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Is ‘How Do You Balance It All?’ the New ‘What Are You Wearing?’

Giuliana Rancic asked more interesting questions at the Emmys , but she fell flat when it came to stars who are also moms. (Photo: AP Images)
Giuliana Rancic asked more interesting questions at the Emmys , but she fell flat when it came to stars who are also moms. (Photo: AP Images)

On the Emmys red carpet last night, E! host Giuliana Rancic made a much-welcomed effort to ask celebrities, especially the female ones, more in-depth questions, rather than the standard “What are you wearing?” But she also took a step backward when it came to interviewing stars who are moms.

Rancic started off strong when she spoke with actress America Ferrara about running a triathlon for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training to raise money for blood cancer research and treatments (Ferrara raised more than $22,000) — a tough race the actress completed on the same day as a pre-Emmys party on September 17. Rancic also chatted with actress and LGBTQ advocate Laverne Cox about how important it is for everyone to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming election.

It was refreshing to see the red carpet interviews going a bit deeper rather than remaining at the shallow end of the pool, but then Rancic took a disappointing turn by asking several of the celebrity moms the gender-loaded question: “How do you balance it all?”

Stars including new mom and actress Ellie Kemper, as well as model and mom of four Heidi Klum handled it well, with Kemper sharing an honest comment that most new parents can relate to: “My baby is still quite young, so I haven’t figured any of it out yet.” But it was glaringly obvious that Rancic didn’t ask any celebrity dads on the red carpet how they managed to juggle kids and a demanding career.

And social media wasn’t having it:

As Bustle writer Leah Thomas pointed out: “It sucks that this question has to be so gendered, posed only to women. Is nobody interested in how men balance their careers with fatherhood? The expectation just isn’t there, and that sucks for the many women, famous or not, who are constantly asked this question.”

Until dads — whether or not they’re a celebrity — are asked the same thing, maybe it’s best to retire that question.

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