My girl Hecate covered the story yesterday where Kelly Ripa told Kimmel that her son, who goes to college and lives in Brooklyn not far from his parents, was living in “extreme poverty.” It was in the context of how he looks forward to the $20 his grandparents send him every Halloween, which he used to take for granted. She said, in part, “He hates paying his own rent and he’s chronically poor. I don’t think he ever really experienced extreme poverty like now.” Hecate gave Kelly the benefit of the doubt, which I would have done too, but some of you noted that it was insensitive for Kelly to call it poverty or being poor when her son has such a substantial safety net. It’s still decent of Kelly and her husband, Mark Consuelos, to teach their children budgeting and the value of a dollar, but it’s not quite the same thing. Well Kelly heard that criticism and she responded in a comment on Instagram that she worked hard for that money and that the the outrage was “fake” from a “pack of fools” who only read headlines. It was even more tone deaf, frankly.
The Live With Kelly and Ryan co-host took to Instagram on Thursday to hit back at the “fake outrage” over her recent joke that her oldest son, 22-year-old Michael, is experiencing “extreme poverty” as he pays his own rent in Brooklyn.
“Michael goes to college and is a senior and works full time,” Ripa wrote in response to a fan asking if Michael dropped out of school amid the headlines surrounding Ripa’s comments. “He is in his first non parent subsidized apt with roommates. I’m used to getting a lot of slack [sic] because people love to have fake outrage over something they didn’t see. They only read a headline and wag their tired fingers.”
“I didn’t grow up privileged and neither did @instasuelos,” she continued, tagging husband Mark Consuelos. “We work and we expect our kids to as well. And the fact that a pack of fools want to b**ch about that, i say let em.”
[From Entertainment Tonight]
The clip was on YouTube so a lot of people saw it, and way to miss the point. How hard would it be to say “I understand that our situation is different, that we are financially blessed and that my son has a safety net. I could have phrased it better. We are trying to teach him the value of money and the value of budgeting. I know a lot of people don’t have our resources and I did not mean to say that my son’s situation was similar to that?” Or, I don’t know, just don’t respond and wait for the next news cycle? It’s easy for me to give celebrities advice though because I’ve been reading online comments full time for over ten years. I know which ones to ignore. I can also spot trolls and arguers because they always show their asses. Kelly Ripa is an arguer who doesn’t give a sh-t about being diplomatic or fair, she only cares about being right. She doesn’t care about her kids’ feelings either, because we’ve seen how frequently she’ll tell personal stories about them, even when they ask for privacy. She’ll still tell the story and then brag about how she’s violating their wishes.
photos credit: WENN
Well…she handled THAT horribly…..
As always.
I’m surprised she didn’t shout “fake news”. Very very cringe worthy.
I understand her frustration, itās obvious she was being sarcastic with her comment. I donāt understand people that leave nasty comments on celebsā instas, like way to get super involved!
Agreed. The energy it takes for everyone to be offended by everything anymore is soul sucking. There’s no grey area anymore, everything is black & white, you’re right or you’re wrong, people are good or they’re bad…it’s short sighted and counter productive to positive change.
That whole group: Kelly Ripa, Andy Cohen, SJP, and by association Anderson Cooper are all offputting.
Don’t forget Jessica Seinfeld. She’s in that little group and loves to lash out at people on her IG who try to call her out on anything. Thinnest skin ever.
Or be like other celebs who donāt like negative comments….
Delete them!
Totally agree Silas. They all think their shit don’t stink. Textbook narcissists.
Ugh, what a jerk.
She’s a total narcissist. I don’t think the criticism of her dry humor was warranted, but don’t ever tell a narcissist they are wrong unless you want to unleash the beast.
All she did was prove the point of my comment from yesterday. Sheās tone deaf, insensitive and ignorant.
Oh – and Kelly everyone got that it was a ājokeā. And thatās the ENTIRE point hun. Joking about poverty isnt funny.
This is no judgment just a fact – she is a textbook narcissist. There is a book about narcissism, how people who have it feel really insecure so they have to keep going back to something that makes them seem really special even though they are actually empty inside. Could be they try to be the most fit, rich or famous, the most funny, the most beautiful, or even the most generous, self-sacrificing person ever like Mother Teresa was apparently a fraud. It is exhausting to be around them though because they never own their sh*t. Please Kelly see a therapist. I bet your kids would be way happier.
Everything you’ve written is dead on. Was married to one for a decade. By the end I was so beat down from being mocked, insulted, and raged at – all punishment for not worshipping him.
Cannot stand her or her asshole narcissistic crew (A. Cohen/SJP)
You would think the PR reps these people pay for would give them better advice on how not to be idiots.
