S Poddar
Anna Kendrick never shied away from speaking about being child-free. Her recent statement has gained special attention in the backdrop of the larger national debate around motherhood and womanhood. In the latest interview for her movie promotion, Anna Kendrick opens candidly about why she would not like motherhood.
Mixed reactions were seen on the decision of Kendrick to remain childless: some respected her for honesty and the ability to make choices that align with personal values while others criticized her perceived selfishness and disregard for traditional gender roles.
But that is not one of the concerns for Kendrick. For her, in a mix of preference and reasons of practicality, she made the decision. She admitted that she does not like the children, believes that she’d be horrible as a mother, and has concerns about children growing up in today’s world: climate change and inequality.
“I don’t ever think about having kids, so I guess I spend just as little time thinking about weaponizing that,” she said. “I told her any child she had would be ‘another kid that your kid is going to have to fight when the water wars come.'”
Although certainly provocative for its time, Kendrick’s declarations represent an important entry point into understanding how societal pressure to bear children weighs upon women. Many women feel that motherhood is the primary purpose one is expected to place above personal ambitions and happiness. Kendrick’s outright rejection of such expectations resonates with individualism and autonomy.
She then dived into her opinions on backlash she received for her decision. Adding that it’s “Anna Kendrick in ‘Doesn’t Want Children’ Shock!” Kendrick states she doesn’t want to defend herself.
“What’s the greatest argument for not having kids?” she asked while underlining that she fell asleep to cat sounds on TikTok recently. “I was thinking: ‘I would fall asleep faster with the weight of a cat on me. But I’m not responsible enough to own a cat. Someone should really make a robot cat that does all the purring and the kneading.’ And then I was like: wait, I’m not even up to the ‘cat lady’ part! Why would anybody trust me with a kid?”:
The humor in Kendrick’s response with herself and self-knowledge is profoundly evident. She laughs at herself as well as her perceived shortcomings and proclaims that perfection is but a dream.
Woman of the Hour is a directorial debut from Kendrick. The film is based on a true story: Rodney Alcala, a notorious serial killer, was a contestant on a game show called The Dating Game. Kendrick plays Cheryl Bradshaw, the bachelorette who won a date with Alcala.
The trailer for the film shows Alcala introducing himself on the game show, telling Cheryl, “We’re gonna have a great time together.”
Alcala was an American serial killer and sex offender, sentenced for five murders in California between 1977 and 1979 which carried the death sentence. Alcala died on July 24, 2021, aged 77 years due to natural causes while serving time on death row.
Kendrick’s decision not to bear children is bold and unconven- tional. She, however made such a decision following through with much consideration and belief. What is more, generosity she shows in an interview is evidence of her boldness and commitment to authenticity.
