Chelsea Handler is still on the air with her titular Netflix talk show. Why she is still on TV eludes me but she is. Since the show is still receiving a lackluster response, Chelsea tries to get out and stir the pot to get people interested in between taking swipes at Angelina Jolie. She recently spoke to People magazine about what drives her. According to Chelsea, it was her less than affluent childhood. Chelsea grew up one of six children. Her father was a used car salesman and her mother a homemaker. Because of her ‘humble’ childhood, Chelsea set her sights on becoming successful and she worked hard to do it.
An outspoken talk show host, bestselling author and producer, Chelsea Handler isn’t one to shy away from a little hard work.
“I love to be creative,” says Handler, 41, whose chat show Chelsea, airs on Netflix. “It’s a worker. That’s all I got going on. It’s not like I’m married or have babies. The show is like a dream come true for me. Work hard, play hard.”
“I wanted the opposite of what I had growing up,” says Handler, who has said she felt insecure around friends who had money. “I wanted to be comfortable and I wanted someone in my house, cleaning!”
Most importantly, the television star strove to find a way to stand on her own. “I didn’t ever want to rely on a man to provide for me,” says Handler. “I wanted to create something that was completely and utterly mine. And I didn’t want anybody in my life dictating what I do.”
Now, Handler says she’s open to a relationship, but is perfectly content with everything she’s accomplished thus far. “I don’t really have anyone to answer to,” she says. “That’s nice for work and it’s nice for life!”
As I said yesterday, I appreciate a good work ethic. Although I am generally a little dubious about how hard somebody who was sleeping with their boss had to work, I’m willing to take Chelsea at her word here. Primarily because she never stops hustling but also because I very rarely can take Chelsea at her word. For example: her meager upbringing. She’s spoken before of her impoverished childhood, one that had her summering at her family home in Martha’s Vineyard. She claimed that she knew she was disadvantaged because she would go to her, “friends’ houses and I could tell things were different.” However, she wrote in her book, Are You There Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea, that her family was most decidedly not poor but she compared them with those around her who had trust funds and drove Mercedes. There’s nothing wrong with ambition. If you want to be fabulously wealthy and buy the house on the hill, do so. But don’t creative a false narrative about your upbringing to justify doing so.
As for her not wanting to “rely on a man to provide” part, nowhere is it written that the moneymaker gets to dictate anything. In many partnerships, there is a fairly clear understanding that it is because the non-working partner is managing their home that the working partner can get ahead professionally. Why can’t Chelsea just say she wants to be self-reliant without implying that a partner who makes less money is subservient? She clearly favors accomplished men and yet, I can accept that has nothing to do with a power imbalance in her relationships. I wonder if Chelsea will ever be able to support any thought she has without putting someone else down? I doubt it; it’s probably a lesson she learned during her hardscrabble summers in Martha’s Vineyard.
Photo credit: Fame/Flynet Photos
Can’t stand this woman! She’s not talented, she’s just nasty.
Agreed! She is such a piece of trash. Whenever she starts talking I just want to shove a sock in mouth. Ignorant fool!!
I really can’t with this woman. Grown up hate. Interestingly Chelsea went to Livingston HS in New Jersey. A v v nice HS that is in an affluent area. She may have had a “modest” childhood compared to her life now BUT that is by no means a modest area of New Jersey. I don’t trust her to sit the right way on a toilet seat.
Chris Christie & Jason Alexander also went to Livingston High School.
I don’t need a man either ….. but I want one. I hate answering to people as well but I have no problem tellin my husband that I will be sure to let him know when I want him to Dictate to me lol…. must be my Scorpio directness. … he knows 15 years and he’s still here…. so we will see!
No partner should dictate your life. That’s why it’s called a partnership. There’s nothing wrong with being someone with whom you share mutual respect. Maybe her problem is finding that.
Yes, because she is continually disrespectful in general.
I am no fan of hers but marriage does mean compromise and discussion re some things you would normally just do! It has its pros and cons. Some days it’s awesome and sometimes I don’t want to ask and just be selfish. Ha it’s normal
I can’t believe she is only 41.
Yeah, I call BS on this as well. There is no friggen way that she’s 41.
I know!! I am 41 and I have thought she was older than me for years –
It’s interesting and telling that she thinks this is what relationships are..
No she just sleeps with them to get her own th show and for publicity.
This woman is not and never will be a feminist.
She slept her way up and doesn’t even have the talent.
Only vodka can put Chelsea in a corner!
Best comment.
Lol to hardscrabble streets of Martha’s Vineyard! I sort of understand what she’s saying about not wanting to be reliant on a man and I think it’s somewhat generational. My dad left my mom in the early 70s, and even though she had a great education–top college and a masters–it was hard. She went back for another degree in a field with few women and slowly built a career. But those early years were tough and I grew up always wanting to know I could support myself. While this was not Handler’s experience, it was fairly common in that era that was the end of the 60s–institutions like marriage had changed and women were feeling empowered by feminism but society had not entirely caught up.
Unpopular opinion…I enjoy her crass idagf attitude. Shes obviously extra for her tv show but who isn’t. Rather be stuck w Chelsea than the view, the talk and all those tv shows where they delibereatly waste ur time and make u hate yourself for watching
I’m with you. I’ve always found Chelsea to be hilarious and I love her idgaf attitude as well. I find it refreshing.
Me too, I thought I was the only one!
Sheesh, I scrolled down to see if the opinions were one sided. I have always been drawn to irreverent humor. She’s acerbic and acid, but I guess I must be as well? Or I’d like to be but was trained to be afraid of my opinions- so watching another woman w 2 Fs to give is an inspiration. I had a trump supporter attempt to verbally attack me for “being one of those women who won’t let a man be the head of household”. While he meant it as an “insult”- I guess I come off as independent and today, I am! I am in a good place- just got rid of a controlling man and I’m not pining for him- I’d rather go back to college and read excellent fiction at night. Independence is my Vodka 😉
I just never found her entertaining.
I think that there are some people that just don’t want the responsibility of answering to anyone. I think that’s what she’s talking about. Or being accountable to someone. My husband and I definitely answer to one another. We don’t just run around doing whatever we want without taking the other person into account.
Reminds me of when someone I know talked about how they didn’t really live a privileged life and how life was such a struggle when younger. Then explained how small and basic their Summer home was compared to everyone else’s at Prep School….ummmmmmmm ;-/
She’d have to find a man and keep him first.