Michelle Obama Mocks Men, Saying They Would Turn Childbirth Into the Olympics

Former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama jokingly reflected on how men might cope with pregnancy and childbirth if they were the ones who had to go through the experience. In her view, they would turn childbirth into a full-fledged “Olympic Games,” filming themselves during labor and handing out awards to one another for enduring the pain.

The 62-year-old Michelle Obama discussed the subject during a recording of her podcast IMO, which featured actress Sharon Stone as a guest.

The conversation began with a discussion about disparities in medical research focused on men’s and women’s health. Stone, 68, admitted that she received very little information about the female body and reproductive health while growing up.

“No one explained to me how menstruation worked or how to use tampons,” the Basic Instinct star said indignantly.

Michelle Obama agreed with the actress, calling the situation astonishing.

Stone also criticized the longstanding imbalance in medical research into men’s and women’s health, as well as restrictions in the field of reproductive medicine.

“If men could get pregnant, you could probably get an abortion at a vending machine,” Stone joked, sending Michelle Obama into fits of laughter.

The former first lady then imagined how men might behave if they had to carry and give birth to children.

“If there were Olympic Games for childbirth, men would film themselves during contractions, glorify their pain… And, of course, they’d hand out trophies to each other. Like, ‘Way to go, man! Bob, you really did it — and all without an epidural!’” Obama joked.

Stone played along, adding that in such a world, paternity leave would probably begin only after the fathers received their awards.