Hurtful Headlines...

Jay Leno...

...it's been a few weeks, I wanted to give this some time to see if your un-funny headline really bothers me as badly as it originally did. The fact that I'm coming back to this post tells me it does.

While watching "Headlines" on The Late Show with Jay Leno with my co-workers I was appalled to hear an infertility related joke. (Insert second thoughts about the off-color jokes I think are humorous and the times I've laughed at the expense of someone else's misfortunes ____________ <---here.) I should be more thick skinned, I think I used to be, but it feels like I hear snide comments and jokes about infertility and sterility at every turn. Mostly from people who know what I've gone through and SHOULD know better. It makes me wonder why someone's inability to conceive is such a laughing matter. The truth is, I'm sensitive. Still.

So without further ado, here's the offensive Headline that's had me stewing for weeks:

"Children not likely to inherit infertility"

--This, of course, resulted in raucous laughter from my co-workers who I'm sure meant no offense and likely had no idea how hurtful this was to me.

Even my initial reaction was only annoyance that anyone could think that infertility is not hereditary. Then it hit me, BAM like lightning... the reason it got such a reaction had nothing to do with infertility's likelihood to be passed to offspring. And everything to do with the likelihood that there will be NO children in the event of infertility.

When I mentioned it to my mom she tried to get me to calm down by pointing out that it was 'worded funny and that's what makes it comical.' I love my dear mother, she's continually trying to get me to relax and to not take things so personally. Poor thing, it's a full time job! And probably a hopeless effort at that.