Parents are not pleased with pop-singer Justin Timberlake and not just because they have to sit through hours of the new ‘Trolls’ movie on repeat. Timberlake came under fire recently for comments that he made about full-time parenting during the coronavirus pandemic. In a radio interview Wednesday while promoting his upcoming new movie ‘Trolls World Tour’, Timberlake was asked how he and his family were doing during the quarantine. In case you didn’t know, Timberlake and wife Jessica Biel took their 5-year-old son Silas to Montana, where they’ve been quarantining in style.
During the interview with SiriusXM show ‘The Morning Mash Up’, the 39-year-old singer was in a pleasant mood, joking around throughout. Timberlake responded in full to the question by saying, “We’re mostly commiserating over the fact that just 24-hour parenting is just not human.” Timberlake then went on to say about his son, “He gets a look. I’m like, ‘Alright, cool, let’s take a 20.’” While the joke landed for many who could relate, it angered tons of parents who found it to be insensitive for the times.
The problem with Timberlake’s joke for most parents, is that it hinged on the privilege the singer already has in child-care, money, etc.. Even Timberlake sharing a photo quarantining in Montana on their gargantuan property sparked some outrage by people who are struggling to get by. Timberlake posted the photo above on March 25, and captioned it, “Out here social distancing with the fam and a lot of these ??? I hope you guys are staying safe and healthy. We need to stick together and look out for each other during this crazy time. Go through my stories for some ways you can support your local communities. While there’s a lot of chaos and confusion right now, there’s also a lot of good and so many ways to help.”
Timberlake’s joke about 24-hour parenting hit a nerve with parents, so much so that they decided to take to Twitter to share their upset. One person tweeted at Timberlake saying, “I had 2 kids under 4. Husband away for work, no fam for 3000miles. No car. Working. Biked to work until I had to quit bc daycare cost too much. Tell me again how 24/7 parenting is hard. Ever have to take a kid to ER on a city bus? Didnt think so.” Another fan tweeted, “There’s a reason people say it takes a village. Parenting is HARD. And it’s like no other job. It’s 24/7 and so important. It’s much easier with family and friend support (play dates, time with family, etc).”
Many fans though, simply felt like Timberlake missed the mark with his joke, which is often what many celebs are doing ever since the coronavirus pandemic. Just look at actress Vanessa Hudgens who went on a half-joking, lighthearted IG rant over the lockdown requirements and received major backlash from fans. But it seems as if Timberlake does understand the importance of this time after all. As reported by ‘USA Today’, Timberlake told pal Jimmy Fallon, ”For me and my family, our biggest concern right now is we just want to do our part, staying in, staying put, trying to stay positive.”
