On January 11, 2016, a young woman, Courtney Campbell, died in the aftermath of a tragic explosion and fire. She had been working as a barista in the “Saints and Sinners” coffee stand located in Everett, Washington. At the date of this writing, no one knows what set off the explosion. There was mention of a propane tank, but the cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
The story became fodder for a flurry of cold news briefs fanning a hot fire. All of the stories referred to her as the bikini barista and that got national attention. Not much else is mentioned in the news about the young woman, other than she was a single mom of two young daughters.
Buried beneath the coverage of this sensational tragedy, there was one other important fact: Courtney Campbell had recently bought the business. She was the owner and sole operator of the coffee stand – an entrepreneur – and proud of having her own business.
The hot rush of news stories about the barista who died from third degree burns shows how the media often fail to tell the whole truth and the human reality of any given situation. It also shows what happens when you can’t manage your own brand because you’re dealing with the media. The media focused on the bikini and not the reality that exists beneath the bikini. It’s not easy for single moms to get flexible jobs that allow them to juggle work with raising children.
Courtney’s tragedy didn’t spark a wave of stories about the safety of propane gas or the safety of pop-up coffee shacks. Nor did her tragedy prompt stories about why there aren’t more services and affordable daycare options, job training and education benefits available for single moms. The most obvious question of all was not asked: Why is the number of single mothers dramatically on the rise?
Celebrity single mothers such as Sandra Bullock, Charlize Theron, Minnie Driver, Sheryl Crow, Meg Ryan, just to name a few, set the new standard for creating an aura of glamor and coolness around single motherhood.
While celebrity single mothers have spoken to the press about how hard it is to raise a child without a partner, they do not talk about the true economics of raising children. These women earn millions of dollars a year – many more than $100 million. At that income level, celebrities can acquire a child with as much ease as they can buy a Birkin bag.
If only celebrity single moms would take responsibility as role models to young women by sharing how much money it takes to hire the legion of nannies, tutors, personal trainers, chauffeurs, and chefs to take care of their children while they manage high octane careers.
Underneath the
Bikini