Kelly Ripa didn’t grow up wealthy, but she had a stay at home mother and a father who was a union labor president. She by no means grew up wanting. That’s privilege, even if it’s nowhere near the level of millionaire status. Her son may be working, but nobody is sitting around pretending to think he had to take out loans for college, that he doesn’t have tons of connections waiting for him afterwards giving him a step up on his classmates, or that he doesn’t have two wealthy parents waiting to help him if God forbid something happens to him. THAT is not poverty. Poverty is a lack of access, a lack of options, a lack of basic resources. That’s why it’s being criticized. She really just dug her own hole further on that one.
Exactly. Kelly DID come from privilege. So many people didnāt have a stable home with a stay-at-home mom and a labor organizer dad. So many people didnāt have that. Having a middle class background IS privilege in this country right now.
She will have to lose money to get it. She and her group of friends must feed each otherās entitlement: we worked hard for our success, so people can shove it. I agree that she and her husband worked hard, but they have money that others who have worked just as hard or harder will never have.
I mean, I stated on the original post that I got she was joking, but come on. This come back just destroys any benefit of the doubt people would give you. You worked hard. Great. So do millions of others who will never have the benefits and privileges you have. Use some common sense when responding to something like this as a public figure with a huge media reach.
Stop. This.
Too extra.
Do you think he jumped out of bed and did a bunch of crunches and pushups then jumped back in bed and posed for that pic? He must have? Right?
You’re absolutely right Celebitchy. I have my own crazy mouth get me in trouble all the time. That’s not the problem as not phrasing something correctly happens incessantly…to all of us. It’s the follow-up that truly matters. Do you arrogantly snap back, dig in your heels and flip off anyone looking? Or do you have a moment of reflection, get some perspective and admit you see why you shouldn’t have said or done something the way in which it was said or done? Let’s just say I’ve apologized a LOT throughout the years lol.
Yup, Mabs. Everyone makes mistakes. Itās the owning up part that defines who you are.
This tells me that she doesnāt care about how her fans live, and that she thinks that everyone can get where she is if they work hard enough. Thatās just not true.
Poverty isn’t a joke. It’s a struggle and people have to make real hard decisions about whether they pay a bill or eat for the week. I was raised by a single parent who had to make those decisions, and she wasn’t laughing about it. Her sensitive chip is missing. She’s been blessed with money, more money than an average person will ever see. Maybe that’s why she’s an asshole or maybe she’s always been an asshole even without money.
I agree with Kelly on this one. It is fake outrage. She was being sarcastic. Stop with the fake outrage. It draws attention from real issues. Someone always has to have their feelings hurt nowadays.
Poverty is a “real issue” right now in America and so is wealth inequality. Obviously you come from either a middle class background or a wealthy one because you sound just as tone deaf as Kelly. So sorry your life is easy and you can’t understand. That must be hell for you! š Now, please, correct me. How much do you pay in student loans? Do you have to live on a tight budget to make sure your kids can go to college? So you know the humiliation of being on food stamps? Ever stood in the unemployment line? Lived in a motel because your pay sucks and you don’t have family to bail you out? Ever had to choose between feeding your family or paying for health insurance? Do you understand how long Americans went without an increase in the federal minimum wage? What about the fact that millennials are paying for the SELFISH financial and voting decisions made by our parents? You and Kelly can take several seats.
OMG. Relax. Yes I do. My husband just lost his job. We struggle to pay bills. I work 3 jobs. We are applying for food stamps. You are just high and mighty in your judgement and your own fake outrage.
Sassy, you are correct. She was being sarcastic. The thing is that calling peopleās anger āfakeā isnāt helpful. People WERE hurt by these words. Iām sorry that you and your husband are going through hard times now, and you may not care about how some people are effected by wealthy people joking about their kids being poor, but tons of people were offended by her language. You absolutely have a right to your opinion, and maybe you and your husband will be financially stable again. A lot of people will never be financially stable because they will never have the tools or education to pull themselves out of poverty. Itās happening right now. The job market is great now to some in the US, but many of the jobs created are gigs with no financial security. Minority women are disproportionately penalized for have to work multiple jobs that arenāt flexible or that offer steady hours. This IS a difficult subject for many, many people.
You have a right to laugh at her joke, and I have the right to avoid all of her work if she doesnāt apologize or acknowledge that joking about her son in a way that minimizes real life and death struggles, and they ARE life and death, is offensive and disrespectful of people living in real poverty.
Ok. Point taken.
@Christina EXACTLY. Well said.
I tend to agree with you. Everyone feels entitled to outrage on everything these days, but to what end? Sheās a fluff celebrity and I donāt expect deep thoughts from her, nor do I look to her for anything really.
