Yesterday was an incredibly hard day for millions of Americans across the country; particularly for women, minorities, and the LGTB community. On her Netflix talk show, Chelsea Handler welcomed California senator Barbara Boxer, in what was probably an appearance intended to discuss Hillary Clinton’s win, but instead became a conversation about coping with the loss and figuring out how to soldier on from here.
Boxer reminded Handler that politics can be very distressing, especially for women, recalling the first time she ran for elected office and being told flat out by a woman while canvassing that she didn’t deserve the job because she had children at home to take care of. “I have learned how painful politics can be,” she told Handler. “But that doesn’t mean you run away! It means you pick yourself up, as the president said, and you fight even harder for our country! ‘Cause it’s ours!”
An already emotional conversation became even more difficult when Handler later asked Boxer whether or not she had spoken to Hillary Clinton yet. Boxer said that she hadn’t. She started off, “I did not want to speak with her at this point. I intend to actually sit down — I like to write. I have too much to say…” The senator then cuts off, clearly holding back tears, which caused Handler to break down as well.
Through tears, Handler told the audience, “I guess the message I want to spread out to other women is exactly what you’re saying is not to give up — sorry, I hate f*cking crying on camera — because this is so important. It’s easy to say, throw in the towel, or leave, or move to Spain — because I want to move to Spain, I really, really want to move to Spain right now — and everyone in my office is like, you have a responsibility, you have a voice, and you need to use it, and you have to be here.”
Her words certainly echo what a lot of people are thinking and feeling right now, but they also serve as a reminder that it is important to stay and fight.
