When US scientist Gretchen Goldman posted a side-by-side photo to Twitter of herself during a CNN interview, she never anticipated the response it would get.
Within a matter of hours, her post went viral.
In the combo picture, Goldman compared the messy reality of her Washington, DC home to that of a research scientist. It’s reality that most work-from-home parents can relate to now that the pandemic has made it the new normal.
Just so I'm being honest. #SciMomJourneys pic.twitter.com/4yZMKtVxwP
— Gretchen Goldman, PhD (@GretchenTG) September 15, 2020
“Just so I'm being honest,” said Goldman alongside the picture.
From there, the post catapulted into viral territory, gaining more than 31K retweets.
“I was surprised how much it resonated with people,” Goldman told Desert News.
Goldman — who is research director for the Center of Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists – was engaged in an interview with CNN to critique the appointment of David Legates, a University of Delaware professor of climatology, to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The mother of two appeared looking professional and is seen seated in front of a blanket-covered couch. But the reality was far more “real”.
“It’s really neat to see the response, especially from moms and other parents struggling right now,” she said.
But not all the comments were as flattering.
“Why not use kitchen table? I'm sure there must be just plain white wall somewhere around it. This looks horrible, if it weren't for windows I would think this is one of those Hong Kong shoebox apartments with such mess/size. Where do you work on computer usually, I doubt it's here,” responded one user.
Another tweep argued: “I am not sure i would post those photos side by side asking for credibility or arguing the lack there of in others.”
And yet, Goldman took the negative comments with a pinch of salt. “I think I just want us to be honest about the reality of the situation and make it more visible that parents are dealing with these challenges right now,” she added.