In a bizarre tribute to Mother’s Day, CNN reached back into the archives to dust off an old piece touting the advantages of children who don’t have fathers, a ridiculous article that drew much scorn and mockery from Twitter users on the way to being ratioed six ways from Sunday.
According to the article which notes that it has been updated since it was originally published in 2019, David G. Allan, editorial director of CNN Features sections, recalls his own childhood while admitting that he was “embarrassed to be raised by a single mom when I was growing up,” while going on to cite various studies on single parenthood and acknowledging the pride that he now has in his mother for enduring the burden of raising him without having a father in the home.
“There has been a lot of research over the decades that has shown children of single parents report more family distress and conflict and live at a lower socioeconomic status compared to those growing up in two-parent households. Two-parent families usually have more income and are generally able to provide more emotional resources to children, and that’s also a reflection of how little the United States in general does to support working mothers with parental paid leave and access to more health services and quality education,” the article states, griping that the federal government doesn’t give enough money to single moms.
“And of course, it’s difficult to compare single parenting outcomes to hypothetical alternatives. For many, a single mom can create a much safer or more stable environment than living with an abusive parent and spouse. Just growing up in an unhappy marriage has an effect on children,” the author wrote.
Advantages of being raised by a single mother outweigh expectations and outlast childhood embarrassment. https://t.co/CtExI9yuiL
— CNN (@CNN) May 14, 2023
The reactions were just brutal, especially considering the ample evidence of the social problems stemming from fatherless homes.
Of course CNN is putting out this crap.
— Hangry Human (@HumbleSavage74) May 14, 2023
There are a lot of single moms who do a great job raising their kids in a challenging situation … and they deserve our respect and appreciation… but there’s no “advantage” for kids to grow up without a father. This headline is ridiculous.
— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) May 14, 2023
We can praise mothers and understand the hardship of doing it on their own without outright lies. There is no advantage and study after study proves that.
— brit (@pashedmotatos) May 14, 2023
A big enemy of your authoritarian agenda is family unity. It is vitally important for every child to have a relationship with dad, in fact that is unfortunately more important than their relationship w/mom. I can cite several articles about these studies from Psychology Today.
— ErikaH (@southoldny) May 14, 2023
This is surreal
— Corporal Punishment (@CplPunishment_) May 14, 2023
We can praise mothers and understand the hardship of doing it on their own without outright lies. There is no advantage and study after study proves that.
— brit (@pashedmotatos) May 14, 2023
*sarcasm*
You are right. Most black families have single mothers today. I am sure if you interview their kids they will be gloating over this achievement.
Such a glorious way to say Happy Mothers Day!
Fathers are only distractions. Most of the successful people and families…
— Staying Sane (@stayingsaneusa) May 14, 2023
I think you’ve been ratioed, even by actual single parents. You’re still upset your father wasn’t in the picture and this is how your therapist told you to deal with it. My God, this article was written 4 years ago and CNN must not have much to write about these days except to…
— CindyWPB (@cindylouwhoWPB) May 14, 2023
CNN always ready to collapse something. From family units to their own ratings.
— Deb– Redacted Redacted (@debster7301) May 14, 2023
— JustaJarhead (@JustaJarhead71) May 14, 2023
The embarrassment is you consider yourself a legitimate news outlet. I was raised by a single Mom. Cheers to her and all the single parents out there. However there are no advantages to this incomplete family structure.
— Liko (@Liko_C) May 14, 2023
Oh FFS
— Your Highness Chrispy (@candyisyummy333) May 14, 2023
The embarrassment is you consider yourself a legitimate news outlet. I was raised by a single Mom. Cheers to her and all the single parents out there. However there are no advantages to this incomplete family structure.
— Liko (@Liko_C) May 14, 2023
Yeah of course. A new study by @CNN finds that weighing 500 lbs and eating donuts and drinking soda all day shows no more danger than someone who exercises daily and eats low carbs. “An anonymous source”
— MATTIKES (@mattikes) May 14, 2023
Nope.
Pretty sure this is going to be the Ratio Of The Day.
You wrote this just for the Ratio, right?— Tom (@BoreGuru) May 14, 2023
The article closes with a shout out to moms in one parent households, “Let us now praise single mothers. All of them. The ‘weird’ ones. The struggling ones. The driven ones who choose to parent alone. The widowed, who didn’t. The brave ones who divorced for the well-being of their kids and/or themselves. They are all raising about 19 million children right now, and they need all the support they can get.”
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