As the baby formula shortage takes its toll on the U.S., advice about breastfeeding is being met with substantial backlash. No one knows that better than Bette Midler, who made a snarky tweet about breastfeeding in this context last week. Since then, the actress has gotten some intense clapbacks on Twitter.
Midler retweeted a post by MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle which read: “The baby formula shortage reveals an amazing secret oligopoly: 3 American companies control over 90 percent of the [market], hugely restrictive regulations (thanks to big [money] lobbying) prohibit foreign formulas. Name another industry/sector/product like this.” Midler joined others in pointing out the obvious solution for some parents.
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“TRY BREASTFEEDING!” she wrote. “It’s free and available on-demand.” As Midler would learn in the days to come, that’s not necessarily true. The reason the baby formula industry caught on in the first place is because breastfeeding is not always reliable or feasible for everyone. On top of that, many readers did not care for her condescending tone when Ruhle’s point was to call out questionable corporate practices.
The baby formula shortage is currently taking different forms in different parts of the country, so check with local resources on formula availability near you. The Mayo Clinic has published a helpful guide to the differences between breastfeeding and formula-feeding, including how to determine when one suits your family better than another. With that out of the way, scroll on for some of the top responses to Midler’s tweet this weekend.
Insensitive
Many people felt that Midler’s tweet was insensitive to new mothers who were unable to breastfeed or even those who chose not to before the shortage began.
Incorrect
Sensitivity aside, many people responded to Midler with strong arguments that she was incorrect. Breastfeeding is not an option that is available “on demand” for many, many women in the U.S.
Generational
Some people chalked Midler’s opinion here up to a generational divide, turning instead to younger women in the public eye for their opinions here.
Priority
Some fans interpreted Midler’s tweet to be broader, insinuating that U.S. institutions should do more to promote breastfeeding over formula. In that context, they agreed with her.
Follow-up
Sure enough, Midler followed up her tweet later with some more nuance, but for many fans it still didn’t hit the mark. Her reference to the practice of “wet nursing” drew even more backlash.
Examples
As the conversation continued, many women shared their personal stories and the reasons why breastfeeding was not an option for them. The wide array of reasons helped drive home the severity of this problem with formula.
Apologize
Finally, many fans were put off by Midler doubling down on this argument. They thought that the actress should accept her mistake rather than backpedaling.
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