For most fathers, the idea that their daughters could grow up and have active sex lives is not something they want to think about, ever. But in our new woke era, some dads are trying to be sex-positive feminists and acknowledge that their little princesses might some day grow up to slay dudes right and left. William H. Macy is one of those dads. Macy and his wife Felicity Huffman have two teenage daughters, Sofia and Georgia. And when Us Weekly caught up with Macy, he talked about what it’s like to see his girls blossom into teenagers and date guys and all of that. It got… somewhat awkward.
William H. Macy agrees the dad with a shotgun trope needs to end. The Shameless actor, who shares daughters Sofia, 17, and Georgia, 16, with Felicity Huffman, will welcome any boyfriends with open arms.
“You know, I started doing all the cliches, ‘I’m gonna threaten the guys, I’m gonna dig a moat around our house,’” Macy, 68, told Us Weekly while promoting his Showtime drama in L.A. on Thursday, May 24. “And then I thought, ‘OK, what do you really want for your daughters?’ And I realized: I want them to be happy and lusty and safe. I want them to have a lot of sex in their lifetime! Good, healthy wonderful sex with no guilt. That’s what I really want.”
Macy admitted “boys are in the picture” at the moment. “They’re different than when I was a kid. Georgia and Sofia have all their pals over. They will have six or eight of their friends over,” the two-time Emmy winner told Us. “It’s pretty bizarre, especially with Sofia, to wake up in the morning and there’s some boy walking out of your daughter’s room! They all sleep together! I don’t think they have sex, well, I know they don’t.”
It’s clear the ER alum couldn’t be more proud of his children. He gushed that Georgia “is crazy about political science” while Sofia attends a high school for the arts in L.A. and is following him and Huffman, 55, into show business. “I think she’s firmly in the tribe,” Macy told Us. “She’s good. I’ve seen her in a lot of plays.”
I had “sleepovers” in groups with guys and girls at that age too, and while sex wasn’t happening, we were creeping off into corners to fool around in general. Maybe it’s changed since then, who knows? But I agree, it’s best to leave behind this trope of a father with a shotgun, threatening every guy who tries to date his daughter. That being said, if I was Georgia or Sofia, I would be crazy-embarrassed that my dad is talking about this in Us Weekly.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Talking like that in public is a great way for your daughters to be very reluctant about sex and men.
I agree and am surprised with all the pearl clutching below.
it is important to demystify sex and have open and frank discussions about it. The US used to have some of the highest teen pregnancy rates (1 in 3 pregnancies were a teen mother).
In Ontario (the province) there was discussion about an update to the sex ed curriculum which included teaching the correct scientific names of anatomy to elementary students and parents lost their minds. My sister, a teacher, said it is basically to inform students and help call out sexual abuse.
Oh good Lord NO. Not something to discuss in public. As a parent to teenagers, I’m not ok with co-ed sleepovers at all.
Why would only girls or only boys sleepovers be different though. Same sex attraction is a thing.
Two of my girl friends were forbidden to have their boyfriends sleep in their room when they were teenagers; girls were allowed though (and the bfs would sleep in the basement and someone would sneak in at night of course). The rules were inverted for their brother. Who came out as gay in his early 20s… We all laugh about it now (parents included)
So yeah, no co-ed sleepover is irrelevant when it comes to sex. And sex isn’t a bad thing when it’s between consenting individuals
Because gay and bi teenagers don’t exist, do they, LT? I think that you as a parent to teenagers would do your teens a bigger favour by keeping them informed, educated and confident about sex, because trust me, they’re likely going to have it anyway, it’s just by having a parent obviously uncomfortable with them growing up and becoming sexually interested in others it’s going to be less pleasant for everybody, especially themselves.
Ugh
He is old. And probably an embarrassment to his daughters by putting this in a magazine
He needs to keep his mouth closed, this is embarrassing.
Eew, just no.
Co-ed sleepovers with minors? Seriously, what are they thinking? I want my kids to have lots of healthy sex, but not in my house as a minor.
Ah, heteronormativity… My parents used to be strict, as well. They only allowed sleepovers with girls, no co-eds. Lol. So, if queer kids can manage to be reasonable (for the most part) surrounded by peers of the gender they are attracted to, so can hetero teens, I’m sure.
Thank you, Llamas.
Great point, Llamas.
He could have made the point without saying lusty or specifically sex. Yuck.
