Former Vice President Kamala Harris suggested that mockery over her boisterous cackle is sexist — as she doled out dating advice for young women.
During an appearance on the “Rich Little Broke Girls” podcast, the former veep recalled being asked by a reporter about criticisms of her lacking humility.
“I don’t aspire to be humble. Humility, yes, is very important,” Harris said. “[It’s] a very dated perspective on who women should be. To say, women should be humble. Women should be quiet. Women should laugh quietly,” she said as she covered her mouth and raised her eyebrows.
“Women should not have a sense of humor. Women should not raise their voice,” she continued. “I have never felt burdened by those very dated, and I think out-of-touch standards.”
During her 107 days as the Democratic presidential standard-bearer, Harris largely refrained from broaching identity politics or complaining about sexism.
Despite being the first female VP in US history and the second female presidential candidate of a major political party, she actively made a point of not harping on identity politics.
That stood in contrast to Hillary Clinton, who wasn’t shy about publicly crowing about how her voters put the “biggest crack in that glass ceiling” and groused about different societal standards for women.
During her wide-ranging podcast interview, Harris also gave dating advice to young, single women, in which she stressed the importance of finding someone who is kind.
“Choose to be with someone who allows you to laugh at yourself and them,” she said. “Choose to be with someone who you know you like, going to the grocery store together, taking a walk together.”
The former vice president got married in 2014 when she was in her 40s.
“There are different phases in your life and you may not know what phase you’re in,” Harris explained. “Maybe you’re going to choose that you want to have that kind of Friday night relationship — or you want that Sunday morning relationship.
“Maybe you’re going to choose that you want to have that kind of Friday night relationship — or you want that Sunday morning relationship.
“Sometimes you can get both — and sometimes they just is oil and water. And that’s OK! Be in those phases where you are having fun!”
While emphasizing that people want different things at various stages in life, Harris reflected that she wasn’t sure if she would’ve been ready to marry Doug Emhoff earlier in life.
“Doug and I got married in our 40s, and I love my husband so very much. He is my best friend,” she reflected.
“And we’ve talked about it, if we had met in our 20s, I don’t know that we would have really been in the same place.”
