This is just a reminder that Jacinda Ardern is the Prime Minister of New Zealand.
She’s not the “young, attractive Prime Minister of New Zealand”, or the “pregnant Prime Minister of New Zealand”. Yes, she is in her thirties, is a lady, has shiny hair and a great smile, and is having a baby in a few months. Those do make her stand out a bit amongst the rest of the world’s leaders, who are pretty overwhelmingly dudes, older ones, with non-shiny hair (Canadian president/internet boyfriend Justin Trudeau being a notable exception, though even he hasn’t managed to give birth yet) and very few windswept Vogue spreads to their name.
All these things seem to make people forget that Ardern is, in fact, the Prime Minister of New Zealand. She is a politician. She is running a country, leading a party, and representing New Zealand’s interests on the global stage. When Australian reporter Charles Woolley went over to interview her for 60 Minutes, she obviously got to talk about how hard she’s worked to become one of the youngest leaders in the world, and what her vision for her country is.
Just kidding! Ardern is young and has great hair and also happens to be pregnant, so obviously this middle-aged dude talked about how hot she is and insisted on knowing EXACTLY when she and her partner did the sex.
“I’ve met a lot of prime ministers in my time. But none so young, not too many so smart, and never one so attractive,” said Woolley in his intro, before telling the Right Honourable Jacinda Ardern MP to her face that “people” were “counting back” from her due date to work out the conception date.
Dear New Zealand ??, our best mate, you know how everyone has a creepy Uncle you need to avoid at Xmas parties? Sorry we got him to interview your PM. Please tell @jacindaardern we reckon it was gross.
Love, Australia ?? https://t.co/B9Bz3AQRsk
— Belinda Barnet (@manjusrii) February 26, 2018
60 Minutes has been doing more international child-kidnapping than actual journalism in recent years, but given Ardern hasn’t done too many in-depth TV interviews yet, it would have been good for Woolley to ask about a few more serious things, instead of tabloid-level fluff you say to people who are mostly famous for having pretty hair, like “You are nice!” and “When’s your baby due?”
She is the Prime Minister of New Zealand.
In fact, Woolley showed Ardern even less respect than, say, a royal or a socialite would get – can you imagine him asking Kate Middleton which Spotify playlist Will put on to get them in the mood for a little king-making?
Anyway, it’s good to know that this is the standard of coverage Ardern will be putting up with for the next year or so. Yes, it’s interesting to have a world leader who’s going to give birth while in office, but there’s no need to treat her (or any pregnant person) like a walking baby factory with no other interests or an actual job to do.
Her maternity leave starts in June. We just can’t wait for all the incredibly respectful “Labour Party” jokes.