Gross! Dads shouldn’t say things like that
Agreed!
Listen, I get that a father talking like this publicly in a magazine is unusual, but he’s not saying I want them to charge for it & walk the streets. He’s saying that he wants his daughters to enjoy sex and not feel shame about it – why is that so hard to digest?
My parents never talked to me about it & my mum liked to pretend we only did that sort of thing once we’re married. LOL, OK MUM.
Honestly, without any supportive open discussion, I’m surprised I didn’t end up a teen mum or worse – have some kind of STI.
This way, there is no sneaking out to boys houses/back seats of cars & I feel like there won’t be such a rush to ‘get away with it’, you know? Just my opinion..
OMG! I know he’s trying to be the hip parent, but come on….. how embarrassing!
I love this personally. I love this couple and I love this openness. My Dad and I could chat about anything, not in detail (because EUW) but in roundabout way and there was 0 guilt or shame ever.
I agree. My dad helped me when I was way too embarrassed to tell a doc I could not be active and we finally found my endometriosis. Would I want all this in a magazine? No, but I’m sure the kids will be alright.
Agreed. He’s thinking of his daughters as people, not just his little girls. That’s more than most parents can do, even for their same sex children. I think it’s commendable. I’m sure the girls weren’t too surprised… they know their dad better than anyone.
This is refreshing and brave. For fathers especially, focus on upholding a daughter’s purity is seen as a sign of masculinity and honor. So it’s nice to see someone his age taking the nontraditional approach to female sexual agency, even though the people who strongly feel that young women should keep their legs closed/ dress like ladies love to pretend that their opinion is an unpopular, daring one.
Victim-blaming and misogyny are spread throughout societies partially because of adults in positions of authority/ trust/prominence who teach young boys and young girls abusive, patriarchal myths about female respectability and sex that they grow up parroting for many years. The minute a parent dares to be even a little less conservative than someone else thinks she (or he) should be about their daughters’ chastity and modesty, it’s ‘bad parenting’ and people feel entitled to indirectly victim-blame or slut-shame the daughter by shaming the parents. Unfortunately, this trend doesn’t magically end when a girl reaches adulthood- she can be 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, etc., and there will still be some who think invoking the parents is a perfectly appropriate and respectful response to sexuality they’ve been socialized to fear. But parental aggression about the purity and modesty of daughters is unquestioningly championed as ‘good parenting’- usually as long as any violence doesn’t seem to go beyond just joking (“I’d shoot that guy” or “I’d beat my daughter’s ass if she did X,Y, Z.” Yeah, that’s healthy.)
I’m just gonna co-sign on this thoughtful entry that I agree with WHOLEHEARTEDLY!
RIGHT??? Otaku Fairy put it perfectly!
THIS! Exactly my thoughts! And why shouldn’t fathers encourage healthy sex life for their daughters? As long as it is consensual and safe, girls should enjoy sex as much as boys do and not be slut shamed for it. This notion of saintly and pure virgins that all women should want to be until they meet their husband must go away (and it is NEVER another way around, ‘boys will boys’ eh?) Enough of this!
Otaku fairy, as usual your take is spot on (you’re one of my faves on here) thank you for your thoughtfulness as usual. I like his take, still not sure he should be sharing it with US weekly , but well it doesn’t take away from his refreshing approach.
Thank you. And yeah, the only part of what he said that made me cringe a little was the part where he shared the fact that his daughter has had boys in her room, what with all the misogynists listening. Hopefully she was already ok with people knowing that.
Exactly! I thought it was refreshingly honest and sweet. I hope my future kids have healthy and happy sex lives, doesn’t make me a perv.
I have a 5 month old girl, and people are already saying dad is going to need a gun to keep the boys away. And got us gross glitter onesies saying “daddy says i can’t date till I’m 30”. What? She’s a baby. And when she’s a teen, so she dates, that’s normal. I just joke, Im going to help her sneak out. If guns stopped dating then explain all the children born in Texas.
Also notice no one needs a gun to keep the girls away from their sons – who are these girls clamoring after boys if they’re all locked away? Its healthier to teach that boys and girls are both interested.
Beautifully stated!
Not sure if dad needs to be all sex positive about his kids in public like that? I would be mortified if he were my father and talked about my sexuality in interviews. But his stance on the matter seems awesome. We need to teach girls to be more comfortable with their bodies, feelings and desires.
