'Fair Play,' A New Documentary About Motherhood Features Detroit Mom, founder of Hay There Social Media

Fair Play Fair Play Documentary motherhood Documentary About Motherhood Hay There Social Media Emily Hay Hello Sunshine Reese Witherspoon Jennifer Siebel Newsom

By Joel Brussels , Parent Herald Jul 14, 08:12 am

One thing working mothers worldwide know is that life is not fair sometimes. Managing both the home and the job can take an emotional toll on any mom. A new documentary sheds light on that struggle, showing how it impacts families, women, and society.

The documentary is dubbed "Fair Play," and the film follows women in their daily lives. Among those featured in the film is Metro Detroit native Emily Hay and her family. She is the founder of Hay There Social Media, a unique training company that empowers mothers to be freelance social media marketers.

Hay first got involved in the project a few years back when she met Eve Rodsky, the author of the book "Fair Play," which gave rise to the documentary, over social media. Rodksy introduced Hay to the producers of the film after their interaction.

The project shines a light on motherhood

According to Hay, "Fair Play" is a project that shines a light on the invisible labor in the home, which women historically hold. She added that "Fair Play" is based on the notion that all time is created equal. Hay explained that her husband's time is not more valuable to society just because he is a man and is not more valuable than hers.

Hay claimed that this way of thinking gave her a new life system that allowed her to run her house and gave her hope. While Hay thought at first that the cameras would be intrusive, she and her husband were committed to making a change in the lives of their family. They welcomed the whole process, saying it was less intrusive than she thought. Eventually, the crew became family to them, according to Click on Detroit.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom directs the "Fair Play" documentary

Hay said she learned two major things after going through the documentary. First, she learned that taking on everything yourself is not something to be proud of and that it hurts yourself and the whole family.

The second thing that Hay discovered is that change takes time. Hay initially thought that she would see this drastic change from beginning to end as you do in several makeover-style shows, but it was more complex than that. Hay said she realized instead that with real awareness comes change.

The "Fair Play" documentary was produced by Hello Sunshine, a production company started by Reese Witherspoon, and can be found on Apple TV+. It was written, produced, and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom (Miss Representation, The Mask You Live In).

"Fair Play" features experts such as the U.S. Representative from California's 45th district, Katie Porter, and Melinda French Gates. The documentary demonstrates how private lives are public issues. "Fair Play" inspires a more equitable and intentionally balanced future by making the invisible care work historically held by women visible.