When she commits a real crime, then let her do her penance to society. Otherwise, if you have a problem with her jabber, ignore her, and move on. (Like Iām ignoring the faux outrage over abject silliness.)
Ignoring others in their seeking for attention is really what gets them twisted.
Agree with this. She was being sarcastic. Look at the context, people, and who is making the statement… It’s Kelly Rippa. Did we expect deep thoughts? She made a flippant comment.
I agree. These days everyone is sore…everyone is angry…things suck in general. But finding more reasons to feed the rage isn’t healthy – where’s the focus on positive change? Can’t do that & spent time focusing on hurt & anger at the same time. Which is more productive in the end?
CB- thank you for your insight about trolls and arguer’s. I am going through this right now. I should be a pro at comments too since I have been posting since newsgroups. I still let the arguer’s get me. What you wrote was a big help. Thank you. I will remember this the next time an arguer tries to bait me.
She is the fool.
If you’re going to be in the spotlight AND you’re going to put all your personal business out there then sometimes people are going to be outraged when you phrase things insensitively. So she is the one that needs to get over it.
I don’t comment on celebrities social media platforms, because no matter what they say about their ‘fans’, they honestly don’t give two $hits about me personally or what I think or say. But people are absolutely correct, she came off as arrogant and completely oblivious. I get it, they make their kids work to pay for these things, but these kids are hardly living in poverty…so he has to eat a little Ramen, at least he eats!
Who are the ppl who watch Kelly in the morning??? white middle-aged stay at home moms & all the Karens??
sheās so outdated. cant wait till relics like her are off the air.
What an insensitive thing to say. Her rich, white privilege is showing big time. Sarcasm is one thing, but sarcasm against millions of people who struggle to eat is just horrible.
Sheās an obnoxious entitled idiot . I hate her show!!
I’d like to know what full-time job he has that allows him to pay such high rent in NYC while still attending University. Did he get that job because of family connections? Probably. Not all of us have parents with connections. Her son is doing great…good for him…but please don’t act like anyone can do it. Without help, it’s really hard.
So it is becoming a norm now, is it? People will call fake whatever they do not like. A fake outrage is phrase the fake presidents use
I used to love Kelly Ripa because I was a fan from her “pork chop” All My Children days. I loved when she first started with Regis because she seemed so genuine and so sincere about the opportunity for her come up but then she changed. Maybe it’s the company she keeps “cough” Andy Cohen or just being rich and know longer GAF. I no longer watch and that’s sad cause it’s like was she always like this or did money change her? They say having a lot of money just makes you more of who you already are.
When did it become so hard to say, ‘My bad. I will do better next time’.
I had the same thought about her comments. I know she was joking, and I get her intention. That said, I doubt she even remember what it’s like to be poor, herself (if she ever really experienced it). None of her kids have or will ever know what it’s like either, so maybe she should just sit down.
When I first read Kelly’s quotes I thought she was being sarcastic. I tend to think those who are more than casual friends with Andy Cohen, like Sarah Jessica Parker, are bitchy, passive aggressive etc.
I think, you can post about yourself on social media, but people can comment away. Leave your children, family members out of it.
If you have a work related social media account, just keep it work related.
“Extreme Poverty” Sure jan. you are either lying or the worst parents ever.
she is tone deaf. I dont doubt that she probably is having her son be independent and pay for things on his own….but this is not extreme poverty. Its not like he is homeless, or living off welfare. Sure, maybe she was trying to go for sarcasm but she has to know what her comments are going to come across like especially to those who are actually struggling.
I assumed she was joking/exaggerating as well, but given the reaction, couldn’t she have thought about it for a moment and said something like “I was joking around and be facetious, but I do realize that “extreme poverty” wasn’t the best phrase to use.”
I did grow up in absolute poverty. I am now solid middle class. I use this phrase as a figure of speech often. I say, “Ugh, I feel like I’m living in poverty right now.” I say this when things go wrong.
For instance, driving to another state for vacation, the transmission broke, stranding us in the Walmart parking lot. I totally used the phrase and laughed and found myself quite funny.
Is there a cut off for how much money you are allowed to make before you stop identifying yourself with being poor? Maybe. I am super frugal and never get used to the idea of being financially secure. I will have to think about using that phrase in the future. It sounds kind of spoiled and bratty.
Since we are discussing wealth/poverty disparity, I think a huge problem with society as a whole is that we put dollar signs on people. How much they make, equates to how much they are worth, or what they deserve. Basic rights like food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, etc.. are not a right but determined by what society feels that you contribute. This is what we need to talk about. Instead of policing people’s words on social media posts, take the energy and use it to talk about making meaningful changes.
Know for a fact mark grew up very very comfortably middle class. All the perks included. To pretend he struggled financially growing up is disingenuous.