“Poor crazy woman” vs “smart guy”. The difference in attitude between Salome Sake and Thomas Peske regarding their reluctance to have children

On the same topic, the first received cheers, the second received exclamations. A few days apart, the astronaut Thomas Pesquet and the journalist explosionSalome Sacké was both admitted to France Inter to discuss Lea Salame’s microphone at La Matinale. Both individuals were interviewed on the same topic: the place of children in the world. A question amid headline-grabbing conflicts that have become more acute since October 7, and a Hamas offensive against Israel that has been accompanied by the taking of scores of children hostage, among other atrocities.

“Who will pay for your pension?”

France Inter’s guest on October 18: Salome Saquet, author of the book Be young and shut up (published March 2023), specifically addressed the topic of eco-concern. And to call on society to normalize “not wanting children and stop stigmatizing those who don’t,” as she writes in an Instagram post that airs her radio appearance. “I respect and consider people who have children. What I regret is that we don’t see those who refuse it the same way, and that there is always a kind of presumption of selfishness,” he stated. Wednesday October 11th. Continuing. “I believe today that in addition to ecological and economic considerations, there are also people who simply want to flourish in a different way, want to have other sources of reflection, other sources of deep transformation.” As such, the journalist, who is “certainly not going to have children”, simply called for “people to be left alone with their choices”.

Salome Sacké has had an overwhelming wave on Instagram, seeing the hate messages grow bigger and stronger for a week. Another hot topic on the table is pensions. Mixing together, we find: “Who’s going to pay for your pension? Someone else’s child? ; “A woman who doesn’t want children, there’s a bug in the matrix, social engineering has taken over biology”; “I am happy to see that people like Mademoiselle will not have children. This means that they and their toxic ideology will be gone in a few decades”; “Honestly, all I see is ‘Poor Fool.’ Self-centered”; “I would voluntarily want to get you pregnant”… Among the 3156 comments placed under the publication, it becomes clear that the minority takes the journalist’s side. “Keep the feedback down, I can’t believe people’s intolerance. And then those who talk about retirement, that’s just over the moon…we’re talking to you about what your kids are worth for social security, education, and everything else. No, but honestly. It is called the solidarity system,” we can read in particular.

“What a man!”

A week later, on October 18th, it was Thomas Peske’s turn to participate in this great discussion. The astronaut whose autobiography My life without gravity published on the same day by Flammarion, forming a happy couple with his “forever” partner Anne Motte, an engineer he met in high school. Asked by Lea Salameh about himself and his relationship, which he chronicles in his book, the astronaut then defended his choice not to have children. “It would be an easy decision for me, because it would rest entirely on my partner’s shoulders,” he first announced, adding: “I wasn’t going to quit my job.” While there’s no mention of eco-concern here, the astronaut’s words seem to echo those of Salome Sacké, who explained that “besides ecological and economic considerations, there are also people who just want to thrive in a different way.”

“No one was going to let me stop my work,” the 45-year-old astronaut continued. Because I was never going to be there, it was going to be hers (his colleague, editor’s note) to stop everything to take over alone. I didn’t think it was fair.” Thomas Peske’s approach received admiring comments. “No, but he doesn’t have a flaw, doesn’t he have a flaw?” Why is there only one example? And others. “Many men should take sperm, it will free women from mental burden”; “It is his choice. What is this admonition to the generations?” “Smart and consistent guys are definitely the sexiest”; “It is wonderful that a person is able to ask himself such questions.”

Sexism and misogyny

The stark difference in the attitude of netizens stood out to many commentators, who then decided to take Salome Sake’s side in condemning this apparent disparity between men and women; right, the question is gone) and so much hate and contempt after the same statement by journalist Salome Sake. It brings up sexism and misogyny.” Especially since the astronaut’s decision raises other questions. As other netizens have pointed out, biological differences make men different from women, especially when it comes to inseminating power. “Maybe he doesn’t want children today, but in 5 or 10 years he might change his partner’s mind… No,” says one user. “It sounds laudable, but one day she won’t be an astronaut anymore and she can always decide to have a baby somewhere else; he, no.”

Regardless, the issue highlights the energy that some people invest in engaging in these types of debates. To use Salome Sake’s words, wouldn’t it be a matter of “leaving people alone” in the face of their own reasoning? And one of the Internet users concluded: “The world will move forward the day we no longer ask such questions.”