I get why people think it’s inappropriate to say this stuff in a magazine, and maybe his daughters will be embarrassed by this and that’s his problem to deal with.
BUT after thinking about it for a minute, I appreciate him putting this out there in a gossip magazine mostly read by women that it might be okay for a man to view his daughters as independent, sexual human beings and not his Property to be Protected. It might encourage others reading it to try to see their daughters in a slightly different light. Maybe some will encourage their husbands to relax a little.
He’s not going to change everyone’s mind, but we can’t hope to change sexism, chauvinism, etc. without talking about it and what it looks like to put ideas into practice. (i.e. instead of just saying “As the father of daughters, I respect women” he’s actually showing that he actively views his daughters as capable, sexual humans, much like most people would view their teenage sons on the same subject).
As much as I would have died if it was my dad talking about such things………. I have to agree. It’s natural for parents to be protective of their children, but the whole idea of a daughter’s “purity” somehow reflecting on her father’s masculinity and status really needs to die. Yes, be aware of what your children are doing and try to be a good influence on them and be there if they need help, but the iron-fisted control thing is ridiculous.
What you really want is for your kids to be happy and healthy. Sex is part of that.
*claps*
Got a real perv vibe from this..having boundaries or house rules is not equal to the ‘daddy with a shotgun’ caricature
Oh come on, let’s stop with baseless accusations.
You can choose differently in your own household. But the fact that other parents take a more liberal stance on this particular issue than you might doesn’t mean they’re perverts, that they set no rules for their kids about anything, that there’s no discipline, no boundaries, or any of the other nasty things that get assumed. People have different boundaries.
He’s not a regular dad, he’s a cool dad!
#eyeroll
I agree with him. Although, just read on Bimber that women’s bodies incorporate DNA from sex partners so, yeah, be a little picky
Honey… no. Just no.
I did NOT recognise Felicity Huffman in the top pic. Has her face been ‘freshened’ lately?
As for a Dad talking about his teenage daughter’s sex life, part of me commends his openness and another part of me is saying EWWWWWW!
Although this is way better than “I have a daughter and a gun”, it’s not what I wanted my dad to say or even think. I think we should cut him some slack because he supposedly belong to a generation where men want their daughters to be virgin until marriage, so there’s a context, he’s going on the opposite way. Now, I don’t think lusty and healthy usually walk together.
“Now, I don’t think lusty and healthy usually walk together.” They absolutely do. Lusty doesn’t mean showing a lack of concern for a partner’s boundaries or ignoring one’s own needs in order to keep a partner’s approval.
Not in my experience. To me it usually means the other side of purity ringers, who are problematic too.
I don’t see a problem, sure it’s a tad awkward but it’s the right mindset. I don’t want my daughter to feel guilt about sex or enjoying herself. It’s a natural part of life.
It’s refreshing to hear a dad say something like this. But those poor girls, they are at the prime age where everything is embarrassing. They must be cringing so hard right now.
Co-Ed sleepovers…hm. Yeah, no. Say what you will but I could never be ‘that cool a parent’
Meanwhile gay and bi teens are laughing themselves into the sack while their parents think that same sex sleepovers will prevent their teens from having sex with one another.
I agree with him. I HATE that “Dad with a gun” trope (and had to set my husband straight when he started that talk). We need to empower young women to have control of their bodies and make their own informed choices, when they are ready. We need a lot more talks on consent than “Don’t do it or I’ll shoot.” I want my kids to have healthy, happy sex lives one day. (One is asexual, but whatever makes her happy.) We need to teach more sex positivity in our culture, and I’m happy to see a conversation open to normalizing a healthy sex life.
This was amazing to read and William H. Macy, yes! I think it’s a great counterpoint with sensitivity and intelligence as it gives agency for girls to accept themselves as normal heathy sexual beings. Plus, I watch farrrrr to many Hollywood interviews and the ‘normal’, ‘patriarchal’, cool Dad is actually all those famous dudes who think think talking and joking about their gunfully protecting daughter’s purity….and a great punchline haha the female journalist laughs along. I watched it so many times, like with Kevin Hart, Rock, damon, Wahlberg etc etc. Heck they even now make feature length dramas and comedies films about protecting girls purity! If general society pushes boys will be boys – wild animals on the prowl – that gives tacit approval for a whole gender to act out.