Ughhhhh Kat Von D

If you haven’t been paying attention to Instagram/YouTube/the internet in general, you haven’t seen this post from Kat Von D:

I don’t even know where to begin with this.

I am completely in support of her choosing a midwife and doula and having the baby at home. Whether or not to use drugs is completely up to her. If something goes wrong, the doula and midwife will know what to do and she’ll still have access to medical care. Choosing not to have a baby in a hospital isn’t a controversial choice anymore.

What I can’t get on board with is the rest of this drivel.

First, let’s address the most obvious thing: the whole tone of this post is that she’s being attacked unnecessarily about this. We’re talking about a straight, outwardly white, cisgender woman who’s garnered international fame, first with a reality television show showcasing her skills as a tattoo artist and then with a makeup brand. She’s dated some of the most high profile “bad boys” in the world. She is not being persecuted. She’s not being oppressed. People have opinions about her choices because she chooses to put them all over social media, and she’s a public figure. If she wants privacy and doesn’t want the entire internet in an uproar over the way she’ll choose to raise her child, she shouldn’t make the information public.

Second, the Vegan thing: it’s common knowledge that KVD is a hardcore Vegan and a huge proponent of the lifestyle, so it’s not terribly surprising that she’s chosen to raise her child this way. It’s moronic, but not surprising. The dangers of Vegan diets for children have been well documented; vitamin deficiencies which can lead to neurological problems, growth problems, malnourishment sometimes resulting in death. Sure, there are supplements to prevent some of this, but who wants to raise their kid on a steady diet of vitamins and kale? Also, doctors recommend that children on strict Vegan diets be closely monitored by their pediatrician and possibly a nutritionist, and KVD has shown a disdain for the medical community lately. Even if she does decide to involve a doctor, she’ll have a hard time finding one who’ll treat her child because of the next thing I want to talk about.

Last but not least, NO VACCINES. Are. You. Kidding. Me. She says that she’s “done research.” Do you have the same level of education as the pediatricians and the rest of the medical community that recommends vaccines? No? Oh, you’ve seen documentaries and read some anti-vaxx blogs? You talked to Jenny McCarthy? Fuck you and your Google search.

The whole anti-vaxx thing drives me absolutely insane. There’s no proof that vaccines are dangerous for people who don’t have allergies to the ingredients. They don’t cause autism. The one study that showed a correlation was done with junk science, has been discredited, and the doctor who ran the study has been barred from practicing medicine. Even if vaccines did cause autism, so what? The illnesses that vaccines protect us against are 1000 times worse than autism, and some of them are deadly for kids. Why is it better to have a dead kid than an autistic kid?

The only reason people in the US are choosing not to vaccinate their kids is that they’ve never seen the impacts of diseases like measles and polio. A generation ago it’s not something that would have been considered because our parents and grandparents saw firsthand what happened to kids with polio. They remember pertussis. People in developing nations would kill for easy access to these vaccines. It’s only been in the past few years that India has curbed Polio cases; maybe Kat and her husband should spend some time with kids in iron lungs before they make their final decision.

People like to say “Oh, it’s her right to make decisions for her child”, but she’s not; she’s making a decision that affects all of us if even in a small way. Herd immunity is necessary to keep us all safe and healthy, and with each individual who chooses not to vaccinate their kid, the herd immunity is damaged. That puts other people at risk; people like my mom who are immunocompromised. Cancer patients. Newborns who can’t have vaccines yet. The elderly. The most vulnerable populations rely on those around them to be vaccinated.

This whole thing makes me so mad. I’m not usually one to hop on the boycott train and I’ve never been super into KVD products, but I can’t see myself supporting her in the future. I have two Shade & Light eyeshadow quads that are ok, so I’ll use them, but those are the last dollars the brand will get from me.

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