Michelle Lane is a young mom, a deaf woman, and a single parent — all of which are things she has been criticized for in her lifetime. But the 29-year-old vlogger, also known as Nostril_Curl, is taking a stand against the way mothers are judged in a viral video.
And, yes, she shot it while taking a bubble bath at the end of a long day with her kids.
Lane communicates through American Sign Language (ASL) in the video, and addresses the way women are scrutinized by society for every choice they make — from abortion to adoption, and from free-range to helicopter parenting.
“Girl gets pregnant before 25. She is too young to be a mom. Girl gets pregnant after 30. She is too old,” Lane signs from her bubble bath.
“Girl gets welfare. Living on benefits, taking our money. Girl gets job. How can she stand to be away from her baby all day like that? Girl becomes a stay at home mother. She probably doesn't do anything all day but watch TV,” she continues.
Lane, who has two children of her own (Lliam, 7, and Dewana, 3) says she considers the video to be a declaration of independence for women.
And, as a deaf mother, she says she has personal experience with the harsh judgment that others place on women and their choices.
“I get judged all the time," she told TODAY. "Deaf people are not supposed to have children because we are carrying the genes of deafness. We are more loud and wild than hearing people because we are not aware of sound and can’t hear ourselves, so they look at us like animals. But it’s not only that — all people, not just the deaf, get judged all the time. It doesn’t matter what you do — you will be judged, no question."
The Austin, Texas resident says that she filmed the vlog from a bubble bath to prove a point — that people are quick to criticize anything.
But, while she has received negative comments from viewers about her soapy appearance, Lane says she has unsurprisingly received a great deal more positive feedback from other women who relate to her message.
Lane says her point is simple: that women, and especially mothers, should "ignore the opinions that do not matter."
“No matter what you do, people will talk…so do what is best for you,” she says at the close of her video.