AIBU to find the comedian Katherine Ryan's turn to the right surprising?

[exceptmeandmymonkey]

I was raised by a single mum and really liked Katherine Ryan's early standup that mostly focused on being a single mum in crap relationships. Several years ago she hooked up with her childhood sweetheart and had several kids with him, and since then her persona has taken quite a turn.

She defended the manosphere participants in Louis Theroux's recent docs, said that she liked Jordan Peterson, and today on social has featured her partner talking about how the moon landing is a conspiracy. Partner is 'not academic' I'll say politely, and MAGA-adjacent. He doesn't work and is a full time dad yet Katherine does the vast majority of childcare (and all of the earning) whilst he golfs. Clearly she got a lot of negative feedback from her (100% women and gay men) audience on her manosphere comments, because she backtracked a bit.

The situation seems like something she would have laughed at years ago, and it's been strange to see her comedy twist to support this, claiming she's always had provocative views.

I don't see any celebs as heroes so this isn't a 'my hero isn't who I expected' just more of a wow, didn't see this twist coming.

I would say in response that you seem like an acquaintance of hers. Personally, I'd feel quite uncomfortable with my acquaintances or friends sharing views of me on social media, although that's the nature of fame and fame-adjacency.

In terms of literally everything I know about Katherine (her relationship, her views on parenting, details of her spouse's lack of income and lower contribution to childcare, the shifts in the tone/nature of what she shares) all of that comes directly from what she herself has shared on social media or her podcast. I have never met her nor sought out personal information about her outside of what she has shared herself.

My observation that her tone has shifted since her relationship is purely formed by her public statements. I think that's completely fair to remark on with regard to a public figure who has increasingly based her fame around her home life, down to sharing breast pumping photos and images of her kids on the potty.

Jordan Peterson thinks all women should have children. Deeply suspect view right there.

She's allowed her own opinions whether you or I or anyone else agrees them or not and you don't get to dictate what she has to think. I genuinely can't stand witch-hunting for wrongthink, it's pathetic and controlling. Maybe she doesn't approve of your opinions - would you change them on her say-so?

What do you mean he thinks 'all women should have children'?

You mean forced by rape? Or artificial insemination? What are you talking about? Can you reference this as I've never heard him say this.

Or do you mean for their well being? Or for looking after them in old age? Or something else?

Please explain and evidence before you call something a 'deeply suspect view'.

Does it need much explanation?

He thinks that a womans role in life is to have kids.

What? If you’re asking all of that then you have no idea who he is, do you?

He is a conservative and traditionalist. Family values. Traditional values. He thinks women should be in the home raising children, doing the “women’s work,” supporting husbands, not pursuing anything else. You know… quite obvious and doesn’t need explained.

No, it comes from people who's voting behaviour is linked to their values and ethics. Who see it as more than an in the moment decision based on what they feel best benefits them at any given time, but on how they feel society should be organised, and what will bring the greatest benefit to the most people.
If you vote one way or the other because you believe the party most closely aligns with what you believe is moral, sensible, beneficial to society, then it stands to reason you're going to have some reservations about those who think the opposite and see their beliefs as speaking of character.
People from both sides can feel this way. Hence the right getting very angry with left wing people who don't see an issue with immigration, for example. They see it as deeply problematic and dismiss left wing people who disagree as stupid/naive/conspiring to destroy the country and so forth.

I know exactly who he is.

None of this stacks up to reality which is why I ask questions when he is slated as the boogie man .

If he thinks women should be in the home, why is his wife allowed to work and why is his daughter the CEO of the family teaching academy?

In basic evolutionary psychology, it is every organism's 'role' to have kids.

He doesn't campaign for systematic rape to ensure that all women MUST have children, does he?

Those are all fair enough points but I'm referring to criticism of famous individuals like KR and KB because of their perceived voting intentions.

If someone's job is an entertainer then I'm interested in how well they do that job. I don't think KR is particularly funny but I am a huge fan of Kate Bush irrespective of who either of vote for.

Many people work on a “do as I say not do as I do” basis.

I suppose its because its not always possible to seperate the artist from the art. If you're a fan of someone's work its disappointing if their political views indicate a type of character you don't like. We'd all prefer to think the people we admired for their work, who we spent our money to see/listen to, were our idea of good people, and some people feel this so strongly that if the person is 'bad' in their eyes, it spoils enjoyment of their work.

The only thing you are BU about is calling her a comedian. She’s not funny and her eldest daughter must be mortified about all the things she says about her.

That's a pretty low bar on which to defend a man.

I completely agree with you. But I believe the polarisation around voting intention is not good or healthy for society - as per the original comment I agreed with pages back.

It makes for a very narrow world view if you can't even consider listening to someone else because they vote for someone you perceive to be 'bad'. I can't get my head round being upset because a musician you like votes a certain way. How do such people live day to day?

Maybe I'm more inclined to think like this because I'm a floating voter? 🤷‍♀️ I really wish reason and common sense would come back.

I think the last paragraph nails it. As a floating voter you vote based on policies and circumstances rather than ideological beliefs, so to you there is little to no correlation between your vote and your character. For a person who always votes one way because they are committed to the underlying values of left or right (sometimes to the extent they will vote against self interest) they see voting behaviour as part of personality.
Its interesting to see, because the uk has always been pretty centrist, regardless of which party is in government, with broad areas of agreement across parties on aims, just difference in how they are achieved. So a left wing and a right wing person could have a perfectly civil conversation where both agreed, for example, that we needed to tackle crime, but just come at the solution from different perspectives.
I think this has changed of late with the rise of more extremist politics leading to more areas of conflict ("Crime is caused by immigrants, send them home!" "Crime is caused by poverty, increase taxes and level up") and hence more judgement of people who have picked a side.

Asking why a man is a baddie is not 'defending him'. He has a right to his opinions, I'm intrigued as to why him in particular was mentioned as being the straw that broke the OP's opinion of a comedian.

It is fascinating who people choose to be 'the person who must not be liked'.

People have already explained to you why they dislike the man. They have explained that they dislike him for his sexist and regressive views about women. Which you chose to counter by saying "well he doesn't campaign for rape...". Which as a qualifier must surely count as the most meagre scrapings from the emptiest of barrels.

Absolutely nothing wrong with Jordan Peterson. He’s a very clever man.

I don't particularly like Katherine Ryan so rarely see her on TV. I do remember her face on a TV show straight after the Brexit result, like a slapped arse! I don't think she's even slightly right wing.

So apparently she just spoke at a huge disinformation summit in cambridge about using comedy to tell stories or some such thing. Can anyone explain why they would have hired her for that if she believes conspiracy theories?! Seems to make a bit of a mockery of the conference.

Oh god are you really going to interrogate this… fine, imagine the sentence starts with ‘as far as I am aware’. Better?

V little personal detail here though is there?

She wasn’t ten years ago when the brexit vote happened. Then she got together with her right wing husband.

That chimes with my impression of her, having seen her several times doing live stand up. The way she dealt with audience members and theatre staff. She’s respectful and lovely.

And she kept her integrity over the whole Russell Brand brouhaha.

I think this thread smacks of internalised misogny - smacking down a talented woman for being chippy and unapologetic.