, shrilling mob. Shame
@AdakuUfere– HRC understood and answered Chimamanda’s question. She even went as far as to say she will change her twitter bio. If the woman herself, who is supremely intelligent sees no issue and takes no offence with the question. Please explain to me why all of you are losing your minds?
@KelvinOdanz– If you’re a married man on Twitter, please add “Husband” to your Twitter Bio and tell your wife to remove “wife” from hers. Before Chimamanda Adichie comes across it and gets upset. ????
@IkechuQwu– President Buhari travelled to UK and disgraced us.
Chimamanda Adichie travelled to New York and disgraced us too.
And you people think it was not God’s plan for Police to arrest Dino Melaye at the airport, as he was about travelling out of Nigeria this morning?
@MakiSpoke– “I love how a bunch of people that haven’t watched the Hilary Clinton and Chimamanda interview are foaming at the mouth over a question they don’t have any context into. You people are funny”.
@Xcel_101– Chimamanda is not happy that Hilary Clinton’s twitter bio starts with the word “wife”. Looooooooool. Feminists need to understand that they cannot shove their brand of feminism down the throats of all women.The last thing we need is women bullying each other.
@afualareine – Everyone is up and arms about Chimamanda???? but when has being a wife ever been an accomplishment? A healthy union should be all ANY of us aspire to achieve one day, but wife; wife .. it’s not a title to give yourself superiority over other women with. Please can we unlearn this?
I love Chimamanda Adichie but why would she say she’s upset with her bio? It is uncalled for.